Climate Change

By Doug Specht, University of Westminster (The Conversation) – October to April is normally considered to be the wet season in California, yet this January, the region is experiencing some of the most devastating fires it’s ever seen. As of January 10, five major fires in and around Los Angeles have burned over 29,053 acres, […]

Climate Crisis

As Los Angeles combusts, 2024 is declared Earth’s Hottest on Record

The Conversation

By Andrew King, The University of Melbourne and David Karoly, The University of Melbourne (The Conversation) – The year 2024 was the world’s warmest on record globally, and the first calendar year in which global temperatures exceeded 1.5°C above its pre-industrial levels. The official declaration was made on Friday by the Copernicus Climate Change Service, […]

Climate Crisis

Yes, Human-Caused Climate Change Contributed to the Burning of Los Angeles

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Los Angeles wildfires destroyed over 1,000 buildings, forced thousands from their homes, and left at least five dead as of this writing. The Pacific Palisades fires destroyed many historic structures, including the home of legendary comedian and actor Will Rogers (d. 1935). Reading some of his quotes, I conclude […]

Climate Crisis

In a Time of Oligarchy, a New People’s (Women’s) March for a Green New Deal

H. Patricia Hynes

Greenfield, Mass. (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – Pick up any US liberal newspaper today and there are reams of columns speculating on the fate of our country. What will happen and how quickly to our country with Trump as president and a cabinet of billionaires as they destroy an already shredded social safety net? […]

Climate Crisis

The Worst News from 2024: CO2 Went up again, as Tundra starts to Emit Carbon

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The wars in Ukraine, Gaza, Israel, Lebanon, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo made 2024 a hard year to bear for anyone following them, and unfortunately it was all too easy to spend the year doomscrolling through the horrid video feeds that testified to humanity’s inhumanity. The fate […]

Climate Crisis

In 2025, let’s make it Game On – not Game Over – for our precious natural World

The Conversation

By Darcy Watchorn, Deakin University and Marissa Parrott, The University of Melbourne It’s just past midnight in the cool, ancient forests of Tasmania. We’ve spent a long day and night surveying endangered Tasmanian devils. All around, small animals scurry through bushes. A devil calls in the darkness. Microbats swoop and swirl as a spotted-tailed quoll […]

Climate Crisis

Climate Change is making Plants less Nutritious − that could already be hurting Animals that are Grazers

The Conversation

By Ellen Welti, Smithsonian Institution (The Conversation) -More than one-third of all animals on Earth, from beetles to cows to elephants, depend on plant-based diets. Plants are a low-calorie food source, so it can be challenging for animals to consume enough energy to meet their needs. Now climate change is reducing the nutritional value of […]

Climate Crisis

Climate, Migration and Conflict mix to create ‘deadly’ intense Tropical Storms like Chido

The Conversation

By Liz Stephens, University of Reading; Dan Green, University of Bristol, and Luis Artur, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (The Conversation) – Cyclone Chido was an “intense tropical cyclone”, equivalent to a category 4 hurricane in the Atlantic. It made landfall in Mayotte, a small island lying to the north-west of Madagascar on December 14, generating wind […]

Climate Crisis

Scientists: Cyclone Chido, which Devastated Indian Ocean Island of Mayotte, was 40% more likely to be a Cat 4 because of Climate Change

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Cyclone Chido devastated the Indian Ocean island of Mayotte, destroying an estimated 20,000 homes and wiping out entire shantytown neighborhoods. The island has about 65,000 households, so a third may be flattened. Godzilla-sized waves measured as high as 22 feet. About half the population still lacks electricity, and ironically water […]