Observations from the Little Bunker
A systematic observation of climate change, extreme weather events, and their cascading effects on society
🌍 Latest Environmental Observations
A huge cache of critical minerals found in Utah may be the largest in the US
A Utah company says it has unearthed a massive deposit of minerals crucial for building electric vehicles, semiconductors, satellites, magnets, and more. Ionic Minerals Technology,...
Green California’s Big Oil Problem
While Gov. Newsom touted the state’s environmental efforts at the UN climate summit, toxic spills and a new law speeding drilling tarnished its reputation at...
NIH’s proposed caps on open-access publishing fees roil scientific community
Policy to be implemented next year drew more than 900 comments, most of them critical
UN adopts first-ever resolution on AI and environment, but omits lifecycle
The UN Environment Assembly on Friday approved its first-ever resolution to address the environmental aspects of Artificial Intelligence (AI), but it did not include a...
A global overview of the impacts of phytoplankton blooms on lake and reservoir ecosystem services
Phytoplankton blooms are an increasing concern for lake and reservoir management due to their rising frequency, intensity, and negative impacts on water quality and ecosystem...
Warm winters, hot moose: temperature drives activity and habitat trade-offs across a cold-adapted species’ range
Moose (Alces alces) are a cold-adapted species that may be vulnerable to overheating at relatively low temperatures in winter. Moose have two main strategies for...
Quantifying responsibility for cross-state air pollution: an airshed approach
Air pollution is the leading risk factor for premature human mortality and poses major challenges for air-quality management because emissions, transport, and health impacts often...
Global soil organic carbon sequestration potential under sustainable food systems and climate mitigation
Soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration is a key nature-based solution to mitigate climate change. Previous studies have highlighted its potential and the role of improve...
Denitrification in biogeochemical models—challenges and advances in simulating N2 and N2O emission in agricultural systems
Denitrification represents a major nitrogen (N) loss pathway in agriculture, reducing plant N uptake, lowering crop N use efficiency, while emitting the potent greenhouse gas...
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...
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