Global Warming & Climate Change

Chronology of Coverage

1. Sep. 10, 2014

   Comprehensive study by nearly two dozen government agencies and conservation groups concludes that nearly one-third of American birds are in trouble because of steep declines across habitats and ecosystems; news comes on heels of National Audubon Society report saying 650 bird species will be threatened by climate change. MORE

2. Sep. 9, 2014

   Survey conducted by National Audubon Society finds that climate change will drive about half of the approximately 650 bird species in North America to smaller spaces or force them to find new places to live, feed and breed over next 65 years; birds could become extinct if they do not move. MORE

3. Sep. 9, 2014

   Bristol County district attorney Sam Sutter drops criminal charges against climate activists Jay O'Hara and Ken Ward, who had been arrested in 2013 after they used a lobster boat to block a freighter from delivering a shipment of coal to Brayton Point Power Station in Massachusetts; offers strong words about climate change, surprising many. MORE

4. Sep. 8, 2014

   Yale's chief investment officer David F Swensen has asked its money managers to assess how investments could affect climate change and suggested that they avoid companies that do not take sensible 'steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions'; strategy is part of program announced at Yale that includes $21 million capital investment for energy conservation. MORE

5. Aug. 28, 2014

   Federal government will add 20 types of coral to its list of threatened species; cites fishing practices and global warming as contributing factors. MORE

6. Aug. 27, 2014

   Obama administration is working to forge sweeping international climate change agreement to compel nations to cut their planet-warming fossil fuel emissions, but without ratification from Congress; Pres Obama's climate negotiators will sidestep constitutional requirement that Senate approve legally binding treaties by making agreement politically binding instead; treaty is to be signed at United Nations summit meeting in 2015. MORE

7. Aug. 27, 2014

   Major United Nations report finds that runaway growth in emission of greenhouse gases is swamping all political efforts to deal with problem; report finds that global warming is already having significant impact on grain production and weather, warning that effects may be irreversible. MORE

8. Aug. 25, 2014

   Scientists report in journal Nature Geoscience the discovery of methane gas coming from seafloor off East Coast of United States, deep in Atlantic Ocean; say findings could offer help in studying climate change and could allow testing of more radical theories. MORE

9. Aug. 24, 2014

   Op-Ed article by psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton observes that Americans appear to be undergoing significant psychological shift in their relation to global warming, likening it to 'swerve' or major historical change in consciousness; contends such a swerve is neither predictable or orderly and questions whether it will give rise to social movement against global warming. MORE

10. Aug. 17, 2014

    Moises Velasquez-Manoff article notes climate change is altering habitats in a way that is allowing hybrid species to thrive, and is thus challenging current understanding of what constitutes a species. MORE

11. Aug. 17, 2014

    Editorial welcomes fact that Chinese government has indicated strong desire to reduce its reliance on coal; cautions not a lot is known about Beijing's strategy and whether it will be bold enough to have meaningful effect on air quality and climate change. MORE

12. Aug. 12, 2014

    Justin Gillis By Degrees column; scientists are testing robot prototypes designed to collect temperature and other data from ocean depths in effort to shed more light on progress of global warming; some scientists believe that deep ocean is absorbing heat that would otherwise show up in surface water or in air. MORE

13. Aug. 12, 2014

    Biologists are struggling to find ways to protect giant sequoias, some of world's oldest and most storied trees, from drought, forest fires and climate change threatening California's Sierra Nevada Mountains. MORE

14. Aug. 10, 2014

    Op-Ed article by columnist Kristin Dombek reflects that both science and religion share a trust in fact that one's individual life is linked to something bigger, yet this similarity is lost in debates between faithful and secular people about climate change. MORE

15. Aug. 6, 2014

    Eduardo Porter Economic Scene column notes that concerns about population seem to have reemerged as fears over climate change increase; cites United Nations study showing that pace of population growth will have substantial impact on amount of greenhouse gases released into atmosphere. MORE

16. Aug. 3, 2014

    Robert H Frank Economic View column contends prompt, effective measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions could prevent much of the damage from climate change at relatively modest cost; discusses five myths, each one rooted in bad economics. MORE

17. Jul. 31, 2014

    Evangelical and other conservative religious leaders, defying Republican orthodoxy, reassert support for Pres Obama's environmental policies at public hearings on proposed Environmental Protection Agency rules; measures would cut carbon pollution from power plants. MORE

