Skeptical Science New Research for Week #25 2026
Posted on 18 June 2026 by Doug Bostrom, Marc Kodack
Open access notables
Rapid rebound hides glacier mass loss from satellite observations in Alaska and Iceland, Sasgen et al., Communications Earth & Environment
Time-variable satellite gravimetry constrains global glacier mass change, but requires correction for glacial isostatic adjustment. These corrections are commonly treated as slowly varying background signals from past ice loading and assumed to be separable from present-day glacier loss. Here we show that this separation can fail in low-viscosity settings, where viscoelastic rebound can approach isostatic compensation on annual-to-decadal timescales and covary with ongoing ice retreat. Using millennium-scale glacier reconstructions and viscoelastic Earth modelling, we incorporate rapid rebound into gravimetry trend inversions for Alaska and Iceland. This reveals additional ice loss of ~7 ± 1 Gt yr−1 in Alaska and ~3 ± 1 Gt yr−1 in Iceland (2002–2025), with uncertainties spanning Earth-model spread. Globally, gravimetry-inferred glacier mass loss increases by ~10 Gt yr−1 (~0.03 mm yr−1 global mean sea-level rise; ~4%), with ~9% more loss in Alaska and about one-third more in Iceland. Similar inversion biases are expected elsewhere in low-viscosity regions.
Human-caused sea level rise drives 21st-century worldwide water level extremes, Gilford et al., Science Advances
The rate and impacts of sea level rise vary considerably around the world, but the contribution of human-caused climate change to increases in local and regional flood risks has not yet been systematically explored. Because such information is critical to local decision making, legal proceedings, and loss and damage determinations, we quantify human-caused climate change’s contributions to sea level rise at worldwide locations using budget-based and semiempirical model methods. Results show that human-caused sea level rise is quantifiable at 97% of 519 tide gauge sites and is responsible for 58% (44 to 65%) of the observed daily extreme water level exceedances over 2000–2018. On average, human-caused sea level rise has caused a near-tripling in the number of days with attributable exceedances since the 1970s.
Ideological divides around solar radiation modification geoengineering, Davies, Energy Research & Social Science
Research into geoengineering by Solar Radiation Modification is strongly opposed by significant groups, despite its apparently benevolent aims. This article considers whether that standpoint is best explained by (i) fears about safety, moral hazard or governance, (ii) confidence in speedy emissions reduction, or (iii) concerns about the kind of society that SRM geoengineering may create or allow to continue. It finds that the third is the most plausible explanation. Concerns about SRM synergies with capitalism, exploitation, and the instrumentalization of nature mean that people committed to certain social and economic ideals will reject SRM even if – precisely if – it is potentially workable and safe. It is those wider ideals that explain and justify calls to stop research, as other issues around SRM are riddled with unknowns that only research can address. The significance of locating SRM disagreements in ideological commitments is that these cannot be resolved by more research and improving understanding. That has consequences for policy-makers, politics and academics.
Misinformation and public support across renewable energy technologies in the United States, Ermarth & Chang, Energy Research & Social Science
Combining a large-scale social media sentiment analysis with a national survey experiment (N = 2206), this study explores how misinformation, media format, political ideology, gender, and geographic proximity influence attitudes toward renewable energy investment. Findings reveal that exposure to misinformation significantly decreases investment support for renewables across regions, genders, and energy types, though the magnitude of the effect varies. Political ideology and gender emerge as stronger predictors of support than geography or media modality, with men and liberals demonstrating consistently higher support levels. Moderates are closer to conservatives in their support of RETs. Proximity to renewable projects is associated with increased self-reported knowledge of renewables, which in turn modestly boosts investment support; however, this relationship is not uniform across regions. Sentiment analysis of social media discourse indicates that technologies like hydropower and geothermal—which showed higher susceptibility to misinformation—are also framed more negatively online. The complexity of public attitudes toward renewable energy suggest that combating misinformation, tailoring communication strategies to demographic and regional audiences, and strengthening public knowledge are critical to building broader coalitions for the energy transition. Future research should continue to examine these dynamics using larger, longitudinal, and mixed-method approaches.
Quantifying the impact of Skeptical Science rebuttals in reducing climate misperceptions, Cook et al., Geoscience Communication
Misinformation about climate change leads to societal damage in a number of ways and consequently, resources are required to support interventions that counter their influence. Aiming to meet this need, Skeptical Science is a highly-visited website featuring 250 rebuttals of misinformation about climate change. The rebuttals are written at three levels – basic, intermediate, and advanced – in order to reach as wide an audience as possible. This study collected survey data from visitors to the website and assessed the effectiveness of rebuttals in reducing acceptance of climate myths and increasing acceptance of climate facts. Our data found that nearly half of the visitors were already highly convinced regarding climate facts. We found that the rebuttals were effective in reducing belief in climate myths, but that some rebuttals show a concerning reduction in belief in climate facts. The greatest improvement occurred with visitors who began with the most inaccurate climate perceptions. This indicates that the website is useful for two main audiences – those who are convinced about climate change but looking for material to support their own climate communication efforts, and those who disagree with climate facts but are open to new information. We examine potential ways that Skeptical Science rebuttals could be updated to improve their performance in raising climate literacy and critical thinking skills.
From this week’s government/NGO section:
Climate Change in the Indian Mind, Winter 2025/2026, Leiserowitz et al., Yale University
82% of people in India favor banning the construction of new coal power plants, closing existing ones, and replacing them with solar and wind energy. 77% of Indians think that solar is a clean source of electricity, and most also think that wind (64%), and hydroelectric dams (56%) are clean. By contrast, majorities say that oil (76%), coal (68%), and nuclear (57%) are polluting sources of electricity. Opinions are split on whether natural gas is clean or polluting (45% clean, 45% polluting). 36% of Indians say they have “never heard of” global warming. However, when given a short definition, 84% of Indians say global warming is happening. Only 15% of Indians have an air conditioner in their household, although 27% say their household has an air cooler.
