Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 24, 2023

In an important win for climate accountability in the United States, the US Supreme Court decided that lawsuits filed in Colorado, Maryland, California, Hawai’i, and Rhode Island against fossil fuel companies including ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, Suncor, and others will remain in state courts.

Fossil Fuels 313

Fossil Fuels Climate Change Government Carbon Dioxide 313

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 19, 2025

Climate models are the main tool climate scientists use to predict how Earth will respond to more heat-trapping pollutants in the atmosphere. Just by looking at the name, you can see that a GCM is a model that simulates the circulation of Earths different physical systems like the atmosphere and ocean. What causes a circulation?

Atmosphere 241

Atmosphere Ocean Radiation Climate Scientist 241

Legal Planet

JANUARY 9, 2025

Swain and the other authors note that previous research has focused solely on the precipitation side of the equation rather than the full bloom-and-burn cycle driven not just by lack of rain but by an increasingly thirsty atmosphere evaporating moisture out of plants and soil. But e xtreme weather is already the context.

Climate Change 317

Climate Change Climate Scientist Fossil Fuels Atmosphere 317

Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 16, 2023

But this new study from my colleagues working on climate change and fossil fuel accountability couldn’t be ignored. In short, the study concludes that fossil fuel companies are in part to blame for the extraordinary damages resulting from western wildfires (including those sparked by utilities). That equates to 19.8

Fossil Fuels 265

Fossil Fuels Climate Change Electricity Regulations 265

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 17, 2025

Four RCP scenarios describe different levels of radiative forcing in the atmosphere by 2100. Radiative forcing is the change in energy balance in the Earths atmosphere due to heat trapping emissions. SSP5: Taking the highway A scenario driven by economic growth and high fossil fuel use, leading to rapid warming.

Radiation 242

Radiation Sea Level Climate Change Fossil Fuels 242

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 12, 2025

Climate models are the main tool scientists use to assess how much the Earths temperature will change given an increase in fossil fuel pollutants in the atmosphere. The atmosphere around us is an invisible fluid (at least to the human eye): we can apply math to that fluid to predict how it will look in the future.

Atmosphere 196

Atmosphere Climate Scientist Ocean Fossil Fuels 196

Union of Concerned Scientists

OCTOBER 15, 2024

The second perspective we offer in our new analysis comes from pulling back the lens to take into account not just carbon at the smokestack, but also the carbon from other steps in the process, as well as other gases that also trap heat when thrown up into the atmosphere. And we don’t need to have all the answers to make a difference.

Renewable Energy 307

Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels Electricity Nitrogen Oxides 307

New Scientist

JANUARY 16, 2025

Wildfires and fossil fuel burning in 2024 contributed to the biggest annual rise in atmospheric CO2 levels ever recorded at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii

Atmosphere 145

Atmosphere Fossil Fuels 2024 145

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 20, 2023

Compared to carbon dioxide (CO2), methane doesn’t linger for long in the atmosphere after being emitted. New science has shown that the largest fossil fuel, dairy, and waste methane super-emitters contribute a sizeable fraction of the total methane emissions in the regions the study authors monitored.

Fossil Fuels 322

Fossil Fuels Paris Agreement Climate Change 2030 322

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 15, 2022

Although methane doesn’t linger very long in the atmosphere, increasing methane levels are particularly bad news because it packs a big punch. But its short lifetime in the atmosphere is also a reason for hope. Methane emissions come from two main sources : fossil fuels and agriculture—primarily animal-based agriculture.

Fossil Fuels 313

Fossil Fuels Paris Agreement 2030 Climate Change 313

Union of Concerned Scientists

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

He recently published a children’s book titled Goodnight Fossil Fuels! that’s specifically about climate change and fossil fuel accountability. It stars a penguin who teams up with scientists to help solve the problem of how fossil fuels are harming the climate system and features colorful watercolor artwork.

Climate Change 318

Climate Change Fossil Fuels Climate Scientist Atmosphere 318

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 7, 2023

This research determines the relative contributions of different emission sources, including the oil and gas, agricultural, industrial, and transportation sectors, to the overall increase in heat-trapping gas concentrations in the atmosphere. Climate source attribution studies can inform strategies to reduce carbon emissions.

Climate Change 332

Climate Change Sea Level Fossil Fuels Carbon Dioxide 332

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 16, 2022

Union of Concerned Scientists’ (UCS) research shows that top fossil fuel producers’ emissions are responsible for as much as half of global surface temperature increase. of the observed rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide and 52 percent of the rise in global average temperatures between 1880 and 2015.

