Ideally, in well-functioning democracies politicians perceive public sentiment, combine it with facts bounding real-world possibilities and thereby synthesize public policy that is useful, plausible, rooted in truly compelling public concerns. Politicians are often accused of being "weathervanes" sensitive to public opinion, but in point of fact antennae acutely tuned to public consensus are key instruments for successfully responsive politics practiced in the public interest. The machinery of politics can't produce healthy policy without impetus from the public.
Perhaps it's for this reason that we're seeing the emergence of coordinated efforts to undermine public faith in our ability to deal with our carbon emissions, efforts to sap morale and change the crucial "mood of the room" in the ear of politicians. Research results such as Clear consensus among international public for government action at COP26: patriotic and public health frames produce marginal gains in support by Buchanan et al. are solidly convergent on a majority of the public expressing concern about climate change, and support for public policy to deal with our CO2 problem. However, research generally also indicates a poor conversion rate between public concern and hard currency.
Seeming reluctance to convert good wishes into reality may be measurement error to do with contingent valuation and willingness to pay. Even so, the "precautionary principle" may apply in formulating a tactical response, for forces intent on freezing our clock. Scientifically informed self-interest on the part of a fossil fuel industry intent on prolonging monetization of "found" hydrocarbons suggests a prescription for focusing the public mind on personal wallets: frighten people in their purses.
It would be surprising if the fossil fuel industry— with its deep history of staying current on climate research so as to deny what climate research tells us we must do— were to fail to sense a shift in the winds of public perception of climate change. There's a strengthening and straightening of the breeze of public opinion. This energy is reaching the ears of politicians. If the storm is long and strong, public policy is sure to be blown in "the wrong direction." This dictates a change in tactics. Hence it's distinctly not a shock to see emergence of "solutions denial" in many forms, such as the conversion of the "Global Warming Policy Foundation" into "Net Zero Watch."
Beyond Climate Denial. The Public Relations Industry’s Role in Obstructing Climate Action. There's still room for surpises, it turns out.
Increased Radon Exposure From Thawing of Permafrost Due To Climate Change. One colorless, odorless gas leads to another.
Climate-Washing Litigation: Legal Liability for Misleading Climate Communications. "Can they really just say any expedient, facile, optically appealing fiction that comes to mind?" Well, no. Legal scholars from Brown University explain.
Rapid global phaseout of animal agriculture has the potential to stabilize greenhouse gas levels for 30 years and offset 68 percent of CO2 emissions this century More fuel on what might resemble a brightly burning fire of controversy, to the bystander.
Predicted wind and solar energy expansion has minimal overlap with multiple conservation priorities across global regions. Fresh and reliable information in a growing area of some real and also lots of fake concern is always welcome.
All of the above open access and free to read.
Observations of climate change, effects
Recent increase in the observation-derived land evapotranspiration due to global warming
Wang et al. Environmental Research Letters
Open Access 10.1088/1748-9326/ac4291
Attribution of Dry and Wet Climatic Changes over Central Asia
Journal of Climate
10.1175/jcli-d-21-0329.1
Non-uniform changes in different daily precipitation events in the contiguous United States
Li et al. Weather and Climate Extremes
Open Access 10.1016/j.wace.2022.100417
Climate Change Impacts on the Patagonian Shelf Break Front
Franco et al. Geophysical Research Letters
10.1029/2021gl096513
(provisional link) Anthropogenic influence on recent severe autumn fire weather in the west coast of the United Statesd
10.1029/2021GL095496
Heat wave trends in Southeast Asia: Comparison of results from observation and reanalysis data
Li et al. Geophysical Research Letters
10.1029/2021gl097151
Thirty years of GOSHIP and WOCE data: Atlantic Overturning of mass, heat and freshwater transport
Caínzos et al. Geophysical Research Letters
Open Access pdf 10.1029/2021gl096527
Recent climate and hydrological changes in a mountain–basin system in Xinjiang, China
Yao et al. Earth
10.1016/j.earscirev.2022.103957
Anthropogenically forced increases in compound dry and hot events at the global and continental scales
Zhang et al. Environmental Research Letters
Open Access 10.1088/1748-9326/ac43e0
Observed trends in extreme temperature events over northern part of the Korean Peninsula during 1960–2019 and a comparative overview
Om et al. Atmospheric Research
10.1016/j.atmosres.2022.106061
Recent trends in the agrometeorological climate variables over Scandinavia
Devasthale et al. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
Open Access 10.1016/j.agrformet.2022.108849
A 50-Year Tropical Cyclone Exposure Climatology in Southeast Asia
Tran et al. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
Open Access pdf 10.1029/2021jd036301
Topography, Climate and Fire History Regulate Wildfire Activity in the Alaskan Tundra
Masrur et al. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences
10.1029/2021jg006608
Climatology and extreme cases of sea-effect snowfall on the southern Baltic Sea coast
Bednorz et al. International Journal of Climatology
10.1002/joc.7546
Variability and Changes of Unfrozen Soils below Snowpack
Gao et al. Geophysical Research Letters
10.1029/2021gl095354
(provisional link) Was Warming Amplified under Drought Conditions across China in Observations and Future Projections?
