| New approach to developing scenarios for future of low carbon cities A new study has explored how cities can create a low carbon future by presenting an approach to stakeholder engagement that develops scenarios of an ideal city. Rather than projecting towards a low carbon target for the future, the study suggests that ‘backcasting’ to the present day from these scenarios may provide a useful goal-orientated approach to environmental planning in cities. "Science for Environment Policy": European Commission DG Environment News Alert Service, Thursday 17 May 2012 |
| Groundwater pumping leads to sea level rise Groundwater depletion is fast becoming the most important contribution of terrestrial water to sea-level rise. It currently outweighs the negative contribution of storage behind dams and will be of the same magnitude as the present contribution of mountain glaciers. Utrecht University, Monday 14 May 2012 |
| European health experts warn of climate change’s effects on disease Climate change will affect the spread and risk of many infectious diseases in Europe, according to a recent survey of leading health experts. The results suggest that more needs to be done to prepare for the expected changes in infectious disease levels, such as improved monitoring of disease "Science for Environment Policy": European Commission DG Environment, Thursday 10 May 2012 |
| Adaptation Strategies for European Cities - project now launched A major project to start the EU's engagement and support for cities in adapting to climate change has been launched. 'Adaptation Strategies for European Cities' is now inviting individuals working in city administrations to get involved: initially as part of an assessment of urban adaptation in the EU, with the opportunity to become more engaged as the project develops. Further information about the project is at eucities-adapt.eu. To begin contributing to the project, complete the questionnaire on EU urban adaptation at (poll closes on 29 May). The project for DG Climate Action is being led by consultants AEA and ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability) with a number of other partners from across the EU. Monday 7 May 2012 |
| Carbon storage of urban green space estimated For the first time, researchers have applied a carbon footprint analysis to calculate carbon sequestration by an urban green space. Their results indicate that urban green space can act as a carbon sink, but its design and maintenance influence the amount stored.
Science for Environment Policy, DG Environment News Alert Service, European Commission, Tuesday 1 May 2012 |
| Changing ocean currents causing Antarctic ice sheet to melt Antarctica is losing ice faster due to contact with warm ocean water. Normally to be found at greater depths, this warm ocean water now appears to be melting away the undersides of ice shelves. The findings to this effect made by an international group of polar researchers, including Utrecht University scientists, will be published in Nature on 26 April. The study represents an important step towards better predictions of sea-level rise. Utrecht University, Thursday 26 April 2012 |
| CIRCLE Infobase CIRCLE Infobase: a joint initiative with several European partners. The Infobase provides information on recent research on climate adaptation projects. CIRCLE, Wednesday 25 April 2012 |
| Summary for Policymakers Special Report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters This Summary for Policymakers (short version) presents key findings from the Special Report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (SREX). The original SPM can be found at www.ipcc.ch. All underlying information can be found in the full report. This report assesses the scientific literature on issues that range from the relationship between climate change and extreme weather and climate events (‘climate extremes’) to the implications of these events for sustainable development. IPCC, Radboud University Nijmegen, Monday 23 April 2012 |
| CLIMATE-ADAPT: a new tool for climate adaptation policy-making The European Environment Agency (EEA) lauched the European Climate Adaptation Platform, an interactive web-based tool, designed to support policy-makers at EU, national, regional and local levels in the development of climate change adaptation measures and policies. Thursday 19 April 2012 |
| State of Himalayan glaciers less alarming than feared Several hundreds of millions of people in Southeast Asia depend, to varying degrees, on the freshwater reservoirs of the Himalayan glaciers. Consequently, it is important to detect the potential impact of climate changes on the Himalayan glaciers at an early stage. It's now been revealed that these glaciers are declining less rapidly than was previously thought. Science AAAS / University of Zurich, Thursday 19 April 2012 |
