News & Views

Estimating future economic and domestic water use is difficult due to uncertain changes in climate and socioeconomic conditions. Now, research estimates future water use in the United States could decrease or more than double by 2070 under plausible socioeconomic and climate scenarios.

Controversy remains as to whether nuclear power should be part of a sustainable future energy mix. Phasing out nuclear too rapidly could lead to substantial health damages from air pollution.

As the ozone hole begins to heal, concentrations of harmful ground-level ozone are also increasing. Work now shows the impacts that both changes are having on the Southern Ocean and our wider climate system.

The glaciers in the Arctic are affected greatly by the amplified warming of this region. Work now documents a link between variations in the annual mass balance of Arctic glaciers and changes in tropospheric circulation patterns.

Developed countries are about to experience unprecedented demographic changes. The increasing population, wealth and carbon-intensive lifestyles of senior citizens raise concerns that should be addressed.

Increasing Arctic temperatures accelerate coastal erosion, threatening coastal communities and infrastructure, and adding carbon to the atmosphere. Research now predicts that Arctic coastal erosion on the pan-Arctic scale will exceed its historical range of variability and increase two to three times by the end of the century.

Climate mitigation policies are enacted in the interconnected climate, land, energy and water sectors. Now, a study shows regionally different land-use change emission pricing policies can increase competition for water in African river basins.

Climate change is threatening coral-reef-associated ecosystem services and people’s well-being. Addressing direct and indirect coral reef stressors while developing pathways towards recovery and adaptations could mitigate negative impacts, especially in coastal developing countries.

As temperatures rise, plants unfold their leaves earlier in spring, but whether plant roots respond similarly is seldom quantified. Now, a meta-analysis suggests that leaf and root phenology do not respond to warming in the same way, even within the same plant types.

The climate system may respond in different ways to reductions in atmospheric CO₂ concentrations. Work now shows a delayed recovery (hysteresis) of the tropical rainbelt, with widespread implications for water resources.

Flooding-adaptation studies often ignore unique social, cultural and institutional drivers. Now, research illuminates the drivers that are unique versus shared across socio-cultural contexts and adaptations, which vary in ease of implementation.

Most emissions scenarios in line with the Paris Agreement have shown a large amount of net-negative CO₂ emissions during the second half of this century. A new set of scenarios expands this picture.

Eastward flow in the Southern Ocean is the primary conduit between ocean basins. A comprehensive study of multi-decadal observational records and model experiments reveals that warming in the upper ocean is causing this flow to accelerate.

Finding effective ways to support rural communities in adapting to climate change is critical for building climate-resilient societies. Now research shows the potential of risk-transfer policies for improving adaptation and securing the livelihoods of smallholder farmers.

Climate change is threatening agricultural productivity and the welfare of farmers. Increasing employment in non-farm sectors could mitigate such negative impacts, especially in developing countries.

Assessing the global implementation of climate adaptation is critical. Now, research quantifies where adaptation is happening and where gaps remain.

Southern salmon populations face increased risk from a warming climate. New analysis of salmon ear bones shows outsized reliance on rarely used cold-water habitat for population survival through drought years — habitat that is expected to shrink under climate change.

Improvements in public transport are often regarded as essential to combat climate change. A study investigating the Chinese high-speed rail system suggests that these benefits could operate through channels other than those that one might expect.

Atmospheric rivers substantially affect the global hydrologic cycle, yet their response to past and future anthropogenic forcing remains highly uncertain. New research reveals the counterbalancing effects of aerosols and greenhouse gases and how this balance will shift to favour stronger atmospheric rivers in the coming decades.

Climate change generates multifaceted and difficult-to-measure risks to human and natural systems. Now, research offers a composite indicator of global climate risk that may help track progress in addressing climate change.