Climate change and coastal erosion  British Geological Survey

GeoClimate UKCP09 and UKCP18  British Geological Survey

Monoclinic ferroelectric phases are prevalent in various functional materials, most notably mixed-ion perovskite oxides. These phases can manifest as regularly ordered long-range crystallographic structures or as macroscopic averages of the self-assembled tetragonal/rhombohedral nanodomains. The structural and physical properties of monoclinic ferroelectric phases play a pivotal role when exploring the interplay between ferroelectricity, ferroelasticity, giant piezoelectricity and multiferroicity in crystals, ceramics and epitaxial thin films. However, the complex nature of this subject presents challenges, particularly in deciphering the microstructures of monoclinic domains. In Paper I [Biran & Gorfman (2024). Acta Cryst. A80, 112–128] the geometrical principles governing the connection of domain microstructures formed by pairing MAB type monoclinic domains were elucidated. Specifically, a catalog was established of `permissible domain walls', where `permissible', as originally introduced by Fousek & Janovec [J. Appl. Phys. (1969), 40, 135–142], denotes a mismatch-free connection between two monoclinic domains along the corresponding domain wall. The present article continues the prior work by elaborating on the formalisms of permissible domain walls to describe domain microstructures formed by pairing the MC type monoclinic domains. Similarly to Paper I, 84 permissible domain walls are presented for MC type domains. Each permissible domain wall is characterized by Miller indices, the transformation matrix between the crystallographic basis vectors of the domains and, crucially, the expected separation of Bragg peaks diffracted from the matched pair of domains. All these parameters are provided in an analytical form for easy and intuitive interpretation of the results. Additionally, 2D illustrations are provided for selected instances of permissible domain walls. The findings can prove valuable for various domain-related calculations, investigations involving X-ray diffraction for domain analysis and the description of domain-related physical properties.

Following the work of Day & Hawthorne [Acta Cryst. (2022), A78, 212–233] and Day et al. [Acta Cryst. (2024), A80, 258–281], the program GraphT–T has been developed to embed graphical representations of observed and hypothetical chains of (SiO4)4− tetrahedra into 2D and 3D Euclidean space. During embedding, the distance between linked vertices (T–T distances) and the distance between unlinked vertices (T⋯T separations) in the resultant unit-distance graph are restrained to the average observed distance between linked Si tetrahedra (3.06±0.15 Å) and the minimum separation between unlinked vertices is restrained to be equal to or greater than the minimum distance between unlinked Si tetrahedra (3.713 Å) in silicate minerals. The notional interactions between vertices are described by a 3D spring-force algorithm in which the attractive forces between linked vertices behave according to Hooke's law and the repulsive forces between unlinked vertices behave according to Coulomb's law. Embedding parameters (i.e. spring coefficient, k, and Coulomb's constant, K) are iteratively refined during embedding to determine if it is possible to embed a given graph to produce a unit-distance graph with T–T distances and T⋯T separations that are compatible with the observed T–T distances and T⋯T separations in crystal structures. The resultant unit-distance graphs are denoted as compatible and may form crystal structures if and only if all distances between linked vertices (T–T distances) agree with the average observed distance between linked Si tetrahedra (3.06±0.15 Å) and the minimum separation between unlinked vertices is equal to or greater than the minimum distance between unlinked Si tetrahedra (3.713 Å) in silicate minerals. If the unit-distance graph does not satisfy these conditions, it is considered incompatible and the corresponding chain of tetrahedra is unlikely to form crystal structures. Using GraphT–T, Day et al. [Acta Cryst. (2024), A80, 258–281] have shown that several topological properties of chain graphs influence the flexibility (and rigidity) of the corresponding chains of Si tetrahedra and may explain why particular compatible chain arrangements (and the minerals in which they occur) are more common than others and/or why incompatible chain arrangements do not occur in crystals despite being topologically possible.

The title compound, [RuCl2(C25H22P2)2] or [RuCl2(dppm)2] (dppm = bis­(di­phenyl­phosphan­yl)methane, C25H22P2) crystallizes as two half-mol­ecules (completed by inversion symmetry) in space group Poverline{1} (Z = 2), with the RuII atoms occupying inversion centers at 0,0,0 and 1/2, 1/2, 1/2, respectively. The bidentate phosphane ligands occupy equatorial positions while the chlorido ligands complete the distorted octa­hedral coordination spheres at axial positions. The bite angles of the phosphane chelates are similar for the two mol­ecules [(P—Ru—P)avg. = 71.1°], while there are significant differences in the twisting of the methyl­ene backbone, with a distance of the methyl­ene C atom from the RuP4 plane of 0.659 (2) and 0.299 (3) Å, respectively, and also for the phenyl substituents for both mol­ecules due to variations in weak C—H⋯Cl inter­actions.

