Arguments
Skeptical Science New Research for Week #5 2025
Posted on 30 January 2025 by Doug Bostrom, Marc Kodack
Open access notables
Revisiting the Last Ice Area projections from a high-resolution Global Earth System Model, Fol et al., Communications Earth & Environment:
The Last Ice Area—located to the north of Greenland and the northern Canadian Arctic Archipelago—is expected to persist as the central Arctic Ocean becomes seasonally ice-free within a few decades. Projections of the Last Ice Area, however, have come from relatively low resolution Global Climate Models that do not resolve sea ice export through the waterways of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and Nares Strait. Here we revisit Last Ice Area projections using high-resolution numerical simulations from the Community Earth System Model, which resolves these narrow waterways. Under a high-end forcing scenario, the sea ice of the Last Ice Area thins and becomes more mobile, resulting in a large export southward. Under this potentially worst-case scenario, sea ice of the Last Ice Area could disappear a little more than one decade after the central Arctic Ocean has reached seasonally ice-free conditions. This loss would have profound impacts on ice-obligate species.
Between inflated expectations and inherent distrust: How publics see the role of experts in governing climate intervention technologies, Fritz et al., Environmental Science & Policy:
Novel technologies for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and proposals around solar radiation modification, known also as solar geoengineering, display key features of complex problems. These climate intervention technologies are characterized by high uncertainties, value disputes, high stakes and urgency. Such features create wicked conundrums in climate governance. Addressing questions around more effective governance of these technologies necessitates reflections on how different kinds of expertise, normative judgments and democratic decision-making (should) interact. Based on a survey (N?=?22,222) and 44 focus groups (N?=?323) in 22 countries, we show (i) who publics see as an expert in the field of climate intervention technologies, (ii) what roles they envision for experts in governing climate intervention technologies and (iii) how trust and distrust in scientists unfolds in the context of these novel, partly controversial, technologies.
A scoping review on climate change education, Muccione et al., PLOS Climate:
The growing urgency of the climate crisis necessitates innovative educational approaches to equip people with the knowledge and skills to address climate challenges and be able to influence policy effectively. Education can be a central asset to promoting climate action, yet the importance of climate change education has been underexposed in large and influential assessment reports such as those from the IPCC. This study provides a comprehensive mapping of the literature on climate change education with a particular focus on the time period 2008-2023. By combining human coding and natural language processing (NLP) techniques, we examined a diverse corpus of over 6’000 publications from the peer reviewed literature. The findings highlight the pivotal role of climate education across various disciplines and its alignment with critical climate research themes such as adaptation, mitigation, disaster risk management, and sustainability. Our analysis reveals three predominant topics within the literature which are related to effective learning methodologies, sustainable development education, and the importance of education in adaptation and resilience. Additionally, we identified emerging themes emphasizing the role of youth as change agents, the necessity of transformative educational practices and the importance of energy literacy.
Power price stability and the insurance value of renewable technologies, Navia Simon & Diaz Anadon, Nature Energy:
To understand if renewables stabilize or destabilize electricity prices, we simulate European power markets as projected by the National Energy and Climate Plans for 2030 but replicating the historical variability in electricity demand, the prices of fossil fuels and weather. We propose a β-sensitivity metric, defined as the projected increase in the average annual price of electricity when the price of natural gas increases by 1 euro. We show that annual power prices spikes would be more moderate because the β-sensitivity would fall from 1.4 euros to 1 euro. Deployment of solar photovoltaic and wind technologies exceeding 30% of the 2030 target would lower it further, below 0.5 euros. Our framework shows that this stabilization of prices would produce social welfare gains, that is, we find an insurance value of renewables. Because market mechanisms do not internalize this value, we argue that it should be explicitly considered in energy policy decisions
The polarization of energy preferences – A study on social acceptance of wind and nuclear power in Sweden, Lindvall et al., Energy Policy:
Using Sweden as a study case, this article explores the polarized opinions to wind and nuclear energy, two low carbon energy options that have been shown to be politically controversial. In a wide-scale survey (N = 5200), general attitudes to wind and nuclear energy are captured, as well as to projects in the proximity of people's homes. The study demonstrates a deep polarization of energy preferences in Sweden, finding strong associations between worldviews, political orientation, environmental concern, and support for or resistance to wind and nuclear energy. The study concludes that support for both energy options is reduced when wind or nuclear power is constructed near people's home, but also suggests that the proximity effect is particularly strong for individuals with strong TAN (traditional, authoritarian, nationalistic) values and right leaning political ideology. The article argues that politically motivated reasoning might explain the polarization of attitudes, yet this effect seems to become less relevant when people are asked to judge potential energy infrastructure located close them.
