You are here
News Feeds
Talking Headways Podcast: Are Arterials Unsafe? Or Are We Making Them Unsafe?
This week, we have a controversial episode featuring the ultimate roads scholar, Florida Atlantic University Professor Eric Dumbaugh, slaughtering some of the sacred cows of the livable streets movement. To Dumbaugh, the issue isn’t merely redesigning roads for safety, but making sure that planners don’t put all the big box stores on arterials.
We at Streetsblog USA aren’t sure we’re convinced, but we always like to hear from important people in the traffic space.
And, as always, let’s review all the ways you can enjoy this spirited content:
- Click here for a full transcript, albeit with some AI typos.
- Click the player below to listen.
- Or check out the lightly edited excerpt below the player.
Here’s the edited transcript:
Jeff Wood: Well, you’ve got a new paper out, Land Use and Road Safety: Understanding the Persistence of Vulnerable Road User Deaths and Injuries in the United States. I’m wondering if you can give us a little bit of the basics of what you found and why you were looking in this specific direction.
Eric Dumbaugh: So I’ve been examining street design issues now for 25 years, and there’s a uniquely U.S. view that street design is the solution to all things. But when it comes to arterials, European designs are indistinguishable from what we use in the United States. The lane widths, the design features are exactly the same. The difference is what we put along our streets, right?
Everyone who goes to Western Europe on vacation comes back and says, “Oh, this is really rather lovely. We should have our streets designed like this.” But those are essentially pre-automobile streets, the streets that were built from the Renaissance through the early industrial era. After the Second World War, they didn’t build American-style, they did not build the stuff we built. They essentially rebuilt the urban fabric that they had, and they haven’t had a lot of population growth since then.
So when we start looking at street design solutions from Europe, we need to understand that we’re looking at a built environment context where the automobile is adapted into a pre-automobile form.
The United States is totally different. Nearly all of our growth has happened since the Second World War — and all of that growth was built on an entirely different design model that came of age in the 1910s and 1920s that was centered around integrating automobile into the urban fabric.
So the safety problem on the streets happens because we have different sorts of users entering them. So is the issue really street design? Is it speed? Or is there something else going on here?
And what I found is that after you control for land use, things like speed and geometric design don’t really matter that much. What’s going on is we’re putting these land uses on either side of the street and it’s activating different activities there.
We’ve all seen the graphic where, you know, your chance of dying in a 40-mile-per-hour crash is like 90 percent. But to me, the question is, why is somebody walking there? They’re not walking there in Sweden because there’s nothing to walk to. All of those land uses are prohibited along their arterials. You can’t build that stuff there.
In the United States, our development model is we build the residential community as a cell, and then we export all of the other uses outside, to the arterials.
And that’s generating the hazard, because once you put them there, you start drawing the activities to them. You draw the pedestrians to them, you draw the cyclists to them, you draw the cars in and out of the driveways.
Now, often here in the United States, we have debate: “cars versus vulnerable users.” The safety problem for these users is exactly the same, and it’s the confluence of activities at these points. So the question then becomes: Why are we putting these uses in these environments, right? And what do we do about that to retrofit it going forward?
I have a graphic in the article that I think does a good job of illustrating this:
The traffic engineer was never tasked with city design The traffic engineer was tasked with moving traffic. That was part of the configuration that came about in the 1920s and ’30s. They go out and they build perfectly fine roads, rural roads, ex-urban roads that are indistinguishable from the European counterparts. The difference is our planners, our local economic development people, they get real excited about bringing in growth, and they’re experiencing growth, and they channel it over these roads.
So roads that are perfectly fine in an undeveloped context become developed. Think of them as a latent hazard, right? The speed is hazardous, but it’s only hazard if it’s activated. And when you put these land uses on there, when your local planner colors their land-use map red and says, “We’re gonna allow this development along here,” they’re activating that error.
WHO issues new guidance on heat-health action plans, as El Niño sets in
The World Health Organization (WHO) has unveiled new guidance for governments seeking to protect people from extreme heat, a growing priority as climate change pushes temperatures higher worldwide and intensifies heatwaves and related health risks.
The launch came as the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said on Thursday that El Niño has developed in the tropical Pacific. The climate phenomenon – which occurs naturally every few years – is predicted to intensify to a moderate or strong level this autumn, the service said.
Scientists have warned that a strong El Niño weather pattern could fuel “unprecedented” weather extremes in the coming months, including severe fires and droughts, and may make 2027 the next record-breaking hot year as it supercharges human-driven warming.
Scientists warn El Niño could intensify climate extremes in 2026
Unveiling updated recommendations for “Heat-Health Action Plans”, which are tailored for Europe but can be adapted globally, Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO’s regional director for Europe, said that over the past four years, heat has claimed more than 200,000 lives across 32 European countries.
He added that most of those deaths were “entirely preventable” and are “just the tip of the iceberg”, with millions more people being affected physically and mentally by the effects of extreme heat. Scientists have said Europe is the fastest-warming continent.
“Individual action, such as keeping out of the heat, keeping our homes cool and keeping our bodies hydrated, can make a big difference in protecting us, but it is not enough to fight a systemic crisis,” Kluge said in a statement. “We need a coordinated, powerful and institutional response.”
The new guidance focuses on the importance of providing early warning and alerts, targeting help for vulnerable groups and putting in place longer-term prevention measures across households and buildings, especially in cities, which are often hotter than rural areas. It also offers practical advice on how to do those things.
Who’s most vulnerable to heat?Heat can trigger exhaustion and heat stroke, and exacerbate existing medical conditions, including diabetes and cardiovascular, respiratory and cerebrovascular diseases, as well as disrupting sleep and aggravating mental health conditions.
In a fact-sheet, the WHO warned that rising global temperatures, more people living in cities and demographic aging are increasing exposure to heat and vulnerability to its impacts. Some of the most at-risk groups include older people, children, outdoor workers, athletes and sports players, those attending mass public gatherings and poorer social groups, it said.
Employers need plans to protect workers from rising heat stress, UN says
The WHO emphasised, however, that it does not just propose wider use of air-conditioning (AC) as the solution because it is not sustainable, is often unaffordable for those with low incomes and increases energy demand.
“It contributes to both the urban heat island effect and climate change, thus worsening heat exposures in the medium and long term,” the fact-sheet said.
Europe’s intense May heatwaveOn Wednesday, Europe’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) announced that May 2026 was the second warmest May on record globally across land and sea.
Across Europe, the month saw a rapid transition from much cooler-than-average conditions to one of the most intense heatwaves ever observed this early in the year in western Europe, C3S said. Numerous temperature records were broken for May with France, the UK, Ireland and Portugal enduring particularly severe conditions, it added.
C3S noted that the quick flip to a period of extreme heat “likely increased impacts on populations, leaving little time for people – or crops and ecosystems during growing season – to acclimatise to much higher temperatures”.
“Prepare for rougher times”In a foreword to the new WHO heat plan guidance, Wopke Hoekstra, European Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth, wrote that extreme heat is responsible for some 95% of all climate-related deaths in Europe, undermines labour productivity and risks overwhelming hospitals.
He noted that investing in emission reductions is far cheaper than paying for climate damage.
“Yet, while we push for emission reductions, we must also prepare for rougher times. Strengthening Europe’s climate resilience, protecting both well-being and economies, is non-negotiable,” he added.
By the end of this year, the European Union plans to adopt a new framework for climate resilience across all sectors, including health.
A woman cools herself with an electric portable fan during a heatwave, in London, Britain, August 12, 2025. (Photo: REUTERS/Jack Taylor) A woman cools herself with an electric portable fan during a heatwave, in London, Britain, August 12, 2025. (Photo: REUTERS/Jack Taylor)In the UK, the independent Climate Change Committee warned last month that, in a projected scenario of 2C of global warming by 2050, recent record hot summers will become the “new normal” in the usually temperate country, putting regular stress on domestic agricultural production.
Heatwaves lasting at least a week will be common and could regularly exceed 40C in the south, the committee’s report on adaptation said, posing challenges for keeping vulnerable people sufficiently cool.
It recommended that cooling will be needed in hospitals, prisons, schools and care homes, while regulation should set maximum temperature limits for workplaces.
Berlin’s Heat-Health Action PlanOn Thursday, the WHO said that since the publication of the first edition of its heat and health guidance in 2008, far more scientific evidence and practical experience have been gained. Many countries have since established Heat-Health Action Plans, but their adoption and implementation have been uneven, it said.
Comment: Early warnings for heatwaves can save lives – and we need them now
In Germany, where local authorities are primarily responsible for heat protection, the Berlin Senate adopted a state-wide heat–health action plan in 2025. It contains 72 measures to improve heat protection for residents, including informing them every summer of the risks via traditional and digital media.
A heat protection portal offers access to Berlin’s heat–health action plan, and a map of cool places in the city, as well as behavioural advice.
Berlin Senator Ina Czyborra said the city is also working on the long-term maintenance and expansion of parks, green spaces and water bodies, which can all help alleviate the effects of heat.
“One thing is clear: protection from heat is a cross-cutting task that can only be tackled through a joint effort by all administrative departments and levels, and with the involvement of civil society actors,” she added in a statement.
The post WHO issues new guidance on heat-health action plans, as El Niño sets in appeared first on Climate Home News.
Some large Virginia customers face hurdles to using generators for demand response participation
Virginia passed a law encouraging utilities to offer big power users the opportunity to participate in load-shedding programs, but for facilities, signing up is not an easy decision.
Skeptical Science New Research for Week #24 2026
Emergence of Uncompensable Heat Stress During Monsoon Season in India, Chuphal et al., AGU Advances
Uncompensable heat stress (UHS), characterized by the loss of homeostasis due to excessive environmental thermal loading, causes substantial heat-related health risks in India. However, the spatial and seasonal heterogeneity, as well as temporal changes of UHS in India remain poorly understood. Using observations, reanalysis data, and climate model projections, we highlight the surge of UHS during the monsoon season (July–October) as the climate warms. In the observed period (1979–2021), the frequency and area affected by UHS have increased significantly across India. The observed UHS is more prevalent in summer (March–June) and affects 8% of India, whereas only 1% of the country is affected in the monsoon season. The summer UHS is also more strongly associated with annual heat-related mortality (R2 = 0.38). However, the monsoon season (July-October) UHS, predominantly characterized by hot-humid conditions, is projected to increase rapidly with climate warming and affect nearly equivalent areas of the country as the summer season (60% in summer and 53% in the monsoon season) under 2°C warming relative to the preindustrial period. This will create long-lasting UHS across both seasons, posing critical challenges to public health, labor productivity, and climate resilience in densely populated and vulnerable regions.
Brief communication: Sea-level projections, adaptation planning, and actionable science, Lipscomb et al., cryosphere
As climate scientists seek to deliver actionable science for adaptation planning, there are risks in using novel results to inform decision-making. Premature acceptance may lead to maladaptation, practitioner confusion, and “whiplash”. We propose that scientific claims should be considered actionable (i.e., sufficiently accepted to support near-term adaptation action) only after meeting a confidence threshold based on the strength of evidence as evaluated by a diverse group of scientific experts. We discuss an influential study that projected rapid sea-level rise from Antarctic ice-sheet retreat but in our view was not actionable. We recommend regular, transparent communications between scientists and practitioners to support the use of actionable science.
