Arguments
Skeptical Science New Research for Week #24 2024
Posted on 13 June 2024 by Doug Bostrom, Marc Kodack
Open access notables
Wildfire smoke impacts lake ecosystems, Farruggia et al., Global Change Biology:
We introduce the concept of the lake smoke-day, or the number of days any given lake is exposed to smoke in any given fire season, and quantify the total lake smoke-day exposure in North America from 2019 to 2021. Because smoke can be transported at continental to intercontinental scales, even regions that may not typically experience direct burning of landscapes by wildfire are at risk of smoke exposure. We found that 99.3% of North America was covered by smoke, affecting a total of 1,333,687 lakes ≥10 ha. An incredible 98.9% of lakes experienced at least 10 smoke-days a year, with 89.6% of lakes receiving over 30 lake smoke-days, and lakes in some regions experiencing up to 4 months of cumulative smoke-days. Herein we review the mechanisms through which smoke and ash can affect lakes by altering the amount and spectral composition of incoming solar radiation and depositing carbon, nutrients, or toxic compounds that could alter chemical conditions and impact biota.
From Denial to the Culture Wars: A Study of Climate Misinformation on YouTube, de Nadal, Environmental Communication:
Climate change is becoming a new front in the culture wars, with YouTube as one of its key arenas. Centered on an “Alternative Influence Network” orbiting Spain’s right-wing populist party Vox, this article examines the underexplored role of YouTube political influencers in propagating climate misinformation. Using thematic analysis, it uncovers instances of “post-denial” narratives that accept the reality of climate change while targeting climate policy and the climate movement, often through conspiracy theories and misogynistic rhetoric. Disagreements extend beyond policy specifics, intertwining with ongoing culture wars against a “woke wave” encompassing feminism, anti-racism, and now environmentalism. Amidst escalating opposition to Net Zero policies, the study sheds light on how these climate narratives reinforce “us” vs “them” binaries and appeal to feelings of resentment among young white males disoriented by rapid cultural change, who increasingly turn to YouTube for news and community.
Climate changes and food-borne pathogens: the impact on human health and mitigation strategy, Awad et al., Climatic Change:
The impact of climate change on food-borne pathogens is multifaceted and includes changes in the environment, agriculture, and human behavior. This review article examines the effect of climate change on food-borne pathogens, explores the connection between climate change and food-borne illness, records the current evidence on the effects of climate change on food-borne pathogens and potential consequences for human health, highlights knowledge gaps and areas for further research, and summarizes the strategies for mitigation and adaptation.
Uncertain Pathways to a Future Safe Climate, Sherwood et al., Earth's Future:
Global climate change is often thought of as a steady and approximately predictable physical response to increasing forcings, which then requires commensurate adaptation. But adaptation has practical, cultural and biological limits, and climate change may pose unanticipated global hazards, sudden changes or other surprises–as may societal adaptation and mitigation responses. These poorly known factors could substantially affect the urgency of mitigation as well as adaptation decisions. We outline a strategy for better accommodating these challenges by making climate science more integrative, in order to identify and quantify known and novel physical risks including those arising from interactions with ecosystems and society. We need to do this even–or especially–when they are highly uncertain, and to explore risks and opportunities associated with mitigation and adaptation responses by engaging across disciplines. We argue that upcoming climate assessments need to be more risk-aware, and suggest ways of achieving this.
From this week's government and NGO section:
Navigating the Transition to Net-zero Emissions in Southeast Asia – Energy Security, the Role of Gaseous Energy Carriers and Renewables-based Electrification, Fekete et al., German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action:
The authors emphasize that rapid expansion of renewable electricity and electrification of energy end users is essential, not only to achieve climate mitigation targets but also to boost energy security and economic development across Southeast Asia. Focusing on Indonesia, Thailand, Viet Nam, and the Philippines the authors analyze net-zero pathways under two different decarbonization scenarios – one centered on reducing fossil fuel use through the deep electrification of energy demand, and the other achieving these reductions through the use of renewable gases such as hydrogen.
The Incredible Inefficiency of the Fossil Energy System, Walter et al., RMI:
Today’s fossil energy system is incredibly inefficient: almost two-thirds of all primary energy is wasted in energy production, transportation, and use, before fossil fuel has done any work or produced any benefit. That means over $4.6 trillion per year, almost 5% of global GDP and 40% of what we spend on energy, goes up in smoke due to fossil inefficiency. Literally. The winds are changing, though, as fossil technologies are undercut by more efficient alternatives. End-use efficiency is driving out fossil fuels, reinforced by three new tailwinds that upend the energy landscape: renewable electricity, localization, and electrification. These drivers will allow us to drastically cut down on energy waste and phase out fossil fuels.
