Arguments
Skeptical Science New Research for Week #39 2024
Posted on 26 September 2024 by Doug Bostrom, Marc Kodack
Open access notables
Refined Estimates of Global Ocean Deep and Abyssal Decadal Warming Trends, Johnson & Purkey, Geophysical Research Letters:
Deep and abyssal layer decadal temperature trends from the mid-1980s to the mid-2010s are mapped globally using Deep Argo and historical ship-based Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD) instrument data. Abyssal warming trends are widespread, with the strongest warming observed around Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) formation regions. The warming strength follows deep western boundary currents transporting abyssal waters north and decreases with distance from Antarctica. Abyssal cooling trends are found in the North Atlantic and eastern South Atlantic, regions primarily ventilated by North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW). Deep warming trends are prominent in the Southern Ocean south of about 50°S, the Greenland-Iceland-Norwegian (GIN) Seas and the western subpolar North Atlantic, with cooling in the eastern subpolar North Atlantic and the subtropical and tropical western North Atlantic. Globally integrated decadal heat content trends of 21.6 (±6.5) TW in the deep and 12.9 (±1.8) TW in the abyssal layer are more certain than previous estimates.
[Bold ours. By way of comparison: total global electrical generation capacity is in the neighborhood of 11TW, roughly a third of the constant warming power input quantified above, which itself is but a small fraction of the excess energy now being absorbed by Earth thanks to our perturbation of radiative equilibrium.]
Ocean warming as a trigger for irreversible retreat of the Antarctic ice sheet, Hill et al., Nature Climate Change:
Warmer ocean conditions could impact future ice loss from Antarctica due to their ability to thin and reduce the buttressing of laterally confined ice shelves. Previous studies highlight the potential for a cold to warm ocean regime shift within the sub-shelf cavities of the two largest Antarctic ice shelves—the Filchner–Ronne and Ross. However, how this impacts upstream ice flow and mass loss has not been quantified. Here using an ice sheet model and an ensemble of ocean-circulation model sub-shelf melt rates, we show that transition to a warm state in those ice shelf cavities leads to a destabilization and irreversible grounding line retreat in some locations. Once this ocean shift takes place, ice loss from the Filchner–Ronne and Ross catchments is greatly accelerated, and conditions begin to resemble those of the present-day Amundsen Sea sector—responsible for most current observed Antarctic ice loss—where this thermal shift has already occurred.
Bookkeepers of catastrophes: The overlooked role of reinsurers in climate change debates, Röper & Kohl Kohl, Global Environmental Change:
Global warming had long been discussed as an abstract matter of physics and chemistry. Only in the 1990s did the more tangible costs caused by natural catastrophes come into focus. The key corporate actors to advance this damage and risk perspective on climate change and corroborate it with data – reinsurance companies – have largely been overlooked in the literature. Drawing on expert interviews, hitherto confidential archival sources and text analysis, this paper traces how the two largest reinsurers have made sense of climate change and become important voices in creating awareness of man-made climate change. It underscores their unique role as both producers and translators of climate change knowledge and highlights the thorny and even subjective nature of interpreting climate-related data. This sheds new light on the history of climate change knowledge and raises important questions about the role of business actors.
Durably reducing conspiracy beliefs through dialogues with AI, Costello et al., Science:
Conspiracy theory beliefs are notoriously persistent. Influential hypotheses propose that they fulfill important psychological needs, thus resisting counterevidence. Yet previous failures in correcting conspiracy beliefs may be due to counterevidence being insufficiently compelling and tailored. To evaluate this possibility, we leveraged developments in generative artificial intelligence and engaged 2190 conspiracy believers in personalized evidence-based dialogues with GPT-4 Turbo. The intervention reduced conspiracy belief by ~20%. The effect remained 2 months later, generalized across a wide range of conspiracy theories, and occurred even among participants with deeply entrenched beliefs. Although the dialogues focused on a single conspiracy, they nonetheless diminished belief in unrelated conspiracies and shifted conspiracy-related behavioral intentions. These findings suggest that many conspiracy theory believers can revise their views if presented with sufficiently compelling evidence.
Why not 35°C? Reasons for reductions in limits of human thermal tolerance and their implications, Vecellio et al., Temperature:
Here, we provide a brief explanation of the most evident reasons that physiological critical limits are lower than those based on biophysical theory. That is, why do the least vulnerable, healthiest humans not reach the theoretical SH10 upper limit for thermal balance that has been used to communicate extreme heat tolerance in the literature and mass media for over the past decade-plus? Additionally, we point out additional research that has now been completed, and those studies yet to be performed, to develop a fuller understanding of critical environmental thresholds for diverse populations across the world.
From this week's government/NGO section:
[Considering how academics are routinely accused of money-grubbing by hyping climate change, the following collection should cause a rethink in some circles.]
The Influence of Fossil Fuel Funding on Climate Research, Kathuria et al, Sunrise Columbia
The authors examine the alarming influence of fossil fuel funding on climate research at Columbia University. They focused on money coming into the university through grans/donations, not through endowment investments. Their research revealed numerous conflicts of interest. For example, between 2005 and 2024, the university accepted at least $43.7 million from fossil fuel companies, over $15.7 million of which went to our premier energy research hub, the Center on Global Energy Policy.
Dissociate Cornell: A Review of Cornell's Fossil Fuel Ties, Fossil Free Cornell
The authors split the report into four sections: Web of Science, Recruitment Events, Building Names, and Donation Spotlight. The Web of Science research, is an examination of Cornell-affiliated articles funded by the fossil fuel industry, reports that there have been 178 such articles funded by fossil fuels in the last 15 years. The Recruitment Events section delves into five fossil fuel companies that have a large recruiting presence on campus. The Building Names research looks into the 173 building names on campus and reports that 24 of them have a direct affiliation with either the fossil fuel industry, environmental injustice, or racism, and calls for 5 to be renamed. Finally, the Donation Spotlight section focuses on ten companies with close ties to fossil fuels that have donated $247,358,116 to Cornell, 9% of Cornell’s total received donations over the last 10 years.
Fossil Fuled. An Inconvenient Truth for American University, Dante Arminio, Campus Climate Network
The author presents a sample of American University's ties to the fossil fuel industry with a call to action through various examples of their contradictions to AU wanting to be a sustainable university.
In the Service of Delay. Fossil Fuel Connections to Princeton University, Clemons-Cope et al, Campus Climate Network
Princeton legitimizes and financially supports the fossil fuel industry. The University continues to invest in, profit from, and produce research that serves the interests of fossil fuel companies. The authors reveal the extent of Princeton’s entanglement with the industry across many of its' activities. The authors illustrate how Princeton’s ambition to be a climate leader and to seek truth through its' academics, is undermined by the continued advancement of fossil fuel interests. The authors focus on issues associated with Princeton’s fossil-fuel funded research and investments in the industry.
