Skeptical Science New Research for Week #27 2023

Posted on 6 July 2023 by Doug Bostrom, Marc Kodack

140 articles in 62 journals by 936 contributing authors

Physical science of climate change, effects

A Process Model for ITCZ Narrowing under Warming Highlights Clear-Sky Water Vapor Feedbacks and Gross Moist Stability Changes in AMIP Models, Ahmed et al., Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-22-0689.1

Annual Cycle in Upper-Ocean Heat Content and the Global Energy Budget, Pan et al., Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-22-0776.1

How Do Different Processes Shape Temperature Probability Distributions? A Percentile-Averaged Temperature Tendency Decomposition, Quan et al., Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-22-0556.1

Ocean heat uptake and interbasin redistribution driven by anthropogenic aerosols and greenhouse gases, Li et al., Nature Geoscience 10.1038/s41561-023-01219-x

Sea Surface Cooling by Rainfall Modulates Earth’s Heat Energy Flow, Ibrahim & Sun, Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-22-0735.1

Synoptic Atmospheric Patterns Responsible for Summer Extreme High-Temperature Events over Northern Asia: Evolution, Precursor, and Long-Term Change, Hong et al., Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-22-0205.1

Observations of climate change, effects

A 4-week advance in the growing season in Napa Valley, California, USA, Cayan et al., International Journal of Climatology Open Access pdf 10.1002/joc.8162

Anthropogenic warming has exacerbated droughts in southern Europe since the 1850s, An et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-023-00907-1

Causes and Predictions of 2022 Extremely Hot Summer in East Asia, Li et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 10.1029/2022jd038442

Dynamical Drivers of the Exceptional Warmth over Siberia during the Spring of 2020, DeAngelis et al., Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-22-0387.1

Rapidly Changing East Asian Marine Heatwaves under a Warming Climate, Lee et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans Open Access pdf 10.1029/2023jc019761

Temperature and precipitation extremes’ variability in Turkey, Ciftci & Sahin Acar, Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics 10.1007/s00703-023-00976-z

Instrumentation & observational methods of climate change, effects

Contrasting trends in convective and large-scale precipitation in the Intertropical Convergence Zone from reanalysis datasets, Jeon et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 10.1029/2022jd037973

Global Variability in Multi-Century Ground Warming Inferred From Geothermal Data, Hopcroft & Gallagher, Geophysical Research Letters Open Access pdf 10.1029/2023gl104631

Heat stored in the Earth system 1960–2020: where does the energy go?, von Schuckmann et al., Earth System Science Data Open Access 10.5194/essd-15-1675-2023

Time of emergence in climate extremes corresponding to Köppen-Geiger classification, Zhang & Gao, Weather and Climate Extremes Open Access 10.1016/j.wace.2023.100593

Modeling, simulation & projection of climate change, effects

Antarctic Bottom Water Sensitivity to Spatio-Temporal Variations in Antarctic Meltwater Fluxes, Aguiar et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access pdf 10.1029/2022gl101595

Arctic Sea Ice Causes Seasonal Differences in the Response of Arctic Water Vapor to Climate Warming in the CMIP6 Model, HadGEM3-GC3.1, Ridley et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access pdf 10.1029/2022gl102541

Changes in Stratosphere-Troposphere Exchange of Air Mass and Ozone Concentration in CCMI Models from 1960-2099, Wang & Fu, Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 10.1029/2023jd038487

Climate-driven changes in the predictability of seasonal precipitation, Le et al., Nature Communications Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-023-39463-9

Impacts of increasing greenhouse gas concentrations and deforestation on extreme rainfall events in the Amazon basin: A multi-model ensemble-based study, Brito et al., International Journal of Climatology 10.1002/joc.8158

Projected changes in extreme climate events over Africa under 1.5 , 2.0 and 3.0 global warming levels based on CMIP6 projections, Ayugi et al., Atmospheric Research 10.1016/j.atmosres.2023.106872

Regional features of future warming using high-resolution downscaled multimodel climate scenarios in mainland China, Zhang et al., International Journal of Climatology 10.1002/joc.8146

