July

July 1, 2013

Incredible Technology: How to Engineer the Climate. The idea of using geoengineering to combat man-made climate change in the future is an extremely controversial scientific issue. Many scientists argue that the risks far outweigh the potential benefits, while some say that geoengineering could be a viable last ditch effort to help save the planet from the possibility of catastrophic climate change. Rutgers Professor of Environmental Sciences and CECI affiliate Alan Robock contends that at a minimum virtual testing of geoengineered solutions using existing climate models should be conducted in order to collect information on potential risks and benefits.

July 1, 2013

Ask a State Climatologist: Q & A with New Jersey’s David Robinson. As part of the Washington Post’s recently installed column “Ask a State Climatologist,” New Jersey State Climatologist and CECI affiliate Dave Robinson was asked about his day-to-day responsibilities, current research projects and recent weather patterns experienced in the State of New Jersey.

July 1, 2013

Rutgers Film Bureau Tackles Most Exciting and Weighty Issues of Our Time. A Rutgers student film crew has been on location in Alabama to document the research of Rutgers Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry and CECI affiliate Annmarie Carlton who is currently conducting experiments to help explain why the climate in this particular area is cooling rather than warming as it is across the globe. The current hypothesis is that chemicals produced by a particular forest in Alabama are combining with man-made chemicals to create a layer in the atmosphere that blocks the sun’s rays.

July 29, 2013

Longer pollen seasons nothing to sneeze at. As a result of climate change, the pollen production of plants that commonly cause allergies is becoming more potent and lasting for longer periods of time. Warmer temperatures and increasing carbon dioxide concentrations are causing plants to produce more pollen and at earlier points in the year. Rutgers professor of environmental sciences and CECI affiliate Leonard Bielory has recorded the highest pollen levels this year in over a quarter century of monitoring which he notes could possibly be due to heavy precipitation events from last year such as Sandy.