Breaking News, Business, Financial and Economic News, World News from EconoTimes

Become a contributor

Bookmark Econotimes

Mon, Apr 29, 2024 12:38 PM All times are UTC

Follow Series

©Econometrics LLC . All Rights Reserved.

Michael A. Rawlins

Extension Associate Professor, University of Massachusetts Amherst

My research activities focus on investigations of large-scale hydrology and biogeochemistry. I am interested in how climate processes affect and influence terrestrial water and carbon cycles through synthesis studies which leverage in situ observations, numerical models, and remote sensing data. Through this work I seek to connect and understand water, energy, and carbon cycling across the earth's land, atmosphere, and ocean domains. Most recently I have investigated recent and potential future change in the Arctic's freshwater cycle and its connections with warming across the region. This work suggests that the Arctic's freshwater cycle is accelerating or "intensifying", consistent with global climate model projections. I also study how a warming climate impacts permafrost and associated cycling of carbon between high latitude ecosystems and the atmosphere.

Other research interests center on the use of climate model projections of future climate changes across the Northeast US. This work involves outputs from a suite of high-resolution regional climate models (RCMs) which, relative to coupled global climate models, can account for important local influences on climate. Applying these tools I seek to advance understanding of the effects of climate change across the region, including likely impacts to forests and agriculture, coastal and marine resources, human health, and a host of other important ecosystem services.

I am also manager of the Climate System Research Center, a research facility of the Department of Geosciences, University of Massachusetts.

How can we predict the hottest year on record when weather forecasts are so uncertain?

Jan 19, 2017 12:32 pm UTC| Nature

NASA and NOAA jointly reported that 2016 was the warmest year on record. Thats no surprise, as the first six months of the year were all exceptionally warm. Yet the news is significant for what it says about global...

Economy

Beyond the spin, beyond the handouts, here’s how to get a handle on what’s really happening on budget night

Three weeks from now, some of us will be presented with a mountain of budget papers, and just about all of us will get to hear about them on radio, TV or news websites on budget night. The quickest way to find out what...

Johannesburg in a time of darkness: Ivan Vladislavić’s new memoir reminds us of the city’s fragility

Ivan Vladislavić is Johannesburgs literary linkman. He tells us, in the first pages of his new book, The Near North, that before cities were lit, first by gaslight and later electricity, people of means paid torchbearers...

Economist Chris Richardson on an ‘ugly’ inflation result and the coming budget

With Jim Chalmerss third budget on May 14, Australians will be looking for some more cost-of-living relief beyond the tax cuts although they have been warned extra measures will be modest. As this weeks consumer price...

Why is the London Stock Exchange losing out to the US

London Stock Exchange (LSE), which can trace its heritage to the coffee houses of the 17th century, is failing. The volume of shares traded is sharply declining, and some UK companies are swiftly moving to the US...

Why Germany ditched nuclear before coal – and why it won’t go back

One year ago, Germany took its last three nuclear power stations offline. When it comes to energy, few events have baffled outsiders more. In the face of climate change, calls to expedite the transition away from fossil...

Politics

Labour can afford to be far more ambitious with its economic policies – voters are on board

To say that the Labour party is flying high in the polls is something of an understatement. But despite its consistent lead against the Tories, the opposition finds itself in a rather odd position: on the cusp of power but...

History for sale: what does South Africa’s struggle heritage mean after 30 years of democracy?

One of my favourite statues is the one of Nelson Mandela at the Sandton City shopping centre in Johannesburg. Larger than life, its oversized bronze shoes shimmer in the evening light, polished by the hands of many...

Sudan: civil war stretches into a second year with no end in sight

In the early hours of April 15 2023, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) a Sudanese paramilitary force attacked the military airstrip in the town of Merowe and deployed troops across strategic locations in Sudans capital,...

Joe Biden Proposes Record 44.6% Capital Gains Tax in Latest Budget Plan That May Favor Cryptocurrencies

President Joe Biden has proposed raising the capital gains tax to an unprecedented 44.6% in a bold fiscal move, targeting the wealthiest Americans. This hike is part of his 2025 budget proposal to reduce income...

Turkey’s suppression of the Kurdish political movement continues to fuel a deadly armed conflict

The world has 91 democracies and 88 autocracies. Yet 71% of the worlds population (some 5.7 billion people) are living under autocratic rule, a big jump from 48% ten years ago. This trend towards authoritarianism can...

Science

A Nasa rover has reached a promising place to search for fossilised life on Mars

While we go about our daily lives on Earth, a nuclear-powered robot the size of a small car is trundling around Mars looking for fossils. Unlike its predecessor Curiosity, Nasas Perseverance rover is explicitly intended to...

The rising flood of space junk is a risk to us on Earth – and governments are on the hook

A piece of space junk recently crashed through the roof and floor of a mans home in Florida. Nasa later confirmed that the object had come from unwanted hardware released from the international space station. The 700g,...

Peter Higgs was one of the greats of particle physics. He transformed what we know about the building blocks of the universe

Peter Higgs, who gave his name to the subatomic particle known as the Higgs boson, has died aged 94. He was always a modest man, especially when considering that he was one of the greats of particle physics the area of...

Could a telescope ever see the beginning of time? An astronomer explains

The James Webb Space Telescope, or JWST for short, is one of the most advanced telescopes ever built. Planning for JWST began over 25 years ago, and construction efforts spanned over a decade. It was launched into space on...

US media coverage of new science less likely to mention researchers with African and East Asian names

When one Chinese national recently petitioned the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to become a permanent resident, he thought his chances were pretty good. As an accomplished biologist, he figured that news...

Technology

Lawyer Accuses DOJ of 'Obvious Disdain for Privacy' in Tornado Cash Case

Amanda Tuminelli, legal counsel for the DeFi Education Fund, has strongly criticized the DOJs apparent disregard for privacy and emerging technologies in its ongoing case against Tornado Cash. Critique of DOJs Technical...

Australia Set to Unveil Spot Bitcoin ETFs, $4 Billion Inflows Projected

Australias top exchange, the ASX, is poised to approve its first spot in Bitcoin ETFs. This could potentially unlock $3 to $4 billion in initial inflows over the next three years, bolstering the countrys robust crypto...

Tesla Cybertruck Triumphs in Off-Road Challenge, Reveals Enhanced Features

Teslas Cybertruck recently demonstrated its superior off-road capabilities in a video featuring new adjustments for pitch and angle to boost its performance on challenging terrains. Cybertruck Outperforms in Rigorous...

China Beat South Korea in OLED Panel Shipments for Small Gadgets

China reportedly defeated South Korea in the shipment of organic light-emitting display panels, or OLED, for IT gadgets. The Chinese makers outdid Korea for the first time in the first quarter of 2024. New Records for...

LG Uplus, Kakao Mobility EV Charging Joint Venture Approved by the FTC

LG Uplus and Kakao Mobilitys joint venture to operate electric vehicle charging stations has been approved by the Fair Trade Commission. The antitrust regulator approved the JV on Monday, April 29. FTCs Crucial...