A study recently published in the journal Nature finds plants have been absorbing 31 percent more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than previously assumed and modeled.The international team of researchers, led by Jiameng Lai at Cornell University, examined gross primary production (GPP), the largest carbon flux (carbon sink and cycling) in the biosphere. The GPP is calculated in petagrams of carbon per year, with one petagram equaling about 1 billion metric tons, approximately the amount of … [Read more...]
Trumping the Electric Vehicle Mandate
One of Donald Trump’s main campaign themes was ending the federal electric vehicle mandate, which he calls a China-first policy that taxes the electric grid, subsidizes forced labor, and destroys American jobs. This means rescinding Biden Administration subsidies and mandates – but what else will he be able to do?The worldwide revolt against the one-engine-fits-all strategy long favored by the European Union began in Italy, just two months after the EU struck a provisional deal on a new vehicle … [Read more...]
When Will Scientists Admit that They Haven’t Saved the Ozone Layer?
Another year has passed, and that stubborn Ozone Hole over Antarctica refuses to go away. Data from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) shows that the area of the Ozone Hole remains about the same as it has been over the last 30 years. When will scientists admit that they didn’t save the ozone layer? Ozone is a gas made up of three oxygen atoms (O3). Ninety percent of the ozone in the atmosphere is found in the stratosphere, a layer of atmosphere between about 10 and 50 … [Read more...]
Warming Climate Powers Canadian Agriculture
As we gaze at the verdant fields of Saskatchewan or the salmon-rich waters of British Columbia, it's easy to forget that merely 12,000 years ago much of Canada lay under miles of ice. The Canada we know today—a mosaic of thriving ecosystems and bountiful farmlands—is the product of a remarkable transformation that began as the last glacial ice advance waned and the warm embrace of the Holocene’s interglacial period took hold. Birth of Canadian Agriculture Beginning about … [Read more...]
NC Floods, CA Drought, and The Role of Randomness
The recent devastating floods in western North Carolina were not unprecedented but were certainly rare. A recent masters thesis examining flood deposits in the banks of the French Broad River over the last 250-300 years found that a flood in 1769 produced water levels approximately as high as those reported in the recent flood from Hurricane Helene. So, yes, the flood was historic.Like all severe weather events, a superposition of several contributing factors are necessary to make an … [Read more...]
Resolving the Dissonance Regarding Fossil Fuels
Fossil fuels are destroying our planet. Big oil is evil. Coal is an addiction. These are hyperbolic statements uttered without basis in the public square as we continue with lifestyles dependent on hydrocarbons and their derivatives. This dissonance exists cognitively in individuals whose choices are inconsistent with their thinking. Another dissonance manifests itself as elites who are wedded to an apocalyptic climate vision fearmongering to people who are just fine with their … [Read more...]
Florida Major Hurricanes, 1900-2024: What Do the Statistics Show?
Florida residents must feel like they have been taking a beating from major hurricanes in recent years, but what do the data show?The problem with human perception of such things is that the time scale of hurricane activity fluctuations is often longer than human experience. For example, a person born in the 1950s would have no memory of the beating Florida took in the 1940s from major hurricanes (a total of 5). But they would have many memories of the hurricane lull period of the 1970s and … [Read more...]
If Green Energy is the Future, Bring a Fire Extinguisher
A version of this article was recently published in The Wall Street Journal. Alternative energy is exploding─literally. Lithium battery fires are breaking out on highways and in factories, home garages, and storage rooms. The rise in battery fires is amplified by government efforts to force adoption of electric vehicles and grid-scale batteries for electric power. Lithium batteries have high energy density, making them valuable for phones and portable appliances. But when they catch … [Read more...]
Fires, Pollution and Slavery: EVs’ Ugly Truth
The electric vehicle (EV) is heralded as a cornerstone of the fight against climate change, with promises of a cleaner, greener future. As recently as July, the Biden-Harris administration announced billions of dollars of government support for EV manufacturing. However, a growing concern lies beneath the shiny surface of electric cars and bikes: the safety risks of lithium-ion batteries, particularly their propensity to catch fire. The rosy image of EVs as environmental saviors … [Read more...]
Exxon Knew! First Warming And Climate, Now Plastics
“Exxon Knew!” The battle cry has inflamed and inspired climate activists for decades. Since the 1970s, they allege, Exxon Knew that human-caused climate change is “real” – but lied about it, claimed there wasn’t a “crisis,” and kept marketing its “planet-killing” fuels and petrochemical feed stocks.Now activists say Exxon Knew for years that very little plastic waste is actually recycled. The oil giant is deceiving regulators and consumers with claims that all plastics are recyclable and its … [Read more...]
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