Skeptical Science New Research for Week #19 2022

Posted on 12 May 2022 by Doug Bostrom, Marc Kodack

In case of emergency break glass— but glass can cut

Fire extinguishers, safety belts, first aid kits, insurance policies, geoengineering: we never enjoy using them. But given our demonstrated, deep empirical record of proclivity for creating hazards and risk we'd obviously be foolish not to include emergency responses in our inventory. Of late geoengineering has become more acutely and urgently controversial in positive correlation with its possibility of use. We're barbequeing the planet and being very sloppy about it, after all. What used to be confined to the realm of science fiction is turning into tools we'll likely be forced to use— completely in keeping with our nature.

Geoengineering encompasses a broad array of processes and methods. 20 of these are sufficiently modeled as to suggest plausibility of deployment. All present hazards and risks of greater or lesser impact and scope. All can be thought of as trades of one type of undesirability for another. How do we choose? Well, we can start by broad, systematic and comprehensive information collection, collated and arranged so as to be useful when viewed from a number of perspectives. That's exactly what Sovacool, Baum & Lomb tackle, in Risk–risk governance in a low-carbon future: Exploring institutional, technological, and behavioral tradeoffs in climate geoengineering pathways, just published in Risk Analysis. The authors explain their questions and research objectives:

What risks does the deployment of these options entail? What types of tradeoffs may emerge through their deployment? We apply a framework that clusters risk–risk tradeoffs into institutional and governance, technological and environmental, and behavioral and temporal dimensions. In doing so, we offer a more complete inventory of risk–risk tradeoffs than those currently available within the respective risk-assessment, energy-systems, and climate-change literatures, and we also point the way toward future research gaps concerning policy, deployment, and risk management.

Thanks to its scope and approach this paper is a natural wellspring of information for a layperson who'd like to quickly ramp up on the topic of geoengineering methods, benefits and liabilities. The authors necessarily lean on extensive citations of a broad swath of previous literature, meaning that every paragraph is a trove of opportuntiies to learn more on the topic.

Other notables:

Missed Targets. A Brief History of Aviation Climate Targets. Skeptical about airline claims of improving our aviation CO2 footprint? Your intuitions appear to be correct. From our governmental/NGO collection, by Possible. 

Beyond automobility? Lock-in of past failures in low-carbon urban mobility innovations. The engineering challenge of updating automobiles may be leading to a strange form of myopia, wherein we accidentally faithfully imitate and reproduce the bad features of an outmoded technology and its associated culture.

Coal vs. renewables: Least-cost optimization of the Indonesian power sector. Incumbents heavily influence utility power generation planning. The authors of this study identify serious errors in Indonesia's plans for expanding power generation, leading to both higher CO2 emissions and higher consumer costs for electricity. 

Human and planetary health implications of negative emissions technologies. Co-benefits of reasonably large scale direct air carbon capture and storage (DACCS) in conjunction with bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) may relieve disability and death burdens roughly equal to that of Parkinson's disease, on a global basis. 

All of the above open access and free to read.

151 articles in 60 journals by 946 contributing authors

Observations of climate change, effects

Satellites Suggest Rising Tropical High Cloud Altitude: 2002—2021
Richardson et al. Geophysical Research Letters
10.1029/2022gl098160

Typhoon strength rising in the past four decades
Pandey & Liou Weather and Climate Extremes
Open Access 10.1016/j.wace.2022.100446

The 2021 western North America heat wave among the most extreme events ever recorded globally
Thompson et al. Science Advances
10.1126/sciadv.abm6860

The effect of changing sea ice on wave climate trends along Alaska's central Beaufort Sea coast
Nederhoff et al. The Cryosphere
Open Access pdf 10.5194/tc-16-1609-2022

Amplification effect of urbanization on atmospheric aridity over China under past global warming
Wang et al. Earth's Future
Open Access pdf 10.1029/2021ef002335

Urbanization contributes little to global warming but substantially intensifies local and regional land surface warming
Zhou et al. Earth's Future
Open Access pdf 10.1029/2021ef002401

Extreme temperature and rainfall events in Bangladesh: A comparison between coastal and inland areas
Abdullah et al. International Journal of Climatology
10.1002/joc.6911

Constrained emergence of air temperature change signal in northern-central India from background variations
Zhang et al. Geophysical Research Letters
10.1029/2022gl097736

Characterizing winter season severity in the Midwest United States, Part I: Climatology and recent trends
Ford et al. International Journal of Climatology
10.1002/joc.7431

