Browse Climate Stories - Page 2

On April 20, the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the UGA Office of Sustainability, the Consulate General of Switzerland and the Swiss Business Hub in Atlanta will host the 2022 Cleantech Symposium to pose a critical question, “Can Tech Save the World?”

Last week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center (CPC) released its latest three-month climate outlook for the United States. What does this mean for conditions in the Southeast in the coming growing season?

While some U.S. regions, such as the Northeast and Midwest, have experienced consistent cold throughout the winter of 2022, the Southeast region, including Georgia, has seen a winter with varied temperatures. Those unpredictable temperatures, alongside moisture and frost, may have had a direct impact on plant survival, as plants’ ability to thrive or perish is ultimately determined by the weather.

In 2021, Georgia experienced its coldest year since 2014, with an average temperature of 64.5 degrees Fahrenheit. But the temperature was still well above the long-term average of 63.4 F and ranked the 20th warmest year overall since statewide records began in 1895.

The authors of the Southeast chapter of the Fifth National Climate Assessment will hold virtual workshops in late January and early February and are inviting the public to share their thoughts on climate change-related issues.

It is not difficult to find somebody talking about methane these days. Simply turn on the TV, open your computers to your news affiliate of choice or log into any social media platform.

December is the start of the three-month winter season here in the Northern Hemisphere. In 2021, December started out 4 to 6 degrees Fahrenheit (F) warmer than normal. Whether this is likely to last through the rest of the winter depends on two major weather patterns that are affecting the winter climate in Georgia.

As climate issues capture governmental and public attention — from the effects of methane emissions to weather extremes — it is incumbent on the world to take action. Experts in UGA's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences are focused on helping residents address climate challenges in ways that will benefit the environment and ensure both profitability and sustainability for industry.

The forces at work in a marsh require a delicate balancing act. Rising and falling tidewaters keep clumps of Spartina grasses from growing too dense. But too much water makes it difficult for them to survive. Tip this balance too far in either direction and the marsh ecosystem collapses, resulting in a population of different plants — or no plants at all.

On June 1, 1991, the first agricultural weather station operated by the University of Georgia began transmitting data from Griffin, Georgia. Since then, the UGA Weather Network has grown to include 87 stations scattered across the state, providing weather data to a variety of users. On June 1 this year, this 30-year record of continuous weather data makes the UGA Weather Network one of the oldest state weather networks in the country.