Hello world! An interdisciplinary climate modelling course, Proske & Staab, Geoscience Communication
Climate models are not just physics translated into computer code. They are powerful actors influencing and influenced by humans. Thus modelers need to learn and modelling courses need to teach not only the techniques of numerical discretisation and the physical understanding of the climate system, but also the underlying motivations, the uncertainties and the societal embededness of the modelling approach. Following a design-based research approach, this study develops a 50 h long course at Bachelor level that aims to teach students such interdisciplinary perspectives. With a reflective open-ended exercise, we elicit students' learning process through challenging climate modelling topics. We find that the students learn to appreciate the complexity of climate models and the intricacies of scientific practice itself, highlighting for example the role of values in science. The exercise reveals few misconceptions and no major hurdles in the students' learning that may have been expected from the interdisciplinary nature of the material. We thus conclude that the course is a practice-proven approach to teaching the physical basis of climate modelling as well as its critical reflection.
Rapid artificial intelligence deployment increases near-term pressure on global carbon budgets, Charabi, Communications Earth & Environment
Limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius depends on cumulative carbon dioxide emissions, not only on whether annual emissions eventually balance. Artificial intelligence is increasingly promoted as a tool for reducing emissions, but its supporting digital infrastructure produces emissions before many system-level benefits are realized. Here, we evaluate this timing mismatch using a probabilistic numerical cumulative carbon accounting model calibrated to International Energy Agency artificial-intelligence and energy scenarios through 2035. The model combines operational emissions, embodied emissions, and delayed system-level savings. Across 10,000 Monte Carlo realizations, the accelerated Lift-Off pathway yields a median cumulative carbon debt of 2.85 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide before annual savings exceed annual infrastructure-related emissions in late 2031. Across scenarios, the carbon imbalance varies with deployment speed, grid decarbonization, and the coupling between infrastructure growth and mitigation-relevant applications. These results indicate that rapid artificial-intelligence deployment can increase near-term pressure on the remaining 1.5 degrees Celsius carbon budget.
From this week's government/NGO section:Temperature Check 2025–26, The Center for Climate Journalism and Communication, University of Southern California
Even though fewer Americans now hear about global warming and climate change through news, newspapers are still the top source of information for climate communicators. Climate communicators still prefer LinkedIn as their go-to social media platform for climate information, followed by Instagram and BlueSky. The use of X/Twitter for engaging in climate media continues to drop even more among climate communicators. Climate communicators are most concerned about the lack of climate action, global warming and the health impacts of climate change this year. Yet, the authors' survey shows climate communicators are also increasingly avoiding terms and phrases such as “climate change” and “global warming,” likely due to increasing politicization of the terms as well as pushback from the government as well as the public.Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics & Policy, Spring 2026, Leiserowitz et al., Yale University and George Mason University
With the primaries in the 2026 midterm elections underway, the authors found that 58% of registered voters prefer to vote for a candidate for public office who supports action on global warming, while 14% prefer to vote for a candidate who opposes action. 42% would like to hear from political candidates more often about efforts to reduce global warming, while 23% would like to hear about this less often. 31% will only vote for a congressional candidate who supports increasing the use of renewable energy, while 7% will only vote for a candidate who supports decreasing the use of renewable energy. 25% will only vote for a candidate who supports decreasing the use of fossil fuels, while 14% will only vote for a candidate who supports increasing the use of fossil fuels. 161 articles in 66 journals by 1249 contributing authorsThis edition includes an unusually large number of articles, with some being rather old. This is a result of our correcting a bibliographic database query problem. In the interest of completeness of our internal database wer're integrating older items affected by this quirk. This edition takes a large initial bite out of the backlog and we'll then will meter out the remainder over the coming few weeks.
Physical science of climate change, effects
Atlantic multidecadal variability amplifies decadal variability in the Kuroshio–Oyashio Extension region under global warming, Wang et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access 10.1038/s43247-026-03750-2
Constraints on Climate Change Stabilization Based on Observations of Earth's Energy Imbalance, Douville & Allan, Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2025gl121056
Current and Future Changes in Earth's Outgoing Infrared Spectrum, Shaw et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2026gl121893
Decoupling greenhouse gas and paleogeographic effects on Pacific decadal climate variability, Wu et al., Global and Planetary Change 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2026.105558
Differential Synoptic Circulation Forcing of Land and Coastal Heatwaves, Zhang et al., Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres 10.1029/2026jd046358
Differential Synoptic Circulation Forcing of Land and Coastal Heatwaves, Zhang et al., Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres 10.1029/2026jd046358
Divergent regional responses of soil moisture-air temperature coupling under future climate scenarios, Hagan et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-026-74040-w
Elevation-dependent warming: observations, models, and energetic mechanisms, Byrne et al., Weather and Climate Dynamics Open Access pdf 10.5194/wcd-5-763-2024
High-latitude Southern Ocean warming hotspot induced by ocean mesoscale eddies, Li et al., Nature Climate Change Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41558-026-02652-7
Interdependent Extratropical Atmospheric Responses to Arctic Sea Ice Loss, QBO, and ENSO, Walsh et al., Journal of Climate Open Access 10.1175/jcli-d-24-0518.1
Mechanisms Driving CO2 Instantaneous Radiative Forcing Enhancement in Warmer Climates, Wang et al., Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-25-0569.1
Multidecadal Atlantic “Warming Hole” Heat Content Variations Are Caused by Ocean Heat Transport, Not by Surface Fluxes, Rahmstorf et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2025gl118383
Multidecadal Atlantic “Warming Hole” Heat Content Variations Are Caused by Ocean Heat Transport, Not by Surface Fluxes, Rahmstorf et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2025gl118383
Observational constraints from global ice-phase fraction indicate moderate climate sensitivity, Zhou et al., Science Advances Open Access 10.1126/sciadv.aea0731
On the Role of Ocean Dynamics in Polar-Amplified Climate Change, Shakespeare, Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-25-0193.1
Polar processes set Arctic marine heatwaves apart, Athanase et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-026-03735-1
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Changes in Compound Hot Extremes over the Mid–High Latitudes of Asia and the Underlying Mechanisms, Journal of Climate, 10.1175/jcli-d-23-0502.1 4 cites.
Observations of climate change, effects
Compound weather and climate events in 2025, Raymond et al., Nature Reviews Earth & Environment 10.1038/s43017-026-00797-9
Emergence of Uncompensable Heat Stress During Monsoon Season in India, Chuphal et al., AGU Advances Open Access 10.1029/2025av001945
Emerging Effective Radiative Forcing in the Radiative Imbalance Since 2010, Yukimoto et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access pdf 10.1029/2025gl119913
Historical Increase in Autumn and Winter Cyclone-Associated Precipitation Over the Arctic Ocean Driven Primarily by Enhanced Arctic Evaporation, Crawford et al., Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres Open Access 10.1029/2025jd045523
Human-induced westerly jet shifts coordinate terrestrial productivity at the hemispheric scale, Yang et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-026-74039-3
Sudden, local temperature increase above the continental slope in the southern Weddell Sea, Antarctica, Darelius et al., Ocean science Open Access 10.5194/os-19-671-2023
The Fate of Western Headwaters: Climate Controls on Base-Flow Decline, Mroczek et al., Earth s Future Open Access 10.1029/2025ef007971
Unveiling the Climate Type Shifts: The Dominant Role of Anthropogenic Activities, Zhang et al., Anthropocene 10.1016/j.ancene.2026.100558
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Analysis of tropical nights in Spain (1970–2023): Minimum temperatures as an indicator of climate change, International Journal of Climatology, 10.1002/joc.8510 19 cites.
Instrumentation & observational methods of climate change, effects
Cloud parameter retrieval based on satellite data: A review of methods, advances, and challenges, Li et al., Atmospheric Research 10.1016/j.atmosres.2026.109130
Combining Observations, Forecasts, and Projections into Seamless Climate Information: Recent Advances and Insights in User Applications, Sarojini et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society Open Access 10.1175/bams-d-26-0079.1
Data supporting the North Atlantic Climate System: Integrated Studies (ACSIS) programme, including atmospheric composition, oceanographic and sea ice observations (2016–2022) and output from ocean, atmosphere, land and sea-ice models (1950–2050), Archibald et al., Earth system science data Open Access pdf 10.5194/essd-17-135-2025
Machine learning-based assessment of climate change impacts on hydrological drought in the Yangtze River Basin, 1985–2020, WANG et al., Advances in Climate Change Research Open Access 10.1016/j.accre.2026.05.010
Thermo-hydrological river valley observatory in Yedoma permafrost from 2012 through 2022 in Syrdakh, Central Yakutia, Pohl et al., Earth system science data Open Access 10.5194/essd-18-3525-2026
Modeling, simulation & projection of climate change, effects
Enhanced Moisture Uptake Fuels North Atlantic Tropical Easterly Waves Precipitation in a Downscaled CMIP6 Projection, Córdova-García et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2026gl122074
Future Projection of Tropical Upper-Tropospheric Troughs and Implications for Tropical Cyclone Activity, Chang et al., Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-25-0579.1
Increasing Future Global Compound Heat Flash Droughts and Socioeconomic Exposure, Li et al., Earth s Future Open Access 10.1029/2026ef008096
Near-0°C Temperature Pathways From High-Resolution Simulation in Current and Pseudo-Global Warming Future Over Eastern Canada and United States, Basnet & Thériault, Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres Open Access 10.1029/2025jd045714
Projected changes in forest fire season, the number of fires, and burnt area in Fennoscandia by 2100, Kinnunen et al., Biogeosciences Open Access 10.5194/bg-21-4739-2024
Worst-case European heat storylines generated using ensemble boosting, Suarez-Gutierrez et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-026-03699-2
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Comparative assessment of dry- and humid-heat extremes in a warming climate: Frequency, intensity, and seasonal timing, Weather and Climate Extremes, 10.1016/j.wace.2024.100698 20 cites.
Advancement of climate & climate effects modeling, simulation & projection
CMIP6 models overestimate sea ice melt, growth and conduction relative to ice mass balance buoy estimates, West & Blockley, Geoscientific model development Open Access pdf 10.5194/gmd-18-3041-2025
Hello world! An interdisciplinary climate modelling course, Proske & Staab, Geoscience Communication Open Access pdf 10.5194/gc-9-239-2026
Transport of warm bias from Indian Ocean subsurface to Southern Ocean surface in Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6 models, Ma et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-026-03705-7
Tropical impacts of the Southern Ocean underestimated by mean-state biases, Dong et al., Science Advances Open Access 10.1126/sciadv.aed1936
Underestimated Future Wetting in the Arid Region of Northwest China: Impact of Systematic Model Biases in Synoptic Regime Frequency, Guo et al., Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres 10.1029/2026jd046874
Using remote sensing radiation and meteorological data to assess climate change: prediction of extreme weather events in Northeast China, Li et al., Frontiers in Environmental Science Open Access pdf 10.3389/fenvs.2026.1778049
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Delivering an Improved Framework for the New Generation of CMIP6-Driven EURO-CORDEX Regional Climate Simulations, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 10.1175/bams-d-23-0131.1 23 cites.