Spatiotemporal variations of extreme events in surface mass balance over Greenland during 1958–2019
Wei et al. International Journal of Climatology
10.1002/joc.7689

Marine heatwaves in the Arabian Sea
Chatterjee et al. Ocean Science
Open Access pdf 10.5194/os-18-639-2022

Climate Changes and Their Elevational Patterns in the Mountains of the World
Pepin et al. Reviews of Geophysics
Open Access pdf 10.1029/2020rg000730

Consistent signals of a warming climate in occupancy changes of three insect taxa over 40 years in central Europe
Engelhardt et al. Global Change Biology
Open Access pdf 10.1111/gcb.16200

Unravelling seasonal trends in coastal marine heatwave metrics across global biogeographical realms
Thoral et al. Scientific Reports
Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41598-022-11908-z

Instrumentation & observational methods of climate change, contributors, effects

The Information Content of Dense Carbon Dioxide Measurements from Space: A High-Resolution Inversion Approach with Synthetic Data from the OCO-3 Instrument
Roten et al.
Open Access pdf 10.5194/acp-2022-315

Designing an Observing System to Study the Surface Biology and Geology (SBG) of the Earth in the 2020s
Stavros et al. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences
10.1029/2021jg006471

Author Correction: Attribution of 2020 hurricane season extreme rainfall to human-induced climate change
Reed et al. Nature Communications
Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-022-30242-6

Investigation of the Community Multiscale air quality (CMAQ) model representation of the Climate Penalty Factor (CPF)
Hembeck et al. Atmospheric Environment
10.1016/j.atmosenv.2022.119157

Modeling, simulation & projection of climate change, effects

Robust expansion of extreme midlatitude storms under global warming
Dai & Nie Geophysical Research Letters
10.1029/2022gl099007

The ocean is losing its memory
Nature
10.1038/d41586-022-01246-5

Future Changes of PNA-like MJO Teleconnections in CMIP6 Models: Underlying Mechanisms and Uncertainty
Wang et al. Journal of Climate
10.1175/jcli-d-21-0445.1

Quantifying the Contribution of Internal Atmospheric Drivers to Near-Term Projection Uncertainty in September Arctic Sea Ice
Shen et al. Journal of Climate
10.1175/jcli-d-21-0579.1

Simulation and projection of the sudden stratospheric warming events in different scenarios by CESM2-WACCM
Liang et al. Climate Dynamics
10.1007/s00382-022-06293-2

Climate change impacts to the coastal flood hazard in the northeastern United States
Mayo & Lin Weather and Climate Extremes
Open Access 10.1016/j.wace.2022.100453

Influences of atmospheric blocking on North American summer heatwaves in a changing climate: a comparison of two Canadian Earth system model large ensembles
Jeong et al. Climatic Change
Open Access pdf 10.1007/s10584-022-03358-3

Subsurface cooling in the tropical Pacific under a warming climate
Ju et al. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans
10.1029/2021jc018225

21st Century alpine climate change
Kotlarski et al. Climate Dynamics
Open Access pdf 10.1007/s00382-022-06303-3

Projection of lightning over South/South East Asia using CMIP5 models
Chandra et al. Natural Hazards
10.1007/s11069-022-05379-8

Monitoring and projection of climate change impact on 24-h probable maximum precipitation in the Southeast of Caspian Sea
Afzali-Gorouh et al. Natural Hazards
10.1007/s11069-022-05380-1

Climate Responses to Tambora-size Volcanic Eruption and the Impact of Warming Climate
Yang et al. Geophysical Research Letters
10.1029/2021gl097477

Future Climate Scenarios for Northern Baffin Bay and the Pikialasorsuaq (North Water Polynya) Region
Buchart et al. Atmosphere
10.1080/07055900.2022.2067028

Advancement of climate & climate effects modeling, simulation & projection

Getting models and modellers to inform deep decarbonization strategies
Lecocq et al. Climate Policy
10.1080/14693062.2021.2002250

Bias correction of daily precipitation for ungauged locations using geostatistical approaches - a case study for the CORDEX-Africa ensemble
Lorenz et al. International Journal of Climatology
10.1002/joc.7649

Network connectivity between the winter Arctic Oscillation and summer sea ice in CMIP6 models and observations
Gregory et al. The Cryosphere
Open Access pdf 10.5194/tc-16-1653-2022

Frequency-intensity-distribution bias correction and trend analysis of high-resolution CMIP6 precipitation data over a tropical river basin
Jose & Dwarakish Theoretical and Applied Climatology
10.1007/s00704-022-04078-5

