Posted on 27 October 2024 by BaerbelW, Doug Bostrom, John Hartz

Story of the week

As an experiment, we asked Google's Gemini for help categorizing the articles we shared during the week. The result is the bullet list below and we'd like to know how useful that kind of generated summary is for you, so please let us know in the comments!

Here are the main topics extracted from the articles, along with their publishing outlets:

Climate Change and its Impacts:

• Global warming and its effects on weather patterns, ecosystems, and human health (The Guardian, New York Times, Vox, Yale Climate Connections, MIT News, The Independent (UK), CNN)
• Extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, floods, droughts, and wildfires (The Guardian, New York Times, Vox, Yale Climate Connections, MIT News, The Independent (UK), CNN)
• Ocean acidification and marine ecosystem degradation (The Guardian, CNN)
• Impact on human activities, including agriculture, tourism, and infrastructure (The Guardian, MIT News)
  

Climate Policy and Politics:

• Climate change denial and misinformation (The Guardian, USA Today, Skeptical Science)
• International climate agreements and negotiations (Inside Climate News, The Guardian)
• Climate policies and regulations in different countries (Washington Post, Inside Climate News, Grist)
• The role of political leaders and public opinion in addressing climate change (The Guardian, Grist)
  

Climate Solutions and Adaptation:

• Renewable energy and clean technologies (Inside Climate News)
• Carbon capture and storage (Inside Climate News)
• Climate adaptation strategies (Yale Climate Connections)
• Public awareness and education (Yale Climate Connections, The Guardian)
• Individual actions to reduce carbon footprint (The Guardian)
  

Scientific Research and Reporting:

• Latest climate science findings and research (The Guardian, New York Times, Vox, Yale Climate Connections, MIT News, The Independent (UK), CNN, Skeptical Science)
• Climate modeling and projections (The Guardian, MIT News)
• Data analysis and visualization (Skeptical Science)
• Media coverage of climate change (The Guardian, USA Today, Vox, Yale Climate Connections, MIT News, The Independent (UK), CNN)

Stories we promoted this week, by publication date:

Before October 20

• Trump has vowed to gut climate rules. Oil lobbyists have a plan ready., Business, Washington Post, Evan Halper & Josh Dawsey. "As companies fall short on methane emission reductions, a top trade group has crafted a road map for dismantling key Biden administration rules."
• What happens to the world if forests stop absorbing carbon? Ask Finland, The Age of Extinction, Environment, The Guardian, Patrick Greenfield. "Natural sinks of forests and peat were key to Finland’s ambitious target to be carbon neutral by 2035. But now, the land has started emitting more greenhouse gases than it stores"
• Election Throws Uncertainty Onto Biden’s Signature Climate Law, Clean Energy, Inside Climate News, Nicholas Kusnetz. "The Inflation Reduction Act was enacted in a hyper-partisan environment, but it has gained support among Republicans. Will its emissions-cutting programs endure?"
• Kamala Harris urged to flesh out climate plan amid warnings about Trump, US News, The Guardian, Dharna Noor & Oliver Milman. "Democratic presidential nominee has raised alarm about Trump’s plans but has not said much about her own"
• Overwhelming majority of young Americans worry about climate crisis, Environment, The Guardian, Jessica Glenza. "Survey of young people aged 16-25 from all US states shows concerns across political spectrum"
• Trump's campaign leans on climate change denial: Six misleading claims debunked, USA Today, Kate S. Petersen.
• An Alarming Glimpse Into a Future of Historic Droughts, World, New York Times, Julie Turkewitz, Ana Ionova & José María León Cabrera. "Record dry conditions in South America have led to wildfires, power cuts and water rationing. The world’s largest river system, the Amazon, which sustains some 30 million people across eight countries, is drying up."
• Is climate change really making hurricanes worse?, Climate, Vox, Umair Irfan. "What we know — and don’t know — about how global warming influences tropical storms."
• Atmospheric Scientist Tackles Climate Change Misinformation On LinkedIn, ATM News, Grant Hawkins. Dr. Gunnar Schade and students in his class collaborated with misinformation researchers at Ripple Research for a deep dive into climate change misinformation circulating on LinkedIn, a realm where the extent and impact of misinformation, which is surprisingly thriving, is largely unexplored.