Simulated long-term evolution of the thermosphere during the Holocene – Part 1: Neutral density and temperature, Cai et al., Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Open Access 10.5194/acp-23-5009-2023

Advancement of climate & climate effects modeling, simulation & projection

How well do Earth System Models capture apparent relationships between phytoplankton biomass and environmental variables?, Holder & Gnanadesikan, Global Biogeochemical Cycles 10.1029/2023gb007701

Stratospheric water vapor affecting atmospheric circulation, Charlesworth et al., Nature Communications Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-023-39559-2

Time-variations of the climate feedback parameter λ are associated with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, Meyssignac et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-023-00887-2

Cryosphere & climate change

Impact of atmospheric forcing uncertainties on Arctic and Antarctic sea ice simulations in CMIP6 OMIP models, Lin et al., The Cryosphere Open Access 10.5194/tc-17-1935-2023

Reasons for shortening snow cover duration in the Western Sudetes in light of global climate change, Urban et al., International Journal of Climatology Open Access pdf 10.1002/joc.8157

Winter Precipitation Responses to Projected Arctic Sea Ice Loss and Global Ocean Warming and Their Opposing Influences over the Northeast Atlantic Region, Yu et al., Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-22-0774.1

Sea level & climate change

Climate change, site formation, and indigenous use of coastlines in Barbuda, Rivera-Collazo & Perdikaris, The Holocene Open Access pdf 10.1177/09596836231176497

Revisiting temperature sensitivity: How does Antarctic precipitation change with temperature?, Nicola et al., The Cryosphere Open Access 10.5194/tc-17-2563-2023

River Deltas and Sea-Level Rise, AKAMATSU et al., Doboku Gakkai Ronbunshuu B Open Access pdf 10.2208/jscejb.62.169

Paleoclimate & paleogeochemistry

A well-oxygenated eastern tropical Pacific during the warm Miocene, Hess et al., Nature 10.1038/s41586-023-06104-6

Abrupt change in tropical Pacific climate mean state during the Little Ice Age, Prohaska et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-023-00882-7

Biology & climate change, related geochemistry

A secure future? Human urban and agricultural land use benefits a flightless island-endemic rail despite climate change, Lévêque et al., Royal Society Open Science Open Access 10.1098/rsos.230386

Biological systems under climate change: What do we learn from the IPCC AR6, Piao & Wang, Global Change Biology 10.1111/gcb.16857

Combined threats of climate change and contaminant exposure through the lens of bioenergetics, Grunst et al., Global Change Biology Open Access pdf 10.1111/gcb.16822

Comparative experimental evolution reveals species-specific idiosyncrasies in marine phytoplankton adaptation to warming, Barton et al., Global Change Biology Open Access pdf 10.1111/gcb.16827

Continuous increase in evaporative demand shortened the growing season of European ecosystems in the last decade, Rahmati et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-023-00890-7

Dryness limits vegetation pace to cope with temperature change in warm regions, Wang et al., Global Change Biology 10.1111/gcb.16842

Expanding range and role change, Armarego-Marriott, Nature Climate Change Open Access 10.1038/s41558-023-01675-8

Glacier retreat alters downstream fjord ecosystem structure and function in Greenland, Meire et al., Nature Geoscience Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41561-023-01218-y

High-latitude kelps and future oceans: A review of multiple stressor impacts in a changing world, Farrugia Drakard et al., Ecology and Evolution Open Access pdf 10.1002/ece3.10277

Humidity stress and its consequences for male pre- and post-copulatory fitness traits in an insect, Simmons et al., Ecology and Evolution Open Access pdf 10.1002/ece3.10244

Hydric effects on thermal tolerances influence climate vulnerability in a high-latitude beetle, Riddell et al., Global Change Biology Open Access pdf 10.1111/gcb.16830

Long-term forecast of thermal mortality with climate warming in riverine amphipods, Verberk et al., Global Change Biology Open Access pdf 10.1111/gcb.16834

