Observations from the Little Bunker
A systematic observation of climate change, extreme weather events, and their cascading effects on society
🌍 Latest Environmental Observations
Cop30, Trump and the fragile future of climate cooperation
In this week’s newsletter: From geopolitics to populism, multilateralism is under pressure – but climate action cannot succeed in a fractured world• Don’t get Down...
Winter blooming of hundreds of plants in UK ‘visible signal’ of climate breakdown
New year plant hunt shows rising temperatures are shifting natural cycles of wildflowers such as daisies Daisies and dandelions are among hundreds of native plant...
Did an exploding comet wipe out the mammoths?
Scientists are uncovering new clues that a cosmic explosion may have rocked Earth at the end of the last ice age. At major Clovis-era sites,...
Blood-cleansing method faces its first test as cancer vaccine
New clinical trial aims to use whole, light-inactivated tumor cells for immunotherapy
‘These trees may not survive’: Jordan’s ancient olive harvest wilts under record-breaking heat
Extreme heat and drought has destroyed 70% of Jordan’s olive crop, endangering livelihoods of 80,000 families and a centuries-old traditionAbu Khaled al-Zoubi, 67, walks slowly...
From rent to utility bills: the politicians and advocates making climate policy part of the affordability agenda
As the Trump administration derides climate policy as a ‘scam’, emissions-cutting measures are gaining popularityA group of progressive politicians and advocates are reframing emissions-cutting measures...
Now in its 25th Year, a Historic Effort to Save the Everglades Evolves as the Climate Warms
Everglades restoration was designed to replenish the drinking water supply in one of the fast-growing parts of the nation. The same effort may help save...
Lipid-packing defects are sufficient to modulate membrane insertion and the bound state of α-synuclein
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 122, Issue 52, December 2025. SignificanceWe show through tryptophan fluorescence that lipid-packing defects (low lipid-packing density) are...
Molecular mechanism of substrate transport by human peroxisomal ABCD3
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 122, Issue 52, December 2025. SignificancePeroxisomes are involved in essential cellular metabolic processes that include fatty acid...
Antibiotic-induced microbiota depletion impairs the proregenerative response to a biological scaffold
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 122, Issue 52, December 2025. SignificanceAntibiotics are routinely administered perioperatively to prevent infection during surgeries and biomaterial...
Greenwashing, illegality and false claims: 13 climate litigation wins in 2025
Legal action has brought important decisions, from the scrapping of fossil fuel plants to revised climate plansThis year marks the 10th anniversary of the Paris...
Sandball genesis from raindrops
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 122, Issue 52, December 2025. SignificanceRaindrops do not just splash—they can roll, gather, and grow. While erosion...
A neuromorphic robotic electronic skin with active pain and injury perception
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 122, Issue 52, December 2025. SignificanceAdvances in robotics demand sophisticated tactile perception akin to human skin’s multifaceted...
Microplastics are leaking invisible chemical clouds into water
Microplastics in rivers, lakes, and oceans aren’t just drifting debris—they’re constantly leaking invisible clouds of chemicals into the water. New research shows that sunlight drives...
How the climate crisis showed up in Americans’ lives this year: ‘The shift has been swift and stark’
Guardian US readers share how global heating and biodiversity loss affected their lives in ways that don’t always make the headlines The past year was...
Global vaccination coverage and disease incidence in cattle, pigs, and poultry
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 122, Issue 52, December 2025. SignificanceVaccinating livestock against disease is effective at preventing infections and increasing food...
Fishing fleets as ecosystem sentinels
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 122, Issue 52, December 2025. SignificanceVessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) data offer near real-time information on where fishing...
It’s easy to feel powerless about climate chaos. Here’s what gives me hope | Nina Lakhani
I’ve spent six years writing about environmental justice. The uncomfortable truth is that we’re not all in it together – but people power is reshaping...
Cabinet papers reveal Alexander Downer warned of dire climate change outcomes in 2005
Officials warned of major economic, environmental and social disruption to Australia due to its dependence on coalGet our breaking news email, free app or daily...
Maladaptive immunity to the microbiota promotes neuronal hyperinnervation and itch via IL-17A
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 122, Issue 52, December 2025. SignificancePruritus (itch), a phenomenon associated with various inflammatory skin diseases including psoriasis...
ATM interaction with GRP94 modulates oncogenic receptor expression and signaling and microglial activation
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 122, Issue 52, December 2025. SignificanceAtaxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is a pleiotropic genetic disorder caused by mutations in theATMgene....
A polycrisis has shattered our world this year. But with care, we can put it back together | Elif Shafak
The challenges and strains have been almost too much to take. But in 2025, words of depth and courage have been an antidote to numbnessI...
Women must be a starting point, not an afterthought, for adaptation
Alexandria Gordon is manager of policy and development at the Women’s Environment & Development Organization) and Demet Intepe, PhD, is a climate adaptation and resilience...
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