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Efforts to supply arid regions with water have been undertaken ever since humanity began spreading into the world’s deserts, with ingenious methods being invented throughout history to hydrate populations and their agriculture in deserts and mountains. This problem is becoming more acute as the Earth’s climate shifts: while there are regions that are experiencing increased flooding, there are corresponding locations that suffer more frequent droughts, meaning we need to find new ways of providing the people there with a ready source of water. One engineering team with Ohio State University are now studying new water collection methods, inspired by desert plants and animals, to develop a new generation of simple devices that can literally pull water out of thin air.
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We often hear a great deal from weather experts about how extreme weather is being made all the more intense by the rise in climate change, especially when it comes to events such as hurricanes, but we’re rarely given the chance to see just how much global warming is actually contributing to any given weather event. However, using composite maps from resources such as nullschool.net, we’re presented with a visual representation of how storms such as Hurricane Florence can change the temperature of the ocean’s surface as it passes overhead, to give us an idea how much energy is imparted to the storm.read more

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A new study has found that the temperature increases from global warming may be twice as bad over what previous climate studies have forecast. This study made use of historical data from previous geological periods when Earth’s climate was 0.5°C-2°C warmer than the 19th Century’s pre-industrial average, illustrating that the consequences of runaway global warming could spell the collapse of many ecosystems, ranging from the Sahara Desert becoming green, to tropical regions converting to a fire-prone savanna.
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A combination of a series of three storm systems and a blast of Arctic air are prompting forecasts of an extended cold snap across the US, with temperatures in some parts of the north-central states expected to dip as low as 30ºF below normal. The regions expected to be affected include the Upper Midwest, Great lakes, Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic, and New England.

Mashable’s Andrew Freedman describes the February-like conditions that are visiting the continent as yet another consequence of the polar vortex pushing Arctic air in a southeasterly direction. 12 inches of snow is forecast for higher elevations in West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland, with Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston possibly seeing lighter snowfall on Saturday.
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