Relative performance of CMIP5 and CMIP6 models in simulating rainfall in Peninsular Malaysia
Pour et al. Theoretical and Applied Climatology
10.1007/s00704-022-04076-7

Optimal selection of representative climate models and statistical downscaling for climate change impact studies: a case study of Rhode Island, USA
Shrestha & Pradhanang Theoretical and Applied Climatology
10.1007/s00704-022-04073-w

The impact of air–sea coupling on the simulation of the hydroclimatic change over Peninsular Florida
Misra & Bhardwaj Climate Dynamics
10.1007/s00382-022-06294-1

Divergent Representation of Precipitation Recycling in the Amazon and the Congo in CMIP6 Models
Baker & Spracklen Geophysical Research Letters
10.1029/2021gl095136

Piecewise-Quantile Mapping Improves Bias Correction of GCM Daily Precipitation towards Preserving Quantiles and Extremes
Zhang et al. International Journal of Climatology
10.1002/joc.7687

Projection of High Clouds and the Link to Ice Hydrometeors: An Approach Using Long-Term Global Cloud System–Resolving Simulations
Chen et al. Journal of Climate
10.1175/jcli-d-21-0150.1

Cryosphere & climate change

Petermann ice shelf may not recover after a future breakup
?kesson et al. Nature Communications
Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-022-29529-5

Future Snow Changes over the Columbia Mountains, Canada, using a Distributed Snow Model
Mortezapour et al. Climatic Change
10.1007/s10584-022-03360-9

Antarctic sea ice projections constrained by historical ice cover and future global temperature change
Holmes et al. Geophysical Research Letters
10.1029/2021gl097413

Tracking the Cracking: A HOLISTIC ANALYSIS OF RAPID ICE SHELF FRACTURE USING SEISMOLOGY, GEODESY, AND SATELLITE IMAGERY ON THE PINE ISLAND GLACIER ICE SHELF, WEST ANTARCTICA
Olinger et al.
Open Access 10.1002/essoar.10510107.1

Sea level & climate change

Assessing potential impacts of sea level rise on mangrove ecosystems in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam
Dang et al. Regional Environmental Change
Open Access pdf 10.1007/s10113-022-01925-z

Paleoclimate

African hydroclimate during the early Eocene from the DeepMIP simulations
Williams et al. Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology
10.1029/2022pa004419

Biology & climate change, related geochemistry

Consistent signals of a warming climate in occupancy changes of three insect taxa over 40 years in central Europe
Engelhardt et al. Global Change Biology
Open Access pdf 10.1111/gcb.16200

Global estimates of the extent and production of macroalgal forests
Duarte et al. Global Ecology and Biogeography
10.1111/geb.13515

Changing sub-Arctic tundra vegetation upon permafrost degradation: impact on foliar mineral element cycling
Mauclet et al. Biogeosciences
Open Access pdf 10.5194/bg-19-2333-2022

The promise and perils of engineering cave climates: Response to Turner et al.
Meierhofer et al. Conservation Biology
10.1111/cobi.13927

Cooling subterranean environments for climate adaptation and disease management: Reply to Meierhofer et al
Sewall et al. Conservation Biology
Open Access pdf 10.1111/cobi.13928

Forest ecosystem development in European nemoreal-boreal forest (NE Poland) over the last 2200 years: Impact of human activity and climate change
Ga?ka et al. The Holocene
10.1177/09596836221088249

Interactive effects of climate and land use on pollinator diversity differ among taxa and scales
Ganuza et al. Science Advances
10.1126/sciadv.abm9359

Climate Change and the Cost-Effective Governance Mode for Biodiversity Conservation
Schöttker & Wätzold Environmental and Resource Economics
Open Access pdf 10.1007/s10640-022-00684-z

Competition mediates understorey species range shifts under climate change
Sanczuk et al. Journal of Ecology
10.1111/1365-2745.13907

Dual influence of climate change and anthropogenic activities on the spatiotemporal vegetation dynamics over the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau from 1981 to 2015
Wei et al. Earth's Future
10.1029/2021ef002566

Marine phytoplankton growing season could be shortened in a warmer world
Nature Climate Change
10.1038/s41558-022-01354-0

Interactions Between Temperature Variability and Reproductive Physiology Across Traits in an Intertidal Crab
Lam et al. Frontiers in Physiology
Open Access pdf 10.3389/fphys.2022.796125

Trophic level decoupling drives future changes in phytoplankton bloom phenology
Yamaguchi et al. Nature Climate Change
Open Access 10.1038/s41558-022-01353-1

