Monica Ainhorn Morrison

Exclusive: NSF faces radical shake-up as officials abolish its 37 divisions Changes seen as a response to presidential directives on what research to fund

Things are going from bad to worse at NSF; www.science.org/content/arti...

Climate intervention

We advise caution, more responsible science communication, and for enough time to elapse before considering inclusion of new science to allow the diverse community of experts to evaluate the significance of new findings in relation to the current body of knowledge.

Brief communication: Sea-level projections, adaptation planning, and actionable science Abstract. As climate scientists seek to deliver actionable science for adaptation planning, there are risks in using novel results to inform decision-making. Premature acceptance can lead to maladapta...

Our paper defining actionable scientific results for sea level rise has been published. We look at the implications of using the conclusions of novel studies published in high impact journals in near-term decisions. egusphere.copernicus.org/preprints/20...

Need to do better to communicate potential for error. They bias correct in response to Simpson et al. 2024, but the trend error might be due to incorrect processes in GCMs. This isn't going to make it more reliable data, and given this will be used outside research, there's potential for harm here.

These additions would help with unintentional misuse of downscaled data, but might also provide means to hold people accountable for intentional misuse.

That note is a start, but we need recommendations like this to be the first thing people see, caveats on use contained as descriptive metadata, and more information on the potential implications of misuse.

Removing Carbon From the Sky Could Be the Next Climate Gold Rush Investors are betting that they can make a dent in global warming, and healthy profits, with companies that alter the atmosphere.

If you were to write a piece on carbon removal at the end of 2024, would it be about billionaires investing in a "gold rush"?

Or about flight from a sector that has no clear and durable business model, in the face of decreasing climatetech funding and net-zero talk?

www.nytimes.com/2024/12/22/c...

Three small Christmas presents Court rulings, data centers, and something nice on the balcony

Important new study shows that the best way to power data centers is with solar microgrids!
Also, 1.5 million Germans have hung solar panels off their balconies this year, and now Spaniards are copying them!
Also, kids in Montana win huge climate fight!
billmckibben.substack.com/p/three-smal...

CESM Winter Working Group registration is open. We will have one for Climate Justice in Earth System Modeling later in the spring www.cesm.ucar.edu/events/worki...

Our new paper (led by @janasillmann.bsky.social) consolidates and refines a lot of the learning that took place at the @wcrpclimate.bsky.social Open Science Conference in Kigali, Rwanda last year. Paper led by session leaders and participants showing how extreme events link with climate services.

Insurers Are Dropping Homeowners as Climate Shocks Worsen Without insurance, it’s impossible to get a mortgage; without a mortgage, most Americans can’t buy a home.

The reasons for insurance instability are complex, but not unknown. A combination of inflation, reinsurance, litigation, population growth, rising catastrophe loss costs, and higher hazard risk fueled by climate change all play a role.

This is a 50 state challenge.

www.nytimes.com/interactive/...