Drought
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UN: Misuse of land and agriculture is driving climate change
Human beings must change the way we eat and grow our food in order to avert climate change, says a new report from the UN released today. The study breaks down how much harm increased agricultural production -- from farms to cattle ranches to plantations -- is doing to our planet. All together, activities like deforestation, raising livestock and overusing fertilizer in croplands is generating about a third of greenhouse gas emissions. Burning fossil fuels -- either through factories, electricity or transportation -- contributes more than 60 percent.
House science chairman thinks climate change is 'beneficial'
Forget the piles of peer-reviewed research accumulated by scientists over decades, climate change is actually great news for mankind. Or so says Texas Rep. Lamar Smith, the Republican head of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology. In a baffling editorial titled "Don't Believe the Hysteria Over Carbon Dioxide", Smith complains that Americans are being brainwashed by "alarmists' claims" (read: scientific consensus) and urges readers to consider the many perks of atmospheric armageddon. For example, churning carbon dioxide into the environment is no biggie because plants love the stuff. "A higher concentration of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere would aid photosynthesis, which in turn contributes to increased plant growth. This correlates to a greater volume of food production and better quality food," Smith writes, referencing uncited "studies" while ignoring reams of research that show any benefit would be canceled out by other climate factors, such as drought and temperature increases.
Man-made global warming makes droughts and floods more likely
We already know that man-made global warming is bound to affect our planet, but it's hard to connect human activities to specific events. Now a team of Penn State scientists have published a study that says human-caused climate change makes extreme weather conditions such as droughts, heat waves and floods more likely. With the help of actual observation data and climate models, the researchers studied weather events caused by narrow bands of strong winds called jet streams in the northern hemisphere. While these winds flow eastward, they sometimes get stuck due to certain temperature conditions. When they do, whole regions in Europe, North America and Asia have to endure whatever weather event they bring for extended periods.
The drought-busting balls that don't bust drought
California's water problem is severe. Despite 2016 seeing a distinct improvement in precipitation over previous years, to almost average levels in many areas, much of the state is in extreme drought. As well as ordering mandatory water reductions, the state has also been looking to other solutions. "Shade balls," the 4-inch wide black plastic balls pictured above blanketing Los Angeles Reservoir, have been touted as one of those solutions. But they're not. The primary purpose of the release, which went viral last year, was to obey Federal rules on covering drinking water. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) had previously used the balls in smaller reservoirs, and in the case of the Los Angeles Reservoir, says the balls helped the department save more than $250 million over installing a more permanent cover. Although they were released to headlines like Shade Balls in Los Angeles Reservoir to Save 300 Million Gallons of Water Annually, the main benefit of the balls is to prevent sunlight from reacting with the chlorine-treated water and naturally occurring bromide to create the possible carcinogen bromate. The shade balls aren't a complete solution, and there are accusations that they may deteriorate and release dangerous chemicals into the water. The water in the Los Angeles Reservoir, however, goes through a UV treatment process before it makes its way to citizens.
ICYMI: California water woes, VR arcade life and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-599462{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-599462, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-599462{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-599462").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: California adjusted the details in the project to address the water crisis in the state by diverting water, called WaterFix. VR gaming is being visualized at Sundance as a multiplayer theme park paradise. And a new smart mirror designed to simply take photos of full outfits has us feeling a little crazy. Which is where this Japanese product to capture bad guys comes in for the laugh relief. Please share any interesting science or tech videos, anytime! Just tweet us with the #ICYMI hashtag to @mskerryd.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: folding cars and an R2-D2 van
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. Tesla's on a roll lately -- it's planning to reveal a $35,000 electric car next year, and it just unveiled a home battery that could take your house off the grid. But if you're hoping to get in on the paradigm-shifting technology, you might have to wait -- the Powerwall home battery is sold out through 2016. The enormous level of interest in the batteries has translated to $800 million worth of reservations, begging the question: Can Tesla's battery hit $1 billion in sales faster than the iPhone? On the topic of the iPhone, Apple is seriously greening up its act. Back in 2011, Greenpeace named Apple the least clean tech company. Now, just four years later, Apple rates as the greenest tech company of all. Part of the reason for that improved rating could come from Apple's partnership with World Wildlife Fund in China to create sustainable forests.
NASA's drought-predicting satellite is almost ready to begin work
According to environmentalist Lester Brown, droughts are going to be increasingly prevalent over the next few years. At the same time that he was making these claims, however, NASA was activating a spacecraft that it's hoped will do something about that. The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite is designed to orbit the Earth, measuring global moisture levels in soil.
Rachio Iro proves that smart home devices saves resources, money
Back in June I wrote about the Rachio Iro Smart Sprinkler Controller, a US$249/$299 (depending on number of zones) intelligent sprinkler controller with an accompanying app that allows amazing control over your yard irrigation. Iro adjusts to weather conditions and seasonal changes to make sure that your lawn, garden and shrubs are watered just perfectly. Denver-based Rachio released figures today showing that its product saved 10,631,109 gallons of water this summer, not only preserving a scarce resource, but saving homeowners a lot of money in the process. Rachio reports that Iro devices delayed watering 12,534 times this summer when rains provided needed moisture, and that the devices have already made 10,111 seasonal adjustments to account for the cooler late summer/early fall weather. Over 5,244 personalized watering schedules were created by the devices as well. In other news, you'll now be able to purchase the sleek white boxes from your local Apple Store or the online Apple Store. I can't vouch for all of the other Rachio Iro users, but I've been extremely happy with the device. The company uses a Smart-Cycle algorithm to turn sprinklers on and off during a cycle, making sure that water has a chance to soak in and not run off the lawn. That proved very important in my case, where we have hard clay soils that often prove very difficult to water. My lawn used to get watered every morning for a shorter time; this summer it was watered every other day for a bit longer. The best results for me, however, were that not only did my lawn look the best it has in probably 20 years with absolutely no dry spots, but my water consumption was down as well. Between May and August of 2013, we consumed 59000 gallons of water (predominantly for irrigation) at a cost of $162.25. For the same period in 2014, consumption was down to 44000 gallons and cost us $129.80. That's a drop of about 26.4 percent in consumption. As more and more homeowners begin to embrace smart devices and companies like Apple build supporting frameworks like HomeKit into their smartphones, we can expect to see even more stories of natural resources being conserved thanks to brilliant engineering, intelligent software, and iPhones.
