The heat waves that powered the Dust Bowl are now more than twice as likely to happen again MICHAEL D’ESTRIES May 27, 2020 A dust storm approaches Stratford, Texas, in 1935. (Photo: NOAA George E. Marsh Album [public domain]/Wikimedia Commons) They were called “black blizzards” and “black rollers,” towering billows of dust rising thousands of feet high that became ominous symbols of …

Climate change threatens Colorado river and the water supply for 40 million people The Weather Channel | Jan Wesner Childs Climate change has dramatically decreased natural flow in the Colorado River, jeopardizing the water supply for some 40 million people and millions of acres of farmland, according to new research from the USGS. The decline is expected to continue unless …

2019 Colorado Hot Issues in Health Conference, Climate Session

Hosted by the nonpartisan Colorado Health Institute, the event has convened the state’s leading thinkers to discuss pressing issues related to health and health care for nearly 20 years. The 2019 Hot Issues in Health Conference will take place on Thursday, December 5, 2019 and Friday, December 6, 2019 at the Hilton Denver Inverness in Englewood, Colorado Moderator: Karam Ahmad, …

As California burns, many fear the future of extreme fire has arrived

“It’s burning differently. It’s burning more aggressive than it has in years past. And I know we say that every year, but it’s unprecedented.” Vice: Thousands of firefighters are battling unprecedented fatal wildfires in California. By Alissa Greenberg and Jason Wilson in Redding, for The Guardian, Tue 31 Jul 2018   Homes destroyed by the Carr fire in Redding, California. Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Roger Gray …

Sinking land, poisoned water: the dark side of California’s mega farms

The floor of the Central Valley is slumping, and there is arsenic in the tap water. Now it seems the two problems are connected.  By Alissa Greenberg in Lanare, California, for The Guardian, Wed 18 Jul 2018    Farm fields along the path of the California aqueduct in the Central Valley, a region that produces a quarter of the nation’s food. Photograph: Lucy Nicholson/Reuters …

Warmest May ever in the US, and temps 3 degrees F (1.7 C) over the 20th century average in June. 30% of states in drought. 401st consecutive month with above avg temps worldwide

By Christie Aschwanden, in Five Thirty Eight, July 19, 2018 A man cools off in the spray of a fire hydrant during a heatwave in Philadelphia this month. JESSICA KOURKOUNIS / GETTY IMAGES It’s only July, but it has already been a long, hot spring and summer. The contiguous U.S. endured the warmest May ever recorded, and in June, the average temperature was 1.7 degrees Celsius (3.0 …

Ranchers in Divide County, North Dakota, rely on the rain. Last year the rains and crops failed, and the temperature shot up, but Did It Change Minds on Climate Change?

July 17, 2018, By Meera Subramanian, Inside Climate News DIVIDE COUNTY, North Dakota — I walk in the front door of Byron Carter’s house as others are entering in the back, and Koda the dog can’t decide which way to direct her barking. I’m in Divide County, North Dakota, but borders seem a little meaningless here. Last summer’s drought, which was calamitous for …

Roots of Prosperity: The Economics and Finance of Restoring Land

by Helen Ding, Sofia Faruqi, Andrew Wu, Juan-Carlos Altamirano, Andrés Anchondo Ortega, René Zamora Cristaless This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the benefits and costs of restoring forests and landscapes in countries around the world, demonstrating how smart policies and innovative financing can help governments meet their restoration targets. The authors find that finance, both public and private, for restoration is inadequate for seven reasons, …

Surviving drought: Herbivores help protect ecosystems from climate change

Plant-eating critters are the key ingredient to helping ecosystems survive global warming, finds new UBC research that offers some hope for a defence strategy against climate change. “The herbivores created space for other plants and animals to move in and we saw much more diversity and variety in these ecosystems,” said Rebecca Kordas, the lead author of the study who …

Reduced rainfall in the SW through late summer and fall, and in the longterm, due to climate disruption

ScienceDaily 18 Oct 2017 excerpt …Results highlight the possibility of a strong precipitation reduction in the northern edge of the monsoon in the southwestern US in response to warming, with consequences for regional water resources, agriculture and ecosystems. “Monsoon rains are critical for the southwest U.S. and northwest Mexico, yet the fate of the North American monsoon is quite uncertain,” …