Of my many childhood memories, most of which can be looked back at with a smile and involved sports in some way, one that stands out with a great deal of clarity was my first asthma attack. Read More
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Wildfire Season Has Arrived in the West
May 3rd, 2013
While some locations in the West, such as Boulder CO, received a foot of snow this past Wednesday others are now in the grips of conditions ripe for wildfire and indeed facing outbreaks already. California is currently bearing the brunt of early-season activity with wildfires in areas in the northern part of the state and around Los Angeles. Read More
Impacts After the Flood: As Midwest Waters Recede, Health Threats Remain
April 30th, 2013
It’s seems the Midwest can’t catch a break on the weather. Widespread drought has hit the region hard and now areas along the Mississippi and farther east have seen heavy rain and flooding, bringing back unwanted memories of the historic floods just two years ago. Chicago had its wettest April on record and Grand Rapids was transformed into an aquarium. Read More
Another Record-Breaking Year for Climate Change
January 3rd, 2013
It’s virtually certain that 2012 will be the warmest year on record for the continental United States. When scientists affirm these results, they’ll no doubt make headlines. But we should put that record in perspective. The continental U.S. covers just 2 percent of the Earth’s surface. Globally, we’re set to have another very hot year, likely in the top 10 according to the World Meteorological Organization. Read More
Reducing Hurricane Risk Using Natural Defenses
November 20th, 2012
Now that Hurricane Sandy has passed and buildings, infrastructure, and lives are beginning to be rebuilt there are still many important conversations to be had. For starters, there may be lingering and long-term public health risks that are no less important now weeks after flooding events. And what about the next big storm? Will we be prepared for it? Natural defense systems, such as properly functioning wetlands and river deltas, should be part of this conversation in addition to built structures like seawalls and levees. Read More
Hurricane Sandy’s Toll on Public Health
November 8th, 2012
In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, many of the images that stand out in my mind deal with a loss of place and structure. Photos of a burned-out Breezy Point in Queens. Atlantic City and the loss of its iconic boardwalk. Less prevalent, however, seem to be photos of direct human suffering and health impacts. I’m thinking of people paddling down flooded streets or waiting to be rescued on rooftops. Though the infrastructure impacts from Sandy will clearly be very costly, the significant public health impacts and continued health risks should also be a central part of the response and planning discussion. Read More
Carbon Measurements on the Chopping Block
September 20th, 2012
It’s hard to overstate the importance of understanding how carbon moves through land, oceans, air, and all life on Earth. The carbon cycle has helped shape the planet’s climate back into deep time and is a primary determinant today. It is then not welcome news that we may be faced with losing some of our capacity to measure carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases under looming budget cuts. Read More
The Drought-Heat Tango: Why Dry Conditions Can Lead to Even Higher Temperatures
August 6th, 2012
The 2012 Drought in America series so far has looked at the immense impacts of the drought on farmers and taxpayers, impacts to the energy sector, how the drought may reshape American agriculture, strategies for building resilience, and finally the longer-term climate implications for drought. I thought it may be useful to have a post that looks at some of the basic underlying mechanisms of the drought-heat dance that can be applied not only to our current drought, but those of past and future as well. Or as one paper states it, as soil moisture decreases, “hot days tend to get hotter to a greater degree than cool days get warmer.”
Dangerous Summer Heat on the Rise in the Midwest
July 30th, 2012
We couldn’t have chosen more appropriate weather (hot!) to mark the release of our report looking at changing summer heat in the Midwest. Millennium Park in Chicago was just beginning to get really hot and Crown Fountain crowded as we discussed the summer heat trends that Chicago has experienced over the past 60 or so years. A true “DT” day, indeed. (You’ll have to read the report to find out what that means. No spoilers here). The report finds that, on average, summer weather is changing in ways that increase the risk of heat-related health impacts in large Midwestern cities, including Chicago, Minneapolis, Detroit, St. Louis, and Cincinnati. Read More
The Value of Science from Space – One Perspective
May 15th, 2012
The past month or so has given us a flyovers by the Space Shuttles Discovery and Enterprise (with associated striking photos), the Hubble Space telescope’s birthday, budget questions over satellites, and proposals to mine asteroids for resources. Typically, my gaze is focused on the earth’s surface or lower atmosphere, but these events have me looking back up for a change and thinking about the role of space in science. However, aspects of this endeavor may be at risk.
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