Union of Concerned Scientists

FEBRUARY 10, 2025

The future trajectories are based on different scenarios, such as versions of the future where the world comes together to take action and phase out fossil fuels, or versions where fossil fuel production continues throughout this century.

Sea Level 252

Sea Level Carbon Dioxide Fossil Fuels Ocean 252

Legal Planet

JANUARY 9, 2025

Swain and the other authors note that previous research has focused solely on the precipitation side of the equation rather than the full bloom-and-burn cycle driven not just by lack of rain but by an increasingly thirsty atmosphere evaporating moisture out of plants and soil. But e xtreme weather is already the context.

Climate Change 317

Climate Change Climate Scientist Fossil Fuels Atmosphere 317

Union of Concerned Scientists

JANUARY 24, 2023

Utilities and grid operators prepared for the storm as it was coming down the pike, but they still underestimated the energy demand it would trigger, as well as the number of outages at fossil fuel power plants—mainly natural gas-fired, plus some coal-fired plants.

Fossil Fuels 257

Fossil Fuels 2014 Climate Change Electricity 257

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 19, 2025

Climate models are the main tool climate scientists use to predict how Earth will respond to more heat-trapping pollutants in the atmosphere. Just by looking at the name, you can see that a GCM is a model that simulates the circulation of Earths different physical systems like the atmosphere and ocean. What causes a circulation?

Atmosphere 163

Atmosphere Ocean Radiation Climate Scientist 163

Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 16, 2023

But this new study from my colleagues working on climate change and fossil fuel accountability couldn’t be ignored. In short, the study concludes that fossil fuel companies are in part to blame for the extraordinary damages resulting from western wildfires (including those sparked by utilities). That equates to 19.8

Fossil Fuels 220

Fossil Fuels Climate Change Electricity Regulations 220

Union of Concerned Scientists

OCTOBER 15, 2024

The second perspective we offer in our new analysis comes from pulling back the lens to take into account not just carbon at the smokestack, but also the carbon from other steps in the process, as well as other gases that also trap heat when thrown up into the atmosphere. And we don’t need to have all the answers to make a difference.

Renewable Energy 292

Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels Electricity Nitrogen Oxides 292

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 12, 2025

Climate models are the main tool scientists use to assess how much the Earths temperature will change given an increase in fossil fuel pollutants in the atmosphere. The atmosphere around us is an invisible fluid (at least to the human eye): we can apply math to that fluid to predict how it will look in the future.

Atmosphere 143

Atmosphere Climate Scientist Ocean Fossil Fuels 143

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 17, 2025

Four RCP scenarios describe different levels of radiative forcing in the atmosphere by 2100. Radiative forcing is the change in energy balance in the Earths atmosphere due to heat trapping emissions. SSP5: Taking the highway A scenario driven by economic growth and high fossil fuel use, leading to rapid warming.

Radiation 157

Radiation Sea Level Climate Change Fossil Fuels 157

New Scientist

JANUARY 16, 2025

Wildfires and fossil fuel burning in 2024 contributed to the biggest annual rise in atmospheric CO2 levels ever recorded at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii

Atmosphere 145

Atmosphere Fossil Fuels 2024 145

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 20, 2023

Compared to carbon dioxide (CO2), methane doesn’t linger for long in the atmosphere after being emitted. New science has shown that the largest fossil fuel, dairy, and waste methane super-emitters contribute a sizeable fraction of the total methane emissions in the regions the study authors monitored.

Fossil Fuels 310

Fossil Fuels Paris Agreement Climate Change 2030 310

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 16, 2022

Union of Concerned Scientists’ (UCS) research shows that top fossil fuel producers’ emissions are responsible for as much as half of global surface temperature increase. of the observed rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide and 52 percent of the rise in global average temperatures between 1880 and 2015.

Fossil Fuels 322

Fossil Fuels Paris Agreement Renewable Energy Carbon Dioxide 322

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 15, 2022

Although methane doesn’t linger very long in the atmosphere, increasing methane levels are particularly bad news because it packs a big punch. But its short lifetime in the atmosphere is also a reason for hope. Methane emissions come from two main sources : fossil fuels and agriculture—primarily animal-based agriculture.

Fossil Fuels 278

Fossil Fuels Paris Agreement 2030 Climate Change 278

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 7, 2023

This research determines the relative contributions of different emission sources, including the oil and gas, agricultural, industrial, and transportation sectors, to the overall increase in heat-trapping gas concentrations in the atmosphere. Climate source attribution studies can inform strategies to reduce carbon emissions.

