Climate Monitoring and El Niño Risks Intensify; Institutional Capture; New Tools and Diplomacy
Key Questions
What is a super El Niño and how is it affecting the climate?
A super El Niño event is intensifying with accelerating feedback loops, declining albedo, and new cloud dynamics. It is contributing to record ocean heat and extreme weather patterns globally.
What were the impacts of Europe's recent heatwave?
Europe's heatwave caused over 1,300 deaths and wildfires that burned 42,000 acres. Attribution studies increasingly link such events directly to climate change.
What institutional changes are occurring around climate policy?
Patterns of institutional capture include the dismantling of the OOI and appointment of climate critics to key roles. Some institutions have resisted these shifts through legal rulings.
How is the EU extending its emissions trading system to aviation?
The EU is extending its ETS to international flights with carve-outs for the US and China, effective from a July 17 decision. CORSIA remains a climate deal unlikely to be affected by US policy shifts.
What new tools are available for localized climate projections?
Berkeley Earth has launched a platform offering localized climate projections for over 40,000 sites. It is partnering with C40 Cities to address cooling demand in urban areas.
What does the NASEM report say about attribution science?
The NASEM report advances tools for linking compound extreme events to climate change. It moves beyond basic attribution to more nuanced analysis of complex weather impacts.
How might climate change affect suicide mortality rates?
New research projects a rise in climate-driven suicide mortality globally by the 2050s. This underscores broader mental health risks from rising temperatures beyond direct physical impacts.
What risks does extending CBAM to downstream products pose?
Extending the EU's CBAM to downstream products could undermine its credibility as a climate policy tool. Officials are set to discuss this amid concerns over protectionism and effectiveness.
Super El Niño with accelerating feedback loops, declining albedo, new cloud feedback loops. Ocean heat record; Europe heatwave with 1,300+ deaths; wildfires burn 42,000 acres. OOI dismantled. Bonn Climate Conference gridlock. Global emissions hit record. New attribution studies link extreme weather to climate change, but a nuanced analysis critiques oversimplified narratives. Compound events amplify PM2.5, Amazon plant loss, ocean acidification shrinks squid brains, climate change primary driver. Climate change threatens crop nutrition via reduced micronutrients. Species adaptation examples. Pattern of institutional capture: Trump fires election watchdogs, appoints climate critic to lead climate assessment, UN agencies drop 'climate change' language. Institutional resistance: legal ruling against Trump's IRS settlement. New study on social behavior shows peer pressure can accelerate or stall climate action. Global plastics regulation interview highlights stalled treaty process and health costs. New Berkeley Earth platform offers localized climate projections for 40,000+ sites, partnering with C40 Cities on cooling demand. Climate-health lessons from South/Southeast Asia show concrete governance challenges. CORSIA remains the one climate deal Trump won't touch; EU extends ETS to international flights with carve-outs for US/China (July 17 decision); CBAM extension risks protectionism. New NASEM report advances attribution science tools for compound extremes; new study projects climate-driven suicide mortality rise globally by 2050s.