18. Jul. 30, 2014

    White House Council of Economic Advisers releases analysis asserting that failing to adequately reduce carbon pollution that contributes to climate change could cost United States economy $150 billion a year; is part of White House’s effort to increase public support for Pres Obama’s climate-change agenda, chiefly an Environmental Protection Agency proposal targeting coal-fired power plants. MORE

19. Jul. 29, 2014

    Research shows that climate change is causing both decline in Antarctic fur seal populations and increased genetic diversity and fitness among survivors. MORE

20. Jul. 27, 2014

    Nicola Twilley article analyzes how refrigeration and cold storage boom in China is transforming the way the nation grows, distributes and consumes food; holds boom is also formidable new factor in climate change, as cooling is already responsible for 15 percent of all electricity consumption worldwide, and leaks of chemical refrigerants are major source of greenhouse-gas pollution. MORE

21. Jul. 25, 2014

    Chinese government, under pressure to reduce smog and carbon emissions, is considering mandatory cap on coal use; cap, however, would have an adjustable ceiling that would allow coal consumption to grow for years. MORE

22. Jul. 25, 2014

    Julia Baird Op-Ed article examines reasons behind repeal of Australia's carbon tax; contends tax was casualty of political success of Prime Min Tony Abbott; laments that now Australia has no clear climate policy. MORE

23. Jul. 24, 2014

    Greenpeace East Asia report shows that China's energy plans will contribute significantly to climate change, producing estimated 1.1 billion tons of carbon dioxide annually; proposed coal gasification plants will shift pollution from China's largest cities to other regions. MORE

24. Jul. 24, 2014

    Study by Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Rhodium Group finds that Texas and Oklahoma would be among biggest economic winners under regulation proposed by President Obama to fight climate change because it would create robust new demand for natural gas; co-author of study points out irony that both Texas Gov Rick Perry and Sen James M Inhofe of Oklahoma, both Republicans, have been outspokenly skeptical of climate change. MORE

25. Jul. 24, 2014

    Research shows that some species of flies have genes to survive changes to their environment over series of generations; findings carry implications for fate of a number of species in face of climate change. MORE

26. Jul. 22, 2014

    Many scientists say capturing carbon that spews from power plants and locking it away permanently is necessary to stave off worst effects of climate change; contend that for now, world is too dependent on fossil fuels to do anything less; Obama administration expects coal will produce nearly third of nation's electricity in 2030, down from 40 percent today (Series: The Big Fix). MORE

27. Jul. 18, 2014

    Minnesota has mandated sharp reductions in energy use in every new state-financed building for more than a decade, and in renovated buildings for more than five years; those mandates includes new stadium for Minnesota Vikings; state has also set deadlines for utilities to increase amount of electricity generated from renewable sources. MORE

28. Jul. 17, 2014

    Australian government repeals laws requiring large companies to pay for carbon emissions, fulfilling key election promise of Prime Min Tony Abbott; opponents say repeal will undermine Australia's efforts to address climate change. MORE

29. Jul. 17, 2014

    Pres Obama announces climate change initiatives aimed at guarding nation's electricity supply; proposals include improvement of local planning for dealing with flooding, coastal erosion and storm surges, and better methods for predicting landslide risks. MORE

30. Jul. 16, 2014

    John Christy, professor of atmospheric science at University of Alabama in Huntsville, says predictions of global warming have been greatly overstated; though highly credentialed, Christy has many critics. MORE

31. Jul. 15, 2014

    Study in journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B shows that tropical fish are moving into more temperate waters as ocean warms. MORE

32. Jul. 13, 2014

    Editorial expresses hope that meeting between United States, European Union, China and 11 other governments to eliminate tariffs on solar panels, wind turbines and other environmental goods may reduce cost of equipment needed to address climate change; holds that elimination of tariffs would represent significant tool in complex international task of dealing with global warming. MORE

33. Jul. 9, 2014

    Eduardo Porter Economic Scene column calls attention to report by United Nations that explores technological paths available to world's 15 main economies to both maintain reasonable rates of growth and cut carbon emissions to prevent climate change; notes that report calls for overhaul of way energy is used, and for entirely different approach to international diplomacy on the issue. MORE

34. Jul. 8, 2014

    Justin Gillis By Degrees column observes that one of biggest issues in debate over how to combat global warming involves how much effort to put into stopping leaks of methane gas into atmosphere; issue has grown in importance with release of Pres Obama's climate plan, which calls for greater use of natural gas, including methane. MORE

