Union of Concerned Scientists

JUNE 20, 2024

Last week, I participated in the Scientists Speakout Day during the Summer of Heat on Wall Street , to protest and disrupt the financial institutions that are enabling the fossil fuel industry (and, as a result, our current climate crisis).

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Fossil Fuels Sea Level Paris Agreement Climate Change 245

Union of Concerned Scientists

FEBRUARY 21, 2023

The world’s biggest fossil fuel companies recently released their 2022 earnings reports, revealing record-breaking profits last year; just five companies–ExxonMobil, Shell, BP, Chevron, and TotalEnergies–reported a total of nearly $200 billion in profits.

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Fossil Fuels Climate Change Sea Level 2022 321

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 24, 2023

In an important win for climate accountability in the United States, the US Supreme Court decided that lawsuits filed in Colorado, Maryland, California, Hawai’i, and Rhode Island against fossil fuel companies including ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, Suncor, and others will remain in state courts.

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Fossil Fuels Climate Change Carbon Dioxide Government 312

Union of Concerned Scientists

OCTOBER 26, 2022

While there is enormous potential for UN climate negotiations to transform climate action, meaningful progress has been delayed in part by the fossil fuel industry’s deceptive tactics. Last year’s COP was notable as the first to explicitly mention “fossil fuels” in the final decision document.

Sea Level 245

Sea Level Fossil Fuels Paris Agreement Climate Change 245

Union of Concerned Scientists

JUNE 24, 2024

A new map tool from the Union of Concerned Scientists shows you where and when critical pieces of coastal infrastructure such as public housing buildings, schools and power plants are at risk of repeated, disruptive flooding due to climate change­­­­­-driven sea level rise. Photo credit: Ben Neely/MyCoast.org.

Sea Level 204

Sea Level Fossil Fuels Electricity 2030 204

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 17, 2025

If you live in a coastal zone and have looked at maps of future sea level rise or have read about how climate change could be slowed with policy changes to reduce emissions, youve likely seen these scenarios in action. SSP5: Taking the highway A scenario driven by economic growth and high fossil fuel use, leading to rapid warming.

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Radiation Sea Level Climate Change Fossil Fuels 174

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 16, 2023

Previous IPCC reports have concluded that human activities such as burning fossil fuels are the primary cause of climate change: about 70 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions come from burning fossil fuels for electricity, transportation, and industry. The result is a world that is rapidly warming.

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Fossil Fuels Carbon Emissions Climate Change Sea Level 330

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 7, 2023

By comparing these two data sets, scientists can determine the probability that human activities are responsible for observed changes in temperature, precipitation patterns, sea level rise, and other climate change indicators. Climate source attribution studies can inform strategies to reduce carbon emissions.

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Climate Change Sea Level Fossil Fuels Carbon Dioxide 328

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 29, 2023

Over handfuls of rice that nearly 30% of the country is struggling to afford , talk of flash floods, prolonged drought, sea level rise and extreme weather dominated more than ever before. But sea level rise and pollution are threatening this critical resource and the livelihoods of over one million fishers around the country.

Sea Level 236

Sea Level Climate Change Fossil Fuels 2012 236

Union of Concerned Scientists

FEBRUARY 22, 2023

GOM communities, not fossil fuel interests, should determine policies that affect GOM people. Sea levels are rising. 1 + 2 = 3 Climate damage and consumer fraud are precisely why four New England states are suing fossil fuel companies and why Pacific fishermen came together to take fossil fuel giants to court.

Fossil Fuels 245

Fossil Fuels Ocean Sea Level Carbon Dioxide 245

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.

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Fossil Fuels 2003 Sea Level 2005 278

Union of Concerned Scientists

SEPTEMBER 25, 2023

Scientists have unequivocally confirmed that human activities, primarily the burning of fossil fuels, are driving unprecedented changes to the Earth’s climate, raising fundamental questions about our responsibility to safeguard the environment for future generations.

Climate Change 337

Climate Change Sea Level Fossil Fuels 2008 337

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 30, 2022

Fossil fuels are the root cause of climate change, of long-standing environmental injustices, and are also frequently connected to geopolitical strife and violent conflicts. Other countries are dependent upon these fossil fuels, they don’t make themselves free of them. This is a fossil fuel war.

