There Might Be Hope for Us Yet!
Despite continued inaction by Congress, March was a really good month for clean-energy reform.
Catastrophic Consequences of Climate Change
Smog covers the skyline of Beirut while empty plastic bottles and trash pollute the shore of the Mediterranean off Dbayeh, a suburb of the Lebanese capital. (Photo: Joseph Eid/AFP/Getty Images)
Pacific Standard’s “Catastrophic Consequences of Climate Change” is an aggressive, year-long investigation into the devastating effects we can expect from anthropogenic global warming—and how scholars, activists, diplomats, and legislators can help stave off its most dire consequences.
After laying the groundwork with our lively and comprehensive around-the-clock coverage at COP21 in Paris (November 29-December 12, 2015), we’re dedicating a portion of our site and our daily coverage to reportage and essays from journalists, academics, and policymakers as we identify the policies and personalities that will determine, for good or ill, all global efforts to legislate this existential threat.
Along with interviews and profiles—from citizen-activists to oligarchs—we will publish photo-essays that explicate the toll of climate change on developing countries alongside infographics and key statistics about climate developments, and about public opinion. Early pieces will illustrate the political landscape while anticipating the major themes of the coming year. Subsequent entries in prose will include contributions from the world’s best thinkers and writers on climate change, as well as interviews with citizens in developing countries most at risk.
Pacific Standard’s “Catastrophic Consequences” special report—appearing online and with regular dispatches in print throughout 2016—will be the reader’s anchor in a sea of climate coverage—a comprehensive, ever-renewed resource on the most urgent policy question of the century. —Ted Scheinman
The Ethics of Geoengineering
In The Planet Remade, Oliver Morton considers ambitious—and controversial—arguments in favor of technological climate intervention.
We're Heading Toward Climate Emergency—Fast
Without conversion to clean energy, rising energy demand worldwide will accelerate global warming. Here's what that means for the developing world—and for the rest of us too.
Is Climate Change Cooking Our Coral Reefs?
El Niño storms seem to be strengthening due to climate change, and in turn intensifying coral bleaching. This is particularly vivid at Christmas Island, where the water has warmed the most.
Obama and Trudeau's Methane Pledge
The oil and gas industry is the United States' biggest emitter of methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
What China's Five-Year Plan Means for Global Warming
China is the world's biggest greenhouse gas emitter—and right now, Beijing is taking climate much more seriously than Washington is.
The Winds of Uruguay
The windswept South American country has become a world leader in wind energy in less than a decade.
Can Sports Aid in the Fight Against Climate Change?
Can sports teams muscle environmentalism into the mainstream?
The Link Between Climate Change and Malnutrition
In fewer than 40 years, the average person will have 3.2 percent less food available to him/her, according to a new study.
A 'Hiatus' in Global Warming?
When a study last month found evidence of a slowdown in global warming, climate science skeptics gloated. Here's why they're wrong.
The Future of Biomass After Paris
Amid conflicting assessments of the Paris Agreement, two things are clear: World governments still love carbon markets, and COP21 went a long way toward simply giving slash-and-burn agriculture a makeover.
Peruvian Communities Reel From Stronger El Niño
Talking to the locals in Lurigancho-Chosica, Peru, after a devastating season of landslides
What This Year's El Niño Means for California
Plus, what will happen once El Niño goes away?
Gas Companies Leak a Whole Lot of Methane
Even on a good day, Southern California's natural gas infrastructure is a major greenhouse gas emitter.
Just How Big Was the Porter Ranch Gas Leak?
Meet the man who provided the first estimations of the Porter Ranch gas leak.
Fiji's Climate Story Is Bigger Than Winston
The strongest storm ever recorded in the southern hemisphere just hit Fiji—a tiny country with big ambitions for climate action. Now the small Pacific nation just needs the world to follow its lead.
What Global Warming Looks Like in Every State
Climate change has affected different regions differently. See the effects in your hometown.
Our Understanding of Ice Streams
A new study of the ancient Laurentide Ice Sheet suggests that Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets may not accelerate as quickly as previously thought.
Why Clean Energy Needs National Action
U.S. states and cities are quickly embracing renewables, but green energy would be more effective—and much less expensive—with a nationwide plan.
Five Ways You Can Help Mitigate Climate Change
A number of little actions can go a long way.
Saving the Paris Agreement From the Supreme Court
The death of Antonin Scalia may have spared the historic agreement from a premature demise, but its constitutional underpinnings are still in jeopardy.
You Should Be Terrified by Climate Change
Climate change is set to erode the reef at a record pace. What used to take centuries is now happening in less than a generation.
The Supreme Court v. the Paris Agreement
As the Roberts court issues a stay on Obama's Clean Power Plan, the future of U.S. climate commitments remains uncertain.