The title compound, C14H12O3, is an α-hy­droxy­carb­oxy­lic acid whose ortho­rhom­bic polymorph has been reported earlier [Qiu et al. (2007). Inorg. Chim. Acta, 360, 1819–1824]. The asymmetric unit contains two complete mol­ecules. Classical hydrogen bonds, as well as C—H⋯O contacts, connect the mol­ecules to infinite chains along the crystallographic c-axis direction.

The highly cytotoxic macrocyclic trichothecene Isororidin A (C29H40O9) was isolated from the fungus Myrothesium verrucaria endophytic on the wild medicinal plant `Datura' (Datura stramonium L.) and was characterized by one- (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) NMR spectroscopy. The three-dimensional structure of Isororidin A has been confirmed by X-ray crystallography at 0.81 Å resolution from crystals grown in the ortho­rhom­bic space group P212121, with one mol­ecule per asymmetric unit. Isororidin A is the epimer of previously described (by X-ray crystallography) Roridin A at position C-13' of the macrocyclic ring.

Traditional X-ray methods are extensively applied to commercial cement samples in order to determine their physical and chemical properties. Powder patterns are routinely used to quantify the composition of these phase mixtures, but structure determination becomes difficult because of reflection overlapping caused by the high number of different crystal structures. The fast-growing 3D electron diffraction technique and its related automated acquisition protocols arise as a potentially very interesting tool for the cement industry, since they enable the fast and systematic acquisition of diffraction data from individual particles. In this context, electron diffraction has been used in the investigation of the different crystalline phases present in various commercial clinkers for cement. Automated data collection procedures and subsequent data processing have enabled the structural characterization of the different crystal structures from which the α'H polymorph of Ca2SiO4 (belite) exhibited satellite reflections. Its average crystal structure has been known since 1971 and satellite reflections have been reported previously, yet the modulation was never fully described by means of the superspace formalism. Here, the incommensurately modulated structure is solved and refined using harmonic and crenel functions in the superspace group Pnma(α00)0ss, showing the potential of 3D electron diffraction for systematic crystallographic characterizations of cement. A full description of the different belite polymorphs is provided considering this modulated structure.

The crystal structure of the new triclinic polymorph of miconazole {MIC; C18H14Cl4N2O; systematic name: (RS)-1-[2-(2,4-di­chloro­benz­yloxy)-2-(2,4-di­chloro­phen­yl)eth­yl]-1H-imidazole} is reported and compared with the monoclinic form of solvent-free miconazole previously reported [Kaspiaruk & Chęcińska (2022). Acta Cryst. C78, 343–350]. A comparison shows a different orientation of imidazole and one di­chloro­phenyl ring between polymorphic mol­ecules. In the crystal structure of the title compound, only weak halogen bonds and C—H⋯π(arene) inter­actions are found. Hirshfeld surface analysis and energy framework calculations complement the comparison of the two polymorphic forms of the miconazole drug.

Two compounds, (S)-8-{[(tert-butyl­dimethyl­sil­yl)­oxy]meth­yl}-1-[(2,2,4,6,7-penta­methyl-2,3-di­hydro­benzo­furan-5-yl)sulfon­yl]-1,3,4,6,7,8-hexa­hydro-2H-pyrimido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-1-ium tri­fluoro­methane­sulfonate, C27H46N3O4SSi+·CF3O3S−, (1) and (S)-8-(iodo­meth­yl)-1-tosyl-1,3,4,6,7,8-hexa­hydro-2H-pyrimido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-1-ium iodide, C15H21IN3O2S+·I−, (2), have been synthesized and characterized. They are bicyclic guanidinium salts and were synthesized from N-(tert-but­oxy­carbon­yl)-l-me­thio­nine (Boc-l-Met-OH). The guanidine is protected by a 2,2,4,6,7-penta­methyl­dihydro­benzo­furan-5-sulfonyl (Pbf, 1) or a tosyl (2) group. In the crystals of both compounds, the guanidinium group is almost planar and the N–H forms an intra­molecular hydrogen bond in a six-membered ring to the oxygen atom of the sulfonamide protecting group.

