Skeptical Science New Research for Week #45 2024

2 hours ago 16

Open access notables

Anthropogenic warming has ushered in an era of temperature-dominated droughts in the western United States, Zhuang et al., Science Advances:

Historically, meteorological drought in the western United States (WUS) has been driven primarily by precipitation deficits. However, our observational analysis shows that, since around 2000, rising surface temperature and the resulting high evaporative demand have contributed more to drought severity (62%) and coverage (66%) over the WUS than precipitation deficit. This increase in evaporative demand during droughts, mostly attributable to anthropogenic warming according to analyses of both observations and climate model simulations, is the main cause of the increased drought severity and coverage. The unprecedented 2020–2022 WUS drought exemplifies this shift in drought drivers, with high evaporative demand accounting for 61% of its severity, compared to 39% from precipitation deficit. Climate model simulations corroborate this shift and project that, under the fossil-fueled development scenario (SSP5-8.5), droughts like the 2020–2022 event will transition from a one-in-more-than-a-thousand-year event in the pre-2022 period to a 1-in-60-year event by the mid-21st century and to a 1-in-6-year event by the late-21st century.

Opportunities for carbon sequestration from removing or intensifying pasture-based beef production, Hayek et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences:

Globally, ruminant grazing—including cattle for beef production—is the most extensive human land use. Removing cattle from pastures represents a meaningful opportunity to sequester carbon into regrowing vegetation and soils. Yet, carbon sequestration would trade off with beef production. By analyzing these tradeoffs globally in a spatially explicit manner, we identify carbon opportunity areas where removing relatively little pastured beef can result in substantial carbon sequestration, predominantly in high- and upper-middle-income countries. Removing this beef production may be compensated for by improving cattle management in sub-Saharan Africa and Brazil. By providing approaches to identify locations with minimal tradeoffs between food production and ecosystem restoration, this work can aid the design and improvement of policies related to natural climate solutions.

Do You See What I See? Emotional Reaction to Visual Content in the Online Debate About Climate Change, Rossi et al., Environmental Communication:

This paper explores the visual echo chamber effect in online climate change communication. We analyze communication by progressive actors and counteractors involved in the public debate about climate change on Facebook, to address the possibility that visual content can bridge ideologically diverse communities. Specifically, we investigate whether visual content depicting protest serves this purpose. The findings reveal a small amount of shared visual content. Interestingly, the emotional reactions to this content for the most part diverge significantly, suggesting that pre-existing attitudes, such as climate ideological position, influence interpretation. Contrary to our expectations, however, we do not observe visual content representing protest activity bridging the two groups. This work posits the possibility of a two-fold (de)polarization around visual content that both connects and divides, which contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the social dynamics that create and sustain the echo chamber effect observed in online climate change debates.

Continuity in Top-of-Atmosphere Earth Radiation Budget Observations, Loeb et al., Journal of Climate:

The Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) Energy Balanced and Filled (EBAF) product combines CERES and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instruments on the Terra and Aqua satellites to create a record of earth radiation budget (ERB) and the associated cloud properties. As the Terra and Aqua orbits are no longer maintained at a fixed mean local time, EBAF recently transitioned to the CERES and Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instruments on NOAA-20 to avoid introducing a time-dependent bias in the record. To ensure smooth transitions between the Terra, combined Terra and Aqua (Terra+Aqua), and NOAA-20 portions of the record, regional climatological adjustments derived from the overlap period between missions are applied to anchor the entire record to Terra+Aqua. We estimate the random error in global monthly anomalies following the transitions to be We estimate that there is a 33% probability of a data gap in 2028 and a 60% probability in 2035. Bridging a data gap using computed TOA fluxes from one satellite product and one atmospheric reanalysis results in errors that are a factor of 4 larger than those obtained when there is overlap between successive missions.

[bold ours]

From this week's government/NGO section:

10 years of rapidly disentangling drivers of extreme weather disastersOtto et al., World Weather Attribution

To mark the 10th anniversary of World Weather Attribution, we look back at the 10 deadliest extreme weather events in the 20 years since the first attribution study. The authors use these to highlight key findings and developments in science as well as changes since some of the earlier studies were undertaken, due to the additional global warming in recent years.