What common-garden experiments tell us about climate responses in plants
Schwinning et al. Journal of Ecology
10.1111/1365-2745.13887

Thermal sum drives abundance and distribution range shift of Panolis flammea in Finland
Pulgarin Díaz et al. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research
10.1080/02827581.2022.2060303

A stronger role for long-term moisture change than for CO2 in determining tropical woody vegetation change
Gosling et al. Science
10.1126/science.abg4618

Marine ecosystem changepoints spread under ocean warming in an Earth System Model
Cael et al. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences
Open Access 10.1029/2021jg006571

Assessing potential impacts of sea level rise on mangrove ecosystems in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam
Dang et al. Regional Environmental Change
Open Access pdf 10.1007/s10113-022-01925-z

GHG sources & sinks, flux, related geochemistry

Absorptive roots drive a larger microbial carbon pump efficacy than transport roots in alpine coniferous forests

10.1111/1365-2745.13899/v1/review1

Biological carbon pump sequestration efficiency in the North Atlantic: A leaky or a long-term sink?
Baker et al. Global Biogeochemical Cycles
Open Access 10.1029/2021gb007286

Reduced global fire activity due to human demography slows global warming by enhanced land carbon uptake
Wu et al. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
10.1073/pnas.2101186119

New insights on the radiative impacts of ozone-depleting substances
Chiodo & Polvani Geophysical Research Letters
10.1029/2021gl096783

Lateral carbon export has low impact on the net ecosystem carbon balance of a polygonal tundra catchment
Beckebanze et al.
Open Access pdf 10.5194/bg-2022-94

Global estimates of the extent and production of macroalgal forests
Duarte et al. Global Ecology and Biogeography
10.1111/geb.13515

Effects of precipitation seasonal distribution on net ecosystem CO2 exchange over an alpine meadow in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau
Zheng et al. International Journal of Biometeorology
10.1007/s00484-022-02300-7

Two for one: Partitioning CO2 fluxes and understanding the relationship between solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence and gross primary productivity using machine learning
Zhan et al. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
10.1016/j.agrformet.2022.108980

A terrestrial-aquatic model reveals cross-scale interactions regulate lateral dissolved organic carbon transport from terrestrial ecosystems
Talbot et al. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences
10.1029/2021jg006604

Effect of dairy cattle production systems on sustaining soil organic carbon storage in grasslands of northern Spain
Jebari et al. Regional Environmental Change
10.1007/s10113-022-01927-x

Shallow Calcium Carbonate Cycling in the North Pacific Ocean
Subhas et al. Global Biogeochemical Cycles
10.1029/2022gb007388

COVID-19 and transportation of India: influence on infection risk and greenhouse gas emissions
Soni et al. Environment, Development and Sustainability
Open Access pdf 10.1007/s10668-022-02311-9

Winter season Southern Ocean distributions of climate-relevant trace gases
Zhou et al.
Open Access pdf 10.5194/bg-2022-106

Nitrite cycling in warming Arctic and subarctic waters
Chen & Chen Geophysical Research Letters
10.1029/2021gl096947

Recovering wetland biogeomorphic feedbacks to restore the world’s biotic carbon hotspots
Temmink et al. Science
10.1126/science.abn1479

Biophysical Controls of Ecosystem-scale Methane Fluxes from A Subtropical Estuarine Mangrove: Multiscale, Nonlinearity, Asynchrony and Causality
Liu et al. Global Biogeochemical Cycles
10.1029/2021gb007179

Modelling pan-Arctic peatland carbon dynamics under alternative warming scenarios
Chaudhary et al. Geophysical Research Letters
10.1029/2021gl095276

Spatiotemporal patterns and drivers of terrestrial dissolved organic carbon (DOC) leaching into the European river network
Gommet et al. Earth System Dynamics
Open Access pdf 10.5194/esd-13-393-2022

Socioeconomic conditions and fossil fuel CO2 in the Metropolitan Area of Rio de Janeiro
Chiquetto et al. Urban Climate
Open Access 10.1016/j.uclim.2022.101176

Newly initiated carbon stock, organic soil accumulation patterns and main driving factors in the High Arctic Svalbard, Norway
Juselius et al. Scientific Reports
Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41598-022-08652-9

CO2 capture, sequestration science & engineering

Nanofluids application to promote CO2 absorption inside a bubble column: ANFIS and experimental study
Ansarian & Beiki International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology
10.1007/s13762-022-04193-w

Human and planetary health implications of negative emissions technologies
Cobo et al. Nature Communications
Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-022-30136-7

