Observations from the Little Bunker
A systematic observation of climate change, extreme weather events, and their cascading effects on society
🌍 Latest Environmental Observations
Whose weather is it? A fairness framework for data-driven weather forecasting
As data-driven weather forecasting models increasingly come in operational use, questions of fairness and equitable access to forecast improvements are gaining urgency. This paper introduces...
Global patterns of reservoir fullness and fluctuations during droughts
Reservoirs are designed to mitigate water and energy crises during droughts, yet their conditions—such as fullness and fluctuations during droughts remain underexplored. In particular, our...
Mapping socio-ecological vulnerability of tropical peatland fires
Peatlands in Southeast Asia regularly experience fire due to clearance of forests and drainage for agriculture and plantation development. Fire represents a mainstay for rural...
Basal ice but not summer temperature affects land surface greenness in parts of the landscape in high Arctic tundra
Climate warming in the Arctic is very strong compared to other regions on Earth. Arctic winter climate and cryosphere conditions are changing towards more frequent...
CJA, NAACP Condemn Trump Administration’s Move to Block State Authority on AI Regulation
Washington, D.C. – In response to the White House’s Executive Order released December 11th, “Ensuring a National Policy Framework for the Artificial Intelligence,” Climate Justice...
Coalmine expansions would breach climate targets, NSW government warned in ‘game-changer’ report
Environmental advocates welcome Net Zero Commission’s report which found the fossil fuel was ‘not consistent’ with emissions reductions commitments Sign up for climate and environment...
Push for global minerals deal meets opposition, more talks agreed
Countries gathered at the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) this week failed to back a proposal to establish a panel of experts to look at ways...
The US Copper Industry Needs a Strategy, Not a Contradiction
Copper is essential to the modern economy. From home wiring and electric vehicles to renewable energy grids and telecommunications, the metal is necessary for cleaner...
As Paris Agreement enters tougher era, new alliances urged to step up
Ten years after the adoption of the Paris Agreement, as geopolitical tensions slow climate action, leading experts have urged ambitious countries to forge new coalitions...
DeBriefed 12 December: EU under ‘pressure’; ‘Unusual warmth’ explained; Rise of climate boardgames
Welcome to Carbon Brief’s DeBriefed. An essential guide to the week’s key developments relating to climate change. This week EU sets 2040 goal CUT CRUNCHED: The...
The Paris climate treaty changed the world. Here’s how | Rebecca Solnit
There’s much more to do, but we should be encouraged by the progress we have madeToday marks the 10th anniversary of the Paris climate treaty,...
‘Rebranded plantations’: how empire shaped luxury Caribbean tourism
Research shows that the British colonial wealth extraction system still influences the region’s tourist industryLuxury tourism in the Caribbean sells a kind of timelessness. A...
‘Cali Fund’ aiming to raise billions for nature receives first donation – of just $1,000
A major biodiversity fund – which could, in theory, generate billions of dollars annually for conservation – received its first donation of just $1,000 in...
Sharks and Rays Gain Landmark Protections as Nations Move to Curb International Trade
Governments agreed to ban or restrict international trade in shark meat, fins and other products for more than 70 species threatened with extinction due to...
Gaza Faces Another Catastrophic Winter as Environmental and Humanitarian Devastation Mount
While Israel restricts lifesaving aid and multiple reports show it violating the ceasefire, Gazans suffer flooded tents, starvation, pollution and disease.By Keerti GopalEvery day when...
2025: The year the US gave up on climate, and the world gave up on us
As the year comes to a close, 2025 looks like a turning point in the world’s fight against climate change. Most conspicuously, it was the...
A silent ocean pandemic is wiping out sea urchins worldwide
A sudden, unexplained mass die-off is decimating sea urchins around the world, including catastrophic losses in the Canary Islands. Key reef-grazing species are reaching historic...
Why the Paris Agreement worked – and what it needs to do to survive
Piers Forster is Professor of Physical Climate Change and founding Director of the Priestley Centre for Climate Futures at the University of Leeds. Today marks...
New fossils in Qatar reveal a tiny sea cow hidden for 21 million years
Fossils from Qatar have revealed a small, newly identified sea cow species that lived in the Arabian Gulf more than 20 million years ago. The...
New antibiotic for gonorrhea could help beat back drug-resistant infections
Two treatments for the sexually transmitted disease are expected to become available soon
White House Abruptly Cancels Meeting on FEMA’s Future After Leaked Report Revealed Plan to Gut the Agency
Council members were expected to vote on proposed cuts that would alter the way the federal government responds to declared emergencies.By Carl David Goette-LuciakA meeting...
Changes to polar bear DNA could help them adapt to global heating, study finds
Scientists say bears in southern Greenland differ genetically to those in the north, suggesting they could adjustChanges in polar bear DNA that could help the...
Big Oil’s Climate Ads Have Propped Up Fake Promises and False Solutions for Past 25 Years, Report Finds
First-of-its-kind analysis of hundreds of climate-related advertisements from BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil and Shell suggests that oil companies are continuing to mislead the public on climate.By...
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