From Silence to Whisper: Climate Change in U.S. News Media, 1984–2025, Lee et al., OSF Preprints
News media shape public perceptions of issue importance, yet the position of climate change within the broader media landscape over time remains poorly understood. The authors conducted a large-scale content analysis of 6.4 million articles published by five major U.S. news outlets spanning 1984 to 2025. Using large language models (e.g., GPT-4o-mini), they classified each article across 16 news topics and identified climate change references. Over four decades, climate change comprised just 0.55% of all news coverage—one-thirty-sixth the attention devoted to sports and entertainment. Change-point detection identified two structural shifts that elevated baseline coverage: one in late 2006 and another in early 2021, coinciding with major political and cultural developments. Notably, once elevated, baseline coverage did not return to prior levels despite subsequent political shifts that introduced uncertainty around climate discourse. However, the integration of climate change across news domains remains highly uneven. Climate references are concentrated in environmental reporting while nearly absent from domains such as health and social justice—topics through which the public experiences climate impacts in daily life. Analysis of event-driven coverage revealed that international climate conferences (COP events) produced only transient spikes, while major hurricanes generated no detectable increase in climate reporting. These findings suggest that despite gradual progress, climate change has yet to achieve the cross-domain media presence commensurate with its significance as a societal challenge.
130 articles in 63 journals by 829 contributing authors
Physical science of climate change, effects
Arctic sea ice decline, increasing successive sudden stratospheric warmings and cold northern hemisphere continents, Rao et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-026-03604-x
Detected impacts of atmospheric rivers on marine heatwaves, Hu et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-026-74249-9
Distinct internal tropical Pacific sea surface temperature patterns drive similar Hadley circulation trend uncertainty, Hasan & Larson, Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-026-03757-9
Enhanced Solar Radiation Attenuation in the Arctic Shelf Driven by Warming-Induced Terrestrial Inputs, Zhu et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2025gl121447
Land-Feedbacks-Driven Dry-Hot Mutual Reinforcement Extends Global Compound Drought-Heatwave Durations, Zhang et al., Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres Open Access 10.1029/2026jd046466
The pace of stratospheric circulation, Yu, Nature Geoscience 10.1038/s41561-026-02008-y
Tracing atmospheric heat and moisture pathways to understand compound drought–heatwave events, Gimeno et al., Weather and Climate Extremes Open Access 10.1016/j.wace.2026.100923
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Diurnally asymmetric cloud cover trends amplify greenhouse warming, Science Advances, 10.1126/sciadv.ado5179 40 cites.
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Observations of climate change, effects
Drought-Heatwave Compound Events in China: Long-Term Changes, Regional Drivers, and Rising Event Probability, Tan et al., Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres 10.1029/2026jd046972
Earlier Flash Drought Onset Driven by Spring Vegetation Greening and Warming, Ma & Yuan, Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2026gl122625
Greek mountain snow cover halved in past four decades due to regional warming, Alexopoulos et al., Apollo (University of Cambridge) Open Access pmh:oai:www.repository.cam.ac.uk:1810/400906
Human-driven sea-level rise has quadrupled the frequency of coastal sea-level extremes since 1900, Dangendorf, Nature Climate Change 10.5281/zenodo.19698144
Limitations to air free cooling in data centers under rising heat and humidity, Karamperidou et al., Scientific Reports Open Access 10.1038/s41598-026-56926-3
Observed Changes in the Kuroshio Extension and Gulf Stream Based on Surface Drifter and OSCAR, Gong et al., Journal of Geophysical Research Oceans 10.1029/2026jc024135
Temperature fluctuations and energy consumption, Moleeratanond et al., International Journal of Refrigeration 10.1016/0140-7007(79)90087-2
The Increasing Frequency of Heat Wave–Extreme Rainfall Whiplash Events across Australia, Neild et al., Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-25-0440.1
Warming transforms the western Arctic Ocean into a hub of drifting matter, Wang et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-026-74439-5
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Will 2024 be the first year that global temperature exceeds 1.5°C?, Atmospheric Science Letters, 10.1002/asl.1254 27 cites.
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Instrumentation & observational methods of climate change, effects
Air temperature in fringe habitats: performance of climate reanalysis on Atlantic Patagonian rocky shores, Robert et al., Marine Environmental Research 10.1016/j.marenvres.2026.108189
Approaches, challenges and applications of climate change impact attribution, Undorf et al., Bristol Research (University of Bristol) pmh:oai:research-information.bris.ac.uk:openaire_cris_publications/b0a073c5-3bd5-4609-94f5-21c5f3470efa
Evaluation of scale-free climate data in comparison to widely used gridded data, Jiang et al., Frontiers in Climate Open Access 10.3389/fclim.2026.1783859
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Shifts in bioclimatic zones mirror climate change signals in a tropical agriculture?dominated Bharathapuzha River basin of southern Western Ghats (India), International Journal of Climatology, 10.1002/joc.8535 1 citation.
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Modeling, simulation & projection of climate change, effects
Analysis of the observed and projected changes in rainfall and temperature under climate change scenarios in Bale Mountains National Park, South Eastern Ethiopia, Tiye et al., Scientific Reports Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41598-026-57492-4
Projected Changes in Both Mean Climate and Climate Variability Drive Substantial Increases in Extreme Fire Weather in the Western United States, Touma & Deser, Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-25-0077.1
Projected climate regime shifts in the Asi Basin, Türkiye, under SSP climate scenarios: implications of temperature and precipitation changes, Çetin et al., Acta Geophysica 10.1007/s11600-026-01932-2
Reduced Distinctiveness of Extreme El Niño Teleconnections in Warmer Climates, Beniche et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2025gl121189
Robustness and uncertainty in drought trend projections across dryland and non-dryland regions under greenhouse warming, Li et al., Weather and Climate Extremes Open Access 10.1016/j.wace.2026.100924
Tracking Summer Greenland Blocking: The Upstream Pathway Shapes Historical Extremes and Future Change, Filippucci et al., International Journal of Climatology Open Access 10.1002/joc.70472
Understanding the Spread in Climate Feedbacks and Polar Amplification Using Coordinated Multimodel Experiments and CMIP6, Linke et al., Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-25-0551.1
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Permafrost Cloud Feedback May Amplify Climate Change, Geophysical Research Letters, 10.1029/2024gl109034 7 cites.