Climate change and migration dynamics in Somalia: a time series analysis of environmental displacement, Mohamed et al., Frontiers in Climate:
Climate change is a significant driver of human migration, especially in vulnerable regions like Somalia. This study investigates the relationship between climate variables—average annual precipitation, temperature, and CO? emissions—and net migration in Somalia, using time series data from 1990 to 2020. Additionally, it examines the role of population growth as a factor influencing migration. Applying the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model, this research captures both short- and long-term dynamics, providing insights into how environmental and demographic factors impact migration in this climate-sensitive region. The results indicate that favorable rainfall conditions positively influence net migration, as improved agricultural productivity stabilizes livelihoods, reducing pressures to migrate. In contrast, increased CO? emissions, associated with environmental degradation, negatively impact migration by limiting financial capacity, creating a “trapped population” effect. Population growth also intensifies migration pressures by increasing competition for limited resources. Interestingly, temperature variations do not significantly influence migration, possibly due to adaptive strategies or resilience to temperature fluctuations in the region. These findings underscore the need for policies focused on enhancing agricultural resilience, restoring degraded environments, and creating economic opportunities to reduce migration pressures in Somalia. Investments in sustainable land use, climate adaptation, and population management strategies are essential to address the complex challenges of climate-induced migration.
Optimal life-cycle adaptation of coastal infrastructure under climate change, Bhattacharya et al., Nature Communications:
Climate change-related risk mitigation is typically addressed using cost-benefit analysis that evaluates mitigation strategies against a wide range of simulated scenarios and identifies a static policy to be implemented, without considering future observations. Due to the substantial uncertainties inherent in climate projections, this identified policy will likely be sub-optimal with respect to the actual climate trajectory that evolves in time. In this work, we thus formulate climate risk management as a dynamic decision-making problem based on Markov Decision Processes (MDPs) and Partially Observable MDPs (POMDPs), taking real-time data into account for evaluating the evolving conditions and related model uncertainties, in order to select the best possible life-cycle actions in time, with global optimality guarantees for the formulated optimization problem.
From this week's government/NGO section:
Climate change and news audiences report 2024: Analysis of news use and attitudes in eight countries, Ejaz et al., Reuters Institute and Oxford University
The authors collected data from an online survey of people in eight countries: Brazil, France, Germany, India, Japan, Pakistan, the UK, and the USA. The data were collected in November 2024. The data collection is part of an ongoing project to explore public engagement with news and information about climate change, and how people perceive, experience, and respond to its escalating impacts. The authors found that on average across the eight countries, half (50%) see, read, or hear news or information about climate change every week – showing little change from 2022 (51%). Climate news and information consumption is highest in France (60%), with lower numbers in the USA (34%) where, against the backdrop of the presidential election, there was a 16 percentage point (pp) fall from 2023. The news media continues to be the primary way people access climate change information – ahead of documentaries, social media, and interpersonal communication – with television news (31%) and online news websites/apps (24%) as the most widely used media. Video is people’s preferred format, ahead of text.
Ho'okele Mua II, a Wargame About Climate Change and Operational Risk in INDOPACOM, Rooney et al., Rand
The authors describe the development and execution of a climate change game for the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). The game was intended to support planning by allowing players to explore the extent of operational risk that climate change could impose on the joint force in the Indo-Pacific region in the 2040s.
Good for your Pocket. How renewable energy helps Irish electricity consumers, Alec Granville-Willett and Mark Turner, Baringa
The development of wind and solar farms has reduced the cost burden on Irish consumers by €840 million between 2000 and 2023. This saving, equivalent to €165 per person, has been realized on the power bills of all consumers by the low cost of renewable electricity. Wind and solar farms have no fuel cost and undercut more expensive gas- and coal-fired generators, displacing them from the wholesale power market.