35. Jul. 7, 2014

    Team of environmentalists, headed by lawyers David Doniger and David Hawkins and climate scientist Daniel Lashof, at the Natural Resources Defense Council created carbon-emissions proposal that heavily influenced Obama administration's new Environmental Protection Agency rule; say organization followed a strategy used by the oil industry during the Bush administration. MORE

36. Jul. 7, 2014

    Editorial notes starkly differing approaches North Carolina and Virginia are taking to looming problem of climate change-related sea-level rise; holds Virginia has confronted problem head-on, while North Carolina has engaged in politically-motivated revision of its danger assessment; says neither commercial interests nor homeowners are helped by pandering politicians' denial of effects of climate change. MORE

37. Jul. 6, 2014

    Op-Ed article by Christopher Solomon underscores need for rethinking Wilderness Act, which was passed fifty years ago and has strict language requiring that people will leave wilderness areas alone; contends that effects of climate change raise question of whether humans should intervene in order to preserve America's wilderness. MORE

38. Jul. 5, 2014

    Billionaire Tom Steyer, former hedge fund manager and most influential environmentalist in American politics, has vowed to sell his investments in firms that generate fossil fuels, but examination shows the coal-related projects his fund bankrolled may emit carbon for years; coal-mining companies that received money from Steyer's fund Farallon Capital Management have increased annual production by 70 million tons. MORE

39. Jul. 4, 2014

    Influence of White House science adviser John Holdren can be seen in many of the Obama administration's policies, including plan to cut power plant emissions of carbon dioxide, main contributor to global warming; Holdren has focused on climate change and its perils for much of his four-decade career, and his view and pivotal role in the administration have put him in cross hairs of critics. MORE

40. Jun. 30, 2014

    Noordwijk Journal; Netherlands experts say dikes of country's famed water management system work so well that they worry citizens will begin to take staying dry for granted; as global climate change threatens to raise sea levels, Dutch authorities are working to make schoolchildren aware of forecasts that may seem far-off by engaging them in activities such as sand-castle competitions. MORE

41. Jun. 30, 2014

    NASA is launching Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 satellite in attempt to gain better data on how carbon dioxide moves into and out of atmosphere; data could be key to understanding climate change and how to deal with issue. MORE

42. Jun. 26, 2014

    Pres Obama acknowledges that efforts to combat climate change, particularly regulations that would slash carbon pollution from cars and coal-fired power plants, could raise fuel and electricity prices. MORE

43. Jun. 25, 2014

    Eduardo Porter Economic Scene column notes that reports by Risky Business Project, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, National Climate Assessment and new rules proposed by Obama administration all confirm certainty of climate change; asserts that it is too late to prevent climate change by reducing carbon emissions now, but doing so could help avert more serious damage decades later. MORE

44. Jun. 24, 2014

    Supreme Court largely upholds Environmental Protection Agency's ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources like power plants, marking a big win for environmentalists; ruling comes even as court criticizes what it calls Obama administration's overreaching; combative tone of decision, along with court's rejection of one of EPA's rationales for regulations, suggests rocky road ahead for other initiatives to reduce carbon emissions. MORE

45. Jun. 24, 2014

    Report released by a coalition of senior political and economic figures, including three Treasury secretaries stretching back to the Nixon administration, argues climate change is an economic issue and American companies should treat it like any other fiscal threat; predicts heavy loss of coastal properties, a shift in farming northward and dangerous outdoor conditions because of climate change. MORE

46. Jun. 24, 2014

    Floods and storms that have ravaged Great Britain in 2014 have revealed new aspects of submerged forest of Borth on Britain's western coastline; erosion caused by changing climate has uncovered new clues as to where among cluster of prehistoric tree stumps early humans may have lived. MORE

47. Jun. 24, 2014

    Editorial praises Supreme Court for its affirmation of Environmental Protection Agency's power to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act; argues that case, brought by coalition of business interests and states, preserves government's ability to confront global warming while also demonstrating Congress's persistent failure to update the law to meet modern needs. MORE

48. Jun. 23, 2014

    Paul Krugman Op-Ed column asserts that across-the-board carbon tax, while arguably one of best responses to climate change, is unlikely to happen; contends that several 'second best' policies exist to tackle problem; questions whether environmentally-minded Republicans, like former Treasury Sec Henry Paulson, are willing to accept all the messy negotiations that second best implies. MORE

49. Jun. 22, 2014

    Op-Ed article by Henry M Paulson Jr, former Treasury secretary, warns of the risks posed to both environment and United States economy by climate change; calls for country to take immediate action to address the issue while remaining economically competitive; suggests as first step putting price on carbon dioxide emissions. MORE

50. Jun. 17, 2014

    Op-Ed article by Prof Ted Steinberg argues that for all its problems, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey presents an excellent example of interstate cooperation that could prove invaluable in combating climate change; holds that increasing urbanization in coastal areas has been devastating to estuaries and wetlands, and has aggravated the danger posed by coastal flooding; calls on Port Authority to become an international leader in combating these trends. MORE

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ARTICLES ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING

A Hurricane in 1964, and What Came After

By ALAN FLIPPEN

Since 1995, the average number of Atlantic hurricanes has risen to eight, although the last two years have been relatively quiet.

