Reviews & Analysis

Within a single species, different populations can show strikingly varied responses to climate – often attributed to genetic differences of geographically separated populations. Now an elegant analysis, weaving together modelling with large-scale empirical data, demonstrates that ecoregion explains spatial variation in climate responses of the American pika.

In recent years, the tropical Indian Ocean has experienced persistent warming larger than any other basin. Now research suggests that this may exert a stabilizing effect on the meridional overturning circulation in the north Atlantic Ocean by attenuating its recent weakening, with implications for climate change worldwide.

The Southern Ocean is a major carbon sink, but knowledge of its variability is limited, especially in the coastal Antarctic. Now, results based on 25 years of observations in the West Antarctic Peninsula show that the carbon sink is increasing rapidly, driven by summertime biological production linked to sea ice dynamics.

New research finds that global inefficiencies in power transmission and distribution infrastructure result in nearly a gigatonne of CO₂-equivalent annually. Countries can use this overlooked mitigation opportunity in their transition to a clean power sector.

Climate scientists cannot agree on what caused a recent spate of severe winters over North America and Eurasia. Now, a simple yet powerful physics-based approach makes it clear that record-low Arctic sea ice coverage was not the root cause.

Randomized control trials are a potentially useful research design for identifying the causal effects of capacity-building interventions in the context of environmental development. But new research suggests that short-term capacity-building projects do not increase the rate at which local water districts in Costa Rica adopt climate adaptation strategies.

Heatwaves increase in frequency and intensity with global warming. Research now shows that the sequence of a tropical cyclone followed by a heatwave may also occur more often, threatening power grids when air conditioning is needed most.

This Perspective describes persecution, protection and ignorance archetypes for managing and monitoring species redistribution under climate change, and argues for global shared governance agreements to cope with species shifts into new geopolitical areas.

Negative emotions around climate change may inhibit people’s capacity to affect change. New research on tourists’ perceptions of coral bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef suggests that loss associated with iconic places taps into protective sentiments and increases concern, which may encourage collective action.

With climate change, marine species are on the move and changing in abundance. Now, research shows that the ecological impacts of climate change will differentially affect fishing communities, even within the same region.

Top-down studies of climate change use climate projections and modelled impacts, whereas bottom-up assessments focus on the recent past and present vulnerability. This Perspective argues that these approaches must be integrated to address the needs of immediate adaptation decisions.

Corporations devote massive amounts of resources to lobby policy makers in the United States. New research highlights the channels through which direct lobbying has blocked climate legislation, and evaluates the resulting social welfare loss.

A review of the phenomenon of low-lying ‘ghost forests’, and the physical and ecological mechanisms that control their occurrence in the context of sea level rise, with a focus on the Atlantic Coast of North America.

The Paris Agreement places new emphasis on the need to take stock of adaptation progress. This Perspective discusses the conceptual and methodological challenges associated with monitoring adaptation and provides a comprehensive framework for tracking progress among governments.

‘Nudge’ interventions, such as green energy defaults, may be simple and cost-effective ways to address climate change and can complement more substantive climate policies. But, new research finds that information about a nudge policy lowers support for a carbon tax, unless that nudge policy is described as part of a comprehensive approach.

The Arctic stores vast amounts of soil carbon, much of which is likely to be lost to the atmosphere as the climate warms. A clever new analytical approach suggests that even carbon that has been stored for hundreds to thousands of years is vulnerable to warming.

Public education for youth can influence future generations, but it typically does not create outcomes for those who need to vote on policies and create change today. A new study suggests that well-designed instructional units can foster family interactions that increase adult concern about climate change.

Climate change exposes more people to heat waves and other extreme weather events. New research shows that experiencing a heat wave can affect concerns about energy security, but not enough to change behaviour.

North American winters have varied from mild to extremely cold in recent years. Now, research provides a framework for understanding these changing temperature extremes.