Interregional Transfer Capability Study (ITCS) Strengthening Reliability Through the Energy TransformationBarsotti et al., North American Electric Reliability Corporation

The authors provide an energy margin analysis and resulting recommendations for increases to the transfer capability between Transmission Planning Regions to improve energy adequacy during extreme weather events. They also recommend how to meet and maintain transfer capability as enhanced by these technically prudent additions.

121 articles in 49 journals by 726 contributing authors

Physical science of climate change, effects

Fast-get-faster explains wavier upper-level jet stream under climate change, Shaw et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access 10.1038/s43247-024-01819-4

Irreversible changes in the sea surface temperature threshold for tropical convection to CO2 forcing, Park et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access 10.1038/s43247-024-01751-7

Reduction in Arctic sea ice amplifies the warming of the northern Indian Ocean, Li et al., Atmospheric Research 10.1016/j.atmosres.2024.107763

Reductions in atmospheric levels of non-CO2 greenhouse gases explain about a quarter of the 1998-2012 warming slowdown, Su et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access 10.1038/s43247-024-01723-x

Observations of climate change, effects

20th century climate warming and human disturbance triggered high aquatic production and strong water-column mixing in maar Lake Xiaolongwan, northeastern China, Tu et al., Anthropocene 10.1016/j.ancene.2024.100442

Changes in duration and intensity of waves of heat and cold on the territory of Belarus over the period from 1955 to 2021, Khitrykau, PLOS Climate Open Access 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000426

Intensified Western Pacific Convection Increases the Probability of Hot Extremes in the Middle East During the Boreal Spring, Xia et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres Open Access 10.1029/2024jd042048

Instrumentation & observational methods of climate change, effects

Continuity in Top-of-Atmosphere Earth Radiation Budget Observations, Loeb et al., Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-24-0180.1

Using human observations with instrument-based metrics to understand changing rainfall patterns, Savo et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-024-53861-7

Modeling, simulation & projection of climate change, effects

An intensification of surface Earth’s energy imbalance since the late 20th century, Li et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access 10.1038/s43247-024-01802-z

Constrained Projections Indicate Less Delay in Onset of Summer Monsoon over the Bay of Bengal and South China Sea, Cheng et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2024gl110994

Historical Simulation and Future Projection of Arctic-Boreal Fire Carbon Emissions and Related Surface Climate by 17 CMIP6 ESMs, Dong et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 10.1029/2024jd041806

Land Processes Can Substantially Impact the Mean Climate State, Zarakas et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2024gl108372

Mitigation-driven global heat imbalance in the late 21st century, Li et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access 10.1038/s43247-024-01849-y

More than three-fold increase in compound soil and air dryness across Europe by the end of 21st century, Shekhar et al., Open Access 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3143908/v2

Projected Increasing Negative Impact of Extreme Events on Gross Primary Productivity During the 21st Century in CMIP6 Models, Gao et al., Earth's Future Open Access 10.1029/2024ef004798

The Shifting Distribution of Arctic Daily Temperatures Under Global Warming, Giesse et al., Earth's Future Open Access 10.1029/2024ef004961

Advancement of climate & climate effects modeling, simulation & projection

An improved and extended parameterization of the CO2 15 µm cooling in the middle and upper atmosphere (CO2&cool&fort-1.0), López-Puertas et al., Geoscientific Model Development Open Access 10.5194/gmd-17-4401-2024

Effects of urban areas on the diurnal cycle of temperature and precipitation in a global climate simulation, Katzfey et al., Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society Open Access 10.1002/qj.4847

Impact of stochastic physics on the representation of atmospheric blocking in EC-Earth3, Filippucci et al., Open Access 10.5194/egusphere-2024-624

Cryosphere & climate change

Assessing the impact of artificial geotextile covers on glacier mass balance and energy fluxes, XIE et al., Advances in Climate Change Research Open Access 10.1016/j.accre.2024.10.007

Atmospheric drivers of Antarctic sea ice extent summer minima, Mezzina et al., Open Access 10.5194/tc-2023-45

Grounding-line retreat of Milne Glacier, Ellesmere Island, Canada over 1966–2023 from satellite, airborne, and ground radar data, Antropova et al., Remote Sensing of Environment Open Access 10.1016/j.rse.2024.114478

