Articles tagged with Climate Change
A Florida Atlantic University survey finds that 36% of Floridians have moved or are considering relocating due to weather hazards. The survey also reveals concerns about climate change, with only half of Floridians believing it is caused by human activity.
Researchers found that coral reefs governed the pace of climate recovery by tuning the planet's carbon and climate cycles. The study suggests that reefs played a crucial role in stabilizing climate, but modern reef systems are declining due to warming and ocean acidification.
A University of Cambridge-led team analyzed giant anaconda fossils to determine their maximum size occurred 12.4 million years ago. The study found that ancient anacondas were four to five metres long, matching the size of modern anacondas, suggesting they have remained giants due to a suitable environment.
A QUT-led study introduces a framework to assess the potential of different strategies to mitigate climate change through plant agriculture and synthetic biology innovations. Reducing reliance on synthetic nitrogen fertilizers is seen as a key solution, with gigatonne-level potential for carbon mitigation.
Researchers at Lund University analyzed old air samples collected by the Swedish Armed Forces and found that spore dispersal of northern mosses has shifted four weeks earlier over the past 35 years. Warmer autumns enable mosses to release their spores earlier in spring, with climate conditions from the previous year being the key factor.
A new study from the University of Copenhagen predicts that climate change could create more favorable conditions for malaria mosquitoes, exposing millions to increased risk of infection. The researchers warn that if left unchecked, this could put between 200 million and up to 1 billion people at additional risk.
Over half of global coastal settlements have retreated from the coast over the past 30 years in response to intensifying climate hazards. Coastal regions in Africa and Oceania lead the retreat, while poorer regions often expand shoreline settlements due to economic needs.
A new University of Essex study found that the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) language may erode public trust in science. Using words like 'unlikely' to describe climate change risks can make scientists appear divided and predictions seem implausible, fueling scepticism.
Climate-vulnerable districts in India are at risk of adverse health outcomes, including higher rates of underweight children. The study highlights the impact of climate change on Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in Indian districts.
A recent study reveals vast regions of the ocean are experiencing compound state change, with simultaneous warming, salinity changes, oxygen loss, and acidification. This framework enables scientists to identify areas most affected and monitor climate risks.
A major global review reveals alarming trends in mountain regions, including faster warming, more unpredictable rainfall, and significant changes from snow to rain. The findings highlight the devastating consequences for people dependent on mountain snow and glaciers for water, particularly in China and India.
A new study by Montana State University scientists explores elevation-dependent changes in climate, including variations in precipitation, surface albedo, and air temperature trends across mountain ranges globally. The findings have direct implications for water availability and use in regions like Montana.
A new study reveals that the burning of fossil fuels is accelerating winter rainfall changes in Northern and central Europe, including the UK, by more than two decades. This finding significantly upsets climate model projections, highlighting the urgent need for adaptation planning and infrastructure investment.
A new study highlights 21 critical barriers to implementing green and blue infrastructure, including technical, social, economic, governance, and policy challenges. The research provides actionable strategies for practitioners and policymakers to enhance GBI resilience across diverse urban settings.
Researchers identified three generalized pathways for creating actionable climate knowledge that is scalable. These pathways involve getting a lot of people involved and using approaches like crowdsourcing food production at potlucks to broaden participation.
A new study suggests delaying renewable energy expansion may reduce global motivation to cut carbon emissions. The research finds that once global warming passes a critical threshold, the social cost of carbon suddenly falls, weakening the economic incentive to reduce emissions.
Researchers investigate how adjacent cities exacerbate each other's heat island effects. A study also highlights the need for improved hindcasting infrastructure in climate science. Additionally, a campaign monitors pinned clouds over industrial sources of heat and finds that trees are more reliable against heat stress than buildings.
Researchers found that tropical forests may be less sensitive to climate change than thought. They discovered that dead leaves cool nearby leaves by reflecting more sun energy, reducing heat buildup.
Researchers found that exposure to hotter weather during pregnancy disrupts key amino acids and vitamins, increasing the risk of preterm delivery. The study provides new insights into the biological mechanisms behind preterm birth and may lead to the development of early biomarkers for identification and prevention strategies.
A new paper outlines a global coalition dedicated to conserving microbial biodiversity, which accounts for 99% of life on Earth. The Microbial Conservation Specialist Group will develop Red List-compatible metrics, pilot restoration projects, and promote public awareness to ensure microbes are recognized as essential to planetary health.
A modelling study suggests that heat stored in the Southern Ocean could be released, causing a rapid warming of the atmosphere. The ocean acts as a large heat reservoir, mitigating atmospheric warming since the Industrial Revolution.
