Part 10 of United States Climate Change Impact. Not all changes in the climate are gradual. There is the possibility of greater changes in climate than current scenarios and models project. The long record of climate found in ice cores, tree rings, and other natural records show that Earth’s climate patterns have undergone rapid shifts […]
Part 8 of United States Climate Change Impact. Some continued warming of the planet is projected over the next few decades due to past emissions. Choices made now will influence the amount of future warming. Lower levels of heat-trapping emissions will yield less future warming, while higher levels will result in more warming, and more […]
Part 7 of United States Climate Change Impact. There is extensive statistical evidence from so-called “fingerprint” studies. Each factor that affects climate produces a unique pattern of climate response, much as each person has a unique fingerprint. Fingerprint studies exploit these unique signatures, and allow detailed comparisons of modeled and observed climate change patterns. Scientists […]
Part 6 of United States Climate Change Impact. Precipitation patterns are changing Precipitation is not distributed evenly over the globe. Its average distribution is governed primarily by atmospheric circulation patterns, the availability of moisture, and surface terrain effects. The first two of these factors are influenced by temperature. Thus, human-caused changes in temperature are expected […]
When energy prices soared during the 1970s, most Americans recognized the inherent danger in the U.S.’s dependence on imported petroleum. Despite current complacency, the potential economic and national security threats have not diminished. In 1995 the United States exceeded the level of imported petroleum it reached during the 1970s. Today, in fact, more than half […]
Part 1 of Advanced Technology and Alternative Fuel Vehicles. Transportation accounts for more than 67% of oil consumption in the USA-more than it produces. Today, our country imports more than 54 percent of its oil, and suggested that this could increase to 75% by 2010. According to the U.S. Federal Highway Administration, the average vehicle […]