121 articles in 50 journals by 724 contributing authors
Physical science of climate change, effects
Characteristics and potential drivers of extreme high-temperature event frequency in Eurasia, Xie et al., Dynamics of Atmospheres and Oceans 10.1016/j.dynatmoce.2025.101536
Impact of Climate Change on the Dynamics of the Southern Senegal Upwelling Center, Ndoye et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2024gl112582
Slowed Response of Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation Not a Robust Signal of Collapse, Zimmerman et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2024gl112415
Observations of climate change, effects
A New Evaluation of Observed Changes in Diurnal Temperature Range, Xu et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2024gl113406
Arctic Sea Ice Melting Has Triggered Distinct Interdecadal Transitions since 2000, Wu et al., Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-24-0163.1
Effects of Hot Versus Dry Vapor Pressure Deficit on Ecosystem Carbon and Water Fluxes, Johnston et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences Open Access 10.1029/2024jg008146
Instrumentation & observational methods of climate change, effects
An Arctic sea ice concentration data record on a 6.25 km polar stereographic grid from 3 years of Landsat-8 imagery, Jung et al., Earth System Science Data Open Access 10.5194/essd-17-233-2025
Modeling, simulation & projection of climate change, effects
Climate change dominates over urbanization in tropical cyclone rainfall patterns, Deng et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access 10.1038/s43247-025-02048-z
Extreme hydroclimates amplify the biophysical effects of advanced green-up in temperate China, Yu et al., Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 10.1016/j.agrformet.2025.110421
Future Changes in Winter-Time Extratropical Cyclones Over South Africa From CORDEX-CORE Simulations, Chinta et al., Earth's Future Open Access 10.1029/2024ef005289
Advancement of climate & climate effects modeling, simulation & projection
A comparative study of the sensitivity of an ocean model outputs to atmospheric forcing: ERA-Interim vs. ERA5 for Adriatic Sea Ocean modelling, Babagolimatikolaei, Dynamics of Atmospheres and Oceans Open Access 10.1016/j.dynatmoce.2024.101525
A Comprehensive Evaluation of Biases in Convective Storm Parameters in CMIP6 Models over North America, Gopalakrishnan et al., Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-24-0165.1
An improved and extended parameterization of the CO2 15 µm cooling in the middle and upper atmosphere (CO2&cool&fort-1.0), López-Puertas et al., Geoscientific Model Development Open Access 10.5194/gmd-17-4401-2024
Cloud radiative effect dominates variabilities of surface energy budget in the dark Arctic, Tao et al., Scientific Reports Open Access 10.1038/s41598-025-86322-2
Imputation of missing land carbon sequestration data in the AR6 Scenarios Database, Prütz et al., Earth System Science Data Open Access 10.5194/essd-17-221-2025
The very-high-resolution configuration of the EC-Earth global model for HighResMIP, Moreno-Chamarro et al., Geoscientific Model Development Open Access 10.5194/gmd-18-461-2025
Cryosphere & climate change
Present-day mass loss rates are a precursor for West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapse, Akker et al., Open Access pdf 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3498111/v1
Revisiting the Last Ice Area projections from a high-resolution Global Earth System Model, Fol et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access 10.1038/s43247-025-02034-5
Sea level & climate change
From InSAR-Derived Subsidence to Relative Sea-Level Rise—A Call for Rigor, Minderhoud et al., Earth's Future Open Access 10.1029/2024ef005539
High- vs. low-rate of sea level change fluvial floods: Past analogues for future forecast, Santisteban et al., Global and Planetary Change 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2025.104723
Paleoclimate & paleogeochemistry
Pliocene Warmth and Patterns of Climate Change Inferred From Paleoclimate Data Assimilation, Tierney et al., AGU Advances Open Access 10.1029/2024av001356
Biology & climate change, related geochemistry
A pan-European citizen science study shows population size, climate and land use are related to biased morph ratios in the heterostylous plant Primula veris, Aavik et al., Journal of Ecology Open Access 10.1111/1365-2745.14477
Browning events in Arctic ecosystems: Diverse causes with common consequences, Phoenix et al., PLOS Climate Open Access 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000570
Coral bleaching and mortality overestimated in projections based on Degree Heating Months, Mason et al., Nature Geoscience Open Access 10.1038/s41561-024-01635-7
Half a Century of Temperate Non-Forest Vegetation Changes: No Net Loss in Species Richness, but Considerable Shifts in Taxonomic and Functional Composition, Klinkovská et al., Global Change Biology Open Access 10.1111/gcb.70030
Impact of Holocene relative sea-level changes on patch reef-island development in the Spermonde Archipelago, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, Hynes et al., The Holocene 10.1177/09596836251313628