Mapping of sea ice concentration using the NASA NIMBUS 5 ESMR microwave radiometer data 1972–1977, Kolbe et al., Open Access pdf 10.5194/essd-2023-289

Thwaites Glacier thins and retreats fastest where ice-shelf channels intersect its grounding zone, Chartrand et al., The Cryosphere Open Access 10.5194/tc-18-4971-2024

Biology & climate change, related geochemistry

Additionality in Blue Carbon Ecosystems: Recommendations for a Universally Applicable Accounting Methodology, Houston et al., Global Change Biology Open Access 10.1111/gcb.17559

Climate change and environmental degradation in Yanomami People’s Land: Intersectional threats and the need for improved policy-making, Leal Filho et al., Environmental Science & Policy 10.1016/j.envsci.2024.103931

Climate-driven shifts in plant–soil feedback of a perennial grass species, Florianová & Münzbergová, Journal of Ecology Open Access 10.1111/1365-2745.14443

Congruent Long-Term Declines in Carbon and Biodiversity Are a Signature of Forest Degradation, Betts et al., Global Change Biology Open Access 10.1111/gcb.17541

Contrasting responses of commercially important Northwest Atlantic bivalve species to ocean acidification and temperature conditions, McMahon et al., PLOS Climate Open Access 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000509

Decline of soil volatile organic compounds from a Mediterranean deciduous forest under a future drier climate, Legros et al., Atmospheric Environment 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2024.120909

Functional Traits Predict Outcomes of Current and Novel Competition Under Warmer Climate, Lyu & Alexander Alexander, Open Access 10.1101/2024.09.26.615168

Glacier retreat decreases mutualistic network robustness over spacetime, Conti et al., Ecography Open Access 10.1111/ecog.07558

Greater plasticity in CTmax with increased climate variability among populations of tailed frogs, Cicchino et al., Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 10.1098/rspb.2024.1628

Greening-Induced Biophysical Impacts Lead to Earlier Spring and Autumn Phenology in Temperate and Boreal Forests, Guo et al., Earth's Future Open Access 10.1029/2024ef004618

Hotter Temperatures Reduce the Diversity and Alter the Composition of Woody Plants in an Amazonian Forest, Fortier et al., Global Change Biology Open Access 10.1111/gcb.17555

Major distribution shifts are projected for key rangeland grasses under a high-emission scenario in East Africa at the end of the 21st century, Messmer et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access 10.1038/s43247-024-01731-x

Mapping Climatic Regions of the Cerrado: General Patterns and Future Change, Cattelan et al., International Journal of Climatology Open Access 10.1002/joc.8670

Metabolic balance of a marine neritic copepod under chronic and acute warming scenarios, de Juan et al., Marine Environmental Research Open Access 10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106827

Projecting Untruncated Climate Change Effects on Species' Climate Suitability: Insights From an Alpine Country, Adde et al., Global Change Biology Open Access 10.1111/gcb.17557

Recurrent marine heatwaves compromise the reproduction success and long-term viability of shallow populations of the Mediterranean gorgonian Eunicella singularis, Sarda et al., Marine Environmental Research Open Access 10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106822

Temporal dynamics of stream algae under the combined impacts of climate and land-use stressors, Penk et al., Journal of Ecology Open Access 10.1111/1365-2745.14413

Tree-ring blue intensity measurements from treeline sites in the Ural Mountains exhibit a strong summer temperature signal, Agapova et al., Dendrochronologia 10.1016/j.dendro.2024.126267

Vegetation traits and biogeomorphic complexity shape the resilience of salt marshes to sea-level rise, Cornacchia et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-024-01829-2

Weaker Atlantic overturning circulation increases the vulnerability of northern Amazon forests, Akabane et al., Nature Geoscience 10.1038/s41561-024-01578-z

GHG sources & sinks, flux, related geochemistry

A Comprehensive Analysis of Air-Sea CO2 Flux Uncertainties Constructed From Surface Ocean Data Products, Ford et al., Open Access pdf 10.22541/essoar.171199280.05732707/v1

Aridity-Driven Change in Microbial Carbon Use Efficiency and Its Linkage to Soil Carbon Storage, Pei et al., Global Change Biology 10.1111/gcb.17565

Assessment of Landscape-Scale Fluxes of Carbon Dioxide and Methane in Subtropical Coastal Wetlands of South Florida, Delaria et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences Open Access 10.1029/2024jg008165