Cryosphere & climate change
Arctic Sea Ice Acceleration: Seasonal Pulses, Spatial Contrasts, and a Sea Ice Concentration–Dependent Rheological Threshold, Ouyang et al., Journal of Geophysical Research Oceans 10.1029/2025jc023182
Assessing the susceptibility to thaw settlement hazards in circum-Arctic permafrost regions during 2000?2020, NI et al., Advances in Climate Change Research Open Access 10.1016/j.accre.2026.05.021
Ice-sheet regime shifts with climate warming, Golledge et al., Nature Geoscience 10.1038/s41561-026-02010-4
Ice-Sheet–Ocean Interactions and the Reversibility of a Regime Shift Beneath Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf, Reese et al., Journal of Geophysical Research Oceans Open Access 10.1029/2025jc023952
Inland migration of near-surface crevasses in the Amundsen Sea Sector, West Antarctica, Hoffman et al., cryosphere Open Access 10.5194/tc-19-1353-2025
Mapping the vertical heterogeneity of Greenland's firn from 2011–2019 using airborne radar and laser altimetry, Rutishauser et al., cryosphere Open Access 10.5194/tc-18-2455-2024
Probabilistic projections of the Amery Ice Shelf catchment, Antarctica, under conditions of high ice-shelf basal melt, Jantre et al., cryosphere Open Access 10.5194/tc-18-5207-2024
Sedimentary insights into organic matter alteration in Arctic Alaska's saline permafrost, Seemann et al., Biogeosciences Open Access pdf 10.5194/bg-23-3675-2026
The influence of ocean waves on Antarctic sea-ice albedo and seasonal melting, and potential coupled physical and biological feedbacks, Massom et al., cryosphere Open Access 10.5194/tc-20-3271-2026
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Snowpack variations and their hazardous effects under climate warming in the central Tianshan Mountains, Advances in Climate Change Research, 10.1016/j.accre.2024.06.001 12 cites.
Sea level & climate change
Crustal Deformation and Gravitational Effects From Dynamic Ocean Mass Redistribution Impact Projected Sea-Level Change, Ertel et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2026gl122243
Impacts of future sea level change on Greenland from community knowledge, coastal mapping, and glacial isostatic adjustment models, Tinto et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Open Access pdf 10.1073/pnas.2528615123
Sea-level rise is projected to reshape compound flooding potential in microtidal environments along the Spanish Mediterranean coastline, Jiménez et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-026-03712-8
Singular Geological Evidence, Historical Record and Socio-Economic Consequences of Recent Coastal Erosion and Future Sea Level Rise on Tourist Beaches: A Case Study from Southwestern Spain, Izquierdo et al., Journal of Earth Science 10.1007/s12583-025-0303-5
The sea level time series of Trieste, Molo Sartorio, Italy (1869–2021), Raicich, Earth system science data Open Access pdf 10.5194/essd-15-1749-2023
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Sea-level change in coastal areas of China: Status in 2021, Advances in Climate Change Research, 10.1016/j.accre.2024.06.002 11 cites.
Paleoclimate & paleogeochemistry
Non-linear climatic response to the weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation during glacial times, Du et al., Climate of the past Open Access 10.5194/cp-22-1105-2026
West Antarctic Ice Sheet advance since the early Pliocene, Zhang et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-026-74100-1
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Polar amplification of orbital-scale climate variability in the early Eocene greenhouse world, Climate of the past, 10.5194/cp-20-1303-2024 11 cites.
Biology & climate change, related geochemistry
A global early warning system for predicting exposure of biodiversity to extreme heat, Serra-Diaz et al., Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-026-02642-9
Amplified Arctic iceberg traffic reshapes benthic biodiversity, Krumpen, Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) Open Access 10.5281/zenodo.19664564
Anchoring India's Umbrella Species to Biodiversity and Climate Gains, Lamba et al., Conservation Letters Open Access 10.1111/con4.70059
Aridity Modulates the Legacy of Peak Growing Season Precipitation on Tree Growth Across Eurasia, Abudureheman et al., Dendrochronologia 10.1016/j.dendro.2026.126563
Bambusa bambos in Sri Lanka: a native species at the interface of climate resilience and ecological disruption, Madawala, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution Open Access pdf 10.3389/fevo.2026.1862374
Bleaching, mortality and lengthy recovery on the coral reefs of Lord Howe Island. The 2019 marine heatwave suggests an uncertain future for high-latitude ecosystems, Moriarty et al., PLOS Climate Open Access pdf 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000080
Climate Change Reduces Habitat Suitability of the Endemic Iranian Ground-Jay (Podoces pleskei): Spatial Analyses to Guide Conservation Strategies, Yousefi et al., Ecology and Evolution Open Access 10.1002/ece3.73637
Climate Warming Will Reduce Boreal Forest Litterfall, but the Response Differs Among Plant Functional Types, Thu et al., Ecology and Evolution Open Access 10.1002/ece3.73726
Climate-induced shifts in plant investment strategies regulate ecosystem carbon cycling across alpine grasslands, Althuizen et al., Journal of Ecology Open Access 10.1111/1365-2745.70364
Competition enables rapid adaptation to a warming range edge in a model plant community, Usui & Angert, Science 10.1126/science.ads4664
Deforestation-induced drying lowers Amazon climate threshold, Wunderling et al., Nature Open Access 10.1038/s41586-026-10456-0
Disease, Drought, and Warming: A Triple Threat to a Declining High-Elevation Amphibian, Kissel et al., Ecology and Evolution Open Access 10.1002/ece3.73767
Eco-evolutionary decoupling drives silent ecosystem collapse in the Anthropocene, Mosoh, Frontiers in Climate Open Access 10.3389/fclim.2026.1765410
Glacial Meltwater Impacts Marine Carbonate Chemistry on Iceland's Continental Shelf, Ljungberg et al., Journal of Geophysical Research Oceans Open Access 10.1029/2025jc023671
Integrating Remote Sensing and Machine Learning to Project Global Habitat Suitability and Productivity of Chinese Fir Under Climate Change, Sun et al., Ecology and Evolution Open Access 10.1002/ece3.73757
Modelling the global invasion potential of Pelagia noctiluca under climate change, Nisai et al., Scientific Reports Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41598-026-48886-5
Persistent warm water anomalies before and after marine heatwaves amplify heat exposure and associated risks, Nardi et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access 10.1038/s43247-026-03739-x
Reversible Regime Change: Climate-Driven Phytoplankton Community Shifts in the Cariaco Basin, Venezuela, Post et al., Journal of Geophysical Research Biogeosciences Open Access 10.1029/2025jg009360
Snow Gum Dieback Enhances Trunk Monoterpene Emissions in the Australian Alps, Contreras?Serrano et al., Journal of Geophysical Research Biogeosciences Open Access 10.1029/2025jg009577
Static connectivity models underestimate ecological risk under long-term climate and land-use change, Xu et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access 10.1038/s43247-026-03707-5
The Mussels That Came in From the Cold: Long-Term Effects of the Population Collapse in the 1960s May Explain Low Abundances of Boreal Mussels in the Subarctic Despite the Warming, Marchenko et al., Ecology and Evolution Open Access 10.1002/ece3.73763
These Boots Are Made for Walking: Sex-Specific Physiological and Metabolomic Strategies Reflect Male-Skewed Vulnerability to Ocean Warming in a Keystone Amphipod, Fernandes et al., Global Change Biology Open Access 10.1111/gcb.70950
Vegetation Growth Responses to Extreme Drought Events During 2001–2016 in Southwest China, Bing et al., Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres 10.1029/2025jd045108
Widespread Aquatic Insect Responses to Recent Warming in Swiss Mountain Lakes, Damber et al., Global Change Biology Open Access 10.1111/gcb.70957
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Global critical soil moisture thresholds of plant water stress, Nature Communications, 10.1038/s41467-024-49244-7 156 cites.
GHG sources & sinks, flux, related geochemistry
A fixed methane filter maximizes freshwater emissions under warming, Harpenslager et al., Nature Climate Change Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41558-026-02649-2
Annual emissions of carbon from land use, land-use change, and forestry from 1850 to 2020, Houghton & Castanho, Earth system science data Open Access pdf 10.5194/essd-15-2025-2023
Anthropogenic Carbon Isotope Signals in North Atlantic Water Masses at 48°N, Bavoux et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2025gl121339
Assessing recent anthropogenic carbon dioxide and acidification in the Ross Sea, Antarctica, Mo et al., Marine Environmental Research 10.1016/j.marenvres.2026.108125
Canada's Forests Are Shifting From a Recovery-Driven Carbon Sink to a Disturbance-Driven Carbon Source, Curasi et al., Global Change Biology Open Access 10.1111/gcb.70958
Carbon emissions and radiative forcings from tundra wildfires in the Yukon–Kuskokwim River Delta, Alaska, Moubarak et al., Biogeosciences Open Access pdf 10.5194/bg-20-1537-2023
Climate-induced shifts in plant investment strategies regulate ecosystem carbon cycling across alpine grasslands, Althuizen et al., Journal of Ecology Open Access 10.1111/1365-2745.70364
Contrasting carbon cycling in the benthic food webs between a river-fed, high-energy canyon and an upper continental slope, Tung et al., Biogeosciences Open Access pdf 10.5194/bg-21-1729-2024
FluxCANS: A Field Campaign on Carbon, Nitrogen, and Sulfur Fluxes over a Lake–Wetland in the North China Plain, Li et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 10.1175/bams-d-25-0330.1
Integrated perspective on ocean carbon cycle: Untangling facts, fluxes, and fictions, Resplandy et al., Science Advances Open Access 10.1126/sciadv.aed2480
Monitoring urban carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere: insights from vertical tower observations in Beijing, China, Liu et al., Atmospheric Environment 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2026.122166
Natural forest expansion is a larger carbon sink than secondary forests in moist tropics, ZHANG et al., Nature Geoscience 10.1038/s41561-026-01984-5
Nitrogen limitation amplifies future warming by weakening terrestrial carbon cycle feedbacks and sink capacity, Tang et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-026-03736-0
Rapid artificial intelligence deployment increases near-term pressure on global carbon budgets, Charabi, Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-026-03746-y
Reply to: The size of tropical vegetation gross primary production, Lai et al., Nature 10.1038/s41586-026-10561-0
Sedimentary insights into organic matter alteration in Arctic Alaska's saline permafrost, Seemann et al., Biogeosciences Open Access pdf 10.5194/bg-23-3675-2026
The Importance of Scale in the Future of Mangrove Blue Carbon Under Sea-Level Rise, Iwantoro et al., Earth s Future Open Access 10.1029/2025ef006984
Wood Decomposition in European Rivers Increases With Temperature but Decreases With Human Population Density, Jonsson et al., Ecology and Evolution Open Access 10.1002/ece3.73821
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
The Growth and Carbon Sink of Tundra Peat Patches in Arctic Alaska, Journal of Geophysical Research Biogeosciences, 10.1029/2023jg007890 19 cites.
