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About six years ago, law students at the University of the South Pacific convinced the government of the small island nation of Vanuatu to take the harms wrought by climate change all the way to the International Court of Justice, the world’s highest legal authority. Vanuatu, along with the students, waged a campaign to convince the court that climate change was a human rights issue and that countries have a legal duty to protect the planet for future generations. In 2025, the court sided with them unanimously. In a legally nonbinding advisory opinion, it ruled that the failure of countries to tackle climate change is a “wrongful act” and that other nations harmed by a warming planet may seek reparations. 

Now, the effort has notched another win. On Wednesday, an overwhelming majority of countries in the United Nations voted to adopt a resolution backing the court’s ruling. The historic decision signals the political support behind the court’s finding that countries have a legal responsibility to address climate change, reduce its impact, and offer reparations to those it has harmed. More than 140 countries voted in favor of the resolution. Just eight  — including the United States, Iran, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Russia — voted against (28 countries abstained from the vote).

“This must be a turning point in accountability for damaging the climate,” said Vishal Prasad, director of the Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change and one of the law students who campaigned to take the case to the International Court of Justice, or ICJ. “The journey of this idea from classrooms in the Pacific to The Hague and the United Nations gives us continued hope that when people organize, the world can be moved to act.”

The near-unanimous decision is a strong signal that multilateral cooperation on climate change has not completely unraveled. Over the past year, global unity on reducing greenhouse gas emissions has proven shaky. After Donald Trump’s administration announced it would withdraw from the Paris Agreement, the United States has actively opposed climate action. Last year, it derailed countries that were close to setting a carbon tax on the shipping industry, which is responsible for about 3 percent of the world’s carbon emissions. A deal to regulate the industry’s emissions now seems uncertain. The U.S. has also helped kill a cap on plastics production and berated the International Energy Agency into projecting future energy demand under a scenario that climate action will stall out. 

“The unity and clarity expressed by the vote was striking,” said Nikki Reisch, director of the Center for International Environmental Law’s climate and energy program. Reisch said the resolution puts “political weight behind legal norms” and will help translate the international court’s conclusions into practical action. “It will become another pillar and proof of political backing for action and accountability.”

The Trump administration also mounted a campaign to block the United Nations from adopting the landmark international court ruling. In February, the State Department sent a missive to all consulates and embassies noting that it “strongly opposed” the U.N. resolution and that its adoption “could pose a major threat to U.S. industry.” In remarks ahead of the vote, Tammy Bruce, a former conservative radio host and now deputy representative to the U.N. in New York, said that the resolution is “problematic” and that “the United States continues to have serious legal and policy concerns” about it. 

“The resolution singles out certain groups for preferential treatment and makes alarmist political statements, such as the idea that climate change is an unprecedented challenge of civilizational proportions,” Bruce said. “Such hyperbolic statements are not appropriate in a resolution on an ICJ advisory opinion.” 

Tammy Bruce, deputy representative of the United States to the U.N. in New York, said the resolution is “problematic” and “makes alarmist political statements.” John Lamparski / Getty Images

The resolution reiterates the International Court of Justice’s core findings and calls on countries to implement measures to keep global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) while transitioning away from fossil fuels. It also affirms that nations must fulfill their climate obligations and that those countries harmed by others’ inaction are entitled to seek redress. Finally, the resolution calls on the United Nations’ secretary-general to submit a report next year on ways to comply with the international court’s findings. The resolution, like most U.N. resolutions, is not legally binding; rather, it’s intended to signal political priorities or views.

The U.N. vote comes as countries are cracking down on climate activism and litigation. In Aotearoa New Zealand, the government moved to amend climate laws to limit civil court proceedings against major greenhouse gas emitters for climate-related harm. 

Māori climate advocate Mike Smith is among those whose cases could be affected. Recent reports have found that land theft and colonization have exacerbated the effects of climate change on the Indigenous Māori people, who are more likely to be affected by extreme weather events. Smith is currently pursuing high court proceedings against six of Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest greenhouse gas emitters, and he describes the U.N. vote as a “major shift,” arguing it reflects a changing understanding of climate change not just as environmental damage, but as something with legal consequences. 

“We know as Māori that the islands are part of our journey across the Pacific that’s led us here to Aotearoa,” he said. “New Zealand has a responsibility to stand with Pacific countries like Vanuatu, Kiribati, Tonga, and Tokelau. Not just symbolically, but in supporting stronger legal and international action on climate harm.” 

Although the U.N. vote is a victory for Indigenous activists from the Pacific and beyond, they believe that many countries still must be pushed to uphold their climate obligations. 

“The law is clear that climate action cannot sit on the shelf, it must be turned into action,” Prasad said.

The Indigenous News Alliance contributed reporting to this story.

This story was originally published by Grist with the headline In a rare show of global unity, countries adopt landmark climate ruling on May 22, 2026.

Good Food For All!, a European Citizens’ Initiative supported by a coalition of more than 300 civil society organisations across Europe, including ARC2020, is making important strides in amplifying the messages of the food sovereignty and agroecology movements. But the battle for hearts, minds and policies is still far from won.

Despite three decades of COP climate talks and a boom in renewables, global emissions continue to rise, rooted in capitalism’s relentless drive to expand energy use. Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations helps explain why renewable energy has grown without pushing fossil fuels out.

Nearly 60 countries launch coalition to accelerate the energy transition against the backdrop of the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Solutions Enhance Grid Flexibility, Accommodate Energy Demand, and Lower Costs for Consumers

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) today announced over $6 million has been awarded to seven projects to advance technologies that can help integrate electric vehicles efficiently into New York’s electric grid. Through the State’s Vehicle Grid Integration Program, the awarded projects will advance solutions to enhance grid flexibility, shift charging to accommodate energy demand, and lower charging costs for consumers.

NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “NYSERDA is proud to partner with forward-thinking companies that are pushing the boundaries of vehicle-to-grid innovation and demonstrating new ways to manage and deliver energy more intelligently. Advancing these technologies will help unlock greater value from electric vehicles, support a more flexible energy system, and create new opportunities to modernize how power is shared and utilized across the state.”

NYSERDA’s Vehicle Grid Integration Program competitively awards projects that are scalable and advance electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure through product development, technology demonstrations, or new business models. Technologies include bi-directional charging, energy storage, on-site energy generation, and EV managed charging.

The awarded projects include:

• Bringing V2G Technology to New York Refuse Trucks: More than $1.6 million was awarded to Roundtrip EV Solutions to demonstrate bi-directional, fast charging in four refuse trucks for two municipal fleets in Ulster County.
• Gravity VGI Platform: Nearly $1 million was awarded to Gravity to develop a bidirectional Vehicle Grid Integration (VGI) platform to reduce EV charging station installation costs and balance energy by allowing EVs to feed power back to buildings in Manhattan.
• Integrating Refrigerated Trailers and Thermal Storage into NY Power Grid: Nearly $1 million was awarded to Energy One to develop and demonstrate a platform that integrates electric refrigerated trailers (eTRUs) with building-based thermal energy storage at the Hunts Point Food Distribution Center in Brooklyn.
• Joint Planning of Charging Networks and Power Grids for Diverse EV Integration: More than $700,000 was awarded to New York University to develop a comprehensive EV planning software tool for utility stakeholders to address gaps in EV charging infrastructure deployment and power grid upgrade planning in New York City.
• Optiwatt Long Island EV – VGI Transformer Protection Demonstration: More than $600,000 was awarded to Optiwatt for demonstration projects on Long Island where customers can use an active EV managed charging platform that balances energy loads.
• Pvilion’s Solar Powered Integrated Structures (SPIS): $500,000 was awarded to Pvilion to demonstrate a portable, solar-powered off-road EV charging solution using its Solar Power Integrated Structure (SPIS) with electric construction equipment at Westchester Tool Rentals in Peekskill and with electric farm equipment at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) Manufacturing Innovation Learning Laboratory in Troy.
• Wireless Static and Dynamic EV Charging Project: $1 million was awarded to Electreon Wireless to demonstrate wireless charging for electric shuttle vans that reduce grid interconnection costs, lower peak energy demand, and improve fleet operating efficiency in Buffalo. 

New York State Senator Kevin Parker said, “New York is proving that the transition to clean transportation is not just about putting more electric vehicles on the road it’s about building a smarter, stronger, and more affordable energy system for the future. Through the sustained leadership of the Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee, which I am proud to chair, we have helped advance the policy framework and innovation agenda that made investments like these possible. By prioritizing vehicle-grid integration, supporting emerging technologies, and ensuring New York remains at the forefront of clean energy deployment, we are delivering real solutions that lower costs for consumers, strengthen grid reliability, and accelerate our progress toward a more resilient and equitable energy future. From Brooklyn to Buffalo, these projects reflect what is possible when government, industry, and research institutions work together to turn bold climate goals into practical action for working families across the state.”

New York State Assemblymember William Magnarelli said, “I am pleased to see these funds being allocated to build our electric vehicle infrastructure. These projects are important to making the electric vehicle transition affordable and practical.”

Alliance for Transportation Electrification Executive Director Philip B. Jones said, “Across the country, we are achieving much greater scale in EV adoption and infrastructure as consumers prefer to purchase EVs as a superior technology. Vehicle grid integration solutions can unlock more savings for all at this greater scale. I am delighted that these innovative programs have been recognized by NYSERDA and that they can move forward now.”

Vehicle Grid Integration Council (VGIC) Executive Director Zach Woogen said, “New York continues to demonstrate national leadership in vehicle-grid integration by supporting innovative projects that move these technologies from concept to real-world deployment. Investments in managed charging platforms, bidirectional charging solutions, and charger-paired distributed energy resources help unlock EVs as a critical grid resource. These solutions enhance system reliability, community resilience, grid utilization, and energy affordability for all users of the electric grid, not just EV drivers.”

New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology (NY-BEST) Consortium Executive Director Dr. William Acker said, “The efficient integration of electrified transportation with the electric grid creates an opportunity to improve reliability and affordability.  NY-BEST applauds NYSERDA’s vehicle grid integration program which is advancing key technologies like bi-directional charging and the use of energy storage to improve grid utilization and flexibility, directly impacting ratepayer cost.”

Today’s announcement builds on New York State’s investments in technologies, new products, and solutions to address energy costs and demand and support a reliable electric grid. NYSERDA invests over $96 million per year through its innovation and research programs to attract world class energy innovators, reduce risk for private investors, and remove barriers to clean energy adoption in New York State, leveraging $15 in additional investment for every $1 spent. NYSERDA has partnered with over 900 companies that have helped make more than 300 products commercially available for consumers, businesses, and utilities.

Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York State is investing nearly $3 billion in zero-emission vehicles and expanding access to clean transportation to benefit all New Yorkers, including those in low-income or disadvantaged communities. In addition to the Drive Clean Rebate Program other state initiatives include the EV Make Ready, Charge Ready 2.0, EVolve NY, the New York Truck Voucher Incentive Program (NYTVIP), the New York School Bus Incentive Program and the Direct Current Fast Charger Program.

Funding for this initiative is through the Clean Energy Fund (CEF).

New York State’s Climate Agenda
New York State’s climate agenda calls for an affordable and just transition to a clean energy economy that creates family-sustaining jobs, promotes economic growth through green investments, and directs a minimum of 35 percent of the benefits to disadvantaged communities. New York is advancing a suite of efforts to achieve an emissions-free economy by 2050, including in the energy, buildings, transportation and waste sectors.

NYSERDA
Since 1975, NYSERDA has been working to advance New York’s energy system and economy. As a public benefit corporation, NYSERDA has served as an objective source for information and technical expertise to drive innovation and investment. NYSERDA professionals have worked to protect the environment and help New Yorkers increase energy efficiency, save money, and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. To learn more about NYSERDA’s programs and funding opportunities, visit nyserda.ny.gov or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram. 

Rebecca Jane Morgan’s account of the fight for legal recognition for trans people in the UK offers a valuable resource to contemporary activists, writes Kit Heyam

The post Deviants and trailblazers – review appeared first on Red Pepper.

Climate defeatism and moral abdication Channel Comment brendan 22nd May 2026 Teaser Media

• In the short term, U.S. fossil fuel companies are the biggest winners from President Trump’s war on Iran, thanks to higher and higher fuel prices. In the long run, though, more countries will pursue energy independence with help from China, spelling the end for American hegemony, much like the coal-driven British empire a century ago. (The Guardian)
• Mother Jones shows once again why suspending the federal gas tax wouldn’t help drivers much, but would blow a huge hole in transportation funding.
• The president of Amtrak, Roger Harris, is stepping down at the end of July. (Trains)
• How did 15-minute cities become the latest right-wing conspiracy theory? (Car Free America)
• As far as raw totals, California has the most pedestrian deaths in the country, mostly because of L.A. (Los Angeles Magazine)
• Drivers hit an astonishing 21 pedestrians on Knoxville’s North Broadway last year, but the city is planning changes. (News Sentinel)
• Transit ridership in Pittsburgh rose 50 percent for the NFL Draft, totaling more than 400,000 riders over three days. (Axios)
• Orlando is raising parking rates, which of course is freaking out business owners who don’t consider that if parking is too cheap, their customers won’t be able to find a space. (Click Orlando)
• A lot of disinformation is also going around about the Colfax Avenue bus rapid transit line in Denver and its supposedly “devastating” impact on businesses. (Westword)
• Dallas is considering expanding streetcar lines, but some council members have concerns about the cost. (KERA)
• Legal and political challenges continue to slow down Austin’s Project Connect transit plan, and meanwhile costs continue to rise. (Texas Tribune)
• The Texas DOT will not let Austin keep a Black Lives Matter mural or a rainbow crosswalk, not even a crosswalk honoring the University of Texas. (KUT)
• Portland’s $1 billion climate change fund — which has funded converting parking lots into community gardens, among other things — could serve as an example to the rest of the country. (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
• The Central City District in Philadelphia installed modular curbs to protect bike lanes on 13th Street. (Voice)
• Construction on Salt Lake City’s S-line streetcar extension will start this summer. (ABC 4)
• The Kansas City streetcar’s Riverfront extension will make it easier for soccer fans to get to Current games. (Star)
• The District of Columbia is a great place to go running. (Greater Greater Washington)

The shutdown of Spirit Airlines didn’t just ground flights. It exposed a deeper weakness in America’s transportation system: tens of millions of people rely on affordable travel, and we still don’t provide enough of it.

For students, workers, and families, low-cost travel isn’t a luxury. It is what keeps them connected to education, jobs, loved ones, and opportunity. When a carrier built around affordability disappears, the impact lands hardest on those with the fewest alternatives.

The lesson from the Spirit demise isn’t that affordable travel is fragile. It’s that we have not built a system designed to reliably support it.

Affordable travel is still too often treated as a compromise, rather than a core part of broader mobility.

Recommended Sustainable Transportation Can Ease the Affordability Crisis — And Help Climate Champions Win Streetsblog May 19, 2026

Maintaining affordability requires intentional design. Transportation modes must work together to increase competition and expand access. That means treating air travel, intercity buses, trains, and local transit as parts of a single mobility network rather than separate systems operating in parallel. When these intermodal connections are seamless for travelers, they expand options and protect freedom of choice. When they do not, the system effectively shrinks.

The gaps are most visible in how uneven and fragmented those connections are across the country. Outside major hubs, travelers often rely on whichever mode exists — not necessarily the one that best fits their needs. Some regions have limited air service. Others lack rail. And in too many places, moving between modes adds friction, cost, or uncertainty that discourages travel altogether.

This comes at a time when transportation costs are rising across the board, making low-cost options more essential, not less.

Recommended This Holiday Travel Season, It’s Time to End the Stigma Around Intercity Buses Kai Boysan December 23, 2025

Ground transportation is one of the most scalable ways to close that gap. Intercity buses already connect communities airlines have left behind, linking small towns to major cities year-round at prices that remain accessible even as airfares rise. But their impact is limited when they operate in isolation.

Improving affordability is not just about the availability of service. It’s about whether people are able to easily access it.

We need multimodal hubs where buses, trains, airports, and local transit connect in simple, intuitive ways. We need collaboration to create more stations that are safe, modern, and conveniently located. And we need transportation planning that treats intercity buses and other ground options as essential infrastructure and part of the transportation ecosystem, not an afterthought.

Recommended Trump Is Holding Affordable Transportation Projects Hostage, and Congress Could Call His Bluff Kea Wilson May 7, 2026

The economic stakes are real. Transportation costs have risen sharply, and many households no longer have room to absorb higher prices.

For millions of Americans, the choice is not between a cheaper seat and a more comfortable one; it is between traveling and not traveling at all. When lower-cost options disappear, participation in work, education, and family life becomes harder to sustain.

A resilient mobility system does not depend on any single mode. It depends on multiple affordable options that reinforce one another. That is how access to opportunity becomes less dependent on income or geography.

The shutdown of Spirit Airlines is a reminder that affordability is not a niche concern. It is central to how Americans move through their lives, and it underscores the need for a transportation system built as a connected intermodal network rather than a set of isolated parts. Affordable travel is not a fallback. It is what makes broad mobility possible.

Thousands of potentially unsafe, addictive, and cancer-linked chemicals have been introduced into the nation’s food supply through “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS) pathway loopholes including voluntary notification. This allows food and chemical companies to self-determine the safety of food chemicals without premarket review by the Food and Drug Administration. Of the 756 voluntary GRAS notifications submitted to the FDA since 2000, just 10 chemicals underwent federal review. Yet, experts estimate that hundreds of other additives entered the food supply without federal notice.

As federal inaction continues, nurses and communities across the country are pushing for regulation and oversight. These grassroots movements have led to twenty-eight states introducing or passing bills banning cancer-linked food chemicals including Red 3, potassium bromate, and propylparaben.

Pressure is mounting on federal legislators to act. Recently, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing to review legislative proposals for food chemical regulation and oversight. Witnesses and lawmakers raised concern that FDA lacks sufficient staffing, funding, and authority to evaluate chemical harms and emerging risk factors. However, proposed legislation like the FDA Review and Evaluation for Safe, Healthy, and Affordable Foods (FRESH) Act of 2026 aims to correct the issue by limiting states’ ability to act and further undermining FDA’s premarket review authority. 

This continued and rampant addition of unvetted chemicals to the food supply directly harms our community’s health. The burden falls on those already facing higher health risks and deepens inequities that nurses confront every day. That is why nurses are urging Congress to strengthen FDA’s oversight of food chemicals and support clear, science-based safeguards that translate into healthier outcomes in the communities they serve.

Author

Short-form

Hailey Kufner, RN, is a critical care nurse and student at the University of Maryland. She currently resides in the Washington, D.C. metro area, with her partner, three cats, a school of fish, and an extensive plant collection.

Long-form

Hailey Kufner is a registered nurse and student at the University of Maryland. Her diverse professional background spans public health, marketing and communications, and critical care nursing.

She currently resides in the Washington, D.C. metro area, with her partner, three cats, a school of fish, and an extensive plant collection. In her free time, Hailey enjoys exploring the many natural hiking and biking trails the region has to offer.

The post House Committee on Energy and Commerce Health Hearing: Healthier America: Legislative Proposals on the Regulation and Oversight of Food appeared first on ANHE.

Nestled between the welcome warmth of early spring and the lurking heat of summer, the second week of April is by far my favorite time of the year. Along with the ramp-up of spring migration, this...

APEN’s Youth Leaders in Richmond have been at the forefront of our campaigns – protesting, gathering signatures, and giving testimony at city council meetings.

Audrey Min Thiphakhinkeo Paun is a vocal youth leader who has been heavily involved in the community input process to hold Chevron accountable to its Polluters Pay campaign promises. 

Today we hear from Min directly about the connections she’s making between the media, her experience with APEN, and her family’s history. 

Have you seen Pixar’s most recent release, Hoppers? It’s about environmental justice and some APEN Youth Leaders and I couldn’t help but notice the similarities between the work we do in Richmond and the themes of the movie.

The main character is Mabel. She’s an Asian American kid who develops a deep appreciation for nature through her grandmother. When the glen and stream she shared with her grandma is threatened by developers, Mabel tries to organize to fight back.

Mabel is characterized by everyone in the town as a troublemaker. But really she’s a passionate activist who keeps fighting to protect the environment! Like Mabel, APEN Youth Leaders like me know what it is like to organize to protect your city from harm.

In Richmond we organize against Big Oil. We rally outside Chevron’s gates to demand a Just Transition away from fossil fuels. Like Mabel, we’re not troublemakers. We’re changemakers!

Mabel spends time trying to get signatures for a petition, in efforts to stop the city from building an illegal and environmentally devastating beltway. But she gets rejected at every turn.

APEN Youth Leaders have experienced this when we canvass, too. We face immediate rejections and often more failures than successes. 

 It might take longer to convince people in our community but we’ve realized it’s important that we do not give up: change takes time and work! 

Another similarity between us and Mabel is that she repeatedly holds the mayor of her town accountable for his illegal and harmful infrastructure project.

We know what it is like to hold local elected officials responsible. 

