Author: Travis Swaim

The worst drought to devastate the United States in nearly 50 years struck the fields of the Midwest and High Plains this summer. ESSIC Director and Professor Dr. Antonio Busalacchi was quoted in an article, published on Climate Central, which covered the lack of advanced warning about the drought despite resources at forecasters’ disposal. In May, according to the article, the U.S. Agriculture Department predicted a record corn yield after farmers planted the largest area of corn and …

Wellness and Sustainability Tips are selected from the UMD “FYI” Listserv system. The “FYI” Listserv provides general announcements and information on programs of particular interest to the faculty and staff of the University of Maryland. I. Wellness

• Unplug before bed

“Research shows that interacting with lit screens (like the one on your smart phone, computer, or tablet) right before bed time can have a negative effect on the quality of your sleep. The bright light from the screen can …

The Hindu cited ESSIC and AOSC Professor Dr. Raghu Murtugudde in an article August 12 which covered the recent, wide-spread drought in India. India is heading for a drought, according to the article, for the fourth time in the past 11 years. The previous droughts during such period were in 2002, 2004 and 2009. The Hindu – a weekly newspaper based in India – reports, though a string of droughts is not unprecedented, the question is whether human-induced factors driving climate change …

Publication – NewsWise
Date: August 6, 2012 “Forged for Infamy: 2012 the Hottest Year on Record for Northeast” New data released by the Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell University shows the Northeast’s seven-month average (January through July) of 49.9 degrees was the warmest such period since 1895, the year which record keeping began, according to NewsWise. It was the second warmest such period in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and the warmest first seven months of the year in …

An article on ESSIC Associate Research Scientist Dr. Hongbin Yu‘s study on domestically emitted aerosols affecting air quality in the United States was published on ScienceBlog. The study, originally published in the August 3, 2012 issue of Science, provides the first satellite measurement-based estimate of the amount of airborne particles that come to America from overseas, according to the article. Most of the pollution traveling into the U.S., according to the study entitled ‘Aerosols from …

Dr. Antonio Busalacchi, ESSIC director and professor, was featured in AAAS MemberCentral’s “Member Spotlight” on August 6. The profile article, which was published on the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) community website, highlights how Busalacchi deals with the challenges of making the “the complexities of earth science more accessible” to the public and those in his field. As an AAAS fellow, chair of the University’s Council on the Environment, chair of the …

Wellness and Sustainability Tips are selected from the UMD “FYI” Listserv system. The “FYI” Listserv provides general announcements and information on programs of particular interest to the faculty and staff of the University of Maryland. I. Wellness

• Beat the heat

“Prevent illness by avoiding excessive heat during summer heat waves. Be aware of the weather forecast, and try to plan any potentially strenuous outdoor activities around the temperatures. Do yard work in the early morning. Go …

Publication – Science Daily
Date: 07/31/12 “Air Pollution Worsening Worldwide: Cut Emissions Further, Experts Urge” Most of the world’s population will be subject to degraded air quality in 2050 if human-made emissions continue as usual, according to Science Daily. If continuation does occur, the average world citizen will experience similar air pollution to that of today’s average East Asian citizen. These conclusions are those of a study published August 1 in Atmospheric Chemistry and …