140 articles in 59 journals by 851 contributing authors
Physical science of climate change, effects
Changes in Compound Hot Extremes over the Mid–High Latitudes of Asia and the Underlying Mechanisms, Jiang et al., Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-23-0502.1
Observations of climate change, effects
Air–sea heat fluxes variations in the Southern Atlantic Ocean: Present-day and future climate scenarios, Moura et al., International Journal of Climatology 10.1002/joc.8517
Analysis of tropical nights in Spain (1970–2023): Minimum temperatures as an indicator of climate change, Correa et al., International Journal of Climatology Open Access pdf 10.1002/joc.8510
Disastrous effects of climate change on High Mountain Asia, Cui et al., Advances in Climate Change Research Open Access 10.1016/j.accre.2024.06.004
Impact of ENSO and Trends on the Distribution of North American Wintertime Daily Temperature, Becker & Tippett, Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-23-0569.1
Rapid warming and increasing moisture levels in the Qaidam Basin, Zeng et al., Theoretical and Applied Climatology 10.1007/s00704-024-05058-7
Trends and shifts of climate extremes in Eastern Paraná State, Brazil, de Bodas Terassi et al., Theoretical and Applied Climatology 10.1007/s00704-024-05027-0
Instrumentation & observational methods of climate change, effects Modeling, simulation & projection of climate change, effects
Air–sea heat fluxes variations in the Southern Atlantic Ocean: Present-day and future climate scenarios, Moura et al., International Journal of Climatology 10.1002/joc.8517
Comparative assessment of dry- and humid-heat extremes in a warming climate: Frequency, intensity, and seasonal timing, Fan et al., Weather and Climate Extremes Open Access 10.1016/j.wace.2024.100698
Future Changes in Regional Tropical Cyclone Wind, Precipitation, and Flooding Using Event-Based Downscaling, Michalek et al., Earth's Future Open Access 10.1029/2023ef004279
Future exposure of rainfall and temperature extremes to the most populous island of Indonesia: A projection based on CORDEX simulation, Hendrawan et al., International Journal of Climatology 10.1002/joc.8537
Mesoscale convective system activity in the United States under intermediate and extreme climate change scenarios, Haberlie et al., Climatic Change 10.1007/s10584-024-03752-z
Response of atmospheric pCO to a strong AMOC weakening under low and high emission scenarios, Boot et al., Climate Dynamics Open Access pdf 10.1007/s00382-024-07295-y
Soil carbon-concentration and carbon-climate feedbacks in CMIP6 Earth system models, Varney et al., Biogeosciences Open Access 10.5194/bg-21-2759-2024
Unsupervised Classification Identifies Warm, Fresh, and Dense Regimes of the Antarctic Margins, Sohail & Zika Zika, Journal of Physical Oceanography Open Access 10.1175/jpo-d-23-0153.1
Variability of the Indian Ocean Dipole post-2100 reverses to a reduction despite persistent global warming, Wang et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-024-49401-y
Advancement of climate & climate effects modeling, simulation & projection
An improved and extended parameterization of the CO2 15 µm cooling in the middle and upper atmosphere (CO2&cool&fort-1.0), López-Puertas et al., Geoscientific Model Development Open Access 10.5194/gmd-17-4401-2024
Australian Summer Monsoon: Reanalyses Versus Climate Models in Moist Static Energy Budget Evolution, Mohanty et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres Open Access 10.1029/2023jd040162
Delivering an Improved Framework for the New Generation of CMIP6-Driven EURO-CORDEX Regional Climate Simulations, Katragkou et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society Open Access pdf 10.1175/bams-d-23-0131.1
Efficacy of climate forcings in transient CMIP6 simulations, Myhre et al., Frontiers in Climate Open Access 10.3389/fclim.2024.1397358
Improved Indian Summer Monsoon rainfall simulation: the significance of reassessing the autoconversion parameterization in coupled climate model, Bhowmik et al., Climate Dynamics 10.1007/s00382-024-07243-w
Sensitivity of atmospheric rivers to aerosol treatment in regional climate simulations: insights from the AIRA identification algorithm, Raluy-López et al., Open Access pdf 10.5194/egusphere-2023-1155
Cryosphere & climate change
Deciphering the Biophysical Impact of Permafrost Greening on Summer Surface Offset, Wang & Liu, Earth's Future Open Access 10.1029/2023ef004077
Forcing and impact of the Northern Hemisphere continental snow cover in 1979–2014, Gastineau et al., Open Access pdf 10.5194/egusphere-2022-939
Intensified warming suppressed the snowmelt in the Tibetan Plateau, Li et al., Advances in Climate Change Research Open Access 10.1016/j.accre.2024.06.005
Review article: Melt-affected ice cores for polar research in a warming world, Moser et al., The Cryosphere Open Access 10.5194/tc-18-2691-2024
Snowpack variations and their hazardous effects under climate warming in the central Tianshan Mountains, HAO et al., Advances in Climate Change Research Open Access 10.1016/j.accre.2024.06.001
Sea level & climate change
A regime switch error correction model to project sea level rise, Fu & Fu, PLOS Climate Open Access 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000369
Exploring the tidal response to bathymetry evolution and present-day sea level rise in a channel–shoal environment, Lepper et al., Ocean Science Open Access 10.5194/os-20-711-2024