The crystal structure of the title compound {systematic name: (4S,4aS,5aR,12aR)-4,7-bis­(di­methyl­amino)-9-[(2,2-di­methyl­propyl­amino)­meth­yl]-1,10,11,12a-tetra­hydroxy-3,12-dioxo-4a,5,5a,6-tetra­hydro-4H-tetra­cene-2-carb­oxamide dihydrate, C29H40N4O7·2H2O} has been solved and refined using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data: it crystallizes in space group R3 with a = 24.34430 (7), c = 14.55212 (4) Å, V = 7468.81 (2) Å3 and Z = 9. Most of the hydrogen bonds are intra­molecular, but two classical N—H⋯O inter­molecular hydrogen bonds (along with probable weak C—H⋯O and C—H⋯N hydrogen bonds) link the mol­ecules into a three-dimensional framework. The framework contains voids, which contain disordered water mol­ecules. Keto–enol tautomerism is apparently important in this mol­ecule, and the exact mol­ecular structure is ambiguous.

The complex, tri­chlorido­(1,4,11-tri­aza-8-azonia­tetra­cyclo­[6.6.2.04,16.011,15]hexa­decane 1-oxide-κO)zinc(II) monohydrate, [ZnCl3(C12H23N4O)]·H2O, (I), has monoclinic symmetry (space group P21/n) at 120 K. The zinc(II) center adopts a slightly distorted tetra­hedral coordination geometry and is coordinated by three chlorine atoms and the oxygen atom of the oxidized tertiary amine of the tetra­cycle. The amine nitro­gen atom, inside the ligand cleft, is protonated and forms a hydrogen bond to the oxygen of the amine oxide. Additional hydrogen-bonding inter­actions involve the protonated amine, the water solvate oxygen atom, and one of the chloro ligands.

The title compound, systematic name tris­(μ2-perfluoro-o-phenyl­ene)(μ2-3-phenyl-4H-chromen-4-one)-triangulo-trimercury, [Hg3(C6F4)3(C15H10O2)], crystallizes in the monoclinic P21/n space group with one flavone (FLA) and one cyclic trimeric perfluoro-o-phenyl­enemercury (TPPM) mol­ecule per asymmetric unit. The FLA mol­ecule is located on one face of the TPPM acceptor and is linked in an asymmetric coordination of its carbonyl oxygen atom with two Hg centers of the TPPM macrocycle. The angular-shaped complexes pack in zigzag chains where they stack via two alternating TPPM–TPPM and FLA–FLA stacking patterns. The distance between the mean planes of the neighboring TPPM macrocycles in the stack is 3.445 (2) Å, and that between the benzo-γ-pyrone moieties of FLA is 3.328 (2) Å. The neighboring stacks are inter­digitated through the shortened F⋯F, CH⋯F and CH⋯π contacts, forming a dense crystal structure.

Tetra­kis(μ-acetato-κ2O:O')bis­{[1,3-bis­(2,6-diiso­propyl­phen­yl)imidazol-2-yl­idene-κC2]chromium(II)} tetra­hydro­furan disolvate, [Cr2(C2H3O2)4(C27H36N4)2]·2C4H8O or [Cr2(OAc)4(IDipp)2]·2C4H8O (1), and tetra­kis­(μ-acetato-κ2O:O')bis­{[1,3-bis­(2,4,6-tri­methyl­phen­yl)imidazol-2-yl­idene-κC2]chromium(II)}, {Cr2(C2H3O2)4(C21H24N2)2] or [Cr2(OAc)4(IMes)2] (2), were synthesized from anhydrous chromium(II) acetate [Cr2(OAc)4] and the corresponding NHC (NHC = N-heterocyclic carbene) in toluene as solvent. Both complexes crystallize in the triclinic system, space group Poverline{1}. The mol­ecular structures consist of Cr2(OAc)4 paddle-wheels that carry two terminal NHC ligands. This leads to a square-pyramidal coordination of the chromium atoms.