Tarred by Tradition. UNC's Enduring Ties to the Fossil Fuel Industry, Drew Phaneuf, Sunrise UNC
UNC is infested with financial and social ties to the fossil fuel industry. Since 2012, UNC-affiliated authors have published at least 82 journal articles with funding from the oil and gas industry. The top research sponsors are the Koch family, British Petroleum (BP), ExxonMobil, and Royal Dutch Shell. Furthermore, from 2013-2023, UNC received at least $11,952,183.00 from foundations associated with the fossil fuel industry. When including money from organizations known to fund climate denial, this sum jumps to $20,049,359.00. Much more fossil fuel money likely flows to UNC, as this number only reflects contributions from non-profit foundations, which are publicly available through third-party sources. Additionally, it is estimated that UNC-CH owns at least $243,000,000 in fossil fuel commodities. The university does not make information about these contributions or their investments publicly available.
It's Time for a Fossil Free UCSD. Uncovering UC San Diego's Ties to the Fossil Fuel Industry, Ahmed et al, Green New Deal at UC San Diego
The authors investigate the financial and social connections between the University of California San Diego and the fossil fuel industry. The authors uncover and make public the extent of these relationships by examining direct monetary donations, research articles, research partnerships, university investments, and endowment trustees that tie the university to fossil fuel actors, the undeniable antagonists in a world on the brink of catastrophic climate disaster.
185 articles in 68 journals by 1202 contributing authors
Physical science of climate change, effects
A Model-Based Investigation of the Recent Rebound of Shelf Water Salinity in the Ross Sea, Zhang et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2023gl106697
Cloud water adjustments to aerosol perturbations are buffered by solar heating in non-precipitating marine stratocumuli, Zhang et al., Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Open Access 10.5194/acp-24-10425-2024
Evidence for large-scale climate forcing of dense shelf water variability in the Ross Sea, Zhang et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-024-52524-x
Observations of climate change, effects
A Slowdown in Translation Speed of Western North Pacific Tropical Cyclones Undergoing Rapid Intensification, Song et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2024gl110220
Amplified precipitation extremes since 21st century in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration, China, Wang et al., Atmospheric Research Open Access 10.1016/j.atmosres.2024.107695
China's Yangtze River basin is becoming the super heatwave centre in the East Asian monsoon regions, Wei et al., International Journal of Climatology 10.1002/joc.8621
Detection and Attribution of Changes in Precipitation Extremes in China and Its Different Climate Zones, Chen et al., Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-23-0770.1
Disproportionate impact of atmospheric heat events on lake surface water temperature increases, Wang et al., Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-024-02122-y
Flash drought and heatwave compound events increased in strength and length from 1980 to 2022 in China, Fu et al., Weather and Climate Extremes 10.1016/j.wace.2024.100720
Local climate and trends in air mass-based weather types over the Arabian Peninsula, Alghamdi & Harrington, International Journal of Climatology 10.1002/joc.8631
Refined Estimates of Global Ocean Deep and Abyssal Decadal Warming Trends, Johnson & Purkey, Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2024gl111229
Sketching the spatial disparities in heatwave trends by changing atmospheric teleconnections in the Northern Hemisphere, Cai et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-024-52254-0
Trends in the high-latitude mesosphere temperature and mesopause revealed by SABER, Liu et al., Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Open Access 10.5194/acp-24-10143-2024
Unveiling the Evolution of Extreme Rainfall Storm Structure Across Space and Time in a Warming Climate, Ghanghas et al., Earth's Future Open Access 10.1029/2024ef004675
Variations and comparisons in hourly and daily precipitation extremes over eastern China in recent warming periods, Qi et al., International Journal of Climatology 10.1002/joc.8632
Instrumentation & observational methods of climate change, effects
Are Our Climate Data Fit for Your Purpose?, Dee et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society Open Access pdf 10.1175/bams-d-23-0295.1
Consistency of climatic changes at different time scales in Central England and Greenland, Stepanov et al., Journal of Atmospheric and Solar 10.1016/j.jastp.2024.106343
Modeling, simulation & projection of climate change, effects
Abrupt increase in Arctic-Subarctic wildfires caused by future permafrost thaw, Kim et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-024-51471-x
Advanced Peak Phase of ENSO under Global Warming, Zheng et al., Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-24-0002.1
Change of global land extreme temperature in the future, Zhang et al., Global and Planetary Change 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2024.104583
Changes in Four Decades of Near-CONUS Tropical Cyclones in an Ensemble of 12 km Thermodynamic Global Warming Simulations, Zarzycki et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2024gl110535
Deciphering the Variations and Mechanisms of Global Land Monsoons during Marine Isotope Stage 3, Zhang et al., Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-23-0584.1
Exploring variability in climate change projections on the Nemunas River and Curonian Lagoon: coupled SWAT and SHYFEM modeling approach, ?erkasova et al., Ocean Science Open Access 10.5194/os-20-1123-2024
Future climate change implications in Bhutan from a downscaled and bias-adjusted CMIP6 multimodel ensemble, Lehner et al., International Journal of Climatology Open Access 10.1002/joc.8623
High radiative forcing climate scenario relevance analyzed with a ten-million-member ensemble, Sarofim et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-024-52437-9
Impacts of Local and Remote SST Warming on Summer Circulation Changes in the Western North Pacific, Chen et al., Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-23-0403.1
Logistic curve modelling of sea surface temperature and latent heat flux variability in the Tropical Indian Ocean, Malik et al., Dynamics of Atmospheres and Oceans 10.1016/j.dynatmoce.2024.101467
Southern Hemisphere Winter Storm Tracks Respond Differently to Low and High CO2 Forcings, Mitevski et al., Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-23-0758.1
Temperature overshoot responses to ambitious forestation in an Earth System Model, Moustakis et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-024-52508-x
Advancement of climate & climate effects modeling, simulation & projection
A Comprehensive Evaluation of Mean and Extreme Climate for the Conformal Cubic Atmospheric Model (CCAM), Schroeter et al., Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology 10.1175/jamc-d-24-0004.1
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
Assessing Climate Extremes in Dynamical Downscaling Simulations Driven by a Novel Bias-Corrected CMIP6 Data, Zhang et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 10.1029/2024jd041253
CO2 Dependence in Global Estimation of All-Sky Downwelling Longwave: Parameterization and Model Comparison, Kawaguchi et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2024gl110384
Diversity of the climatological seasonal march of East Asian summer monsoon rainfall among the CMIP6 models, Yu et al., Global and Planetary Change 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2024.104558
Effects of water limitation and competition on tree carbon allocation in an Earth system modelling framework, Lichstein et al., Journal of Ecology 10.1111/1365-2745.14416
High-resolution urban climate simulations for heat and health applications in Philadelphia, Le Roy et al., Urban Climate 10.1016/j.uclim.2024.102114
Regionalization and its impact on global runoff simulations: A case study using the global hydrological model WaterGAP3 (v 1.0.0), Kupzig et al., Geoscientific Model Development Open Access 10.5194/gmd-17-6819-2024
The impact of coupled 3D shortwave radiative transfer on surface radiation and cumulus clouds over land, Tijhuis et al., Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Open Access 10.5194/acp-24-10567-2024