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Fossil Fuels Climate Change Clean Energy 2030 279

Union of Concerned Scientists

SEPTEMBER 23, 2024

billion in sea level rise and coastal resilience, and about a half billion in extreme heat mitigation. Proposition 4 invests in a more resilient future by providing much needed funding to address these threats, particularly in the most vulnerable and low-income communities where the needs are greatest.

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Climate Change Sea Level Fossil Fuels Climate Scientist 299

Scientific American

NOVEMBER 20, 2023

Here is a snapshot of the warming world, from sea-level rise to fossil fuel subsidies to renewable energy growth

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Sea Level Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Climate Change 145

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 6, 2025

Fossil fuels, which are central to mitigation discussions but were largely avoided, reflecting ongoing political tensions. Some of the most notable omissions from the approved outlines include: Lock-in and maladaptation, both fundamental concepts for adaptation and resilience planning, were removed from the outline.

Climate Change 179

Climate Change Carbon Dioxide Technology Technology 179

Union of Concerned Scientists

JANUARY 10, 2023

But the science is clear : human-caused global warming is definitely and significantly increasing the odds of severe and once-rare extreme events , alongside driving slow-onset disasters—like sea level rise and the loss of major ice sheets and glaciers —and raising the risk of major tipping points. The math of a divided U.S.

Climate Change 285

Climate Change 2022 Fossil Fuels Sea Level 285

New Scientist

MARCH 6, 2024

The subsidence of land caused by the extraction of water and fossil fuels is exacerbating the threat of sea level rise in many US cities, including New Orleans

Sea Level 129

Sea Level Fossil Fuels 129

Legal Planet

SEPTEMBER 21, 2023

We learned the great lengths that oil companies had gone to protect their own investments—even redesigning their offshore oil platforms to guard against sea level rise—while thwarting efforts by others to protect themselves. The state’s complaint borrows the same frame, as “the road not taken.”

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Fossil Fuels Climate Change 2015 Sea Level 316

Legal Planet

JUNE 13, 2022

Prior to Glasgow, the NRDC had concluded that India was on track to meet its previous commitment to have 40% non-fossil fuel power generation by 2030. Mumbai is on a peninsula and faces severe risks from sea level rise. Mumbai, with a population of 21 million, now has a roadmap for reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.

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2030 Carbon Emissions 2027 Sea Level 246

Legal Planet

JUNE 21, 2024

In fact, the California attorney general’s lawsuit states that “Chevron’s minimal efforts in the area of renewable and lower-carbon energy, coupled with its expansion of its fossil fuel business, belie its statements suggesting that it is part of the climate change solution.” Why does all this matter? “I

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Fossil Fuels 2028 Sea Level Air Pollution 200

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 6, 2025

Fossil fuels, which are central to mitigation discussions but were largely avoided, reflecting ongoing political tensions. Some of the most notable omissions from the approved outlines include: Lock-in and maladaptation, both fundamental concepts for adaptation and resilience planning, were removed from the outline.

Climate Change 147

Climate Change Carbon Dioxide Technology Technology 147

Union of Concerned Scientists

JUNE 24, 2024

We’re witnessing an increase in costly damages thanks to fossil-fueled climate change , which has increased the intensity and frequency of some extreme events , and also thanks to more buildings and people in risky areas. This decade, the American Society of Civil Engineers estimates that $2.58

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Climate Change Sea Level Fossil Fuels Government 292

Legal Planet

JUNE 4, 2021

Now the same district court has gone further, again in favor of environmental groups but now against Royal Dutch Shell (“Shell”) , the world’s largest non-state-owned fossil fuel company. In fact, Shell has the most ambitious emissions abatement plan of all fossil fuel companies , for whatever that is worth.)

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Carbon Dioxide Fossil Fuels Climate Change 2010 246

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 17, 2024

Everyone will suffer greatly from sea-level rise and climate change if policymakers cede decision-making to corporate interests. PJM directs the revenues and operation of the largest fossil fuel power plant fleet (124 gigawatts), making it the largest utility in the US.

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Electricity Fossil Fuels Climate Change Sea Level 261

Real Climate

NOVEMBER 11, 2023

While temperatures provide a measure of the Earth’s climate, it is even better to use the global sea level , which provides a far more reliable measure. The global sea level acts like the mercury in a thermometer because warmer water expands.

