Words matter — naming things increases awareness and understanding — Not long ago talking about climate change was relatively simple — how hot will it get, and how soon. However, disasters in recent years have introduced a growing number of terms such as polar vortex and tipping point in addition to conversations about record highs and lows. New words describing…

A border adjustment will tax carbon intensive imports — A new EU tax on some of the most carbon intensive traded goods may address one of the greatest barriers to reducing global greenhouse gas emissions: the absence of near-term commitments from the largest, most rapidly growing developing nations. While the EU, US, and most industrialized nations have goals to…

Exceeding the 1.5C degree limit on warming now seems inevitable — The major failure of COP27, the recent international climate negotiations, was the absence of any new commitments to limit warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. The source of this target, and the significance of failing to achieve it, is the subject of this blog. What makes the 1.5C target so…

Will rich countries compensate poor developing countries for climate disasters? — For the first time in the history of the international climate negotiations, the agenda at COP27 in Egypt includes discussion of provision to fund developing countries for “loss and damage” — compensation for the residual impacts of climate change which mitigation and adaptation efforts are insufficient to prevent or alleviate…

Industry support and trade requirements made the difference At a time of so many dramatic climate disasters, the recent bi-partisan Senate approval of a climate treaty, the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, received much less attention than it deserves. On September 21st, by a vote of 69–21, the U.S…

As the likelihood of such events increases, preparing for the future is critical — Every informed American was no doubt horrified by the images and consequences of Hurricane Ian. Media reports understandably focused on some of the gruesome details; exactly where the storm hit, the maximum wind speed (150 MPH), how much rain fell (over 15 inches in places), and the maximum height of…

Potentially catastrophic tipping points may be much closer than we thought Scientific reports describing the dangers of climate change are now so frequent that unless you track the relevant journals carefully it’s easy to miss something really significant. …

A small country so far experiencing modest climate impacts, in many respects a leader in climate action — Based on a two-week visit this summer, I can attest there are many reasons to visit Iceland. For starters, the many spectacular waterfalls, glaciers, geysers, the northern lights (visible in darker months), and as recent events have shown, active volcanoes. As the world warms, the country’s cool climate may add…

And we’re only beginning to appreciate all the consequences — Extreme temperatures — highs above 100 and as much as 120 degrees or more — are occurring with increasing intensity, frequency, and duration due to climate change. Cooling off at night is also becoming less possible as average overnight lows in the U.S. hit their highest level in recorded history…