As a full-time climate activist, I have no illusions about the severity and impacts of global climate change. More than anyone, climate activists bear the heavy burden of this astonishingly vast problem and feel incredibly personally invested in doing everything in our power to halt and reverse global warming. So given my deep moral and professional interest in climate impacts and my fairly decent knowledge base on the subject, it takes a lot to thoroughly depress me.

[caption id="attachment_4715" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Napa Valley, California"][/caption]

But this is pretty depressing.

As a foodie and wine enthusiast (don't worry, I go local and organic as much as I can), I was disheartened to hear that climate change could put a big squeeze on the premium wine industry in California. By 2040, the effects of rising temperatures could reduce the amount of land suitable for growing premium grapes by 50 percent. Gasp! No, don't take our wine!

The effects of climate change on the Australian wine industry are already well-documented, receiving widespread news coverage and concern in one of the world's most climate-affected countries. Warmer temperatures make grapes mature faster, affecting the quality of the end product. Experts claim that those with the most sophisticated palates may be able to taste the difference in vintages from the past few years. During the devastating drought that affected Australia from 2005 until recently, some grape yields were down as much as 40%. When you're talking about a A$6 billion industry, that's a problem.

Now researchers at Stanford University have recognized a similar pattern in California wines, and the California wine industry represents an even more impressive $18.5 billion chunk of the U.S. economy. The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Research Letters last month, suggests that climate adaptation strategies could be applied to limit the projected losses. Wine growers could plant in new locations and use more heat tolerant varieties of grapes, alter the design of vineyards, and adjust winery processing procedures.

Just one more reason to keep fighting the good fight. Gotta have my vino!

 

Number of earthquakes worldwide in 1990: 16,590----number in 2008: 31,777
-U.S. Geological Society National Earthquake Information

I have to say that when I first started hearing about this possible connection a couple of years ago, I was kind of a skeptic. Part of me reacted, "Hey, we're already contending with head-in-the-sand people

By Mike Tidwell

Here's the truth about the increasingly painful and widespread power outages in our region: It's not Pepco's fault.

The freakishly strong winds of late? Not Pepco. The unprecedented flooding? Not Pepco. The record snow last winter and heat this summer? Not Pepco.

We all want reliable power, but it's time to stop barking up the Pepco tree and start recognizing the real problem: Our weather is definitely changing. It's part of a worldwide climate shift, the evidence for which has reached avalanche proportions. Until we come to terms with this weather weirdness, no amount of screaming at Pepco will create a long-term solution.

Don't get me wrong, I'm no huge Pepco fan. I've spent my share of days battling the monopoly's bureaucracy over bill discrepancies. But when it comes to storm restoration, my lights tend to come back on within 24 hours in Takoma Park. This despite newly intense and frequent storms that longtime residents say defy memory.

I've lived in DC on and off for nearly 30 years and have never experienced snow like this. Which is not surprising given that DC hasn't had snow like this since 1899.

All this extreme weather's got people talking...

ClimateProgress.org ran an article Monday featuring Dr. Jeff Masters, one of America's best meteorologists.

According to the National Climatic Data Center, the expected return period in the Washington D.C./Baltimore region for snowstorms with more than 16 inches of snow is about once every 25 years. This one-two punch of two major Nor'easters in one winter with 16+ inches of snow is unprecedented in the historical record for the region, which goes back to the late 1800s.

Read the rest of the essay -- with stunning data -- here.

It's simple: A warmer atmosphere holds more moisture. So extreme precipitation events are increasing across the United States -- including extreme snow storms -- even as temperatures rise.

The National Wildlife Federation issued a very well timed report in January explaining just that. While climate change is expected to bring shorter, milder winters overall, some U.S. areas will have more intense snows, they found. NWF's resident climate scientist lays in out well in this video.

Reuters covered the NWF report and the Union of Concerned Scientists chimed in as well. And then today the New York Times ran this front page story.

Leave a comment below and let us know what do you think. Then watch this amazing video:

Friday morning from Copenhagen:

President Obama made his long-awaited speech here in Copenhagen just a few minutes ago and there was nothing encouraging about it. "The time for talk is over," he said, and then failed to commit the U.S. to any new climate-saving actions.

"After months of talk, and two weeks of negotiations, I believe that the pieces of [an] accord are now clear... Mitigation. Transparency. And financing. It is a clear formula

2008 was marked by amazingly extreme weather in the Chesapeake region, culminating in a wind storm that knocked the "U" off the "USA Today" sign in Tyson's Corner, Virginia.



CCAN's videographer spent much of 2008 documenting extreme weather events across the region. Among catching the amazing wind storm in Rosslyn, he also filmed the aftermath of a tornado near Richmond, and a 400-year-old Maryland oak tree that was felled by another wind storm.

http://picasaweb.google.com/jaytomlin/ExtremeWeatherRetrospective#slideshow

Letter from from Skip Stiles, Wetlands Watch

The federal Chesapeake Bay Program yesterday released a study on climate change impacts on the Chesapeake Bay that summarizes our best estimates of climate change impacts up to 2100. The paper is solid and has undergone complete peer review - and is being issued by the federal government.

The conclusions are sobering. Fully slamming on the brakes in our green house gas emissions gives us a minimum 2.3 foot relative sea level rise by 2100. When Wetlands Watch first warned Governor Kaine about the impacts of sea level rise in a letter to Kaine in May of last year best estimates of sea level rise started at around 1.5 - 2 feet. Every time we take a closer look we unfortunately get higher estimates.

More troubling are the temperature increases predicted - nearly another 2 degrees C. This warming will force major habitat shifts and produce impacts such as the inability of eel grass to survive in much of a warmer Chesapeake Bay.

This is a clear warning call that we need to 1) dramatically reduce emissions and 2) begin adaptation planning today for the sea level rise and other impacts. With the Governor's Climate Change Commission starting its final work on its report, there is an opportunity to have an impact there. As well, many local governments are undertaking revisions of their comprehensive land use plans - which include consideration of the natural resource base of the locality. Every one of those plans should include consideration of these coming changes.

Skip

--
Skip Stiles
Executive Director
Wetlands Watch

Extreme weather is happening all around us, from tornadoes ripping through Virginia to increased flash floods and severe storms.

Leave a comment below to share your extreme weather story.

And, if you haven't already, see the video below about one Maryland woman's heart-wrenching extreme weather story.