October 20

• 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #42, Skeptical Science, Bärbel Winkler, Doug Bostrom & John Hartz. A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, October 13, 2024 thru Sat, October 19, 2024.

October 21

• These women are trying to humanize the climate crisis, Yale Climate Connections, Jessica Kutz. Extreme Weather Survivors is using personal stories to get people to care about the climate crisis.
• Pacific and Caribbean Island Nations Call for the First Universal Carbon Levy on International Shipping Emissions, Fossil Fuels, inside Climate News, Teresa Tomassoni. "The International Maritime Organization has been asked to enact a carbon levy of $150 per ton of emissions from large freight and passenger ships. The IMO’s 175 member nations have until next year to vote."
• New attribution studies: Increasing effects of global warming on fire dynamics and public health, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Press Office.
• Climate change almost wipes out decline in global area burned by wildfires   by Ayesha Tandon, Science, Carbon Brief, Oct 21, 2024

October 22

• How climate change will impact outdoor activities in the US, MIT News - Climate change Sustainability Lorenz Center Concrete Sustainability Hub Emissions, David Chandler. Using the concept of “outdoor days,” a study shows how global warming will affect people’s ability to work or enjoy recreation outdoors.
• Meteorologists could be climate change heroes by relaying its urgency to the public, The Guardian, Katrina vanden Heuvel. Weathercasters are positioned to help viewers connect short-term extreme events – like hurricanes – with the climate crisis
• The hidden health toll of hurricanes, Yale Climate Connections, Neha Pathak. The insidious and silent harms of these powerful storms can linger for weeks to years, long after wind, waves, and water recede.
• Earth is likely to have its hottest year on record – again, Climate, The Independent (UK), Julia Musto. "NASA’s top climate scientist says the planet is being tested and ‘we have not yet passed that test’ "
• Urban green spaces have vital role in cutting heat-related deaths, study finds, Environment, The Guardian, Andrew Gregory. "Abundant green space in urban areas is linked to lower rates of heat-related illness and deaths, as well as better mental health and wellbeing"

October 23

• Bill Maher puts the fate of the Great Barrier Reef in the spotlight - but do the claims stack up? | Temperature Check, The Guardian, Graham Readfearn. The Danish political scientist Bjorn Lomborg has told the US cable host its biggest threat is not the climate crisis, but do his claims stack up?
• Is climate change fuelling mega hurricanes?, ClimateAdam on Youtube, Adam Levy.
• `We don`t know where the tipping point is`: climate expert on potential collapse of Atlantic circulation, The Guardian, Jonathan Watts. Oceanographer Stefan Rahmstorf explains why Amoc breakdown could be catastrophic for both humans and marine life
• The climate stakes of the Harris-Trump election, Politics, Grist, Staff. "From public health to public lands, here are 15 ways the next president could affect the climate and your life."

October 24

• `Crunch time for real`: UN says time for climate delays has run out, The Guardian, Damian Carrington. Means to stop catastrophic global heating exist, says UN chief, but political courage is needed to end world’s fossil fuel addiction
• Would abandoning hope help us to tackle the climate crisis?, Environment, The Guardian, Jonathan Watts. "Leaders are eager to fill us with positivity, but research shows people in distress are more likely to take collective action"
• Tropical Storm Trami brings severe flooding and landslides to the Philippines, at least two dozen dead, CNN World, AP.
• The planet’s largest lake is shrinking fast. Experts fear it may never recover, Climate, CNN, Laura Paddison.

October 25

• An unprecedented number of flood emergencies have ravaged the US. It’s a warning of what’s to come, Weather, CNN, Mary Gilbert.
• `We have emotions too`: Climate scientists respond to attacks on objectivity, The Guardian, Damian Carrington. Researchers criticised and gaslighted after sharing fears with Guardian say acknowledging feelings is critical to their work

October 26

• Fact brief - Do volcanoes emit more CO2 than humans?, Skeptical Science, Sue Bin Park.