The Shortwave Cloud-SST Feedback Amplifies Multi-Decadal Pacific Sea Surface Temperature Trends: Implications for Observed Cooling, Espinosa & Zelinka Zelinka, Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2024gl111039
Unravelling the performance of atmospheric radiative transfer schemes in the simulation of mean surface climate in Central Africa using the RegCM5 climate model, Djouka Kankeu et al., International Journal of Climatology 10.1002/joc.8611
Using feature importance as exploratory data analysis tool on earth system models, Ries et al., Open Access 10.5194/gmd-2024-133
Cryosphere & climate change
Antarctic sensitivity to oceanic melting parameterizations, Juarez-Martinez et al., Open Access pdf 10.5194/egusphere-2023-2863
Climate and ablation observations from automatic ablation and weather stations at A. P. Olsen Ice Cap transect, NE Greenland, May 2008 through May 2022, Larsen et al., Open Access 10.5194/essd-2023-444
Feedback mechanisms controlling Antarctic glacial-cycle dynamics simulated with a coupled ice sheet–solid Earth model, Albrecht et al., The Cryosphere Open Access 10.5194/tc-18-4233-2024
Inland Summer Speedup at Zachariæ Isstrøm, Northeast Greenland, Driven by Subglacial Hydrology, Khan et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2024gl110691
Lake ice quality in a warming world, Culpepper et al., Nature Reviews Earth & Environment 10.1038/s43017-024-00590-6
Melting of Totten Glacier, East Antarctica since the Last Glacial Maximum Revealed by Beryllium Isotope Ratios of Marine Sediment, Huang et al., Global and Planetary Change Open Access 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2024.104548
Ocean warming as a trigger for irreversible retreat of the Antarctic ice sheet, Hill et al., Nature Climate Change Open Access 10.1038/s41558-024-02134-8
Surface warming in Svalbard may have led to increases in highly active ice-nucleating particles, Tobo et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access 10.1038/s43247-024-01677-0
Sea level & climate change
The long-term sea-level commitment from Antarctica, Klose et al., Open Access pdf 10.5194/egusphere-egu22-7964
Paleoclimate & paleogeochemistry
A 485-million-year history of Earth’s surface temperature, Judd et al., Science 10.1126/science.adk3705
Can we reliably reconstruct the mid-Pliocene Warm Period with sparse data and uncertain models?, Annan et al., Climate of the Past Open Access 10.5194/cp-20-1989-2024
Enhanced global dust counteracted greenhouse warming during the mid- to late-Holocene, Jiang et al., Earth 10.1016/j.earscirev.2024.104937
Enhanced ocean heat storage efficiency during the last deglaciation, Zhu et al., Science Advances Open Access 10.1126/sciadv.adp5156
Glacial–interglacial Circumpolar Deep Water temperatures during the last 800 000 years: estimates from a synthesis of bottom water temperature reconstructions, Chandler & Langebroek Langebroek, Climate of the Past Open Access 10.5194/cp-20-2055-2024
Biology & climate change, related geochemistry
Birds in arid regions have depauperate louse communities: Climate change implications?, Bush et al., Ecology and Evolution Open Access 10.1002/ece3.70280
Budworms, beetles and wildfire: Disturbance interactions influence the likelihood of insect-caused disturbances at a subcontinental scale, Howe et al., Journal of Ecology 10.1111/1365-2745.14408
Changing disturbance regimes, material legacies, and stabilizing feedbacks: Dead coral skeletons impair key recovery processes following coral bleaching, Kopecky et al., Global Change Biology Open Access 10.1111/gcb.17504
Chlorophyll Production in the Amundsen Sea Boosts Heat Flux to Atmosphere and Weakens Heat Flux to Ice Shelves, Twelves et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans Open Access 10.1029/2024jc021121
Chronic and acute thermal stressors have non-additive effects on fertility, Pilakouta et al., Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences Open Access 10.1098/rspb.2024.1086
Climate variability shifts the vertical structure of phytoplankton in the Sargasso Sea, Viljoen et al., Open Access pdf 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3782167/v1
Elucidating maternal provisioning for bivalve larvae under ocean acidity extreme events, Xu et al., Marine Environmental Research 10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106752
Heat tolerance varies considerably within a reef-building coral species on the Great Barrier Reef, Naugle et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access 10.1038/s43247-024-01649-4
Humid, Warm and Treed Ecosystems Show Longer Time-Lag of Vegetation Response to Climate, Gao et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2024gl111737
Identifying thresholds of time-lag and accumulative effects of extreme precipitation on major vegetation types at global scale, Liu et al., Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 10.1016/j.agrformet.2024.110239
Key benthic species are affected by predicted warming in winter but show resistance to ocean acidification, Schertenleib et al., Ecology and Evolution Open Access 10.1002/ece3.70308
Limited net poleward movement of reef species over a decade of climate extremes, Fuchs et al., Nature Climate Change Open Access 10.1038/s41558-024-02116-w
Modeling the distribution of pine wilt disease in China using the ensemble models MaxEnt and CLIMEX, Chen et al., Ecology and Evolution Open Access 10.1002/ece3.70277
Nonanthropocentric climate ethics, Nolt, WIREs Climate Change 10.1002/wcc.131
Number and dissimilarity of global change factors influences soil properties and functions, Bi et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-024-52511-2
Ocean acidification does not prolong recovery of coral holobionts from natural thermal stress in two consecutive years, Dobson et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access 10.1038/s43247-024-01672-5
Predicted community consequences of spatially explicit global change-induced processes on plant–insect networks, Ho & Altermatt, Ecology and Evolution Open Access 10.1002/ece3.70272
Projected near-future flooding and warming increase graminoid biomass in a high-latitude coastal wetland, Petit Bon et al., Journal of Ecology 10.1111/1365-2745.14418
Shifting seagrass-oyster interactions alter species response to ocean warming and acidification, DuBois et al., Journal of Ecology 10.1111/1365-2745.14406
Shifts in foundation species dominance and altered interaction networks after compounding seismic uplift and extreme marine heatwaves, Montie et al., Marine Environmental Research Open Access 10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106738
The influence of habitat alteration is widespread, but the impact of climate cannot continue to be discounted, Dickie et al., Global Change Biology Open Access 10.1111/gcb.17497
The Role of Climate Change in the Proliferation of Freshwater Harmful Algal Blooms in Inland Water Bodies of the United States, Wiley & McPherson, Earth Interactions Open Access pdf 10.1175/ei-d-23-0008.1
Thermal tolerance traits of individual corals are widely distributed across the Great Barrier Reef, Denis et al., Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences Open Access 10.1098/rspb.2024.0587
Water limitation drives species loss in grassland communities after nitrogen addition and warming, Li et al., Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 10.1098/rspb.2024.0642
Widespread scope for coral adaptation under combined ocean warming and acidification, Jury & Toonen, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences Open Access 10.1098/rspb.2024.1161
“Two zones and three centers” distribution and suitable areas shift of an evergreen oak in subtropical China under climate scenarios, Zhang et al., Ecology and Evolution Open Access 10.1002/ece3.70300
GHG sources & sinks, flux, related geochemistry
Automated detection of regions with persistently enhanced methane concentrations using Sentinel-5 Precursor satellite data, Vanselow et al., Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Open Access 10.5194/acp-24-10441-2024
Carbon dioxide emissions from global overseas coal-fired power plants, Guo et al., Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-024-02114-y
CO2 emissions of drained coastal peatlands in the Netherlands and potential emission reduction by water infiltration systems, Aben et al., Biogeosciences Open Access 10.5194/bg-21-4099-2024
Constructing a measurement-based spatially explicit inventory of US oil and gas methane emissions, Omara et al., Open Access 10.5194/essd-2024-72