The Central Great Barrier Reef as a Net Source of Climatically Relevant Biogenic Volatile Organic Compounds, Deschaseaux et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans Open Access 10.1029/2024jc021192
The differential physiological responses to heat stress in the scleractinian coral Pocillopora damicornis are affected by its energy reserve, Yu et al., Marine Environmental Research 10.1016/j.marenvres.2025.106966
The Interactive Role of Climatic Transfer Distance and Overstory Retention on Douglas-Fir Seedling Survival and Height Growth in Interior British Columbia, Harris et al., Global Change Biology Open Access 10.1111/gcb.70027
Variable impacts of land-based climate mitigation on habitat area for vertebrate diversity, Smith et al., Science 10.1126/science.adm9485
GHG sources & sinks, flux, related geochemistry
A principle-based framework to determine countries’ fair warming contributions to the Paris Agreement, Li et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-025-56397-6
Antarctic krill vertical migrations modulate seasonal carbon export, Smith et al., Science 10.1126/science.adq5564
Effect of marine anoxia on the conversion of macroalgal biomass to refractory dissolved organic carbon, Zhao et al., Marine Environmental Research 10.1016/j.marenvres.2025.106956
Exploring uncertainty reduction in high-resolution methane emissions in Gippsland through in-situ data: A Bayesian inverse modeling and variational assimilation method, Aghdasi et al., Atmospheric Research Open Access 10.1016/j.atmosres.2025.107911
Fine-Scale Evaluation of Carbon Exchange Capacity in Terrestrial Ecosystems of China: Leveraging Flux Data From Meteorological Stations for Enhanced Database Representation, Zhang et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2024gl113422
How long does carbon stay in a near-pristine central Amazon forest? An empirical estimate with radiocarbon, Chanca et al., Biogeosciences Open Access 10.5194/bg-22-455-2025
Multifaceted Links Between Microbial Carbon Use Efficiency and Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration, Fang, Global Change Biology 10.1111/gcb.70045
Representing high-latitude deep carbon in the pre-industrial state of the ORCHIDEE-MICT land surface model (r8704), Xi et al., Open Access 10.5194/gmd-2024-206
Satellite-derived ocean color data for monitoring pCO2 dynamics in the North Indian Ocean, Shaik et al., Dynamics of Atmospheres and Oceans 10.1016/j.dynatmoce.2025.101534
Spatial and temporal variations of gross primary production simulated by land surface model BCC&AVIM2.0, Li et al., Advances in Climate Change Research Open Access 10.1016/j.accre.2023.02.001
Spatial resolution for forest carbon maps, Duncanson et al., Science Open Access 10.1126/science.adt6811
Temperature seasonality regulates organic carbon burial in lake, Zhou et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-025-56399-4
CO2 capture, sequestration science & engineering
Equitable marine carbon dioxide removal: the legal basis for interstate benefit-sharing, Craik, Climate Policy Open Access 10.1080/14693062.2025.2451645
Synergies of storing hydrogen at the crest of CO2${rm CO}&{2}$ or other gas storage, Rhouma et al., Greenhouse Gases: Science and Technology Open Access pdf 10.1002/ghg.2278
Decarbonization
Assessing decarbonization strategies and industrial symbiosis in the chemical and waste-to-energy sector, Schnyder et al., Journal of Industrial Ecology 10.1111/jiec.13616
Biomass exclusion must be weighed against benefits of carbon supply in European energy system, Millinger et al., Nature Energy 10.1038/s41560-024-01685-6
Future Energy Technology for Nonroad Mobile Machines, Antila et al., Advanced Energy and Sustainability Research Open Access 10.1002/aesr.202400257
Life cycle comparison of industrial-scale lithium-ion battery recycling and mining supply chains, Machala et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-025-56063-x
Low-Cost, High-Efficiency Organic Solar Cells Based on Ecofriendly Processing Solvent, Qin et al., Advanced Energy and Sustainability Research Open Access 10.1002/aesr.202400268
Shining a light on disparities: A comparative analysis of residential photovoltaic adoption inequality in Australia and Brazil, Konzen et al., Energy Research & Social Science 10.1016/j.erss.2024.103870
Solar parking lot capacity: an abundant dual-use alternative to meet demand for the renewable energy transition, Markwith, Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability Open Access 10.1088/2634-4505/adaa9a
The closing longevity gap between battery electric vehicles and internal combustion vehicles in Great Britain, Nguyen-Tien et al., Nature Energy Open Access 10.1038/s41560-024-01698-1
“For all kinds of reasons, it hasn't happened”: A novel integrative perspective for analysing the barriers to biomass crops for bioenergy in the United Kingdom, Ingram et al., Energy Research & Social Science Open Access 10.1016/j.erss.2025.103936
Geoengineering climate
Assessing the impacts of simulated ocean alkalinity enhancement on viability and growth of nearshore species of phytoplankton, Oberlander et al., Biogeosciences Open Access 10.5194/bg-22-499-2025