Sea-level change in coastal areas of China: Status in 2021, LI et al., Advances in Climate Change Research Open Access 10.1016/j.accre.2024.06.002
Paleoclimate & paleogeochemistry
Extreme Planktic Foraminiferal Dwarfism Across the ETM2 in the Tethys Realm in Response to Warming, D’Onofrio et al., Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology Open Access 10.1029/2023pa004762
Polar amplification of orbital-scale climate variability in the early Eocene greenhouse world, Fokkema et al., Climate of the Past Open Access 10.5194/cp-20-1303-2024
Biology & climate change, related geochemistry
A circumpolar study unveils a positive non-linear effect of temperature on arctic arthropod availability that may reduce the risk of warming-induced trophic mismatch for breeding shorebirds, Chagnon?Lafortune et al., Global Change Biology Open Access 10.1111/gcb.17356
Acclimation to warmer temperatures can protect host populations from both further heat stress and the potential invasion of pathogens, Hector et al., Global Change Biology Open Access pdf 10.1111/gcb.17341
African dryland antelope trade-off behaviours in response to heat extremes, Berry et al., Ecology and Evolution Open Access 10.1002/ece3.11455
Assessing the hydroclimatic sensitivity of tree species in Northeastern America through spatiotemporal modelling of annual tree growth, Sylvain et al., Agricultural and Forest Meteorology Open Access 10.1016/j.agrformet.2024.110079
Climate change fluctuations can increase population abundance and range size, MacDonald et al., Ecology Letters Open Access 10.1111/ele.14453
Climate change is predicted to impact the global distribution and richness of pines (genus Pinus) by 2070, Salazar?Tortosa et al., Diversity and Distributions Open Access pdf 10.1111/ddi.13849
Climate change may shift metapopulations towards unstable source-sink dynamics in a fire-killed, serotinous shrub, Souto?Veiga et al., Ecology and Evolution Open Access 10.1002/ece3.11488
Consistent time allocation fraction to vegetation green-up versus senescence across northern ecosystems despite recent climate change, Meng et al., Science Advances Open Access 10.1126/sciadv.adn2487
Drought sensitivity in mesic forests heightens their vulnerability to climate change, Heilmayr et al., Science 10.1126/science.adi1071
Estimating the CO2 Fertilization Effect on Extratropical Forest Productivity From Flux-Tower Observations, Zhan et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences Open Access 10.1029/2023jg007910
Global critical soil moisture thresholds of plant water stress, Fu et al., Nature Communications Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-024-49244-7
Modeling individual growth reveals decreasing gray whale body length and correlations with ocean climate indices at multiple scales, Pirotta et al., Global Change Biology Open Access 10.1111/gcb.17366
Natural regeneration of cork oak forests under climate change: a case study in Portugal, Ribeiro et al., Frontiers in Forests and Global Change Open Access 10.3389/ffgc.2024.1332708
Nonuniform response of vegetation phenology to daytime and nighttime warming in urban areas, Kim et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access 10.1038/s43247-024-01471-y
Out of the frying pan into the fire: Predicted warming in alpine streams suggests hidden consequences for aquatic ectotherms, Shackleton et al., Global Change Biology Open Access 10.1111/gcb.17364
Pacific salmon in the Canadian Arctic highlight a range-expansion pathway for sub-Arctic fishes, Dunmall et al., Global Change Biology Open Access pdf 10.1111/gcb.17353
Patterns and correlates of potential range shifts of bat species in China in the context of climate change, Ke et al., Conservation Biology 10.1111/cobi.14310
Possible extinction of Eversmannia subspinosa in Eastern Alborz by 2060 due to climate change: a MaxEnt study, Zaheri et al., Theoretical and Applied Climatology Open Access pdf 10.1007/s00704-024-05047-w
Rubble persistence under ocean acidification threatened by accelerated bioerosion and lower-density coral skeletons, Webb et al., Global Change Biology Open Access 10.1111/gcb.17371
Southern Africa's Great Escarpment as an amphitheater of climate-driven diversification and a buffer against future climate change in bats, Taylor et al., Global Change Biology Open Access pdf 10.1111/gcb.17344
The effect of temperature on photosystem II efficiency across plant functional types and climate, Neri et al., Biogeosciences Open Access 10.5194/bg-21-2731-2024
The Responses of Soil Nitrogen Transformations to Rainfall Reduction Mainly Occurred in the Early Growing-Season in a Temperate Meadow, Yang et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences 10.1029/2023jg007749
Wildfire smoke impacts lake ecosystems, Farruggia et al., Global Change Biology Open Access pdf 10.1111/gcb.17367
GHG sources & sinks, flux, related geochemistry
Anthropogenic CO2, air–sea CO2 fluxes, and acidification in the Southern Ocean: results from a time-series analysis at station OISO-KERFIX (51° S–68° E), Metzl et al., Ocean Science Open Access 10.5194/os-20-725-2024
Atmospheric pCO2 Response to Stimulated Organic Carbon Export: Sensitivity Patterns and Timescales, Holzer et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2024gl108462
Causal Drivers of Land-Atmosphere Carbon Fluxes From Machine Learning Models and Data, Farahani & Goodwell Goodwell Farahani, Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences Open Access 10.1029/2023jg007815
