climate change

Climate Change Prompts Renewed Interest In Native Missouri Grapes

Adam Allington — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:31:00 +0000

If you are a fan of wine, particularly European wines, from France, Italy or Germany, you can be proud of the role Missouri plays in creating that wine.

Ever since the mid-1800s roots from Missouri grapes have been grafted on to European varieties, because of their natural resistance to certain pests.

New report: in St. Louis, higher temps are the new normal

Véronique LaCapra — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 21:20:29 +0000

St. Louis is getting hotter. With this summer’s record-breaking temperatures, that probably doesn’t sound like news.

But a new report by the Union of Concerned Scientists shows our hot weather isn’t an anomaly — things have been heating up across the Midwest for the past six decades.

Report: frequency of severe storms in Midwest doubled over past 50 years

Véronique LaCapra — Wed, 16 May 2012 21:15:58 +0000

A new report from the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization and the Natural Resources Defense Council shows that the frequency of severe storms across the Midwest has doubled over the past 50 years.

The report analyzed precipitation data from more than 200 weather stations in eight Midwestern states.

Studying climate change in the Himalayas: the Missouri Botanical Garden's Jan Salick

Véronique LaCapra — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 11:00:00 +0000

The Himalayan mountain range in Asia is one of the highest places in the world, with several peaks rising above 8,000 meters. It’s also one of the most vulnerable to climate change.

Seven years ago, Missouri Botanical Garden senior curator of ethnobotany Jan Salick traveled to the Himalayas to begin a study of how climate change is affecting alpine plants—and the local people who depend on them.

St. Louis Public Radio's Véronique LaCapra sat down with Salick to talk about her research.

Weather disasters hitting Missouri hard, says new report

Véronique LaCapra — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 16:00:00 +0000

A new report from Environment Missouri presents data on U.S. federally-declared weather disasters from 2006 to 2011, and says climate change will make extreme weather events like droughts and storms more common – and more severe.

State advocate for Environment Missouri, Ted Mathys, says 2011 was a particularly bad year for extreme weather in Missouri and across the country.