Different model assumptions about plant hydraulics and photosynthetic temperature acclimation yield diverging implications for tropical forest gross primary production under warming, Zarakas et al., Global Change Biology 10.1111/gcb.17449
Effects of slow temperature acclimation of photosynthesis on gross primary production estimation, Bai et al., Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 10.1016/j.agrformet.2024.110197
Emergent constraints on future Amazon climate change-induced carbon loss using past global warming trends, Melnikova et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-024-51474-8
Emerging multiscale insights on microbial carbon use efficiency in the land carbon cycle, He et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-024-52160-5
Estimation of Urban Greenhouse Gas Fluxes from Mole Fraction Measurements Using Monin–Obukhov Similarity Theory, Kenion et al., Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology 10.1175/jtech-d-23-0164.1
Global patterns and drivers of tropical aboveground carbon changes, Feng et al., Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-024-02115-x
GSOCS-LULCC: the Global Soil Organic Carbon Stock dataset after Land Use and Land Cover Change, Chen et al., Open Access 10.5194/essd-2024-373
High-resolution atmospheric CO2 concentration data simulated in WRF-Chem over East Asia for 10 years, Seo et al., Geoscience Data Journal Open Access 10.1002/gdj3.273
Integrating State Data Assimilation and Innovative Model Parameterization Reduces Simulated Carbon Uptake in the Arctic and Boreal Region, Huo et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences 10.1029/2024jg008004
Methane retrieval from MethaneAIR using the CO2 proxy approach: a demonstration for the upcoming MethaneSAT mission, Chan Miller et al., Atmospheric Measurement Techniques Open Access 10.5194/amt-17-5429-2024
Minor carbon sequestration under nitrogen deposition due to downregulated nitrogen uptake and use efficiency, Wang et al., Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 10.1016/j.agrformet.2024.110220
Pacific Ocean–originated anthropogenic carbon and its long-term variations in the South China Sea, Wang et al., Science Advances Open Access 10.1126/sciadv.adn9171
Reduced productivity and carbon drawdown of tropical forests from ground-level ozone exposure, Cheesman et al., Nature Geoscience Open Access 10.1038/s41561-024-01530-1
Satellite observations reveal the complex annual dynamics of tropical aboveground carbon, , Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-024-02119-7
Seamounts Enhance the Local Emission of CO2 in the Northern South China Sea, Zhang et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2023gl107264
Simultaneous Hot and Dry Extreme-Events Increase Wetland Methane Emissions: An Assessment of Compound Extreme-Event Impacts Using Ameriflux and FLUXNET-CH4 Site Data Sets, Lippmann et al., Global Biogeochemical Cycles Open Access 10.1029/2024gb008201
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 Changing Biological Carbon Pump of the South Atlantic Ocean, Delaigue et al., Global Biogeochemical Cycles Open Access 10.1029/2024gb008202
The impacts of modelling prescribed vs. dynamic land cover in a high-CO2 future scenario – greening of the Arctic and Amazonian dieback, Kou-Giesbrecht et al., Open Access pdf 10.5194/egusphere-2023-2711
The Northeast Greenland Shelf as a potential late-summer CO2 source to the atmosphere, Willcox et al., Biogeosciences Open Access 10.5194/bg-21-4037-2024
CO2 capture, sequestration science & engineering
A holistic platform for accelerating sorbent-based carbon capture, Charalambous et al., Nature Open Access 10.1038/s41586-024-07683-8
Feasible deployment of carbon capture and storage and the requirements of climate targets, Kazlou et al., Open Access pdf 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3275673/v1
Synergies of storing hydrogen at the crest of CO2${rm CO}&{2}$ or other gas storage, Peredo-Mancilla et al., Char and Carbon Materials Derived from Biomass Open Access pdf 10.1016/b978-0-12-814893-8.00009-2
Decarbonization
Coproduction of Integrated Weather and Climate Services to Support Net-Zero Energy Transitions, Troccoli et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society Open Access pdf 10.1175/bams-d-23-0029.1
Diverse decarbonization pathways under near cost-optimal futures, Sinha et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-024-52433-z
Preface to ‘Green carbon for the chemical industry of the future’, Hutchings et al., Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences Open Access 10.1098/rsta.2023.0274
Simulation of hydrogen transportation development path and carbon emission reduction path based on LEAP model - A case study of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region, Shi et al., Energy Policy 10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114337
The potential of green ammonia in the de-fossilization of the steel, glass and cement industries, El-Kadi et al., Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences Open Access 10.1098/rsta.2023.0270
Trends in port decarbonisation research: are we reinventing the wheel?, Alamoush, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability 10.1016/j.cosust.2024.101478
Geoengineering climate Black carbon
The politics of knowledge in black carbon mitigation: Policy entrepreneurship of Finnish actors and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, Aalto & Claydon, Environmental Science & Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.envsci.2024.103881
Aerosols
Combining Temperature and Precipitation to Constrain the Aerosol Contribution to Observed Climate Change, Roesch et al., Journal of Climate Open Access pdf 10.1175/jcli-d-23-0347.1
Global aerosol retrieval over land from Landsat imagery integrating Transformer and Google Earth Engine, Wei et al., Remote Sensing of Environment 10.1016/j.rse.2024.114404
The Interaction Between Climate Forcing and Feedbacks, Gettelman et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres Open Access 10.1029/2024jd040857
Climate change communications & cognition
Assessment of Textbook Content and Teachers’ Competence in Climate Change Education at the Primary Level, Batool & Behlol , Weather, Climate, and Society Open Access 10.1175/wcas-d-23-0143.1
Bookkeepers of catastrophes: The overlooked role of reinsurers in climate change debates, Röper & Kohl Kohl, Global Environmental Change Open Access 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2024.102931
Disaster experience mitigates the partisan divide on climate change: Evidence from Texas, Chen et al., Global Environmental Change Open Access 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2024.102918
Does information change public support for climate mitigation policies?, Dabla-Norris et al., Climate Policy Open Access 10.1080/14693062.2024.2403560
Durably reducing conspiracy beliefs through dialogues with AI, Costello et al., Science Open Access pdf 10.1126/science.adq1814
Examining the (Non-Linear) Relationships between Climate Change Anxiety, Information Seeking, and Pro-Environmental Behavioral Intentions, Chapman & Peters, Journal of Environmental Psychology 10.1016/j.jenvp.2024.102440
Extinction Rebellion’s disobedient environmental citizenism, Hayes et al., Environmental Politics Open Access 10.1080/09644016.2024.2406183
Promoting prosociality toward future generations by tailoring to group-based social preferences, Aaldering et al., Journal of Environmental Psychology Open Access 10.1016/j.jenvp.2024.102387
Agronomy, animal husbundry, food production & climate change
An intercultural approach to climate justice: A systematic review of Peruvian climate and food policy, Arotoma-Rojas et al., PLOS Climate Open Access 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000404
Carbon farming diffusion in Australia, Evans et al., Global Environmental Change Open Access 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2024.102921
An intercultural approach to climate justice: A systematic review of Peruvian climate and food policy, Arotoma-Rojas et al., PLOS Climate Open Access 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000404
Carbon farming diffusion in Australia, Evans et al., Global Environmental Change Open Access 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2024.102921
Fisheries track the future redistribution of marine species, Cruz et al., Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-024-02127-7