Calcite precipitation: The forgotten piece of lakes’ carbon cycle, Many et al., Science Advances Open Access 10.1126/sciadv.ado5924

Carbon degradation and mobilisation potentials of thawing permafrost peatlands in northern Norway inferred from laboratory incubations, Kjær et al., Biogeosciences Open Access 10.5194/bg-21-4723-2024

Chronic intense bottom trawling reduces marine carbon sequestration, , Nature Geoscience 10.1038/s41561-024-01589-w

Closing the inland water carbon cycle, Middelburg, Science Advances Open Access 10.1126/sciadv.adt3893

Extreme Climate as the Primary Control of Global Soil Organic Carbon Across Spatial Scales, Wei et al., Global Biogeochemical Cycles 10.1029/2024gb008200

Impact of Oil and Gas Activities on Ambient Hydrocarbon Concentrations over North Texas: A Retrospective Assessment from 2000-2022, Kanayankottupoyil & John, Atmospheric Environment 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2024.120907

Limited Organic Carbon Burial by the Rusty Carbon Sink in Swedish Fjord Sediments, Placitu et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences Open Access 10.1029/2024jg008277

Optimizing the closure period for improved accuracy of chamber-based greenhouse gas flux estimates, Johannesson et al., Agricultural and Forest Meteorology Open Access 10.1016/j.agrformet.2024.110289

Patterns of methane flux on different temporal scales and its environmental controls over a subtropical “floating blanket” wetland in southwest China, Shao et al., Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 10.1016/j.agrformet.2024.110280

Quantifying Global Wetland Methane Emissions With In Situ Methane Flux Data and Machine Learning Approaches, Chen et al., Earth's Future Open Access 10.1029/2023ef004330

Seasonal CO2 amplitude in northern high latitudes, Liu et al., Nature Reviews Earth & Environment 10.1038/s43017-024-00600-7

Spatial and temporal variations of gross primary production simulated by land surface model BCC&AVIM2.0, Li et al., Advances in Climate Change Research Open Access 10.1016/j.accre.2023.02.001

Toward Modeling Continental-Scale Inland Water Carbon Dioxide Emissions, Saccardi et al., AGU Advances Open Access 10.1029/2024av001294

CO2 capture, sequestration science & engineering

Afforestation Reduces Deep Soil Carbon Sequestration in Semiarid Regions: Lessons From Variations of Soil Water and Carbon Along Afforestation Stages in China's Loess Plateau, Huang et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences 10.1029/2024jg008287

Fast recovery of North Atlantic sea level in response to atmospheric carbon dioxide removal, Wang et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access 10.1038/s43247-024-01835-4

Questionable devices: Applying a large language model to deliberate carbon removal, Waller et al., Environmental Science & Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.envsci.2024.103940

Synergies of storing hydrogen at the crest of CO2${rm CO}&{2}$ or other gas storage, Rhouma et al., Greenhouse Gases: Science and Technology Open Access pdf 10.1002/ghg.2278

Decarbonization

Potential climate predictability of renewable energy supply and demand for Texas given the ENSO hidden state, Zhang et al., Science Advances Open Access 10.1126/sciadv.ado3517

Renewable energy quality trilemma and coincident wind and solar droughts, Li et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access 10.1038/s43247-024-01850-5

Geoengineering climate

A fully coupled solid-particle microphysics scheme for stratospheric aerosol injections within the aerosol–chemistry–climate model SOCOL-AERv2, Vattioni et al., Geoscientific Model Development Open Access 10.5194/gmd-17-7767-2024

Effective control mechanisms of research on climate engineering techniques for the public good—The London Protocol regulatory approach as a role model, Ginzky & Oschlies, Frontiers in Climate Open Access 10.3389/fclim.2024.1474993

Aerosols

Data collation for climate-cooling gas dimethylsulfide in Antarctic snow, sea ice and underlying seawater, Burke et al., Scientific Data Open Access 10.1038/s41597-024-04038-w

Climate change communications & cognition

Do You See What I See? Emotional Reaction to Visual Content in the Online Debate About Climate Change, Rossi et al., Environmental Communication Open Access 10.1080/17524032.2024.2420787

