climate science Archives

climate science

2150 and Beyond

Climate change’s long term effects on the planet will be profound.

Most climate change projections end at the end of this century. When the IPCC issued its first report, however, 2100 was 110 years in the future. Looking that far ahead right now would bring us closer to 2150 than to 2100. We’re only beginning to get a sense of the impacts of climate change that …

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Solar Geoengineering in the News — Again and Again

An update on the serious and the silly

Solar geoengineering has been prominent in the news lately. It looks like the long-predicted spike of attention to these potential climate responses may finally be starting – with many attendant opportunities for controversy and confusion. For background on solar geoengineering, why it’s important to research, and what the debates over it are, check out various …

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Climate Change and Black History

Some important people in the climate arena are Black. But there are far too few of them.

Since this is Black History Month, I thought it would be appropriate to talk about some of the prominent contributions by Blacks to understanding and addressing climate change. Blacks are badly underrepresented in STEM fields such as atmospheric science and in environmental groups, but there are some important exceptions.(STEM stands for ‘Science, Technology, Engineering, and …

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The Fuss about Methane

Part 1: Science and weird facts

Methane is getting a lot of attention in climate debates. There was even a “Methane Day” last Tuesday at the climate conference in Glasgow. Several new regulations controlling methane emissions have been adopted recently, including two new rules for the US oil and gas sector announced last week. There’s a new informal international agreement to …

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Hot off the Press: The New IPCC Report

The latest science confirms the need for urgent action.

The IPCC issued the massive first volume of its new report on climate change on Monday. This volume focuses on climate science: how much will the world warm, and what will the impacts be? The bottom line is that the evidence is becoming ever firmer that (a) humans are causing an unprecedented rate of climate …

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Speaking Truth to Corporate Power

Decades ago, industry scientists fought to get their bosses to pay attention to climate change.

Decades ago, their own scientists told car companies and oil companies about climate change, information the companies chose to ignore. The scientists were voices crying out in the corporate wilderness. Sadly, they were ignored at the time, but companies are starting to pay the price for that in lawsuits. Those scientists advocated for the truth, …

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How Hot Will Things Get?

Identifying a realistic worst case scenario is complicated.

How hot will the world be in 2100? The answer partly depends on how much carbon we dump in the atmosphere between now and then. It also depends on how sensitive the climate system is to those emissions. Scientists have used 4.5 °C as the high end of the likely possibilities. That estimate derives from …

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Charting the Progress of the Latest Chapter in American Climate Change Litigation

State and Local Governments’ Common Law-Based Lawsuits Against the Energy Industry Are Steadily Gaining Traction

The latest chapter in American climate change litigation has been launched by local governments–and one state–across the U.S. against domestic and international fossil fuel companies. These lawsuits have been brought under one of the oldest and most venerable legal doctrines–state common law. They seek compensation from the energy industry for the myriad, adverse effects of …

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EPA v. the Inspector General

Surprise, surprise, EPA has tried to stonewall an investigation.

EPA’s Acting Inspector General Charles J. Sheehan took the extraordinary step last week of notifying Congress that EPA was stonewalling his investigation of potential misconduct involving EPA’s Chief of Staff. This was a gutsy move for Sheehan, especially given the extra vulnerability created by his Acting status. Sheehan, it is worth noting, is a career …

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Updates on the War on Science

The Trump Administration continues its campaign to suppress science.

The Trump Administration’s hostile attitude toward science has continued unabated. The Administration has used a triad of strategies: efforts to defund research, suppression of scientific findings, and embrace of fringe science. Budget.Administration continues to favor deep cuts in research support. Its initial 2020 budget proposal calls for a 13% cut to the National Science Foundation, a 12% cut at …

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The Farm Is Not An Algorithm

The inaccuracies of precision agriculture carry socio-environmental risks and produce inequalities.

The Forthcoming Interpretation Wars

The new NEPA amendments weren’t intended to speed up the process. But they’ll also spark new litigation.

Accelerating Freight Decarbonization

A Guide to Zero-Emission Zones in Cities

Who Will Own the Clean Energy Future?

In the latest push to finance renewable energy, we have allowed private actors to make substantial claims on public resources without asking for anything in return.

The New NEPA: A User’s Guide

The Debt Ceiling Law Rewrote NEPA. Here’s a map to the new statute.

