Brenda Ekwurzel

Senior climate scientist

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Brenda Ekwurzel is a senior climate scientist and the director of climate science at UCS. She has expertise on many aspects of climate variability, including the Arctic Ocean and sea ice, wildfires, groundwater, and coastal erosion. She holds a Ph.D. in isotope geochemistry from Columbia University (Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory). See Brenda's full bio.

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Brenda's Latest Posts

Hundreds of Leading Scientists Stand Up for Science Integrity and Plead for Climate Action

April 24, 2018 4:03 PM EDT

Scientists have been justifiably alarmed since the early days of the Trump administration.  Many have voiced concerns on the removal of climate change information from websites, disregard of science on pesticides and air quality and more.  Enter the latest salvo: Yesterday, hundreds of members of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) signed a letter calling for the administration to reverse its decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement and to restore scientific integrity to decision making. Read more >

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Unseasonably Warm Arctic Winter is Thawing Alaska and May Be Linked to Nor’easters

March 19, 2018 3:07 PM EDT

The northernmost city in the U.S. – Utqiaġvik (formerly called Barrow), Alaska – had record warm temperatures this winter.  Perhaps the biggest shocker though, was that the North Pole went above freezing this winter (20 to 30 degrees Celsius or 36 to 54 degrees Fahrenheit above average). This shift in temperature impacts the weather outside of the Arctic. Read more >

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NOAA Ocean Explorer: NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer: INDEX 2012 ÒGul

NOAA’s Life-Saving Research is on the Chopping Block in FY19 Federal Budget

March 2, 2018 9:46 AM EDT

Deep cuts to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) research capabilities loom in the FY19 proposed budget. Research is critical to advance NOAA’s mission of understanding and predicting the weather, information that’s used to ensure public safety, to protect economic assets and activities, and to support navigation by military, commercial and private vessels. Read more >

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Science 1, Gobbledygook 0: Debunking Trump’s Climate Claims

January 31, 2018 4:23 PM EDT

I had the opportunity on The Lead with Jake Tapper (CNN) to react to recent climate statements by President Trump in an interview with Piers Morgan. Here is a quick review of the evidence refuting two common misrepresentations Trump made about the science. Read more >

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The jet stream and polar vortex on January 3, 2017. Map from the University of Maine Climate Change Institute.

The Polar Vortex, Winter Storm Grayson, and Climate Change: What’s the Connection?

January 3, 2018 4:50 PM EDT

Forecasters are trotting out “polar vortex” and atypical terms like “Nor’easter bomb” and “bombogenesis.” These words signal the unusual and dangerous conditions forecast for winter storm Grayson and their implications for the Southeast US,  Mid-Atlantic, and eventually New England and beyond. What do they mean?   Read more >

University of Maine Climate Change Institute
University of Maine Climate Change Institute
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