REPORTS & PAPERS 2021

REPORTS AND PAPERS

Already by the beginning of June, there are dozens of reports on subjects from air quality to conserving and restoring America’s lands and waters, from melting ice to gas emission inventories, from health consequences to economic consequences. Perhaps Net Zero by 2050: A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector released by the International Energy Agency, on May 1, is the one you should read first. It is both demanding and optimistic.

Michael Svoboda at Yale Climate Connections, also published an important piece in 12 reports on what the U.S. may make possible on climate.

The Global Risks. Credit: World Economic Forum

Increasing probability of record-shattering climate extremes

nature.com

Increasing probability of record-shattering climate extremes

By E. M. Fischer, S. Sippel and R. Knutti 7/26/21

Society has often been surprised by the magnitude by which recent climate extremes exceeded previous observed records, such as during the extreme rainfall of Hurricane Harvey1–3, the 2020 warm anomaly over Siberia4 or the 2003…

NATURE 7/26/21: Increasing probability of record-shattering climate extremes

nature.com

Increasing probability of record-shattering climate extremes

By E. M. Fischer, S. Sippel and R. Knutti 7/26/21

Society has often been surprised by the magnitude by which recent climate extremes exceeded previous observed records, such as during the extreme rainfall of Hurricane Harvey1–3, the 2020 warm anomaly over Siberia4 or the 2003…
RELATED ARTICLES: Jul272021

INDEPENDENT

‘Record-shattering’ heatwaves to become far more likely without urgent climate action, research warns

By Daisy Dunne

“Record-shattering” events similar to North America’s recent deadly heatwave could become far more likely in the coming years if little is done to tackle rapidly…

Jul262021

Carbon Brief

Climate change will drive rise in ‘record-shattering’ heat extremes

By Ayesha Tandon    Photo: ZUMA Press Inc

“Record-shattering” extremes – which break weather records by large margins – will become more likely as a result of climate change, a new study finds.…

Jul262021

AXIOS

Study: Get ready for many more record-shattering heatwaves

By Andrew Freedman    Photo: NASA Earth Observatory

The recent deadly heat wave in the Pacific Northwest, during which all-time temperature records were shattered by several degrees, is a prologue to what is…

Jul262021

The New York Times

The world can expect more record-shattering heat waves, research shows.

By Henry Fountain    Photo: Maranie Staab/Reuters

The ferocious heat wave that hit the Pacific Northwest in late June stunned some climate scientists because it was so much more extreme than anything…

Jul262021

The Guardian

‘Record-shattering’ heat becoming much more likely, says climate study

By Damian Carrington    Photo: US Forest Service/AFP/Getty Images

“Record-shattering” heatwaves, even worse than the one that recently hit north-west America, are set to become much more likely in future, according to research. The…

CDP 2021
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U.S. infrastructure projects in need of funding

cdp

U.S. infrastructure projects in need of funding

The snapshot below presents infrastructure projects in cities around the nation pending public or private investment, most of which respond to years of deterioration and the need for enhanced climate and environmental resilience. Addressing these…

CDP 2021: U.S. infrastructure projects in need of funding

cdp

U.S. infrastructure projects in need of funding

The snapshot below presents infrastructure projects in cities around the nation pending public or private investment, most of which respond to years of deterioration and the need for enhanced climate and environmental resilience. Addressing these…
RELATED ARTICLES: Jul202021

utilitydive

Billions more needed to address climate infrastructure needs of US cities: report

By Jason Plautz Photo: Scott Olson / Getty Images

A new report from the nonprofit CDP identified more than 300 sustainable infrastructure projects across 97 U.S. cities, with a collective funding and financing gap…

NATURE 7/14/21
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Amazonia as a carbon source linked to deforestation and climate change

nature

Amazonia as a carbon source linked to deforestation and climate change

By Luciana V.Gatti, Luana S.Basso and more 7/14/21

Amazonia hosts the Earth’s largest tropical forests and has been shown to be an important carbon sink over recent decades1–3. This carbon sink seems to be in decline, however, as a result of factors such…

NATURE 7/14/21: Amazonia as a carbon source linked to deforestation and climate change

nature

Amazonia as a carbon source linked to deforestation and climate change

By Luciana V.Gatti, Luana S.Basso and more 7/14/21

Amazonia hosts the Earth’s largest tropical forests and has been shown to be an important carbon sink over recent decades1–3. This carbon sink seems to be in decline, however, as a result of factors such…
RELATED ARTICLES: Jul152021

www.npr.org

Parts Of The Amazon Rainforest Are Now Releasing More Carbon Than They Absorb

By Sharon Pruitt-Young Photo: Carl de Souza/AFP via Getty Images

Portions of the Amazon rainforest are now releasing more carbon dioxide than they absorb, disrupting an important balancing act that signals a worsening of the…