Assessment framework to predict sensitivity of marine calcifiers to ocean alkalinity enhancement – identification of biological thresholds and importance of precautionary principle, Bednaršek et al., Biogeosciences Open Access 10.5194/bg-22-473-2025
Between inflated expectations and inherent distrust: How publics see the role of experts in governing climate intervention technologies, Fritz et al., Environmental Science & Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104005
Climate change communications & cognition
A scoping review on climate change education, Muccione et al., PLOS Climate Open Access 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000356
Agronomy, animal husbundry, food production & climate change
Assessing vulnerability and climate risk to agriculture for developing resilient farming strategies in the Ganges Delta, Mandal et al., Climate Risk Management Open Access 10.1016/j.crm.2025.100690
Direct Measurement of Greenhouse Gas Emission Rates From Manure Management in Different Livestock Production Systems in Cameroon, Ngwabie et al., Greenhouse Gases: Science and Technology 10.1002/ghg.2326
Effects of close-to-nature forest management on carbon stocks in Pinus tabulaeformis plantations in northern China, Xu et al., Frontiers in Forests and Global Change Open Access 10.3389/ffgc.2024.1495771
Global Impact Assessment of Internal Climate Variability on Maize Yield Under Climate Change, Leng, Earth's Future Open Access 10.1029/2024ef004888
Good intentions, limited action: when do farmers’ intentions to adopt sustainable farming practices turn into actual behaviour?, Byfuglien et al., Journal of Environmental Psychology Open Access 10.1016/j.jenvp.2025.102522
Index-based livestock insurance schemes to manage climate risks in Ethiopia: determinants of farmer’s willingness to pay and lessons learned from Dasenech district, South Omo, Melketo et al., Frontiers in Climate Open Access 10.3389/fclim.2024.1476202
Modeling biochar effects on soil organic carbon on croplands in a microbial decomposition model (MIMICS-BC&v1.0), Han et al., Geoscientific Model Development Open Access 10.5194/gmd-17-4871-2024
National Horizon Scanning for Future Crops Under a Changing UK Climate, Redhead et al., Climate Resilience and Sustainability Open Access 10.1002/cli2.70007
Hydrology, hydrometeorology & climate change
A Multiscale Evaluation of the Wet 2022 in Eastern Australia, Reid et al., Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-24-0224.1
Attribution and Risk Projections of Hydrological Drought Over Water-Scarce Central Asia, Wu et al., Earth's Future Open Access 10.1029/2024ef005243
Confronting uncertainty: The future of hydropower in the himalayan region amidst climate ambiguity, Devkota et al., Energy for Sustainable Development 10.1016/j.esd.2025.101657
Increasingly frequent and severe dry-to-wet abrupt alteration events are striking the Yangtze River Basin in China, Huang et al., Atmospheric Research 10.1016/j.atmosres.2025.107926
Multi-Model Assessment of Groundwater Recharge Across Europe Under Warming Climate, Kumar et al., Earth's Future Open Access 10.1029/2024ef005020
Obtaining refined Euro-Mediterranean rainfall projections through regional assessment of CMIP6 General Circulation Models, Ferreiro-Lera et al., Global and Planetary Change 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2025.104725
Physics-Based Hazard Assessment of Compound Flooding From Tropical and Extratropical Cyclones in a Warming Climate, Sarhadi et al., Earth's Future Open Access 10.1029/2024ef005078
Climate change economics
An assessment of the effectiveness of CCS technology incentive policies based on dynamic CGE model, Zhang et al., Energy Policy 10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114468
Power price stability and the insurance value of renewable technologies, Navia Simon & Diaz Anadon, Nature Energy Open Access 10.1038/s41560-025-01704-0
Climate change mitigation public policy research
A finance scheme to help Germany's small private landlords sharply increase their buildings' energy performance: Tapping into the banking system, Galvin & März, Energy Research & Social Science Open Access 10.1016/j.erss.2025.103929
A geostatistical approach to enhancing national forest biomass assessments with Earth Observation to aid climate policy needs, Hunka et al., Remote Sensing of Environment Open Access 10.1016/j.rse.2024.114557
An equilibrium model of the Chinese carbon trading market under the uncertainty of market demand: Application to thermal power industry, Ma et al., Energy Policy 10.1016/j.enpol.2025.114505
Assessing and optimizing the potential for climate change mitigation and carbon sequestration in urban residential green spaces: energizing sustainable cities, Liu et al., Frontiers in Environmental Science Open Access 10.3389/fenvs.2025.1519297
Barriers and drivers of near-term climate change mitigation: a Canadian case study, Sauer et al., Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability Open Access 10.1088/2634-4505/adab17
Carbon risk and corporate bankruptcy pressure: evidence from a quasi-natural experiment based on the Paris agreement, Liu et al., Frontiers in Environmental Science Open Access 10.3389/fenvs.2025.1537570