CO2 capture, sequestration science & engineering
Accelerating weathering, lessons from a century of soil rejuvenation, Minasny & Dupla, Frontiers in Climate Open Access pdf 10.3389/fclim.2026.1824420
Analysing policy signals from the US, EU and UN regulations for the deployment of marine carbon dioxide removal, Seralta et al., Climate Policy 10.1080/14693062.2026.2678303
Early engagement with First Nations in British Columbia, Canada: a case study for assessing the feasibility of geological carbon storage, Steinthorsdottir et al., Geoscience Communication Open Access pdf 10.5194/gc-8-151-2025
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Graphene membranes with pyridinic nitrogen at pore edges for high-performance CO2 capture, Nature Energy, 10.1038/s41560-024-01556-0 68 cites.
Decarbonization
Aquavoltaics knowledge gaps undercut benefits, Liu et al., Science 10.1126/science.aeh2751
Climate (im)mobility justice under transboundary hydropower: evidence from Northeast Thailand, Steiner et al., Figshare Open Access 10.6084/m9.figshare.32609872.v1
Dynamic and probabilistic material flow analysis for circular economy strategies in the photovoltaic sector, Jorio et al., Environment Development and Sustainability Open Access pdf 10.1007/s10668-026-07730-6
From climate goals to energy security: Mapping Europe's biomethane implementation gap, with Greece as a case in point, Giannakis et al., Energy Research & Social Science Open Access 10.1016/j.erss.2026.104799
UK Government support for nuclear power compared with that of tidal lagoons, Allsopp, Energy Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.enpol.2026.115400
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Skillful seasonal prediction of wind energy resources in the contiguous United States, Communications Earth & Environment, 10.1038/s43247-024-01457-w 18 cites.
Geoengineering climate
Sulfur Exposure for Airplane Passengers From Stratospheric Aerosol Injection, Robock et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access pdf 10.1029/2026gl122804
The deployment length of solar radiation modification: an interplay of mitigation, net-negative emissions and climate uncertainty, Baur et al., Earth System Dynamics Open Access pdf 10.5194/esd-14-367-2023
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Investigating the effect of silicate- and calcium-based ocean alkalinity enhancement on diatom silicification, Biogeosciences, 10.5194/bg-21-2777-2024 32 cites.
Black carbon
China's Contribution to Arctic Black Carbon Declined From 2009 to 2022, Deng et al., Earth s Future Open Access 10.1029/2025ef007441
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Aerosol?Cloud Interactions From Aviation Soot Emissions, Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres, 10.1029/2023jd040277 4 cites.
Climate change communications & cognition
Comparing households’ perception of flood hazard with historical climate and hydrological data in the Lower Mono River catchment (West Africa), Benin and Togo, Dossoumou et al., PLOS Climate Open Access pdf 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000123
Coping with the climate crisis: Text-derived coping profiles reveal a tension between burden, engagement, and mental well-being in four countries, Zauner et al., Journal of Environmental Psychology 10.1016/j.jenvp.2026.103102
Do low-income groups respond more positively to “climate justice” than to other terms from the public discourse about climate change and sustainability? Evidence from a survey-based wording experiment with a representative Los Angeles County sample, Blyler et al., PLOS Climate Open Access 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000905
Environmental and climate news in the eyes of parents as audiences: disconnection, uncertainty and anxiety in evaluating news about environmental change, Roberts et al., Environmental Sociology 10.1080/23251042.2026.2684455
Hello world! An interdisciplinary climate modelling course, Proske & Staab, Geoscience Communication Open Access pdf 10.5194/gc-9-239-2026
The impact of green space perception, trust in scientists and climate anxiety in predicting the perception of air pollution health effects, Monge et al., PLOS Climate Open Access 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000683
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
From Denial to the Culture Wars: A Study of Climate Misinformation on YouTube, Environmental Communication, 10.1080/17524032.2024.2363861 31 cites.
Agronomy, animal husbundry, food production & climate change
Beyond temperature: Why climate adaptation in agriculture needs a systems approach, Basso, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Open Access 10.1073/pnas.2614201123
Climate Change, Animal Agriculture, and Ethics, Donoso & Mittiga, Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews Climate Change Open Access 10.1002/wcc.70047
Editorial: Regenerative agriculture for soil health, greenhouse gas mitigation, and climate action, Lenka et al., Frontiers in Environmental Science Open Access pdf 10.3389/fenvs.2026.1872013
Impact of climate change on plantation crops with special reference to tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) in India, Babu et al., Frontiers in Climate Open Access pdf 10.3389/fclim.2026.1829924
Impacts of climate change on the phenology and distribution range of Castanea sativa (Mill.) varieties in the Cévennes mountainous region, Southern France, Ponsa et al., Regional Environmental Change Open Access pdf 10.1007/s10113-026-02605-y
Investigating Methane Emissions From Cattle Facilities in Northeastern Colorado, Steinmann et al., Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres 10.1029/2025jd046146
Low hanging fruit: climate change and tobacco endgame measures, Bostic et al., Frontiers in Environmental Science Open Access pdf 10.3389/fenvs.2026.1606133
Multidimensional assessment of farmers’ climate resilience in the lower Gangetic Region of India, Biswas et al., Discover Sustainability Open Access 10.1007/s43621-026-03679-8
Pollinator Dependency and Regional Climate Affect Crop Yield Development Under Climate Change, Prucker et al., Ecology and Evolution Open Access 10.1002/ece3.73751
Regenerative agriculture for soil health, greenhouse gas mitigation, and climate action, Lenka et al., Frontiers in Environmental Science Open Access pdf 10.3389/fenvs.2026.1872013
Shifting hail hazard under global warming and effects on crop hail risk, Raupach et al., Nature Climate Change Open Access 10.1038/s41558-026-02660-7
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Deforestation and climate risk hotspots in the global cocoa value chain, Environmental Science & Policy, 10.1016/j.envsci.2024.103796 17 cites.
Hydrology, hydrometeorology & climate change
Climatology and Trends of Sub-Daily Precipitation Extremes in Croatia, Star?evi? et al., International Journal of Climatology Open Access 10.1002/joc.70463
Flood Hazard in Aotearoa New Zealand Under Current and Future Climates, Harang et al., Geoscience Data Journal Open Access 10.1002/gdj3.70083
Hydrological transition from natural locking to artificial locking in the Indus River Basin (IRB) under warming climate, Jeelani et al., Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability 10.1016/j.cosust.2026.101666
The Fate of Western Headwaters: Climate Controls on Base-Flow Decline, Mroczek et al., Earth s Future Open Access 10.1029/2025ef007971
The Growing Threat of Flooding on Transportation Infrastructure Across Texas Through 2100, Ahasan et al., Earth s Future Open Access 10.1029/2026ef008207
The Shrinking Caspian Sea: Eco-Hydrological Responses to Human and Climate Pressures, Duku et al., Earth s Future Open Access 10.1029/2025ef008028
Trends in Subdaily to Daily Rainfall in Florida, 1990–2022, Haider et al., Journal of Hydrometeorology 10.1175/jhm-d-25-0112.1
Warming Drives Streamflow Reductions and Intensifies Hydrologic Whiplash, Threatening California's Water Supply, Graves et al., Earth s Future Open Access 10.1029/2025ef006985
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Anthropogenic Intensification of Cool?Season Precipitation Is Not Yet Detectable Across the Western United States, Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres, 10.1029/2023jd040537 12 cites.
Climate change economics
Early signs that the EU carbon border adjustment mechanism is reshaping EU–India steel trade, Vriz et al., Nature Climate Change Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41558-026-02607-y
Operationalizing publicly managed decline: Public asset acquisition in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming, Mijin & Grubert, Energy Research & Social Science 10.1016/j.erss.2026.104772
Operationalizing the loss and damage fund: a case for equity and justice in India's climate response, Lama et al., Climate and Development 10.1080/17565529.2026.2674796
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Greening to shield: The impacts of extreme rainfall on economic activity in Latin American cities, Global Environmental Change, 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2024.102857 5 cites.
Climate change mitigation public policy research
Forecasting Ireland's retrofit trajectory: Overcoming policy gaps to meet climate action goals, Essien-Thompson et al., Energy Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.enpol.2026.115135
Fossil lock-in, resource dependence, and energy transition policy in the Global South, Bigerna et al., Energy Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.enpol.2026.115281
Leveraging agency for climate change mitigation, Kukowski et al., Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-026-02644-7
Rethinking energy transition strategies for the European Union amid rising energy prices, Meng et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Open Access 10.1073/pnas.2609606123
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
The transition towards solar energy storage: a multi-level perspective, Energy Policy, 10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114209 27 cites.
Climate change adaptation & adaptation public policy research
African cities apply new planning tool to guide urban NbS action for climate resilience: insights from Addis Ababa and Kigali, Beyer et al., Environmental Research Infrastructure and Sustainability Open Access 10.1088/2634-4505/ae6acd
Brief communication: Sea-level projections, adaptation planning, and actionable science, Lipscomb et al., cryosphere Open Access pdf 10.5194/tc-19-793-2025
Building resilient Arctic futures through Indigenous Knowledge and self-determination, Vural & Hall, PLOS Climate Open Access 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000943
Climate change at the margins of the megacity: informal settlements’ adaptation infrastructures, Castro, Climate and Development Open Access 10.1080/17565529.2026.2679005
Exploring the Role of Strategic Place-Based Risk Assessment as a Framework to Support System-Based Climate Adaptation Planning, Jenkins et al., Earth s Future Open Access 10.1029/2025ef007417
Informing adaptation strategy through mapping the dynamics linking climate change, health, and other human systems: Case studies from Georgia, Lebanon, Mozambique and Costa Rica, Loffreda et al., PLOS Climate Open Access pdf 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000184
Norms and climate change adaptation behaviour: a systematic literature review using TCCM framework and future research agenda, Vinchurkar & Gaurav, Climate and Development 10.1080/17565529.2026.2674797
Relevant climatic impact-drivers for port functionality in a changing climate – an evaluation based on German seaports, Lankenau et al., Climate Risk Management Open Access 10.1016/j.crm.2026.100832
Translating community perceptions and concerns into planning: climate change adaptation in Hooper Bay, Alaska, Molina et al., Regional Environmental Change 10.1007/s10113-026-02612-z
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Navigating tensions in climate change-related planned relocation, AMBIO, 10.1007/s13280-024-02035-2 20 cites.