A new polymorph of the diuretic chloro­thia­zide, 6-chloro-1,1-dioxo-2H-1,2,4-benzo­thia­zine-7-sulfonamide, C7H6ClN3O4S2, is described. Crystallized from basic aqueous solution, this monoclinic polymorph is found to be less thermodynamically favoured than the known triclinic polymorph and to feature only N—H⋯O type inter­molecular hydrogen bonds as opposed to the N—H⋯O and N—H⋯N type hydrogen bonds found in the P1 form.

The crystal structure of the title organic–inorganic hybrid salt, (C13H12N3)2[CdCl4], (I), has been reported with four mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit in a monoclinic cell [Vassilyeva et al. (2021). RSC Advances, 11, 7713–7722]. While using two different aldehydes in the oxidative cyclization–condensation involving CH3NH2·HCl to prepare a new monovalent cation with the imidazo[1,5-a]pyridinium skeleton, a new polymorph was obtained for (I) in space group P1 and a unit cell with approximately half the volume of the monoclinic form. The structural configurations of the two crystallographically non-equivalent organic cations as well as the geometry of the moderately distorted tetra­hedral CdCl42– dianion show minor changes. In the crystal, identically stacked cations and tetra­chloro­cadmate anions form separate columns parallel to the a axis. The loose packing of the anions leads to a minimal separation of approximately 9.53 Å between the metal atoms in the triclinic form versus 7.51 Å in the monoclinic one, indicating that the latter is packed slightly more densely. The two forms also differ by aromatic stacking motifs. Similar to the monoclinic polymorph, the triclinic one excited at 364 nm shows an intense unsymmetrical photoluminescent band with maximum at 403 nm and a full width at half maximum of 51 nm in the solid state.

The major principles and requirements of asymmetric and inclined double-crystal monochromators are re-examined and presented to guide their design and development for significantly reducing heat load density and gradient on the monochromators of fourth-generation synchrotron light sources and X-ray free-electron lasers.

This paper introduces a new 2D representation of the orientation distribution function for an arbitrary material texture. The approach is based on the isometric square torus mapping of the Clifford torus, which allows for points on the unit quaternion hypersphere (each corresponding to a 3D orientation) to be represented in a periodic 2D square map. The combination of three such orthogonal mappings into a single RGB (red–green–blue) image provides a compact periodic representation of any set of orientations. Square torus representations of five different orientation sampling methods are compared and analyzed in terms of the Riesz s energies that quantify the uniformity of the samplings. The effect of crystallographic symmetry on the square torus map is analyzed in terms of the Rodrigues fundamental zones for the rotational symmetry groups. The paper concludes with example representations of important texture components in cubic and hexagonal materials. The new RGB representation provides a convenient and compact way of generating training data for the automated analysis of material textures by means of neural networks.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has...

NASA released a workshop report on the UNBOUND-FEW workshop series, which was facilitated in part by Tribal Resilience Learning Network staff from the Alaska CASC. The workshop report reveals key recommendations for making data tools more useful for climate adaptation planning.

Source: Dr. Ram Selvaraju 10/18/2024

H.C. Wainwright & Co. analyst Dr. Ram Selvaraju, in a research report published on October 18, 2024, reiterated a Buy rating on Anavex Life Sciences Corp. (AVXL:NASDAQ) with a price target of US$40.00. The report follows Anavex's announcement of encouraging preliminary electroencephalography (EEG) biomarker results from Part A of the ongoing Phase 2 clinical study of ANAVEX3-71 for schizophrenia treatment.

Selvaraju highlighted the significance of these results, stating, "Preliminary results demonstrated a dose-dependent effect of ANAVEX3-71 on two key EEG biomarkers in patients with schizophrenia. Treatment with ANAVEX3-71 vs. placebo resulted in improvements in 40 Hz Auditory Steady-State Response (ASSR) Inter Trial Coherence (ITC) and Resting State Alpha Power."

The analyst viewed these developments positively, noting, "These results provide evidence of CNS target engagement and potential therapeutic effects of ANAVEX3-71 in schizophrenia. The observed changes reversed known EEG and ERP biomarker abnormalities associated with schizophrenia."

Regarding Anavex's lead candidate, blarcamesine, Selvaraju stated, "Anavex remains committed to completing the Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) submission to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) under the Centralized Procedure petitioning for approval of blarcamesine for treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in 4Q24."