Microbially mediated climate feedbacks from wetland ecosystems, Candry et al., Global Change Biology 10.1111/gcb.16850

Physiologically vulnerable or resilient? Tropical birds, global warming, and redistributions, Monge et al., Ecology and Evolution Open Access pdf 10.1002/ece3.9985

Plant traits poorly predict winner and loser shrub species in a warming tundra biome, García Criado et al., Nature Communications Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-023-39573-4

Possible niche compression and individual specialization in Pacific Arctic beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) from the 19th to 20th century, Fraleigh et al., Ecology and Evolution Open Access pdf 10.1002/ece3.10230

Risk of tree species decline under aridification, Astigarraga, Global Change Biology Open Access pdf 10.1111/gcb.16845

Sensory perception and behaviour of insect pollinators under climate change, Gérard et al., Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-023-01720-6

Tree species growth response to climate warming varies by forest canopy position in boreal and temperate forests, Wang et al., Global Change Biology Open Access pdf 10.1111/gcb.16853

When will a changing climate outpace adaptive evolution?, Martin et al., WIREs Climate Change Open Access pdf 10.1002/wcc.852

GHG sources & sinks, flux, related geochemistry

Assessing Human Impacts on Soil Organic Carbon Change in the Lower Namoi Valley, Australia, Jang et al., Anthropocene 10.1016/j.ancene.2023.100393

Changes in land use and management led to a decline in Eastern Europe’s terrestrial carbon sink, Winkler et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-023-00893-4

Extensive atmospheric methane consumption by alpine forests on Tibetan Plateau, Qu et al., Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 10.1016/j.agrformet.2023.109589

Interannual variability of spring and summer monsoon growing season carbon exchange at a semiarid savanna over nearly two decades, Scott et al., Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 10.1016/j.agrformet.2023.109584

Measurement report: Atmospheric CH4 at regional stations of the Korea Meteorological Administration–Global Atmosphere Watch Programme: measurement, characteristics, and long-term changes of its drivers, Lee et al., Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Open Access pdf 10.5194/acp-23-7141-2023

On physical mechanisms enhancing air–sea CO2 exchange, Gutiérrez-Loza et al., Biogeosciences Open Access pdf 10.5194/bg-19-5645-2022

Predicting Carbonate Chemistry on the Northwest Atlantic Shelf using Neural Networks, Lima et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences Open Access pdf 10.1029/2023jg007536

Quantifying net community production and calcification at Station ALOHA near Hawai‘i: Insights and limitations from a dual tracer carbon budget approach, Knor et al., Global Biogeochemical Cycles Open Access 10.1029/2022gb007672

Sensitivity of the global ocean carbon sink to the ocean skin in a climate model, Bellenger et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 10.1029/2022jc019479

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

Tracking carbon from subduction to outgassing along the Aleutian-Alaska Volcanic Arc, Lopez et al., Science Advances Open Access pdf 10.1126/sciadv.adf3024

Uncertainties in wetland methane-flux estimates, Yazbeck & Bohrer, Global Change Biology Open Access pdf 10.1111/gcb.16754

Uncertainty in land use obscures global soil organic carbon stock estimates, Gang et al., Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 10.1016/j.agrformet.2023.109585

CO2 capture, sequestration science & engineering

Deciphering the structural dynamics in molten salt–promoted MgO-based CO2 sorbents and their role in the CO2 uptake, Rekhtina et al., Science Advances Open Access pdf 10.1126/sciadv.adg5690

Relative benefits of allocating land to bioenergy crops and forests vary by region, Melnikova et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-023-00866-7

The impact of ecological restoration on ecosystem services change modulated by drought and rising CO2, Huang et al., Global Change Biology Open Access pdf 10.1111/gcb.16825

Decarbonization

Deadlock in transition to a net-zero socially robust knowledge, Chou et al., Environmental Science & Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.envsci.2023.04.022

Downdraft energy tower for negative emissions: Analysis on methane removal and other co-benefits, Tao et al., Greenhouse Gases: Science and Technology Open Access pdf 10.1002/ghg.2233