Climate Change 317

Climate Change Sea Level Fossil Fuels Carbon Dioxide 317

Yale E360

MAY 18, 2021

Read more on E360 ?.

Fossil Fuels 231

Fossil Fuels Wind Power Renewable Energy Atmosphere 231

Circle of Blue

AUGUST 11, 2021

This trend will continue as glacial melting, decreased rainfall, and a “thirstier” atmosphere jeopardize sources of freshwater in some parts of the globe. It finds more evidence that severe weather events are linked to carbon in the atmosphere and are becoming more extreme. Heavy rainfall will also become more common and more powerful.

Climate Change 361

Climate Change Atmosphere Deforestation Rainforest 361

Union of Concerned Scientists

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

He recently published a children’s book titled Goodnight Fossil Fuels! that’s specifically about climate change and fossil fuel accountability. It stars a penguin who teams up with scientists to help solve the problem of how fossil fuels are harming the climate system and features colorful watercolor artwork.

Climate Change 279

Climate Change Fossil Fuels Climate Scientist Atmosphere 279

Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 13, 2024

That means it includes the extreme wildfires exacerbated by the fossil fuel industry that burned more than 4% of California in 2021 and 2022. come from burning fossil fuels and pesticide use, and ultrafine particles (PM0.1) Ozone plays a dual role in our atmosphere. These particles are categorized by size.

2024 292

2024 Fossil Fuels Ozone Air Pollution 292

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 30, 2023

Communities and ecosystems continue to suffer the consequences of human-caused climate change , primarily from the burning of fossil fuels across our economy. The case for phasing out of fossil fuels and making a just and equitable transition to clean energy has never been more clear. comes from burning fossil fuels.

Fossil Fuels 281

Fossil Fuels Clean Energy Nitrogen Oxides Air Pollution 281

Union of Concerned Scientists

JANUARY 20, 2023

3) ExxonMobil predicted the possibility of linking rising temperatures to fossil fuels ExxonMobil researchers accurately predicted when it would become possible to attribute changes in climate to human activity. Such a constraint would clearly place a limit on the amount of fossil fuels ExxonMobil could extract, produce and market.

Fossil Fuels 276

Fossil Fuels 2003 Sea Level 2005 276

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 29, 2024

The IPCC enables decision-makers to move beyond fossil fuel industry-generated deception and disinformation about climate change, providing them with the science needed to make informed decisions. It’s crucial that our leaders have access to comprehensive and accurate science to guide their choices.

Climate Change 289

Climate Change Fossil Fuels Carbon Dioxide Paris Agreement 289

Real Climate

APRIL 6, 2023

The term “fossil fuels”, however, is mentioned 16 times. It’s indeed true that emissions must go down, but we also must explicitly acknowledge that we need to reduce our dependence on coal, oil and gas (“fossil fuels”). Humans work hard to add greenhouse gases such as CO 2 into the atmosphere.

Climate Change 299

Climate Change Fossil Fuels Greenhouse 2012 299

Physics World

JUNE 17, 2022

Levels of helium-4 in the Earth’s atmosphere have been increasing since at least 1974, according to a study by researchers at the University of California, San Diego, US that resolves a longstanding anomaly in atmospheric science. When the gas is extracted and burned, the helium is released into the atmosphere.

Atmosphere 98

Atmosphere Fossil Fuels Natural Gas Nuclear Power 98

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 18, 2024

Even now, with fall in the air, we are reminded of the harsh reality that fossil-fueled climate change is causing fall to be warmer across the contiguous US, particularly in the southwest. California too experienced a late-season October heatwave , made worse by climate change.

Climate Change 236

Climate Change Fossil Fuels 2024 2016 236

Enviromental Defense

MARCH 31, 2022

A new report released today by Environmental Defence – Buyer Beware: Fossil Fuel Subsidies and Carbon Capture Fairy Tales in Canada – reveals that despite promises to phase out fossil fuel subsidies, the federal government provided the fossil fuel sector with at least $8.6 billion in 2021. .

Fossil Fuels 92

Fossil Fuels Government Renewable Energy Atmosphere 92

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 9, 2024

In addition, environmental justice advocates and frontline communities routinely point to the danger of concentrated carbon dioxide , embedded siting inequities , and the use of CCS to distract from the real work of phasing out fossil fuels.) Who needs units anyway?