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Advancement of climate & climate effects modeling, simulation & projection
An Improved Approach for Evaluating Ocean and Climate Model Errors in Mean Dynamic Sea Level, Zhao et al., Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology 10.1175/jtech-d-25-0086.1
Constraining near-term projections of the South Asian high and Afro-Asian summer monsoon rainfall, Zhang et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-026-74510-1
Correcting Underestimated Internal Variability Fails to Reconcile Models With Observed Pacific SST Gradient Strengthening, Planton et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access pdf 10.1029/2025gl120001
Data-driven global ocean model resolving atmospherically forced ocean dynamics, Kim et al., Science Advances Open Access 10.1126/sciadv.aed1225
Interactive Climate Projection via Conditional Generative AI, Sun et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2026gl123578
Setting the Standard: Recommended Practices for Data Preprocessing in Data-Driven Climate Prediction, Furtado et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 10.1175/bams-d-24-0292.1
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Opinion: Optimizing climate models with process knowledge, resolution, and artificial intelligence, Atmospheric chemistry and physics, 10.5194/acp-24-7041-2024 40 cites.
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Cryosphere & climate change
Boreal Futures: Projecting Permafrost Dynamics, Wildfire, and Vegetation Shifts in Interior Alaska, Abreu?Vigil et al., Journal of Geophysical Research Biogeosciences 10.1029/2026jg009772
Greek mountain snow cover halved in past four decades due to regional warming, Alexopoulos et al., Apollo (University of Cambridge) Open Access pmh:oai:www.repository.cam.ac.uk:1810/400906
Rapid rebound hides glacier mass loss from satellite observations in Alaska and Iceland, Sasgen et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-026-03738-y
Stochastic resilience of Arctic sea ice: a framework bridging theory and observation, Yi et al., npj Climate and Atmospheric Science Open Access 10.1038/s41612-026-01455-z
The Role of Climate in Changes in the Snow Line Altitude on Four Spitsbergen Glaciers, Paw?owski et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 10.1175/bams-d-24-0340.1
Thinning-induced glacier deceleration in the Zanskar Himalayas, Ghosh et al., cryosphere Open Access 10.5194/tc-20-3415-2026
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Past and future of the Arctic sea ice in High-Resolution Model Intercomparison Project (HighResMIP) climate models, cryosphere, 10.5194/tc-18-2739-2024 15 cites.
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Sea level & climate change
Biomarkers reveal vulnerability of plant and microbial carbon to sea-level rise in estuarine wetlands, Yu et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access 10.1038/s43247-026-03741-3
Human-caused sea level rise drives 21st-century worldwide water level extremes, Gilford et al., Science Advances Open Access 10.1126/sciadv.adz3595
Human-driven sea-level rise has quadrupled the frequency of coastal sea-level extremes since 1900, Dangendorf, Nature Climate Change 10.5281/zenodo.19698144
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Understanding Full-Depth Steric Sea Level Change in the Southwest Pacific Basin Using Deep Argo, Geophysical Research Letters, 10.1029/2023gl107844 3 cites.
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Paleoclimate & paleogeochemistry
Co-ordinated shifts in deep-water formation and Gulf Stream migration during abrupt climate changes, Zhu et al., Nature Communications Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-026-73832-4
Deglacial Permafrost Organic Carbon Delivery at the Northern Svalbard Continental Margin: Insights From Tetraether Lipids and Plant Biomarkers, Sabino et al., Journal of Geophysical Research Biogeosciences Open Access 10.1029/2025jg009074
Process-based evaluation of Eastern Mediterranean heatwave development in the CMIP6 models, KLIF et al., Weather and Climate Extremes Open Access 10.1016/j.wace.2026.100918
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Sensitivity of ocean circulation to warming during the Early Eocene greenhouse, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 10.1073/pnas.2311980121 4 cites.