Climate change assemblies as spaces for the potential mitigation of climate policy misperceptions: A survey experiment, Suiter et al., Environmental Science & Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.envsci.2025.103995
Competition and climate policy in the steel transition: Comparing costs and subsidies in the US and the EU, Algers et al., Energy Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.enpol.2025.114507
Detecting energy injustices: Climbing the ladder of “hidden morality”, van Uffelen & ten Caat ten Caat, Energy Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114465
Dynamic changes in water use patterns of coal power generation during China's energy transition, Zhang et al., Energy Policy 10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114460
Electrifying company cars? The effects of incentives and tax benefits on electric vehicle sales in 31 European countries, Schub et al., Energy Research & Social Science Open Access 10.1016/j.erss.2024.103914
Enabling Indigenous-centred decision-making for a just energy transition? Lessons from community consultation and consent in the circumpolar Arctic, Loginova et al., Energy Research & Social Science Open Access 10.1016/j.erss.2025.103928
Europe's environmental dichotomy: The impact of regulations, climate investments, and renewable energy on carbon mitigation in the EU-22, Khalique et al., Energy Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.enpol.2025.114498
Finding gaps in the national electric vehicle charging station coverage of the United States, Hanig et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-024-55696-8
Half of land use carbon emissions in Southeast Asia can be mitigated through peat swamp forest and mangrove conservation and restoration, Sasmito et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-025-55892-0
Local energy autarky: What it means and why it matters, Ibrahim et al., Energy Research & Social Science Open Access 10.1016/j.erss.2025.103920
Policy and pricing tools to incentivize distributed electric vehicle-to-grid charging control, Andersen & Powell Powell, Energy Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.enpol.2025.114496
Public participation in the development of electricity grid infrastructure: Early engagements and community forums, Boyle et al., Energy Research & Social Science Open Access 10.1016/j.erss.2024.103878
Technology pathway to decarbonisation in the building sector based on a policy review of major economies, XIONG et al., Advances in Climate Change Research Open Access 10.1016/j.accre.2025.01.006
The impact of carbon emission trading scheme policy on information asymmetry in the stock market: Evidence from China, Yuan et al., Energy Policy 10.1016/j.enpol.2025.114502
The polarization of energy preferences – A study on social acceptance of wind and nuclear power in Sweden, Lindvall et al., Energy Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114492
The unfinished business of corporate greenhouse gas accounting and target-setting frameworks: incentivizing, enabling, and counting impact through a dual ledger, Ballentine, Carbon Management Open Access 10.1080/17583004.2025.2451866
Who is self-committed to climate action? Exploring decarbonisation actions and target gaps using carbon footprint calculator data in Japan, Koide et al., Energy Research & Social Science 10.1016/j.erss.2025.103930
‘Although it's my home, it's not my house’ – Exploring impacts of retrofits with social housing residents, Charles et al., Energy Research & Social Science Open Access 10.1016/j.erss.2024.103869
Climate change adaptation & adaptation public policy research
A framework for addressing the interconnectedness of early warning to action and finance to strengthen multiscale institutional responses to climate shocks and disasters, Attoh & Amarnath, Climate Risk Management Open Access 10.1016/j.crm.2025.100689
Adaptation limits as sufficiency entitlements of justice, Wallimann-Helmer & Kräuchi, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability Open Access 10.1016/j.cosust.2024.101507
Climate change and migration dynamics in Somalia: a time series analysis of environmental displacement, Mohamed et al., Frontiers in Climate Open Access 10.3389/fclim.2024.1529420
Optimal life-cycle adaptation of coastal infrastructure under climate change, Bhattacharya et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-024-55679-9
“Sometimes, I just want to scream”: Institutional barriers limiting adaptive capacity and resilience to extreme events, Birchall et al., Global Environmental Change Open Access 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2025.102967
Climate change impacts on human health
Mapping the Research Landscape: A Comprehensive Bibliometric Review of Global Warming and Human Health, Zheng et al., International Journal of Climatology 10.1002/joc.8761
Thermal hazards in urban spaces: A review of climate-resilient planning and design to reduce the heat stress, Gupta et al., Urban Climate 10.1016/j.uclim.2025.102296
Climate change & geopolitics
Balancing supply security and decarbonization: Optimizing Germany’s LNG port infrastructure under the European Green Deal, Agrell et al., Energy Policy 10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114484