September 12, 2014, Friday

MORE ON GLOBAL WARMING AND: Global Warming , Florida , Hurricanes and Tropical Storms

Can Humans Get Used to Having a Two-Way Relationship with Earth's Climate?

By ANDREW C. REVKIN

Can humans get used to having a two-way relationship with Earth’s climate?

September 10, 2014, Wednesday

MORE ON GLOBAL WARMING AND: Kolbert, Elizabeth , Safina, Carl , Audubon Magazine , Audubon Society, National , Birds , Carbon Dioxide , Environment , Global Warming , Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Federal Report Describes Trouble for Some Birds

By ELENA SCHNEIDER

After the National Audubon Society released a report saying 650 bird species will be threatened by climate change, a report released by other agencies concluded that nearly one-third of American birds are in trouble.

September 10, 2014, Wednesday

MORE ON GLOBAL WARMING AND: Birds , Global Warming , Endangered and Extinct Species , North America , Fish and Wildlife Service , Audubon Society, National

Climate Change Will Disrupt Half of North America’s Bird Species, Study Says

By FELICITY BARRINGER

The National Audubon Society foresees danger for more than half of the 650 species of birds in North America.

September 9, 2014, Tuesday

MORE ON GLOBAL WARMING AND: Birds , North America , Global Warming , Audubon Society, National , Endangered and Extinct Species

Charges Dropped Against Climate Activists

By JESS BIDGOOD

A Massachusetts district attorney said he shared two defendants’ concern about the hazards of climate change.

September 9, 2014, Tuesday

MORE ON GLOBAL WARMING AND: Brayton Point Power Station , Energy and Power , O'Hara, Jay , Ward, Ken , Global Warming , Sutter, C Samuel , Coal , Massachusetts , District Attorneys , Ships and Shipping , Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant (NY)

Yale Fund Takes Aim at Climate Change

By GERALDINE FABRIKANT

Yale’s chief investment officer asked its money managers to talk with company managers about “the financial risks of climate change” and the implications of government policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

September 8, 2014, Monday

MORE ON GLOBAL WARMING AND: Colleges and Universities , Global Warming , Endowments , Yale University , Swensen, David F , Energy Efficiency , Greenhouse Gas Emissions , Stocks and Bonds

China Plans a Market for Carbon Permits

By REUTERS

The nation plans to use the market, expected to be introduced in 2016, to slow its rapid growth in climate-changing emissions.

September 1, 2014, Monday

MORE ON GLOBAL WARMING AND: Greenhouse Gas Emissions , China , Air Pollution , Global Warming , National Development and Reform Commission (China)

On Climate, a Younger Bush’s Ideas Stray From Party Ideology

By NEENA SATIJA

In his campaign for Texas land commissioner, George P. Bush sounds like someone the Tea Party can get behind on most issues. The exception is the environment.

August 31, 2014, Sunday

MORE ON GLOBAL WARMING AND: Bush, George Prescott , Coal , Global Warming , Alternative and Renewable Energy , Natural Gas , Republican Party , Texas Tribune

Accounting for the Expanding Carbon Shadow From Coal-Burning Plants

By ANDREW C. REVKIN

A pitch for considering a lifetime’s worth of carbon dioxide emissions when examining power plants in the context of climate change.

August 28, 2014, Thursday

MORE ON GLOBAL WARMING AND: China , Environmental Research Letters (Journal) , Air Pollution , Carbon Dioxide , Coal , Electric Light and Power , Energy and Power , Global Warming , Greenhouse Gas Emissions , Natural Gas

What We Write When It Won’t Rain

By ANNA NORTH

A new literature of drought may be emerging — one that harkens back to the past, but also warns of an uncertain future.

August 28, 2014, Thursday

MORE ON GLOBAL WARMING AND: California , United States , Books and Literature , Deserts , Drought , Global Warming , Shortages , Water , Weather , Writing and Writers