Researchers warn that Brazil's domestic policies must align with international commitments on forest conservation and climate justice. The country must take concrete actions, such as reversing anti-environmental policies and protecting indigenous peoples' rights.
A new study finds that even Australia's most protected marine areas will likely suffer extreme climate shocks by 2040, threatening thousands of marine species. The effects will be widespread, with 'safe havens' disappearing as ocean conditions considered extreme today become the new normal.
A calcite deposit in a southern Nevada cave has provided new insight into the region's hydroclimate, revealing significant shifts in temperature and rainfall over the last 580,000 years. The analysis suggests that temperature, availability of water, and vegetation are tightly coupled, with changes in one area impacting others.
A new review reveals that dissolved organic matter (DOM) acts as both a buffer and accelerator of climate change, influencing carbon storage and pollution. DOM's molecular structure changes with temperature and rainfall patterns, altering its environmental behavior and biological effects.
Researchers at UC Irvine have identified stormlike circulation patterns beneath Antarctic ice shelves causing aggressive melting of Thwaites and Pine Island glaciers. The study found that these ephemeral processes account for nearly a fifth of total submarine melt variance, with implications for global sea level rise projections.
Researchers from SK Specialty developed a machine learning framework to predict the GWP of potential alternative materials for etching and cleaning semiconductors. The technique identified key patterns in molecular features related to radiative efficiency and atmospheric lifetime, enabling the prediction of GWP with high accuracy.
The human costs of climate overshoot are a pressing concern, with policymakers needing to address humanitarian needs and disaster risk management. Assessing the potential impacts post-peak is necessary for identifying adaptation and risk reduction strategies.
A new study finds that past heat waves in Europe could become far deadlier in today's warmer climate, with weekly deaths potentially reaching up to 32,000. Researchers used AI and statistical techniques to estimate the death toll based on historical data and global average temperatures.
A new study reveals a severe decline in recruitment of the American pika on Niwot Ridge, Colorado, with fewer juvenile pikas being born or migrating to take their place. Climate change is predicted to threaten pikas in the American West, with warmer summers affecting their habitats and ability to survive.
Researchers have discovered that sudden shifts in the Southern Westerly Winds 15,000 years ago triggered a massive growth of ancient bogs across the Southern Hemisphere. The study found that the shifting winds created an ideal climate for the swamps to form, and now believe they play a crucial role in regulating carbon stores in peatland.
The statement provides guidance as countries debate closing ambition gap at COP30 and small island states call for honoring 1.5°C goal. Research shows that limiting overshoot and returning below 1.5°C is still possible with quick emissions fall and clean-energy deployment acceleration.
The University of Oxford has launched the Nature's Intelligence Studio, a programme that translates principles from biological systems into technologies supporting sustainable innovation. The studio aims to align conservation and industrial decarbonisation through bio-inspired solutions.
A new study has analyzed a rare flooding event in the Maldives in July 2022 and found it could become a far more common occurrence in the future. By 2050, predicted rises in sea levels, coupled with increased extreme weather events, may result in such flooding happening every two to three years.
A University of Maryland researcher has identified cost-effective solutions for the steel industry to reduce its carbon footprint. By implementing changes such as reusing scraps and making energy-efficient upgrades, steel manufacturers can reduce global emissions by 7.2-7.8 gigatons by 2030.
A recent study published in Global Change Biology found that functional diversity helps keep forest growth stable during prolonged periods of drought. Trees with different water-use strategies show stronger growth in drought years than those with opposite strategies.
A new study found that insectivorous birds in the Eastern Himalayas are declining in survival rates and body mass due to changes in forest microclimates after selective logging. The team suggests conserving primary forests and creating shade covers or supplementing water sources to support vulnerable species.
A recent study finds that artificial intelligence has a negligible effect on global greenhouse gas emissions. The researchers' analysis of US energy consumption and AI use across industries revealed that the energy usage from AI in the US equals the energy consumption for all of Iceland, but not noticeable on a global scale.
A recent study co-led by Princeton and University of Chicago found that deaths caused by rainfall and rising sea levels are almost ten times higher than official statistics suggest in Mumbai. The research highlights the human toll of extreme urban flooding, with slum residents facing disproportionate risks, particularly children under ...
A study by researchers at UCLA and UC Davis found that climate change leads to more reported clashes with wildlife during droughts. The study analyzed data from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's Wildlife Incident Reporting database and found a 2-3% increase in conflicts for every inch of decreased annual rainfall.