10.1029/2021EF002614
Shifting of summertime weather extremes in Western Europe during the last decade
Deng et al. Advances in Climate Change Research
Open Access 10.1016/j.accre.2022.01.008
Heat wave trends in Southeast Asia: Comparison of results from observation and reanalysis data
Li et al. Geophysical Research Letters
10.1029/2021gl097151
Instrumentation & observational methods of climate change, contributors, effects
Observations indicate that clouds amplify mechanisms of Southern Ocean heat uptake
Morrison et al. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
Open Access pdf 10.1029/2021jd035487
Essential earth observation variables for high-level multi-scale indicators and policies
Lehmann et al. Environmental Science & Policy
Open Access 10.1016/j.envsci.2021.12.024
A review of carbon monitoring in wet carbon systems using remote sensing
Campbell et al. Environmental Research Letters
Open Access 10.1088/1748-9326/ac4d4d
Operational extreme weather event attribution can quantify climate change loss and damages
Wehner & Reed PLOS Climate
Open Access pdf 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000013
Modeling, simulation & projection of climate change, effects
Tropical cyclone climatology change greatly exacerbates US extreme rainfall–surge hazard
Gori et al. Nature Climate Change
Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41558-021-01272-7
Surface and intermediate water changes triggering the future collapse of deep water formation in the North Western Mediterranean
Parras?Berrocal et al. Geophysical Research Letters
Open Access pdf 10.1029/2021gl095404
Possible Thermal Effect of Tibetan Plateau on the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation
Wen et al. Geophysical Research Letters
Open Access pdf 10.1029/2021gl095771
Anticipated Changes in Alaska Extreme Precipitation
Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology
10.1175/jamc-d-21-0106.1
Interhemispheric asymmetry of climate change projections of boreal winter surface winds in CanESM5 large ensemble simulations
Yu et al. Climatic Change
Open Access pdf 10.1007/s10584-022-03313-2
The Arctic Ocean in CMIP6 models: Biases and projected changes in temperature and salinity
Khosravi et al.