Climate change impacts on human health
Climate change, inequality, and childhood stunting in African countries, Pradhan et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Open Access 10.1073/pnas.2518179123
Emergence of Uncompensable Heat Stress During Monsoon Season in India, Chuphal et al., AGU Advances Open Access 10.1029/2025av001945
Emergency Department Presentations During Dry and Humid Heatwaves: A Case-Crossover Study in the Northern Territory, Australia, Boyd et al., GeoHealth Open Access pdf 10.1029/2025gh001562
Evaluating the potential for heat warning systems to account for intra-urban variability, Ludwig et al., PLOS Climate Open Access 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000941
Global, regional, and national trends in disease burden attributable to high temperature exposure in adults aged 65 years and older from 1990 to 2021, Zhu et al., Frontiers in Climate Open Access pdf 10.3389/fclim.2026.1811293
Governing climate change adaptation in urban Tanzania: health system capacity gaps and implications for resilience, Mushi et al., Frontiers in Climate Open Access 10.3389/fclim.2026.1801864
Heat, Humidity, and Adverse Birth Outcomes: Quantification of Projected Risks in the Contiguous United States, Sheahan et al., GeoHealth Open Access 10.1029/2025gh001643
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Climate changes and food-borne pathogens: the impact on human health and mitigation strategy, Climatic Change, 10.1007/s10584-024-03748-9 74 cites.
Climate change & geopolitics
Analysing policy signals from the US, EU and UN regulations for the deployment of marine carbon dioxide removal, Seralta et al., Climate Policy 10.1080/14693062.2026.2678303
Cloud-Radiative Feedback Intensified Yunnan's Record-Breaking 2023 Spring Drought-Heatwave, Zhou et al., Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres 10.1029/2025jd046196
Peatland fire ecology and management in Malaysia: hydrological controls, empirical insights and pathways to climate resilience, Nawang et al., Fire Ecology Open Access 10.1186/s42408-026-00505-4
Informed opinion, nudges & major initiatives
Opinion: The Scientific and Community-Building Roles of the Geoengineering Model Intercomparison Project (GeoMIP) - Past, Present, and Future, Visioni et al., Atmospheric chemistry and physics Open Access pdf 10.5194/acp-23-5149-2023
White House defangs NSF watchdog unit, Mervis, Science 10.1126/science.aej3864
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
The climate benefits from cement carbonation are being overestimated, Nature Communications, 10.1038/s41467-024-48965-z 77 cites.
Articles/Reports from Agencies and Non-Governmental Organizations Addressing Aspects of Climate Change
The Demand Stack: An Assessment of the Benefits, Hledik et al., Uplight
The authors analyzed the potential for Demand Stack implementation to unlock new demand response (DR), time-of-use (TOU) rate, and energy efficiency (EE) capabilities for a representative SPP utility’s service territory. The “Demand Stack” represents a set of strategic initiatives to expand the impact and effectiveness of each individual utility’s demand-side management (DSM) portfolio through a more integrated approach to program design and implementation. Operationally, the Demand Stack allows a portfolio of demand-side programs to be collectively deployed and dispatched to reliably address system needs, similar to conventional supply-side resources. The range of Demand Stack strategies includes regulatory, operational, and behavioral measures that can enable new program offerings, increase enrollment, and improve the performance and cost-competitiveness of the portfolio. The authors focus exclusively on the quantifiable impacts that Demand Stack strategies could have by 2030 for a representative portfolio of demand-side offerings.Americans Oppose AI Data Centers in Their Area, Jeffrey Jones, Gallup
Seven in 10 Americans oppose constructing data centers for artificial intelligence in their local area, including nearly half, 48%, who are strongly opposed. Barely a quarter favor these projects, with 7% strongly in favor. These results, from a March 2-18 Gallup survey, represent the first time Gallup has asked about data center construction, a topic that has met fierce opposition from local residents in many parts of the country. The March survey asked people to rate their level of concern about the environmental impact of AI data centers. Forty-six percent say they worry a great deal and 24% a fair amount, largely mirroring the degrees of opposition to data center construction. Half of opponents mention data centers’ excessive use of resources, including 18% each mentioning their use of water and energy. Sixteen percent mention a related environmental concern of pollution, including noise pollution and air and water pollution.The Environmental Cost of Artificial Intelligence: Carbon, Water, and Land Footprints, Aczel et al., United Nations University
The authors examine one of the most underexplored consequences of AI’s rapid expansion: the environmental footprints of the energy required to power it. As artificial intelligence becomes embedded in economies, public services, research, communication, and everyday life, it depends on a growing physical infrastructure of data centers, advanced chips, cooling systems, electricity grids, water resources, land, and critical mineral supply chains. The report shows that AI is not only a digital technology, but also a material system with measurable environmental costs. The authors frame AI’s environmental footprint as a governance and justice challenge, not only a technical problem. The benefits of AI often flow across borders and sectors, while the environmental burdens of data center siting, electricity demand, water withdrawals, land use, mineral extraction, and e-waste can be concentrated in specific communities and regions. To address these risks, the authors call for a responsible AI ecosystem grounded in transparency, efficiency by design, equity and environmental justice, lifecycle responsibility, global cooperation, and sustainable use. By making AI’s carbon, water, and land footprints visible and comparable, the authors provide a practical basis for integrating AI into energy, climate, water, and land-use planning, ensuring that innovation advances without shifting environmental costs onto vulnerable communities.Advancing Industrial Electrification in Pennsylvania, Quinn et al., The 2035 Initiative, University of California, Santa Barbara
Pennsylvania has one of the largest and most energy-intensive manufacturing sectors in the country, making it a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollution. This also makes it one of the best near-term opportunities to deploy cleaner, more efficient manufacturing technologies. The Reducing Industrial Sector Emissions in Pennsylvania (RISE PA) program has allocated $396 million to industrial decarbonization, making the Commonwealth an early leader in this area. The authors explore one way the state can effectively deploy its resources: low- and medium-temperature (LMT) process heat electrification. Building on national-scale engineering models, the authors identify how electrification of Pennsylvania’s industrial sector can deliver cost-effective emissions reductions, long-term health benefits for Pennsylvanians, and economic growth in the manufacturing sector.Global Justice Report, Aggarwal et al., World Inequality Lab
The authors attempt to set out a new vision for global progress in the 21st century: grounding human development and equality in planetary habitability. They explore the conditions under which the world could move toward this horizon and traces an economically and ecologically consistent transition path from 2026 to 2100. Their main conclusion is simple: it is possible to reconcile planetary habitability and high well-being for all, but only if the transformation rests on three pillars simultaneously. Fast decarbonization of energy systems is necessary. But we also need a major shift toward sufficiency – understood as a sharp reduction in labor hours and material footprint and large changes in consumption patterns, food habits, land use, and forest cover. In addition, neither decarbonization nor sufficiency can be financed and politically sustained without a drastic reduction in inequality of income, wealth and power, both between countries and within them. The compression of global inequality is not only compatible with deep decarbonization; it is a necessary condition for shared prosperity on a finite planet.Temperature Check 2025–26, The Center for Climate Journalism and Communication, University of Southern California
Even though fewer Americans now hear about global warming and climate change through news, newspapers are still the top source of information for climate communicators. Climate communicators still prefer LinkedIn as their go-to social media platform for climate information, followed by Instagram and BlueSky. The use of X/Twitter for engaging in climate media continues to drop even more among climate communicators. Climate communicators are most concerned about the lack of climate action, global warming and the health impacts of climate change this year. Yet, the authors' survey shows climate communicators are also increasingly avoiding terms and phrases such as “climate change” and “global warming,” likely due to increasing politicization of the terms as well as pushback from the government as well as the public.The New Geopolitics of LNG: Asia’s Energy Security in a Divided World, Andrews-Speed et al., The National Bureau of Asian Research
Liquefied natural gas constitutes a growing share of the global energy mix and is an increasingly important element of the energy mix in Asia. The authors examine the role of liquefied natural gas in the energy strategies of the United States, Japan, and China and assess the implications of deepening geopolitical divides for Asia’s future energy security.Drivers of supply and demand of terrestrial animal source food, Tak et al., Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Diverse foods derived from livestock production systems, including grazing and pastoralist systems, and from the hunting of wild animals, provide high-quality proteins, important fatty acids and various vitamins and minerals – contributing to healthy diets for improved nutrition and health. Challenges related to high resource utilization and pollution, food–feed competition, greenhouse gas emissions, antimicrobial resistance and animal welfare, as well as zoonotic and food-borne diseases, accessibility and affordability, need to be solved if agrifood systems are to become more sustainable.Clean industry rising: the foundation of resilient value chains, Mission Possible Partnership
The authors highlight the acceleration in the shift to decarbonized industrial production. The latest wave of projects includes clean fuels, chemicals, fertilizers and metals: the industrial essentials needed to grow food, build infrastructure, manufacture goods and move the products that underpin modern economies. As the need for more resilient industrial systems intensifies, clean industry is emerging as a strategic advantage. The authors explore the trends in detail, including country progress, analysis of which projects are progressing along the announced pipeline and the new clean industry value chains that are taking shape worth an estimated $4.7 trillion.China Carbon Neutrality Tracker 2025 Annual Report Green and Low-Carbon Transition in China's Provincial Level Regions: A Decade in Review, Li et al., Institute for Global Decarbonization Progress
As China's "dual carbon" targets have been enshrined as national strategy and the "1+N" policy framework continues to take shape, the country's green and low-carbon transition has moved into a phase of accelerated implementation at the subnational level. Given China's vast territory and the significant differences among provincial level regions1 in economy, energy mix, and resource endowments, the transition varies notably across regions in terms of starting points, pathways, and outcomes. Therefore, systematically tracking subnational climate action carries significant potential to inform policymaking and ensure the timely achievement of China's "dual carbon" goals. The authors apply Subnational Low-Carbon and Green Index for China (Subnational LOGIC), an indicator tool developed by iGDP, to track and quantitatively assess the low-carbon transition of 30 provincial level regions between 2013 and 2022. Subnational LOGIC encompasses 26 specific indicators under four categories: carbon productivity; carbon emissions including six sub-categories covering energy, power, industry, buildings, transport, and agriculture; environmental conditions and land use; and policy systems and public participation, together capturing the overall quality of regional economic growth and progress on sectoral emission reductions.Gas share in global power mix has declined for a fifth consecutive year, Malgorzata Wiatros-Motyka, Ember
The author examines how the role of gas in the global power sector is changing as renewable electricity expands across major economies. She explores long-term trends in gas-fired generation globally and across key markets, including the G7, China, India and Brazil.Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics & Policy, Spring 2026, Leiserowitz et al., Yale University and George Mason University
With the primaries in the 2026 midterm elections underway, the authors found that 58% of registered voters prefer to vote for a candidate for public office who supports action on global warming, while 14% prefer to vote for a candidate who opposes action. 42% would like to hear from political candidates more often about efforts to reduce global warming, while 23% would like to hear about this less often. 31% will only vote for a congressional candidate who supports increasing the use of renewable energy, while 7% will only vote for a candidate who supports decreasing the use of renewable energy. 25% will only vote for a candidate who supports decreasing the use of fossil fuels, while 14% will only vote for a candidate who supports increasing the use of fossil fuels.The Intersection of Data Center Development, Water Availability, and Environmental Justice In California, Stewart-Frey et al., NEXT 10
The authors assess the intersection of direct water use by data centers with water availability and distribution in California, focusing on the potential effect of large-scale data center operations on local water resources. The authors also evaluate how data centers might affect the water access and sustainability for communities located near these facilities, highlighting potential disparities in water access for particularly vulnerable communities. As part of this assessment, the authors developed a comprehensive database of California data centers, as well as a newly developed index to evaluate water scarcity and community vulnerability.Banking on Climate Crisis. Fossil Fuel Finance Report 2026, Lusiani et al., Banking on Climate Chaos Coalition
Affordable energy, environmental justice, respect for human rights, and a livable climate are all critical pillars of society, and all profoundly influenced by choices made by the world’s largest banks. Many of these banks continue to put their — and others — money into the fragile fossil fuel energy system, which has become a source of great wealth for the few and a deepening fault line of vulnerability for everyone else. At a time of great change in the global energy sector, this 17th edition of the Banking on Climate Chaos report tracks these financing choices by the world’s largest banks and provides a roadmap of how to phase out bank financing for fossil fuels.SLCP Impact Report: A decade of driving decent working conditions, The Social and Labor Convergence Program
In 2025, SLCP added new climate data points to the Converged Assessment Framework (CAF) ensuring alignment with Human Rights Due Diligence requirements and recognizing that climate change is no longer solely an environmental sustainability issue, but that it directly affects worker wellbeing too. The authors who that 69% of facilities are not preparing for climate effects and have not yet made a formal plan for dealing with climate change. This is particularly urgent given that 16% of SLCP facilities maintain indoor temperatures exceeding 31°C, a level that sits dangerously close to or above recognized safe heat thresholds for workers. About New ResearchClick here for the why and how of Skeptical Science New Research.
