Switzerland's energy transition
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Can Switzerland, as planned, cut its CO2 emissions to zero by 2050? In a study, researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI have investigated what measures would be necessary to achieve this reduction and how much it might cost per person.
More Antarctic meltwater is surfacing than was previously known, modifying the climate, preventing sea ice from forming and boosting marine productivity- according to new research from the University of East Anglia (UEA). For the first time, researchers have been able to obtain full-depth glacial meltwater observations in winter, using instruments attached to the heads of seals living near the Pine Island Glacier, in the remote Amundsen Sea in the west of Antarctica.
Deeper understanding of the climate-water-energy nexus will significantly contribute towards planning and managing transnational power grids.
New research finds that people are more engaged with reducing carbon emissions than previously thought - and that governments, scientists and companies should listen to them. The Nature Energy study investigates how invested people are in making the changes needed to reduce carbon emissions and stop climate change. It shows that people, their views and actions should be included more when it comes to how we transform the way we use energy, to keep global average temperatures well below 2°C.
Western butterfly populations are declining at an estimated rate of 1.6% per year, according to a new report to be published this week in Science. The report looks at more than 450 butterfly species, including the western monarch, whose latest population count revealed a 99.9% decline since the 1980s.
Researchers at Princeton University and the University of Miami found that the latest generation of high-sensitivity climate models do not provide a plausible scenario of Earth's future climate. These models project that clouds moderate greenhouse gas-induced warming -- particularly in the northern hemisphere -- much more than climate records show actually happens. The results provide a cautionary tale on interpreting climate simulations, which can determine the aggressiveness of carbon-mitigation policies.
The landmark 2015 Paris Agreement resulted in multiple studies examining the impact of global temperature increases, but these rarely investigate the effect of warming on "fire weather" conditions. Now, in a new study, scientists have found that by projecting two different types of fire weather conditions, an additional half-degree of warming could drastically increase the likelihood and significance of blazes worldwide.
Land stores vast amounts of carbon, but a new study led by Cranfield University's Dr Alice Johnston suggests that how much of this carbon enters the atmosphere as temperatures rise depends on how far that land sits from the equator.
New research by Newcastle University has shown that warming temperatures in some regions of the UK are the main drivers of increases in extreme short-duration rainfall intensities, which tend to occur in summer and cause dangerous flash flooding.
The models used to produce global climate scenarios may overestimate the energy and emission savings from improved energy efficiency, warns new research led by academics at the University of Sussex Business School and the University of Leeds.