Estimating the electric vehicle charging demand of multi-unit dwelling residents in the United States, Cheng & Kontou, Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability Open Access pdf 10.1088/2634-4505/acde06

Grassland carbon-water cycling is minimally impacted by a photovoltaic array, Kannenberg et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-023-00904-4

Phase evolution under pressure, Javanbakht, Materialia Open Access 10.1016/j.mtla.2021.101199

Rapid increase of the nighttime electricity demand in Beijing due to compound heatwaves, Wang et al., Urban Climate 10.1016/j.uclim.2023.101595

Aerosols

Aerosol first indirect effect of African smoke at the cloud base of marine cumulus clouds over Ascension Island, southern Atlantic Ocean, de Graaf et al., Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Open Access pdf 10.5194/acp-23-5373-2023

Climate change communications & cognition

Environmental subjectivities and experiences of climate extreme-driven loss and damage in northern Australia, Jackson, Climatic Change Open Access pdf 10.1007/s10584-023-03567-4

Extreme weather as a window: Exploring the seek and supply of climate change information during meteorological disasters in China, Shi et al., Advances in Climate Change Research Open Access 10.1016/j.accre.2023.06.004

Facing trade-offs: The variability of public support for climate change policies, Rettig et al., Environmental Science & Policy 10.1016/j.envsci.2023.06.020

Open Letters and Climate Communication: The Professional Roles and Identities of Researchers in Times of Crisis, Graminius, Environmental Communication Open Access pdf 10.1080/17524032.2023.2225765

The climate change skepticism questionnaire: Validation of a measure to assess doubts regarding climate change, de Graaf et al., Journal of Environmental Psychology 10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.102068

The use of qualitative research to better understand public opinions on climate change, Kleinberg & Toomey , Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences Open Access 10.1007/s13412-023-00841-w

Agronomy, animal husbundry, food production & climate change

Climate mitigation through soil amendments: quantification, evidence, and uncertainty, Rubin et al., Carbon Management Open Access pdf 10.1080/17583004.2023.2217785

Expansion of organic farming could reduce soil organic carbon stocks, , Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-023-01722-4

Hierarchy of value orientation and beliefs in climate change influencing the farmers’ extractive or non-extractive behavior on the farm, Karami, Environment, Development and Sustainability Open Access pdf 10.1007/s10668-023-03215-y

Industrial fisheries have reversed the carbon sequestration by tuna carcasses into emissions, Mouillot et al., Global Change Biology Open Access pdf 10.1111/gcb.16823

Risks of synchronized low yields are underestimated in climate and crop model projections, Kornhuber et al., Nature Communications Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-023-38906-7

The effects of climate change on food production in India: evidence from the ARDL model, Ahmed et al., Environment, Development and Sustainability Open Access 10.1007/s10668-023-03209-w

Hydrology, hydrometeorology & climate change

Attribution of the heavy rainfall events leading to severe flooding in Western Europe during July 2021, Tradowsky et al., Climatic Change Open Access pdf 10.1007/s10584-023-03502-7

Future change projections of extreme floods at catchment scale and hydrodynamic response of its downstream lake based on catchment-waterbody relationship simulation, Hua et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 10.1029/2022jd037972

Geomorphic response of low-gradient, meandering and braided alluvial river channels to increased sediment supply, Kemper et al., Earth 10.1016/j.earscirev.2023.104429

Hydrological drought analysis of Ye?il?rmak Basin of Turkey by streamflow drought index (SDI) and innovative trend analysis (ITA), Yuce et al., Theoretical and Applied Climatology 10.1007/s00704-023-04545-7

Intensification of drought propagation over the Yangtze River basin under climate warming, Ma et al., International Journal of Climatology 10.1002/joc.8165

MOPREDAS&century database and precipitation trends in mainland Spain, 1916–2020, Gonzalez?Hidalgo et al., International Journal of Climatology Open Access pdf 10.1002/joc.8060

Past and future rainfall change in sub-regions of Victoria, Australia, Rauniyar & Power Power Hope, Climatic Change Open Access pdf 10.1007/s10584-023-03562-9