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Biology & climate change, related geochemistry
An early warning system to forecast biodiversity risks of extreme temperatures, [authors did not process], Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-026-02641-w
Analysis of grassland phenology dynamics and response to seasonal scale climate, topography in China based on geodetector for the period 2001 to 2019, Gong et al., Frontiers in Environmental Science Open Access pdf 10.3389/fenvs.2026.1771178
Boreal Futures: Projecting Permafrost Dynamics, Wildfire, and Vegetation Shifts in Interior Alaska, Abreu?Vigil et al., Journal of Geophysical Research Biogeosciences 10.1029/2026jg009772
Compound climate events threaten tropical semi-enclosed marine ecosystems, Plagányi et al., Science 10.1126/science.adv0367
Divergent vegetation responses to recent warming and abrupt permafrost thaw across the Qinghai?Tibet Plateau during 2000?2023, Jiang et al., Advances in Climate Change Research Open Access 10.1016/j.accre.2026.06.002
Editorial: Water-related ecosystems in drylands: water dynamics, carbon storage and resilience to climate change and human actions, Diouf et al., Frontiers in Environmental Science Open Access pdf 10.3389/fenvs.2026.1874312
Machine Learning and Geospatial Modeling of Climate Change Impacts on Ethiopian Honeybees for Conservation and Resilient Agriculture, Tulu et al., Ecology and Evolution Open Access 10.1002/ece3.73842
Mapping Priority Havens: Interactive Effects of Climate Change and Predator Dynamics on Sea Turtle Nesting Patterns, Tong et al., Diversity and Distributions Open Access 10.1111/ddi.70207
Mathematical analysis of integrodifference equations for host–parasitoid systems with climate-driven range shifts, Marcinko, Theoretical Ecology 10.1007/s12080-025-00630-x
Past legacies and future trajectories: climatic refugia, range shifts, and conservation gaps for the endangered Oglethorpe oak (Quercus oglethorpensis), Subedi et al., Frontiers in Forests and Global Change Open Access pdf 10.3389/ffgc.2026.1702966
Predicting Potential Distribution of the Acanthopanax Sessiliflorus in China Under Future Climate Scenarios Based the Optimized Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) Model, Nan et al., Ecology and Evolution Open Access 10.1002/ece3.73830
Relative Sea-Level Change, Tidal Evolution and Energy Dissipation Across the Patagonian Shelf Since the Last Glacial Maximum, Ward et al., Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology Open Access 10.1029/2025pa005384
Sea ice loss drives a regime shift in Arctic Ocean nitrogen biogeochemistry, Santos-Garcia et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-026-03569-x
Simulated Impacts of the 2023 Megadrought on Black Spruce Potential Productivity Across Canada, Soubeyrand et al., Journal of Geophysical Research Biogeosciences Open Access 10.1029/2025jg009445
The Amazon can be saved — with concerted action inside and outside Brazil, [authors did not process], Nature Open Access pdf 10.1038/d41586-026-01824-x
Ubiquitous and expanding glacier algal blooms modelled around the Greenland Ice Sheet, Williamson & Tedstone, Communications Earth & Environment Open Access 10.1038/s43247-026-03758-8
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Human Impacts Dominate Global Loss of Lake Ecosystem Resilience, Geophysical Research Letters, 10.1029/2024gl109298 37 cites.
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GHG sources & sinks, flux, related geochemistry
A hybrid machine learning framework for land use carbon accounting: A case study of Tanzania, Johansen et al., PLOS Climate Open Access pdf 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000952
Biomarkers reveal vulnerability of plant and microbial carbon to sea-level rise in estuarine wetlands, Yu et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access 10.1038/s43247-026-03741-3
Catchment lithology controls net carbon balance along the Antarctic Peninsula, He et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-026-74667-9
Denitrification as the dominant process in nitrous oxide production in the water column of two eutrophic reservoirs, León?Palmero et al., Biogeosciences Open Access 10.5194/bg-23-3887-2026
Large CO2 seeps and hydrate field on the seafloor offshore Mayotte Island, Cathalot et al., Nature Geoscience Open Access 10.1038/s41561-026-02004-2
Legacy Effects of Extreme Heat Decreased Soil Microbial Carbon Use Efficiency, Yin et al., Global Change Biology 10.1111/gcb.70967
Strengthening carbon sinks in Tibetan Plateau alpine grasslands over the past four decades, Wang et al., Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 10.1016/j.agrformet.2026.111295
Ubiquitous local differentiation in effects of climate on growth of temperate trees: Implications for forest carbon under climate change, Canham et al., Journal of Ecology 10.1111/1365-2745.70365
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
A global surface CO 2 flux dataset (2015–2022) inferred from OCO-2 retrievals using the GONGGA inversion system, Earth system science data, 10.5194/essd-16-2857-2024 24 cites.
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CO2 capture, sequestration science & engineering
Human health effects of amine-based carbon capture and storage in the US electricity sector, McNeil et al., Nature Sustainability Open Access 10.1038/s41893-026-01869-w
Measuring what matters for carbon removal, Nawaz et al., Environmental Science & Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.envsci.2026.104417
Rock powder amendment in enhancing plant-mediated carbon sequestration, Enebe et al., Frontiers in Climate Open Access 10.3389/fclim.2026.1863945
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Recent advances in engineering fast-growing cyanobacterial species for enhanced CO2 fixation, Frontiers in Climate, 10.3389/fclim.2024.1412232 23 cites.
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Decarbonization
Assessing the Underwater Impact of Aerodynamic Noise From Offshore Wind Turbines, Botero-Bolívar et al., Wind Energy Open Access 10.1002/we.70133
Comfort colonialism, state and regulatory capture and capitalism preventing decarbonisation in the built environment, Roaf, Energy Research & Social Science Open Access 10.1016/j.erss.2026.104802
Communicating energy transition in the Global South: Local meanings, barriers, and strategies from local climate advocates, Wang, Energy Research & Social Science Open Access 10.1016/j.erss.2026.104753
Money matters in home decarbonization: How income and psychosocial factors shape residents’ decision-making and action in Cincinnati, Ohio, Trott & Smeyne, Energy Research & Social Science 10.1016/j.erss.2026.104764
Rooftop photovoltaic-powered electric vehicle charging for accelerated decarbonization, You et al., Nature Sustainability 10.1038/s41893-026-01854-3
Transition pathways to low-carbon energy by 2050 for the world’s coldest capital: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Battulga et al., Energy Policy 10.1016/j.enpol.2026.115418
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Rapidly declining costs of truck batteries and fuel cells enable large-scale road freight electrification, Nature Energy, 10.1038/s41560-024-01531-9 81 cites.
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Geoengineering climate
Deployment Strategy Shapes the Polar Climate Response to Marine Cloud Brightening, Emme et al., Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres Open Access 10.1029/2025jd046264
Ideological divides around solar radiation modification geoengineering, Davies, Energy Research & Social Science Open Access 10.1016/j.erss.2026.104807
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Radiative forcing geoengineering under high CO2 levels leads to higher risk of Arctic wildfires and permafrost thaw than a targeted mitigation scenario, Communications Earth & Environment, 10.1038/s43247-024-01329-3 8 cites.
