Rising Sea Levels

One of the most significant challenges related to global climate change is rising sea levels. Since the beginning of the 20th-century, sea levels have gradually risen by 16 - 21 cm (6.3 - 8.3 in).

The rise in sea levels has also accelerated over time due to thermal expansion (the change in the volume and area of matter due to increased temperatures) and the melting of ice sheets and arctic glaciers.

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Researchers have calculated that arctic sea ice has declined by 10% in the last 10 years. In addition to rising sea levels, this has altered the circulation of the Atlantic Ocean, destroying fisheries in northern countries and creating massive storms and hurricanes.

Coastlines around the world remain susceptible to flooding. Some at-risk coasts include the Miami shore, Rio de Janeiro, Osaka and Shanghai. The Egyptian city, Alexandria, faces a particular threat as much of its population exists in low lying coastal areas, which will likely be inundated within the next decade.

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Our best hope for limiting the increase in sea levels is to reduce our carbon footprint. Initiatives in renewable energy and efficient power are critical components in reaching our emission goals.

For images of climate science and rising sea levels, click the links above. For information on how you can help deduce our carbon emissions head to the Environmental Defense Fund. (www.edf.org)

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Climate Change, Extreme Weather and the Jet Stream

In the last decade or so, we’ve experienced giant tornados, damaging wildfires, flood-inducing rainstorms, fatal heat waves, and droughts destroying crops and livestock like never before.

At the same time the polar jet stream, a westerly wind generated by solar radiation and the corollas effect (a phenomenon that creates our weather), has been behaving in unprecedented ways. Scientists believe this is not a coincidence, rather it is related.

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Extreme Weather and the Jet Stream

Normally, the jet stream travels either in a straight line or undulates in waves called Rossby waves. Rossby waves bring warm air northward and cold air southward. This can create a temporary heat wave or a rainstorm.

The jet stream is powered by the temperature differential between the cold arctic air and the warmer air in the lower latitudes. As global warming continues to warm the arctic air, the jet stream is losing its power. The Rossby waves have become larger, expanding much further north and south than before.

They are bringing temperatures and weather that is unusual for our local climate. Records show that Southern U.S. states now get snow more regularly than in the past.

Once Rossby waves, especially weakened ones, reach a certain size they can stall in place, permitting a heat wave or a rain weather system to last days or weeks longer than the norm.

With no end in sight to global warming or even a slowing of it, we are likely to be in for even more extreme weather that increases in intensity and stays put for longer.

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A growing number of scientists are predicting that perhaps as soon as 2050 the climate in the southern latitudes may be unlivable and the Arctic could be our new temperate zone.

Get ready to move north, and bring your umbrella, sunscreen and snow boots.

• wikipedia.com
• scientficamerican.com
• sciencefriday.com

The Energy Revolution

Renewable energy is sweeping the globe, changing our economies and the way we impact the environment.

Wind farms and solar panels now power large parts of developed countries and hydropower is constantly innovating, becoming more efficient and cost-effective. Tesla's SolarCity recently released a new solar power roof, and there is talk that one-day solar panels might replace household windows, potentially reducing electric bills and carbon footprints to zero.

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Since 2014, both the United States and the European Union have reduced their CO2 emissions, and many other developed nations have seen their emission rates decline or stabilize. Although some of this is due to stagnating economies worldwide, officials confirm that much of it is a result of the rise of natural gas, solar energy, and wind power.

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The cost of renewable energy has also decreased, outpacing even the decline in gas prices, making it an effective solution for developing nations and new economies. Globally there are about 7.7 million jobs associated with renewable energy, and worldwide investment for renewables reached US$286 billion in 2015.

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Despite the good news, it's still unclear whether the world will reach the energy goals set by the Paris Agreement of 2016. The International Energy Agency estimates that renewable energy will only increase by 3% by 2021. The U.S.'s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and the U.K.'s defunding of local renewable projects are both setbacks for the Agreement but not necessarily fatal.

For the energy revolution to succeed, public support and private investment are essential.  See swell.com to find out how you can put your money towards a sustainable future.

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• www.theguardian.com
• www.nytimes.com