Decarbonization

Getting models and modellers to inform deep decarbonization strategies
Lecocq et al. Climate Policy
10.1080/14693062.2021.2002250

Investor-state disputes threaten the global green energy transition
Tienhaara et al. Science
10.1126/science.abo4637

Future bioenergy expansion could alter carbon sequestration potential and exacerbate water stress in the United States
Cheng et al. Science Advances
10.1126/sciadv.abm8237

Development of a sustainable hydrogen city concept and initial hydrogen city projects
Balta & Balta Energy Policy
10.1016/j.enpol.2022.113015

Coal vs. renewables: Least-cost optimization of the Indonesian power sector
Ordonez et al. Energy for Sustainable Development
Open Access 10.1016/j.esd.2022.04.017

Moisture adsorption-desorption full cycle power generation
Wang et al. Nature Communications
Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-022-30156-3

Why is Bangladesh’s electricity generation heading towards a GHG emissions-intensive future?
Debnath & Mourshed Carbon Management
Open Access pdf 10.1080/17583004.2022.2068454

The rebound effect and the challenge of moving beyond fossil fuels: A review of empirical and theoretical research
York et al. WIREs Climate Change
10.1002/wcc.782

The effects of high penetrations of renewable energy sources in cycles for electricity markets: An experimental analysis
Arias-Gaviria et al. Energy Policy
10.1016/j.enpol.2022.113014

System and technoeconomic analysis of solar thermochemical hydrogen production
Ma et al. Renewable Energy
10.1016/j.renene.2022.03.108

Contributing to regional decarbonization: Australia's potential to supply zero-carbon commodities to the Asia-Pacific
Burke et al. Energy
10.1016/j.energy.2022.123563

Using weather radar to help minimize wind energy impacts on nocturnally migrating birds
Cohen et al. Conservation Letters
Open Access pdf 10.1111/conl.12887

Challenges in scaling up greenhouse gas fluxes: Experience from the UK Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Feedbacks Programme
Levy et al.
Open Access 10.1002/essoar.10509113.1

Enhancing solar water heater system for utmost useful energy gain and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in Gaza
Elnaggar et al. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology
10.1007/s13762-022-04226-4

How the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard could use garbage to pay for electric vehicles
Younes et al. Energy Policy
Open Access 10.1016/j.enpol.2022.112916

Beyond automobility? Lock-in of past failures in low-carbon urban mobility innovations
Haarstad et al. Energy Policy
Open Access 10.1016/j.enpol.2022.113002

Ex-post design, operations and financial cost-benefit analysis of mini-grids in Ghana: What can we learn?
Bukari et al. Energy for Sustainable Development
Open Access 10.1016/j.esd.2022.04.009

Development of a novel solar energy need index for identifying priority investment regions: a case study and current status in Turkey
Ero?lu Environment, Development and Sustainability
10.1007/s10668-021-01812-3

Geoengineering climate

Risk–risk governance in a low-carbon future: Exploring institutional, technological, and behavioral tradeoffs in climate geoengineering pathways
Sovacool et al. Risk Analysis
Open Access pdf 10.1111/risa.13932

Assessing the consequences of including aerosol absorption in potential stratospheric aerosol injection climate intervention strategies
Haywood et al.
Open Access pdf 10.5194/acp-2021-1032

Aerosols

Two Distinct Modes of Climate Responses to the Anthropogenic Aerosol Forcing Changes
Shi et al. Journal of Climate
Open Access pdf 10.1175/jcli-d-21-0656.1

Zonal variations in the vertical distribution of atmospheric aerosols over the Indian region and the consequent radiative effects
Kala et al.
Open Access pdf 10.5194/acp-2021-740

Diurnal Evolution of Cloud Water Responses to Aerosols
Rahu et al. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
10.1029/2021jd035091

Substantial global influence of anthropogenic aerosols on tropical cyclones over the past 40 years
Murakami Science Advances
10.1126/sciadv.abn9493

Climate change communications & cognition

Alignment of values and political orientations amplifies climate change attitudes and behaviors
Smith & Hempel Hempel Climatic Change
Open Access pdf 10.1007/s10584-022-03348-5

Scepticisms and beyond? A comprehensive portrait of climate change communication by the far right in the European Parliament
Forchtner & Lubarda Environmental Politics
Open Access pdf 10.1080/09644016.2022.2048556

News credibility labels have limited average effects on news diet quality and fail to reduce misperceptions
Aslett et al. Science Advances
10.1126/sciadv.abl3844