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Aerosols
Observed impacts of aerosol regimes on energy and carbon fluxes in the Amazon forest, Rocha et al., Atmospheric chemistry and physics Open Access pdf 10.5194/acp-26-8051-2026
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Assessing aerosol-radiation interaction with WRF-chem-solar: Case study on the impact of the “pollution reduction and carbon reduction synergy” policy, Atmospheric Research, 10.1016/j.atmosres.2024.107537 8 cites.
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Climate change communications & cognition
Emotional reactions to climate change predict climate-friendly outcomes in 63 cross-country samples, Spampatti & Doell, Journal of Environmental Psychology 10.1016/j.jenvp.2026.103111
Matching Construal Levels in Climate Communication: The Interplay of Message Framing, Temporal Distance, and Emotion on Low-Carbon Intentions, Hu et al., Weather Climate and Society 10.1175/wcas-d-25-0122.1
Message Quality and Audience Characteristics Shape Evaluation and Impact of Real-World Social Media Climate Communication, Rahmani et al., OSF Preprints (OSF Preprints) pmh:oai:share.osf.io:6fe31a76-73a7-4be5-8d0e-6048b9f7130d
Message Quality and Audience Characteristics Shape Evaluation and Impact of Real-World Social Media Climate Communication, Rahmani et al., OSF Preprints (OSF Preprints) pmh:oai:share.osf.io:6fe31a76-73a7-4be5-8d0e-6048b9f7130d
Misinformation and public support across renewable energy technologies in the United States, Ermarth & Chang, Energy Research & Social Science Open Access 10.1016/j.erss.2026.104783
Quantifying the impact of Skeptical Science rebuttals in reducing climate misperceptions, Cook et al., Geoscience Communication Open Access 10.5194/gc-9-145-2026
The impact of fear appeals on individuals’ climate change attitudes and behaviors: A meta-analysis, Conteh & Miller, Journal of Environmental Psychology 10.1016/j.jenvp.2026.103110
Two Faces of Hope: When Wishing Matters More Than Expecting in Climate Action, Elzafan et al., Journal of Environmental Psychology 10.1016/j.jenvp.2026.103117
“If we don’t make the right choice, we bleed”: local media as a resource for climate literacy, Roos, Frontiers in Climate Open Access pdf 10.3389/fclim.2026.1796253
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Potentials and challenges of artificial intelligence-supported greenwashing detection in the energy sector, Energy Research & Social Science, 10.1016/j.erss.2024.103638 29 cites.
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Agronomy, animal husbundry, food production & climate change
Assessing the net climate benefits of improved grazing intensity in global rangelands, Powell et al., Science 10.1126/science.adz4320
Asymmetric intensification increases global disparities in cropland use and emissions, Bai et al., Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-026-02666-1
Excess Rainfall Threatens Monsoon Crop Yield Stability Under Climate Change, Maiti et al., Earth s Future Open Access 10.1029/2025ef007801
Farmer awareness, knowledge and understanding: a multi-level assessment of adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices among smallholder farmers, Ogutu & Cavane, Frontiers in Climate Open Access 10.3389/fclim.2026.1846364
Integrated assessment of hydroclimatic, agricultural, and land-use dynamics under climate change in a semi-arid volcanic plateau: the case of Siverek, Türkiye, Yetmen et al., Frontiers in Environmental Science Open Access pdf 10.3389/fenvs.2026.1826712
Quantifying farmed kelp atmospheric CO2 uptake and release through localized air-sea flux measurements in the Northern Gulf of Alaska, Haag et al., Utrecht University Repository (Utrecht University) Open Access pmh:oai:dspace.library.uu.nl:1874/485776
The 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans are associated with higher land, water and nitrogen use, and greenhouse gas emissions, Shepon et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 10.1073/pnas.2604814123
The net greenhouse gas balance of an intensively managed forage crop in the Lower Fraser Valley in British Columbia, Canada, Pow et al., Agricultural and Forest Meteorology Open Access 10.1016/j.agrformet.2026.111285
Tree Harvest Decisions Modulate the Climate Impact of Rewetting in a Low-Productive Peatland Forest in Boreal Sweden, Järveoja et al., Global Change Biology Open Access 10.1111/gcb.70946
Variations in methane emissions from dairy cows: associations with rumen microbial synergy and metabolic pathway divergence, Jia et al., Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology/Journal of animal science and biotechnology Open Access pdf 10.1186/s40104-026-01432-9
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices (CSAPs) in Ethiopia, Climate Risk Management, 10.1016/j.crm.2024.100628 22 cites.
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Hydrology, hydrometeorology & climate change
Changes in glacial lakes and associated risks in the China?Nepal Himalayas, Wu et al., Advances in Climate Change Research Open Access 10.1016/j.accre.2026.06.001
Driven by climate change, sudden swings between wet and dry create “hydrologic whiplash”, McDermott, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 10.1073/pnas.2617960123
Forest Impacts on Peak Runoff Revealed by Accounting for the Effects of Climate, Liu et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2025gl121139
Spring greening amplifies the risk of summer drought propagation across Northern Hemisphere ecosystems, Li et al., Global and Planetary Change 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2026.105550
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Past and future joint return period of precipitation extremes over South Asia and Southeast Asia, Global and Planetary Change, 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2024.104495 17 cites.
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Climate change economics
Unravelling the web of loss and damage: Cascading impacts and relational vulnerabilities in a changing climate, Mukherjee & Rowan, Climate Risk Management Open Access 10.1016/j.crm.2026.100833
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Substantial increase of heat-induced labor and economic loss in China under rapid economic and environmental temperature growth, Advances in Climate Change Research, 10.1016/j.accre.2024.06.006 15 cites.