CFC-12 Emissions in China Inferred From Observation and Inverse Modeling, Ma et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2024gl109541
Contrasting Methane Seepage Dynamics in the Hola Trough Offshore Norway: Insights From Two Different Summers, Ferré et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans Open Access 10.1029/2024jc020949
How Much Can Riverine Biogeochemical Fluxes Affect the Arctic Ocean Acidification?, Zhang et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans Open Access 10.1029/2023jc020404
Knowledge Gaps in Quantifying the Climate Change Response of Biological Storage of Carbon in the Ocean, Henson et al., Earth's Future Open Access 10.1029/2023ef004375
Quantitative Assessment of Factors Contributing to Variations in Sea Surface pCO2 in the Pacific Sector of the Arctic Ocean, Tozawa et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans Open Access pdf 10.1029/2024jc021012
Spatial and temporal variations of gross primary production simulated by land surface model BCC&AVIM2.0, Li et al., Advances in Climate Change Research Open Access 10.1016/j.accre.2023.02.001
The effects of environmental variability and forest management on natural forest carbon stock in northwestern Ethiopia, Kassaye et al., Ecology and Evolution Open Access pdf 10.1002/ece3.11476
The Growth and Carbon Sink of Tundra Peat Patches in Arctic Alaska, Cleary et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences 10.1029/2023jg007890
The reduced net carbon uptake over Northern Hemisphere land causes the close-to-normal CO2 growth rate in 2021 La Niña, Liu et al., Science Advances Open Access 10.1126/sciadv.adl2201
Using Relationships Between Vegetation and Surface Soil Biogeochemical Properties to Assess Regional Soil Carbon Inventories for South Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada, Gunther et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences Open Access 10.1029/2023jg007776
Warming Reduces Priming Effect of Soil Organic Carbon Decomposition Along a Subtropical Elevation Gradient, Li et al., Global Biogeochemical Cycles 10.1029/2024gb008113
CO2 capture, sequestration science & engineering
Graphene membranes with pyridinic nitrogen at pore edges for high-performance CO2 capture, Hsu et al., Nature Energy 10.1038/s41560-024-01556-0
Synergies of storing hydrogen at the crest of CO2${rm CO}&{2}$ or other gas storage, Sun et al., Energy & Fuels Open Access 10.1021/ef010067n
The Realistic Potential of Soil Carbon Sequestration in U.S. Croplands for Climate Mitigation, Uludere Aragon et al., Earth's Future Open Access 10.1029/2023ef003866
Decarbonization
Effects of sandstorms on hybrid renewable energy sources and load demand in arid desert climates: A case study, Alanzi et al., Energy for Sustainable Development 10.1016/j.esd.2024.101473
Skillful seasonal prediction of wind energy resources in the contiguous United States, Yang et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access 10.1038/s43247-024-01457-w
Who will be making wave energy? A community-driven design approach toward just and sustainable energy futures in Alaska, Trueworthy et al., Energy Research & Social Science 10.1016/j.erss.2024.103615
Geoengineering climate
Investigating the effect of silicate- and calcium-based ocean alkalinity enhancement on diatom silicification, Ferderer et al., Biogeosciences Open Access 10.5194/bg-21-2777-2024
Aerosols
Aerosol-Cloud Interactions From Aviation Soot Emissions, Alsante & Cheng, Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 10.1029/2023jd040277
Climate change communications & cognition
Assessing climate change awareness among mediterranean university students: a comparative study of french and greek universities, Bayraktar et al., Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences 10.1007/s13412-024-00946-w
Changes in Global Warming’s Six Americas: an analysis of repeat respondents, Ayers et al., Climatic Change 10.1007/s10584-024-03754-x
Factors and paths influencing students’ low-carbon behavior, Xiang & Liu, Carbon Management Open Access 10.1080/17583004.2024.2349173
From Denial to the Culture Wars: A Study of Climate Misinformation on YouTube, de Nadal, Environmental Communication Open Access 10.1080/17524032.2024.2363861
The importance of place in climate action, Howarth et al., PLOS Climate Open Access 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000425
“I start to doubt whether any of my actions will matter”: youth activists’ experiences and expressions of the emotions associated with climate change, Zurba et al., Climatic Change Open Access 10.1007/s10584-024-03757-8
Agronomy, animal husbundry, food production & climate change
A climate change risk assessment in aquaculture in Korea, Kim et al., Climatic Change 10.1007/s10584-024-03758-7
China’s mandarin and tangerine cultivation has not reached the carbon emissions peak, Liu et al., Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change 10.1007/s11027-024-10145-1
Climate change attribution, appraisal, and adaptive capacity for fishermen in the Gulf of Alaska, Szymkowiak & Steinkruger, Climatic Change 10.1007/s10584-024-03753-y
Deforestation and climate risk hotspots in the global cocoa value chain, Parra-Paitan et al., Environmental Science & Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.envsci.2024.103796