SuggestionsPlease let us know if you're aware of an article you think may be of interest for Skeptical Science research news, or if we've missed something that may be important. Send your input to Skeptical Science via our contact form.
Previous editionThe previous edition of Skeptical Science New Research may be found here.
In Monterey County, this Farm Is Building a Path to a Regenerative Food Future
In the largest agricultural state in the U.S., Regenerative California is creating new pathways to help new and beginning farmers build a different future for global food and agriculture systems.
The nonprofit, based in Monterey County, California, uses their demonstration farm to prove that regenerative agriculture is viable. Now in its second year, Regenerate 68! Farm grows berries and vegetables. The site is currently Certified Organic, and Kristin Coates, the organization’s Co-Founder and CEO, says they’re working toward Regenerative Organic certification.
As the farm evolves further Regenerative California is hoping to bring students onto the land to encourage more people to see a future in agriculture.
Coates explains that her children have no interest in farming. “They see this dead end,” she says. “I’m around all these synthetic fertilizer and pesticides. Why would they choose [this path]?” But, she says, “it doesn’t have to be business as usual.” Regenerative California wants to prove that there’s another way.
“We’re in conversations with local universities that are training the next generation of ag and farm workers,” Coates tells Food Tank, so they can serve as “a living classroom for regenerative agriculture.” The organization is also working with vocational schools in the area.
Coates says she’s particularly excited about young people’s interest in gathering data, measuring the impact of climate-friendly farming practices, and improving biodiversity. “The other piece we’re seeing is this entrepreneurial spirit,” she tells Food Tank. “Young people are seeing that ‘I can have my autonomy, I can have independence, I can grow my own business.’”
One vocational school, Rancho Cielo, works with youth between the ages of 16 and 24, who learn skills in sectors including welding, hospitality, or agriculture. When they come to the farm, Coates explains, “we’re seeing this is a place to create an entirely new livelihood, and there’s a lot of enthusiasm to do that.”
Listen to or watch the full conversation with Kristin Coates on “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg” to hear more about how Regenerative California plans to share their model with other counties, their work on blue food systems, and what it looks like to build trust and drive community engagement.
Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here.
Photo courtesy of Andrea D, Unsplash
The post In Monterey County, this Farm Is Building a Path to a Regenerative Food Future appeared first on Food Tank.
China Briefing 11 June 2026: Tech clampdown | Extreme weather | Provinces’ energy plans
Welcome to Carbon Brief’s China Briefing.
China Briefing handpicks and explains the most important climate and energy stories from China over the past fortnight. Subscribe for free here.
Key developments Trade tensions intensifyAUTHORITY TO RETALIATE: China has issued “sweeping” new rules that increase “controls over the overseas transfer of domestic technology”, while also giving the government “explicit” authority to retaliate against governments that restrict Chinese investments, reported finance news outlet Caixin. The rules are a “shield for Chinese enterprises”, argued an editorial in the state-run newspaper China Daily, as well as a way to “protect” China’s “development interests”. Cosimo Ries, an analyst at Trivium China, told Carbon Brief that protecting China’s lead in cleantech manufacturing is one of the aims of the regulations. He said that language around restrictive foreign actions is, in his view, “clearly designed as a response” to the EU’s Industrial Accelerator Act. Ries added that the government is “increasingly working to prevent Chinese IP from being forcefully appropriated or handed away by its own companies seeking market access abroad”.
COMMISSIONERS MEET: The rules come as the EU debates plans to “broaden the use of its trade defences” to protect industries from what the EU industry commissioner described to the Financial Times as “unfair” Chinese competition. A meeting of EU commissioners reaffirmed the need for a “more robust and coherent” response to trade and investment from China, which is seen as “not sustainable”, according to a readout from the European Commission. In response, China said it will “resolutely” retaliate to any “discriminatory” EU trade measures, reported Bloomberg. Meanwhile, Chinese automaker SAIC has confirmed plans to invest €200m ($232m) to build a factory in Spain for vehicles including electric vehicles, said Caixin. Trade envoys from the EU and China backed further discussions after a meeting in early June, reported Reuters.
SURPLUS ‘WIDENED’: According to Chinese customs data covered by Bloomberg, China’s trade surplus with the EU “widened slightly” in May, though its exports to the bloc “slowed”. The outlet added ongoing EU-China trade tensions “could pose a risk to Beijing’s favoured ‘new three’ energy industries”, for which the EU was the “destination for about 40% of exports” in 2025. While country-specific data is not yet available, China’s global exports of “green products”, such as batteries and wind turbines, grew by around 40% in January-May, according to state news agency Xinhua.
Early heat tests China’s gridPATTERNS BROKEN: China Southern Power Grid, which covers a number of provinces across southern China, reported that it saw a record electricity load of 259 gigawatts (GW) in late May, according to Shanghai-based outlet the Paper. It added that the new record – driven by “widespread cooling demand” due to high temperatures – came “nearly a month earlier” than usual, “breaking a seasonal pattern” where peaks occurred in June and July. High temperatures continued in early June across both northern and southern China, reported China Daily, with some regions reporting temperatures of almost 40C.
HEAVY RAINS: China also continued to see heavy rains across “multiple provinces in southern China”, reported China Daily, with “nearly 10,000 residents” evacuated in Guizhou after torrential rains caused flooding in the area. Flood-response measures have been activated in Hunan and Guangxi, said Bloomberg. The Communist party-affiliated People’s Daily said that floods were also expected in Yunnan, Guangdong and Fujian provinces. Meanwhile, northern China’s Hebei province experienced “dramatic” weather, including “thunderstorms, strong winds, hail and heavy downpours”, said Jing-Jin-Ji News Channel.
CROP RISK: “Against the backdrop of intensifying global warming, northern China is seeing a clear trend of more frequent and severe extreme weather,” said the People’s Daily. Meteorologists attributed the unusually early and intense rain to shifting weather patterns that “reflects broader weather changes in China associated with global warming”, said Bloomberg. An article in the People’s Daily noted that extreme and unusual weather, driven by “climate change”, has “posed varying degrees of risks and challenges to agricultural production”. Another Bloomberg article said expected further rains in southern China could “inundat[e] crops and damag[e] rice fields”.
Mineral trade controls and concernsEXPORTS BLOCKED: Elsewhere, the Chinese government has “penalised at least 11 companies this year for illegally exporting restricted rare earths and critical minerals”, reported Caixin. It said this included a subsidiary of solar manufacturer JA (formerly JA Solar) for “shipping unlicensed graphite parts to Vietnam”. The Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported that China’s rare-earth exports fell by 6.4% in May as “Beijing maintained tight control over shipments”. A new report on rare earths by the Center for Strategic and International Studies stated that “although China’s exports of rare earths and rare-earth magnets have resumed”, flows have been “highly volatile” and licensing has been “uneven”. This was echoed in a report by the Royal United Services Institute that said “China incentivises the export of final products containing rare earths…rather than rare earths themselves”, which could pose “risks” to electric vehicle (EV) and offshore wind supply chains.
EXPORTS CONTROLLED: Zimbabwe has announced that a Chinese company will establish a lithium-carbonate plant in the country, said Bloomberg. It said this followed a ban on lithium exports as the country aimed to “build up local processing capacity for the battery metal”. Meanwhile, Reuters reported that Chinese investors in Indonesia’s coal-dependent nickel industry are looking to other countries. It said this followed plans by the Indonesian government to plan nickel export controls, tighter quotas and tax hikes.
More China news- ‘GEC’ GUIDANCE: A new set of trial guidelines has been issued to “unify” how clean-electricity consumption is measured, said state broadcaster CCTV. Ying (Jenny) Zheng, a researcher at the Tsinghua TianGong Thinktank, told Carbon Brief that the measures are more than just accounting guidelines. She said they provide a “foundation for one of the key control indicators within China’s emerging carbon-control framework” that should help boost consumption of low-carbon power.
- TOWNS AND TRACTORS: China called for “vigorous efforts” to develop low-carbon buildings in a new 15th five-year plan for “urban renewal”, said BJX News. A five-year plan for agriculture also listed “accelerating” the “green transformation” of agriculture as one of seven key tasks, said Xinhua.
- FUNDRAISING FIGURES: China raised 6bn yuan ($885m) in green sovereign bonds, reported Bloomberg. It said these have previously been used for emissions reductions and “biodiversity preservation”.
- SALES SLUMP: Sales of electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrids in China fell 7.5% year-on-year in May, reported Reuters. It said they nevertheless made up 62% of all sales, with the Associated Press noting that petrol-car sales fell 42%.
- UK DIALOGUE: UK foreign secretary Yvette Cooper told her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that the UK is willing to “deepen cooperation” with China on energy and climate change, according to a readout by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- MEASURING SUBSIDIES: The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) released a report saying Chinese companies received “three to eight times more government support than firms based in the OECD”, said Agence France Presse. China’s commerce ministry responded saying the report was “one-sided and arbitrary”, according to Xinhua.
China’s emissions in January-March 2026 rose 2% year-on-year, driven by growing “curtailment” of wind and solar in the power sector due to “inflexible grid management”, said new analysis for Carbon Brief.
Spotlight What do China’s provincial five-year plans reveal about its energy transition?China’s provincial-level governments have now all published their 15th five-year plans – economic and social development blueprints for 2026-2030.
In this issue, Carbon Brief analyses what all 31 documents say about energy and climate.
Provinces remain focused on clean energyAt the broad level, the new provincial plans follow China’s overarching climate goals. All 31 provincial-level jurisdictions in mainland China pledged to peak carbon emissions before 2030.
