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UCLA/LLNL study concludes most climate models overestimate increase in global precipitation due to climate change

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UCLA and Lawrence Livermore researchers have found that most climate models overestimate the increase in global precipitation due to climate change. Conveniently, this quantity can be measured from space, allowing the team to assess how well the models capture the physics controlling changes in global precipitation.

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Study finds perennial biofuel crops’ water consumption similar to corn

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Evapotranspiration (ET) refers to the sum total of water lost while the plant is growing, either from evaporation through the plant stem itself (a process called “transpiration”), or from water evaporated off of the plant’s leaves or the ground. —Hamilton et al.

Water 150
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PSI team develops web tool for consumers to compare environmental impact of passenger cars in detail

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The system will graph lifecycle impact for a range of specified powertrains, for a large number of impact categories: Climate change [kg CO 2 -eq.]. Depletion of fresh water reserves [m 3 ]. The top sample above shows climate change impact; the subsequent chart shows human toxicity. Sample results from Carculator.

Mariner 435
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Rapid Ecosystem Changes in Arctic Associated with Climate Change May Foreshadow Global Environment of the Future

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The rapid recent climate change in the Arctic has “ severely perturbed ” Arctic ecosystems and the trophic relationships that structure them, according to a paper published 11 September in the journal Science by an international team of 25 scientists. Heterogeneity as a buffer against climate change in the Arctic.

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State Department issues Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement on Keystone XL Pipeline: climate change impacts

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Comparison of proposed Keystone XL route to previously proposed project segment. Aside from the potential construction and spill impacts of the pipeline, the scope of the climate change impacts have become the most contentious and politicized issue surrounding the pipeline. Source: Draft SEIS. Click to enlarge.

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New Tool to Assist in Deciding Whether to Use Managed Relocation of Species in Adaptation to Climate Change

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A new tool to help decision-makers determine if, when and how to use managed relocation of species to help them adapt to rapid climate change and other threats is described in the current issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) by a multi-disciplinary working group.

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World Bank report examines likely impacts and risks associated with a 4 °C global warming within this century

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The report is not a comprehensive scientific assessment, the authors note; one such is slated to be forthcoming from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2013–14 in its Fifth Assessment Report. The report authors acknowledge that uncertainties remain in projecting the extent of both climate change and its impacts.