Warm, moist rivers of air may have continent-wide effects and influence climate change Warm, moist rivers of air in Antarctica play a key role in creating massive holes in sea ice in the Weddell Sea and may influence ocean conditions around the vast continent as well as climate change, according to Rutgers co-authored research. Scientists studied the role of long, …
#EOAS in the News: “The Paris Agreement: Our Best Chance at Keeping Global Temperatures from Continuing to Skyrocket”
The U.S. withdrew from the Paris Agreement on November 4, 2020, the day after election day. In an op-ed for the Star Ledger (NJ.com) titled “Climate Change: Yup, That’s on the Ballot Too” published on October 30, 2020, EOAS faculty member Pam McElwee wrote, “The Paris Agreement, while not perfect, is our best chance at keeping global temperatures from continuing to …
Marine Fisheries Will Not Offset Farm Losses after Nuclear War
Effective pre-war fisheries management could help in global food emergency After a nuclear war, wild-catch marine fisheries will not offset the loss of food grown on land, especially if widespread overfishing continues, according to a Rutgers co-authored study. But effective pre-war fisheries management would greatly boost the oceans’ potential contribution of protein and nutrients during a global food emergency, according …
Helping Shape Rutgers’ Climate Commitment
Amid an extraordinary year altered by the coronavirus pandemic, work continues at Rutgers University to address another ongoing crisis with dire consequences: climate change. Following the release of an interim report, the President’s Task Force on Carbon Neutrality and Climate Resilience is continuing its work on a comprehensive climate action plan for the university. As the task force develops Rutgers’ strategies for contributing …
Rutgers Collaborative Science Communication Initiative Aims to Position Rutgers as a Leader in Science Communication
By Carol Peters The Initiative’s goal is to create a network for anyone at Rutgers interested in science communication research, teaching, outreach, professional practice, and training. Communicators trained to explain science clearly and effectively in order to educate, inform, improve lives, and create change for the better on a global scale have arguably never been more needed than they are …
#EOAS in the News: “To Stabilize Climate We Must Fix Democracy First”
In an op-ed in the Star Ledger titled “To Stablize Climate We Must Fix Democracy First,” EOAS Director Robert Kopp wrote, “Barring extraordinary new technologies to hasten the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, most of the warming we are causing will last for millennia. So we need not only to act decisively to decarbonize the global economy but …
Most Nations Failing to Protect Nature in COVID-19 Pandemic Recovery Plans
Outbreak provides opportunity to reset economy and reverse ecosystem, species losses The COVID-19 pandemic provides an opportunity to reset the global economy and reverse decades of ecosystem and species losses, but most countries are failing to invest in nature-related economic reforms or investments, according to a Rutgers-led paper. Indeed, some countries, including the United States, Brazil and Australia, are back-tracking on …
How to Get a Handle on Carbon Dioxide Uptake by Plants
Combining two tools would boost understanding of climate change How much carbon dioxide, a pivotal greenhouse gas behind global warming, is absorbed by plants on land? It’s a deceptively complicated question, so a Rutgers-led group of scientists recommends combining two cutting-edge tools to help answer the crucial climate change-related question. “We need to understand how the Earth is breathing now …
Ocean Algae Get “Coup de Grace” from Viruses
Viruses don’t immediately kill algae but live in harmony with them Scientists have long believed that ocean viruses always quickly kill algae, but Rutgers-led research shows they live in harmony with algae and viruses provide a “coup de grace” only when blooms of algae are already stressed and dying. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, will likely change how scientists view …
Author Kim Stanley Robinson to Read and Discuss “The Ministry for the Future” October 8
By Carol Peters Discover the insights science fiction can provide about climate change and its impacts when best-selling author Kim Stanley Robinson reads from his new book, followed by a panel discussion featuring Rutgers faculty members Naomi Klein, Robert Kopp, Jorge Marcone, and Cymie Payne. To have a chance of stabilizing the global climate, climate scientists tell us, humanity needs …