The report also highlighted Anavex's progress with other clinical programs, including a pivotal Phase 2b/3 trial in Parkinson's disease and potential trials in Rett syndrome and Fragile X Syndrome.

Selvaraju's valuation methodology for Anavex Life Sciences is based on a discounted cash flow (DCF) approach. He explained, "We utilize a discounted cash flow (DCF)-driven methodology, which ascribes a total value of roughly US$3.25B to blarcamesine alone without ascribing value to any other pipeline assets. We employ a 50% probability of approval in Rett syndrome; 60% in Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD); and 50% in AD."

The analyst added, "Further, we apply a 12% discount rate and 1% terminal growth rate. We derive a total firm value of ~US$3.4B, which yields a 12-month price objective of US$40 per share, assuming 84.8M shares outstanding as of end-F2Q25."

Selvaraju also outlined several risk factors, including potential negative clinical data, regulatory approval challenges, and commercialization difficulties.

In conclusion, H.C. Wainwright & Co.'s maintenance of a Buy rating and US$40 price target reflects a positive outlook on Anavex Life Sciences' clinical progress and potential in developing treatments for neurological disorders. The share price at the time of the report of US$5.51 represents a potential return of approximately 626% to the analyst's target price, highlighting the significant upside potential if the company's clinical development plans prove successful.

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H.C. Wainwright & Co, LLC (the “Firm”) is a member of FINRA and SIPC and a registered U.S. Broker-Dealer. I, Raghuram Selvaraju, Ph.D. , certify that 1) all of the views expressed in this report accurately reflect my personal views about any and all subject securities or issuers discussed; and 2) no part of my compensation was, is, or will be directly or indirectly related to the specific recommendation or views expressed in this research report; and 3) neither myself nor any members of my household is an officer, director or advisory board member of these companies. None of the research analysts or the research analyst’s household has a financial interest in the securities of Anavex Life Sciences Corp. (including, without limitation, any option, right, warrant, future, long or short position). As of September 30, 2024 neither the Firm nor its affiliates beneficially own 1% or more of any class of common equity securities of Anavex Life Sciences Corp.. Neither the research analyst nor the Firm knows or has reason to know of any other material conflict of interest at the time of publication of this research report.

The research analyst principally responsible for preparation of the report does not receive compensation that is based upon any specific investment banking services or transaction but is compensated based on factors including total revenue and profitability of the Firm, a substantial portion of which is derived from investment banking services. Mr. Selvaraju, who is [the][an] author of this report, is the Chairman of and receives compensation from Relief Therapeutics Holding SA, a Swiss, commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company identifying, developing and commercializing novel, patent protected products in selected specialty, rare and ultra-rare disease areas on a global basis ("Relief"). You should consider Mr. Selvaraju's position with Relief when reading this research report. The firm or its affiliates received compensation from Anavex Life Sciences Corp. for non-investment banking services in the previous 12 months. The Firm or its affiliates did not receive compensation from Anavex Life Sciences Corp. for investment banking services within twelve months before, but will seek compensation from the companies mentioned in this report for investment banking services within three months following publication of the research report. The Firm does not make a market in Anavex Life Sciences Corp. as of the date of this research report. The securities of the company discussed in this report may be unsuitable for investors depending on their specific investment objectives and financial position. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. This report is offered for informational purposes only, and does not constitute an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities discussed herein in any jurisdiction where such would be prohibited. This research report is not intended to provide tax advice or to be used to provide tax advice to any person. Electronic versions of H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC research reports are made available to all clients simultaneously. No part of this report may be reproduced in any form without the expressed permission of H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC. Additional information available upon request. H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC does not provide individually tailored investment advice in research reports. This research report is not intended to provide personal investment advice and it does not take into account the specific investment objectives, financial situation and the particular needs of any specific person. Investors should seek financial advice regarding the appropriateness of investing in financial instruments and implementing investment strategies discussed or recommended in this research report. H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC’s and its affiliates’ salespeople, traders, and other professionals may provide oral or written market commentary or trading strategies that reflect opinions that are contrary to the opinions expressed in this research report. H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC and its affiliates, officers, directors, and employees, excluding its analysts, will from time to time have long or short positions in, act as principal in, and buy or sell, the securities or derivatives (including options and warrants) thereof of covered companies referred to in this research report. The information contained herein is based on sources which we believe to be reliable but is not guaranteed by us as being accurate and does not purport to be a complete statement or summary of the available data on the company, industry or security discussed in the report. All opinions and estimates included in this report constitute the analyst’s judgment as of the date of this report and are subject to change without notice. Securities and other financial instruments discussed in this research report: may lose value; are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; and are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.