Fossil Fuels 322

Fossil Fuels Paris Agreement Renewable Energy Carbon Dioxide 322

Yale E360

MAY 18, 2021

Read more on E360 ?.

Fossil Fuels 233

Fossil Fuels Wind Power Renewable Energy Atmosphere 233

Circle of Blue

AUGUST 11, 2021

This trend will continue as glacial melting, decreased rainfall, and a “thirstier” atmosphere jeopardize sources of freshwater in some parts of the globe. It finds more evidence that severe weather events are linked to carbon in the atmosphere and are becoming more extreme. Heavy rainfall will also become more common and more powerful.

Climate Change 361

Climate Change Atmosphere Deforestation Rainforest 361

Real Climate

APRIL 6, 2023

The term “fossil fuels”, however, is mentioned 16 times. It’s indeed true that emissions must go down, but we also must explicitly acknowledge that we need to reduce our dependence on coal, oil and gas (“fossil fuels”). Humans work hard to add greenhouse gases such as CO 2 into the atmosphere.

Climate Change 340

Climate Change Fossil Fuels Greenhouse 2012 340

Union of Concerned Scientists

JANUARY 20, 2023

3) ExxonMobil predicted the possibility of linking rising temperatures to fossil fuels ExxonMobil researchers accurately predicted when it would become possible to attribute changes in climate to human activity. Such a constraint would clearly place a limit on the amount of fossil fuels ExxonMobil could extract, produce and market.

Fossil Fuels 280

Fossil Fuels 2003 Sea Level 2005 280

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 29, 2024

The IPCC enables decision-makers to move beyond fossil fuel industry-generated deception and disinformation about climate change, providing them with the science needed to make informed decisions. It’s crucial that our leaders have access to comprehensive and accurate science to guide their choices.

Climate Change 313

Climate Change Fossil Fuels Carbon Dioxide Paris Agreement 313

Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 23, 2024

With fossil-fuel pollution trapping heat and driving up global average temperatures, those warmer months are warmer than ever. We’ll be flagging fossil fuel accountability for climate harm. What happened to summer? Danger Season” follows that more direct gaze of the sun. And, in human history, I do mean ever.

2024 318

2024 Fossil Fuels Climate Change Ocean 318

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 10, 2024

Without the considerable carbon absorption capacity of our lands (and oceans), we’d currently have much more CO 2 in the atmosphere and an accelerated timeline of warming. In North America, the land carbon sink between 2004 and 2013 offset roughly 39% of fossil fuel emissions , but varied substantially year to year.

Atmosphere 265

Atmosphere Carbon Emissions Fossil Fuels Climate Change 265

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 3, 2022

The majority 6–3 decision sharply curtails the EPA’s authority to set standards based on a broad range of flexible options to cut carbon emissions from the power sector—options such as replacing polluting fossil fuels with cheap and widely available wind and solar power coupled with battery storage. There is no time to waste.

Climate Change 333

Climate Change Fossil Fuels Carbon Emissions Nitrogen Oxides 333

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 11, 2023

Heightened flood risk The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said in a recent outlook that about 44 percent of the United States is at risk of floods this spring, equating to about 146 million people. Fuel transport – Spring floods can hinder the transportation of fuels like coal.

Fossil Fuels 246

Fossil Fuels 2011 Climate Change Nuclear Power 246

Enviromental Defense

DECEMBER 2, 2024

In fact, studies show that clean energy is a more affordable option than continuing to rely on fossil fuels. The Atmospheric Fund has released analysis which indicates that Ontario is capable of ramping up renewable energy sources fast enough to meet its rising electricity demand and phase out gas-powered electricity by 2035.

Electricity 131

Electricity Regulations Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels 131

Union of Concerned Scientists

FEBRUARY 22, 2023

GOM communities, not fossil fuel interests, should determine policies that affect GOM people. ExxonMobil internal science, spanning from 1977 to 2003, featured graphs showing how temperatures would rise as a result of the heat-trapping emissions produced from burning the fossil fuels the company extracted, refined, marketed, and sold.

Fossil Fuels 246

Fossil Fuels Ocean Sea Level Carbon Dioxide 246

Physics World

JUNE 17, 2022

Levels of helium-4 in the Earth’s atmosphere have been increasing since at least 1974, according to a study by researchers at the University of California, San Diego, US that resolves a longstanding anomaly in atmospheric science. When the gas is extracted and burned, the helium is released into the atmosphere.