Wii Warm Up: Now and future gaming
Ever since the Wii was released, we've heard about droughts and a lack of software. Even now, the discussion continues. So we wanted to know how things have been for you lately -- do you feel like there are enough games to keep you busy right now? How about the fall and winter line-up so far? Is there enough to keep you happy? As first years go, how would you rate this one?
Wii Warm Up: Is the end in sight?
The end of Wii shortages, that is. While we have no hard evidence to that effect, the anecdotal evidence is piling up -- we've heard from several people lately that their searches have finally come to an end. At last, they have joined the fold of Wii owners. New Wii owners, we welcome you. But is this the case everywhere? We'd love to hear from people who are still searching, or those who know others who are ... or, if you've recently hit the Wii lottery, we definitely want to hear about it.
Wii Warm Up: Drought or growing pains?
The first year of a console is often rough. Most new consoles lack titles that really sell it, and instead rely on one title, fan loyalty, or other features (see also: PS2-as-DVD-player back in the day). The Wii, however, has gotten so much press and is in such heavy demand that many people are crying drought where we see the typical growing pains of a new system. Even the DS had a rocky start, and look at it now!We wanted to pose the question to you: are we in a Wii drought, or is this trickle of games and waiting period exactly what you expected from a new console?
Wii Warm Up: Still without?
It's time for our irregular check-in! If you were one of the poor, tragic Wii-less masses, have you managed to get your hands on a console? We're always interesting in those tales of victory. If you're still miserable, first, we offer our deepest sympathies. You can swing by anytime and get your waggle on; the door's open. But we understand that you might want your own, regardless of how long it might take. But we're curious about the wait has affected you. Have you stopped checking? Have you -- perish the thought -- given up hope? One reader e-mailed us and said the retailers in her hometown said she might as well give up. Let's all hope we see something soon to prove them wrong.
Analyst predicts two more years of Wii shortages
For those of you who do the weekly rounds, calling local stores to check for the presence of Wii, analyst Billy Pidgeon's prediction may not come as a surprise. The IDC analyst doesn't think Nintendo will manage to meet demand until 2009. Game drought? At that rate, does it even matter? You might not even be able to find a Wii!We're pretty fond of Nintendo around here, as you might have guessed. Obviously, we assume that everyone else is, too. But sometimes, the sheer level of desire for the waggle even takes us by surprise. Pidgeon warns that Sony and Microsoft need more exciting games immediately -- what they have on the horizon isn't going to be enough. When one realizes that those currently-coming games are Halo 3 and Lair, the situation looks even more dire.But that's how analysts roll -- for them, everything exists on an epic scale. But remember the good ol' days, when the shortage was supposed to be winding down?[Via Joystiq]
Today's flattest game video: Super Paper Mario
We fought through the GDC crowds to give you our impressions, and this GameTrailers interview about Super Paper Mario shows off the game's creative controls. While it's just one of the Wii's titles, here's hoping this April game brings showers to counter the perception of the Wii game drought.Anticipate the rain -- and watch the video -- after the break.Paper cutout Mario and friends image from Paper Forest and GotOrion.
Release drought? A line graph disagrees!
What's the best way to make the Wii seem even cooler? Compare it to the Nintendo 64! Games Radar decided to get to the bottom of the "release drought" issue by comparing the current Wii library to the libraries of the GameCube and N64 after their first four months. The Wii has the most diverse lineup by far, which would seem to prove, for better or worse, that third parties are participating more this time around.We're kind of surprised the GameCube "launch window" selection was this small, but the N64 numbers look right in line with our impressions. Only, like,four games were ever released for that, and two of them were basically the same 3D Castlevania.
Nintendo trickles out Q1 games list
After bursting onto the scene with 34 titles in the Wii's first two months, Nintendo today announced they would "continue the flow of fun" with ... 12 new Wii games through March. Wait, what? We understand that things tend to slow down a little in the months after Christmas, but even accounting for that the Wii's first quarter line up is kind of lacking. A few potential standouts like SSX Blur and Sonic and the Secret Rings are left to flounder among the usual mess of licensed crap (TMNT, Bionicle Heroes, Meet the Robinsons) and warmed-over third party games reworked for the Wii controller (Tiger Woods 07, The Godfather, and Blazing Angels, which was originally listed as a launch window title). What's more, Nintendo's Wii Play (a game which hit Europe and Japan in early December) is both the only first party game on the Wii's Q1 list and the only game we're likely to see for the system in all of February. It might be a little early to declare Reggie's "no game drought" promise a failure, but this faint trickle of early games is, frankly, not that inspiring. Keep reading for a complete breakdown of the Wii's amazing "flow" for the next few months.
