Since I live in Chicago, it would be hard to put together a list of environmental articles without highlighting one that discusses the polar vortex. This one provides a good summary of the science and the impact. While all politics may be local, we cannot evaluate the overall impact on the climate looking at one region. Those of us who have lived in Chicago our whole lives see this winter as a return to normal, but taken in context with what is happening in Alaska, the South, and the historic heat waves in Australia, we cannot deny the presence of climate change.
Snow's melting in Alaska and pelting the South. What's going on?
"Research hints that this type of pattern can be triggered by the recent massive loss in Arctic sea ice due to the effects of human-induced climate change. One recent study which attempted to explain this counterintuitive 'warm arctic, cold continents' phenomenon during similar patterns in the 2009-‘10 and 2010-‘11 winters called it 'a major challenge' to understand, though the pattern is 'consistent with continued loss of sea ice over the next 40 years.' Bottom line: Something weird is going on, but scientists are still trying to nail down exactly what it is."
Note that the photographers worked diligently to maintain objectiveness. The images document reality, and do not go for shock value. Once you read the article, follow the link to the images as they put a human face on the situation. The team did reach out to the energy companies to get the entire image...including the jobs created...but received no cooperation. It is too bad they did not, because the images do provide a real look at what is happening, and I would have appreciated to have everything documented.
Powerful photos go deep inside America's fracking boom
"Tapping the Marcellus has altered the landscape, a change the photographers strove to painstakingly document, from the towering rigs and miles of pipeline to life in the communities impacted by it all. Each photographer brought a unique perspective."
I am not one to overly focus on predictions, but this list has a practical take on the coming trends. I also present it because it disagrees with me on the near future of natural gas (although we agree on the long-term view). I like it when smart people disagree with me.
A year of cracking ice: 10 predictions for 2014
"Many of the signs have been building up in the past few years – the way the costs of solar and wind power have closed in on those for conventional power, even beginning to undercut them without subsidies in many parts of the world; the way grids have become capable of integrating much higher percentages of renewable electricity than previously possible; the way renewable energy with no marginal cost of production has disrupted the clearing prices of electricity markets; the way utilities are finally realising that this poses an existential threat to their business model; the way consumers have enthusiastically adopted new energy technologies when embodied in cool products like the Nest thermostat and the Tesla Model S; the way investors have started to become concerned about stranded fossil fuel assets. These are all tipping points – once passed, it is impossible to go back.
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That said, I am pretty good at predictions, and in the early part of this century when everyone was pushing rooftop gardens, I fought for white reflective or solar roofs. Looks like I picked the right side.
White roofs keep cities cooler than 'green' ones, study finds
"What's the greenest roof? A white one. White-painted roofs are three times more efficient than 'green roofs'—rooftops that are planted over with grass or other greenery—at countering global warming, a new analysis found. White and green are both are much better for the environment than traditional black-colored roofs, which heat up under the sun, drive up air conditioning bills, and make cities and towns a few degrees warmer than they would be otherwise. Cooler roofs can make a big difference: In a previous study, the same team determined that a 100-square-meter white roof offsets 10 tons of planet-warming carbon dioxide over its lifetime."
Imagine if we had focused on the electric vehicle for the last 116 years instead of the internal-combustion engine. It would be interesting to see an analysis of the impact.
Porche's first car is 116 years old, and it's electric
"The automaker has recovered the P1, an electric car that Ferdinand Porsche built while working for a carriage maker in 1898; it was also the first car he ever built. No one will mistake it for a Tesla between its wood frame, 3HP motor and 50-mile range, but it was fast enough to win an all-electric race in 1899."
Happy Friday!
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