Exploring the Future
By exploring the dynamic interactions of systems we open a portal into future potentials. Understanding these connections allows us to see the connections between our history, the moment, and our future.
The National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council, Board on Atmospheric Science and Climate Present:
Climate Change – Lines of Evidence
The Greenhouse Effect
The History of Climate Science
The Natural Cycle
Arctic Ice Melt
Economy
Education
Energy
Environment
- The Leading Edge Reports
- Global Warming Science
- Global Warming Myths
- Global Warming Images & Animations
Information Technology
THE LEADING EDGE
The 'Leading Edge' reports are now open for comments (as of Oct. 31, 2010). You can register via the registration link in the upper right hand corner. All reports have had commenting enabled.
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2011 May - The Leading Edge
Can carbon dioxide be a good thing (context from 2007)?; Direct removal of carbon dioxide from air likely not viable; America's Climate Choices Final Report; The Stockholm Memorandum - 3rd Nobel Laureate Symposium* on Global Sustainability, Stockholm, Sweden
2011 Apr - The Leading Edge
Lead Image shows climate extremes for March 2011; NCDC Temperature and Precipitation Anomalies March 2011; Gallup Poll: Fewer Americans, Europeans View Global Warming as a Threat
2011 Mar - The Leading Edge
Energy and Power Subcommittee to Examine Climate Science and EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Regulations; Into ignorance 'the US Congress has entered the intellectual wilderness'; President Obama's 'Shock and Trance' speech on energy security
2011 Feb - The Leading Edge
Story: Peak petroleum; Story: Strong negative phase of the Arctic Oscillation (AO); Story:Polar Amplification Effect & Current Polar Conditions; Story: Mass tree deaths in Amazon; Story: GOP pushes to drop climate change research funding; Story: House Energy & Commerce Committee pushes to repeal EPA's authority to regulate greenhouse gases;
2011 Jan - The Leading Edge
We begin 2011 with interesting new challenges in the climate debate pertaining to the willingness to address mitigation and adaptation at a policy level. In the US a larger proportion of Republicans in the legislature along with key Republican members having indicated their intentions to pull back progress in climate change regulation by repealing EPA regulation of carbon dioxide and continued attacks on science and scientists.
2010 Dec - The Leading Edge
2010 Dec - Climate and economics are tied in more ways than one might imagine. The balance of resource economy and socio-economic capacities along with long-term needs are still not well addressed from a state policy level. This months feature article generally addresses some cogent points about economics. The Leading Edge: Balancing Economies; Arctic Ice volume 78% below; Security Council Germany; The Case for the Keeling Curve.
2010 Nov - The Leading Edge
Report: UN warns of threat to human progress; Transient Middle Eocene Atmospheric CO2 and Temperature Variations; Climate scientists plan campaign against global warming skeptics; Inaccurate news reports misrepresent AGU climate-science initiative; climate crisis is no crisis (media confusion); ClimateGate One Year Later; Energy & Environment Hearing; Philippines: Aquino calls for lifestyle change
2010 Oct - The Leading Edge
Report: A 'Witch Hunt'? In Virginia? –– One of the goals of this site is to educate about science and what it means to our collective future. When science, or the scientific method comes under attack, or is undermined by those wishing to distort its meaning, it must be defended. Not because the science needs our help; because we need the science to help us. Report: Royal Society presents summary of climate change science. Report: Mike Mann Washington Post letter. Report: Huge parts of the world are drying up. Report: Pentagon pushes for green energy.
2010 Sep - The Leading Edge
Report: Global Plant Productivity/Net Primary Production = plant life on earth. Plant CO2 take up and release back to the atmosphere. Report: The InterAcademy Council (IAC) has completed it's review of the IPCC and made recommendations to improve effectiveness in process and communication. Report: New study begins in Antarctica to increase understanding of methane release and potentials. Report: Scientists respond to Monckton Congressional Testimony.
2010 Aug - The Leading Edge
This article addresses contexts regarding climate and the weather events that have occurred in July and August, 2010 around the planet.
2010 July - The Leading Edge
July 19: Dr. Stephen Schneider passed away unexpectedly in London • July 17: The Polar Science Center observes anomalous drop in Arctic ice volume • July 16: The National Academy of Sciences released a summary report on climate stabilization targets pertaining to emissions, concentrations, and impacts over decades to millennia. July 28: NOAA/BAMS releases 2009 State of the Climate Report
2010 May - The Leading Edge
A letter from 255 members of the National Academy of Science (NAS) published in Science Magazine, May 7, 2010. The subject is 'Climate Change and the Integrity of Science'. The letter is a substantial statement, and yet the media did not pick it up.
2010 Apr - The Leading Edge
The University of East Anglia set up an International Panel to review the CRU (Climate Research Unit) and found "no evidence of any deliberate scientific malpractice in any of the work of the CRU."
2010 Feb - The Leading Edge
United States Joint Forces Command, Joint Operating Environment (JOE) report February 18, 2010. While the report is more expansive than the OSS coverage, we highlight a few segments including trends, demographics, economics, energy and climate change factors.
2010 Jan - The Leading Edge
So much for global cooling: 2009 tied for second warmest year in the instrumental record. The Arctic Oscillation was in a strong negative phase this month causing cooler temperatures in North America, Europe and Russia, and unusually warm temperatures in the Arctic, Alaska, Canada, Greenland, North Eastern Russia, The Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, and much of South America.
2009 Dec - The Leading Edge
Understanding the potentials of the law of unintended consequences as we examine what might result from COP15 and/or the adoption of 'Cap & Trade' is as important as understanding the science of climate change and the implications of human caused global warming. Examining the complex mechanisms of 'Cap & Trade' vs. a simple 'Direct Progressive Tax' on CO2 emissions reveals a fatal flaw in the understanding of the advantages of Cap & Trade. In reality, there are no meaningful advantages.
2009 Nov - The Leading Edge
The purpose of this report is to synthesize the most policy-relevant climate science published since the close-off of material for the last IPCC report. The rationale is two-fold. Firstly, this report serves as an interim evaluation of the evolving science midway through an IPCC cycle – IPCC AR5 is not due for completion until 2013. Secondly, and most importantly, the report serves as a handbook of science updates that supplements the IPCC AR4 in time for Copenhagen in December, 2009, and any national or international climate change policy negotiations that follow.
2009 Oct - The Leading Edge
Two stories: 1. British Prime Minister Brown presents the challenge of our time in the clearest terms possible and the "great injustice of climate change". 2. Science teams work to refine the predictability of CO2 and nitrogen in a warming world.
2009 Sep - The Leading Edge
WCC3 - The World Climate Conference held in Geneva, Switzerland for one week included the expert segment (first 3 days) putting together the materials for the expert segment (the last two days) in order to put together and present the conference declaration.
2009 July - The Leading Edge
Oslo, Norway: A meeting of climate scientists, government officials and dignitaries involved in work of climate assessment and policy met to discuss COP15, the meeting coming up in Copenhagen. They illustrate in the meeting that even if there is an agreement, it will still result ultimately in a likely temperature increased of 4.5C (8.1F).