( Companies Mentioned: AVXL:NASDAQ, )

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The United States and China, the world's two biggest carbon polluters, agreed to cooperate to curb climate change with urgency, just days before President Joe Biden hosts a virtual summit of world leaders to discuss the issue.

The agreement was reached by U.S. special envoy for climate John Kerry and his Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua during two days of talks in Shanghai last week, according to a joint statement.

The two countries "are committed to cooperating with each other and with other countries to tackle the climate crisis, which must be addressed with the seriousness and urgency that it demands," the statement said.

China is the world's biggest carbon emitter, followed by the United States. The two countries pump out nearly half of the fossil fuel fumes that are warming the planet's atmosphere. Their cooperation is key to a success of global efforts to curb climate change, but frayed ties over human rights, trade and China's territorial claims to Taiwan and the South China Sea have been threatening to undermine such efforts.

Meeting with reporters in Seoul on Sunday, Kerry said the language in the statement is "strong" and that the two countries agreed on "critical elements on where we have to go." But the former secretary of state said, "I learned in diplomacy that you don't put your back on the words, you put on actions. We all need to see what happens."

Noting that China is the world's biggest coal user, Kerry said he and Chinese officials had a lot of discussions on how to accelerate a global energy transition. "I have never shied away from expressing our views shared by many, many people that it is imperative to reduce coal, everywhere," he said.

Biden has invited 40 world leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, to the April 22-23 summit. The U.S. and other countries are expected to announce more ambitious national targets for cutting carbon emissions ahead of or at the meeting, along with pledging financial help for climate efforts by less wealthy nations.

It's unclear how much Kerry's China visit would promote U.S.-China cooperation on climate issues.

While Kerry was still in Shanghai, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng signaled Friday that China is unlikely to make any new pledges at next week's summit.

"For a big country with 1.4 billion people, these goals are not easily delivered," Le said during an interview with The Associated Press in Beijing. "Some countries are asking China to achieve the goals earlier. I am afraid this is not very realistic."

During a video meeting with German and French leaders Friday, Xi said that climate change "should not become a geopolitical chip, a target for attacking other countries or an excuse for trade barriers," the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

On whether Xi would join the summit, Le said "the Chinese side is actively studying the matter."

The joint statement said the two countries "look forward to" next week's summit. Kerry said Sunday that "we very much hope that (Xi) will take part" in the summit but it's up to China to make that decision.

Biden, who has said that fighting global warming is among his highest priorities, had the United States rejoin the historic 2015 Paris climate accord in the first hours of his presidency, undoing the U.S. withdrawal ordered by predecessor Donald Trump.

Major emitters of greenhouse gases are preparing for the next U.N. climate summit taking place in Glasgow, U.K., in November. The summit aims to relaunch global efforts to keep rising global temperatures to below 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) as agreed in the Paris accord.

According to the U.S.-China statement, the two countries would enhance "their respective actions and cooperating in multilateral processes, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement."

It said both countries also intend to develop their respective long-term strategies before the Glasgow conference and take "appropriate actions to maximize international investment and finance in support of" the energy transition in developing countries.

Xi announced last year that China would be carbon-neutral by 2060 and aims to reach a peak in its emissions by 2030. In March, China's Communist Party pledged to reduce carbon emissions per unit of economic output by 18% over the next five years, in line with its goal for the previous five-year period. But environmentalists say China needs to do more.

Biden has pledged the U.S. will switch to an emissions-free power sector within 14 years, and have an entirely emissions-free economy by 2050. Kerry is also pushing other nations to commit to carbon neutrality by then.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry tells NPR that the U.S., China and other major emitters aren't doing enough to stem climate change.; Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images

President Biden is pledging to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50-52% from 2005 levels by 2030.

It's an ambitious goal that requires transforming much of the economy. Renewable energy would need to make up half of the U.S. power supply from roughly 21% currently. Electric cars make up about 2% of sales now — by 2030, at least half, potentially all, new car sales would need to be electric, according to estimates. Many industrial manufacturing facilities would need to use technologies that haven't been developed.