Determinants of smallholder farmers’ adaptation to the effects of climate extremes: evidence from Legambo district in northcentral Ethiopia, Eshetu & Yimer, Environment, Development and Sustainability 10.1007/s10668-024-05104-4
Long-term straw return to a wheat-maize system results in topsoil organic C saturation and increased yields while no stimulating or reducing yield-scaled N2O and NO emissions, Yao et al., Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 10.1016/j.agrformet.2024.109937
Policy measures mitigate the adoption of crop diversification strategies by farmers: insights from the Tibetan Plateau, Zhang et al., Environment, Development and Sustainability 10.1007/s10668-024-05093-4
Six years of nitrous oxide emissions from temperate cropping systems under real-farm rotational management, Garnier et al., Agricultural and Forest Meteorology Open Access 10.1016/j.agrformet.2024.110085
The Essential Role of Local Context in Shaping Risk and Risk Reduction Strategies for Snowmelt-Dependent Irrigated Agriculture, Gordon et al., Earth's Future Open Access 10.1029/2024ef004577
The Realistic Potential of Soil Carbon Sequestration in U.S. Croplands for Climate Mitigation, Uludere Aragon et al., Earth's Future Open Access 10.1029/2023ef003866
Hydrology, hydrometeorology & climate change
Adapting reservoir operation to climate change in regions with long-term hydrologic persistence, Espanmanesh et al., Climate Risk Management Open Access 10.1016/j.crm.2024.100623
Anthropogenic Intensification of Cool-Season Precipitation Is Not Yet Detectable Across the Western United States, Williams et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres Open Access 10.1029/2023jd040537
Assessing the potential of compound extreme storm surge and precipitation along China's Coastline, Li et al., Weather and Climate Extremes Open Access 10.1016/j.wace.2024.100702
Atmospheric processes dominate the changes in autumn rain hours over the Sichuan Basin: 1960–2018, Ni, Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics 10.1007/s00703-024-01024-0
Comparative Trend Variability Analysis of Reference Evapotranspiration in Bangladesh Using Multiple Trend Detection Approaches, Dia et al., Theoretical and Applied Climatology 10.1007/s00704-024-05044-z
How Much Does Land–Atmosphere Coupling Influence Summertime Temperature Variability in the Western United States?, Zeppetello et al., Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-23-0716.1
Key drivers of vulnerability to rainfall flooding in New Orleans, Kane et al., Frontiers in Climate Open Access 10.3389/fclim.2024.1303951
Large-scale dynamics of extreme precipitation in the tropical Andes: combining weather radar observations and reanalysis data, Córdova et al., Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics 10.1007/s00703-024-01022-2
Snowpack variations and their hazardous effects under climate warming in the central Tianshan Mountains, HAO et al., Advances in Climate Change Research Open Access 10.1016/j.accre.2024.06.001
The Timing of Detectable Increases in Seasonal Soil Moisture Droughts Under Future Climate Change, Chen & Yuan, Earth's Future Open Access 10.1029/2023ef004174
Climate change economics
Greening to shield: The impacts of extreme rainfall on economic activity in Latin American cities, Van der Borght & Pallares-Barbera PALLARES BARBERA, Global Environmental Change Open Access 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2024.102857
Revisiting urban environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis: evidence from carbon emissions in China’s prefecture-level and above cities, Wang et al., Environment, Development and Sustainability 10.1007/s10668-024-05082-7
The link between human population dynamics and energy consumption during the Anthropocene, Lima, The Anthropocene Review 10.1177/20530196241255081
Climate change mitigation public policy research
A critical evaluation of the 2022 greenhouse gas mitigation quota in Germany from an environmental economics and policy perspective, Liepold et al., Energy Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114200
Are subsidies market manipulation? The politics of electricity market hybridization in the United States, Breslau, Energy Research & Social Science 10.1016/j.erss.2024.103623
Carbon permits price and real emissions, Cohen & Qadan Zhao, Environment Systems and Decisions 10.1007/s10669-024-09977-8
Characteristics of residents' carbon emission and driving factors for carbon peaking: A case study in Wuhan, China, Bei et al., Energy for Sustainable Development 10.1016/j.esd.2024.101471
Drivers and challenges of solar photovoltaics (PV) adoption by Turkish manufacturers, Tüzün et al., Environment, Development and Sustainability Open Access 10.1007/s10668-024-04943-5
Evaluation of efficient policies on the renewable penetration in electricity sector for an integrated energy planning model in TIMES, Taheri et al., Environment, Development and Sustainability 10.1007/s10668-024-05122-2
Exploring the carbon footprint of Nigeria's construction sector: a quantitative insight, Labaran et al., Environment, Development and Sustainability 10.1007/s10668-024-05111-5
Financialisation, energy transition, and the looting of clean energy business corporations in the United States, Wu et al., Energy Research & Social Science 10.1016/j.erss.2024.103614
Materiality in community energy innovation: A systematic literature review of hands-on material engagement in energy transition, Kuu-Park et al., Energy Research & Social Science Open Access 10.1016/j.erss.2024.103616