Jul142021

mongabay

Brazil’s Amazon is now a carbon source, unprecedented study reveals

By Liz Kimbrough Photo: Christian Braga/Greenpeace

According to a study published July 14 in Nature, the Brazilian Amazon is emitting more carbon than it captures. This study is the first to…

NATURE 6/2/21
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Widespread deoxygenation of temperate lakes

Nature

Widespread deoxygenation of temperate lakes

By Stephen F. Jane and Gretchen J. A. Hansen 6/2/21

The concentration of dissolved oxygen in aquatic systems helps to regulate biodiversity1,2, nutrient biogeochemistry3, greenhouse gas emissions4, and the quality of drinking water5. The long-term declines in dissolved oxygen concentrations in coastal and ocean waters…

NATURE 6/2/21: Widespread deoxygenation of temperate lakes

Nature

Widespread deoxygenation of temperate lakes

By Stephen F. Jane and Gretchen J. A. Hansen 6/2/21

The concentration of dissolved oxygen in aquatic systems helps to regulate biodiversity1,2, nutrient biogeochemistry3, greenhouse gas emissions4, and the quality of drinking water5. The long-term declines in dissolved oxygen concentrations in coastal and ocean waters…
RELATED ARTICLES: Jun22021

The Guardian

Climate crisis is suffocating the world’s lakes, study finds

By Damian Carrington Photo: Lukas Barth-Tuttas/EPA

The climate crisis is causing a widespread fall in oxygen levels in lakes across the world, suffocating wildlife and threatening drinking water supplies. Falling levels…

WMO 2021
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Global Annual to Decadal Climate Update

hadleyserver.metoffice.gov.uk

Global Annual to Decadal Climate Update

Executive Summary This update presents a summary of annual to decadal predictions from the WMO designated Global Producing Centres and other contributing centres for the period 2021-2025. Latest predictions suggest that:

WMO 2021: Global Annual to Decadal Climate Update

hadleyserver.metoffice.gov.uk

Global Annual to Decadal Climate Update

Executive Summary This update presents a summary of annual to decadal predictions from the WMO designated Global Producing Centres and other contributing centres for the period 2021-2025. Latest predictions suggest that:
RELATED ARTICLES: May272021

World Meteorological Organization

New climate predictions increase likelihood of temporarily reaching 1.5 °C in next 5 years

Geneva, 27 May 2021 (WMO) – There is about a 40% chance of the annual average global temperature temporarily reaching 1.5°C above the pre-industrial level in at…

PNAS 5/15/21
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Air quality – related health damages of food

www.pnas.org

Air quality – related health damages of food

By Nina G. G. Domingo, Srinidhi Balasubramanian and others 5/15/21

Poor air quality is the largest environmental health risk in the United States and worldwide, and agriculture is a major source of air pollution. Nevertheless, air quality has been largely absent from discussions about the…

PNAS 5/15/21: Air quality – related health damages of food

www.pnas.org

Air quality – related health damages of food

By Nina G. G. Domingo, Srinidhi Balasubramanian and others 5/15/21

Poor air quality is the largest environmental health risk in the United States and worldwide, and agriculture is a major source of air pollution. Nevertheless, air quality has been largely absent from discussions about the…
RELATED ARTICLES: May132021

www.popsci.com

It’s not just methane—meat production fills the air with noxious particulate matter too

By Shaena Montanari     Photo: Pixabay

Feeding the world is a necessity, but the process doesn’t come without health risks—even in the form of air pollution. Fossil fuel combustion in cars…

May112021

The Washington Post

Air pollution from farms leads to 17,900 U.S. deaths per year, study finds

By Sarah Kaplan    Photo: Alex Wroblewski/Bloomberg News

The smell of hog feces was overwhelming, Elsie Herring said. The breezes that wafted from the hog farm next to her mother’s Duplin County, N.C.,…

May112021

www.agriculture.com

AGRICULTURE LINKED TO ONE-FIFTH OF U.S. AIR POLLUTION DEATHS

By Chuck Abbott    Photo: David Ekstrom

Air pollution is the largest environmental mortality risk in the United States, responsible for 100,000 premature deaths annually, and one-fifth of those deaths are linked…

NCTF 2021
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Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful 2021

www.doi.gov

Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful 2021

A preliminary report to the National Climate Task Force recommending a ten-year, locally led campaign to conserve and restore the lands and waters upon which we all depend, and that bind us together as Americans.