Self-affirmed for saving energy in the United States: Cognition, intention, and behavior, Chen et al., Energy Research & Social Science 10.1016/j.erss.2024.103764

Weather, Climate, and Society: A Retrospective between 2009 and 2022 Using Bibliometric and Content Analysis, Putera et al., Weather, Climate, and Society 10.1175/wcas-d-23-0047.1

What do you mean 'Climate Change'? An analysis of climate change framings in three climate assemblies, Zeitfogel et al., Environmental Science & Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.envsci.2024.103936

Agronomy, animal husbundry, food production & climate change

Challenges and Opportunities for Extension in Drought Adaptation: A Case Study of Ranching in New Mexico, Dinan et al., Weather, Climate, and Society 10.1175/wcas-d-23-0098.1

Large-scale oyster farming accelerates the removal of dissolved inorganic carbon from seawater in Sanggou Bay, Li et al., Marine Environmental Research 10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106798

Long-term alfalfa planting mediates the coupling of soil water and organic carbon storage in a semi-arid area of the Loess Plateau, China, Ma et al., PeerJ Open Access 10.7717/peerj.18373

Lower methane and nitrous oxide emissions from rice-aquaculture co-culture systems than from rice paddies in southeast China,, Fang et al., Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 10.1016/j.agrformet.2023.109540

Modeling biochar effects on soil organic carbon on croplands in a microbial decomposition model (MIMICS-BC&v1.0), Han et al., Geoscientific Model Development Open Access 10.5194/gmd-17-4871-2024

Opportunities for carbon sequestration from removing or intensifying pasture-based beef production, Hayek et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Open Access 10.1073/pnas.2405758121

Past and future impacts of marine heatwaves on small-scale fisheries in Baja California, Mexico, Villaseñor-Derbez et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access 10.1038/s43247-024-01696-x

Performance of nine maize phenology models in China under historical climate change conditions, Kang et al., Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 10.1016/j.agrformet.2024.110234

Potential of conservation agriculture practice in climate change adaptation and mitigation in Ethiopia: a review, Hailu & Teka, Frontiers in Climate Open Access 10.3389/fclim.2024.1478923

Warming Leads to Lower Rice Quality in East Asia, Liu et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2024gl110557

Hydrology, hydrometeorology & climate change

Anthropogenic warming has ushered in an era of temperature-dominated droughts in the western United States, Zhuang et al., Science Advances 10.1126/sciadv.adn9389

Direct vegetation response to recent CO2 rise shows limited effect on global streamflow, Wei et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-024-53879-x

Floods of Egypt’s Nile in the 21st century, Badawy et al., Scientific Reports Open Access 10.1038/s41598-024-77002-8

Future precipitation projections for Brazil and tropical South America from a convection-permitting climate simulation, Kahana et al., Open Access pdf 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3581208/v1

Nonstationarity in the global terrestrial water cycle and its interlinkages in the Anthropocene, Nie et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Open Access 10.1073/pnas.2403707121

Projected frequency of low to high-intensity rainfall events over India using bias-corrected CORDEX models, Boyaj et al., Atmospheric Research 10.1016/j.atmosres.2024.107760

Quantification of streamflow response to climate change and human activities within upstream mountainous areas of the Daqing River Basin, Northern China, Li et al., Frontiers in Earth Science Open Access 10.3389/feart.2024.1488755

Warming Asian Drylands Inducing the Delayed Retreat of East Asian Summer Monsoon and Intensifying Autumn Precipitation in Northern China, Zhang et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 10.1029/2024jd041811

Climate change economics

Promoting low-carbon energy transition through green finance: New evidence from a demand-supply perspective, Wang et al., Energy Policy 10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114376

Trying to find a balance: Energy excise duties in the context of climate targets, energy shocks, and redistributive goals, Lanterna, Energy Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114406

Climate change mitigation public policy research

1 + 1 > 2? The synergistic effect of carbon emissions reduction policies: empirical evidence from China, Jiang et al., Climate Policy 10.1080/14693062.2024.2424230

A cost-effective climate mitigation pathway for China with co-benefits for sustainability, Chen et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-024-53912-z

A globally just and inclusive transition? Questioning policy representations of the European Green Deal, da Silva Hyldmo et al., Global Environmental Change Open Access 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2024.102946

