Climate Change
California Presents Plan to Prevent Extreme Heat Deaths
The report follows a heat wave that killed hundreds across the western U.S. this summer
"Anthropocene"
Oceans
Oceans Break Heat Record for Third Year in a Row
Last year broke the record from 2020 by about 14 zettajoules, or 20 times the world’s annual energy consumption
Climate Change
Fires Doubled Australia’s Carbon Emissions—Ecosystems May Never Soak It Back Up
Increasing odds of hot, dry weather make it less likely trees and other plants will quickly grow back
Natural Disasters
Rebuilt New Orleans Levees Saved Lives and Property
The storm caused $65 million in damage across the U.S., according to the global reinsurance company Munich Re
Pollution
Wildfires Are Fueling a Toxic Combo of Air Pollutants
The 2020 fire season subjected half the western U.S. population to a stew of particulate matter and ozone
Climate Change
Deforestation Strengthens Storms in West Africa
As trees are cleared, surrounding areas heat up, triggering heavy rainstorms
Natural Disasters
Wildfires Broke Records around the World in 2021
Blazes from California to Siberia spewed more than 1.7 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
Climate Change
The Five Biggest Climate Stories of 2021
Climate-fueled disasters raged around the globe while international action fell short of ambitions
Climate Change
Moving CO2 from Air to Oceans May Be Necessary to Slow Warming
A major new report from the National Academies examines options to store carbon in the oceans
Climate Change
As Arctic Sea Ice Melts, Killer Whales Are Moving In
Underwater recorders have picked up the sounds of orcas in places they haven’t previously been detected
Climate Change
Arctic Snow Is Shifting to Rain As Temperatures Rise
The change in precipitation may happen faster than scientists previously predicted
Animals
Albatross ‘Divorce’ Rate Rises as the Ocean Warms
Monogamous black-browed albatross may split up from the stress of less food availability
Climate Change
Climate Pledges Still Not Enough to Keep Warming Below 2-Degree Limit
Current national targets to cut emissions could result in nearly 3 degrees C of warming
Climate Change
Marine Oxygen Levels are the Next Great Casualty of Climate Change
The increasing frequency of dead zones will affect billions of people who rely on the ocean for survival
Climate Change
Devastating Pacific Northwest Floods Could Carry a Climate Warning
So-called atmospheric rivers could become more intense and drop more rain in the future
Climate Change
‘The Whole Place Feels Wrong’: Voices across America on What the Climate Crisis Stole
In the six years since the Paris Agreement, the climate crisis has caused catastrophes and slow transformations of familiar landscapes, upending lives everywhere
Climate Change
Climate Talks Turn to Contentious Issue of Paying for Damage Already Done
Climate-vulnerable countries are pushing for compensation for lives and livelihoods affected by warming
Climate Change
Coastal Darkening Could Block Kelp’s Carbon Sink Potential
Sediment and algal blooms are blocking sunlight, reducing kelp productivity
Climate Change
Not There Yet: Greater Cuts Are Still Needed at COP26 Climate Negotiations
The math shows that warming will exceed dangerous thresholds unless countries promise to further tighten emissions
Language
Climate Change Is Creating New Vocabulary, from Eco-Anxiety to Kaitiakitanga
Lexicographers at the Oxford English Dictionary have added new words and definitions to reflect the rapidly evolving discourse about our hot planet
