In late November 2018, the United Nations released their latest Emissions Gap Report, an annual "assessment of current national mitigation efforts and the ambitions countries have presented in their Nationally Determined Contributions, which form the foundation of the Paris Agreement" on climate change. The "emissions gap" refers to the gap between the planet's likely emissions levels by 2030...
Readers who have been following the recent news reports about this year's wildfires in California may be interested in this interactive map from the Sacramento-based Capital Public Radio. Published in January 2019, this map displays in one place "the perimeters of more than 100 years of California wildfires recorded by Cal Fire and the U.S. Geological Survey," including fires that occurred as...
Noted photographer Frans Lanting opens the website dedicated to his most recent ambitious project with these words: "Seven years ago I stood at the tide line of an estuary and began a personal journey through time.� Auspicious words indeed, and this lovely exploration of what he found on this journey takes visitors on a "lyrical interpretation of life on Earth from its earliest beginnings to its...
Everyone affected by earthquakes should visit this ABAG (the Association of Bay Area Governments) website. The website offers interactive maps of future earthquake scenarios as well as static maps of past earthquakes in the San Francisco Bay area. Residents can learn how to make their homes safer. Commuters can find out how earthquakes affect transportation routes. Businesses can discover planning...
The "ABC" in question here happens to be the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and they have come up with a smashing collection of science podcasts. Visitors can sign up to receive new podcasts via RSS feed, but they should definitely test the waters here by listening to any one of Dr Karl's "Great Moments of Science" or an edition of "Talking Science", which features interviews with various...
Like many great institutions in Philadelphia, the Academy of Natural Sciences has a long and storied history. The Academy was started in 1812, and in no time at all, the members of this institution were making expeditions to all corners of the globe. Today, they still sponsor such scientific expeditions, and their website is a great way to learn about their educational outreach activities as well...
The EPA developed this colorful website to teach students all about acid rain. First, through clear descriptions and helpful figures users can learn the characteristics of acid rain, its dangers, and how to control it. The website offers an interactive connect-the-dots, word searches, crossword puzzles, and other games. A short movie provides an overview of how the use of coal contributes to acid...
Launched in 2016, the Actuaries Climate Index (ACI) applies the analytical tools of risk professionals to the issue of climate change. This resource provides "an objective measure of changes in extreme weather and changes in sea level relative to the base period of 1961 through 1990" by using six representative long-range data components and examining how they are changing over time. The ACI is...
The Scout Report has reported on several aspects of the AIRNow website before, but this is the first time that we’ve noticed that they have a very fine selection of short movies on their website. These short films are designed for the general public, and they deal with such topics as air quality control, how ozone is formed, and a special presentation for children on ozone. The films range in...
AirVisual Earth is a project inspired by Cameron Beccario's "Earth: A Global Map of Wind, Weather, and Ocean Conditions" (which we re-featured in the 1-28-2018 Scout Report) that provides a real-time visualization of air pollution around the globe. The map was created by the Swiss company I.Q. Air and illustrates air quality data collected from a number of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)...