A legal-economic framework of wholesale electricity markets: Assessing Australia's transition, Csereklyei & Kallies, Energy Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114377

1 + 1 > 2? The synergistic effect of carbon emissions reduction policies: empirical evidence from China, Jiang et al., Climate Policy 10.1080/14693062.2024.2424230

A cost-effective climate mitigation pathway for China with co-benefits for sustainability, Chen et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-024-53912-z

A globally just and inclusive transition? Questioning policy representations of the European Green Deal, da Silva Hyldmo et al., Global Environmental Change Open Access 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2024.102946

A legal-economic framework of wholesale electricity markets: Assessing Australia's transition, Csereklyei & Kallies, Energy Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114377

How (and by whom) energy policy is really made: Insights from the Scottish political system, Jenkins, Energy Research & Social Science Open Access 10.1016/j.erss.2024.103817

Large inequalities in climate mitigation scenarios are not supported by theories of distributive justice, Millward-Hopkins et al., Energy Research & Social Science Open Access 10.1016/j.erss.2024.103813

Low carbon footprint - A consequence of free will or of poverty? The impact of sufficiency orientation and deprivation on individual carbon footprints, Alexander-Haw & Schleich, Energy Policy 10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114367

Making space for environmental justice in renewable energy planning, Urkidi Azkarraga & Gurrutxaga, Energy Research & Social Science Open Access 10.1016/j.erss.2024.103806

Observed carbon decoupling of subnational production insufficient for net-zero goal by 2050, Zioga et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 10.1073/pnas.2411419121

Policy mixes for net-zero energy transitions: Insights from energy sector integration in Germany, Olbrich et al., Energy Research & Social Science Open Access 10.1016/j.erss.2024.103822

Uncertain transitions: Affects in the coal supply chain from Colombia to Poland, Carmona & D?bkowska, Energy Research & Social Science Open Access 10.1016/j.erss.2024.103740

Climate change adaptation & adaptation public policy research

Differential flood insurance participation and housing market trajectories under future coastal flooding in the United States, Poudel et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access 10.1038/s43247-024-01848-z

Increase in insurance losses caused by North Atlantic hurricanes in a warmer climate, Comola et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-024-01824-7

Plant traits, microclimate temperature and humidity: A research agenda for advancing nature-based solutions to a warming and drying climate, Wright & Francia R. M. Francia R. M. Francia, Journal of Ecology Open Access pdf 10.1111/1365-2745.14313

Using social-network analysis to map institutional actors’ links with vulnerable municipalities under climate change in Honduras’ dry corridor. Pathways towards improved cooperation and territorial interventions, Carlos Eduardo Gonzalez et al., Climate Risk Management Open Access 10.1016/j.crm.2024.100664

Climate change impacts on human health

Atmospheric health burden across the century and the accelerating impact of temperature compared to pollution, Pozzer et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-024-53649-9

“When you have stress because you don’t have food”: Climate, food security, and mental health during pregnancy among Bakiga and Indigenous Batwa women in rural Uganda, Bryson et al., PLOS Climate Open Access 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000399

Other

Expanding European fossil-based plastic production in a time of socio-ecological crisis: A neo-Gramscian perspective, Holmberg et al., Energy Research & Social Science Open Access 10.1016/j.erss.2024.103759

Informed opinion, nudges & major initiatives

A shifting climate: New paradigms and challenges for (early career) scientists in extreme weather research, Kretschmer et al., Atmospheric Science Letters Open Access 10.1002/asl.1268

Adapt research to the Anthropocene, Christmann, Anthropocene Open Access 10.1016/j.ancene.2024.100455

Advances in attribution, Nature Climate Change Open Access 10.1353/cer.2013.0006

Editorial: Carbon dioxide removal: perspectives from the social sciences and humanities, Hansson et al., Frontiers in Climate Open Access 10.3389/fclim.2024.1509331

Forest canopies as nature-based solutions to mitigate global change effects on people and nature, Verheyen et al., Journal of Ecology 10.1111/1365-2745.14345

Future directions for deep ocean climate science and evidence-based decision making, Pillar et al., Open Access 10.22541/essoar.172019465.52942179/v1

Seven continents. One sky, Vu?oiu et al., Frontiers in Climate Open Access 10.3389/fclim.2024.1470281

“Bending the curve”: The need for legal innovation in the UNFCCC-CBD nexus, Ann Samuel et al., PLOS Climate Open Access 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000503


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

Singapore's Third National Climate Change Study, Centre for Climate Research Singapore

The authors provide high-resolution climate change projections for Singapore and the wider Southeast Asia (SEA) region, by dynamically downscaling the coarse-resolution global climate model simulations. This new dataset can be readily used for adaptation planning and thus help safeguard Singapore from the adverse effects of climate change.