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Climate change mitigation public policy research
Climate governance credibility and renewable energy transition in G20 nations: an institutional signalling perspective on NDC compliance and implementation gaps (2016–2024), LIU, Frontiers in Environmental Science Open Access pdf 10.3389/fenvs.2026.1834830
Editorial: Dynamics of land use and carbon emissions in the context of carbon neutrality and carbon peaking, volume II, Yang & Li, Frontiers in Environmental Science Open Access pdf 10.3389/fenvs.2026.1855468
Environmental international organizations in climate change governance: a systematic review of their contributions to SDGs 6–14, Islam et al., Frontiers in Environmental Science Open Access 10.3389/fenvs.2026.1778154
Integrating indirect greenhouse gases into climate frameworks, Ocko et al., Science 10.1126/science.aee5790
Stochastic convergence of emissions in the EU: Nonlinear dynamics, structural shifts, and implications for climate policy harmonization, Hasanl?, Energy Policy 10.1016/j.enpol.2026.115355
Warming-driven shifts in global building energy use reshape climate mitigation planning, Zhu et al., Nature Communications Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-026-74289-1
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Scaling renewable energy cooperatives for a net-zero Canada: Challenges and opportunities for accelerating the energy transition, Energy Research & Social Science, 10.1016/j.erss.2024.103618 32 cites.
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Climate change adaptation & adaptation public policy research
Building user-driven climate adaptation products, Chaudhry et al., Nature 10.1038/s41586-026-10555-y
Climate Change and Labor in a Globalized World: Mitigation, Adaptation, Vulnerability, Parsons, Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews Climate Change Open Access 10.1002/wcc.70065
Community-Led Adaptation, Weather Extremes, and Health and Wellbeing, Chavez et al., Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews Climate Change Open Access 10.1002/wcc.70075
Connecting maps to actions: field investigation of heat vulnerability and community governance for climate adaptation in Guangzhou, China, Chen et al., Climate Risk Management Open Access 10.1016/j.crm.2026.100836
Epistemic justice in climate adaptation: How worldviews shape measures of success in the Blue Pacific, Gero, Environmental Science & Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.envsci.2026.104419
Public willingness to pay for coastal protection infrastructure: Benefit-cost trade-offs, risk attitudes and spatial proximity, Trinh et al., Climate Risk Management Open Access 10.1016/j.crm.2026.100839
Selecting representative climate models for climate change impact studies: case study of the Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima, Morocco, Qacami et al., Frontiers in Climate Open Access 10.3389/fclim.2026.1743573
The human factor: A holistic social model and method for assessing local climate change adaptation potential, Eise & Leggette, Climate Risk Management Open Access 10.1016/j.crm.2026.100842
Toward a climate-resilient desert, coastal city: High-resolution LCZ–WRF modeling of transformative urban greening scenarios, Fountoukis et al., Urban Climate Open Access 10.1016/j.uclim.2026.102933
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Applying recent advances in climate adaptation research to urban heat risk management, Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews Climate Change, 10.1002/wcc.901 11 cites.
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Climate change impacts on human health
Five years of Greener NHS: improved carbon footprint assessment of the National Health Service in England, Simpson et al., The Lancet Planetary Health Open Access 10.1016/j.lanplh.2026.101464
Health integration in national climate adaptation policies from 198 countries: a global policy analysis, Morneau et al., The Lancet Planetary Health Open Access 10.1016/j.lanplh.2026.101466
Increased mortality risks of winter temperature flips: A growing concern in aging society of subtropical climate regions, Wang et al., PLOS Climate Open Access pdf 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000859
Protecting Health in Extreme Heat: Australian Willingness to Pay for Heat Early Warning Apps, Zander et al., Weather Climate and Society 10.1175/wcas-d-25-0183.1
Retrospective analysis of the trends in outdoor ambient temperature at Austrian rehabilitation facility sites from 1995 to 2024, Huber et al., Frontiers in Climate Open Access 10.3389/fclim.2026.1819421
Unified climate factors predict influenza outbreak seasonality across tropical and temperate regions, Stamper et al., PNAS Nexus Open Access 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgag160
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Climate and urbanization drive changes in the habitat suitability of Schistosoma mansoni competent snails in Brazil, Nature Communications, 10.1038/s41467-024-48335-9 20 cites.
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Climate change & geopolitics
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
A comparative review of methane policies of the United States and China in the context of US – China climate cooperation, Climate Policy, 10.1080/14693062.2024.2366902 7 cites.
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Climate change impacts on human culture
Tourism, aid, and climate change: a structural analysis of climate resilient development potential, Becken, Climate and Development 10.1080/17565529.2026.2668631
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Perspectives of nature-based tourism-dependent communities on climate change in the Okavango Delta, Botswana, International Journal of Biometeorology, 10.1007/s00484-024-02719-0 9 cites.
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Other
Decoding governance functions to navigate ocean-based climate action, Streit et al., npj Climate Action Open Access 10.1038/s44168-026-00400-3
Engineers at the crossroads: Ethical agency under carbon constraint in international oil companies, Fariss, Energy Research & Social Science Open Access 10.1016/j.erss.2026.104804
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Research trends of nature-based solutions: from urban to climate change, Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, 10.3389/ffgc.2024.1351189 12 cites.
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Informed opinion, nudges & major initiatives
Challenges and opportunities for understanding societal impacts of climate extremes, Messori et al., Earth System Dynamics Open Access pdf 10.5194/esd-17-199-2026
El Niño in a thermally saturated world, García-Soto, Nature 10.1038/d41586-026-01915-9
Footprints as externalities and displaced environmental loads: the US case, Lant et al., Frontiers in Environmental Science Open Access 10.3389/fenvs.2026.1822582
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
The use of decision making under deep uncertainty in the IPCC, Frontiers in Climate, 10.3389/fclim.2024.1380054 32 cites.