Perceived Carbon Pricing Effectiveness Impacts its Perceived Fairness – Applying and Extending a Theoretical Framework, Huttarsch & Matthies, Journal of Environmental Psychology 10.1016/j.jenvp.2024.102356
Questionable at best: why links between mitigation by single actors and global temperature goals must be made more robust, Lecocq & Winkler, Climate Policy 10.1080/14693062.2024.2362847
Residential renovations: Understanding cost-disruption trade-offs, Curtis et al., Energy Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114207
Residual carbon emissions in companies’ climate pledges: who has to reduce and who gets to remove?, Arendt, Climate Policy Open Access 10.1080/14693062.2024.2358989
Sharing a car with your next-door neighbor: Motivations and barriers to adoption of low-carbon mobility in Israel, Shemesh & Parag, Energy Research & Social Science Open Access 10.1016/j.erss.2024.103586
The economics of coal phaseouts: auctions as a novel policy instrument for the energy transition, Srivastav & Zaehringer, Climate Policy Open Access 10.1080/14693062.2024.2358114
The impact on climate and emissions of clean household cooking energy policies in Tanzania, Aamaas & Grimsby Grimsby, Energy Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114211
The Janus-Faced Role of Renewable Energy Development in Global Carbon Reduction Under Renewable Energy Policies, Chen et al., Earth's Future Open Access 10.1029/2024ef004535
The many faces of carbon tax regressivity—Why carbon taxes are not always regressive for the same reason, Linden et al., Energy Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114210
The transition towards solar energy storage: a multi-level perspective, Jayaraj et al., Energy Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114209
UK net-zero policy design – from optimisation to robustness, Rodriguez Mendez et al., Environmental Science & Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.envsci.2024.103804
‘Who is going to talk about my grandad? Who is going to talk about me?’: Spatial politics in the advocacy of youth from the MENA region at COP 27, Ortiz et al., Climate and Development Open Access pdf 10.1080/17565529.2024.2360618
Climate change adaptation & adaptation public policy research
Climate hazards in Latin American cities: Understanding the role of the social and built environments and barriers to adaptation action, Dorothée Slovic et al., Climate Risk Management Open Access 10.1016/j.crm.2024.100625
Models of sub-national U.S. quasi-governmental organizations: implications for climate adaptation governance, Nix et al., Climatic Change Open Access 10.1007/s10584-024-03728-z
Navigating tensions in climate change-related planned relocation, Gini et al., Ambio Open Access 10.1007/s13280-024-02035-2
Sequential learning of climate change via a physical-parameter-based state-space model and Bayesian inference, Lai & Pozzi, Climatic Change Open Access 10.1007/s10584-024-03739-w
The climate niche of Homo Sapiens, Tol, Climatic Change Open Access 10.1007/s10584-024-03760-z
Climate change impacts on human health
Addressing risks to mental health from climate change: a policy capacity analysis of England, Turnpenny & Alexander, Climate Policy Open Access 10.1080/14693062.2024.2362848
Climate changes and food-borne pathogens: the impact on human health and mitigation strategy, Awad et al., Climatic Change Open Access pdf 10.1007/s10584-024-03748-9
Early life cold and heat exposure impacts white matter development in children, Granés et al., Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-024-02027-w
Informed opinion, nudges & major initiatives
Beyond environmental harm: Industry claims, lived experiences, and the impacts of gas extraction, Caretta et al., Energy Research & Social Science Open Access 10.1016/j.erss.2024.103606
Central Africa's mesic savannas should be conserved, not afforested, Loft et al., Global Change Biology Open Access pdf 10.1111/gcb.17369
Greenhouse gas mitigation requires caution, Stein & Lidstrom, Science Open Access pdf 10.1126/science.adi0503
Solar photovoltaic energy development and biodiversity conservation: Current knowledge and research gaps, Gómez?Catasús et al., Conservation Letters Open Access pdf 10.1111/conl.13025
The climate benefits from cement carbonation are being overestimated, Van Roijen et al., Nature Communications Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-024-48965-z
To save the high seas, plan for climate change, Hannah et al., Nature Open Access 10.1038/d41586-024-01720-2
Uncertain Pathways to a Future Safe Climate, Sherwood et al., Earth's Future Open Access 10.1029/2023ef004297
Unpacking climate policy, Dubash, Science Open Access 10.1126/science.adq0862
Articles/Reports from Agencies and Non-Governmental Organizations Addressing Aspects of Climate Change
National Definition of a Zero Emissions Building Part 1: Operational Emissions from Energy Use, Version 1, Department of Energy
The definition uses standardized, consistent, and measurable minimum criteria for a zero-emissions building that users can achieve through multiple pathways. The definition is intended as a guide to help support the building sector in moving towards zero emissions and thereby advance public- and private-sector climate goals. The definition sets forth minimum criteria that public and private entities can adopt, and these entities can demonstrate additional climate leadership by exceeding the minimum criteria.