It's part of Biden's effort to get the U.S. on track to reach the goals of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement to keep global temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. Former President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the agreement but Biden has formally rejoined.

John Kerry is Biden's special envoy for climate, a position that involves meeting with countries around the world about efforts to stem emissions.

He calls the threat of climate change "existential."

"That means life and death. And the question is, are we behaving as if it is? And the answer is no," Kerry said in an interview on NPR's All Things Considered.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity and includes extended Web-only answers.

Interview Highlights

Is this more a matter of shoot for the moon and if you miss, at least you'll land among the stars?

No, I think it's achievable. And I think that people who've really studied this, analyzed it and thought about it for a long period of time believe it is achievable.

Already the [car] marketplace is moving towards electric. I mean, you know, Joe Biden didn't create the value of Tesla as the most valuable automobile company in the world. The market did that. And the market did it because that's where people are moving.

The scale of change that you're talking about in the timeframe that is required is something we've never seen in human history.

Let me put it to you this way. How many politicians, how many scientists, how many people have stood up and said, "This is existential for us on this planet"? Existential. That means life and death. And the question is, are we behaving as if it is? And the answer is no.

So why are younger generation folks so angry? Why are they standing up and demonstrating and asking adults to accept adult responsibility to move our nations in the right direction? Because the scientists are telling them that. They learn about this in high school and college. They read. They know what's happening. They know we're experiencing the hottest day in human history, the hottest week, the hottest month, the hottest year. And we see the results. Fires, floods, mudslides, drought, crop disruption, ice melting in the Arctic, run the list.

Climate change is still seen as a partisan issue in the U.S., and Republicans could take over Congress next year. A Republican could win the White House in three years. So why should global leaders view this as a reliable commitment from the United States when GOP leaders have not bought in?

For two reasons. No. 1, when Donald Trump was president of the United States and he pulled out of the agreement, 37 governors in the United States, Republican and Democrats alike, stood up and said, "We're still in." And states, those 37 states, have passed renewable portfolio laws. So at the state level, people are moving because they know it's better for their state. It's a safer, better delivery of power to their state, and it's the way it's going to move.

The second part of the answer: Masses of capital, trillions of dollars, are going to move into the energy market, which is the largest market the world has ever seen and going to grow now. Multiple double-digit trillions of dollars of market. And no politician can come along and tell those banks, or those asset managers or those investors or those venture capitalists or the companies, the corporations that are doing this, they know this is where the market's going to be in the future.

If the $2 trillion infrastructure and jobs plan that the president has put forth does not pass the Senate, does this goal to cut emissions in half by 2030 effectively die with the bill?

Well, it doesn't die, but it certainly takes a blow, a serious one. But the companies I've talked about are going to move in this direction no matter what. I mean, if you look at the biggest companies in America, these folks are all pushing to get this done because they know that the world is going to be better off and that their businesses are going to be better off if we do that. This is a real challenge for all of us, and I think people are waking up to it all around the world.

Let me ask you a question. Why do you think 40 heads of state, including President Xi of China, President Putin of Russia, Prime Minister Modi of India, huge populations come together and say, "We have to do this"? Do they know something that some of these opponents of it don't know or aren't willing to admit? I mean, the only leader in the entire world that saw fit to pull out of the Paris agreement was Donald Trump.

But it's so easy to make commitments and we haven't seen countries follow through on those commitments.

This is accurate. They're doing things; they're not doing enough. There are very few countries that are doing enough. Most countries are not. And of the 20 countries that equal 81% of all the emissions, they are the critical ones that have to do more. And we're among them. We are 15% of all the world's emissions. China is 30%. Does China need to do more? Absolutely. All of the 20 need to do more.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

The logo of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is seen at the Nation Hurricane Center in Miami on Aug. 29, 2019. President Biden has nominated Rick Spinrad to head NOAA.; Credit: Eva Marie Uzcategui/Getty Images

President Biden is nominating Rick Spinrad to lead the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the government's premier agency on climate science which oversees the National Weather Service.

Prior to his current role as a professor of oceanography at Oregon State University, Spinrad served as NOAA's top scientist under President Obama and the U.S. representative to the United Nations' Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.

The nomination comes at a difficult moment in NOAA's history. The agency has been without an official, Senate-confirmed leader since former President Donald Trump took office in January 2017, after his two nominees to lead the agency failed to garner enough support to win a full vote before the Senate.