Every plan also mentioned the core elements of China’s energy transition strategy, including solar, wind, hydrogen, energy storage and upgrading the power grid.
While solar featured in every plan, specific interests in the technology vary from province to province.
Some set goals to add new solar capacity by 2030. Zhejiang province aims to add 90GW of solar capacity, while Shaanxi plans to “accelerate” construction of wind and solar “bases”. Several others mentioned developing offshore solar farms in the next five years.
However, others instead focused on recycling old solar panels or strengthening solar R&D.
Almost every plan mentioned growing consumption and production of new-energy vehicles (NEVs).
Around 15 provinces mentioned promoting NEV uptake. Jilin set a target for NEVs comprising more than 50% of new car sales by 2030, although its current rate is already thought to be 47%.
While the central government is issuing directives to limit “overcapacity” in the sector, more than 20 provinces said they will continue developing their NEV industries, with many aiming to generate hundreds of billions – or even trillions – of yuan in value.
Meanwhile, 24 provinces will prioritise developing renewable power “direct connection” models, in which renewable generators supply industrial users via a dedicated line – a system that could boost consumption of clean energy.
Number of provinces that mention key climate and energy terms in their 15th five-year plans. Source: Carbon Brief analysis of provincial 15th five-year plans.Provinces diverge in terms of what other technologies they name and how detailed their plans are.
For example, offshore wind and nuclear are mentioned by 11 and 12 provinces respectively, with both technologies mostly targeted to be built in coastal provinces.
But in general, variation reflects more than just geography or resources endowment, said Anders Hove, a senior research fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies.
“The differences between provinces reflect primarily differences in economic development capabilities and industrial structure,” he told Carbon Brief.
Half of provinces to expand fossil-fuel productionAlmost every province pledged to peak coal and oil consumption, in line with similar language in the national-level plan.
However, 17 local governments also pledged to produce more fossil fuels – trying to peak consumption while also expanding output, opening new reserves or lifting production limits.
Most of these are regions designated as national energy-supply bases, including Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Shaanxi, Gansu and Heilongjiang.
Yang Li, deputy executive director at the Beijing-based thinktank Institute for Global Decarbonization Progress (iGDP), toldCarbon Brief this pattern reflects the “two dimensions of China’s [energy] transition”. These are a national-level push for peaking fossil-fuel consumption and a desire for energy security by provinces rich in energy resources.
Provinces with significant fossil-fuel economies are also the most likely to mention carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), which appears in 14 plans.
Provinces jostle to take the lead on AI and hydrogenWith the national government preparing to spend trillions of yuan on datacentres for the artificial intelligence (AI) industry in the next five years, provincial officials are also tying AI to their energy systems.
More than 20 aim to use AI to help manage coal mines, power grids, oilfields and forecasting renewables output.
Yang said that “AI+energy” represents a desire by policymakers to use AI to enhance energy governance, but adds that “large-scale commercialisation [of the technology] still has some way to go”.
Unlike AI, all provincial plans mention hydrogen, which is named as a “future industry” in the central-level five-year plan.
For example, Hunan calls for promoting hydrogen trucks and rail transport and developing “renewable energy-based” hydrogen production, while Shandong pledges to focus on technological breakthroughs around hydrogen transport and storage, as well as production of green hydrogen.
Similarly, 12 provinces named the other energy-related future industry – nuclear fusion, which remains an experimental technology – as a priority for the next five years. These provinces include Anhui, Guangdong, Hebei, Hubei and Shaanxi.
This spotlight is by freelance China analyst Lekai Liu for Carbon Brief.
Watch, read, listenFUTURE-FOCUSED: Qiushi, China’s official journal for political theory, published an edition based on “future industries”, in which President Xi Jinping called for advancing hydrogen energy and nuclear fusion.
MIGHTY MANGROVES: The Grantham Research Institute explored China’s uptake of “blue carbon credits”, which could help preserve “powerful carbon sinks” in coastal ecosystems.
IN THE LEAD: Mission Possible Partnership published a report saying China is “widening its lead” in developing a low-carbon industrial sector.
‘AUTOBESITY’: Blue Map examined “autobesity”, the trend towards larger Chinese EVs, and what this could mean for their carbon footprint
13The number of Chinese solar companies that have joined forces to create the Space Energy Development Alliance, a new organisation to promote space solar energy, said Bloomberg.
5Minutes devoted to the opening ceremony, which did not offer “any details” on the alliance’s objectives, according to the outlet.
New science- National and provincial planning scenarios for China’s solar and wind expansion until 2060 will present different trade-offs with biodiversity | Nature Ecology and Evolution
- Policies to decrease carbon emissions and declines in technology costs could together help achieve “deep” carbon emissions reductions by 2060 in China’s steel industry | PNAS
China Briefing is written by Anika Patel, with contributions from Lekai Liu, and edited by Simon Evans. Please send tips and feedback to china@carbonbrief.org
China Briefing
|China Briefing
|China Briefing 16 April 2026: Billions for grid | Petrochemical plan | China’s high-seas bid
China Briefing
|China Briefing 2 April 2026: EV profits rise | Ming Yang rejected | Iran war
China Briefing
| jQuery(document).ready(function() { jQuery('.block-related-articles-slider-block_76f518c37719e152f0dbcdf485cbffca .mh').matchHeight({ byRow: false }); });The post China Briefing 11 June 2026: Tech clampdown | Extreme weather | Provinces’ energy plans appeared first on Carbon Brief.
Solar capacity up 20% from last summer: EIA
Utility-scale solar generation is expected to increase 19% this summer compared with last summer, reflecting a 20% increase in capacity, said the Energy Information Administration.
Transmission projects bolster New York, New England summer reliability: NPCC
The region should have adequate resources to meet typical electricity demand, but some areas may need to implement emergency procedures or rely on imports during grid stress, NPCC said.
Appeals court upholds FERC decision ordering refunds from MISO transmission owners
Eversource Energy and other transmission owners in New England could see ramifications from the ruling that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission can order refunds for multi-year periods.
Not Our Solution: Global South Civil Society Rejects Geoengineering
BONN, 11 June — At the UN climate negotiations SB64, civil society organizations, grassroots movements, and climate justice advocates from across Africa, Asia, and Latin America came together today to strongly reject geoengineering as a false solution and dangerous distraction from real climate action.
Speakers from across the Global South warned that geoengineering, which is the large-scale technological interventions designed to manipulate the Earth’s systems, is being advanced despite its profound ecological, social, and geopolitical risks. Rather than addressing the root causes of the climate crisis, these approaches enable business to continue as usual.
At the same time, geoengineering is being advanced through climate policy spaces, particularly through the Paris Agreement’s Article 6 which gives entry to carbon markets. Kwami Kpondzo, Global Forest Coalition said, “Africa must not be taken in or drawn into a new cycle of colonialism disguised in this wave of carbon markets and carbon credits. Polluters are promoting geoengineering technologies to maintain carbon market schemes which continue to worsen the climate crisis.”
The African continent has strongly opposed geoengineering technologies, especially solar geoengineering. This was evident at the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) meeting last year where governments expressed that “such technologies must not be considered as viable options within the multilateral environmental agenda” and called for “the establishment of a Solar Geoengineering Non-Use Agreement” which would ban any efforts to normalise these technologies. Kpondzo added, “We welcome African leadership in advancing efforts on an international solar non use agreement.”
Gina Cortes Valderrama, Women and Gender Constituency of UNFCCC added, “The Women and Gender Constituency also calls on the UNFCCC and all UN bodies to recognize solar geoengineering as a category of technology that poses unprecedented risks, that is advancing without consent or justice frameworks, and that functions as a deliberate deferral of the structural transformation we need. We support the Solar Geoengineering Non-Use Agreement.”
Climate justice campaigners also pointed to the colonial dimensions of geoengineering, and intersections between extractivism and the current destructive development model, noting how they reproduce historical patterns of exploitation, turning lands, waters, and skies in the Global South into sites for experimentation and testing.
While sharing perspectives from Asia and the Pacific regions, Kaveri Choudhury, ETC Group said, “We are deeply concerned by the push for geoengineering proposals in the Asia-Pacific region at a time when climate solutions need real solutions more than ever. Geoengineering is a false climate solution that threatens the very integrity of life on earth. We need to urgently focus on protecting ecosystems for their intrinsic value and centered on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, local communities and peasants who are the guardians of these ecosystems.”
Gina Cortes Valderrama, Women and Gender Constituency added, “Geoengineering is a political choice that sends the message to the people that it is preferable to risk unprecedented harm to planetary systems than to confront the fossil fuel economy and the corporate power that sustains it. We are not here to ask how to govern a technology that should not exist. We are here to support the real solutions already being built by frontline communities.”
“Indigenous Peoples and local communities have the solution for global warming. These include the use of traditional knowledge through agroecology and community forest conservation,” added Kpondzo.
The press conference concluded with a strong call for South-South solidarity, as movements across Africa, Asia, and Latin America continue to build collective resistance to geoengineering.
Additional Information
- Press Conference Livestream
- Policy decision: African Environmental Ministers Call for Establishment of Solar Non Use Agreement
- Policy Brief: Don’t Geoengineer Africa
- Press Release: African Climate Justice Movements Celebrate African Leadership in Rejecting Solar Geoengineering
- Opinion: Africa Is Not a Solar Geoengineering Test Site
- Geoengineering Projects Tracker
Efforts to Save Kelp Forests from Ocean Warming Are Ramping Up
At one time, kelp forests — which shelter fish, slow erosion, and sequester carbon — grew along a third of the world’s coastlines. Now, scientists are working to bolster heat-stressed kelp by attacking the urchins that prey on them and transplanting hardier kelp varieties.
June 11 Green Energy News
Headline News:
- “Solar Power Outstrips Coal In US Despite Trump’s Attacks” • Even as President Donald Trump boosts coal over clean energy, solar power is hitting new milestones in the US and remains the leading source of new power. States won by Trump in the 2024 election accounted for 74% of all solar capacity installed in the first quarter of 2026. [Euronews]
Solar power (Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, CC BY-SA 2.0)
- “France Adds 157,000 Hectares Of Protected Forest” • From the rain forests of French Guiana to ancient woodlands in eastern France, thousands of hectares of forest have new protections. France said it added 157,000 hectares to its biological reserves as it works toward placing 10% of its land under ‘strong protection’ by 2030. [Euronews]
- “This Electric Aircraft Is The First To Take Flight Using Solid-State Batteries” • Helios Horizon, a Florida nonprofit, did what it says is the first piloted flight of an electric aircraft powered by solid-state batteries. Founder and test pilot Miguel Iturmendi carried out a series of short test flights at Zephyrhills Municipal Airport in central Florida. [Robb Report]
- “Trump Claims Over 100 Million Barrels Of Oil Have Gone Through Strait Of Hormuz” • President Trump said a “secret mission” was conducted last month for 200 ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. The operation was “wildly successful,” he said. ABC News could not immediately verify the accuracy of Trump’s claims. [ABC News]
- “‘Man Who Killed Offshore Wind’ Now Pushing Fossil Fuels And Nuclear” • David Stevenson, who led a national campaign against offshore wind power for the Caesar Rodney Institute, is now fighting land-based solar and wind farms while promoting fossil fuels and nuclear power with the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. [Energy and Policy Institute]
For more news, please visit geoharvey – Daily News about Energy and Climate Change.
