Last Stands

Only two unbroken patches of forest remain--the Amazon and the Congo.  A study sponsored by the National Science Foundation finds that 70 percent of remaining forest worldwide are within one kilometer of the forest edge.  Experiments show that fragmented habitats decrease biodiversity by 13 to 75 percent.

Lowest Arctic Maximum

Arctic sea ice extent reached its lowest maximum on record at 14.54 million square kilometers.

Update (March 28):  Joe Romm points out that sea ice thickness is also decreasing rapidly.

Stable Emissions for One Year

The International Energy Agency reports that carbon dioxide emissions remained at 32.3 billion metric tons in 2014.  This is the first time in 40 years that economic growth was not tied to rising emissions.

Unfortunately, Joe Romm points out that a study published in Biogeosciences shows that the carbon dioxide uptake rate is declining in carbon sinks such as the ocean.  The efficiency of those sinks is expected to continue to decline.

Update (September 12):  A study published in Science finds that carbon dioxide uptake in the Southern Ocean is rising.

Accelerated Warming

A study from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory called "Near-term acceleration in the rate of temperature change" finds

that present trends in greenhouse-gas and aerosol emissions are now moving the Earth system into a regime in terms of multi-decadal rates of change that are unprecedented for at least the past 1000 years.

Update (April 4):  Joe Romm writes more about the study and reports that climatologist Kevin Trenberth believes a jump in warming is imminent.

Update (June 20):  Alaska's weather is described as "broken".

Ten Feet

The Antarctic peninsula is melting faster than previously believed.  A ten foot sea level rise is expected over a period of 200 to 1000 years, but could happen in as little as 100 years.

Meanwhile, sea level along the Atlantic coast of the U.S. jumped 5 inches between 2009 and 2010 possibly due to changing ocean currents.

Update (March 16):  Chris Mooney reports that the Totten Glacier in East Antarctica is melting rapidly due to contact with warmer sea water underneath.  The ice it holds back could contribute eleven feet of sea level rise.

Update (August 27):  NASA reports that sea levels rose an average of 3 inches since 1992 and that 3 feet is essentially unavoidable.

False Pause

A study published in Nature shows directly the amplification of the greenhouse effect caused by the increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere due to the burning of fossil fuels.

And a study published in Science shows that natural variations in the timing of ocean cycles has offset warming to some extent, and leaves open the possible reversal of that trend in the near future.

Update (June 5):  A study published in Science re-examined temperature records and argues that the global average surface temperature has been increasing by about 0.2 degree Fahrenheit per decade since 1950 without interruption.

Majority-minority

A report from the Center for American Progress examines ten demographic trends in the United States.  The population is quickly diversifying.  It may help explain the right-wing freakout over immigration.

Update (August 25):  Funny how those who hold the Second Amendment sacrosanct also think the Fourteenth can mean anything we want.