Open Access 10.1002/essoar.10507417.1
Enhanced risk of concurrent regional droughts with increased ENSO variability and warming
Singh et al. Nature Climate Change
Open Access 10.1038/s41558-021-01276-3
Variability, Trend, and Extremes of the South American Vegetation-Climate System: Results from a Coupled Regional Model
Erfanian et al. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
10.1029/2021jd035691
Accelerated exacerbation of global extreme heatwaves under warming scenarios
Han et al. International Journal of Climatology
10.1002/joc.7541
Reduced risks of temperature extremes from 0.5 °C less global warming in the Earth’s three poles
Tang et al. Earth's Future
Open Access pdf 10.1029/2021ef002525
Coupled climate response to Atlantic Multidecadal Variability in a multi-model multi-resolution ensemble
Hodson et al. Climate Dynamics
Open Access pdf 10.1007/s00382-022-06157-9
Robust but weak winter atmospheric circulation response to future Arctic sea ice loss
Smith et al. Nature Communications
Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-022-28283-y
Future air temperature projection in high-density tropical cities based on global climate change and urbanization – a study in Singapore
He et al. Urban Climate
10.1016/j.uclim.2022.101115
Advancement of climate & climate effects modeling, simulation & projection GCMA
Assessing two approaches for enhancing the range of simulated scales in the E3SMv1 and the impact on the character of hourly US precipitation
Kooperman et al. Geophysical Research Letters
10.1029/2021gl096717
Assessment of the potential of CMIP6 models in simulating the sea surface temperature variability over the tropical Indian Ocean
Bhattacharya et al. Theoretical and Applied Climatology
10.1007/s00704-022-03952-6
Physical processes of summer extreme rainfall interannual variability in Eastern China—part II: evaluation of CMIP6 models
Freychet et al. Climate Dynamics
Open Access pdf 10.1007/s00382-022-06137-z
Comprehensive assessment of RegCM4 towards interannual variability of Indian Summer Monsoon using multi-year simulations
Maity et al. Theoretical and Applied Climatology
Open Access 10.1007/s00704-022-03961-5
Global evaluation of the Noah-MP land surface model and suggestions for selecting parameterization schemes
Li et al. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
10.1029/2021jd035753
Assessment of surface downward longwave radiation in CMIP6 with comparison to observations and CMIP5
Xu et al. Atmospheric Research
10.1016/j.atmosres.2022.106056
Cryosphere & climate change
Roughness of Ice Shelves Is Correlated With Basal Melt Rates
Watkins et al.
10.1002/essoar.10507300.1
Summer Greenland Blocking Diversity and its Impact on the Surface Mass Balance of the Greenland Ice Sheet
Preece et al. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
10.1029/2021jd035489
Projections of North American snow from NA-CORDEX and their uncertainties, with a focus on model resolution
McCrary et al. Climatic Change
Open Access pdf 10.1007/s10584-021-03294-8
Sea level & climate change
Multidecadal Sea Level Rise in the Southeast Indian Ocean: The Role of Ocean Salinity Change
Journal of Climate
10.1175/jcli-d-21-0288.1
Housing market impairment from future sea-level rise inundation
Rodziewicz et al. Environment Systems and Decisions
Open Access 10.1007/s10669-022-09842-6
Global sea-level budget and ocean-mass budget, with a focus on advanced data products and uncertainty characterisation
Horwath et al.
Open Access pdf 10.5194/essd-2021-137
Paleoclimate
Pandemic episodes, CO2 emissions and global temperatures
Monge & Gil-Alana Theoretical and Applied Climatology
Open Access pdf 10.1007/s00704-022-03959-z
Climate model experiments on the 4.2 ka event: The impact of tropical sea-surface temperature anomalies and desertification
Renssen The Holocene
Open Access pdf 10.1177/09596836221074031
Biology & climate change
Interacting global change drivers suppress a foundation tree species
Flory et al. Ecology Letters
10.1111/ele.13974
Marine climate change risks to biodiversity and society in the ROPME Sea Area
Maltby et al. Climate Risk Management
Open Access 10.1016/j.crm.2022.100411
Climate change and phenology
Møller Environmental Indicators
Open Access 10.1007/978-94-017-9499-2_3
Operational resilience in western US frequent-fire forests
North et al. Forest Ecology and Management
10.1016/j.foreco.2021.120004
Multiple divergent patterns in yellow-cedar growth driven by anthropogenic climate change
