By Matthew L. Druckenmiller, University of Colorado Boulder; Rick Thoman, University of Alaska Fairbanks; and Twila Moon, University of Colorado Boulder | – In the Arctic, the freedom to travel, hunt and make day-to-day decisions is profoundly tied to cold and frozen conditions for much of the year. These conditions are rapidly changing as the […]
Where the Climate Target of 1.5°C (2.7°F) Came from, and Why we must not Lose Sight of its Importance
By Piers Forster, University of Leeds | – The US economist William Nordhaus claimed as early as the 1970s, when scientific understanding of climate change was still taking shape, that warming of more than 2°C would “push global conditions past any point that any human civilisation had experienced”. By 1990, scientists had also weighed in: […]
Iran: dissent by public figures has amplified the protest across the country – and the world
By Roja Fazaeli, Trinity College Dublin | – Iran’s Islamic Republic continues to violently suppress ongoing pro-democracy protests, which broke out in September in response to the killing of a young woman who had been arrested for not wearing a proper head covering. According to the NGO Iran Human Rights at least 458 protesters have […]
Why Istanbul’s mayor was sentenced to jail – and what it means for Turkey’s 2023 presidential race
By Ahmet T. Kuru, San Diego State University | – A Turkish court’s decision on Dec. 14, 2022, to jail Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu for two years and seven months for insulting public officials hung on comments he made three years ago. But its impact will be felt on an event taking place in a […]
Record low water levels on the Mississippi River in 2022 show how climate change is altering large rivers
By Ray Lombardi, University of Memphis; Angela Antipova, University of Memphis; and Dorian J. Burnette, University of Memphis | – Rivers are critical corridors that connect cities and ecosystems alike. When drought develops, water levels fall, making river navigation harder and more expensive. In 2022, water levels in some of the world’s largest rivers, including […]
Iranian Protesters turn to TikTok to get their Message past Government Censors
By Whitney Shylee May, The University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts | – Images of the protests that followed the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Zhina Amini on Sept. 16, 2022, in Iran and reports of the government’s brutal crackdown have circulated widely on social media. This flow of information comes despite efforts […]
One Third of the Food Americans Buy is Wasted, Hurting the Climate and Consumers’ Wallets
By Brian E. Roe, The Ohio State University | – You saw it at Thanksgiving, and you’ll likely see it at your next holiday feast: piles of unwanted food – unfinished second helpings, underwhelming kitchen experiments and the like – all dressed up with no place to go, except the back of the refrigerator. With […]
What are Iran’s morality Police? A Scholar of the Middle East explains their History
By Pardis Mahdavi, The University of Montana | – Until recently, most people outside of Iran had never heard of the country’s morality police, let alone followed their wider role in the region. But on Sept. 16, 2022, the death of Jina Mahsa Amini sparked widespread protests in the streets of Iran and elsewhere that […]
Many Forests will become highly Flammable for at least 30 extra Days per Year unless we cut Emissions
By Hamish Clarke, The University of Melbourne; Anne Griebel, Western Sydney University; Matthias Boer, Western Sydney University; Rachael Helene Nolan, Western Sydney University, and Víctor Resco de Dios, Universitat de Lleida | – Without strong climate action, forests on every continent will be highly flammable for at least 30 extra days per year by the […]