APEN Youth Leaders have given testimony at key council meetings and rallied outside of city hall to demand change.

Last year, a grassroots coalition in Richmond that we are a part of, fought and won the Polluters Pay campaign. This win ensured that Chevron invested $550 million back into Richmond! Now, it’s time to deliver on the promise of the Polluters Pay campaign for the people of Richmond.

We want to make sure that these funds are invested back into the community.With these new resources, we can fund essential services and infrastructure – like safe, walkable streets, bike lanes, public hospitals, and neighborhood parks. 

We can invest in our local economy, reduce our dependence on Chevron, and plan for a Just Transition. The families and workers who have been most impacted by Chevron’s pollution must have a real voice in deciding how the funds are spent.

As changemakers, all of us Youth Leaders in Richmond are taking time to learn about the war in Iran and how it relates to environmental justice.

Right now, the U.S and Israel are spending billions of our tax dollars to terrorize the people of Iran, Lebanon and Palestine.

My mom immigrated to Richmond from Laos because of the Secret War, an often overlooked conflict during the Vietnam War.

During that time, the U.S. dropped 270 million bombs on a country about the size of California, making Laos the most heavily bombed nation in history.

As Asian immigrants and refugees, our families know devastating war and imperialism can be. 

That’s why I’m dedicated to learn and fight alongside my fellow youth leaders. 

APEN Youth Leaders are going to continue to do the work, hold electeds accountable, and live up to our responsibilities as change makers. 

I hope you’ll donate today so we can reach our spring campaign fundraising goal. You can help resource the work APEN is doing in LA, Oakland Chinatown, and of course, Richmond. 

You can join the change makers! Give today!

The post What’s next for APEN Youth Leaders? appeared first on Asian Pacific Environmental Network.

by Peter Baye

published in the July & September, 2017 issues of The Calypso, newsletter of the
Dorothy King Young Chapter of the California Native Plant Society
reprinted with permission

Part 1 – Wigeongrass and Sago pondweed

Last April (2017), our local public radio station (KZYX) ran an excellent “Ecology Hour” program interviewing world-renowned oceanographer John Largier from University of California, Davis Bodega Marine Lab. Marginal to the discussion of the physical processes that influence the Mendocino Coast river estuaries was a reference by some callers and hosts, to “algae” in the river.

That was an unintended cue for this botanical gem column on the trio of native submerged aquatic vascular plants that variably dominate our estuarine rivers. They are not algae themselves, but can become covered by algae at some stages, and at a distance, are mistakenly identified as nuisance algal blooms. Nothing could be farther from the truth, since native submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) beds are the standard of high estuarine habitat quality sought all over the world – qualifying as both ecological and botanical gems. But aquatic plants species, especially submersed species that complete their life-cycles under water, are also out of sight and thus out of mind for many observers. They are thus easily mistaken, by prejudice, for algae when visible at the water surface. That prejudice can lead to misguided demands for getting rid of falsely perceived “nuisance” algae.

So before we have to defend our pristine native SAV beds, let’s introduce two of a trio of revered dominant underwater plant species that cohabit Mendocino Coast river estuaries: wigeongrass, Ruppia cirrhosa and sago pondweed, Stuckenia pectinata (syn. Potamogeton pectinatus). The linear-leaved eelgrass, Zostera marina is the third species and it will be discussed in the Sept-Oct, 2017 issue of the Calypso. [below] Thick beds of wigeongrass, Ruppia cirrhosa, mantle upstream brackish reaches of the fully tidal Albion River estuary. Long frond- like shoots sway back and forth with each ebb and flood tide. July 1, 2017

WIGEONGRASS, Ruppia cirrhosa, is the most widespread and abundant of Mendocino’s estuarine SAV species: it occurs in every estuary, whether fully tidal or summer lagoon, in DKY’s [Dorothy King Young Chapter of the California Native Plant Society] territory. In some rivers, like Navarro, Albion and Big Rivers, it extends for miles. That fact makes it all the more astonishing that the genus doesn’t even appear in the Mendocino Flora (Smith & Wheeler 1992), and there are no reported herbarium or checklist records of it from Mendocino in the Consortium of California Herbaria or Calflora databases! There isn’t even a record of its close relative (even a synonym in some taxonomic treatments of Ruppia), R. maritima. “Underrepresented” is an understatement for this botanical omission – the estuarine equivalent of omitting redwoods from the Mendocino flora.

Emergent erect spike of Ruppia cirrhosa, on still water of Navarro River lagoon. July 18 2013

Our estuarine riverbed wigeongrass consistently produces long, wiry coiled peduncles, which is the diagnostic characteristic for Ruppia cirrhosa. R. maritima is the typical wigeongrass in salt marsh pools worldwide, which are shallow, warm, and more saline than seawater. Contrary to some descriptions of Ruppia, the male inflorescences of our R. cirrhosa often form erect spikes that emerge above the water surface, and release masses of pollen that make a whitish film on the water that winds can blow into piles of decaying scum in late summer.

Ruppia cirrhosa mats drape over limbs of downed alders as the Navarro River lagoon draws down in summer. July 18, 2013

Wigeongrass is a stealthy plant: when it grows underwater, it is barely detectable. When the fronds reach just below the water surface, they branch and proliferate, and drag on the water surface, heralding themselves by flat water surface areas, outlined by wind-waves and ripples around them where there is no wigeongrass. Finally, the fine linear leafy branches expand into floating mats that completely cover the water surface. Ducks and geese push through the floating mats as they feed on the leaves and invertebrates that live in them, leaving trails. Steelhead jump all around the food-rich wigeongrass canopies at dusk and stickleback move in abundance under the canopies themselves. During heat waves, stickleback fish kills occur when the dense tangled floating mat interior overheats, and stickleback can’t escape in time.

Sandpipers foraging on a thick floating Ruppia cirrhosa mat on the lagoon of Navarro River. August 6, 2016

Wigeongrass grows from perennial rhizomes, but it also colonizes new substrate very rapidly by seed and by vegetative propagules. Unlike eelgrass and sago pondweed, it regularly colonizes gravel estuarine river beds like an annual, apparently from seed. In late summer, it spreads over sandy bottoms near the river mouth by creeping rhizomes and stolons, forming prostrate turf across the bed, which later develops vertical shoots. It even can form unusual short zig-zag lateral branches with pre-formed short anchor roots, which readily detach, disperse and sink to the bed as instant, ready-to-grow vegetative propagules.

Wigeongrass can grow in both seawater and fresh water, and appears to tolerate switching back and forth. The primary production of wigeongrass in our estuaries is huge. So is the density of shoots under the floating mats: a single hand-grab of a tangled shoot mass can be heavier than a person can lift out of the water.

SAGO PONDWEED, Stuckenia pectinata (syn. Potamogeton pectinatus), is another nearly cosmopolitan aquatic plant species. It has less salt tolerance than wigeongrass, usually occurring in freshwater or fresh-brackish water.

Flowering and fruiting spikes on floating mat of sago pondweed, Stuckenia pectinata, Navarro River lagoon (closed nontidal freshwater estuary phase). July 18, 2013

Salinity about half seawater strength (3.5 % salinity, 35 ppt) is enough to severely inhibit its growth or kill it. Sago pondweed has similar fish and estuarine invertebrate food-chain support value as wigeongrass, but it has even more food value for dabbling ducks and diving ducks. The fruits (drupes) and pea-sized, seed-like vegetative propagules it forms in fall (turions; overwintering detached “buds”), as well as its rhizomes, are eagerly consumed by waterfowl. The foliage is also consumed. Sago pondweed colonies in our river estuaries are usually patchy, far less extensive than wigeongrass. But they can also rebound in “boom” years and actually overtop and surprisingly replace dominance by wigeongrass over extensive areas, at least temporarily.

Flowering spikes of Stuckenia pectinata with anthers. July 2013

Wigeongrass can be distinguished from sago pondweed easily when they are flowering or in fruit. Sago pondweed has thick, elastic peduncles terminating in spikes with whorls of flowers or swollen brown, nearly round drupes. Wigeongrass has slender-peduncled inflorescences (wiry and coiled in R. cirrhosa), terminating in 3 or more terminal branchets with asymmetric pointed fruits, or a short spike of whitish male flowers (mostly anthers). Vegetatively, both species have very narrow linear leaves, but wigeongrass has tiny teeth along the blade margins, and long sheaths that pull themselves away from the shoot, at their bases. Sago pondweed sheaths enclose their stems tightly, like a tube with overlapping margins where they enfold the stem. Sago pondweed is far more difficult to distinguish from linear-leaved pondweeds in the genus Potamogeton, in which it was traditionally placed as P. pectinata.

W.L. Jepson was so enamored of sago pondweed as a waterfowl food in early historic Suisun Marsh (San Francisco Estuary) that he wrote a popular article about his first-hand observations for Sunset Magazine, “Where Ducks Dine”, in 1905. (yes, it’s found online!). When canvasback ducks can’t feed on sago, which makes their flesh sweet and nutty, they eat clams that make their meat taste fishy and gamy. Canvasback hunting has lost popularity as sago pondweed wetlands have declined in California.

Fully elongated fruiting spike of Stuckenia pectinata. August 2011

Sago pondweed is reported in the Mendocino County flora from inland ponds, but only one coastal pond complex (Hunter Lagoon and Davis Lake, Manchester) and two estuaries: Pudding Creek (above the dam, however) and Big River. In fact, it is intermittently abundant and extensive at Ten Mile River, near the head of navigation on Albion River, and in the Navarro, Garcia (P’dhau), and Gualala estuaries.

There are basically three types of coastal river estuaries in Mendocino County that predict the location and mix of our native SAV plant species composition. Perennial tidal estuaries, intermediate (choked) tidal estuaries, and seasonal estuaries forming non-tidal summer lagoons.

Perennial fully tidal estuaries include the Albion River and Big River. Their mouths are sheltered from Pacific swell and large coarse-grained barrier beaches by rocky headlands that form quiet embayments, keeping their mouths from closing (by barrier beaches) or choking up with sand. Fully tidal estuarine rivers are home to a gradient of all three species. Ten Mile River estuary is usually tidal all year, but with flows that can become choked and reduced when the barrier beach and shoals grow across the mouth in summer.

Floating, fruiting canopy of Stuckenia pectinata over a bed surrounding the riparian woodland and marsh island above the mouth of Navarro River

The Gualala and Navarro River Estuaries, in contrast, are usually tidal only when river flows force their high coarse-grained barrier beaches to breach and open a tidal inlet. When freshwater flows diminish in spring or summer, the tidal inlets close, and form deep freshwater to fresh-brackish lagoons (saltier at the bottom; “stratified”), with water levels well above high tide. Eelgrass cannot compete or survive in non-tidal brackish to freshwater lagoons, but wigeongrass and sago pondweed can thrive in them, and do.