States and nature: the effects of climate change on security, Sahu, International Affairs Open Access 10.1093/ia/iiac209
Climate change impacts on human culture
Spatiotemporal variability of the Universal Thermal Climate Index during heat waves using the UrbClim climate model: Implications for tourism destinations., Hidalgo-García et al., Urban Climate 10.1016/j.uclim.2024.102281
Other
Assessing the distributive equity of adaptation finance: a framework, Shawoo et al., Climate Policy Open Access 10.1080/14693062.2025.2456552
Climate justice or inequality lock-in? Analysis of U.S. incarceration in a changing climate, Li et al., Small Group Research Open Access 10.1177/1046496413498119
Confronting Climate Coloniality: Decolonizing Pathways for Climate Justice, Zebua, Environmental Communication 10.1080/17524032.2025.2457554
Informed opinion, nudges & major initiatives
Bridging the gap between international climate goals and local realities, Nestor, PLOS Climate Open Access 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000575
Editorial: Impact of climate changes on groundwater resources, Minea et al., Frontiers in Environmental Science Open Access 10.3389/fenvs.2025.1557374
Articles/Reports from Agencies and Non-Governmental Organizations Addressing Aspects of Climate Change
Markets & Mandates – Policy Options for Scaling UK Carbon Storage to Reach Net Zero, Boot et al., Carbon Balance Initiative, Oxford Net Zero and the Carbon Capture and Storage Association
Drawing on insights from over 20 expert stakeholders across government, industry, academia, and civil society, the authors provide a comprehensive analysis of future policy scenarios. It responds directly to calls from government, including the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero and the Carbon Capture Use and Storage Council, to explore long-term carbon capture and storage (CCS) deployment mechanisms. The authors suggest that reliance on the UK Emissions Trading Scheme alone is unlikely to drive the necessary scale of CCS and greenhouse gas removals. A combined approach of market-based incentives and regulatory mandates has the potential to accelerate progress in establishing a self-sustaining market and achieving net-zero.
MI Healthy Climate Plan, 2024 Report, Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy
The authors assess key accomplishments over the last year on the path to the state’s goal of 100% carbon neutrality by 2050 and provides insight into public engagement and sector-specific updates.
Procuring with Purpose. Canada’s Opportunity to Shape the Carbon Removal Market, T. Bushman, Carbon Removal Canada
The author shows how the Canadian government can build a robust carbon removal sector in Canada including how carbon removal can help propel Canada’s net-zero ambitions, how joint public/private sector entities can speed up innovation and contribute to economic growth through carbon removal procurement, and how governments and companies can approach designing procurement programs.
European Electricity Review 2025, Chris Rosslowe and Beatrice Petrovich, Ember
The EU’s electricity transition continued at pace in 2024, as solar overtook coal for the first time and gas declined for the fifth year in a row. The European Electricity Review analyses full-year electricity generation and demand data for 2024 in all EU-27 countries to understand the region’s progress in transitioning from fossil fuels to clean electricity.
Learning Interrupted: Global snapshot of climate-related school disruptions in 2024, United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund
Climate shocks are disrupting children’s education, putting their learning and their futures at risk. The authors reveal that at least 242 million students in 85 countries or territories had their schooling disrupted by extreme climate events including heatwaves, tropical cyclones, storms, floods, and droughts in 2024, exacerbating an existing learning crisis. Globally, at least 242 million students – from pre-primary to upper secondary education – have experienced school disruptions due to climate events in 2024. At least 1 in 7 students had their schooling disrupted due to climate hazards in 2024. In 2024, 85 countries or territories saw their schools affected by climate-related hazards, with 23 countries experiencing multiple rounds of school closures.
The Economic Impact of Renewable Energy and Energy Storage Investments Across Texas, Joshua Rhodes, IdeaSmiths
THe author assesses many aspects of utility-scale wind, solar, and energy storage investments in Texas, including local tax collections, landowner payments, and the local sentiment surrounding these projects. He found that renewables are a large, and growing, source of tax payments and revenue for landowners across Texas; residents and community leaders indicated that counties with renewable energy and storage projects tend to see them as good neighbors; and elected county leaders look favorably on renewable energy projects for the planning stability that comes with having confidence in consistent long-term revenue streams.
