Good news: we somehow killed just the right blue whales

Antarctic blue whalesEarth is a bit over 4.5 billion years old. Life on it is only about one billion years younger.

And let´s say Homo smartphonensis is a mere three years old.

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Can medieval volcanic eruptions have caused global cooling when tree rings don’t show?

A group of researchers led by climatologist Michael E. Mann of the Earth System Science Center of Pennsylvania State University says the dendrochronological record does not always offer the best temperature reconstruction. Apparently some trees find it hard to distinguish between cool, and cooler.

Medieval volcanic temperature tree rings
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MOC may have a power switch in Southern Ocean too

MOC stands for Meridional Overturning Circulation, and although it refers to the same global pattern of ocean currents (‘conveyor belt’) as the thermohaline circulation, this story shows why actually MOC is the more accurate name, as it is not just the ocean’s temperature and salt content that fuel the engine.

Meridional Overturning Circulation Nature Geoscience
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Mediterranean biodiversity versus a globalising planet: from Suez Canal to your tuna pizza

“In reserves off Spain and Italy, we found the largest fish biomass in the Mediterranean. Unfortunately, around Turkey and Greece, the waters were bare” – Enric Sala, National Geographic Society.

Mediterranean Sea biodiversity fish seagrass
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Arctic warming cold winter hypothesis loses one year

European cold winters decliningAnd it also loses a study, but then it gains two…

We’ll just admit a small prejudice. Are gut feelings allowed in science?

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Not recession but gas prices responsible for reduction in US carbon emissions

Regional changes in CO2 emissions from United States power sector 2008-2009

Regional changes in CO2 emissions from US power sector 2008-2009

When the economic recession hit the US in 2009, at least one good thing seemed to have come from it: a reduction in carbon emissions to levels not seen since 1996.

But as it turns out, the recession wasn’t the main cause of the reduction. It was the competitive pricing of natural gas versus coal that was responsible for more than half the decrease in CO2 emissions.

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