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Book reviews
Why people should work together to shape the economy, Mattei, Nature 10.1038/d41586-026-01889-8
Articles/Reports from Agencies and Non-Governmental Organizations Addressing Aspects of Climate Change
PNNL/ASHRAE/NEMA AI Data Center Energy Performance Framework Supporting essential infrastructure for the new AI economy, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Generative AI data centers require substantial computational power and cooling systems to maintain operating temperatures, contributing massive load growth to the power grid, especially as the demand for AI models and services grows. In response to this challenge, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, and National Electrical Manufacturers Association conducted an industry survey that revealed the need for collaboration, clear direction, standardization, ongoing engagement, knowledge sharing and education. To address these needs, the three organizations, in conjunction with several industry partners, created the AI Data Center Energy Performance Framework with the following objectives. Deliver a scalable framework for the efficient design, commissioning, retrofit, and operation of AI data centers. Enhance energy and water efficiency through adoption of advanced technologies and best practices. Support grid reliability and resilience by promoting load flexibility and grid-interactive operations. The framework presents guiding principles for building and operating energy-efficient AI data centers. With sections covering all stages of planning, design, construction, operation, and retrofit, this framework guides AI data center development toward optimized and energy-efficient performance. By doing this, the framework provides opportunities to lessen impacts on communities surrounding data center developments. What this framework does not do is establish mandatory requirements or supersede applicable codes and standards.
How Did We Get Here? Connecticut Powers New England, Peter Gunther and Fred Carstensen, cticut Center for Economic Analysis
The authors examined how Connecticut became the power generator of New England and what that has meant for the people who live here. The authors wanted to better understand the real costs behind the energy system and to help inform a more affordable, equitable, and sustainable path forward. Despite massive investments in natural gas infrastructure and power generation, Connecticut families and businesses have not seen affordability improvements. Natural gas prices remain vulnerable to global conflicts, severe weather, growing LNG exports, and rising energy demand from data centers. Much of the energy is exported out of state, while CT bears the cost of pollution, infrastructure and high electric rates. Nearly 65% of Connecticut residential electric bills now come from delivery and infrastructure charges. Connecticut shoulders the environmental costs while much of the economic benefit flows elsewhere.
Power Trends 2026. Annual state of the grid and markets report, New York Independent Operator, New York Independent Operato
The authors explore the issues shaping New York’s electric system as it undergoes a historic transformation driven by simultaneous changes in supply, demand, and infrastructure. The authors highlight increasing and more uncertain electricity demand, a changing generation mix, and a system that is more geographically dispersed, weather?dependent, and operationally complex. Maintaining reliability depends on disciplined planning, timely investment, and market structures that align investment with system needs and value operational performance during stressed conditions.
From Silence to Whisper: Climate Change in U.S. News Media, 1984–2025, Lee et al., OSF Preprints
News media shape public perceptions of issue importance, yet the position of climate change within the broader media landscape over time remains poorly understood. The authors conducted a large-scale content analysis of 6.4 million articles published by five major U.S. news outlets spanning 1984 to 2025. Using large language models (e.g., GPT-4o-mini), they classified each article across 16 news topics and identified climate change references. Over four decades, climate change comprised just 0.55% of all news coverage—one-thirty-sixth the attention devoted to sports and entertainment. Change-point detection identified two structural shifts that elevated baseline coverage: one in late 2006 and another in early 2021, coinciding with major political and cultural developments. Notably, once elevated, baseline coverage did not return to prior levels despite subsequent political shifts that introduced uncertainty around climate discourse. However, the integration of climate change across news domains remains highly uneven. Climate references are concentrated in environmental reporting while nearly absent from domains such as health and social justice—topics through which the public experiences climate impacts in daily life. Analysis of event-driven coverage revealed that international climate conferences (COP events) produced only transient spikes, while major hurricanes generated no detectable increase in climate reporting. These findings suggest that despite gradual progress, climate change has yet to achieve the cross-domain media presence commensurate with its significance as a societal challenge.
The authors address one of the defining challenges of our time: how to achieve healthy diets for all as climate change undermines food and health systems simultaneously. Globally, 2.6 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet, with the burden concentrated in low- and middle-income countries. Progress towards the global nutrition targets and Sustainable Development Goals 2 (zero hunger) and 3 (good health and well-being) remains off track. Undernutrition persists in many settings, while overweight, obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases are on the rise. Drawing on five commissioned thematic background research papers and an analysis of commitments registered in the Global Nutrition Report Nutrition Accountability Framework, the authors argue that the convergence of these challenges presents an opportunity. By being more intentional and explicit about the synergies and trade-offs that exist when operating across food, health and climate systems, which have until now often been acknowledged only implicitly, policymakers and programme implementers can drive more effective and accountable action.
2026 Global Nutrition Report, Ghosh et al., PATH
The authors address one of the defining challenges of our time: how to achieve healthy diets for all as climate change undermines food and health systems simultaneously. Globally, 2.6 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet, with the burden concentrated in low- and middle-income countries. Progress towards the global nutrition targets and Sustainable Development Goals 2 (zero hunger) and 3 (good health and well-being) remains off track. Undernutrition persists in many settings, while overweight, obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases are on the rise. Drawing on five commissioned thematic background research papers and an analysis of commitments registered in a nutrition accountability framework, the authors argue that the convergence of these challenges presents an opportunity. By being more intentional and explicit about the synergies and trade-offs that exist when operating across food, health and climate systems, which have until now often been acknowledged only implicitly, policymakers and programme implementers can drive more effective and accountable action.
Understanding the Climate Debt of Extreme Wealth, Greenpeace, Greenpeace Africa
A very small group of ultra-wealthy individuals is associated with disproportionate costs of climate harm, driven alarmingly by their ownership of and investments in high-emitting activities alongside their carbon-intensive lifestyles. The authors illustrates in U.S. dollars the sheer enormity of this climate responsibility and the huge concentration by the world’s ultra-wealthy, suggesting this should factor into the debate on ‘who should pay’ for the climate crisis. Climate debt is highly concentrated at the very top of the global wealth distribution. As wealth concentration increases, so too does the scale of associated climate debt. Ownership-based emissions – those linked to investment portfolios and capital holdings – are considerably more concentrated among the wealthiest groups than consumption-based emissions, highlighting the growing role of capital ownership and investment structures in driving highly unequal climate responsibility. Ownership-based climate responsibility and extreme wealth concentration are heavily concentrated among wealthy groups and some jurisdictions, while the countries facing the greatest climate vulnerability, climate damage, or climate finance needs are often located elsewhere.