Comeau & Daniels Climatic Change
Open Access pdf 10.1007/s10584-021-03264-0
Local adaptation mediates direct and indirect effects of multiple stressors on consumer fitness
Fernandez-Figueroa & Wilson Oecologia
10.1007/s00442-022-05118-7
Long-term microclimate study of a peatland in Central Europe to understand microrefugia
S?owi?ska et al. International Journal of Biometeorology
Open Access pdf 10.1007/s00484-022-02240-2
Upper environmental pCO2 drives sensitivity to ocean acidification in marine invertebrates
Vargas et al. Nature Climate Change
10.1038/s41558-021-01269-2
Threat by marine heatwaves to adaptive large marine ecosystems in an eddy-resolving model
Guo et al. Nature Climate Change
Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41558-021-01266-5
Deciphering the multiple effects of climate warming on the temporal shift of leaf unfolding
Zhang et al. Nature Climate Change
10.1038/s41558-021-01261-w
Staying in place and moving in space: contrasting larval thermal sensitivity explains distributional changes of sympatric sea urchin species to habitat warming
Byrne et al. Global Change Biology
10.1111/gcb.16116
Thermal adaptation occurs in the respiration and growth of widely distributed bacteria
Tian et al. Global Change Biology
10.1111/gcb.16102
Higher temperature extremes exacerbate negative disease effects in a social mammal
Paniw et al. Nature Climate Change
10.1038/s41558-022-01284-x
Arctic warming-induced cold damage to East Asian terrestrial ecosystems
Kim et al. Communications Earth & Environment
Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-022-00343-7
Shifting precipitation regimes alter the phenology and population dynamics of low latitude ectotherms
Henry et al. Climate Change Ecology
Open Access 10.1016/j.ecochg.2022.100051
Deciphering the multiple effects of climate warming on the temporal shift of leaf unfolding
Zhang et al. Nature Climate Change
10.1038/s41558-021-01261-w
GHG sources & sinks, flux, related geochemistry
Global assessment of oil and gas methane ultra-emitters
Lauvaux et al. Science
Open Access pdf 10.1126/science.abj4351
Does growing atmospheric CO2 explain increasing carbon sink in a boreal coniferous forest?
Launiainen et al. Global Change Biology
10.1111/gcb.16117
Assimilation of NEON observations into a process-based carbon cycle model reveals divergent mechanisms of carbon dynamics in temperate deciduous forests
Jung & Hararuk Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences
10.1029/2021jg006474
Permafrost Degradation Diminishes Terrestrial Ecosystem Carbon Sequestration Capacity on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau
Liu et al. Global Biogeochemical Cycles
10.1029/2021gb007068
Watershed Classification Predicts Streamflow Regime and Organic Carbon Dynamics in the Northeast Pacific Coastal Temperate Rainforest
Giesbrecht et al. Global Biogeochemical Cycles
Open Access pdf 10.1029/2021gb007047
Biodiversity maintains soil multifunctionality and soil organic carbon in novel urban ecosystems
Schittko et al. Journal of Ecology
10.1111/1365-2745.13852
Increased annual methane uptake driven by warmer winters in an alpine meadow
Wang et al. Global Change Biology
10.1111/gcb.16120
Joint control by soil moisture, functional genes and substrates on response of N2O flux to climate extremes in a semiarid grassland
Li et al. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
10.1016/j.agrformet.2022.108854
Theoretical and empirical analyses on the factors affecting carbon emissions: case of Zhejiang Province, China
Zeng & Wang Environment, Development and Sustainability
10.1007/s10668-022-02148-2
Variations of atmospheric CO concentration from 2004 to 2019 at the Mt. Waliguan station in China
Xiong et al. Atmospheric Research
10.1016/j.atmosres.2022.106060
Using soil library hyperspectral reflectance and machine learning to predict soil organic carbon: Assessing potential of airborne and spaceborne optical soil sensing
Wang et al. Remote Sensing of Environment
10.1016/j.rse.2022.112914
Autonomous wintertime observations of air-sea exchange in the Gulf Stream reveal a perfect storm for ocean CO2 uptake
Nickford et al. Geophysical Research Letters
10.1029/2021gl096805
Greenhouse gas emissions from global cities under SSP/RCP scenarios, 1990 to 2100
Gurney et al. Global Environmental Change
Open Access 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2022.102478