Atmosphere 98

Atmosphere Fossil Fuels Natural Gas Nuclear Power 98

Scientific American

MARCH 1, 2024

Fossil-fuel companies use captured carbon dioxide to extract more fossil fuels, leading to a net increase in atmospheric CO 2

Fossil Fuels 145

Fossil Fuels Carbon Dioxide Atmosphere 145

Inside Climate News

JANUARY 18, 2024

By Georgina Gustin The world’s oceans are massive and critical carbon sinks that absorb roughly one-third of the greenhouse gas emissions humans generate by burning fossil fuels and reshaping Earth’s landscape. Critics question whether “trawl disturbance” is different from the carbon flux that naturally occurs in oceans.

Fossil Fuels 137

Fossil Fuels Atmosphere Ocean Greenhouse 137

Real Climate

SEPTEMBER 19, 2021

But methane’s role in atmospheric chemistry and as a source of stratospheric water vapour means that it has a bigger effect on climate than just the direct effect of its concentration. There is also a very small impact of the CH 4 oxidation to CO 2 itself for any fossil-fuel derived methane. (a) W/m 2 for CH 4.

Carbon Dioxide 363

Carbon Dioxide Radiation Atmosphere Greenhouse 363

Union of Concerned Scientists

JUNE 20, 2024

The primary cause of accelerating sea level rise is human activity As people burn fossil fuels and emit heat-trapping gases like carbon dioxide, our atmosphere and our oceans warm up. As the ocean warms, it expands. Historically, this was the dominant cause of sea level rise. Source: IPCC AR6, WGI, Chapter 9, Cross-Chapter 9.1,

Sea Level 342

Sea Level Fossil Fuels Ocean Carbon Dioxide 342

Union of Concerned Scientists

FEBRUARY 15, 2024

Under the LCFS each fuel pathway gets a unique carbon intensity (CI) based on a lifecycle analysis of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production and use of the fuel. This approach holds fuel producers accountable for reducing fossil fuel use and other global warming pollution in their supply chains.

Fossil Fuels 332

Fossil Fuels Regulations Carbon Dioxide Renewable Energy 332

Circle of Blue

AUGUST 16, 2021

It finds more evidence that severe weather events are linked to carbon in the atmosphere and that those weather events are becoming more extreme. The report stated unequivocally, for the first time, that climate change is occurring due to “human influence,” namely the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation.

2021 264

2021 Atmosphere Climate Change Sea Level 264

Real Climate

JULY 10, 2022

The fact that there is a natural greenhouse effect (that the atmosphere restricts the passage of infra-red (IR) radiation from the Earth’s surface to space) is easily deducible from; i) the mean temperature of the surface (around 15ºC) and, ii) knowing that the planet is normally close to radiative equilibrium. in IPCC TAR).

Radiation 353

Radiation 2022 Greenhouse Atmosphere 353

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 4, 2024

Dr. Susan Avery, a physicist and atmospheric scientist, is the former director of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Massachusetts. The fossil fuel giant now claims to be “aligned” with the Paris climate agreement, all while it continues to massively expand oil and gas exploration and production and lobby against climate action.

Climate Scientist 334

Climate Scientist Fossil Fuels Climate Change Clean Energy 334

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 9, 2024

In addition, environmental justice advocates and frontline communities routinely point to the danger of concentrated carbon dioxide , embedded siting inequities , and the use of CCS to distract from the real work of phasing out fossil fuels.) Who needs units anyway?

Carbon Dioxide 346

Carbon Dioxide Fossil Fuels Climate Change Atmosphere 346

Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 25, 2023

This includes loopholes related to biomethane, whereby heavily polluting fossil fuel-fired hydrogen production facilities—the very facilities the tax credit is trying to incentivize a shift away from—can cloak themselves as “clean” and reap full tax credit rewards, without having done anything but pushed around paper.

Fossil Fuels 265

Fossil Fuels Carbon Dioxide Clean Energy Carbon Emissions 265

Union of Concerned Scientists

OCTOBER 27, 2022

There is still much we can do to bend that emissions curve sharply within this decade—but only if world leaders, especially leaders of richer countries and major emitting nations, take responsibility to act together quickly and fossil fuel companies are held accountable for their decades of obstruction and deception.

Fossil Fuels 265

Fossil Fuels 2030 Clean Energy Climate Change 265

Union of Concerned Scientists

OCTOBER 26, 2022

While there is enormous potential for UN climate negotiations to transform climate action, meaningful progress has been delayed in part by the fossil fuel industry’s deceptive tactics. Last year’s COP was notable as the first to explicitly mention “fossil fuels” in the final decision document.

Sea Level 246

Sea Level Fossil Fuels Paris Agreement Climate Change 246