Geothermal energy taps into and harvests the heat released from below the surface of the earth. It’s a renewable energy that doesn’t contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Geothermal energy reduces our carbon footprint and doesn’t take up a structural footprint, either. Unlike the endless fields of wind turbines or solar panel arrays, most of the […]
Category Archives: Global Warming
The Mechanics of the Greenhouse Gas Effect
Did you know that there used to be palm trees in the Arctic? It was 56 million years ago, but it was caused by greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere at an alarming rate. It’s hard to imagine palm trees swaying where we think of polar bears and glaciers, but due to […]
Investigating Overpopulation: The Solutions
Urbanization is just one of the many effects of overpopulation here on Earth, along with the rapid dwindling of the natural environment as a whole. The general consensus across the scientific community is that a number of factors have contributed to global overpopulation. More than 7.7 billion people live on Earth as of 2020, largely […]
How Climate Change Impacts California Wildfires
Every year, California wildfires force residents to temporarily evacuate their homes and seek refuge in shelters, motels, or with relatives. While the wildfire season is one of the few things that truly unites both Northern and Southern California, it’s also not a new phenomenon: you can track over a century of California wildfires recorded by […]
The decline of Arctic Sea Ice Over the Past 35 Years
This NASA visualization shows a rapid decline in Arctic Sea ice over the last 35 years, based on satellite observations. The situation is really bad: in the 1st week of January 1988, over 1.2 million sq. miles (3.1 million km2) were covered by sea ice 4 years of age or older, compared with just over […]
Carbon, Climate Change, and Public Health
The era of climate change is upon us, and if we stand idle, its far-reaching negative impact will only increase. Increased emissions of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide play a significant role in the onset of climate change. Gases like these trap heat in the atmosphere, not allowing temperatures to fall. […]
Climate explained: why Mars is cold despite an atmosphere of mostly carbon dioxide
Paulo de Souza, Griffith University Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.
How developing countries struggling with air pollution can reduce emissions
Whilst air pollution is a problem all around the world, it can be particularly troublesome in developing countries. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 98% of inhabitants of big cities in low-income countries live in a high level of air pollution, leaving them with a number of health problems due to the poor quality […]
Benefits of Renewable Energy Sources: Is Renewable Energy the Key to Fighting Climate Change?
There is no way of protecting the climate without drastically mitigating fossil fuel combustion. Nearly half of CO2 pollution comes from power plants burning fossil fuels. But there’s a way to turn things around. Renewable energy cuts down carbon pollution and has a much lower impact on the environment.
What Earth’s changing climate can teach us about altering the surface of Mars
Gareth Dorrian, University of Birmingham and Ian Whittaker, Nottingham Trent University In a rare instance of environmental success, the United Nations has just announced it believes the damage to the Earth’s protective ozone layer will be fully restored by the year 2050. This stands in stark contrast to the increasing alarm over the climate emergency, […]