CO2 capture, sequestration science & engineering
Natural carbon removal as technology
Markusson WIREs Climate Change
Open Access pdf 10.1002/wcc.767
Enhanced carbon dioxide capture performance of natural mineral vermiculite-derived lithium silicate with Na doping
Wan et al. Greenhouse Gases: Science and Technology
10.1002/ghg.2142
Steering CO2 hydrogenation toward C-C coupling to hydrocarbons using porous organic polymer/metal interfaces
Zhou et al. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Open Access 10.1073/pnas.2114768119
Migration of carbon dioxide in sandstone under various pressure/temperature conditions: From experiment to simulation
Xu et al. Greenhouse Gases: Science and Technology
10.1002/ghg.2140
Decarbonization
Predicted wind and solar energy expansion has minimal overlap with multiple conservation priorities across global regions
Dunnett et al. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Open Access pdf 10.1073/pnas.2104764119
Deciphering the multiple effects of climate warming on the temporal shift of leaf unfolding
Zhang et al. Nature Climate Change
10.1038/s41558-021-01261-w
The contribution of bioenergy to the decarbonization of transport: a multi-model assessment
Leblanc et al. Climatic Change
10.1007/s10584-021-03245-3
Greenhouse gas emission forecasts for electrification of space heating in residential homes in the US
Pistochini et al. Energy Policy
Open Access 10.1016/j.enpol.2022.112813
Assessing the impacts of social norms on low-carbon mobility options
Mundaca et al. Energy Policy
Open Access 10.1016/j.enpol.2022.112814
Solar hydrogen production in India
Preethi Environment, Development and Sustainability
10.1007/s10668-022-02157-1
The Coal, Petroleum, and Gas Embedded in the Sectoral Demand-and-Supply Chain: Evidence from China
Sajid et al. Sustainability
Open Access pdf 10.3390/su14031888
Climate change communications & cognition
OK Boomer: A decade of generational differences in feelings about climate change
Swim et al. Global Environmental Change
10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2022.102479
Climate anxiety in children and young people and their beliefs about government responses to climate change: a global survey
Hickman et al. The Lancet Planetary Health
Open Access pdf 10.1016/s2542-5196(21)00278-3
Climate change experiences raise environmental concerns and promote Green voting
Hoffmann et al. Nature Climate Change
Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41558-021-01263-8
Risk, perception and adaptation to climate change: evidence from arid region, India
Singh et al. Natural Hazards
10.1007/s11069-022-05216-y
Clear consensus among international public for government action at COP26: patriotic and public health frames produce marginal gains in support
Buchanan et al. Climatic Change
Open Access 10.1007/s10584-021-03262-2
Russian discourses on benefits and threats from international climate diplomacy
Korppoo Climatic Change
10.1007/s10584-021-03299-3
Agronomy, animal husbundry, food production & climate change
Assessing the potential for crop albedo enhancement in reducing heatwave frequency, duration, and intensity under future climate change
Kala et al. Weather and Climate Extremes
Open Access 10.1016/j.wace.2022.100415
Interplays between changing biophysical and social limits under climate change: implications for sustainable adaptation in food systems
Bezner Kerr et al. Global Change Biology
10.1111/gcb.16124
Recent trends in the agrometeorological climate variables over Scandinavia
Devasthale et al. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
Open Access 10.1016/j.agrformet.2022.108849
Impact of smallholder farmers’ climate-smart adaptation practices on wheat yield in southern Ethiopia
Sedebo et al. Climate and Development
10.1080/17565529.2021.2014777
Genetically modified crops support climate change mitigation
Kovak et al. Trends in Plant Science
Open Access pdf 10.1016/j.tplants.2022.01.004
Rapid global phaseout of animal agriculture has the potential to stabilize greenhouse gas levels for 30 years and offset 68 percent of CO2 emissions this century
Eisen & Brown PLOS Climate
Open Access pdf 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000010
Hydrology & climate change
Uncertainty quantification in intensity-duration-frequency curves under climate change: Implications for flood-prone tropical cities
Zhao et al. Atmospheric Research
10.1016/j.atmosres.2022.106070