A recent study found that Mongolia has become a major source of dust emissions in Central East Asia, with total emissions increasing sevenfold from 2020 to 2023. The study attributes this shift to stronger surface winds, vegetation degradation, and reduced soil moisture.
Researchers develop a new AI approach to simulate the Earth system, enabling better estimates of local impacts on ecosystems and societies. The WOW project aims to couple AI models across scales of space and time, revealing hidden connections in the climate system.
The 2025 Global Carbon Budget projects a record high of 38.1 billion tonnes of fossil CO2 emissions, with decarbonisation efforts not enough to offset growing energy demand. Climate change is weakening the land and ocean carbon sinks, reducing the remaining carbon budget to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
A decade-long study by Chinese Academy of Sciences researchers found that soil microbial communities reorganize to form more stable networks, reducing carbon emissions. Microbial thermal adjustment and efficient microorganisms mitigate the effects of climate warming.
A new study finds that polar climate change is a major driver of global health risks, including chronic disease, mental health challenges, and pregnancy complications. The research calls for greater integration of health risks into health planning and policy.
A new study warns that climate change will dramatically increase wildfire danger globally, affecting traditionally fire-prone and previously unaffected regions. The projected fire danger in these areas could represent conditions with less than a 1% chance of occurrence during recent historical periods.
Websites for COP conferences emit significantly more carbon than average internet pages, with a 13,000% rise in emissions between 1995 and 2024. The team's findings highlight the need to reduce digital footprint through practices such as page size limits, optimized site layouts, and renewable energy hosting.
The CliMetS initiative aims to bridge research gaps and foster cross-continental partnerships to address the threat of seabed methane seeps. Through a series of regional workshops, HKUST has united over 200 experts worldwide in mapping and quantifying these seeps.
The study reveals that North America and Europe will experience significant warming (3.7-3.8°C) and drought expansion by the end of the 21st century due to land-air coupling, which amplifies the impact of GHG emissions. If uncontrolled, this could lead to severe climate risks, including reduced Gross Primary Productivity.
Research reveals that early Holocene ice-shelf retreat in East Antarctica was driven by oceanic forcing enhanced by meltwater discharge from neighboring regions. This self-reinforcing feedback loop accelerated inland ice loss, indicating that Antarctic ice retreat can propagate across multiple sectors through oceanic connections.
A team of researchers from LMU München investigated why CO2 fluxes from land use are uncertain and how they can be estimated more accurately in the future. They found that differences in definitions, data sources, and model assumptions lead to substantial discrepancies and uncertainties.
Heat- and cold-related mortality burden in the US increased significantly between 2000 and 2020, with temperature extremes contributing to excess deaths. The study found that geographic location, cause of death, and demographic factors played a crucial role in differential vulnerability to temperature-related health risks.
The European Research Council (ERC) has awarded an €8.33 million Synergy Grant to a five-year project led by Professors Jun Borras, Esteve Corbera, Ian Scoones, and Anna Tsing. The 'Land and Life in the Anthropocene' project aims to reshape landscapes for more-than-human life through innovative framework and connected approaches.
A recent study found that the Asian summer monsoon activity in June 2021 actually exacerbated the intensity of the heatwave, rather than cooling it down. The study suggests that this occurred due to an anomalously strong Pacific jet stream and specific background atmospheric circulation.
Contrails predominantly form within existing ice clouds, with over 80% of persistent contrails occurring within natural cirrus clouds. This has significant implications for climate impact, as artificial clouds can contribute to warming or cooling depending on their environment.
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has launched the International Coordination Office for Urban-PREDICT, a flagship initiative of the United Nations' World Meteorological Organization. The project aims to develop cutting-edge urban-scale hazard prediction and early warning systems to help cities better anticipat...
A University of Houston biologist has received a $2.16 million federal grant to study how some coastal frogs survive in salty environments. The research could reveal how cells cope with salt stress and have implications for understanding the health risks of high-salt diets in humans.
Researchers found that elevated CO2 levels can cause leaf temperatures to rise by up to 1.3°C in forests, with a greater impact during extreme heatwaves. This change is likely caused by reduced transpiration and could have significant effects on the water cycle globally.
New research suggests that ocean turbulence and horizontal stirring will dramatically increase in the Arctic and Southern Oceans due to human-induced Global Warming. The study uses ultra-high-resolution simulations to investigate how mesoscale horizontal stirring (MHS) responds to warming, revealing a pronounced future intensification ...
A global study of participants from six countries found that addressing psychological distance and the threat to one's way of life are most effective interventions in boosting motivation for environmental efforts. The study suggests that making climate action a patriotic duty can increase willingness to exert physical effort.