Agronomy, animal husbundry, food production & climate change

Albedo on cropland: Field-scale effects of current agricultural practices in Northern Europe
Sieber et al. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
Open Access 10.1016/j.agrformet.2022.108978

Farmer extension facilitators as a pathway for climate smart agriculture: evidence from southern Malawi
Amadu Climate Policy
10.1080/14693062.2022.2066060

Effect of dairy cattle production systems on sustaining soil organic carbon storage in grasslands of northern Spain
Jebari et al. Regional Environmental Change
10.1007/s10113-022-01927-x

Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Potential of Alternate Wetting and Drying for Rice Production at National Scale
Kraus et al. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences
10.1029/2022jg006848

Carbon and Water Cycling in Two Rubber Plantations and a Natural Forest in Mainland Southeast Asia
Wang et al. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences
10.1029/2022jg006840

Regional differences and dynamic evolution of China’s agricultural carbon emission efficiency
Zhang et al. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology
10.1007/s13762-022-04196-7

Analysis and farmers’ perception of climate change in the Kashmir Valley, India
Mahdi et al. Theoretical and Applied Climatology
10.1007/s00704-022-04072-x

Ecological and genomic vulnerability to climate change across native populations of Robusta coffee (Coffea canephora)
Tournebize et al. Global Change Biology
10.1111/gcb.16191

Saving soil carbon, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity and the economy: paludiculture as sustainable land use option in German fen peatlands
Tanneberger et al. Regional Environmental Change
Open Access pdf 10.1007/s10113-022-01900-8

Hydrology & climate change

Climate change impacts to the coastal flood hazard in the northeastern United States
Mayo & Lin Weather and Climate Extremes
Open Access 10.1016/j.wace.2022.100453

Observationally constrained projection of Afro-Asian monsoon precipitation
Chen et al. Nature Communications
Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-022-30106-z

Impacts of climate and reservoirs on the downstream design flood hydrograph: a case study of Yichang Station
Li et al. Natural Hazards
10.1007/s11069-022-05370-3

Climate change economics

On Simple Rules for the Social Cost of Carbon
Withagen Environmental and Resource Economics
Open Access pdf 10.1007/s10640-022-00686-x

Climate change and central banks: what role for monetary policy?
Boneva et al. Climate Policy
10.1080/14693062.2022.2070119

The time-varying relationship between CO2 emissions, heterogeneous energy consumption, and economic growth in China
Xie et al. Environment, Development and Sustainability
10.1007/s10668-022-02371-x

Potential effects of the EU’s carbon border adjustment mechanism on the Turkish economy
Acar et al. Environment, Development and Sustainability
Open Access pdf 10.1007/s10668-021-01779-1

Climate change mitigation public policy research

Indicators for sustainable energy development: An Icelandic case study
Gunnarsdottir et al. Energy Policy
10.1016/j.enpol.2022.112926

Carbon conundrums: Do United States' current carbon market baselines represent an undesirable ecological threshold?
D'Amato et al. Global Change Biology
10.1111/gcb.16215

Challenges for environmental governance: policy issue interdependencies might not lead to collaboration
Hedlund et al. Sustainability Science
Open Access pdf 10.1007/s11625-022-01145-8

Impacts of strategic behavior in regional coalitions under the sectoral expansion of the carbon market in China
Wu et al. Sustainability Science
10.1007/s11625-022-01144-9

Economic agglomeration and emissions reduction: Does high agglomeration in China's urban clusters lead to higher carbon intensity?
Yu et al. Urban Climate
10.1016/j.uclim.2022.101174

Co-dynamics of climate policy stringency and public support
Konc et al. Global Environmental Change
Open Access 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2022.102528

Is Price Commitment a Better Solution to Control Carbon Emissions and Promote Technology Investment?
Fan et al. Management Science
10.1287/mnsc.2022.4365

Climate change adaptation & adaptation public policy research

Adapting critical infrastructure to climate change: A scoping review
Huddleston et al. Environmental Science & Policy
Open Access 10.1016/j.envsci.2022.04.015

Evaluation and promotion strategy of resilience of urban water supply system under flood and drought disasters
Li et al. Scientific Reports
Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41598-022-11436-w

Climate change impacts to the coastal flood hazard in the northeastern United States
Mayo & Lin Weather and Climate Extremes
Open Access 10.1016/j.wace.2022.100453

The strengths and weaknesses of future visioning approaches for climate change adaptation: A review
Nalau & Cobb Global Environmental Change
10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2022.102527

Climate change impacts on human health

Human and planetary health implications of negative emissions technologies
Cobo et al. Nature Communications
Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-022-30136-7