International Public Opinion on Climate Change: Household Climate Actions – Adoption and Barriers, 2023, Leiserowitz et al., Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and Data for Good at Meta
The authors present the results of an international survey investigating public climate change knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, policy preferences, and behavior among Facebook users. The survey included responses from 139,136 Facebook monthly active users (18 years of age or older). Responses were collected from 187 countries and territories worldwide. The data are derived from a subset of countries and territories within the survey that are classified as “high-emissions” based on both their above-average CO2 per capita emission levels and higher per capita income. This subset includes 37 countries and territories, with a total of 39,683 respondents. Interview dates: August 3 – September 3, 2023.
Migration in the Context of Climate and Environmental Changes within Central Asia and to the European Union and the Russian Federation, Scissa et al., UN Migration
The authors focus on the intersection of climate and environmental changes with movements within Central Asia as well as from Central Asia to the European Union and the Russian Federation. The authors identify new trends in migration affecting the European Union and Central Asia and discuss the current state of legal and policy responses to these movements. It helps countries in the European Union and Central Asia fulfill commitments made in the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration related to understanding the drivers of migration in the context of climate and environmental changes.
Climate Migrants - Dominican Republic, World Bank
The Dominican Republic (DR) is vulnerable to climate change and has a high rate of natural degradation. The DR shows evidence of significant human mobility flows of (i) internal migration, mainly rural to urban; and (ii) international cross-border migration, especially from Haiti. Given this context, the DR is an important place to study migration induced by the impacts of climate change and natural degradation. Climate migration refers to migration that can be attributed largely to the slow-onset impacts of climate change on livelihoods through natural degradation such as shifts in water availability, crop productivity, and ecosystem productivity, or factors such as sea-level rise.
The Role of Biofuels and Biomass Feedstocks for Decarbonizing the U.S. Economy by 2050, Hawkins, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Biomass is a versatile and energy-rich feedstock that we have found could be a cost-effective pillar of the United States’ decarbonization strategy. The authors identify potential scaleup of bioenergy deployment for trajectories consistent with long-term decarbonization.
Minnesota Building Decarbonization Analysis, deLeon et al., Clean Heat Minnesota
The authors identify the most feasible, equitable, and cost-effective pathways for reducing emissions from Minnesota’s natural gas distribution sector at a pace and magnitude consistent with Minnesota’s greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. Decarbonization of the building sector—particularly in the residential building sector where emissions are increasing—is one of the main strategies established for meeting the state’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. The primary source of emissions in the residential sector is natural gas used in home heating and appliances. For the commercial sector, emissions are generated from the use of oil and natural gas. For this reason, the authors focused on residential and commercial energy end uses and the impacts that their decarbonization would have on the gas and electric systems, on costs to customers, and on health and environmental issues.
Powering Canada: A blueprint for success, Canada Electricity Advisory Council
The Minister of Natural Resources convened the Canada Electricity Advisory Council to advise on policies to enable the electricity sector to play its pivotal role in Canada’s transition to net zero. The Council is an independent body of 19 electricity sector leaders from every region in Canada. To achieve Canada’s goals, the provinces and territories – the ultimate authorities over its electricity systems – will need to tackle a dual challenge: completing the decarbonization of existing electricity systems, while also rapidly growing capacity to meet new needs in everything from transport to buildings to industry.
Greenwashing the Amazon, Angeline Robertson and Alicia Guzmán León, Coordinating Body of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon River Basin and Standearth
The authors examine how the environmental and social risk management policies of the top banks financing oil and gas extraction in Amazonia fail to fully address the adverse impacts of their financing on people and nature. Over the past 20 years, just six banks – Citibank, JPMorgan Chase, Itaú Unibanco, Santander, Bank of America, and HSBC – are responsible for almost half (46%) of all direct financing for oil and gas operations in Amazonia.
