Observations from the Little Bunker
A systematic observation of climate change, extreme weather events, and their cascading effects on society
🌍 Latest Environmental Observations
Observed sensitivity of evapotranspiration to tropical tree cover change
Tropical vegetation exerts a pivotal influence on the Earth system by regulating terrestrial water cycle and shaping regional to global climate through evapotranspiration (ET). However,...
Cost-optimal vs. policy-driven scenarios for a decarbonised European energy system
The European Union’s (EU) climate strategy, anchored in the European Green Deal, the Fit-for-55 package, and the updated National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs), requires...
Japan’s election result could bring a research funding boost
Landslide win by Liberal Democratic Party clears path for targeted R&D spending plan
Utilities in the Southeast may be overestimating the AI boom
This coverage is made possible through a partnership between Grist and WABE, Atlanta’s NPR station. As more and more data centers crop up throughout Georgia...
Regional electricity sector employment and skills under different European policy scenarios
Supporting fossil fuel workers through low-carbon transition and ensuring a sufficient workforce for renewable energy technologies is of utmost importance. To move towards decarbonization goals...
Mechanism-guided crop yield estimation using solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence in the North China plain
Accurate large-scale crop yield estimation remains challenging due to the indirect nature of most remote sensing indicators of photosynthesis. Solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) directly traces...
Explainer: What is the petrodollar and why is it under pressure?
Donald Trump’s designs on Venezuela and Greenland have sent shock waves around the world. Canadian premier Mark Carney said they have created a “rupture in...
Scientists uncover the climate shock that reshaped Easter Island
Around 1550, life on Rapa Nui began changing in ways long misunderstood. New research reveals that a severe drought, lasting more than a century, dramatically...
More pollution and higher energy costs: critics condemn Trump’s anti-environment agenda
US courts, scholars and Democrats are pushing back against the president’s aggressive drive to boost fossil fuelsDonald Trump’s aggressive drive to boost fossil fuels, including...
Methane spiked after 2020 and the cause was unexpected
Methane levels in Earth’s atmosphere surged faster than ever in the early 2020s, and scientists say the reason was a surprising mix of chemistry and...
Greenhouse gas emissions from plastic photodegradation: state of knowledge and future directions
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‘We feel kinda bad when a solo bird shows up’: Canada sees its first European robin – but how did it get there?
Birdwatchers flock to Montréal for rare sighting of ‘vagrant’ bird that has made its home during a bitterly cold winterOn a quiet Montréal street of...
U.S. clean energy supply chains after the Inflation Reduction Act
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) represented a milestone in U.S. industrial policy that transformed the clean energy manufacturing landscape in the United States. Two of...
Trailblazing Atmospheric Scientist Was ‘a Titan in the Scientific World’
Harvard University researcher Michael McElroy made groundbreaking contributions to climate science and helped shape global environmental policy.By Phil McKennaMore than half a century ago, at...
STATEMENT: WRI Vice President Stientje van Veldhoven Nominated as Minister of Climate and Green Growth, The Netherlands
THE HAGUE (February 10, 2026) — World Resources Institute congratulates Stientje van Veldhoven, Vice President of WRI and CEO of WRI Europe, on her nomination as Minister of Climate...
Data centers are scrambling to power the AI boom with natural gas
Boom Supersonic wants to build the world’s first commercial supersonic airliner. Founded in 2014, the company set out to make air travel dramatically faster —...
Geothermal could replace almost half of the EU’s fossil fuel power
If you’ve ever been to a hot spring or geyser or volcano, you’ve seen the future of energy. Earth’s innards are hot — really hot...
Misery for many as rain falls for 40 days in some parts of UK
Persistent wet weather is affecting farmers, builders, sports, wildlife – and damaging roads and homes“Feel like it hasn’t stopped raining?” the Met Office asked on...
Rethinking Economics, the movement changing how the subject is taught
Born of student disquiet after the 2008 crash, the group says it reshaping economists’ educationAs the fallout from the 2008 global financial crash reverberated around...
In unprecedented move, giant monkey research center may become a primate sanctuary
University votes to consider ending all studies at Oregon National Primate Research Center. But cost and feasibility are still in doubt
G7 ‘falling behind’ China as world’s wind and solar plans reach new high in 2025
The G7 major economies “f[e]ll notably behind China and the rest of the world” in 2025 as the amount of wind and solar power being...
Trump Administration to Finalize Protections for 11 South Florida Plants and Animals
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service settled federal litigation over the species’ plight. But the wood stork will lose its listing under the Endangered Species...
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