Robust projection of East Asian summer monsoon rainfall based on dynamical modes of variability, Xue et al., Nature Communications Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-023-39460-y

Climate change economics

Conflict sensitive climate finance: lessons from the green climate fund, Scartozzi, Climate Policy Open Access 10.1080/14693062.2023.2212640

Low-Carbon Investment and Credit Rationing, Haas & Kempa Kempa, Environmental and Resource Economics Open Access pdf 10.1007/s10640-023-00789-z

The drivers and barriers of energy efficiency, Su, Energy Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.enpol.2023.113598

Climate change mitigation public policy research

A way forward to end energy poverty in China: Role of carbon-cutting targets and net-zero commitments, Tiwari et al., Energy Policy 10.1016/j.enpol.2023.113677

Air quality equity in US climate policy, Polonik et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Open Access 10.1073/pnas.2217124120

Assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of methane regulations in British Columbia, Canada, Johnson et al., Climate Policy 10.1080/14693062.2023.2229295

Built structures influence patterns of energy demand and CO2 emissions across countries, Haberl et al., Nature Communications Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-023-39728-3

Deep decarbonisation pathways of the energy system in times of unprecedented uncertainty in the energy sector, Panos et al., Energy Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.enpol.2023.113642

Exploring energy policy scenarios to transition to a low carbon economy by 2050: A case study on the Northern Territory of Australia, Hosein et al., Energy Policy 10.1016/j.enpol.2023.113663

Facing trade-offs: The variability of public support for climate change policies, Rettig et al., Environmental Science & Policy 10.1016/j.envsci.2023.06.020

Global benefits of the international diffusion of carbon pricing policies, Linsenmeier et al., Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-023-01710-8

Identifying policy areas for the transition of the transportation sector, Hainsch, Energy Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.enpol.2023.113591

National climate change acts: the emergence, form and nature of national framework climate legislation, Li & Zhu , Environmental Politics Open Access pdf 10.1080/09644016.2023.2213136

Strategies for adaptation to and mitigation of climate change: Key performance indicators to assess nature-based solutions performances, Mosca et al., Urban Climate Open Access 10.1016/j.uclim.2023.101580

Which (co-)ownership types in renewables are associated with the willingness to adopt energy-efficient technologies and energy-conscious behaviour? Data from German households, Roth et al., Energy Policy 10.1016/j.enpol.2023.113683

Who’s controlling our energy future? Industry and environmental representation on United States public utility commissions, Heern, Energy Research & Social Science 10.1016/j.erss.2023.103091

Climate change adaptation & adaptation public policy research

A reality check for the applicability of comprehensive climate risk assessment and management: Experiences from Peru, India and Austria, Hagen et al., Climate Risk Management Open Access 10.1016/j.crm.2023.100534

Centering equity in the development of a community resilience planning resource, Fry et al., Climate Risk Management Open Access 10.1016/j.crm.2023.100520

Climate change effects on vulnerable populations in the Global South: a systematic review, Ngcamu, Natural Hazards Open Access pdf 10.1007/s11069-023-06070-2

Integrating equity, climate risks, and population growth for targeting conservation planning, Zoll et al., Environmental Science & Policy 10.1016/j.envsci.2023.06.015

Reducing personal climate anxiety is key to adaptation, Mortreux et al., Nature Climate Change Open Access 10.1038/s41558-023-01716-2

Testing the reliability of adaptive capacity as a proxy for adaptive and transformative responses to climate change, Bartelet et al., Global Environmental Change Open Access 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2023.102700

The hazard components of representative key risks The physical climate perspective, Tebaldi et al., Climate Risk Management Open Access 10.1016/j.crm.2023.100516

Urban sustainability and resilience: What the literature tells us about “lock-ins”?, Buzási & Csizovszky, Ambio Open Access pdf 10.1007/s13280-022-01817-w

User Selection and Engagement for Climate Services Coproduction, Baulenas et al., Weather, Climate, and Society Open Access pdf 10.1175/wcas-d-22-0112.1