In all three estuary types, a highly variable mix of wigeongrass and sago pondweed beds occur. They dominate tidal estuaries in their more brackish to freshwater tidal river reaches, overlapping with eelgrass, but dominating above the upstream reach of eelgrass. In non-tidal summer lagoons, wigeongrass and sago pondweed vary greatly in relative abundance and position, with a mix of persistent old perennial beds, and rapid new colonization responding to changed estuary conditions.

The next time you drive over one of the Mendocino County estuaries on Highway 1, and see “algae”, think about running down to the shore and looking for beached samples of one of our native SAV species. And if you overhear discussion of “algal blooms” in our estuaries, help educate about what native vascular plant species lie underneath and attached to those epiphytic algal mats, and what they indicate about environmental health and water quality. This region is an estuarine sanctuary compared with most of the California Coast, and we can boast of some of the most healthy, beautiful and diverse estuarine SAV in the state.

Part 2 – Eelgrass, Zostera marina

Of the three submerged aquatic plants occurring in coastal Mendocino and Sonoma counties, eelgrass, Zostera marina, is a true seagrass that occurs in soft sediments (mud or sand) of fully tidal bays and estuaries with high transparency, allowing light to penetrate to the bottom. Wigeongrass (Ruppia cirrhosa), and sago pondweed (Stuckenia pectinata, syn. Potamogeton pectinatus), the two other estuarine species in our area, were treated in Part 1, July-August, 2017 issue of the Calypso. [above] Zostera marina at low tide, lower Albion River estuary, on rising tide with seawater flooding into the estuary. Unidentified marine algae grow as epiphytes on the blades. July 1, 2017.

It has flat, broad linear grass-like blades on long, supple flexuous shoots that sway with tidal currents. Like all seagrasses (marine flowering plants), it completes its life-cycle in seawater, flowering, fruiting and establishing from seed or clonal (vegetative) growth under water. It can grow in the lower intertidal zone, but it flourishes in shallow subtidal water, especially in cohesive muddy or sandy mud sediments where its rhizomes can anchor. In tidal rivers, it has to be able to tolerate full marine salinity seawater on rising (flood) tides, but also freshwater pulses on low tides in winter when river discharge is high.

The floating canopy of Zostera marina beds a half mile upstream from the mouth of the Albion River, Aug 6, 2014. Little epiphytic algae grows on the blades some drought years

Eelgrass beds provide ecologically important fish habitat: nurseries and foraging (feeding) habitat for small estuarine fish (including anadromous salmon and steelhead) that move through their canopies or feed around their edges, where they have access to visual cover from predators. They also help bind and stabilize sediment and store carbon in sediments. In the Ten Mile estuary, eelgrass canopies are crawling with juvenile Dungeness crabs in spring some years, moving up-estuary on flood tides. Waterfowl, especially brant, consume the shoots.

Zostera marina canopy floating at the water surface, vertical shoots rising in the water column below. Big River July 18, 2012.

In summer, eelgrass leaves develop epiphytic algae: marine or estuarine algae that grow on their leaves. Heavy covering of algae on eelgrass can trigger seasonal decline or even seasonal dieback, especially when temperatures warm in choked, brackish tidal estuaries. Turbid water, due to either suspended mud or algae, also can cause eelgrass decline by reducing light penetration in the water. Eelgrass thrives best in transparent cool, saline water with daily tidal flows and strong tidal circulation.

Zostera marina growing upstream of its usual limits, mixed with Ruppia cirrhosa in brackish tidally choked estuarine conditions, upstream of Hwy 1 bridge, during a major drought with low freshwater river outflows. Aug 14, 2015

Our native estuarine SAV dominant plants are grossly under-documented. It is particularly remarkable that the robust, extensive eelgrass beds of the Albion estuaries have escaped the attention of researchers and our state and federal resource agencies, as well as our floristic database records. There is only one reported Mendocino County locality of the species, Big River, in Calflora and Consortium of California Herbaria. There are no botanical records of the magnificent Albion eelgrass beds, or the highly elastic Ten Mile River eelgrass beds that vary between mile and mere yards long.

Zostera marina colonizes our tidal estuarine river beds upstream during droughts, following seawater mixing – salinity – gradients. A new colony is growing here in an upstream reach under freshwater willow swamp drought year, Ten Mile River, 2013

Eelgrass occurs only in tidal estuary (daily tidal flows) reaches where seawater influence is strong, at least during flood tides that deliver salty, clear water.

There are basically three types of coastal river estuaries in Mendocino County: perennial tidal estuaries, intermediate (choked) tidal estuaries, and seasonal estuaries forming non-tidal summer lagoons. Perennial fully tidal estuaries include the Albion River and Big River. Their mouths are sheltered from Pacific swell and large coarse-grained barrier beaches by rocky headlands that form quiet embayments, keeping their mouths from closing (by barrier beaches) or choking up with sand. Fully tidal estuarine rivers are home to a gradient of all three species.

Zostera marina beds grow in a distinct zone the tidal channel below brackish tidal marsh, Big River. Sept 6, 2014

Eelgrass occurs in these fully tidal estuary (daily tidal flows) reaches where seawater influence is strong, at least during flood tides that deliver salty, clear water. Eelgrass also occurs in our choked, intermediate tidal estuary, Ten Mile River. Ten Mile River estuary is usually tidal all year, but with flows that can become choked and reduced when the barrier beach and shoals grow across the mouth in summer. The Garcia River is also subject to choked tides, but its mobile gravel bed all the way to the mouth seems to exclude stable eelgrass.

This year, unexpectedly, the Navarro River mouth sustained an open tidal inlet through the summer, and changed from its normal freshwater above-tide lagoon condition, to a tidal brackish estuary that could support eelgrass if the unprecedented tidal lagoon condition returns in future summers. Is this unprecedented event a random fluke, or a harbinger of the future? Could eelgrass expand its range in Mendocino County as sea level rises and climate changes? Eelgrass and its associated Mendocino lagoon/estuary aquatic plants should be informative “sentinel” species for climate change here.

All photos by Peter Baye

For more information, see:
Gualala Estuary: Native Aquatic Vegetation versus Algal Blooms

Open access notables

Attribution of UK Temperature Changes to Anthropogenic and Natural Factors, Amos et al., Atmospheric Science Letters

Understanding the extent to which human activities have influenced regional climate is a key scientific and policy challenge. The UK is one of the world's best observed regions climatically, with a long and reliable temperature record that makes it an important test case for regional detection and attribution. Here, for the first time, we apply optimal fingerprinting to UK mean 2-m air temperature changes using the Estimating Equations method, HadUK-Grid observations, and CMIP6 simulations. We assess the extent to which observed UK temperature changes can be explained by natural internal variability, anthropogenic forcings, and natural external forcings. We detect a significant anthropogenic influence on warming in recent decades and identify greenhouse gases as the main driver. We also detect a cooling contribution from other anthropogenic influences in the mid-twentieth century, likely dominated by sulphate aerosols. These results update earlier UK-focused work and demonstrate that human influences, both warming and cooling, are detectable even at the national scale.

Sustained deoxygenation in global flowing waters under climate warming, Guan et al., Science Advances

Dissolved oxygen (DO), as a vital material sustaining aquatic ecosystems, has declined markedly in oceans, lakes, and coastal waters, yet unbiased understandings of changing DO concentrations in each individual river segment globally remain a challenge. Here, we estimate DO concentrations in 21,439 rivers globally between 1985 and 2023, based on Landsat observations and climatic data, and examine their patterns and trends. We find sustained deoxygenation in global rivers, at a rate of −0.045 mg liter−1 decade−1, with 78.8% experiencing fluvial deoxygenation, driven mainly by oxygen solubility and temperature. Moreover, short-term heatwaves and dam impoundment exert non-neglecting influence on these changes. Future projections demonstrate that global fluvial DO concentrations decline by 1.1% ± 1.6% under SSP1–2.6 and 4.7% ± 2.7% under SSP5–8.5 throughout the 21st century. Our study provides an unbiased baseline for escalating deoxygenation in global fluvial ecosystems that underscores targeted measures to mitigate deoxygenation threats and protect ecosystem health.

Emergent constraints on future methane emissions from global wetlands, Zhang et al., Nature Geoscience

Future methane (CH4) emissions from natural wetlands are predicted to increase due to global warming, leading to positive feedback on climate change. However, the magnitude of this increase remains highly uncertain. Here we present novel ensemble simulations of seven state-of-the-art terrestrial biosphere models to estimate wetland CH4 emissions (eCH4) during the twenty-first century. Our estimates suggest that for every 1 °C increase in global land surface temperature, there is a 24 ± 10 Tg CH4 yr−1 increase in eCH4. We also identify an emergent relationship between contemporary temperature dependence and projected eCH4. When constrained by 163 site-year eddy-covariance measurements of eCH4, we show that wetland emissions can increase by 50–60% by the 2090s relative to the 2010s under a high-warming scenario. The projected decadal increase in eCH4 from the 2010–2019 baseline to the 2030s would very likely (90% probability) offset an amount equivalent in scale to 8–10% of anthropogenic eCH4 at the 2020 level, comparable to the reductions committed under the Global Methane Pledge. However, the constraint is dominated by mid- and high-latitude observations, with limited tropical coverage, and uncertainties in projected wetland inundation contribute substantially to uncertainty in eCH4. Our findings reduce the uncertainty in projected wetland methane–climate feedback and highlight its potential impacts on methane mitigation efforts to slow global warming.

Challenges and opportunities of the full phase-out of fossil fuels under the 1.5 °C goal, Mori et al., Nature Communications

The COP28 decision called for transitioning away from fossil fuels, sparking a growing interest in their full phase-out. However, energy system transformation pathways towards a phase-out of fossil fuels, which may reduce the reliance on carbon dioxide removal to meet the 1.5 °C goal, remain unclear. Here, we employ two global energy system models to explore energy system transformations and the challenges and opportunities associated with attaining a full phase-out of fossil fuels. We found that phasing out fossil fuels by 2050 would require accelerating direct and indirect electrification, involving 1.6–1.8-fold increases in power generation compared to the conventional cost-effective 1.5 °C pathways. This transition from cost-effective to fossil fuel phase-out pathways would increase energy supply investments by up to 34% over this century and require accelerated deployment of solar and wind power, as well as electrolysers. Despite opportunities including lower reliance on carbon dioxide removal and increasing probability of returning to 1.5 °C after temperature overshoot, these additional requirements imply that international society must approach the transition towards zero-fossil energy systems with strong determination.

