EurekAlert! Climate Change - Latest News Releases

Latest News Releases

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 29-Dec-2025 11:11 ET (29-Dec-2025 16:11 GMT/UTC)

Predicted CO2 levels cause marked increase in forest temperatures

University of Plymouth
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A study by researchers from the UK, Ghana and the USA - and led by the University of Plymouth (UK) used thermal imaging technology and other sensors to measure the leaf temperatures found at CO₂ levels forecast to occur in 2050. It found that temperatures within the forest canopies rose by around 1.3°C as a direct consequence of increases in CO₂– from an average of 21.5°C under current conditions to 22.8°C at the predicted 2050 CO₂levels. They believe that as well as having a direct impact on leaf pore structure, it could impact trees’ ability to transmit water back into the environment, which would have a knock-on effect on the water cycle globally.

Journal: Global Change Biology
Funder: Natural Environment Research Council, Jabbs Foundation

Researchers develop high-performance biochar for efficient carbon dioxide capture

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A team of researchers has announced a breakthrough in carbon dioxide (CO2) capture technology, unveiling a novel biochar material synthesized from corn straw using a microwave-assisted, two-step chemical activation strategy. This innovative approach, published in Sustainable Carbon Materials, promises a low-cost, scalable solution for addressing global greenhouse gas emissions and advancing climate change mitigation efforts.

Study paints detailed picture of forest canopy damage caused by ‘heat dome’

Oregon State University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A satellite imagery analysis shows that the 2021 “heat dome” scorched almost 5% of the forested area in western Oregon and western Washington, turning foliage in canopies from a healthy green to red or orange, sometimes within a matter of hours.

Journal: Global Change Biology
Funder: U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. National Science Foundation, USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station

PKU scientists uncover climate impacts and future trends of hailstorms in China

Peking University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Peking University, November 4, 2025: A research team led by Professor Zhang Qinghong and Li Rumeng from the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at Peking University (PKU) School of Physics, has found that hailstorms in China have surged since the Industrial Revolution, likely due to human-driven climate warming. The study, published in Nature Communications in September 2025, combines historical records, meteorological data, and artificial intelligence to track long-term hailstorm trends.

Journal: Nature Communications

Tiny ponds in the Andes pack a big climate punch, UNC study finds

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Small mountain ponds high in the tropical Andes may be playing an outsized role in global climate change, according to new research led by scientists at the University of North Carolina.

Journal: Limnology and Oceanography

Does the wood pink provide the formula for surviving climate change?

ETH Zurich
Peer-Reviewed Publication

An alpine plant could hold the key to its survival in a steadily warming climate. ETH Zurich researchers have identified the origin of two particular ancient gene variants in the plant that control its flowering time.

Journal: Science

Gene-edited tomato breakthroughs pave the way for vertical farming efficiency

Nanjing Agricultural University The Academy of Science
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A research team has combined CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing and artificial intelligence to create compact tomato plants optimized for vertical farming in response to the dual challenges of climate change and urbanization.

Journal: Plant Phenomics

Climate intervention may not be enough to save coffee, chocolate and wine, new study finds

IOP Publishing
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study published in Environmental Research Letters reveals that even advanced climate intervention strategies may not be enough to secure the future of wine grapes, coffee and cacao. These crops are vital to many economies and provide livelihoods for farmers worldwide. However, they are increasingly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns cause big variations in crop yields from year to year, meaning that farmers cannot rely on the stability of their harvest, and their produce is at risk.

Journal: Environmental Research Letters

How open science and shared data can help tackle global challenges: The Crete Declaration

Pensoft Publishers
Peer-Reviewed Publication

To address global challenges like climate change, emerging diseases, and antimicrobial resistance, among others, research infrastructures in Europe can provide pivotal, evidence-based solutions grounded in robust science. The Crete Declaration unites a large consortium of organisations in a commitment to strengthening collaboration, as they join forces to collaboratively advance FAIR data integration, support open innovation, and inform policy-making through integrated scientific knowledge. The Crete Declaration is published as a policy brief in the open-science journal Research Ideas and Outcomes.

Journal: Research Ideas and Outcomes

New study reveals fastest Antarctic glacier retreat in modern history

Swansea University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A glacier on the Eastern Antarctic Peninsula has experienced the fastest recorded ice loss in modern history, according to a landmark study co-authored by Swansea University.

Journal: Nature Geoscience
Funder: NASA

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