Future changes in agrometeorological extremes in the southern Mediterranean region: When and where will they affect croplands and wheatlands?, Mirgol et al., Agricultural and Forest Meteorology Open Access 10.1016/j.agrformet.2024.110232
Modeling biochar effects on soil organic carbon on croplands in a microbial decomposition model (MIMICS-BC&v1.0), Han et al., Geoscientific Model Development Open Access 10.5194/gmd-17-4871-2024
Nexus among climate change, food systems, and human health: An interdisciplinary research framework in the Global South, Gomes et al., Environmental Science & Policy 10.1016/j.envsci.2024.103885
Potential negative impacts of climate change outweigh opportunities for the Colombian Pacific Ocean Shrimp Fishery, Benavides et al., Scientific Reports Open Access 10.1038/s41598-024-71029-7
The changing geography of wine climates and its implications on adaptation in the Italian Alps, Tscholl & Egarter Vigl, Climate Resilience and Sustainability Open Access 10.1002/cli2.70000
Hydrology, hydrometeorology & climate change
Future Projection of Extreme Precipitation using a Pseudo-Global Warming Method: A Case Study of the 2013 Alberta Flooding Event, Zhao et al., Weather and Climate Extremes Open Access 10.1016/j.wace.2024.100721
Spatiotemporal patterns in persistent precipitation extremes of the Chinese mainland (1961–2022) and association with the dynamic factors, Wan & Zhou, Atmospheric Research 10.1016/j.atmosres.2024.107600
Climate change economics
A call for action: Insights from the pre-COP28 scholarly discourse and beyond the operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund, Shumba, Climate Resilience and Sustainability Open Access 10.1002/cli2.70001
The ocean carbon sink enhances countries’ inclusive wealth and reduces the cost of national climate policies, Rickels et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access 10.1038/s43247-024-01674-3
Climate change mitigation public policy research
Anticipating socio-technical tipping points, Mey et al., Global Environmental Change Open Access 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2024.102911
At scale adoption of Green Hydrogen in Indian Industry: Costs, subsidies and policies, Jindal et al., Energy for Sustainable Development 10.1016/j.esd.2024.101549
Attributional LCA is not appropriate for quantifying net removals from offset projects, Brander, Carbon Management Open Access 10.1080/17583004.2024.2405035
Carbon pricing acceptance – the role of revenue recycling among households and companies in Norway, Dugstad et al., Climate Policy Open Access 10.1080/14693062.2024.2401853
Characterizing ‘injustices’ in clean energy transitions in Africa, Akrofi et al., Energy for Sustainable Development Open Access 10.1016/j.esd.2024.101546
Climate change related litigation in Indonesia, Sulistiawati, Communications Earth & Environment Open Access 10.1038/s43247-024-01684-1
Corporations and climate change: An overview, Dunn, The Business of Climate Change: Corporate Responses to Kyoto 10.9774/gleaf.978-1-909493-48-3_4
Defeating cap-and-trade: How the fossil fuel industry and climate change counter movement obstruct U.S. Climate Change Legislation, Nanko & Coan, Global Environmental Change Open Access 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2024.102919
Evaluating local climate policy: Municipal action plans through the lens of resilience and environmental justice, Diedrich, PLOS Climate Open Access 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000395
Governance in multi-system transitions: A new methodological approach for actor involvement in policy making processes, Ate? et al., Energy Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114313
Mainstreaming decarbonization through local climate budgets in Norwegian municipalities, Baggio & Tozer, Climate Policy 10.1080/14693062.2024.2403563
Mapping forest-based natural climate solutions, Shanley et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access 10.1038/s43247-024-01678-z
Perceptions of carbon dioxide emission reductions and future warming among climate experts, Wynes et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access 10.1038/s43247-024-01661-8
Production of energy from renewable sources and financial performance of European utilities: A panel-data analysis, Dorigoni & Anzalone, Energy Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114323
Putting off the coal in Europe: Socio-economic trade-offs across the European regions, Almazán-Gómez et al., Energy Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114360
Shaping stable support: Leveraging digital feedback interventions to elicit socio-Political acceptance of renewable energy, Wagon et al., Energy Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114307
The chicken or the egg? Spillover between private climate action and climate policy support, Siegel et al., Poultry Science Open Access 10.1093/ps/85.12.2050
The role of value, belief and norm in shaping intentions to use residential rooftop solar for environment sustainability, Farm et al., Energy Policy 10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114334
Towards a unified carbon accounting landscape, McDonald et al., Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences Open Access 10.1098/rsta.2023.0260
U.S. vertically integrated electric utility greenhouse gas emissions and carbon risk premiums around the Paris Accord, Michelfelder & Pilotte, Energy Policy 10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114346
Underestimation of personal carbon footprint inequality in four diverse countries, Nielsen et al., Nature Climate Change Open Access 10.1038/s41558-024-02130-y
Unveiling local climate action: a case study of mitigation efforts in Gauteng’s West Rand District Municipality, South Africa, Rasebechele et al., Climate Policy Open Access 10.1080/14693062.2024.2401851
Climate change adaptation & adaptation public policy research
Attending to the unattended: Why and how do local governments plan for access and functional needs in climate risk reduction?, Zhang & Xiang, Environmental Science & Policy 10.1016/j.envsci.2024.103892
Components of urban climate analyses for the development of planning recommendation maps, Reinwald et al., Urban Climate Open Access 10.1016/j.uclim.2024.102090
Elevated urban energy risks due to climate-driven biophysical feedbacks, Li et al., Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-024-02108-w
Microclimate Simulation for Future Urban District under SSP/RCP: Reflecting changes in building stocks and temperature rises, Yamasaki et al., Urban Climate Open Access 10.1016/j.uclim.2024.102068
Same same but different: Examining climate change impacts on human security in Vanuatu and Guam, Vogler, Global Environmental Change Open Access 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2024.102935
Climate change impacts on human health
A focus group study of ethical issues during climate-informed health decision-making, Hantel et al., Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-024-02121-z
Author Correction: Rapid increase in the risk of heat-related mortality, Lüthi et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-023-44107-z
Bolstering community resilience through health-focused climate change adaptation: moving from talk to action in Western Canadian communities, Rose & Birchall, Climate Policy 10.1080/14693062.2024.2395920
Rising cause-specific mortality risk and burden of compound heatwaves amid climate change, Liu et al., Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-024-02137-5
Why not 35°C? Reasons for reductions in limits of human thermal tolerance and their implications, Vecellio et al., Temperature 10.1080/23328940.2024.2399952
Other
Bridging the COSMOS: How the Inclusion of and Collaboration with Faith-Based Understandings and Indigenous Knowledges Can Transform the Weather, Water, and Climate Enterprise, Martinez et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society Open Access pdf 10.1175/bams-d-23-0047.1
Climatic controls of fire activity in the red pine forests of eastern North America, Robles et al., Agricultural and Forest Meteorology Open Access 10.1016/j.agrformet.2024.110219
Informed opinion, nudges & major initiatives
A robust decision-making approach in climate policy design for possible net zero futures, Workman et al., Environmental Science & Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.envsci.2024.103886
Climate policy curves highlight key mitigation choices, Hänsel et al., Climate Policy 10.1080/14693062.2024.2392744