Scientific authority cues increase the spread of misinformation, Harrando et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 

Misinformation continues to circulate on social media, often because people unintentionally share posts without verifying their accuracy. We show that references to scientific entities, what we call Scientific Authority Cues, play an important role in this problem. Analyzing 8.7 million posts on Twitter (X), we find that these cues are associated with an increase in sharing, especially when sharing low veracity content, and when users lean politically to the right. A preregistered experiment with U.S. adults shows that attributing claims to scientific entities increases people’s willingness to share them by making claims seem more accurate. These findings reveal an important tension: Signals of scientific authority can also make misinformation more credible and thus easier to spread.

From this week's government/NGO section:

The AI Climate Hoax: Behind the Curtain of How Big Tech Greenwashes Impacts, Ketan Joshi, Beyond Fossil Fuels, Standearth, Climate Action Against Disinformation et al

The analysis collected the most prominent AI climate claims and determined a) what types of AI were referred to and b) what evidence was presented to back up those claims. The author found that 1. Most claims of climate benefit relate to ‘traditional’ AI, which has a much lower environmental impact than consumer generative AI tools. Even if these benefits are real, they are unrelated to - and dwarfed by - the massive expansion of energy use from the generative AI industry. 2. Where claims of traditional AI climate benefits are made, they tend to rely on weaker forms of evidence, such as corporate websites, rather than published academic research. Only 26% cited published academic research while 36% did not cite any evidence at all. This analysis shows that to bring the deployment of digital services in bounds with the physical limits of the planet, tech companies investing in AI should implement actual sustainability measures rather than masking ever-worsening damage to the climate and environment with vague terms and weak evidence.

Survey: U.S. and Canadian Business Confidence in Climate Action Remains Strong, Melissa Fifield, BMO Climate Institute

The fourth edition of the BMO Climate Institute Business Leaders Survey was conducted in January 2026 and included 741 respondents, including 370 in Canada and 371 in the U.S. Survey respondents include individuals in a senior role at their company (e.g. C-suite, President, Vice-President, Executive Director or General Manager) and who consider themselves to be senior decision makers. Companies range from those with at least five employees to more than 500 employees. Nearly three-quarters (73%) of respondents say they have or are developing plans to address climate-related risks, up from 69% in 2025. Extreme and unpredictable weather is a top concern for business leaders considering the impact of climate-related risks on their companies. Competitive pressure, customer expectations, and regulatory change are expected to drive further climate action. Three?fifths of respondents say AI is already used in daily operations or climate planning. Costs remain the most frequently cited obstacle to developing an effective climate plan. 101 articles in 48 journals by 751 contributing authors

Physical science of climate change, effects

Future changes of upscale ocean kinetic energy transfer under greenhouse warming, Wang et al., npj Climate and Atmospheric Science Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41612-026-01429-1

Mean State Change-Induced Differential Responses Between Strong Positive and Negative Events Reduce Indian Ocean Dipole Asymmetry Under Greenhouse Warming, Wang et al., Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres 10.1029/2025jd045190

Transitions of the Atlantic Ocean circulation, Castellana et al., Scientific Reports Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41598-019-56435-6

Variable Sensitivity of Lake Surface Temperatures to Short- and Long-Term Atmospheric Warming, Chen et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2026gl122409

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
A likely role for stratification in long-term changes of the global ocean tides, Communications Earth & Environment, 10.1038/s43247-024-01432-5 15 cites.

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Observations of climate change, effects

2024 global temperature record is consistent with model-predicted warming, Mann et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Open Access 10.1073/pnas.2600021123

Attribution of Recent Change in the Stratospheric Temperature and Its Application to Future Projection, Li et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2025gl120757

Attribution of UK Temperature Changes to Anthropogenic and Natural Factors, Amos et al., Atmospheric Science Letters Open Access 10.1002/asl2.70040

Nighttime warming amplifies the synergistic effects of snowmelt and rain on floods in arid northwestern China, ZHU et al., Advances in Climate Change Research Open Access 10.1016/j.accre.2026.05.003

Sustained deoxygenation in global flowing waters under climate warming, Guan et al., Science Advances Open Access 10.1126/sciadv.aef3132

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Steady threefold Arctic amplification of externally forced warming masked by natural variability, Nature Geoscience, 10.1038/s41561-024-01441-1 79 cites.

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Instrumentation & observational methods of climate change, effects

Anthropogenic radionuclides as tracers of climate change in the Pacific Ocean, Povinec et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-026-03639-0

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
GloUTCI-M: a global monthly 1 km Universal Thermal Climate Index dataset from 2000 to 2022, Earth system science data, 10.5194/essd-16-2407-2024 34 cites.

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Modeling, simulation & projection of climate change, effects

Diagnosis of the Contribution of Internal Climate Variability to Global Surface Temperature Projection Under Future Warming, Oh et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2026gl122593

Dual Regimes of North American Heatwaves and Their Future Change, Yeo et al., Weather and Climate Extremes Open Access 10.1016/j.wace.2026.100912

Extreme Climate Events in Morocco: Historical Analysis and Future Projections Based on CMIP6 Simulations, Hakam et al., International Journal of Climatology Open Access 10.1002/joc.70433

Future Change in the Moist Wave Activity and Its Potential Impact on Local Extreme Precipitation Under a Warming Climate, Xue et al., Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres 10.1029/2025jd044844

Future Changes to Rainfall Extremes Over Puerto Rico in a Convection-Permitting Model, Dougherty et al., Earth s Future Open Access 10.1029/2025ef007833

Projected Evolution of Climatic Aridity in Spain: Robust Signals and Model Uncertainties, Trullenque?Blanco et al., International Journal of Climatology Open Access 10.1002/joc.70316

Quantifying Uncertainty in the Perceived Risk of Unprecedented Rainfall, Sigid et al., Earth s Future Open Access 10.1029/2026ef008121

Quantifying Very Extreme Precipitation and Temperature Using Huge Ensembles Generated by Machine Learning–Based Climate Model Emulators, Paciorek & Cooley, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 10.1175/bams-d-25-0178.1

Robust intensification of projected regional precipitation extremes over Africa, Akinsanola et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-026-73246-2

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Rising risks of hydroclimatic swings: A large ensemble study of dry and wet spell transitions in North America, Global and Planetary Change, 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2024.104476 21 cites.

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Advancement of climate & climate effects modeling, simulation & projection

Attribution of Recent Change in the Stratospheric Temperature and Its Application to Future Projection, Li et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2025gl120757

Diagnosing Error Sources in Historical CMIP5 and CMIP6 Simulations of Surface Air Temperature and Precipitation, Seo et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2026gl122096

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Why Do CO2 Quadrupling Simulations Warm More Than Twice as Much as CO2 Doubling Simulations in CMIP6?, Geophysical Research Letters, 10.1029/2023gl107320 3 cites.

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Cryosphere & climate change

Antarctic ice-shelf basal melt shaped by competing feedbacks, Youngs et al., Nature Geoscience 10.1038/s41561-026-01975-6

How temperature seasonality drives interglacial permafrost dynamics: implications for paleo reconstructions and future thaw trajectories, Nitzbon et al., Climate of the past Open Access 10.5194/cp-22-377-2026

Modeled Greenland Ice Sheet evolution constrained by ice-core-derived Holocene elevation histories, Lauritzen et al., cryosphere Open Access pdf 10.5194/tc-19-3599-2025

Topography-albedo feedback reinforces the transition to a younger Arctic ice pack, Gluckman et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-026-03636-3

Winter seal-based observations reveal glacial meltwater surfacing in the southeastern Amundsen Sea, Zheng et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-021-00111-z

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
CMIP6 Models Rarely Simulate Antarctic Winter Sea?Ice Anomalies as Large as Observed in 2023, Geophysical Research Letters, 10.1029/2024gl109265 34 cites.

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Sea level & climate change

Adapting to sea level rise and storms, Young et al., EGUGA mag:3022614940

Antarctic ice-shelf basal melt shaped by competing feedbacks, Youngs et al., Nature Geoscience 10.1038/s41561-026-01975-6

Future changes in seasonal sea-level variability could reshape coastal ecosystems, Hermans et al., Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-026-02631-y

Projecting extreme sea levels for Northwest Ireland under future climate scenarios, Ahmed et al., Frontiers in Climate Open Access 10.3389/fclim.2026.1745732

Sea-level-driven land conversion amplified by coastal agriculture, Molino et al., Nature Sustainability Open Access 10.1038/s41893-026-01835-6

Subpolar North Atlantic heat flux drives projected U.S. East Coast sea-level trend in a climate model, Wang et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-026-03632-7

Subsidence more than doubles sea-level rise today along densely populated coasts, Oelsmann et al., Nature Communications Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-026-72293-z

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Establishing flood thresholds for sea level rise impact communication, Nature Communications, 10.1038/s41467-024-48545-1 20 cites.

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Paleoclimate & paleogeochemistry

Past warming climates promoted expansion of seagrasses to high latitudes, Tuya et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access 10.1038/s43247-026-03647-0

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
The Temperature of the Deep Ocean Is a Robust Proxy for Global Mean Surface Temperature During the Cenozoic, Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology, 10.1029/2023pa004788 16 cites.

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Biology & climate change, related geochemistry

Alpine Grasslands Are Not Moving Upslope Despite Strong Warming Trends Across the Tibetan Plateau, Vanneste, Global Change Biology 10.1111/gcb.70921

Decoding hotter-drought impacts on canopy activity and tree growth to diagnose forest die-off, Camarero et al., Agricultural and Forest Meteorology Open Access 10.1016/j.agrformet.2026.111238

Extensive Alpine Shrubification Revealed by Systematic Resampling Across Europe, Elmendorf & Criado, Global Change Biology 10.1111/gcb.70922

Fresh Phytoplankton Bloom Growth in the Fall and Its Control on Ocean Heating in the Pacific Arctic Region, Gaffey et al., Journal of Geophysical Research Oceans Open Access 10.1029/2025jc022895

Functional Traits Mediate the Interactive Effects of Climate and Human Disturbance on Non-Native Plant Diversity, Liu & Li, Diversity and Distributions Open Access 10.1111/ddi.70180

Increased climatic seasonality promotes coupling between NDVI and tree rings in seasonally dry tropical forests, Aragão et al., Dendrochronologia 10.1016/j.dendro.2026.126533

Limiting future warming reduces drought exposure for terrestrial vertebrates, He et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-026-73229-3

Macroalgal community transformation during successive marine heatwaves in southern California kelp forests, Michaud et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-026-03599-5

Morphological responses to climate change, Hardiman et al., Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society 10.1002/qj.2258

Neotropical ants are at greater risk from global warming in savanna than in adjacent forest, Zuanon et al., Ecology Open Access 10.1002/ecy.70413

Overwinter Warming Effects of Shrub Expansion in Arctic Permafrost Region, Li et al., Earth s Future Open Access 10.1029/2026ef008573

Regional dynamics drive differences in future heat stress and reveal where Hawaiian corals are most likely to persist, Feloy et al., Scientific Reports Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41598-026-47781-3

Spatiotemporal Distribution Patterns and Conservation Priorities of Castanopsis eyrei in China Under Climate Change, Xiang et al., Ecology and Evolution Open Access 10.1002/ece3.73681

Warming erodes climate connectivity for terrestrial vertebrates, Wu et al., Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-026-02658-1

Wind stilling shapes grassland water use efficiency by enhancing soil moisture retention, Wu et al., Science Advances Open Access 10.1126/sciadv.aee4995

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Global plant responses to intensified fire regimes, Global Ecology and Biogeography, 10.1111/geb.13858 51 cites.