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Sea Level Greenhouse Climate Change Atmosphere 326

Energy & the Law

JUNE 8, 2022

The court received amicus curiae briefs from many different pro- and anti-fossil fuel organizations and jurisdictions. The plaintiffs allege that they ”have already incurred and will foreseeably continue to incur, injuries and damages because of sea level rise caused by [the energy companies’] conduct.” trespass.

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Climate Change Sea Level Fossil Fuels Law 100

Circle of Blue

AUGUST 16, 2021

Meltwater from Greenland’s ice sheets have caused about a quarter of the rise in the world’s sea levels. The report shows that certain trends such as rising seas and shrinking ice sheets will continue even if carbon pollution is halted immediately. Like rising temperatures, ice loss in Greenland will have global consequences.

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2021 Atmosphere Climate Change Sea Level 264

Legal Planet

AUGUST 7, 2023

Many of the claims are based at least in part on allegations of misrepresentations by the companies regarding climate science in order to promote their sales of fossil fuels. Are the companies protected by the First Amendment? The companies are likely to argue that these claims are barred by the First Amendment for two reasons.

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Clean Air Act Climate Change Sea Level Politics 246

Real Climate

AUGUST 25, 2023

For the AMOC (and other climate tipping points ), the only action we can take to minimise the risk is to get out of fossil fuels and stop deforestation as fast as possible. In 2022, the G20 governments alone subsidised fossil fuel use with 1.4 In 2022, the G20 governments alone subsidised fossil fuel use with 1.4

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Ocean Fossil Fuels Cooling 2016 242

Law Columbia

OCTOBER 25, 2017

We know that burning fossil fuels is the main cause of anthropogenic climate change, and that climate change is the source of adverse impacts on communities and even regional and national economies. by Justin Gundlach. These points are largely undisputed. Peter Frumhoff led off, presenting two key points.

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Fossil Fuels Climate Change Clean Air Act Sea Level 52

A Greener Life

NOVEMBER 16, 2023

.” More extreme weather events can be expected Petteri Taalas explained that the higher concentrations of GHG would be accompanied by more extreme weather events, including intense heat and rainfall, ice melt, higher sea levels, as well as ocean heat and acidification.

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Greenhouse Fossil Fuels Sea Level Atmosphere 113

Union of Concerned Scientists

JANUARY 3, 2024

Despite formally recognizing for the first time that a transition from fossil fuel use is necessary, nations failed to agree to the fast, fair, and funded phase-out that scientists are calling for. One big positive from COP28 was the creation of a Loss and Damage fund to address climate impacts in the Global South.

Climate Change 260

Climate Change Sea Level Fossil Fuels 2030 260

A Greener Life

JUNE 3, 2022

If people everywhere stopped burning fossil fuels tomorrow, stored heat would still continue to warm the atmosphere. But that doesn’t mean the planet returns to its preindustrial climate or that we avoid disruptive effects such as sea-level rise. Countries aren’t close to ending fossil fuel use. Ricky) Rood.

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Carbon Dioxide Fossil Fuels Sea Level Ocean 98

Union of Concerned Scientists

DECEMBER 19, 2022

And of course, we need to continue to advocate for a swift transition to renewable energy and independence from fossil fuels to reduce heat-trapping emissions and stop making things worse. We need to make sure that the Justice40 initiative is properly incorporated into every federal program and investment.

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2022 Fossil Fuels Government 2005 342

Legal Planet

AUGUST 10, 2021

SSP5, a world of fossil-fuel based economic growth, in which global population peaks and then declines later in this century. SSP3, a world of surging nationalism and regional rivalry , with population growth low in developed countries and high in the developing world. SSP4, a world of surging inequality.

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Paris Agreement Climate Change Fossil Fuels Atmosphere 246

Union of Concerned Scientists

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

Flooding/Sea Level Rise/Storm Surge: Water can physically damage and corrode infrastructure, particularly distribution poles and substations. Modernizing our power grid by shifting from fossil fuels to renewables makes sense for many reasons. What is next? Increasing resilience is another important (and often related!)

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Electricity Renewable Energy Climate Change Sea Level 265