Transportation Electrification in the Southeast, Matthew Vining and Moe Khatib, Atlas Public Policy and Southern Alliance for Clean Energy

The Southeast is leading the nation in EV and battery-related jobs and private sector investments, with four of the nation’s top eight EV manufacturing investment states in the region. EV sales in the Southeast grew 42%, defying concerns that consumer interest is waning, and regional charging station deployment is on the rise. Manufacturing tax incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to strengthen supply chains and create jobs have spurred private sector investments, enticing companies such as Ford, Toyota, Hyundai, Scout Motors, LG Energy, SK Battery, and their suppliers to establish EV and battery operations in the Southeast. The region is developing a skilled workforce through specialized training programs and community partnerships to meet the demands of EV manufacturing.

10 years of rapidly disentangling drivers of extreme weather disasters, Otto et al., World Weather Attribution

To mark the 10th anniversary of World Weather Attribution, we look back at the 10 deadliest extreme weather events in the 20 years since the first attribution study. The authors use these to highlight key findings and developments in science as well as changes since some of the earlier studies were undertaken, due to the additional global warming in recent years.

Brazil’s Critical Minerals and the Global Clean Energy Revolution, Patricia Vasquez, Wilson Center

Brazil has all the elements for becoming an engine of the rapidly evolving global energy transformation. The country boasts some of the world’s largest deposits of critical minerals essential to make possible the transition from fossil fuels. Brazil is already an exporter of some of these minerals. But beyond exporting raw materials, the country is also looking to develop critical minerals value chains at home, leveraging its leadership in renewable energy. In the process, Brazil could emerge as a trailblazer in green technology and climate change solutions.

Market Development of Floating and Bottom-Fixed Offshore Wind. The Long-Term Potential for the Norwegian Offshore Wind Industry, Winje et al., Menon Economics

The authors analyze and assess the market development for floating and bottom-fixed offshore wind, as well as the long-term revenue potential of the Norwegian offshore wind industry. The report is an update of Menon's floating offshore wind analysis from 2022, but also includes analyses of the market for bottom-fixed offshore wind.

Navigating the Future VI, Beaumont et al., European Marine Board

The authors highlight the crucial role the Ocean plays in Earth’s interconnected systems—climate, biodiversity, freshwater, and human well-being—and deliver a bold vision for future marine research and policy. Structured around four key themes—People, Climate, Freshwater, and Biodiversity—the authors call for more integrated, transdisciplinary research and governance approaches to safeguard the Ocean and its essential role in Earth’s systems. The recommendations outline the marine research priorities needed to meet these challenges, from improved water resilience and climate adaptation strategies to biodiversity protection and understanding the dynamic relationship between the Ocean and people.

From Minerals to Manufacturing. Africa’s Competitiveness in Global Battery Supply Chains, UK’s Manufacturing Africa programme and The Faraday Institution

The authors analyze the opportunities for Africa to transition from being a mere extractor of raw materials to refining minerals and assembling or manufacturing batteries. Key findings indicate that, with the right investment and policy environment, refining locally extracted lithium, nickel, manganese, and copper in Africa could be up to 40% more competitive than the rest of the world by 2030. With just one high-quality refinery for each of these minerals, Africa could generate an additional USD 6.8 billion in annual revenues and create approximately 3,500 good-quality jobs operating in the battery supply chain. Beyond mineral refining, initial analysis suggests that countries like Tanzania and Morocco could produce batteries that are cost-competitive with Europe under certain conditions. For example, Morocco could achieve production costs of $72/kWh and Tanzania at $68/kWh, compared to $68/kWh in Europe, where production benefits from subsidies.

