Community Blog
Oct 15 2009 Observations Show Climate Sensitivity Is STILL Not Very High
Written by Coby Beck
  

It's easy to see why Coby Beck, science blogger from A Few Things Ill Considered would allow me to republish this climate change denial argument over again even though it was written in 2006.  Unfortunately, it's not a very heartwarming reason.  The Climate Change denialist standpoint is still a very big and common issue that marine biologists and climate scientists alike still must deal with. The fact is, these skeptic don't understand that this climate change crisis is hurting our world, our marine life, and our bodies of water.

While e-mailing Coby Beck about republishing this piece, he told me that the denialist talking point found below is still a very common one and the fault of the argument remains the same. There is a fundamental flaw in its reasoning.  Despite this concept though, have we changed our ways? Have we improved our knowledge of the climate change crisis? Are we doing something to keep these climate change skeptics from remaining skeptical? 

 
Sep 21 2009 The Youth Make a Difference
Written by Ava
  

Our future is fired up about climate change and changing the world! How do we know? The Australian Youth Climate Coalition of course! 

The AYCC has become one of the best examples of young people taking a stand against issues that affect the world---and making a huge difference in the process.  

Unfortunately, Australia is the most vulnerable developed country affected by climate change, causing sea level rise and acidity in the ocean.  But with programs like this the highly successful Youth Decide campaign,a partnership between the AYCC and World Vision Australia to give 4.8 million young Australians the chance to vote on climate change and government action, this coalition has proven that a united voice from the generation that will be most affected by the climate change problems, will be the voice that impacts the future.

 
Sep 17 2009 Climate Control
Written by Ava
  

Though a humble and modest man, Ove Hoegh-Guldberg stands tall in the world of climate change and marine science.  Though currently the Foundation Professor and Director of the Centre for Marine Studies at The University of Queensland, he's held other academic positions at UCLA, Stanford University,The University of Sydney, and The University of Queensland.  He's a member of the Australian Climate, Royal Society (London) Marine Advisory Network, and the Board of Editing Reviewers at Science Magazine.  He heads up a large research lab with over 27 researchers and students that focus on how global warming and ocean acidification are affecting coral reefs.  

He's written dozens of publications, had his work read by the Al Gore team, visited Antarctica, lived underwater for 10 days, and is creator of Climate Shifts, a blog that brings climate change issues and science discussions to a larger audience, without being restricted to scientists only.

Yes, he's done quite a bit and lives to tell about it. Now, TRT gets to hear about it.  We're excited to hear from this climate change king.

 
Aug 09 2009 The Master Researcher
Written by Ava
  

There are plenty of environmentally savvy scientists in the world, so what is it that makes Kenneth P. Green stand out from the rest? Could it be a focus on public policy? His constant attempts to raise awareness of environmental issues and the legislation that hopes to act on them?  Or his focus on climate change and energy, his work as a scholar for the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), a public policy think tank, and his countless publications on the topic including magazine articles, newspaper columns, and even a textbook for middle school students on global warming.  

It's obvious that The Reef Tank can't pick just one item that makes Kenneth stand out because it's all of the above that has molded the environmental policy researcher into the important climate change education contributor he has become today.

Take a look at the great lengths Kenneth has gone to help spread awareness and change the world.

 
Jul 10 2009 The Specialist
Written by Ava
  
Dr. John H. Matthews tells us he writes his ClimateChange Water blog with a certain point of view,  a perspective that has changed since the blog first began running its course. What remains constant, he says, is that this time in our life is a critical period of history with events pivoting in many areas.  

What also remains constant, is his active research on freshwater climate adaptation, and his commentary on anthropogenic climate change and freshwater conservation and economic development trends.  

Sounds like the perfect candidate for a brain picking.  

Dr. Matthews is a climate change adaptation specialist, which is a rather interesting and unusual but important term, especially in these days of constant climate change issues and problems. He also supports the staff at the World Wildlife Federation on freshwater issues as part of the WWF Climate Adaptation Network.

 
Jun 25 2009 Picture It!
Written by Ava
  

Here's how to make a successful book. Take two climate change advocates--one climate modeller, one photographer, mix them together, add some beautiful pictures, and a pinch of some of the best climate  information around and Voila! You get Climate Change: Picturing The Science, the popular book by Gavin Schmidt and Josh Wolfe, which shows the impact of climate change through glorious photos.

Some of the best shots include pictures of the ocean, with threats to coral reefs and increasing ocean acidification, shots of the coast, and the sensitive polar ecosystems.  You won't believe your eyes!

After all, a picture is worth a thousand words!

 

Can each of you tell me about your backgrounds?

 
Jun 01 2009 Reviewed Publications
Written by Ava
  

Upon coming across a page filled with brief descriptions of the reviewed published works of esteemed climatologist Roger A. Pielke, Sr. I  came across this quite interesting marine-oriented piece accepted for publication back in 1980 while R.A. Pielke was part of the Department of Environmental Sciences at the University of Virginia.  

The report was eventually published in the Ocean Management journal.

The paper, as described by Pielke, is an overview of how the world understands the physical interactions between sea-and-land breeze and coastal waters.

This paper overviews the modes of interaction between coastal waters and the sea-and-land-breeze circulations.  It is concluded that, for most situations, the major influence of this mesoscale atmospheric circulation on coastal waters is the wind stress exerted on the water affecting currents and vertical turbulent mixing, whereas the dominant effect of the coastal waters on the sea-and-land breezes is the establishment of a horizontal temperature gradient which generates local atmospheric wind circulations.
 
May 14 2009 Reef Recovery and Other Reasons for Optimism
Written by Dr. John Bruno
  

Like all good things, Dr. John Bruno's Reef Science Corner series must too come to an end.  Yet, he leaves on a positive note, much like most of the marine biologists, conservationists, and scientists we've encountered thus far and this makes the true difference in marine conservation.  

To understand the impact of this series to The Reef Tank, please take a look at my summation and thanks to Dr. Bruno on his blog, Climate Shifts.  You can find that guest post here.

And now without further adieu...John's optimistic conclusion.

 


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