NCTF 2021: Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful 2021

www.doi.gov

Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful 2021

A preliminary report to the National Climate Task Force recommending a ten-year, locally led campaign to conserve and restore the lands and waters upon which we all depend, and that bind us together as Americans.
RELATED ARTICLES: May72021

www.washingtonpost.com

A narrow path for Biden’s ambitious land conservation plan

By Sarah Kaplan and Juliet Eilperin    Photo: Katherine Frey/The Washington Post

Months after President Biden set a goal of conserving 30 percent of the nation’s land and waters by 2030, the administration Thursday laid out broad principles —…

May72021

apnews.com

Biden’s plan would boost conservation of US lands, waters

By MATTHEW DALY

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration on Thursday detailed steps to achieve an ambitious goal to conserve nearly one-third of America’s lands and waters by…

May72021

mailchi.mp

Biden Administration Releases America The Beautiful plan to Reach 30×30

By Amy Lupica, ODP Staff Writer

On Thursday, the Biden administration announced detailed steps to protect 30% of America’s lands and waters by 2030. The report, titled “Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful,” calls for…

Jan292021

www.ourdailyplanet.com

450 State and Local Officials Support Biden on #30×30 Executive Order

By Amy Lupica, ODP Staff Writer    Photo: U.S. Bureau of Land Management

In an open letter, 450 elected officials from all around the U.S. support President Biden’s Executive Order action this week to protect 30% of U.S. lands and waters…

NATURE 5/5/21
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Projected land ice contributions to twenty-first-century sea level rise

www.nature.com

Projected land ice contributions to twenty-first-century sea level rise

By Tamsin L. Edwards, Sophie Nowicki 5/5/21

The land ice contribution to global mean sea level rise has not yet been predicted1 using ice sheet and glacier models for the latest set of socio-economic scenarios, nor using coordinated exploration of uncertainties arising from…

NATURE 5/5/21: Projected land ice contributions to twenty-first-century sea level rise

www.nature.com

Projected land ice contributions to twenty-first-century sea level rise

By Tamsin L. Edwards, Sophie Nowicki 5/5/21

The land ice contribution to global mean sea level rise has not yet been predicted1 using ice sheet and glacier models for the latest set of socio-economic scenarios, nor using coordinated exploration of uncertainties arising from…
RELATED ARTICLES: May52021

www.carbonbrief.org

Limiting warming to 1.5C would ‘halve’ land-ice contribution to sea level rise by 2100

By AYESHA TANDON    Photo: Global Vibes / Alamy Stock Photo

The Nature study, which brings together 84 authors from 62 institutions, projects future sea level rise using the latest models and future pathways. It estimates that, if…

May52021

www.newscientist.com

Hitting Paris climate goal could cut sea level rise in half by 2100

By Adam Vaughan    Photo: Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The amount of sea level rise facing coastal cities as a result of ice melt could be roughly halved if the world meets the Paris…

May52021

www.independent.co.uk

Meeting climate goals would ‘halve’ sea level rise from melting ice, study says

By Daisy Dunne

Limiting global heating to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels could halve the amount of sea level rise from melting land ice this century, when compared to a scenario…

May52021

thehill.com

Limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius could reduce sea level rise by 50 percent: research

By JOHN BOWDEN    Photo: Getty Images

The world can avoid the worst effects of rising sea levels if the world’s countries are able to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, a study released…

IOP 5/4/21
RELATED ARTICLES

Acting rapidly to deploy readily available methane mitigation measures by sector can immediately slow global warming

iopscience.iop.org

Acting rapidly to deploy readily available methane mitigation measures by sector can immediately slow global warming

By Ilissa B Ocko1, Tianyi Sun 5/4/21

Methane mitigation is essential for addressing climate change, but the value of rapidly implementing available mitigation measures is not well understood. In this paper, we analyze the climate benefits of fast action to reduce methane…

IOP 5/4/21: Acting rapidly to deploy readily available methane mitigation measures by sector can immediately slow global warming

iopscience.iop.org

Acting rapidly to deploy readily available methane mitigation measures by sector can immediately slow global warming

By Ilissa B Ocko1, Tianyi Sun 5/4/21

Methane mitigation is essential for addressing climate change, but the value of rapidly implementing available mitigation measures is not well understood. In this paper, we analyze the climate benefits of fast action to reduce methane…
RELATED ARTICLES: Apr272021

Swift action to cut methane emissions could slow Earth’s warming by 30 percent, study finds

By Brady Dennis and Steven Mufson Photo: Charles Rex Arbogast/AP

Moving quickly to cut emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas produced by everything from livestock farming to fossil fuel extraction, could slow the rate…

EPA 5/3/21
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Climate Change Indicators in the United States

www.epa.gov

Climate Change Indicators in the United States

5/3/21

The Earth’s climate is changing. Temperatures are rising, snow and rainfall patterns are shifting, and more extreme climate events – like heavy rainstorms and record high temperatures – are already happening. Many of these observed…