January 2025 California Wildfires, Karen Clark and Company
The authors estimated that the insured loss from privately insured and FAIR plan policies to residential, commercial, and industrial properties, and autos from the Palisades and Eaton Fires will be close to $28 billion. The estimated losses include damage from the fires, as well as smoke, time-element losses for residents in evacuation zones whose homes were not damaged by the fire, guaranteed replacement cost coverage, and demand surge. These losses should be covered by typical insurance policies. California authorities have a strong incentive to stabilize the insurance market so there will likely be efforts in place to expedite the rebuilding process, control cost increases, and avoid saddling insurers with excess and uncovered losses. A primary area of uncertainty in the loss estimates is the proportion of homeowners and business owners in impacted areas who are insured.
Equity and Just Transition Commitments in South Africa, Mbewe et al., SouthSouthNorth and Net Zero Tracker
The authors examine 50 of the largest public and private sector entities in South Africa, including national and regional governments, large cities, and major domestic-based and multinational companies. They analyze how these entities plan to integrate equity and just transition principles into climate mitigation strategies, including net zero targets.
Ho'okele Mua II, a Wargame About Climate Change and Operational Risk in INDOPACOM, Rooney et al., Rand
The authors describe the development and execution of a climate change game for the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). The game was intended to support planning by allowing players to explore the extent of operational risk that climate change could impose on the joint force in the Indo-Pacific region in the 2040s.
Climate change and news audiences report 2024: Analysis of news use and attitudes in eight countries, Ejaz et al., Reuters Institute and Oxford University
The authors collected data from an online survey of people in eight countries: Brazil, France, Germany, India, Japan, Pakistan, the UK, and the USA. The data were collected in November 2024. The data collection is part of an ongoing project to explore public engagement with news and information about climate change, and how people perceive, experience, and respond to its escalating impacts. The authors found that on average across the eight countries, half (50%) see, read, or hear news or information about climate change every week – showing little change from 2022 (51%). Climate news and information consumption is highest in France (60%), with lower numbers in the USA (34%) where, against the backdrop of the presidential election, there was a 16 percentage point (pp) fall from 2023. The news media continues to be the primary way people access climate change information – ahead of documentaries, social media, and interpersonal communication – with television news (31%) and online news websites/apps (24%) as the most widely used media. Video is people’s preferred format, ahead of text.
A Systematic Evidence Review of the Impacts of Climate Change on the Health of Outdoor Workers in Urban Asia, Vu et al., National Centre for Social Research and NatCen Research
The authors conducted a systematic literature review of the health impacts of climate change on urban outdoor workers in Asia using findings from 18 previous studies. They examine climate-related health risks, vulnerabilities, coping strategies, and adaptation measures used by outdoor workers. They identify critical gaps in understanding the direct and indirect health effects of climate-related stressors including extreme heat, air pollution, and other weather-related hazards. They explore the vulnerabilities of outdoor workers and note areas for future research and policy intervention.
Climate change increased the likelihood of wildfire disaster in highly exposed Los Angeles area, Barnes et al., World Weather Attribution
Starting on January 7 2025 two large wildfires (the Palisades and Eaton wildfires) erupted in Los Angeles, California. The fires spread extremely quickly over the following week and are among the most destructive of human property in southern California’s history. Combining models and observations, the authors found that human-induced warming from burning fossil fuels made the peak January Fire Weather Index (FWI) more intense, with an estimated 6% increase in intensity, and 35% more probable. The extreme FWI conditions that drove the LA fires are expected to occur on average once in 17 years.
Good for your Pocket. How renewable energy helps Irish electricity consumers, Alec Granville-Willett and Mark Turner, Baringa
The development of wind and solar farms has reduced the cost burden on Irish consumers by €840 million between 2000 and 2023. This saving, equivalent to €165 per person, has been realized on the power bills of all consumers by the low cost of renewable electricity. Wind and solar farms have no fuel cost and undercut more expensive gas- and coal-fired generators, displacing them from the wholesale power market.
Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition, Gabler et al., Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, International Fund for Agricultural Development, United Nations Children’s Fund, World Food Programme and Pan American Health Organization
Latin America and the Caribbean have seen a decline in hunger and food insecurity for two years, driven by social protection programs and post-COVID recovery. However, disparities persist, especially among women, rural populations, and vulnerable groups. The region is unlikely to meet most nutrition targets, and healthy diets remain expensive. Climate variability is increasing in the region, affecting food security across availability, access, utilization, and stability. This climate impact reduces agricultural productivity, disrupts food supply chains, and raises food prices. Vulnerable populations are most affected, with changing diets further exacerbating the situation. Climate change is worsening food security and the causes of malnutrition.
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.
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Journals covered
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