Ambient temperature exposure and risk of outpatient visits for dermatologic diseases in Xinxiang, China: a time-series analysis
Chao et al. International Journal of Biometeorology
10.1007/s00484-022-02297-z

Assessing the effect of extreme heat on workforce health in the southwestern USA
Bandala et al. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology
10.1007/s13762-022-04180-1

Increasing Urban and Rural Population Exposures to Warm-season Concurrent Hot Days and Nights on the North China Plain
Wang et al. International Journal of Climatology
10.1002/joc.7685

Climate change impacts on human culture

The emerging Arctic shipping corridors
Min et al. Geophysical Research Letters
10.1029/2022gl099157

Other

Tracking the space-time evolution of ocean acidification extremes in the California Current System and Northeast Pacific
Desmet et al. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans
Open Access pdf 10.1029/2021jc018159

How do anthropogenic pressures affect the provision of ecosystem services of small mountain lakes?
Ebner et al. Anthropocene
Open Access 10.1016/j.ancene.2022.100336

Potential fire risks in South America under anthropogenic forcing hidden by the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation
Wang & Huang Nature Communications
Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-022-30104-1

Decline in the Nutrient Inventories of the Upper Subtropical Northwest Pacific Ocean
Kim et al. Geophysical Research Letters
10.1029/2021gl093968

Global mapping of surface 500-m anthropogenic heat flux supported by multi-source data
Wang et al. Urban Climate
10.1016/j.uclim.2022.101175

Informed opinion, nudges & major initiatives

Knowledge Priorities on Climate Change and Water in the Upper Indus Basin: A Horizon Scanning Exercise to Identify the Top 100 Research Questions in Social and Natural Sciences
Orr et al.
Open Access pdf 10.1002/essoar.10510398.1

A candle burning from both ends
Seroussi & Meyer Paridi Bodle Platt Garg Soegaard Ballester Lalaouna Murphy Tsao Nature Climate Change
Open Access 10.1038/s41558-022-01357-x

Transforming environmental research to avoid tragedy
Turnhout & Lahsen Climate and Development
Open Access 10.1080/17565529.2022.2062287

Focus of the IPCC Assessment Reports Has Shifted to Lower Temperatures
Jehn et al. Earth's Future
Open Access pdf 10.1029/2022ef002876

Action on demand

Open Access pdf 10.24235/eltecho.v3i2.3310.s615

Using large ensembles of climate change mitigation scenarios for robust insights
Guivarch et al. Nature Climate Change
10.1038/s41558-022-01349-x

CCUS: Paving the way from COP26 to net zero
Ferrier et al. Greenhouse Gases: Science and Technology
10.1002/ghg.2150

Save the Mekong Delta from drowning
Kondolf et al. Science
10.1126/science.abm5176

Articles/Reports from Agencies and Non-Governmental Organizations Addressing Aspects of Climate Change

Removing Carbon Dioxide Through Artificial Upwelling and Downwelling: Legal Challenges and Opportunities, Webb et al, Sabin Center for Climate Change Law

A 2022 report by the IPCC noted that if deployed at large scale, carbon dioxide removal (“CDR”) will help to achieve net negative emissions and thus effectively reduce the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide. A variety of CDR techniques, both terrestrial and ocean-based, have been proposed. This paper focuses on artificial upwelling and downwelling, an ocean-based approach which uses large, vertical pipes to cycle water between the surface and deep ocean. The goal is to upwell nutrient rich water from depth to the surface, where it will stimulate the growth of phytoplankton that uptake carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and downwell carbon dioxide-saturated water from the surface to depth. This should, in theory, result in carbon dioxide being taken out of the atmosphere and sequestered in the deep ocean. However, further research is needed to fully assess the carbon sequestration potential of artificial upwelling and downwelling, as well as its possible co-benefits and risks.

Uncertainty regarding the laws governing artificial upwelling and downwelling has been identified as a potential barrier to research and deployment. This paper helps to fill existing knowledge gaps by analyzing the application of international and domestic (U.S.) law to artificial upwelling and downwelling.

Forests, Climate, Biodiversity and People: Assessing a Decade of REDD+, Parrotta et al., International Union of Forest Research Organizations

The authors review the REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation and enhancing forest carbon stocks in developing countries) framework, its impacts and its successes in meeting the related goals, on the 10th anniversary of REDD+.