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GHG sources & sinks, flux, related geochemistry

Autogenic Shoreline Migration and Its Effect on the Storage of Carbon in Marginal Marine Successions, Silvestre et al., AGU Advances Open Access 10.1029/2025av002067

Drivers of Extreme Carbon Sources and Sinks Across Diverse Ecosystems in the Western USA, York et al., Global Change Biology 10.1111/gcb.70926

Emergent constraints on future methane emissions from global wetlands, Zhang et al., Nature Geoscience Open Access 10.1038/s41561-026-01987-2

Global patterns of stabilized soil organic carbon and their potential implications for climate mitigation, LI et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-026-03634-5

Greenhouse Gas Dynamics From Created Wetlands of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia (Canada), Plant et al., Journal of Geophysical Research Biogeosciences 10.1029/2025jg009321

Groundwater depletion contributes to an increase in global carbon emissions, Sun et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-026-73521-2

Increasing atmospheric dryness and storms accelerates biomass turnover in Amazonian forests, Wu et al., Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-026-02639-4

Inorganic carbon fixation by deep prokaryotes as an unaccounted-for CO2 sink in Antarctic waters, Celussi et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-026-03610-z

Multi-Decadal Dynamics of Wetland Methane Emissions Revealed by Knowledge-Guided Machine Learning, Zhu et al., Global Change Biology Open Access 10.1111/gcb.70899

Role of Earth system processes in the relationship between climate change and cumulative carbon emissions, Liddicoat et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-026-72930-7

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Biodiversity loss reduces global terrestrial carbon storage, Nature Communications, 10.1038/s41467-024-47872-7 136 cites.

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CO2 capture, sequestration science & engineering

East Asian summer rainfall changes in carbon dioxide removal scenarios simulated by nine Carbon Dioxide Removal Model Comparison Project (CDRMIP) models, DONG et al., Advances in Climate Change Research Open Access 10.1016/j.accre.2026.05.001

More Pronounced El Niño–like Warming in Boreal Autumn and Winter under CO2 Removal Scenario, Huo et al., Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-24-0406.1

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Carbon storage through China’s planted forest expansion, Nature Communications, 10.1038/s41467-024-48546-0 133 cites.

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Decarbonization

A multilayered framework for advancing rapid and cost-effective electric power system decarbonization, Shi et al., PNAS Nexus Open Access 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgag139

Challenges and opportunities of the full phase-out of fossil fuels under the 1.5 °C goal, Mori et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-026-72841-7

Coal plants persist as a large barrier to the global solar energy transition, Song et al., Nature Sustainability Open Access 10.1038/s41893-026-01836-5

Decarbonizing global steel production, Wang et al., Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 10.1016/j.rser.2022.112367

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Bandgap-universal passivation enables stable perovskite solar cells with low photovoltage loss, Science, 10.1126/science.ado2302 159 cites.

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Geoengineering climate
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Public engagement for inclusive and sustainable governance of climate interventions, Nature Communications, 10.1038/s41467-024-48510-y 66 cites.

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Aerosols

Large Particle Size and Thick Coating Influence Pyrocumulonimbus Smoke Radiative Forcing and Stratospheric Warming: Insights From the 2019–2020 Australian Megafires, Chen et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2025gl119099

Climate change communications & cognition

Climate Change Communication in Pakistan: Analyzing Media Frames on Social Media Platform, Ali & Ali, Environmental Communication 10.1080/17524032.2026.2674235

Climate change judged more harmful for future generations than for oneself: Cross-cultural evidence from 110 countries, Milfont & Klebl, Journal of Environmental Psychology Open Access 10.1016/j.jenvp.2026.103079

Personal experiences matter for climate action, Wong-Parodi, Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-026-02640-x

Scientific authority cues increase the spread of misinformation, Harrando et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Open Access 10.1073/pnas.2535823123

Understanding and reducing the intention–behaviour gap in climate action, Fielding & Hornsey, Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-026-02630-z

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Eco-anxiety and climate-anxiety linked to indirect exposure: A scoping review of empirical research, Journal of Environmental Psychology, 10.1016/j.jenvp.2024.102326 31 cites.

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Agronomy, animal husbundry, food production & climate change

Continental-Scale Evidence of Farm Management Impacts on Soil Carbon, Helfenstein et al., Global Change Biology Open Access 10.1111/gcb.70913

Field data challenge predictions of universal crop pest proliferation under warming, Lippey et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 10.1073/pnas.2606726123

Funding options for climate change adaptation in forestry: a five-country expert survey in Southern Africa, Nikodemus et al., Frontiers in Forests and Global Change Open Access 10.3389/ffgc.2026.1820808

Global potential of fishery–photovoltaic integration for sustainable energy and climate mitigation, Ding et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access 10.1038/s43247-026-03606-9

Sea-level-driven land conversion amplified by coastal agriculture, Molino et al., Nature Sustainability Open Access 10.1038/s41893-026-01835-6

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Effects of alternate wetting and drying irrigation on yield, water-saving, and emission reduction in rice fields: A global meta-analysis, Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 10.1016/j.agrformet.2024.110075 58 cites.

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Hydrology, hydrometeorology & climate change

Accelerated Himalayan river meandering and dynamics due to climate change, Lin et al., Science 10.1126/science.adg8401

Anthropogenic global warming increases the risk of record-breaking extreme precipitation events in low-income countries, Nguyen et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access 10.1038/s43247-026-03649-y

Future Change in the Moist Wave Activity and Its Potential Impact on Local Extreme Precipitation Under a Warming Climate, Xue et al., Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres 10.1029/2025jd044844

Long-Term Regional Hydroclimate Modeling for Communities and Decision-Makers across Alaska and Northwestern Canada, Newman et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 10.1175/bams-d-24-0131.1

More concentrated precipitation decreases terrestrial water storage, Lesk & Mankin, Nature Open Access 10.1038/s41586-026-10487-7

More unpredictable river floods at the most glacierized Third Pole basin, Liu et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access 10.1038/s43247-026-03623-8

Nighttime warming amplifies the synergistic effects of snowmelt and rain on floods in arid northwestern China, ZHU et al., Advances in Climate Change Research Open Access 10.1016/j.accre.2026.05.003

Nighttime warming amplifies the synergistic effects of snowmelt and rain on floods in arid northwestern China, ZHU et al., Advances in Climate Change Research Open Access 10.1016/j.accre.2026.05.003

River dynamics in a warming climate, Hollingsworth et al., Canadian Journal of Forest Research 10.1139/x10-094

Robust intensification of projected regional precipitation extremes over Africa, Akinsanola et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-026-73246-2

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Characteristics and changes of glacial lakes and outburst floods, Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, 10.1038/s43017-024-00554-w 102 cites.

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Climate change economics

Understanding loss and damage in West African climate policies: a comparative analysis of national approaches in five countries, Okunola & Ekoh, Climate Policy Open Access 10.1080/14693062.2026.2675272

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Estimation of useful-stage energy returns on investment for fossil fuels and implications for renewable energy systems, Nature Energy, 10.1038/s41560-024-01518-6 111 cites.

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Climate change and the circular economy
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Economic and carbon emission assessment of compostable plastics as a substitute for petrochemical plastics: a case study in Yunnan Province, Environment Development and Sustainability, 10.1007/s10668-024-05000-x 2 cites.

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Climate change mitigation public policy research

Synergistic action on mitigation and adaptation pilot policies to enhance low-carbon transition of Chinese cities, Zeng, Urban Climate 10.1016/j.uclim.2026.102942

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Systematic review and meta-analysis of ex-post evaluations on the effectiveness of carbon pricing, Nature Communications, 10.1038/s41467-024-48512-w 123 cites.

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Climate change adaptation & adaptation public policy research

Adapting to sea level rise and storms, Young et al., EGUGA mag:3022614940

Applying a climate information distillation framework to support a climate resilient hydropower sector in Nepal, Oakes et al., Frontiers in Climate Open Access pdf 10.3389/fclim.2026.1789662

Empowering policymakers decision making through navigating IPCC AR6 insights, Tomassi et al., Climate Risk Management Open Access 10.1016/j.crm.2026.100825

Future Changes in Power Grid Exposure to Urban Flooding Over Eastern Coastal China, Luo et al., Earth s Future Open Access 10.1029/2025ef007502

Indigenous climate mobilities governance: The case of the Vaitupu-Kioa international migration route, Kitara et al., Environmental Science & Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.envsci.2026.104394

Urban heatscapes and environmental injustice: Structural drivers and governance pathways for equitable climate adaptation – A scoping review, Lyra et al., Environmental Science & Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.envsci.2026.104399

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Beyond carbon: Unveiling vulnerabilities of the transportation fuel system for climate resilience, Energy Research & Social Science, 10.1016/j.erss.2024.103585 8 cites.

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Climate change impacts on human health

Accessing sexual and reproductive health services during climate change-related environmental disruptions in coastal Ghana: a privilege or human right for young women with disabilities?, Gbagbo et al., Frontiers in Climate Open Access pdf 10.3389/fclim.2026.1762744

Climate change and social health, Sellers et al., Environmental Health Perspectives Open Access pdf 10.1289/ehp4534

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Severe drought exposure in utero associates to children’s epigenetic age acceleration in a global climate change hot spot, Nature Communications, 10.1038/s41467-024-48426-7 10 cites.

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Climate change & geopolitics

Water in COP processes and future climate action through the Baku water declaration, Antwi, Climate Risk Management Open Access 10.1016/j.crm.2026.100826

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Conflict mitigation as a means of climate change adaptation: Lessons for policy and development practice, Environment and Security, 10.1177/27538796241246409 7 cites.