Electric Asia. How Asia is leading the electric age, powering its rise and reshaping the global order, Walter et al., Ember
The authors examine the Electrotech Revolution in Asia, three groups of technologies transforming how the world generates, uses and moves electrons: renewable supply from solar and wind; electricity demand from electric vehicles to heat pumps; and connections from batteries to digitalization. They analyze the incentives driving the shift and the stakes for the region. The authors cover four sub-regions – Greater China, Southeast Asia, South Asia and Northeast Asia – and draw on Ember data for electricity generation, the International Energy Agency for final energy demand and UN Comtrade for trade flows
The 2026 Progress Report. Climate Risk Reporting in the U.S. Insurance Sector, de Medicci Bruneau et al., Ceres
Ceres’ fourth annual review of climate risk reporting reveals a paradox: most U.S. insurers disclose climate risks, but the quality of those disclosure remains uneven. This gap matters. As climate?related losses accelerate, insurers face mounting financial and operational risks—and without robust, comparable data, they cannot accurately price risk, align capital with exposure, or meet rising investor and regulatory expectations. The authors show that the industry has answered the question of whether to report. The challenge now is how to ensure disclosures are robust enough to strengthen underwriting, investment strategy, and long?term financial resilience.
A Multi-Stakeholder Approach for Urban Heat Resilience: Singapore’s Experience, Lee et al., Global Heat Health Information Network Southeast Asia Hub
The authors distil Singapore’s multi-stakeholder approach to urban heat resilience across six key dimensions including high-level political commitment providing the foundation for sustained investment in heat resilience infrastructure and research; multi-stakeholder engagement between government, researchers, industry and communities; whole-of-government coordination ensuring heat policies are managed holistically across the built environment, health, economic, and social sectors; science and research partnerships translating cutting-edge evidence into practical policy interventions; industry and employer collaboration safeguarding vulnerable workers while supporting productivity; and community empowerment enabling individuals to make informed, protective decisions during periods of high heat stress.
Too Hot to Ignore: Extreme Heat in Garment Supply Chains, Lucy Siers, Center for Business and Human Rights, Stern School of Business, New York University
The author gathered information through field research across across major garment-producing regions in India to show how extreme heat disrupts manufacturing in four key ways: it threatens worker health and safety; drives higher absenteeism; reduces productivity as workers slow their pace under physical strain; and undermines product quality through power outages, higher defect rates, and delivery delays. Brands and buyers need to formally recognize extreme heat as a supply chain hazard and an occupational health and safety risk; require suppliers to measure and report temperature and humidity data; establish enforceable heat policies with clear thresholds; adopt a shared responsibility approach in which the costs of climate adaptation are shared rather than absorbed by suppliers alone; and reform purchasing practices by incorporating contingency planning that allows flexibility when extreme heat disrupts production. Suppliers and manufacturers need to implement immediate protective measures for workers, adopt a staged approach to heat mitigation, and ensure workers have a meaningful voice in how heat risks are identified and managed. Protect wages during periods of reduced output due to extreme heat. Governments and regulators need to stablish binding workplace temperature thresholds and enforceable work-rest guidance, extend heat action plans to cover industrial workplaces, and formally recognize heat stress as an occupational illness within social protection frameworks.
Ennallistamisen ja maanpuolustukseen yhteistavoitteita (Restoration and national defence common goals), Government of Finland
Soiden ennallistamisella on maanpuolustuksellista merkitystä itäisessä ja pohjoisessa Suomessa. Näillä alueilla suopinta-alaa, joka hyödyttäisi maanpuolustusta, arvioidaan olevan vähintään 180 000 hehtaaria. (The restoration of peatlands is of national defence significance in the east and north In Finland. In these areas, the peatland area that would benefit national defence is assessed at least 180,000 hectares.
Climate Change in the Indian Mind, Winter 2025/2026, Leiserowitz et al., Yale University
82% of people in India favor banning the construction of new coal power plants, closing existing ones, and replacing them with solar and wind energy. 77% of Indians think that solar is a clean source of electricity, and most also think that wind (64%), and hydroelectric dams (56%) are clean. By contrast, majorities say that oil (76%), coal (68%), and nuclear (57%) are polluting sources of electricity. Opinions are split on whether natural gas is clean or polluting (45% clean, 45% polluting). 36% of Indians say they have “never heard of” global warming. However, when given a short definition, 84% of Indians say global warming is happening. Only 15% of Indians have an air conditioner in their household, although 27% say their household has an air cooler.
Children’s Climate Risk Report 2026, United Nations Children’s Fund
The authors document the staggering number of children already exposed to climate-related hazards globally. The scale of this exposure underscores the urgency of the crisis. Almost all children are now exposed to at least one of the following climate hazards; riverine floods; coastal floods; droughts; tropical storms; heatwaves; extreme heat; fires; and sand and dust storms. The effect on children’s physical and mental health and wellbeing and their access to education and protection is huge, yet barely quantified. Children are disproportionately affected by the consequences of climate hazards, as their developing bodies make it harder for them to cope with the physical and psychological stresses. They also increasingly experience displacement and instability in the wake of climate shocks, further worsening their vulnerabilities. But while the climate crisis is a global phenomenon, its effects are not felt equally. Children are not a homogeneous group. They are affected in different ways and to varying degrees depending on their age, gender, disability and ethnicity, including Indigenous identity. Some children are far more exposed than others due to limited access to essential social services because of their location or socio-economic status. This leads to overlapping vulnerabilities.
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