Tropical cyclone climatology change greatly exacerbates US extreme rainfall–surge hazard
Gori et al. Nature Climate Change
Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41558-021-01272-7
Effects of climate change on major elements of the hydrological cycle in Aksu River basin, Northwest China
Yang et al. International Journal of Climatology
10.1002/joc.7537
Storing frozen water to adapt to climate change
Palmer Nature Climate Change
10.1038/s41558-021-01260-x
Changing drought risks
Franke Nature Climate Change
Open Access 10.1038/s41558-022-01294-9
(provisional link) Ecohydrology and flood risk management under climate vulnerability in relation to the sustainable development goals (SDGs): a case study in Nagaa Mobarak Village, Egypt
Climate change economics
Impact of fossil fuel transition and population expansion on economic growth
Farhidi Environment, Development and Sustainability
10.1007/s10668-022-02122-y
Taming the Green Swan: a criteria-based analysis to improve the understanding of climate-related financial risk assessment tools
Bingler & Colesanti Senni Climate Policy
Open Access pdf 10.1080/14693062.2022.2032569
Climate change mitigation public policy research
Global temperature goals should determine the time horizons for greenhouse gas emission metrics
Abernethy & Jackson Environmental Research Letters
Open Access 10.1088/1748-9326/ac4940
Which states will lead a just transition for the Arctic? A DeePeR analysis of global data on Arctic states and formal observer states
McCauley et al. Global Environmental Change
Open Access 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2022.102480
Research on the Carbon Neutrality Governance under a Polycentric Approach
Tan et al. Advances in Climate Change Research
Open Access 10.1016/j.accre.2022.01.005
Essential earth observation variables for high-level multi-scale indicators and policies
Lehmann et al. Environmental Science & Policy
Open Access 10.1016/j.envsci.2021.12.024
Firm emissions reduction
Yan Nature Climate Change
Open Access 10.1038/s41558-022-01293-w
Non-state climate change action: Hope for just response to climate change?
Dietzel Environmental Science & Policy
10.1016/j.envsci.2022.01.023
Climate change adaptation & adaptation public policy research
Win-win: designing dual-use in climate projects for effective anti-corruption in Bangladesh
Khan et al. Climate and Development
Open Access pdf 10.1080/17565529.2022.2027741
Consequence Forecasting: A Rational Framework for Predicting the Consequences of Approaching Storms
Wilkinson et al. Climate Risk Management
Open Access 10.1016/j.crm.2022.100412
One and done? Exploring linkages between households' intended adaptations to climate-induced floods
Noll et al. Risk Analysis
Open Access pdf 10.1111/risa.13897
Towards climate resilient municipal water supply in Bangkok: A collaborative risk informed analysis
Koh et al. Climate Risk Management
Open Access 10.1016/j.crm.2022.100406
Diverse pathways to climate change adaptation through a postdevelopment lens: the case of Tambaliza Island, Philippines
See et al. Climate and Development
10.1080/17565529.2022.2029340
Uncertainty quantification in intensity-duration-frequency curves under climate change: Implications for flood-prone tropical cities
Zhao et al. Atmospheric Research
10.1016/j.atmosres.2022.106070
Increased attention to water is key to adaptation
Srivastava et al. Nature Climate Change
Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41558-022-01277-w
Storing frozen water to adapt to climate change
Palmer Nature Climate Change
10.1038/s41558-021-01260-x
Distributive justice in global climate finance – Recipients’ climate vulnerability and the allocation of climate funds
Islam Global Environmental Change
10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2022.102475
Evaluating the impact of adaptation interventions on vulnerability and livelihood resilience
Gaworek-Michalczenia et al. Climate and Development
Open Access 10.1080/17565529.2021.2018987
Climate change impacts on human health
(provisional link) Projected Changes in Socioeconomic Exposure to Heatwaves in South Asia under Changing Climate
Increased Radon Exposure From Thawing of Permafrost Due To Climate Change
Glover
Open Access 10.1002/essoar.10509999.1
Other
An extreme high temperature event in coastal East Antarctica associated with an atmospheric river and record summer downslope winds
Turner et al. Geophysical Research Letters
Open Access pdf 10.1029/2021gl097108