EPA 5/3/21: Climate Change Indicators in the United States

www.epa.gov

Climate Change Indicators in the United States

5/3/21

The Earth’s climate is changing. Temperatures are rising, snow and rainfall patterns are shifting, and more extreme climate events – like heavy rainstorms and record high temperatures – are already happening. Many of these observed…
RELATED ARTICLES: May142021

www.ourdailyplanet.com

Click to Climate: EPA’s Data Tracker is Back

By Ashira Morris, ODP Staff Writer    Photo: EPA Climate Change Indicators

After a four-year hiatus under the Trump administration, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Change Indicators website is back in action. The public portal includes data on 54 indicators…

May132021

www.washingtonpost.com

U.S. has entered unprecedented climate territory, EPA warns

By Dino Grandoni and Brady Dennis    Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images

For years, President Donald Trump and his deputies played down the impact of greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels and delayed the release of…

May122021

www.axios.com

U.S. sees escalating climate change impacts, EPA report finds

By Shawna Chen    Photo: Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post via Getty Images

The Environmental Protection Agency released a report on Wednesday warning of disturbing changes across the United States caused at least partially by global warming. Why it matters: The…

IEA 5/1/21
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Net Zero by 2050

IEA

Net Zero by 2050

5/1/21

The number of countries announcing pledges to achieve net-zero emissions over the coming decades continues to grow. But the pledges by governments to date – even if fully achieved – fall well short of what…

IEA 5/1/21: Net Zero by 2050

IEA

Net Zero by 2050

5/1/21

The number of countries announcing pledges to achieve net-zero emissions over the coming decades continues to grow. But the pledges by governments to date – even if fully achieved – fall well short of what…
RELATED ARTICLES: May272021

Yale Climate Connections

12 reports on what the U.S. may make possible on climate

By Michael Svoboda

The practical challenges increasingly made clear as the U.S. moves to address climate change; researchers address options for what they think may be possible.

May232021

www.washingtonpost.com

Opinion: A new study shows getting to net-zero emissions is doable. Here’s how

By Editorial Board    Photo: Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images

SCIENTISTS WARN that humanity must eliminate greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 or risk devastating consequences. The International Energy Agency (IEA), a reputable international outfit of…

May182021

THE NEW YORKER

The International Energy Agency Issues a Landmark Statement About Fossil Fuels

By Bill McKibben    Photo: Erin Scott / Reuters

The crucial turning points of the climate era can be found in a series of sentences, some of them pretty opaque, but all of them…

NOAA 4/19/21
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Climate change and the 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals

climate.gov

Climate change and the 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals

By Rebecca Lindsey 4/19/21

As soon as the 2021 New Year’s celebrations were over, the calls and questions started coming in from weather watchers: When will NOAA release the new U.S. Climate Normals? The Normals are 30-year averages of…

NOAA 4/19/21: Climate change and the 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals

climate.gov

Climate change and the 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals

By Rebecca Lindsey 4/19/21

As soon as the 2021 New Year’s celebrations were over, the calls and questions started coming in from weather watchers: When will NOAA release the new U.S. Climate Normals? The Normals are 30-year averages of…
RELATED ARTICLES: Apr212021

weather.com

Your Average Temperature Could Change Soon Thanks to Climate Change

By Chris Dolce

Climate averages for temperature and precipitation where you live could change next month and are influenced by climate change. The changes will come as a…

Apr212021

www.msn.com

Climate change clearly visible as NOAA prepares to release new ‘normals’

By Monica Garrett, CNN Meteorologist

As weather experts and climatologists discussed the new climate normals being released next month, they came to a conclusion: “Climate change is clearly seen in…

USGS 2021
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Global Change Research Needs and Opportunities for 2022-2031

nap.edu

Global Change Research Needs and Opportunities for 2022-2031

2021

The US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) is a collection of 13 Federal entities charged by law to assist the United States and the world to understand, assess, predict, and respond to human-induced and natural…

USGS 2021: Global Change Research Needs and Opportunities for 2022-2031

nap.edu

Global Change Research Needs and Opportunities for 2022-2031

2021

The US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) is a collection of 13 Federal entities charged by law to assist the United States and the world to understand, assess, predict, and respond to human-induced and natural…
RELATED ARTICLES: Mar162021

nationalacademies.org

U.S. Global Change Research Program Should Shift Focus to Preparing for and Avoiding Worst Potential Consequences of Climate Change, Says New Report

Global Change Research Needs and Opportunities for 2022-2031 recommends USGCRP accelerate research on the multidirectional relationships among human and natural systems to advance our understanding…

EPA 4/9/21
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