2026 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15

Stories we promoted this week, by category:

Climate Change Impacts (9 articles)

• The US is now paying more than any other country for climate change damage, study suggests "Despite being the biggest carbon emitter, the US is already paying a disproportionate price for the climate crisis" BBC Science Focus, Hatty Willmoth, Mar 31, 2026.
• The Western US is already running out of water — and summer is still months away The Western US is already running out of water — and summer is still months away Vox, Kiley Price, Apr 3, 2026 .
• Scientists warn the Gulf Stream is shifting north, which means an ocean current collapse is imminent Earthdotcom, Eric Ralls, Apr 4, 2026.
• Climate experts say spring is coming earlier. How will that affect agriculture and ecosystems? "An earlier spring affects when migratory birds arrive, leaves emerge, and fruit ripens — among plants and animals that determine ecosystem health." Grist, Héctor Alejandro Arzate, Apr 5, 2026.
• A biblical megaflood could hit the US at any moment. And that’s only the beginning "A flood, the scale of which has not been seen in centuries, is coming, scientists say. Can we prepare before it hits?" BBC Science, Tom Howarth, Apr 6, 2026.
• Strongest El Niño in a century? What this rare phenomenon could bring. "This year’s potential super El Niño is looking increasingly likely to have wide-reaching climate impacts that last into 2027." Washington Post, Ben Noll, Apr 6, 2026.
• A Super El Niño is coming. Here’s how a hotter ocean could change the weather near you CNN, Andrew Freed,an, Apr 7, 2026.
• The first predictions for hurricane season are in and El Niño’s fingerprints are all over it CNN, Mary Gilbert, Apr 9, 2026.
• The world just had its second-warmest March on record "Arctic sea ice had its lowest seasonal maximum and lowest March extent on record." Yale Climate Connections, Jeff Masters, Apr 9, 2026.

Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation (7 articles)

• Indonesian forest loss surges by 66% in 2025, driven by Prabowo's self-sufficiency drive, report shows Reuters, Ananda Teresia & Bernadette Christina, Mar 31, 2026.
• Which State Leads in Battery Energy Storage? It Depends on How You Measure. "Texas can stake a claim as the new leader. California also has a strong case." Inside Climate News, Dan Gearino, Apr 2, 2026.
• A ‘failed experiment’? Biofuels under the spotlight as EU scrambles for alternative energy "‘Right now we surrender vast swathes of land for crops that we simply burn in our cars’, said one expert." euronews, Liam Gilliver, Apr 2, 2026.
• The US should shape the global climate adaptation market The Hill, Marina Saguar Urquiola & Jeff Schlegelmilch, Apr 4, 2026.
• How Trump’s Iran war could make the world more reliant on coal "The energy crisis sparked by the war is making some countries consider ramping up their use of dirty fuels" The Guardian, Eduardo Porter, Apr 5, 2026.
• Meeting Climate Targets Requires Humanity to Reorient Its Relationship With Nature, New Study Says "A team including scientists, Indigenous people and conservationists point to the ecosystem connecting Yellowstone and the Yukon as an example of a region where humans and nature are flourishing together." Inside Climate News, Jake Bolster, Apr 9, 2026.
• ‘The danger and value of water are in my blood’: how rain fences are making Dutch homes more climate resilient "Housing corporations are adopting rainwater storage in garden fences, reducing pressure during downpours and preserving water for times of drought" The Guardian, Senay Boztas , Apr 9, 2026.

Climate Policy and Politics (4 articles)

• Why this NASA climate scientist wants you to stay angry "Kate Marvel reflects on her fiery resignation: 'I don’t think we rebuild science without getting mad.' ” Grist, Clayton Aldern, Apr 7, 2026.
• Iran war analysis: How 60 nations have responded to the global energy crisis "One month into the US and Israel’s war on Iran, at least 60 countries have taken emergency measures in response to the subsequent global energy crisis, according to analysis by Carbon Brief." Carbon Brief, Josh Gabbatiss, Apr 8, 2026.
• Trump`s EPA chief Zeldin gives keynote speech at climate-denying group`s event Lee Zeldin opens conference for Heartland Institute, which once compared climate advocates to the Unabomber The Guardian, Dharna Noor, Apr 08, 2026.
• Argentina just ripped up its pioneering glacier law. What does this mean for millions of people’s drinking water? "Javier Milei’s reforms to the law will open up high-altitude areas to mining and risk water reserves already strained by the climate crisis, say activists" The Guardian, Natalie Alcoba, Apr 10, 2026.

Public Misunderstandings about Climate Science (3 articles)

• Spencer`s Shenanigans: Part II We previously highlighted Roy Spencer’s poor practices in comparing models with observations, but we’ve now dug down a little deeper, and it’s not pretty. RealClimate, Gavin Schmidt, Apr 04, 2026.
• Disarming Climate Change Denial Tropes (Featuring Peter Hadfield aka Potholer54) Youtube, Professor Dave Explains, Apr 7, 2026.
• Climate Denial Comes to Washington A conference of climate change deniers, a warning about the world’s largest penguin species, record low snowpack in the West, plus more climate news. New York Times, Maxine Joselow, Apr 09, 2026.

Climate Education and Communication (1 article)

• Our new research is published - but we're not done yet with the 'Experiment' Skeptical Science formally investigates: does Skeptical Science work? Skeptical Science, John Cook, Baerbel Winkler, Doug Bostrom, Dana Nucitelli, Apr 6, 2026.

Public Misunderstandings about Climate Solutions (1 article)

• Fact brief - Do wind turbines utilize land for electricity generation more efficiently than fossil fuels? Yes - Wind turbines require less land use for the same amount of energy generated by oil or natural gas, and land between turbines is available for agriculture and wildlife habitats. Skeptical Science, Sue Bin Park, Apr 07, 2026.

Climate Law and Justice (1 article)

• As Vermont Defends Its Law to Make Fossil Fuel Firms Pay for Climate Adaptation, the Bill Is Already Coming Due "The courts will decide if the first 'climate superfund' law in the nation survives, a likely years-long battle. Vermont towns, meanwhile, must figure out how to pay for infrastructure that extreme weather won’t destroy."As Vermont Defends Its Law to Make Fossil Fuel Firms Pay for Climate Adaptation, the Bill Is Already Coming Due Inside Climate News, Dana Drugmand & Nathaniel Eisen,, Apr 5, 2026.

Climate Science and Research (1 article)

• 2026 Arctic sea ice winter maximum tied for second smallest of satellite era Arctic sea ice likely reached its maximum extent for the year on March 15, 2026, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). At 5.52 million square miles (14.29 million square kilometers), the 2026 maximum extent was tied with 2025’s maximum for lowest in the 48-year satellite record. [Extents within roughly 11,600 square miles (30,000 square kilometers) are considered statistically tied.] Climate.us, Michon Scott, Apr 8, 2026.

International Climate Conferences and Agreements (1 article)

• A new economic superpower could spark a global retreat from fossil fuels "Eighty-five countries have sought a roadmap to phasing out fossil fuels. A conference this month offers hope they could unite" The Guardian, Mark Hertsgaard & Kyle Pope, Apr 7, 2026.

Miscellaneous (1 article)

• 2026 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #14 A listing of 28 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 29, 2026 thru Sat, April 4, 2026. Skeptical Science, Bärbel Winkler, John Hartz & Doug Bostrom, Apr 05, 2026.

Posted by BaerbelW on Sunday, 12 April, 2026

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