Observations from the Little Bunker
A systematic observation of climate change, extreme weather events, and their cascading effects on society
🌍 Latest Environmental Observations
A Chocolate Orange has doubled in price – and got smaller. Why?
From Quality Street to Toblerone to the Terry’s classic, festive treats are becoming more of a luxury – and it’s not just down to the...
Trump administration moves to break up leading U.S. climate and weather center
White House budget director calls the National Center for Atmospheric Research a source of “climate alarmism”
NCAR, Major Climate Research Center, Targeted for Closure in Trump Dispute with Colorado
The president’s political feud and his budget chief’s drive to end climate research have put the National Center for Atmospheric Research at risk.By Marianne LavelleOne...
Met Office: 2026 will bring heat more than 1.4C above preindustrial levels
Forecast is slightly cooler than the record 1.55C reached in 2024, but 2026 set to be among four hottest years since 1850Next year will bring...
Misconduct sleuth wins $2.63 million from major cancer institute in $15 million settlement
Data detectives see validation in deal with U.S. government that penalizes Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for misrepresenting data in NIH grant applications
Gas Exports Are Driving Up Americans’ Energy Bills, Report Says
Higher exports of liquefied natural gas in 2025 played a significant role in rising utility bills, an analysis of federal data found.By Kiley BenseDuring the...
New NASA administrator takes over after a year of scientific loss—and survival
Following Senate confirmation, billionaire Jared Isaacman will lead a diminished workforce
Ancient tectonic plates are oozing along Earth’s core
Thousands of earthquakes yield best picture yet of core-mantle boundary, shedding light on deep flows of viscous rock
What Is the EU Deforestation Regulation? 7 Key Questions, Answered
The world is losing 18 soccer fields of tropical primary every minute; much of it is the result of clearing for farms, pastures and tree...
Why have so many different eyes evolved? Gamelike simulation could provide answers
“Powerful” method for studying evolution could help researchers understand how species developed specialized eyes
New materials could supercharge computer memory chips
Ferroelectrics could bolster “flash” memory in AI data centers and autonomous robots
Chile’s new president could shake up nation’s science community
Right-wing politician José Antonio Kast has promised to slash government spending
NGOs Support New Geothermal Sustainable Development Pact
We, the undersigned groups, welcome the release of the Geothermal Sustainable Development Pact and the underlying Principles for Responsible Geothermal Development.Next-generation geothermal technologies can provide...
Nigeria Puts Youth at the Heart of Its Climate Future
Nigeria’s future rests in the hands of its youth. As Africa’s most populous nation, Nigeria is home to over 230 million people — more than...
Trump administration to dismantle key climate research center in Colorado
Governor Jared Polis warned that breaking up Boulder’s NCAR would put ‘public safety at risk’The Trump administration is breaking up a research center praised as...
Titan might not have an ocean, after all
A reanalysis of data from NASA’s Cassini mission suggests Saturn’s icy moon may lack the subsurface ocean presumed for a decade
Hydrogen emissions are ‘supercharging’ the warming impact of methane
The warming impact of hydrogen has been “overlooked” in projections of climate change, according to authors of the latest “global hydrogen budget”. The study, published...
IEA: Declining coal demand in China set to outweigh Trump’s pro-coal policies
China’s coal demand is set to drop by 2027, more than cancelling out the effects of the Trump administration’s coal-friendly policies in the US, according...
Cropped 17 December 2025: ‘Deadly’ Asia floods; Boosting London’s water birds; UN headwinds
We handpick and explain the most important stories at the intersection of climate, land, food and nature over the past fortnight. This is an online...
Cropped 17 December 2025: ‘Deadly’ Asia floods; Boosting London’s water birds; UN headwinds
We handpick and explain the most important stories at the intersection of climate, land, food and nature over the past fortnight. This is an online...
How the devil is in the details of greener new jobs
What makes a job sustainable — both eco-friendly and liable to stick around? That question is at the center of new research from the Dukakis...
Galectin-9 binding to HLA-DR in dendritic cells controls immune synapse formation and T cell proliferation
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 122, Issue 50, December 2025. SignificanceThis research uncovers an important role for galectin-9 (gal9) in dendritic cells...
Combination of Cas9 and adeno-associated vectors enables efficient in vivo knockdown of precise miRNAs in the rodent and primate brain
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 122, Issue 50, December 2025. SignificanceInvestigation of the in vivo function of microRNAs has been precluded by...
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