Digitalization and Predictive Policing in Conservation

Does technology shift focus toward “green policing” and away from integrated conservation and development?

What’s Next in the Fight over Berkeley’s Natural Gas Ordinance

In a petition seeking review of the decision, the City of Berkeley says that the opinion from a Ninth Circuit panel takes federal preemption too far.

On the Perils of Hasty Drafting

The Debt Ceiling Bill was written under intense time pressure. It shows!

Sackett and the Dangers of a New ‘Clear-Statement Rule’

The Supreme Court decision in Sackett v. EPA will be bad for the nation’s wetlands. It is just as bad for democracy. 

NEPA and the Debt Deal

Will the permitting sections of the debt ceiling bill undermine environmental reviews?

NEPA and the Debt Deal

Will the permitting sections of the debt ceiling bill undermine environmental reviews?

The New NEPA: A User’s Guide

The Debt Ceiling Law Rewrote NEPA. Here’s a map to the new statute.

Can The Major Questions Doctrine Break The Debt Ceiling?

NAGE’s New Lawsuit Makes A Strong Case That It Can

On the Perils of Hasty Drafting

The Debt Ceiling Bill was written under intense time pressure. It shows!

Taming the Dormant Commerce Clause

A new Supreme Court opinion is good news for state climate regulators.

EPA’s Power Plant Rule is Not Bold. It’s What’s Required.

It’s important to remember the regulatory history—and the growing urgency—of limiting climate change-related carbon pollution from power plants. 

The Philanthropy Gap

Spending relating to climate change is far too low given the urgency of the situation.

Digitalization and Predictive Policing in Conservation

Does technology shift focus toward “green policing” and away from integrated conservation and development?

Who Will Own the Clean Energy Future?

In the latest push to finance renewable energy, we have allowed private actors to make substantial claims on public resources without asking for anything in return.

climate science

Climate change’s long term effects on the planet will be profound.

An update on the serious and the silly

Some important people in the climate arena are Black. But there are far too few of them.

Part 1: Science and weird facts

The latest science confirms the need for urgent action.

Decades ago, industry scientists fought to get their bosses to pay attention to climate change.

Identifying a realistic worst case scenario is complicated.

State and Local Governments’ Common Law-Based Lawsuits Against the Energy Industry Are Steadily Gaining Traction

Surprise, surprise, EPA has tried to stonewall an investigation.

The Trump Administration continues its campaign to suppress science.

TRENDING

The inaccuracies of precision agriculture carry socio-environmental risks and produce inequalities.

The new NEPA amendments weren’t intended to speed up the process. But they’ll also spark new litigation.

A Guide to Zero-Emission Zones in Cities

In the latest push to finance renewable energy, we have allowed private actors to make substantial claims on public resources without asking for anything in return.

The Debt Ceiling Law Rewrote NEPA. Here’s a map to the new statute.

Does technology shift focus toward “green policing” and away from integrated conservation and development?

In a petition seeking review of the decision, the City of Berkeley says that the opinion from a Ninth Circuit panel takes federal preemption too far.

The Debt Ceiling Bill was written under intense time pressure. It shows!

The Supreme Court decision in Sackett v. EPA will be bad for the nation’s wetlands. It is just as bad for democracy.

Will the permitting sections of the debt ceiling bill undermine environmental reviews?

Will the permitting sections of the debt ceiling bill undermine environmental reviews?

The Debt Ceiling Law Rewrote NEPA. Here’s a map to the new statute.

NAGE’s New Lawsuit Makes A Strong Case That It Can

The Debt Ceiling Bill was written under intense time pressure. It shows!

A new Supreme Court opinion is good news for state climate regulators.

It’s important to remember the regulatory history—and the growing urgency—of limiting climate change-related carbon pollution from power plants.

Spending relating to climate change is far too low given the urgency of the situation.

Does technology shift focus toward “green policing” and away from integrated conservation and development?

In the latest push to finance renewable energy, we have allowed private actors to make substantial claims on public resources without asking for anything in return.

There’s a favorable settlement in the case brought by Earthjustice on behalf of EYCEJ with help from UCLA law students.

The Supreme Court decision in Sackett v. EPA will be bad for the nation’s wetlands. It is just as bad for democracy. 

It’s important to remember the regulatory history—and the growing urgency—of limiting climate change-related carbon pollution from power plants. 