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The risk of flooding in the Netherlands could more than double by the 2040s, but the issue of who should pay for losses is an open question. Analysis reveals that private insurance could bear some — but not all — of the burden.
The abundance of some persistent organic pollutants has decreased in the Arctic atmosphere over recent years. But observations and model simulations confirm that warming is now remobilizing these toxic chemicals from sinks such as ice and sea water.
Managed relocation, whereby species are moved to a more suitable habitat, has been proposed as a means of combating negative climate-change impacts on biodiversity. A quantitative decision framework to evaluate the optimal timing of relocation shows that in some cases, such as when population size is small, haste is ill advised.
The abundance of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the Arctic atmosphere has decreased over recent decades owing to international restrictions and regulations. However, an analysis confirms that warming is remobilizing POPs into the atmosphere from sinks such as snow and ice, a process that will increase the risk of exposure to these toxic chemicals.
The hydrological cycle is ultimately driven by solar energy, so it is not surprising that energy constraints affect the response of rainfall to climate change at a global level. Now analysis shows that the regional response of rainfall to greenhouse-gas-driven warming can also be understood from an energetic perspective.
As another Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report is mired in controversy, it's time for the influential body to uphold its own neutrality standards.
Climate impacts on agriculture are highly uncertain, leading some to question the validity of projected future crop yields. An analysis of West African agriculture shows that meaningful conclusions can be drawn from diverse crop–climate modelling results.
Climate change has reached the level of a 'scientific consensus', but is not yet a 'social consensus'. New analysis highlights that a growing divide between liberals and conservatives in the American public is a major obstacle to achieving this end.
Early warning of the Earth's tipping points will bring us closer to staving off abrupt climate change, but a societal tipping point is needed to achieve sustainability.
The causes of the severe drought in the Sahel in the 1970s and 1980s are uncertain. Now a study provides the firmest evidence so far that emissions of aerosols from industrialized countries played a significant role, but other forcings cannot be ruled out yet.