The State of the World’s Forest. Forest Pathways for Green Recovery and Building Inclusive, Resilient and Sustainable Economies, Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations

There will be no healthy economy on an unhealthy planet. Environmental deterioration is contributing to climate change, biodiversity loss and the emergence of new diseases. Forests and trees can play crucial roles in addressing these crises and moving towards sustainable economies. Three interrelated pathways involving forests and trees can support economic and environmental recovery. These are (1) halting deforestation and maintaining forests; (2) restoring degraded lands and expanding agroforestry; and (3) sustainably using forests and building green value chains.

Missed Targets. A Brief History of Aviation Climate Targets, Beaver and Alexander, Possible

The authors examined aviation industry climate targets starting and finishing within the period between 2000 and 2021, as well as assessing progress against some related longer-term goals. For example, targets focused on CO2 efficiency (or ‘carbon intensity’) and alternative fuel; every alternative fuel target has been missed, in most cases by orders of magnitude; unclear definitions, opaque monitoring and inconsistent reporting made many targets difficult to assess; targets were commonly changed, replaced, or dropped within the study period; targets were set within a context of industry advocacy for a wider framework of policies aimed at supporting ongoing aviation growth; target setters never reported on the success or failure of the target in the original target end year; and targets lack public accountability. The authors conclude that target setting appears to function principally as a tactic for giving an impression of progress and action to address aviation’s environmental impacts to the public and policymakers, and to prevent any policy barriers to ongoing growth in the industry.

WMO Global Annual to Decadal Climate Update, World Meteorological Organization

The authors provide a synthesis of the global annual-to-decadal predictions produced by the WMO designated Global Producing Centres and other contributing centres for the period 2022- 2026.

Available and Emerging Technologies for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Combustion Turbine Electric Generating Units, Environmental Protection Agency

The authors summarize readily available information on control techniques and measures with the potential to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from stationary combustion turbines permitted to operate as electric utility generating units (EGUs). A discussion of the basic types of available stationary combustion turbines is included as well as factors that influence GHG emission rates from these sources. The subsequent technology discussion includes information on an array of control technologies and potential reduction measures for GHG emissions. The information in this white paper is intended to assist states and local air pollution control agencies, tribal authorities, and regulated entities in their consideration of technologies and measures that may be implemented to reduce GHG emissions from stationary combustion turbines. The discussion of technologies and measures in this paper may also provide context for permit development under the prevention of significant deterioration program of the Clean Air Act, including in the assessment of the best available control technology for GHG emissions from stationary combustion turbines.

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Obtaining articles without journal subscriptions

We know it's frustrating that many articles we cite here are not free to read. One-off paid access fees are generally astronomically priced, suitable for such as "On a Heuristic Point of View Concerning the Production and Transformation of Light"  but not as a gamble on unknowns. With a median world income of US$ 9,373, for most of us US$ 42 is significant money to wager on an article's relevance and importance. 

• Here's an excellent collection of tips and techniques for obtaining articles, legally.

• Unpaywall offers a browser extension for Chrome and Firefox that automatically indicates when an article is freely accessible and provides immediate access without further trouble. Unpaywall is also unscammy, works well, is itself offered free to use. The organizers (a legitimate nonprofit) report about a 50% success rate

• The weekly New Research catch is checked against the Unpaywall database with accessible items being flagged. Especially for just-published articles this mechansim may fail. If you're interested in an article title and it is not listed here as "open access," be sure to check the link anyway. 

How is New Research assembled?

Most articles appearing here are found via  RSS feeds from journal publishers, filtered by search terms to produce raw output for assessment of relevance. 

Relevant articles are then queried against the Unpaywall database, to identify open access articles and expose useful metadata for articles appearing in the database. 

The objective of New Research isn't to cast a tinge on scientific results, to color readers' impressions. Hence candidate articles are assessed via two metrics only:

• Was an article deemed of sufficient merit by a team of journal editors and peer reviewers? The fact of journal RSS output assigns a "yes" to this automatically. 
• Is an article relevant to the topic of anthropogenic climate change? Due to filter overlap with other publication topics of inquiry, of a typical week's 550 or so input articles about 1/4 of RSS output makes the cut.

A few journals offer public access to "preprint" versions of articles for which the review process is not yet complete. For some key journals this all the mention we'll see in RSS feeds, so we include such items in New Research. These are flagged as "preprint."

The section "Informed opinion, nudges & major initiatives" includes some items that are not scientific research per se but fall instead into the category of "perspectives," observations of implications of research findings, areas needing attention, etc.

Late appearances

Because New Research leans heavily on DOI databases, articles via publishers laggard in submitting updates to the DOI system may appear later than their publication date. 

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Journals covered

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Previous edition

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