The Cleantech Revolution. It’s exponential, disruptive, and now, Bond et al., RMI
The authors chart how the energy system is being disrupted by the exponential forces of renewables, electrification, and efficiency. The past decade has seen remarkable progress and growth in cleantech. Cleantech costs have fallen by up to 80 percent, while investment is up nearly 10 times and solar generation has risen 12 times. Meanwhile, electricity has grown to become the largest source of useful energy, and the deep force of efficiency has reduced energy demand by a fifth. As the drivers of change continue to overpower the barriers, cleantech will continue to grow up S-curves, pushing fossil fuel demand into terminal decline and pulling the Paris Agreement within our reach.
The Incredible Inefficiency of the Fossil Energy System, Walter et al., RMI
Today’s fossil energy system is incredibly inefficient: almost two-thirds of all primary energy is wasted in energy production, transportation, and use, before fossil fuel has done any work or produced any benefit. That means over $4.6 trillion per year, almost 5% of global GDP and 40% of what we spend on energy, goes up in smoke due to fossil inefficiency. Literally. The winds are changing, though, as fossil technologies are undercut by more efficient alternatives. End-use efficiency is driving out fossil fuels, reinforced by three new tailwinds that upend the energy landscape: renewable electricity, localization, and electrification. These drivers will allow us to drastically cut down on energy waste and phase out fossil fuels.
Come Hell or High Water. Flood Management in a Changing Climate, San Francisco Civil Grand Jury, City and County of San Francisco
Climate change has brought to San Francisco the triple threat of the sea rising along its' shorelines, extreme storms dumping unprecedented volumes of water into our already strained sewer systems, and saturated surface soils preventing timely seepage into the aquifers. One result…increased flooding. Given this unavoidable future, individual departments of the City and County of San Francisco have responded with plans to adapt to the increasingly extreme conditions. The authors particularly focus on flood management.
Navigating the Transition to Net-zero Emissions in Southeast Asia – Energy Security, the Role of Gaseous Energy Carriers and Renewables-based Electrification, Fekete et al., German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action
The authors emphasize that rapid expansion of renewable electricity and electrification of energy end users is essential, not only to achieve climate mitigation targets but also to boost energy security and economic development across Southeast Asia. Focusing on Indonesia, Thailand, Viet Nam, and the Philippines the authors analyze net-zero pathways under two different decarbonization scenarios – one centered on reducing fossil fuel use through the deep electrification of energy demand, and the other achieving these reductions through the use of renewable gases such as hydrogen.
Obtaining articles without journal subscriptions
We know it's frustrating that many articles we cite here are not free to read. One-off paid access fees are generally astronomically priced, suitable for such as "On a Heuristic Point of View Concerning the Production and Transformation of Light" but not as a gamble on unknowns. With a median world income of US$ 9,373, for most of us US$ 42 is significant money to wager on an article's relevance and importance.
- Here's an excellent collection of tips and techniques for obtaining articles, legally.
- Unpaywall offers a browser extension for Chrome and Firefox that automatically indicates when an article is freely accessible and provides immediate access without further trouble. Unpaywall is also unscammy, works well, is itself offered free to use. The organizers (a legitimate nonprofit) report about a 50% success rate
- The weekly New Research catch is checked against the Unpaywall database with accessible items being flagged. Especially for just-published articles this mechansim may fail. If you're interested in an article title and it is not listed here as "open access," be sure to check the link anyway.
How is New Research assembled?
Most articles appearing here are found via RSS feeds from journal publishers, filtered by search terms to produce raw output for assessment of relevance.
Relevant articles are then queried against the Unpaywall database, to identify open access articles and expose useful metadata for articles appearing in the database.
The objective of New Research isn't to cast a tinge on scientific results, to color readers' impressions. Hence candidate articles are assessed via two metrics only:
- Was an article deemed of sufficient merit by a team of journal editors and peer reviewers? The fact of journal RSS output assigns a "yes" to this automatically.
- Is an article relevant to the topic of anthropogenic climate change? Due to filter overlap with other publication topics of inquiry, of a typical week's 550 or so input articles about 1/4 of RSS output makes the cut.
A few journals offer public access to "preprint" versions of articles for which the review process is not yet complete. For some key journals this all the mention we'll see in RSS feeds, so we include such items in New Research. These are flagged as "preprint."
The section "Informed opinion, nudges & major initiatives" includes some items that are not scientific research per se but fall instead into the category of "perspectives," observations of implications of research findings, areas needing attention, etc.
Suggestions
Please let us know if you're aware of an article you think may be of interest for Skeptical Science research news, or if we've missed something that may be important. Send your input to Skeptical Science via our contact form.
Journals covered
A list of journals we cover may be found here. We welcome pointers to omissions, new journals etc.
Previous edition
The previous edition of Skeptical Science New Research may be found here.
Comments