2025 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15

This week's roundup is again published by category and sorted by number of articles included in each. The formatting is a bit different compared to previous weeks, though. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if you spot any clear misses and/or have suggestions for additional categories, please let us know in the comments. Thanks!

Stories we promoted this week, by category:

Climate Policy and Politics (11 articles)

• Do Climate Goals Matter in a Bad Economy? Climate, Time Magazine, Justin Worland, Apr 4, 2025.
• We passed the 1.5C climate threshold. We must now explore extreme options We do not have the luxury of rejecting solutions before we have thoroughly investigated their risks, trade-offs and feasibility Comment is Free, The Guardian, Opinion by David King, Apr 7, 2025.
• Trump’s new goal: Revive a major climate pollutant that power markets have turned against But even coal-friendly Republicans and executives say it won’t revive the industry to its former glory. Politico, Josh Siegel, Catherine Morehouse &Alex Guillén, Apr 8, 2025.
• Funding for National Climate Assessment Is Cut The move raises concerns among scientists that the assessment, which is required by Congress, is now in jeopardy. NYT, Brad Plumer, Apr 09, 2025.
• Trump Administration Cuts Research Funding, Claiming It Creates ‘Climate Anxiety’ The cuts to a Princeton University program come as the Trump administration has been reviewing an array of research grants related to global warming. Climate, New York Times, &Brad Plumer and Austyn Gaffney, Apr 9, 2025.
• Trump issues order to block state climate change policieshttps://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/trump-issues-order-block-state-climate-change-policies-2025-04-09/ Sustainability, Reuters, Nichola Groom, Apr 9, 2025.
• White House ends funding for key US climate body: ‘No coming back from this’ NASA cuts contract that convened USGCRP, which released assessments impacting environmental decision-making US News, The Guardian, Dharna Noor & Gabrielle Canon, Apr 9, 2025.
• Will global climate action be a casualty of Trump’s tariffs? New warnings from financial firms and insurers point to a future defined by profound risks to the global economy from heat, storms and other disasters. Climate Forward, David Gelles, Apr 10, 2025.
• Trump’s EPA Plans to Stop Collecting Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data From Most Polluters Climate experts expressed shock and dismay at the move. “It would be a bit like unplugging the equipment that monitors the vital signs of a patient that is critically ill,” one said. Trump Administration, ProPublica, Sharon Lerner, Apr 10, 2025.
• Trump’s actions are already having consequences for climate, especially for the IPCC CarbonNews, Kevin Trenberth, Apr 11, 2025.
• Trump’s budget plan eviscerates weather and climate research, and it could be enacted immediately CNN Climate, Ella Nilsen, Apr 11, 2025.

Climate Change Impacts (10 articles)

• After Severe Drought and Storms, Ohio Farmers Fear for Long-Term Soil Health Intense weather left farmers with small harvests in 2024—and warnings about soil resilience. Science, Inside Climate News, Anika Jane Beamer, Apr 3, 2025.
• What makes a 1-in-1000-year storm, really? Thunderstorms that swept the central US in 2022 were unprecedented, but their extreme precipitation may not be that rare — especially with global warming WashU-The Source, Talia Ogliore, Apr 04, 2025.
• Global warming is ‘exposing’ new coastlines and islands as Arctic glaciers shrink Retreating glaciers created 2,500km of “new” coastline and 35 “new” islands in the Arctic between 2000 and 2020, according to a new study. Carbon Brief, Ayesha Tandon, Apr 4, 2025.
• A Sign Of Global Warming: The Rise Of Early Forest Fires Increasing temperatures due to climate change are leading to earlier and more intense wildfires, posing significant threats to ecosystems, air quality, and public health Kashmir Reader, Showkat Ahmad Lone , Apr 6, 2025.
• Violent storms sweep through central US and prompt evacuations in flooded Kentucky CNN Weather, Karina Tsui, Gene Norman & Susannah Cullinane, Apr 6, 2025.
• Deadly storms give way to rising rivers in flood-ravaged Midwest and Southern US; danger is not over CNN Weather, Hanna Park, Mary Gilbert & Andy Rose, Apr 7, 2025.
• Flood-weary residents face rising rivers despite rain finally stopping in central and southern US CNN Weather, Hanna Park , Mary Gilbert & Andy Rose, Apr 8 2025.
• In the rain-soaked South, storms portend future ‘generational’ floods Parts of Tennessee received 15 inches of rain. What happens when the next storm is worse? Climate, Washington Post, Scott Dance, Apr 8, 2025.
• US exits carbon talks on shipping, urges others to follow - document Reuters, Jonathan Saul, Michelle Nichols & Kate Abnett, Apr 9, 2025.
• La Niña is dead. Here’s what to expect in the coming months CNN Weather, Mary Gilbert, Apr 10, 2025.
• March 2025: Earth’s 3rd-warmest March on record La Niña conditions ended in March, and the Arctic has its lowest seasonal maximum in ice extent on record. Eye On the Storm, Yale Climate Connections, Jeff Masters, Apr 10, 2025.

