A new study co-led by the University of Oxford has found that global aviation emissions could be reduced by 50-75% through combining three strategies to boost efficiency: flying only the most fuel-efficient aircraft, switching to all-economy layouts, and increasing passenger loads. Crucially, the study shows that around a 11% reduction in global aviation emissions is achievable immediately, by using the most efficient aircraft that airlines already have more strategically on routes they already fly.

Deep-learning models known as LSTMs are changing the way scientists forecast how rivers will respond to changes in rain, snow and temperature. But a new study led by researchers at the University of British Columbia shows that these models often get the right answers for the wrong reasons, and their internal “thinking” often clashes with basic science. The team analyzed more than 1,100 rivers across North America and focused on 672 where the AI achieved strong predictive accuracy. While the models handled rainfall correctly, they frequently misinterpreted the roles of temperature and evaporation. Accurate river forecasts are critical for flood warnings, drought planning and water management. If AI models misinterpret how heat and evaporation affect rivers, communities could make poor decisions during extreme weather.

Researchers are proposing a new strategy for local governments to make municipalities more resilient against climate change. The “compounded resilience” strategy lays out how local governments can take advantage of opportunities to both limit adverse impacts of climate change on their communities and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that drive climate change.

A new Special Report (https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biaf175) published in the journal BioScience warns that long-term ecological and evolutionary research faces severe threats from lack of recurring funding and governmental/institutional support, to data manipulation and political interference, even as these studies become more crucial for addressing issues of broad societal importance, such as biodiversity loss and climate change.