Observations from the Little Bunker
A systematic observation of climate change, extreme weather events, and their cascading effects on society
🌍 Latest Environmental Observations
Illinois Residents Urge Lawmakers to Act on Transit, Energy Bills
As part of a “People Over Polluters” event, more than 100 local environmental advocates traveled to the state capital to lobby during the state’s short...
Task Force Urges World Bank and International Monetary Fund to Prioritize Climate, Restructure Lending Policies
As the World Bank and IMF hold annual meetings in Washington, D.C., a new report calls for these institutions to reform their lending models to...
Skillful heat-related mortality forecasting during recent deadly European summers
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 122, Issue 41, October 2025. SignificanceHeat-related mortality is a growing issue in Europe, and the continued development...
Global wildfires burned an area of land larger than India in 2024
“Extreme” wildfires emitted more than 8bn tonnes of carbon dioxide during the 2024-25 “global fire season”, according to a new report. The annual “state of...
Momentum builds for strong adaptation outcome at COP30
While government delegations and civil society representatives at the pre-COP in Brasilia this week had hoped for bigger advances on key topics, one stood out...
Graph neural networks for predicting metal–ligand coordination of transition metal complexes
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 122, Issue 41, October 2025. SignificanceTransition metal complexes (TMCs) are of great scientific and practical interest for...
Generative AI for navigating synthesizable chemical space
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 122, Issue 41, October 2025. SignificanceGenerative modeling has enabled novel approaches to the design of functional molecules....
Polluted weapons factory begins locking up nuclear waste in glass
After years of delay and political wrangling, DOE’s Hanford site opens vitrification plant
Supply–demand strategies for near-term climate benefits from hydrogen in the United States
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 122, Issue 41, October 2025. SignificanceHydrogen (H2) is critical for energy decarbonization. Previous H2research has overlooked key...
Multispecies sensory networks and social foraging strategies: Implications for population decline in procellariiform seabirds
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 122, Issue 41, October 2025. SignificanceForaging in the open ocean may require species with different sensory adaptations...
Judge dismisses suit by young climate activists against Trump’s pro-fossil fuel policies
Judge said plaintiffs had ‘overwhelming evidence’ of climate crisis but a court injunction would be ‘unworkable’A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by young...
Inequality in air pollution–attributable mortality by income level between and within countries
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 122, Issue 41, October 2025. SignificanceAir pollution is one of the leading causes of adverse health impacts...
Evolutionary consideration of serial order processing by the normal rodent brain
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 122, Issue 41, October 2025. SignificanceThe mid-dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in the human and macaque monkey primate brains...
Poisonous sacs helped toads conquer the world
Iconic amphibians took an unexpected path across the globe, study finds—with toxins as a “game changer”
Pennsylvania Community Groups Urge Officials to Restrict Data Center Development
Tech companies have proposed building more than 20 of the power-hungry complexes around the state. Some advocates are seeking to control their growth through zoning.By...
Did lead poisoning doom Neanderthals?
Modern humans’ tolerance for the toxic metal may have helped them outcompete our closest evolutionary cousins
Nonuniform water distribution in Jupiter’s midlatitudes: Influence of precipitation and planetary rotation
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 122, Issue 41, October 2025. SignificanceJupiter is known for its colorful and dynamic appearance. However, its beauty...
Chemical characterization of C31 sterols from sponges and Neoproterozoic fossil sterane counterparts
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 122, Issue 41, October 2025. SignificanceThis study advances our understanding of the evolutionary timeline for early metazoans,...
At pre-COP in Brazil, climate finance roadmap to $1.3 trillion remains hazy
At the final round of talks in Brasília before COP30, officials and civil society groups told Climate Home News they were disappointed by a lack...
Search for a parity-violating long-range spin-dependent interaction
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 122, Issue 41, October 2025. SignificanceParity-violating interactions mediated by exotic bosons could reveal physics beyond the Standard...
Predicting the way forward for the Global Biodiversity Framework
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 122, Issue 41, October 2025.
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