Association between Recent U.S. Northeast Precipitation Trends and Greenland Blocking
Simonson et al. International Journal of Climatology
10.1002/joc.7555
Informed opinion, nudges & major initiatives
Ten facts about land systems for sustainability
Meyfroidt et al. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Open Access pdf 10.1073/pnas.2109217118
(provisional link) Climate change hastens disease spread across the globe
10.1073/pnas.2200481119
SolarAPP+ Pilot Analysis: Performance and Impact of Instant, Online Solar Permitting, Williams et al., National Renewal Energy Laboratory
The rapid increase in residential solar photovoltaic (PV) adoption has challenged authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs) to keep pace with the higher volume of solar applications requiring review and approval. Permitting requirements and delays, paired with similar inspection- and interconnection-related delays, may lead to lower PV adoption rates both directly through higher costs and indirectly through negative customer experiences. To address residential solar PV permitting resource constraints and streamline solar permitting processes among AHJs, the authors led a collaborative effort to develop the Solar Automated Permit Processing Plus (SolarAPP+), a solar permitting software solution provided at no cost to AHJs. The SolarAPP+ is an online portal that automates permit plan review, thereby enabling an instant permit approval process for code-compliant residential PV systems. Based on national model building, electrical, and fire codes, SolarAPP+ automatically performs a compliance check of permit inputs against code requirements and produces an inspection checklist that can be used to verify installation practices, workmanship, and adherence to the approved design.
Geopolitics of the Energy Transformation. The Hydrogen Factor. International Renewable Energy Agency
The ongoing energy transition is unprecedented due to its scale and the profound impact on the established socio-economic, technological, and geopolitical trends around the world. Hydrogen, until now the missing piece of the clean energy puzzle, is likely to further disrupt energy value chains in coming years. Hydrogen is likely to influence the geography of energy trade, further regionalizing energy relations. Countries with an abundance of low-cost renewable power could become producers of green hydrogen, with commensurate geoeconomic and geopolitical consequences. The hydrogen business will be more competitive and less lucrative than oil and gas. Hydrogen trade and investment flows will spawn new patterns of interdependence and bring shifts in bilateral relations.
Wall Street’s Carbon Bubble: The Global Emissions of the US Financial Sector, Cushing et al., CAP/Sierra Club
The aim of this report is to shed light on the role that the U.S. financial sector plays in contributing to climate change through the emissions the sector finances and to highlight the most meaningful actions that the Biden administration and financial regulators can take to curb financial sector investments in an increasingly risky fossil fuel sector. Using solely publicly available data, the authors provide an assessment of the size of the global carbon footprint that is financed by some of the largest U.S. financial entities— referred to in this report as U.S.-financed emissions.
Beyond Climate Denial. The Public Relations Industry’s Role in Obstructing Climate Action, Cartie Werthman and Emily Rockwell, Brown University
Two thirds of Americans want a greater federal response to climate change, yet national policy on climate is largely nonexistent. This discrepancy is often blamed on political gridlock in Washington, an answer which overlooks a major force shaping public and political opinion on climate action: the public relations (PR) industry. Since NASA scientist Dr. Hansen testified to Congress that global warming had begun in 1988, organizations with a stake in climate politics have hired PR firms to build public trust. The case studies included in this report show that PR firms use certain tactics again and again for these clients: promoting misinformation about climate change, greenwashing, creating front groups, and attacking environmental organizations. To maintain their own reputation, many PR firms highlight their work for environmental groups while a large portion of their business is funded by contracts with the fossil fuel industry.