What drives local climate change adaptation? A qualitative comparative analysis, Braunschweiger & Ingold , Environmental Science & Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.envsci.2023.03.013

Climate change impacts on human health

Short-Term Effects of Climate Variability on Childhood Diarrhoea in Bangladesh: Multi-Site Time-Series Regression Analysis, Rahaman et al., International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Open Access pdf 10.3390/ijerph20136279

Climate change & geopolitics

Security risks from climate change and environmental degradation: implications for sustainable land use transformation in the Global South, Nguyen et al., Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability Open Access 10.1016/j.cosust.2023.101322

When Climate Change Determines International Agreements: Evidence from Water Treaties, Candau & Gbandi , Environmental and Resource Economics Open Access 10.1007/s10640-023-00776-4

Other

Coupled surface to deep Earth processes: Perspectives from TOPO-EUROPE with an emphasis on climate- and energy-related societal challenges, Cloetingh et al., Global and Planetary Change Open Access 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2023.104140

Mapping vessel traffic patterns in the ice-covered waters of the Pacific Arctic, Kapsar et al., Climatic Change Open Access pdf 10.1007/s10584-023-03568-3

Significant West Antarctic Cooling in the Past Two Decades Driven by Tropical Pacific Forcing, Zhang et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society Open Access pdf 10.1175/bams-d-22-0153.1

Informed opinion, nudges & major initiatives

Climate anxiety is about more than just personal risks, Fyke & Weaver Steg , Nature Climate Change Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41558-023-01617-4

Global Consequences of Regional Connectivity along the Antarctic Margin, Beadling, Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans Open Access pdf 10.1029/2023jc019908

The effectiveness of global protected areas for climate change mitigation, Duncanson et al., Nature Communications Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-023-38073-9

Urgent abatement of industrial sources of nitrous oxide, Davidson & Winiwarter, Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-023-01723-3

“Cooling credits” are not a viable climate solution, Diamond et al., Climatic Change Open Access pdf 10.1007/s10584-023-03561-w

Book reviews

Climate justice in India, Devarhubli, Current World Environment Open Access pdf 10.12944/cwe.17.3.25

Understanding and overcoming climate obstruction, Herranen, Nature Climate Change Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41558-023-01685-6

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

Statistical Review of World Energy, The Energy Institute, KPMG and Kearney

The authors analyze data on world energy markets from 2022. Post-COVID, transport fuel demand patterns continued to return, but with major variations across geographies and fuel types. China was a major outlier, in particular in terms of jet fuel remaining significantly below its pre-COVID level, due to its ‘zero COVID’ policy. The Ukraine conflict and curtailment of Russian supplies to Europe precipitated record international gas prices in Europe (a threefold increase) and Asia (twofold), and unprecedented shifts in global oil and gas trade flows. The strong pace of deployment of renewables in the power sector continued, driven by solar and wind. 2022 saw the largest-ever increase in wind and solar new build capacity. Together they reached a record 12% share of power generation, with solar up 25% and wind up 13.5%. Renewables (excluding hydro) met 84% of net electricity demand growth in 2022. Global primary energy consumption grew by around 1% in 2022, taking it to nearly 3% above the 2019 pre-COVID level. Within this, gas fell by 3%, and renewables (excluding hydro) increased by 13%. The dominance of fossil fuels was largely unchanged at almost 82% of total consumption. Global energy-related emissions continued to grow, up 0.8%, despite strong growth in renewables.

U.S. State Renewables Portfolio & Clean Electricity Standards: 2023 Status Update, Galen Barbose, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Berkeley Lab tracks and analyzes state renewables portfolio standards and clean electricity standards, in order to inform policy-makers, program administrators, and others about the design and impact of these policies. The author describes key trends, including recent legislative revisions, policy design features, past and projected effects on clean electricity development, compliance with interim targets, and compliance costs.

Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics & Policy, Spring 2023, Leiserowitz et al., Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication

Drawing on a representative sample of the U.S. adult population, the authors describe how registered voters view a variety of domestic climate and energy policies. The survey was fielded from April 18 – May 1, 2023. For example, 54% of registered voters say global warming should be a high or very high priority for the president and Congress; 66% of registered voters say developing sources of clean energy should be a high or very high priority for the president and Congress.

Acter L’Urgence, Engager Les Moyens (Act the Emergency, Commit the means)), Haut Conseil Pour Le Climat (High Council for Climate)

Le rapport annuel 2023 dresse une analyse des impacts du changement climatique et des limites de la prévention et de la gestion de crise en France, du suivi des émissions de gaz à effet de serre et des politiques associées, des budgets carbone, des leviers pour l'action climatique nationale et internationale, et présente la nouvelle méthode d'évaluation de l'action publique en France du Haut conseil pour le climat, ainsi que ses recommandations pour améliorer l’action publique en matière de climat. (The 2023 annual report draws up an analysis of the impacts of climate change and the limits of crisis prevention and management in France, monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions and associated policies, carbon budgets, levers for national and international climate action, and presents the new method for evaluating public action in France of the High Council for Climate, as well as its recommendations to improve public action on climate.)

U.S. Energy and Employment Report 2023, Keyser et al., e US. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Jobs

The report is designed to track and understand employment trends across the energy sector. As the private sector continues to announce major investments in American-made energy the energy workforce added almost 300,000 jobs (+3.8% growth) in 2022. Clean energy jobs increased in every state reflecting increased investments. Clean energy jobs grew 3.9% adding 114,000 jobs nationally, increasing to over 40% of total energy jobs. Clean energy technologies, such as solar and wind, accounted for more than 84% of net new electric power generation jobs, adding over 21,000 jobs (+3.6% growth), and jobs related to zero emissions vehicles saw nearly 21% growth, adding over 38,000 jobs.

Progress in reducing emissions, 2023 Report to Parliament, Stark et al., Climate Change Committee

For many in the United Kingdom (UK), 2022 was the year that climate change arrived, with the UK’s first ever 40°C day. It was the UK’s warmest recorded year and one of the six warmest years on record globally. The record-breaking temperatures seen in the UK in the summer of 2022 brought unprecedented numbers of heat-related deaths, wildfire incidents, and significant infrastructure disruption. Human activities are causing our climate to change. Only decisive action will slow further changes. However, the UK has lost its clear global leadership position on climate action. The UK is no longer COP President; no longer a member of the European Union (EU) negotiating bloc. The UK's response to the recent fossil fuel price crisis did not embrace the rapid steps that could have been taken to reduce energy demand and grow renewable generation. The UK has backtracked on fossil fuel commitments, with the consenting of a new coal mine and support for new UK oil and gas production – despite the strong wording of the Glasgow Climate Pact. And the UK has been slow to react to the U.S.'s Inflation Reduction Act and the EU’s proposed Green Deal Industrial Plan, which are now a strong pull for green investment away from the UK. It is critical that the UK re-establishes its climate leadership with a clearer strategy to develop Net Zero industries and technologies in the UK and capture the economic benefits of Net Zero, with actions that create demand-pull for the critical technologies that will shape the UK’s progress over the next decade.

The Health Care Costs of Extreme Heat, Woolf et al., Center for American Progress

To better understand the health impacts of extreme heat, the authors used available data from Virginia to derive estimates of the increase in health care use—including emergency department visits and hospital admissions—and health care costs associated with extreme heat. Daily climate data collected from 15 weather stations that serve the state of Virginia show that during the five summers of 2016–2020, an average of 80 heat event days occurred per summer. Based on insurance claims data from Virginia’s all-payer claims database, the authors estimate that each summer, heat events resulted in almost 400 additional ambulatory—or outpatient—care visits for heat-related illness; almost 7,000 additional emergency department visits, including more than 4,600 visits for heat-related or heat-adjacent illness; and almost 2,000 additional heat-related hospital admissions, mostly for heat-adjacent illness. Extrapolated nationally, heat event days would be responsible for almost 235,000 emergency department visits and more than 56,000 hospital admissions for heat-related or heat-adjacent illness, adding approximately $1 billion in health care costs each summer.