The Pacific made history in the courts – now we must do it in the negotiations
Vishal Prasad is director of Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change.
When the International Court of Justice (ICJ) delivered its advisory opinion on climate change last year, it marked a turning point not just for the Pacific, but for international climate law.
The court was unambiguous: states have legal obligations to protect the environment from greenhouse gas emissions, and they face accountability when they fail. For those of us who carried this campaign from a classroom in Vanuatu to Europe and New York, it was a moment of profound validation.
World’s top court opens door to compensation from countries responsible for climate crisis
But we have always said that the advisory opinion was a tool, not an endpoint. The ICJ affirmed what many in the Pacific have been saying for some time. Now we have a legal blueprint, we must carry this momentum from the courtrooms to the negotiating rooms.
Potential to shape climate politicsThe advisory opinion has already begun to reshape the climate landscape. At COP30 in Belém, we saw countries that had supported the campaign citing the opinion in their interventions, while those blocking progress were clearly concerned of its implications. Its potential to shape climate politics and policy is significant.
This year we have arrived at the mid-year climate negotiations in Bonn not only with the advisory opinion, but with a UN General Assembly resolution endorsing it. Despite a fierce campaign from the usual suspects, just eight countries, including the USA, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Iran voted against. That is a victory for multilateralism at a moment when multilateralism is under strain.
UN General Assembly backs “climate obligations” set by world’s top court
But we know that advisory opinions alone are not enough. Legal clarity will not automatically translate into reduced emissions, increased finance flows or stronger national climate plans. That translation requires political will in the negotiating rooms, both here in Bonn and all the way through Fiji and finally in Antalya this November.
What the Pacific needs from this negotiating yearThe Pacific put significant political capital into the joint Australia-Pacific bid for COP31. It is fair to say that the compromise of Australia holding the role of president of negotiations while the COP is held and presided over by Türkiye is not what we imagined.
But we in the Pacific are used to looking for silver linings. Both Australia and Türkiye have acknowledged the important role the Pacific will have at COP31, through the appointment of Pacific champions and the hosting of a Pacific Pre-COP in Fiji with a leaders event in Tuvalu. These are genuine opportunities to bring the world to our shores and ensure that Pacific issues are front and centre going into the final negotiations.
But we are not naive. Envoy positions and meeting locations are just the architecture of goodwill. We need to see that goodwill converted into concrete negotiating outcomes and finance.
COP31 leaders unveil global targets, with spotlight on electrification
The Pacific helped put Australia’s climate minister Chris Bowen in this important position, so we expect to see Australia advocate not only for us, but to turn a mirror towards itself as one of the world’s biggest fossil fuel exporters.
At Bonn, and then in Antalya, we need ambition on mitigation that reflects the ICJ’s clarity on state obligations and the science. That means action on fossil fuels.
We need climate finance that is new, additional and accessible to the countries that need it most. In the Pacific we have already demonstrated what that looks like.
The Pacific Resilience Facility is the first climate finance facility designed, governed and managed by Pacific people, built specifically to reach the grassroots and community initiatives that larger funds routinely bypass. We need the international community to meet that ambition with contributions that reflect climate justice, starting with pledges to meet the $500-million capitalisation goal.
And we need the oceans – which are the lifeblood of the Pacific and a critical part of the global climate system – treated as a central element of the negotiations rather than a thematic aside.
Energy crisis driven by imported fossil fuelsThe days of speaking about climate and fossil fuels purely as a moral issue are long gone. Pacific ministers recently adopted the Tassiriki Call for a Fossil Fuel Free Pacific, in the context of a deepening energy crisis that has triggered states of emergency in several Pacific nations. Our dependence on imported fossil fuels is both a climate and an economic vulnerability.
Conflict in the Middle East is pushing our region into an energy crisis. We are dependent on imported fossil fuels for 80% of our energy needs. My home country of Fiji could see an increased fuel bill of nearly three times our annual healthcare budget.
Comment: COP31 must persuade countries to make fossil fuel transition plans
We need the technical and financial support to transition to 100% renewable energy. Not only because it is what the world owes us for decades of carbon pollution that continue to render parts of our home uninhabitable, damaging ecosystems and culture. But because we must be part of that transition. Fossil fuels have proven to be the greatest source of damage to our climate, and with their volatility, to our sovereignty as well.
What next?The demands have not changed. Greater action on mitigation, adaptation, finance, loss and damage: these remain the substance of what the Pacific requires from the international community. What has changed is the legal foundation beneath them.
The ICJ has affirmed that these are not requests. They are obligations. The task this year is to make the negotiations reflect that.
The post The Pacific made history in the courts – now we must do it in the negotiations appeared first on Climate Home News.
“I would like to see a change in behaviour:” Rule maker wants retailers to act before it has to intervene
The AEMC is about to require more of retailers, but one commissioner says if they'd acted first it need not have come to this.
The post “I would like to see a change in behaviour:” Rule maker wants retailers to act before it has to intervene appeared first on Renew Economy.
What federal cuts to science funding could mean for the Great Lakes
Some groups that do research and collect data on the Great Lakes are facing existential threats as the annual budgeting process for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration gets underway.
A proposed budget request from President Donald Trump would zero out programs that scientists say are the foundation of weather observations, water quality, maritime safety, and recreation on the Great Lakes. The president wants to cut NOAA’s budget by $1.3 billion, or one-third of current funding levels, to better match priorities related to halting climate research.
“The investment that we make pays off in terms of safer water, public safety, public health, as well as economic activity,” said Gregory Dick, director of the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research, or CIGLR, a partnership between the University of Michigan and NOAA.
Researchers at CIGLR work closely with NOAA to conduct work on lake water levels, ice dynamics, and harmful algal blooms on Lake Erie. Data is used by state managers, fishers, boaters, and the regional shipping industry.
“That’s the kind of data that you want at your fingertips,” Dick said. “That’s what’s at risk with cuts like the ones we’re talking about.”
Beyond the potential loss of this data, Dick is worried about long-term research on how climate change is affecting the Great Lakes. Water levels are fluctuating and Dick said understanding those dynamics is important for future planning geared toward development projects and the economy.
Another at-risk program is the Great Lakes Observing System, or GLOS, a regional network that coordinates data collection on wave heights, water temperatures, ice, wind, and more. The network makes real-time data available to the public, and it’s often used by boaters, fishers, and other people who spend time in and on the lakes.
“If you want to visit a beach, if you want to take your dog and let it run in the lake, it’s really important to know beforehand if there’s a bloom there or dangerous surf conditions,” said Jennifer Boehme, CEO of GLOS. The system is one of 11 NOAA-funded observation networks across the country that maintain data from oceans and coasts.
In a memo released with the budget proposal, the White House said that “President Trump is committed to eliminating funding for the globalist climate agenda while unleashing American energy production.” The proposed NOAA budget will cut climate research and save taxpayer money, according to the memo.
NOAA programs focused on the Great Lakes are already adapting to cuts from the previous year. The Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab (which houses CIGLR), for example, lost about 40 percent of its staff last year after rounds of layoffs and early retirements, according to Dick.
GLOS is also in a more vulnerable position this year, Boehme said. The program is up for a contract renewal with NOAA, which happens every five years, and it still has yet to receive all of its appropriated funds from last year.
“Each lapse makes the next one worse, and rebuilding isn’t just a matter of writing another check. The relationships and the seasonal schedules that make the network function can take years to reconstruct,” she said.
Still, the president’s budget is more a signal of priorities than a binding mandate, said Alex Eastman, the Great Lakes program manager at the Northeast-Midwest Institute, a nonprofit policy research group. Appropriations are ultimately decided by Congress, which is currently in the middle of that process.
This year, the House Appropriations Committee passed a bill that would fund most NOAA programs at $1.3 billion more than the president’s budget proposal, ignoring his calls for steep cuts. The regional observation networks, including GLOS, would see an 18 percent increase in funding. Still, the bill is $300 million short of last year’s funding. The Senate hasn’t passed its version of the appropriations bill yet.
Congress ultimately funded these Great Lakes research programs last year after Trump proposed similar cuts, likely because lawmakers know the value they provide for the region and country, Eastman said.
“I do think that the more that Congress pushes back, the more the executive branch and the president will see that they’re not gaining anything by continuing to try to impose draconian cuts,” he said.
This story was originally published by Grist with the headline What federal cuts to science funding could mean for the Great Lakes on Jun 11, 2026.
Gas share in global electricity mix falls for fifth consecutive year, pushed out by cheaper renewables
Share of gas in global electricity mix has fallen for the fifth consecutive year, with nearly half of the world’s gas-generating economies already passing peak gas.
The post Gas share in global electricity mix falls for fifth consecutive year, pushed out by cheaper renewables appeared first on Renew Economy.
Two Telstra-contracted solar farms power up in two separate states
Spanish energy outift commissions two solar plants in two separate states of Australia, both of which will start supplying on electricity to telecoms giant, Telstra.
The post Two Telstra-contracted solar farms power up in two separate states appeared first on Renew Economy.
Home battery installations reach the 430,000 mark, but get smaller as new settings do their job
The number of home batteries installed through the federal rebate has now passed 430,000, as new rules start to rein in uptake and dial down average system size.
The post Home battery installations reach the 430,000 mark, but get smaller as new settings do their job appeared first on Renew Economy.
Climate scientists warn of record rate of global warming, carbon budget to be exhausted in 3 years
Emissions of climate-warming pollutants are at an all-time high, mainly from the burning of fossil fuels.
The post Climate scientists warn of record rate of global warming, carbon budget to be exhausted in 3 years appeared first on Renew Economy.
“We cannot compete:” Why global inverter giant quit Australia’s home solar market
SMA boss Jürgen Reinert says decision to close down its Australian domestic business driven by its inability to match Chinese competitors on costs.
The post “We cannot compete:” Why global inverter giant quit Australia’s home solar market appeared first on Renew Economy.
Pages
The Fine Print I:
Disclaimer: The views expressed on this site are not the official position of the IWW (or even the IWW’s EUC) unless otherwise indicated and do not necessarily represent the views of anyone but the author’s, nor should it be assumed that any of these authors automatically support the IWW or endorse any of its positions.
Further: the inclusion of a link on our site (other than the link to the main IWW site) does not imply endorsement by or an alliance with the IWW. These sites have been chosen by our members due to their perceived relevance to the IWW EUC and are included here for informational purposes only. If you have any suggestions or comments on any of the links included (or not included) above, please contact us.
The Fine Print II:
Fair Use Notice: The material on this site is provided for educational and informational purposes. It may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. It is being made available in an effort to advance the understanding of scientific, environmental, economic, social justice and human rights issues etc.
It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have an interest in using the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. The information on this site does not constitute legal or technical advice.
This site is not the official webpage of the Industrial Workers of the World.