Current Events

  • Atmospheric CO2 Level Tops 400 ppm
    During the week of May 13th, the CO2 level at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii topped 400 ppm rep...Read more

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    Atmospheric CO2 Level Tops 400 ppm

    During the week of May 13th, the CO2 level at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii topped 400 ppm repeatedly. Daily levels of CO2 can vary due to weather, and there are seasonal trends as well. The level of atmospheric greenhouse gases continues to increase, now over 120 ppm since the Industrial Revolution began. For more on the Keeling Curve, see http://keelingcurve.ucsd.edu/. Find out more about greenhouse gases and warming.
  • Massive Tornado Outbreak on Tornado Alley
    The week of May 19 brings dozens of tornadoes to Tornado Alley in the states of Oklahoma, Kansas, Io...Read more

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    Massive Tornado Outbreak on Tornado Alley

    The week of May 19 brings dozens of tornadoes to Tornado Alley in the states of Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, Illinois and Missouri. On May 20th, a massive tornado struck Moore, Oklahoma, devastating communities - destroying over 100 homes and hitting two elementary schools and a hospital - with many casualties and deaths. Our thoughts are with our friends and colleagues suffering from these storms. For more on the May 20th storms, see the NOAA Storm Prediction Center Storm Report.
  • Kansas Legislator Proposes Bill to Outlaw Sustainability Education
    A bill has been introduced in the Kansas legislature this week that would prohibit the promotion of ...Read more

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    Kansas Legislator Proposes Bill to Outlaw Sustainability Education

    A bill has been introduced in the Kansas legislature this week that would prohibit the promotion of sustainability. Here is a link to the one-page bill: http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2013_14/measures/documents/hb2366_00_0000.pdf. See report on Bloomberg News.

Photo courtesy Cheryl Ward

Dennis Ward

Dennis is a science educator and educational technologist in UCAR’s Office of Education and Outreach, where he serves as a course administrator & instructor for NCAR's Online Education professional development courses for science educators.

He holds an M.S. in astronomy and a B.A. in physiological psychology, as well as a graduate certification in geographic information systems. Dennis has been with UCAR since 1995 and considers himself fortunate to work with such a talented group of people on a wide variety of projects involving citizen-science, informal science education, and professional development for educators.

As an adjunt professor at the University of Denver, he teaches courses in geographic information systems (GIS) and cartography. He is especially interested in the use of both spatial and system modeling in the classroom. Before joining the staff at UCAR, he worked as a training consultant in the private sector, producing print, video, and computer-based training materials, after serving as an officer in the U.S. Navy.

Last modified May 21, 2008 by Dennis Ward.

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