Collaboration can preserve the integrity of gold standard carbon data from forest inventories, Goeking et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Open Access 10.1073/pnas.2409263121
Do we have time for democracy? Climate action and the problem of time in the Anthropocene, Ejsing et al., The Anthropocene Review 10.1177/20530196241279564
Hot and cold Earth through time, Mills, Science 10.1126/science.ads1526
Offsets, carbon markets, and climate and economic justice, Pande, Science 10.1126/science.ads1902
Temporary mitigation off-ramps could help manage decarbonization headwinds, Uden & Greig, Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-024-52455-7
The future extent of the Anthropocene epoch: A synthesis, Summerhayes et al., Global and Planetary Change Open Access 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2024.104568
[The Lancet Planetary Health Commission] A just world on a safe planet: a Lancet Planetary Health–Earth Commission report on Earth-system boundaries, translations, and transformations, Gupta et al., The Lancet Planetary Health Open Access 10.1016/s2542-5196(24)00042-1
Articles/Reports from Agencies and Non-Governmental Organizations Addressing Aspects of Climate Change
Solar and Storage Integration in the Southeastern United States: Economics, Reliability, and Operations, Kahrl et al., Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Solar energy has the potential to be a core energy resource for the southeastern United States. To better understand the implications of higher levels of solar PV (27%-43% of total generation capacity) and electricity storage (13%-49% of peak load) would affect electricity system reliability, costs, and operations in the U.S. Southeast, the authors sought to address two main questions. First, how would higher levels of solar PV and electricity storage impact the costs, reliability, and operations of electricity systems in the Southeast in 2035? Second, at different levels of solar PV and electricity storage, what are the benefits of operational coordination among utilities in the Southeast, through more efficient regional dispatch and sharing operating reserves?
Clean energy companies added almost 150,000 jobs in 2023, growing more than three times faster than overall U.S. employment to 3,460,406 clean energy jobs nationwide. Last year’s jobs spike corresponds with the first full year of historic clean energy investments and incentives under the landmark federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Only the post-pandemic recovery surge of 2021 (152,000 jobs) added more new jobs in a single year. Every clean energy sector grew at least twice as fast as overall national employment. Clean vehicles saw double-digit growth for the third consecutive year. Energy efficiency continued to lead the clean economy in total jobs. Jobs in manufacturing and other services (including vehicle maintenance and repair) accounted for nearly 60 percent of all new clean energy jobs.
United in Science 2024, Stuart et al., World Meteorological Organization
The science is clear – we are far off track from achieving global climate goals, threatening a sustainable future for all. The impacts of climate change and hazardous weather are reversing development gains and threatening the well-being of people and the planet. Greenhouse gas concentrations are at record levels, fuelling temperature increase into the future. The emissions gap between aspiration and reality remains high. Human-caused climate change has resulted in widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere, and biosphere. The year 2023 was the warmest on record by a large margin, with widespread extreme weather. This trend continued in the first half of 2024.
Demanding Better. How growing demand for electricity can drive a cleaner grid, Fisher et al., Sierra Club
The time has come for large energy customers to step out of back rooms and demand better utility practices. More sophisticated large load customers should pursue 24/7 carbon-free procurement through their own purchase agreements, new utility tariffs, or advanced trading schemes. Large buyers should engage in utility planning and rate proceedings to drive improved utility outcomes. Large buyers should help illustrate the value of rigorous clean energy standards to ensure that all customers benefit from a coordinated energy transition.
Fossil Fuel Philanthropy. How Taxpayers-Subsidized Charities Promote Climate Change Disinformation and Stall Urgent Action, Collins et al., Institute for Policy Studies
For years, the fossil fuel industry has laundered false claims and junk science through allied think tanks and the media to slow public action on climate change. That scandal has attracted more and more attention over the years. But less well documented is how the funders of these efforts have used U.S. tax laws to make taxpayers subsidize this damaging misinformation. The authors show that wealthy donors are pouring billions into charities that spread disinformation about climate change. Many of these donors have a vested interest in ensuring the world’s ongoing dependence on fossil fuels. They funnel money into these charities directly or through private foundations and identity-masking donor-advised funds. And they receive enormous, publicly subsidized tax benefits for doing so.
Citi: Funding Fossil-Fueled Environmental Racism in the Gulf South, Standearth
Citi claims to be advancing solutions to the climate crisis and the racial wealth gap. However, it is one of the biggest fossil fuel funders in the world; financing projects and companies in communities of color that cause dangerous impacts both for the people living nearby and beyond. This contrast reveals Citi’s profound hypocrisy and complicity in environmental racism, undermining the bank’s claims that it is addressing the climate crisis and the racial wealth gap. The authors examine the effects of Citi’s fossil fuel financing on communities in the U.S. Gulf South. They provide a qualitative and quantitative snapshot of the harms fossil fuel facilities have on the health and well-being of predominantly communities of color in the Gulf South states of Texas and Louisiana.
ReSISting a Resource Shortfall: Fixing PJM’s Surplus Interconnection Service (SIS) to Enable Battery Storage, Gabel Associates, American Council on Renewable Energy
As one of the world’s largest power markets, PJM Interconnection (PJM) plans and operates the transmission system and wholesale power markets in a nearly 370,000-mile service territory spanning some or all 13 states and the District of Columbia. However, PJM has acknowledged the risk of its capacity market failing to address regional needs as soon as 2030. Despite recognizing the need to encourage the entry of new resources, including and specifically storage resources, PJM has in practice effectively prevented battery energy storage systems (BESS) from using a tool that could expedite BESS entry: Surplus Interconnection Service.
A Roadmap for Advanced Transmission Technology Adoption, Deese et al., Massachusetts Institute Technology Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research
Meeting the rising demand for electricity and accomplishing U.S. clean energy deployment goals will require building new electricity generation facilities and expanding the capacity of the electric grid. However, transmission construction has slowed in recent years, and grid congestion costs are rising. In addition to building more transmission, there is an opportunity to meet U.S. needs for near-term grid capacity growth quickly and cost-effectively with advanced transmission technologies (ATTs). Although these technologies have been successfully installed outside of the United States, and early use in the United States has been promising, researchers, regulators, and policymakers increasingly recognize that these technologies are widely under-adopted in the United States because of the incentives for transmission providers and information provided to regulators. This research commentary proposes a framework for supporting adoption, which includes requiring transmission providers to use ATTs in some contexts, requiring transmission providers and regulators to conduct a robust analysis of opportunities for ATTs, creating financial incentives for transmission providers to adopt ATTs, and developing digital tools to inform adoption. The commentary also highlights the limitations of this framework for overcoming barriers to adoption in their entirety and proposes a more transformative change, shifting the responsibility of ATT planning altogether to a third party.