Spain: Inadequate Response to Heatwaves, Human Rights Watch

Extreme heat fueled by climate change and inadequate government response caused great hardship for people with disabilities during the 2022 heatwaves in Andalusia located in southern Spain. People with disabilities are often among those most adversely affected in an emergency, including a heatwave, yet least able to access support. With more intense and frequent heatwaves looming, authorities should learn from last year’s shortcomings and involve people with disabilities in developing a climate action plan.

Majorities of Americans Prioritize Renewable Energy, Back Steps to Address Climate Change, Kennedy et al., Pew Research Center

The authors found that large shares of Americans support the United States taking steps to address global climate change and back an energy landscape that prioritizes renewable sources like wind and solar. At the same time, the findings illustrate ongoing public reluctance to make sweeping changes to American life to cut carbon emissions. Most Americans oppose ending the production of gas-powered vehicles by 2035 and there is limited support for steps like eliminating gas lines from new buildings.

Congressionally Mandated Research Plan and an Initial Research Governance Framework Related to Solar Radiation Modification, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy

The authors identify critical knowledge gaps and scopes potential research areas that could improve understanding of risks and benefits posed by solar radiation modification. The authors caution that any potential comprehensive research program must encompass the societal as well as the scientific dimensions of solar radiation modification and highlights several key priority areas for further solar radiation modification research. These areas include determining climate and environmental impacts of solar radiation modification deployment; assessing potential societal outcomes and ecological consequences; and examining how research might be done in cooperation among international partners. The authors acknowledge that research on solar radiation modification effects to date has been ad hoc and fragmented, rather than being the product of a comprehensive strategy. As a result, substantial knowledge gaps and uncertainties exist in many critical areas.

South Florida Military Installation Resilience Review, Miller et al., South Florida Regional Planning Council

The authors identify the risks, hazards, and vulnerabilities of concern as it relates to the ability of the military to carry out its missions on the installation that could be mitigated through investments and solutions outside the fence line in the South Florida community. The authors outline manageable, incremental projects that protect south FLorida installations and communities against rising threats, including climate change.

Light-Duty Vehicles, Air Pollution, and Climate Change, Richard Lattanzio, Congressional Research Service

The author reviews existing air pollution standards and greenhouse gas reduction requirements for light-duty vehicles (LDV). LDVs consist of passenger cars, light trucks, and most sport utility vehicles; as well as class 2b and class 3 trucks, such as large pickups and vans.

Canada’s National Adaptation Strategy: Building Resilient Communities and a Strong Economy, Government of Canada

The strategy outlines a shared path to a more climate-resilient Canada. It establishes a shared vision of what Canada wants its future to look like and sets out a common direction for action across five interconnected systems that are at the heart of Canadian lives and communities. The strategy is underpinned by a set of guiding principles acknowledging that how to reach Canada's goals and objectives. For each system, the strategy sets long-term transformational goals, medium-term objectives, and near-term targets.

Displaced to Cities, Conflict, Climate Change, and Rural-to-Urban Migration, Alverio et al., United Institute of Peace

The authors analyze the linkages between climate change, conflict, and migration to urban environments in middle- and low-income countries. The authors use expert interviews, fieldwork, and a review of secondary sources to develop case studies of conflict-driven rural-to-urban migration in Honduras, Pakistan, and Jordan.

Transmission Planning and Development Regional Report Card, Zimmerman et al., Americans for a Clean Energy Grid

Effective transmission planning is essential for providing customers with affordable and reliable power. The authors evaluate transmission planning performance and practices by region. Overall the grades leave a lot of room for improvement. California and the Midwest (MISO) score the highest with efforts just over the last two years to proactively plan for the future resource mix. The Southeast region shows the greatest room for growth, while the West (minus California), mid-Atlantic (PJM), New England (ISO-NE), and Texas are also lagging in their planning and development efforts.

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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.

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Journals covered

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Previous edition

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