Public Misunderstandings about Climate Science (5 articles)

• Climate denial and the classroom: a review Geoscience Communication, Gerald Kutney, Mar 31, 2025.
• Our MOOC Denial101x has run its course Skeptical Science, Bärbel Winkler, Apr 07, 2025.
• Our elected officials have known about climate change for decades The science has been settled for longer than many of us have been alive. So why do some still claim it’s uncertain? An interview with Naomi Oreskes. Yale Climate Connections, Bridgett Ennis, Apr 07, 2025.
• Hot Air: the danger of climate misinformation A new interactive tool from Tortoise shows how online untruths about the climate are growing, changing shape and spreading. Tortoise Media, Bex Sander et al., Apr 08, 2025.
• What is peer-review? Why one ‘peer-reviewed’ Grok-written paper doesn’t disprove climate change When is a scientific paper not a quality scientific paper? Science Feedback, Editor: Rahul Rao, Apr 9, 2025.

Miscellaneous (Other - 3 articles)

• 2025 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #14 A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 30, 2025 thru Sat, April 5, 2025. Skeptical Science, Bärbel Winkler, Doug Bostrom & John Hartz, Apr 06, 2025.
• Power-sector CO2 hits ‘all-time high’ in 2024 despite record growth for clean energy Global power-sector emissions hit an “all-time high” in 2024, despite solar and wind power continuing to grow at record speed, according to analysis from thinktank Ember. Renewables, Carbon Brief, Molly Lempriere, Apr 8, 2025.
• The self-inflicted death of American science has already begun Trump’s crackdown on foreign students and scientists will do irreparable harm to the country. Future Perfect, Vox, Bryan Wqlsh, Apr 9, 2025.

Climate Education and Communication (2 articles)

• Despite the increasingly gloomy news about climate change, scientist Katharine Hayhoe offers skeptics a sunny attitude The most important thing people can do to start addressing the climate crisis is to start talking about it, the Texas Tech scientist says. Yahoo News, David Knowles, Apr 1, 2025.
• This YouTube show explains climate change to the kids who have to live with it Suzie Hicks the Climate Chick and co-host Sprout are on a mission to inspire young children to learn about and take action on climate change. NPR, Chloe Veltman, Apr 8, 2025.

Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation (1 artricle)

• Analysis: Nearly 60 countries have ‘dramatically’ cut plans to build coal plants since 2015 Nearly 60 countries have drastically scaled back their plans for building coal-fired power plants since the Paris Agreement in 2015, according to figures released by Global Energy Monitor (GEM). Coal, Carbon Brief, Josh Gabbatiss, Apr 4, 2025.

Climate Science and Research (1 article)

• Computer models have been accurately predicting climate change for 50 years A research scientist found that many 1970s-era models were ‘pretty much spot-on.’ Today’s models are far more advanced. Yale Climate Connections, YCC Team, Apr 10, 2025.

Health Aspects of Climate Change (1 article)

• The world is heating up. How much can our bodies handle? Scientists put people in a heat chamber for nine hours. Here's what they learned. Grist, Sachi Kitajima Mulkey, Apr 08, 2025.

Public Misunderstandings about Climate Solutions (1 article)

• Sabin33 #23 - How much land is used for wind turbines? Skeptical Science, Sabin Center Team, Apr 8, 2025.

Posted by BaerbelW on Sunday, 13 April, 2025

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