Month: October 2021

Greenhouse effect is the result of greenhouse gases (e.g., CO2, NO2, CH4, H2O, and others) naturally present in the atmosphere. Sunlight (visible light in the electromagnetic spectrum) passes through the atmosphere and warms the Earth’s surface. In turn, the Earth surface radiates some of this energy as infrared (IR) radiation back to space. As IR… Continue reading How do greenhouse gases cause global warming?–Paul Chan

The Earth’s history has gone through many cycles of climate change of much larger magnitude than the change that we are facing today. It then begs the question of why we are so concerned about the present climate change. The answer is obvious. Those earlier climate changes happened before the several thousand years of human… Continue reading Has the Earth’s climate changed in the past?–Paul Chan

Climate change is adversely impacting global ecosystems through its worsening trends and through climate-driven hazards. The range of trends includes creeping atmospheric, land, and ocean temperatures, sea level rise, ocean acidification, deforestation, the loss of biodiversity, desertification, and coastal erosions. Climate-driven hazards include heat waves, wildfires, floods, coastal storms, and droughts. Ecosystems are made up… Continue reading The Nexus between Climate and Ecology—Paul Chan

A week ago, my wife and I had lunch with a neighbor who is a retired real estate broker. This past summer was particularly wet in our part of the country, and many houses in this neighborhood were flooded—some with several feet of water. My neighbor told me that he knew at least half a… Continue reading Climate migrations of the past, present, and future–Paul Chan