Foul Ball: How oil and gas sponsorships pollute major league sports, Evan George, UCLA Emmett Institute on Climate Change & the Environment
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres recently called on all countries to ban advertising by fossil fuel companies. He did not single out sports teams, but he could have. Many major league sports teams in the U.S. have sponsorship deals with some of the companies most responsible for the polluting products fueling climate change. But how many exactly? The author conducted a survey of 2024 sponsorships across six major league sports leagues in the U.S. revealing more than 60 active deals with high-polluting companies. This includes sponsorship deals with oil and gas companies—most of them Big Oil’s household names. It also includes deals with lesser-known utility companies that generate electricity from fossil fuel-burning power plants and sell fossil gas directly to consumers. Not every team plays this way. This survey also highlights some who have chosen a different path.
Dirty Money. How Fossil Fuel Sponsors are Polluting Sport, New Weather Institute
Major oil and gas companies are spending at least $5.6 billion on the sponsorship of global sports across 205 active deals. The authors find high-profile sports with the most deals are football, motor sports, rugby union, and golf, with key sponsors including Aramco ($1.3 billion), Shell ($470 million), TotalEnergies ($340 million), and petrochemicals giant Ineos ($777 million).
The Global Methane Pledge, Three Years On: Partial Progress Report, Kayrros
Three years ago, the US and EU launched the Global Methane Pledge at COP26 in Glasgow. It was the first major attempt to tackle this extremely potent greenhouse gas, which has been responsible for an estimated 30% of global warming to date. How much progress have the signatories made towards reaching their 2030 methane-emission reduction targets? To answer this question, the authors measured annual methane emissions from 13 large fossil-fuel basins spread across nine major producing countries, including six GMP signatories. The countries were selected according to two main criteria: the size of their production and the availability of high-integrity, reliable data. They include large producers from a wide range of geographies, including North America (the US), the MENA region (Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, and Algeria), Central Asia (Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan), Sub-Saharan Africa (South Africa) and Australia.
Power surge: Navigating US electricity demand growth, Chandramowli et al., ICF
Electrification. Manufacturing growth. Data centers. The U.S. faces a rapid rise in electricity demand that requires new management strategies amid utilities’ efforts to lead a clean energy transition. New sources of clean electricity supply could theoretically meet demand growth. But, there are significant constraints to building new generation resources, including an electric grid in need of upgrades and lengthy processes to complete energy projects. Left unchecked, demand growth coupled with the constraints to adding new electricity supply could slow the transition to clean, reliable, and affordable energy. Using a renewable energy analytics platform, EnergyInsite, the authors measured and mapped electricity demand growth and supply constraints across the U.S. to identify the most acute challenges and provide utility planners and customer program leaders with practical steps to navigate the road ahead.
A workshop was held on 4–5 March 2024 in Maputo, Mozambique, to discuss challenges and opportunities across climate adaptation, peace and security, development, and humanitarian aid to deliver climate resilient development in Mozambique. Key messages emerging from the workshop include increased access to finance is required to support the further development of climate adaptation, rehabilitation, disaster risk reduction and peace-positive programming, and to improve the linking, layering and sequencing of these programs with humanitarian action, and provide additional support to policy implementation and coordination.
The Feeding Resilience Plan: Safeguarding US National Security at the Crossroads of Food and Climate Change, Tom Ellison and Erin Sikorsky, The Center for Climate and Security
The authors identify three areas where environmental, economic, and political shocks intersect to affect US national security. First, the nexus of food insecurity and conflict threatens US interests, whether from instability over food price spikes, the weaponization of food by adversary states or extremists, or humanitarian crises from lost farming livelihoods. Second, the United States must navigate the geopolitics of food, whether Russia’s weaponization of food insecurity for leverage in Ukraine, China’s lead in agricultural research and development, or maritime conflict risks over dwindling fish stocks. Third, the US national security apparatus must be attuned to the challenges and opportunities in achieving a more resilient food system, ranging from the promise of innovation to prevent food-related security tensions to the instability pitfalls involved in reforming agricultural subsidies.
Better Buildings. Leading the Way: Partnerships and Solutions. Progress Report 2024, Department of Energy
The authors highlight the achievements of DOE’s Better Buildings public and private sector partners as they decarbonize and increase the energy efficiency of the nation’s buildings, manufacturing plants, and homes. They show that program partners—including 28 Fortune 100 companies and more than 90 state and local governments—have collectively saved nearly $22 billion through efficiency improvements and cut harmful greenhouse gas emissions by more than 220 million metric tons since 2011, an amount roughly equivalent to combined annual emissions of 29 million homes.
Multi-stakeholder Data Access in Space-Based Climate Monitoring, Kathryn Urban, The Centre for International Governance Innovation
Data collected from satellite imagery and space based instruments is essential to informing climate modelling. However, there is a fundamental tension between the public and private entities, who fund and maintain most of the data collection assets in orbit, and the civilian researchers, who seek to use that data to further our understanding of a changing climate. The author presents a multistakeholder framework for climate data access, drawing out existing synergies across the public, private and scientific sectors to build on current climate data initiatives. This framework requires a leading role for defense actors owing to data requirements that mirror gaps in current researcher climate data access. The author concludes with highlighting potential flashpoints in implementing the framework and makes recommendations for alleviating the concerns of key stakeholders.
Solar power continues to surge in 2024, Euan Graham and Nicolas Fulghum, Ember
The authors' analysis of the latest data on monthly capacity installations shows that the world is on track to reach 593 GW of solar installations by the end of this year. This would once again surpass most industry forecasts, and comes after 2023 showed record growth in solar installations of 86% compared to 2022. Countries need to plan ahead to make the most of the high levels of solar capacity being built today and ensure the continued build-out of capacity in the coming years.
The Influence of Fossil Fuel Funding on Climate Research, Kathuria et al, Sunrise Columbia
The authors examine the alarming influence of fossil fuel funding on climate research at Columbia University. They focused on money coming into the university through grans/donations, not through endowment investments. Their research revealed numerous conflicts of interest. For example, between 2005 and 2024, the university accepted at least $43.7 million from fossil fuel companies, over $15.7 million of which went to our premier energy research hub, the Center on Global Energy Policy.
Dissociate Cornell: A Review of Cornell's Fossil Fuel Ties, Fossil Free Cornell
The authors split the report into four sections: Web of Science, Recruitment Events, Building Names, and Donation Spotlight. The Web of Science research, is an examination of Cornell-affiliated articles funded by the fossil fuel industry, reports that there have been 178 such articles funded by fossil fuels in the last 15 years. The Recruitment Events section delves into five fossil fuel companies that have a large recruiting presence on campus. The Building Names research looks into the 173 building names on campus and reports that 24 of them have a direct affiliation with either the fossil fuel industry, environmental injustice, or racism, and calls for 5 to be renamed. Finally, the Donation Spotlight section focuses on ten companies with close ties to fossil fuels that have donated $247,358,116 to Cornell, 9% of Cornell’s total received donations over the last 10 years.
Fossil Fuled. An Inconvenient Truth for American University, Dante Arminio, Campus Climate Network
The author presents a sample of American University's ties to the fossil fuel industry with a call to action through various examples of their contradictions to AU wanting to be a sustainable university.