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Other

Accounting for Extremes in Modeling the Size and Likelihood of Large Fires in the United States, Asadian et al., Earth s Future Open Access 10.1029/2025ef007485

Climate change exacerbates disparities of energy resilience in New York City, Xu et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-026-73247-1

Educational policies can strengthen climate coalitions, Bradley et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Open Access pdf 10.1073/pnas.2533821123

Global and regional climate modes modulate armed conflict risk, Bagwell et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Open Access 10.1073/pnas.2532935123

Regional inequity in top-tier climate change research, Sharma et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-026-03585-x

Revisiting ENSO Regime Shift Around 2000: A Perspective From Recharge Oscillator-Based Linear Inverse Model, Sun et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2025gl121498

“We don't have other options”: Academic air travel practices in southern Taiwan, Cheng et al., Energy Research & Social Science 10.1016/j.erss.2026.104757

Informed opinion, nudges & major initiatives

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
The 2024 Europe report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: unprecedented warming demands unprecedented action, The Lancet Public Health, 10.1016/s2468-2667(24)00055-0 247 cites.

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Articles/Reports from Agencies and Non-Governmental Organizations Addressing Aspects of Climate Change

The State of Renewable Energy Dashboard, Johanna Neumann and Tony Dutzik, Environment America Research & Policy Center

Wind, solar and geothermal accounted for 21.4% of national retail electricity sales in 2025, a jump from 8% in 2016. South Dakota once again led all states by producing the equivalent of 95% of its retail electricity sales from wind, solar or geothermal. More states than ever – 32 in total – now get 10% or more of their electricity from renewables. South Dakota, Iowa, Wyoming, Kansas and New Mexico were the top five states for total renewable electricity generation as a percentage of retail sales in 2025. America had 77 times as much utility-scale battery storage in 2025 as it did in 2016, with a 58% increase in 2025. There were more than 4.5 million electric vehicles on American roads at the end of 2024 – a 15-fold increase from 2016. America produced enough solar energy to power 36 million homes in 2025 – seven times as much as in 2016, largely thanks to a 28% increase in 2025.

A Reliable Grid for an Electric Future (update), The National Electrical Manufacturers Association

The authors project U.S. electricity demand will rise more than 55% by 2050 – with the steepest growth concentrated in the current decade. Data centers alone are projected to account for 38% of net electricity consumption through 2037, driven by aggressive hyperscaler capital expenditure and the accelerating energy intensity of artificial intelligence workloads. Electric mobility electricity consumption is projected to grow 2,000% through 2050, and electricity’s overall share of final energy delivered is expected to grow from 18% to 28% over the same period.

Climate Change Big Player at FIFA World Cup 2026, World Weather Attribution

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be played from 11 June to 19 July 2026 across three host countries: the United States of America (USA), Canada, and Mexico, with matches spread over 16 cities and the final to be held in New York on the 19th of July. In this study we approximate wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) using temperature and humidity – which means results apply best to a sheltered and shaded area, without the heating effect of direct sunlight or the cooling effect of wind. Guidance from the global players’ union (FIFPRO) recommends that when WBGT reaches 26°C or higher, heat strain becomes a real risk and therefore matches must include cooling breaks. At 28°C WBGT and above, FIFPRO says it is unsafe for play and postponement is advised. This contrasts with current governing body regulations for the FIFA World Cup, which only consider postponement at WBGT levels exceeding 32°C, indicating a far higher threshold for intervention under official rules. Using a statistical model applied to observations the authors say that in this year’s World Cup 26 games would be expected to take place in conditions of at least 26°C WBGT, of which 9 are in stadiums without cooling. In 1994 it was expected that 21 games occurred under these conditions, and only 6 without cooling.

The Geothermal Supply Chain Is America’s to Gain — or Lose, Feshback et al., RMI

Next-generation geothermal energy shows growing promise as a source of firm, reliable power. Investment in the sector has grown a hundredfold in seven years from $22 million in 2018 to $2.2 billion in 2025; pilot projects are successfully delivering electricity; and the first phase of a large-scale commercial plant, a 500 MW project in Utah, will come online this year. A growing body of evidence suggests that the geothermal opportunity is particularly large for the United States, which holds the world’s largest technical resource and much of the expertise needed to unlock it. There is growing recognition that, at least in the United States, the sector’s long-term viability depends heavily on progress achieved through the early 2030s, technology transfer from oil and gas, and equipment standardization. These factors make understanding supply-chain readiness, both domestic and global, crucial.

ELECTROTECH MONEYBALL: An Industrial Strategy for Ranking Risk and Opportunity in Energy & AI Supply Chains, Benich et al., Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy & Technology

The People’s Republic of China (PRC) dominates much of what many experts call the “electrotech stack”—the integrated set of hardware and software components central to this buildout that are transforming electricity from a physical flow into something that also can be digitally generated, stored, and directed. That dependence is not only creating a supply vulnerability, but also threatening to undermine the very security advantages that a modernized grid is supposed to deliver.

Germany’s battery opportunity, Petrovich et al., Ember

A long-awaited package will determine whether Germany’s electricity backup power is secured entirely by new fossil gas power plants or whether clean flexibility solutions, such as batteries, are allowed to compete on an equal footing. Germany has a strong grid-scale battery pipeline, but the lack of an ambitious clean flexibility strategy and the preferential treatment of gas in forthcoming auctions risk slowing deployment, causing the country to forego the benefits of batteries and remain locked into gas import dependency for decades.

Role of Climate Change on Infectious Diseases, Almagro-Moreno et al., American Society for Microbiology and the American Geophysical Union

Anthropogenic climate change is a fundamental threat to human health. Altered temperature and precipitation levels, sea level rise and more frequent and intense weather and climate events associated with climate change can negatively affect human health and health systems, especially with respect to infectious diseases. These changes impact the ecology, evolution, distribution and prevalence of infectious disease reservoirs, hosts, vectors and pathogens in ways that lead to the emergence of disease. Understanding and quantifying the relationship between climate change and infectious diseases are crucial for informing mitigation and adaptation strategies that strengthen public health responses. The report is based on the deliberations of experts in epidemiology, microbial ecology and evolution, infectious diseases and climate science who participated in a colloquium on Oct. 9-10, 2025, organized by the American Academy of Microbiology, the honorific leadership group and think tank within ASM, and the American Geophysical Union (AGU). These experts came from diverse disciplines and sectors to articulate opportunities to build on climate, microbial and attribution science to promote proactive public health preparedness and response. The participants highlighted the need for long-term attribution studies, proactive workforce training, development of novel diagnostics and treatments, and improved surveillance systems so that health systems are capable of rapidly responding to a changing infectious disease landscape.

Impacts of Large Loads on Electricity Rates: A Primer, Lam et al., Energy Systems Integration Group and Brattle

The authors identify five key determinants that most often drive whether large load additions increase or decrease rates for existing customers. These determinants are (1) when sufficient available capacity exists, a new large customer can be served with minimal incremental capital investment; rates for existing customers fall when revenue from new large customers exceeds the incremental infrastructure cost, and rise when it does not; new large loads can increase capacity prices in tight markets, with customers without long-term price protection bearing the impact; existing customers may bear the cost of underused or stranded assets if expected large load growth does not materialize; and requirements such as take-or-pay, minimum bills, contribution-in-aid-of-construction, reservation charges, collateral, and exit fees can reduce cost shifts and stranded-cost risk.

The State of Clean Energy Manufacturing in Q1 2026, Tom Taylor and Katherine Shok, Atlas Public Policy

In Q1 2026, manufacturers canceled four facilities, resulting in a loss of $1.4 billion in previously announced investment. Several facilities announced pauses in manufacturing resulting in reductions in labor demand that contributed to a loss of almost 8,100 jobs. However, across 12 states, 12 companies announced $2.5 billion in investment and 2,200 jobs tied to 21 projects. Altogether, companies announced a net $1.1 billion increase in investment and net loss of 5,900 jobs in Q1 2026. Electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers continue to face challenges. EVs have seen the greatest proportion of canceled investments at 15 percent of announced investments, followed by batteries (12 percent).

A world on the edge. Priorities for a pandemic-resilient future, Global Preparedness Monitoring Board

The authors found that as infectious disease outbreaks become more frequent they are also becoming more damaging, with widening health, economic, political and social impacts, and less capacity to recover from them. This report uses the GPMB Monitoring Framework to assess how the impacts of the six new Public Health Emergencies of International Concern (PHEICs) of the past decade have evolved and identifies the areas where they are now most acute. To rebuild trust and advance equity, the world requires independent pandemic risk monitoring, equitable access to countermeasures, and sustainable financing, enabled by sustained political attention.

Full assessment. 2026 National Climate Change Risk Assessment for Aotearoa New Zealand, He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission

The authors of the assessment identify the most significant risks to Aotearoa New Zealand's economy, society, environment, and ecology. They assess the nature of the risks, their severity, and the need for coordinated actions to respond to them. This will help inform the government's next national adaptation plan, due in 2028.

A Plan for American Electricity Affordability, Center for American Progress

The authors propose an American Electricity Affordability Plan to expand the supply of energy by building more capacity to generate electricity and by building better grid infrastructure to ensure the American people can afford to heat and cool their homes. This includes major reforms to break down permitting and siting barriers that obstruct or slow good decision-making, boost public and private investment, and realign incentives for utilities to build the most cost-effective projects rather than the costliest. Three new policy approaches are needed including (1) a program to expand supply by building a better, bigger power system, including reforms to accelerate permitting of new transmission and generation capacity, align utility incentives for lowering costs, and make public investments in manufacturing and construction of both clean energy and grid infrastructure; (2) a rate relief fund to provide public funding for cost-effective electricity system improvements to states that choose to freeze or lower residential electricity rates for four years, immediately taking the cost pressure off households while the better, bigger power system is built; and (3) a national AI data center fair share policy that sets standard rules for all data centers to pay their fair share of the costs of the energy and grid infrastructure they impose on the electricity system and makes sure residential consumers do not foot the bill while avoiding creating an incentive for data centers to be built off-grid.

2026 Summer Reliability Assessment (Final), The North American Electric Reliability Corporation

The 2026 Summer Reliability Assessment (SRA) identifies, assesses, and reports on areas of concern regarding the reliability of the North American bulk power system (BPS) for the upcoming summer season. In addition, the SRA presents peak electricity demand and supply changes and highlights any unique regional challenges or expected conditions that might affect the reliability of the BPS. As electricity demand continues to rise and the resource mix changes, the North American grid is being called on to adapt in real time. The 2026 Summer Reliability Assessment finds that record resource additions have strengthened readiness for the summer season, even as elevated risks remain in some areas.

Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction 2025-2026, UNEP and the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction, United Nations Environment Programme

The authors review the status of construction/building policies, finance, technologies and solutions to monitor alignment with the Paris Agreement goals. The authors benchmark progress through the Global Buildings Climate Tracker across emissions, building energy codes, renewable energy, green building certification, and investment in energy efficiency, covering climate resilience, housing affordability, and the 2050 Buildings Breakthrough and Déclaration de Chaillot. Despite a decade of progress, the sector remains off track, accounting for 37 per cent of global emissions and nearly 50 per cent of global material extraction, as decarbonization stalls and construction outpaces climate action.

Survey: U.S. and Canadian Business Confidence in Climate Action Remains Strong, Melissa Fifield, BMO Climate Institute

The fourth edition of the BMO Climate Institute Business Leaders Survey was conducted in January 2026 and included 741 respondents, including 370 in Canada and 371 in the U.S. Survey respondents include individuals in a senior role at their company (e.g. C-suite, President, Vice-President, Executive Director or General Manager) and who consider themselves to be senior decision makers. Companies range from those with at least five employees to more than 500 employees. Nearly three-quarters (73%) of respondents say they have or are developing plans to address climate-related risks, up from 69% in 2025. Extreme and unpredictable weather is a top concern for business leaders considering the impact of climate-related risks on their companies. Competitive pressure, customer expectations, and regulatory change are expected to drive further climate action. Three?fifths of respondents say AI is already used in daily operations or climate planning. Costs remain the most frequently cited obstacle to developing an effective climate plan.

The AI Climate Hoax: Behind the Curtain of How Big Tech Greenwashes Impacts, Ketan Joshi, Beyond Fossil Fuels, Standearth, Climate Action Against Disinformation et al

The analysis collected the most prominent AI climate claims and determined a) what types of AI were referred to and b) what evidence was presented to back up those claims. The author found that 1. Most claims of climate benefit relate to ‘traditional’ AI, which has a much lower environmental impact than consumer generative AI tools. Even if these benefits are real, they are unrelated to - and dwarfed by - the massive expansion of energy use from the generative AI industry. 2. Where claims of traditional AI climate benefits are made, they tend to rely on weaker forms of evidence, such as corporate websites, rather than published academic research. Only 26% cited published academic research while 36% did not cite any evidence at all. This analysis shows that to bring the deployment of digital services in bounds with the physical limits of the planet, tech companies investing in AI should implement actual sustainability measures rather than masking ever-worsening damage to the climate and environment with vague terms and weak evidence. About New Research

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As Audubon California celebrates 30 years as a state office, we’re reflecting on the milestones that shaped our work, the partnerships that made them possible, and the legacy of conservation that...

RootsAction is releasing the following statement:

After months of intense pressure, Chair Ken Martin and the DNC finally caved and released their 2024 autopsy report. To call the report a disgrace would be an understatement. The report focuses extensively on ad spending and fundraising, without discussing the Democratic platform, policy positions or political context of the 2024 election. The word "affordability," arguably the most important issue in the 2024 election, appears twice in the 129-page report. The report makes no mention whatsoever of Gaza or Israel — neither word even appears in its text.

Now, Martin and the DNC are trying to wash their hands of the report and its contents. In a hasty, almost amateurish markup, the DNC has gone out of its way to poke holes in the legitimacy of the very report it commissioned. The report is full of factual errors, poorly supported conjecture, and misguided ramblings, many of which the DNC itself is eager to point out. While Martin may feel that this absolves him of the responsibility to answer for this pitiful document, it should only intensify scrutiny of his leadership of the DNC.

Martin recruited the author to write the report. He presumably provided the author with resources and access to party officials and functionaries. The DNC has a responsibility to turn in a report that truly grapples with the mistakes of the past so that the Democratic Party can learn from those mistakes and emerge stronger in its fight against Trumpism. The DNC has utterly failed in that respect.

The only serious autopsy so far remains the one that RootsAction published: https://democraticautopsy.org/

Claudia Bagiackas joined the ISE community in 1993 as an ISE Masters student studying radical educational pedagogy from a social ecology perspective. In 1995, she became program coordinator. Before joining the ISE, Claudia spent decades teaching and directing Montessori education in Ohio, where her family lived. She believed deeply in primary education as a foundation for a life of purpose, meaning, and competence.

Claudia brought this same passion to the ISE, working tirelessly to recruit each new cohort for the annual 4–6 week Ecology and Community program. Outreach before the Internet was challenging: students discovered the ISE through magazine ads, paper flyers, university bulletin boards, and food co-ops. Claudia carefully followed up with every inquiry, communicating warmly and enthusiastically with prospective students from around the world. Even when students knew little about social ecology or the Institute, she had a remarkable ability to connect personally, helping them see how the ISE could support their studies, political work, and personal growth. During her decade in this role, Claudia sustained the work of the ISE and helped create opportunities for hundreds of students to learn with us. She was also personally involved in programs in Ladakh and Bhutan, and maintained lifelong relationships with many international students who admired her kindness, energy, and empathy.

Claudia embodied a belief in radical change and the power of community. Her sensitivity, attention to detail, and willingness to go the extra mile were essential to the success of our work. She also had the patience and endurance to work through endless meetings and challenges while maintaining positivity and humor. Courageous and adventurous, she left behind her life in Ohio to begin anew in Vermont, where she built community, found love, and continued growing and learning.At the center of Claudia’s life was her family—her children, brother, and grandchildren—as well as the many friends and community members she embraced with love and generosity. Her creativity infused both her work and her art. She was also resilient: Claudia survived two cancers and endured profound losses with strength and determination. Hers was a life lived fully and passionately, one that will be remembered and celebrated. All of Claudia’s colleagues at the Institute know she will be deeply missed.

 

Below, we have included a poem by her friend and comrade Chaia Heller:

Claudia

She had dark pennies for eyes. She wore linen. 

Sometimes ivory or cream or just like the white

-blue sky. Or just a linen top with jeans and 

latticed sandals. Elegance in hippie Vermont.  

Long dark hair, almost navy blue, in two long braids, 

sometimes the ends tied together behind her 

like the women in Ladakh. She had travelled there 

and was moved by the clarity of their faces, like 

a clear pond holding a cloudless sky. She loved 

to laugh at ridiculousness. Not with one speck 

of meanness. Raw honey streamed through each

of her veins, each artery. The brazenness of her 

smile was a zinnia. Her laughter was the thrum 

of bees lost in collaboration. Once, she spoke of 

aging. She’d developed a theory. She said, “So, 

there’s the young olds, and the middle young olds, 

and the old olds.” Her words splashed across the 

decades, brightening behind her. And she taught 

herself to draw when she had two kinds of cancer 

discovered at the same time.  She learned to see 

everything as worthy of being seen. Of being 

beautiful.  

 

The post In Memoriam: Claudia Bagiackas appeared first on Institute for Social Ecology.

Check out some Rivervision Leadership Project examples below. These were done by high school field biology students within the Ferguson-Florissant School District, who were tasked with raising...

Washington recognizes EWG Verified® as higher standard for safer salon products Anthony Lacey May 21, 2026

WASHINGTON – In a first-of-its-kind pilot project, Washington is recognizing products with the EWG Verified® mark in its Safer Salons Partnership, which reimburses independent hair stylists, barbers and small salon businesses for switching to safer beauty products.

The program, led by Washington’s Department of Ecology, says EWG Verified meets the criteria for the highest reimbursement level. This is reserved for certifications that ban a broad range of harmful chemicals and assess the health hazards of ingredients and impurities. More than 2,700 products have earned the EWG Verified mark.

“EWG is proud to be recognized by Washington State's Safer Salons Partnership,” said Clive Davies, vice president of EWG Verified. “This is a watershed moment for the beauty industry. Washington State is putting safer product choice directly in the hands of the workers who need it most, with the money on the table to help make it happen.

“By recognizing EWG Verified at the highest level, the state is sending a clear message to manufacturers: Designing safer products is not only possible, it’s preferred. EWG is proud to be part of making that happen,” he added.

Protecting the workers most at risk

Salon workers face some of the highest occupational exposures to toxic chemicals in the beauty industry. 

Hair straighteners, dyes and styling products can contain formaldehyde, phthalates and other chemicals linked to cancer, hormone disruption and reproductive toxicity. Unlike consumers, salon workers breathe them in and absorb them through their skin for hours at a time every single working day.

“For too long, we’ve expected salon workers to deliver high-performance results without assurance that the products they use are safe,” said Lauren Sweet Duffy, Ph.D., senior director of EWG Verified. “They shouldn't need a chemistry degree to know whether the products they use every day are safer.

“When a stylist sees the EWG Verified mark, the guesswork is gone. It means the product has been rigorously reviewed, meets high standards for ingredient safety and transparency, and is free from the hidden chemicals that have put salon workers’ health at risk for decades. That is not a small thing. We are thrilled to work with Washington state and help amplify these positive impacts,” she added

Washington targets toxic cosmetics

Washington’s Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act, enacted in 2023, is a model for what meaningful cosmetic ingredient reform looks like in practice. The law not only bans a broad range of harmful chemicals from cosmetic products sold or distributed in the state but also offers financial support for small businesses.

The European Union and other countries have banned or limited more than 1,600 chemicals from personal care products while the U.S. prohibits just nine for safety reasons.

States have stepped in to ban dozens of other chemicals. Washington’s Department of Ecology recently finalized a new rule under the Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act that will ban formaldehyde and 25 specific formaldehyde-releasing chemicals from cosmetic products beginning January 1, 2027. 

Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen commonly used in hair-smoothing treatments and also linked to respiratory disease and skin sensitization, risks that fall most heavily on the salon workers who apply these products daily.

The state is piloting the Safer Salons Partnership with several Washington salon professionals and barbershops. In addition to EWG Verified products, some other beauty products are eligible for the program.

A full directory of EWG Verified products eligible for reimbursement during the pilot is available at ewg.org/ewgverified. More information about the Safer Salons Partnership is available at ecology.wa.gov/safer-salons.

###

The Environmental Working Group is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that empowers people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. Through research, advocacy and unique education tools, EWG drives consumer choice and civic action.

Areas of Focus Personal Care Products Family Health Women's Health Toxic Chemicals Phthalates State’s pilot reimburses salon workers, barbers for buying items with EWG Verified mark Press Contact Monica Amarelo monica@ewg.org (202) 939-9140 May 21, 2026