Carbon Dioxide 342

Carbon Dioxide Fossil Fuels Climate Change Atmosphere 342

Scientific American

MARCH 1, 2024

Fossil-fuel companies use captured carbon dioxide to extract more fossil fuels, leading to a net increase in atmospheric CO 2

Fossil Fuels 145

Fossil Fuels Carbon Dioxide Atmosphere 145

Real Climate

SEPTEMBER 19, 2021

But methane’s role in atmospheric chemistry and as a source of stratospheric water vapour means that it has a bigger effect on climate than just the direct effect of its concentration. There is also a very small impact of the CH 4 oxidation to CO 2 itself for any fossil-fuel derived methane. (a) W/m 2 for CH 4.

Carbon Dioxide 360

Carbon Dioxide Radiation Atmosphere Greenhouse 360

Union of Concerned Scientists

FEBRUARY 22, 2023

GOM communities, not fossil fuel interests, should determine policies that affect GOM people. ExxonMobil internal science, spanning from 1977 to 2003, featured graphs showing how temperatures would rise as a result of the heat-trapping emissions produced from burning the fossil fuels the company extracted, refined, marketed, and sold.

Fossil Fuels 236

Fossil Fuels Ocean Sea Level Carbon Dioxide 236

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 11, 2023

Heightened flood risk The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said in a recent outlook that about 44 percent of the United States is at risk of floods this spring, equating to about 146 million people. Fuel transport – Spring floods can hinder the transportation of fuels like coal.

Fossil Fuels 230

Fossil Fuels 2011 Climate Change Nuclear Power 230

Union of Concerned Scientists

JUNE 20, 2024

The primary cause of accelerating sea level rise is human activity As people burn fossil fuels and emit heat-trapping gases like carbon dioxide, our atmosphere and our oceans warm up. As the ocean warms, it expands. Historically, this was the dominant cause of sea level rise. Source: IPCC AR6, WGI, Chapter 9, Cross-Chapter 9.1,

Sea Level 341

Sea Level Fossil Fuels Ocean Carbon Dioxide 341

Inside Climate News

JANUARY 18, 2024

By Georgina Gustin The world’s oceans are massive and critical carbon sinks that absorb roughly one-third of the greenhouse gas emissions humans generate by burning fossil fuels and reshaping Earth’s landscape. Critics question whether “trawl disturbance” is different from the carbon flux that naturally occurs in oceans.

Fossil Fuels 133

Fossil Fuels Atmosphere Ocean Greenhouse 133

Union of Concerned Scientists

OCTOBER 3, 2024

I asked my colleague, Dr. Marc Alessi , an atmospheric scientist, about the hurricane. It can be demoralizing when fossil fuel companies’ interests seem valued over human lives, and it’s infuriating when elected officials fail to do the right thing. No matter what, we must be here for each other.

Climate Change 331

Climate Change Fossil Fuels Ocean Climate Scientist 331

Circle of Blue

AUGUST 16, 2021

It finds more evidence that severe weather events are linked to carbon in the atmosphere and that those weather events are becoming more extreme. The report stated unequivocally, for the first time, that climate change is occurring due to “human influence,” namely the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation.

2021 264

2021 Atmosphere Climate Change Sea Level 264

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 4, 2024

Dr. Susan Avery, a physicist and atmospheric scientist, is the former director of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Massachusetts. The fossil fuel giant now claims to be “aligned” with the Paris climate agreement, all while it continues to massively expand oil and gas exploration and production and lobby against climate action.

Climate Scientist 307

Climate Scientist Fossil Fuels Climate Change Clean Energy 307

Enviromental Defense

DECEMBER 2, 2024

In fact, studies show that clean energy is a more affordable option than continuing to rely on fossil fuels. The Atmospheric Fund has released analysis which indicates that Ontario is capable of ramping up renewable energy sources fast enough to meet its rising electricity demand and phase out gas-powered electricity by 2035.

Electricity 114

Electricity Regulations Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels 114

Union of Concerned Scientists

FEBRUARY 15, 2024

Under the LCFS each fuel pathway gets a unique carbon intensity (CI) based on a lifecycle analysis of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production and use of the fuel. This approach holds fuel producers accountable for reducing fossil fuel use and other global warming pollution in their supply chains.

Fossil Fuels 306

Fossil Fuels Regulations Renewable Energy Carbon Dioxide 306

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 3, 2022

The majority 6–3 decision sharply curtails the EPA’s authority to set standards based on a broad range of flexible options to cut carbon emissions from the power sector—options such as replacing polluting fossil fuels with cheap and widely available wind and solar power coupled with battery storage. There is no time to waste.

Climate Change 272

Climate Change Fossil Fuels Carbon Emissions Nitrogen Oxides 272