In the Service of Delay. Fossil Fuel Connections to Princeton University, Clemons-Cope et al, Campus Climate Network
Princeton legitimizes and financially supports the fossil fuel industry. The University continues to invest in, profit from, and produce research that serves the interests of fossil fuel companies. The authors reveal the extent of Princeton’s entanglement with the industry across many of its' activities. The authors illustrate how Princeton’s ambition to be a climate leader and to seek truth through its' academics, is undermined by the continued advancement of fossil fuel interests. The authors focus on issues associated with Princeton’s fossil-fuel funded research and investments in the industry.
Tarred by Tradition. UNC's Enduring Ties to the Fossil Fuel Industry, Drew Phaneuf, Sunrise UNC
UNC is infested with financial and social ties to the fossil fuel industry. Since 2012, UNC-affiliated authors have published at least 82 journal articles with funding from the oil and gas industry. The top research sponsors are the Koch family, British Petroleum (BP), ExxonMobil, and Royal Dutch Shell. Furthermore, from 2013-2023, UNC received at least $11,952,183.00 from foundations associated with the fossil fuel industry. When including money from organizations known to fund climate denial, this sum jumps to $20,049,359.00. Much more fossil fuel money likely flows to UNC, as this number only reflects contributions from non-profit foundations, which are publicly available through third-party sources. Additionally, it is estimated that UNC-CH owns at least $243,000,000 in fossil fuel commodities. The university does not make information about these contributions or their investments publicly available.
It's Time for a Fossil Free UCSD. Uncovering UC San Diego's Ties to the Fossil Fuel Industry, Ahmed et al, Green New Deal at UC San Diego
The authors investigate the financial and social connections between the University of California San Diego and the fossil fuel industry. The authors uncover and make public the extent of these relationships by examining direct monetary donations, research articles, research partnerships, university investments, and endowment trustees that tie the university to fossil fuel actors, the undeniable antagonists in a world on the brink of catastrophic climate disaster.
Public Perceptions and Attitudes Relating to Climate Change and the Just Transition in South Africa: High-Level Findings from a 2023 Nationally Representative Survey, Roberts et al, Presidential Climate Commission (South Africa)
The authors conducted a national survey on perceptions of climate change and the Just Transition in South Africa. More specifically, the survey assessed the following: awareness of and concern about climate change; personal experience with extreme weather events; perception of responsibility for addressing climate change; awareness of the general concept of the energy transition and familiarity with the term ‘Just Transition’ specifically; support for the transition away from coal towards renewable energy and the perceived impacts of such a shift; support for various policy measures to mitigate against negative impacts of the transition; and perceptions of who should be involved in and responsible for the transition. The authors provide high-level national results of their findings.
Agriculture, forestry and food in a climate neutral EU, André et al, Agora Agriculture
The land use sectors agriculture and forestry are vital for societal well-being. They provide safe, nutritious food, and have large potential to increasingly contribute to a climate neutral economy, enhance biodiversity and environmental quality, as well as prosperity in rural areas. While pathways to climate neutrality are well defined for many economic sectors, there is currently no integrated analysis of the potential of agriculture, forestry and food to deliver on sustainability objectives within the EU. This study contributes to closing this gap by presenting a scenario for the land use sectors as part of the food system and the bioeconomy in a climate neutral EU by mid-century. It also outlines policies that incentivize and value the contributions of agriculture and forestry to societal objectives and strengthen future-oriented land use sectors.
Making a Net Zero Society: Follow the Social Science, Bickerstaff et al, University of Exeter, UK
The authors call upon the UK government to make more consistent and effective use of social science in delivering UK net zero ambitions. The author's work shows the huge opportunities, and wide range of benefits, that can be delivered through sustained action to reduce the energy demand. To achieve net zero actors re needed from across society to be engaged. Actors that work at the mid-level, between scales, silos, and sectors, are especially important. Engaging citizens in meaningful debate about change and generating positive visions of a net zero future will also be essential.
The 11th National Risk Assessment Portfolio Pressures, First Street
The authors examine the increasing frequency and intensity of climate-related disasters in the United States, highlighting the need for more comprehensive risk assessment tools to evaluate the financial impact on properties and infrastructure individually and as a portfolio of assets. Over the past four decades, the frequency of major climate disasters has escalated significantly, driven by global climate change and increased development in vulnerable areas. Traditional risk models have proven inadequate in capturing the interconnected nature of climate risks, prompting the development of the First Street Correlated Risk Model (FS-CRM), a first-of-its-kind climate risk financial modeling (CRFM) tool that integrates multiple climate hazards to provide a more nuanced understanding of potential losses. This report underscores that all climate risks are not created equal; different types of events have varied effects on infrastructure, property values, people, and the broader economy.
Gen Z Is Hungry for Transparency in Food Sustainability and Quality Amid Climate Concerns, According to New Whole Foods Market Survey, YouGov, Whole Foods
Gen Z consumers are placing an overwhelming emphasis on both sustainability and quality in their grocery products, and many are willing to spend more to support brands that reflect these values, according to the survey. These findings are part of a new survey released today that examines Gen Z food, health, and grocery shopping preferences, using a national online survey sampled 1,032 adults between the ages of 18 to 27 in the U.S. The authors found that 70% of Gen Z supports climate-smart agricultural practices. Additionally, 55% are willing to pay more for environmentally sustainable products, and over half of Gen Z consumers prefer brands that prioritize lower environmental impacts or locally sourced foods.
Planetary Health Check. A Scientific Assessment of the State of the Planet, Caesar et al, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research,
The Planetary Boundaries (PB) framework analyses and monitors the nine PB processes and systems that scientifically are proven to regulate the health of our planet. Each of these processes, such as Climate Change or Ocean Acidification, is currently quantified by one or two different control variables. The authors reveal that six out of nine PB processes have breached the safe PB levels, with all six showing trends of increasing pressure in all control variables, suggesting further boundary transgression in the near future.
U.S. Geological Survey Climate Science Plan— Future Research Directions, Wilson et al, US. Geological Survey
The authors identify three major priorities under which USGS climate science will proceed including (1) characterize climate change and associated impacts, (2) assess climate change risks and develop approaches to mitigate climate change, and (3) provide climate science tools and support. Twelve specific goals are presented to achieve the outcomes of the three priorities.
Five Years to Chart a New Future for Aviation, Miller et al, University of Cambridge
The authors outline an ambitious five-year plan to chart a course for net-zero carbon emissions for the aviation sector. They establish four pivotal 2030 Sustainable Aviation Goals, each targeting key leverage points within the sector. If these goals are not implemented immediately and achieved by 2030, the opportunity for transformation will slip away, leaving the world to face the escalating climate impacts of a rapidly growing aviation sector, which is projected to at least double by 2050.
Introduction to the 2024 Climate Literacy Guide, US. Global Change Research Program
The authors present information that is important for individuals and communities to know and understand about Earth’s climate, the impacts of climate change, and solutions. Principles in the guide can serve as discussion starters or launching points for learning about the climate crisis and what’s being done to address it across the world. The guide aims to promote greater climate literacy by providing this educational and communication framework of principles and concepts.
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.
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