Climate-Washing Litigation: Legal Liability for Misleading Climate Communications, Bhargava et al., Climate Social Science Network and the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society
This research report aims to enhance the legal community’s understanding of climate-related ‘greenwashing’ litigation. The report analyses this type of litigation, which can also be described as ‘climate-washing’ litigation, by examining key cases and developments, particularly cases and complaints brought against the largest emitters of greenhouse gases (predominantly non-state actors). The paper is designed to address the lack of examination of this specific type of litigation to date by (1) defining greenwashing in more detail, plus climate-washing and climate-washing litigation; (2) ppoviding an in-depth review of actual and potential climate-washing cases, classified according to the type of misleading statements upon which such cases are based; and (3) offering practical recommendations for various actors in the context of climate-washing.
Offshore Wind Energy Strategies, McKenzie et al., Department of Energy
The report outlines strategies to accelerate and maximize the effectiveness, reliability, and sustainability of offshore wind energy deployment and operation in the United States. This report does not include commitments from any agency or entity and is meant to provide information on barriers impeding offshore wind energy deployment and effective strategies to facilitate successful industry growth.
Corporate Climate Responsibility Monitor 2022, Day et al., NewClimate Institute
The author’s assess the climate strategies of 25 major global companies, critically analyzing the extent to which they demonstrate corporate climate leadership. They evaluate the integrity of climate pledges against good practice criteria to identify good examples for replication, and highlight areas where improvement is needed. In addition, they assess and draw insights on transparency and integrity in four main areas of corporate climate action including (1) tracking and disclosure of emissions; (2) setting emission reduction targets; (3) reducing their own emissions; and (4) climate contributions and offsetting claims. The authors found that (1) headline pledges are often ambiguous and emission reduction commitments are limited; (2) demonstrated good practice emission reduction measures must be replicated and scaled up; (3) offsetting plans are contentious, but climate contributions without neutralization claims are gaining traction as an alternative approach; and (4) companies will be the innovators that find the solutions to the climate crisis, but they must be subject to scrutiny and regulation.
United States Army Climate Strategy, U.S. Army
Climate change endangers national and economic security, and the health and well-being of the American people. The risks associated with climate change are broad, significant, and urgent. These risks will affect the Army at all levels including from how and where units operate and train, to how the service as a whole equips and sustains Soldiers to fight in multi-domain operations. Through the Army Climate Strategy the Army will continue to lead by example. The Army’s core purpose remains unchanged: to deploy, fight, and win the nation’s wars by providing ready, prompt, and sustained land dominance as part of the Joint Force. Climate change will only make this mission more challenging, and the Army must proactively reduce the risks that climate change imposes. The Army can increase capability and installations’ resiliency; prepare for new hazards and new environments; modernize processes, standards, and infrastructure; and decrease operational energy demand—all of which in turn will reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Testimony of Dr. Michael E. Mann Distinguished Professor, of Atmospheric Science Penn State University And Director, Penn State Earth System Science Center Before the Committee on Oversight And Reform, Michael Mann, Penn State University
"My objective today is to review the basic scientific framework for assessing and mitigating human-caused climate change and its impacts. And I will begin by discussing climate projections that were made nearly four decades ago, not by NASA or other climate modeling groups, but by none other than ExxonMobil, the world’s largest publicly-traded fossil fuel company. ExxonMobil’s own scientists, in a secret 1982 report that was never released to the public, made remarkably accurate predictions of both the rise that we would see in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and the planetary warming that would result given business as usual extraction and burning of fossil fuels (see graphic below). They even used the word “catastrophic” to describe the potential impacts of that warming. But rather than come forward with what their own scientists had concluded, they engaged in a campaign of denial and delay which continues on today. We are now paying the extreme opportunity cost of that delay in the form of withering heat waves, more destructive tornado outbreaks, wildfires, and floods exacerbated by climate change. Much of that damage could have been avoided had we acted decades ago when the scientific community—and indeed ExxonMobil’s own scientists---recognized we had a problem. There is nonetheless some positive news when it comes to the feasibility of such efforts. The increasingly comprehensive climate modeling done over the past decade demonstrates that surface warming is likely to stabilize rather quickly, i.e. within a few years, once net carbon emissions reach zero."
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Posted by Doug Bostrom on Wednesday, 9 February, 2022
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