Interregional Transfer Capability Study (ITCS) Strengthening Reliability Through the Energy Transformation, Barsotti et al., North American Electric Reliability Corporation

The authors provide an energy margin analysis and resulting recommendations for increases to the transfer capability between Transmission Planning Regions to improve energy adequacy during extreme weather events. They also recommend how to meet and maintain transfer capability as enhanced by these technically prudent additions.

Climate Action Guide for Urban Planners, C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, C40 Cities, Urban Shift, and Community Jameel

The guide supports urban planners from cities around the world to play their full part in tackling the climate crisis. Urban planning is a city function that offers unparalleled opportunities to set cities on development pathways that are lower-carbon and more responsive to evolving climate risks. The guide focuses on the preparation and policy content of urban plans – known variously as strategic spatial plans, master plans, land use plans, and more. The guide also identifies a range of planning policies from cities around the world that have been designed with specific climate considerations in mind.

New Poll reveals divided views on Climate Change and COP29 “Awareness Gap” across Central Asia, Montfort Eurasia

The authors highlight significant regional differences in attitudes toward climate change and a substantial credibility gap regarding the conference’s awareness and impact. They surveyed a representative sample of urban populations aged 18 and over across Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan in August 2024. The survey highlights stark contrasts in attitudes towards climate change. While over a quarter of respondents (28%) expressed deep concern, the level of urgency varies dramatically between nations. In Uzbekistan, 38% of respondents said they were "very concerned" about the issue, followed by Kazakhstan at 33%. However, in Georgia, 26% of respondents reported being unconcerned - outnumbering those who said the issue was a serious one for them (20%). These findings reflect a region sharply divided on whether climate change is an immediate priority or a lesser issue, making it challenging to build consensus around climate action and sustainability.

Disaster Risk Management Action Plan, 2024–2030: Redoubling Action Toward Disaster Resilience, Galperin et al., Asian Development Bank

The Disaster Risk Management Action Plan (DRMAP), 2024–2030 aims to redouble Asian Development Bank (ADB) efforts toward achieving disaster resilience in Asia and the Pacific. It follows an integrated approach that considers disaster resilience as the result of investments across a range of relevant sectors. The DRMAP encourages dedicated efforts to address systemic risks through structural and nonstructural measures.

Obtaining articles without journal subscriptions

We know it's frustrating that many articles we cite here are not free to read. One-off paid access fees are generally astronomically priced, suitable for such as "On a Heuristic Point of View Concerning the Production and Transformation of Light but not as a gamble on unknowns. With a median world income of US$ 9,373, for most of us US$ 42 is significant money to wager on an article's relevance and importance. 

  • Unpaywall offers a browser extension for Chrome and Firefox that automatically indicates when an article is freely accessible and provides immediate access without further trouble. Unpaywall is also unscammy, works well, is itself offered free to use. The organizers (a legitimate nonprofit) report about a 50% success rate
  • The weekly New Research catch is checked against the Unpaywall database with accessible items being flagged. Especially for just-published articles this mechansim may fail. If you're interested in an article title and it is not listed here as "open access," be sure to check the link anyway. 

How is New Research assembled?

Most articles appearing here are found via  RSS feeds from journal publishers, filtered by search terms to produce raw output for assessment of relevance. 

Relevant articles are then queried against the Unpaywall database, to identify open access articles and expose useful metadata for articles appearing in the database. 

The objective of New Research isn't to cast a tinge on scientific results, to color readers' impressions. Hence candidate articles are assessed via two metrics only:

  • Was an article deemed of sufficient merit by a team of journal editors and peer reviewers? The fact of journal RSS output assigns a "yes" to this automatically. 
  • Is an article relevant to the topic of anthropogenic climate change? Due to filter overlap with other publication topics of inquiry, of a typical week's 550 or so input articles about 1/4 of RSS output makes the cut.

A few journals offer public access to "preprint" versions of articles for which the review process is not yet complete. For some key journals this all the mention we'll see in RSS feeds, so we include such items in New Research. These are flagged as "preprint."

The section "Informed opinion, nudges & major initiatives" includes some items that are not scientific research per se but fall instead into the category of "perspectives," observations of implications of research findings, areas needing attention, etc.

Suggestions

Please 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.

Journals covered

A list of journals we cover may be found here. We welcome pointers to omissions, new journals etc.

Previous edition

The previous edition of Skeptical Science New Research may be found here.

Read Entire Article