If Spinrad manages to win over the Senate, he will have to contend with a challenge beyond the agency's already-rigorous scientific mandate: restoring public confidence in a traditionally apolitical agency marred by political scandal.

In September 2019, then-President Trump wrongly said Alabama was in the projected path of Hurricane Dorian. He continued to reassert the claim for several days, including during an Oval Office briefing on the storm — in which he displayed what appeared to be an official National Weather Service map in which the storm's projected path was extended to Alabama by someone using a black marker.

After a National Weather Service office in Birmingham put out a tweet correctly stating that Alabama would not feel the effects of the storm, NOAA published an unsigned defense of the president's claims and rebuking its professional staff who posted the message.

Dan Sobien, then-president of the National Weather Service Employees Organization, said at the time that "the hard working employees of the NWS had nothing to do with the utterly disgusting and disingenuous tweet sent out by NOAA management."

If confirmed, Spinrad will lead a 12,000-person agency charged with a diverse portfolio that spans daily weather forecasts, climate monitoring, fisheries management and coastal restoration.

In a statement, the Environmental Defense Fund's Eric Schwaab applauded Spinrad's nomination, saying that NOAA's workers "couldn't ask for a better leader to restore scientific integrity and honor the agency's mission."

Biden, whose administration has made climate action a central focus, has proposed the largest budget in NOAA's history — $6.9 billion, a $1.5 billion increase over the 2021 budget allocated by Congress. It remains to be seen whether Congress will agree to the increase.

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to the media about the cruise industry during a press conference at PortMiami in April. DeSantis faces criticism for failing to do all he could on Florida's biggest environmental threat: climate change.; Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Brick by brick, the stucco shell of a new flood-resilient public works building is taking shape blocks from the beach, the most visible sign yet of a small community's enormous task staving off the rising sea.

"This is actually the highest point in the city," Satellite Beach City Manager Courtney Barker said, adding that right next door to the new public works building will be a new fire station.

It's a close-knit community established by rocket scientists south of Kennedy Space Center, on a low-slung barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and Indian River Lagoon.

By 2040, community leaders expect significant impacts associated with climate change. Already flooding is a problem, and beach-front homes perch precariously atop a sand dune left exposed after a series of storms and hurricanes washed away a sea wall.

The needs are great, and in Gov. Ron DeSantis, Barker sees a potential ally.

"At least he talks about climate change as actually being real, so that's good," she said. "And he's putting money toward it so that's encouraging."

But Barker also feels DeSantis is doing only part of the job.

"We desperately need to grow up as a state and realize that we need to get our emissions down," Barker said.

Since his election in November 2018, DeSantis is making good on some of his environmental promises, including what he likes to call "resilience," a new buzzword for climate adaptation. But as the governor prepares for a reelection bid in 2022, and is seen as a potential Republican frontrunner for the presidency in 2024, DeSantis faces criticism for failing to do all he could on Florida's biggest environmental threat: climate change.

Some of his critics acknowledge that the $1 billion Resilient Florida plan he announced in January could be a first step toward helping some communities pay for adaptation. But critics also point out that DeSantis has done almost nothing to put Florida on a path to scaling back the state's heavy reliance on fossil fuels.

"I would give him probably a C-minus," said former Republican Gov. Charlie Crist, who served from 2007 to 2011, and now represents St. Petersburg in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat.

Crist still gets plaudits from environmentalists for his administration's climate initiatives, including a cap-and-trade system to curb carbon emissions and an executive order that was intended to put the state on a path to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050. But those were basically abandoned by Gov. Rick Scott, the Republican now serving in the U.S. Senate.

Crist, who switched parties and this week announced he is running for governor in 2022, said DeSantis should be "encouraging renewables such as wind energy, solar energy, and particularly solar. I mean, my goodness, we're the Sunshine State."

DeSantis' press office declined to make the governor available for an interview and did not respond to written questions.

In comments at two press conferences earlier this year, the governor cited his support for spending hundreds of millions of dollars on water projects and Everglades restoration as evidence of his environmental credentials, while promising to double down on funding for coastal resilience.

Florida needs "to tackle the challenges posed by flooding, intensified storm events [and] sea level rise," he said. "When you look at how an insurance market would view property insurance, and to see that Florida is leading and trying to get ahead of some of these impacts, we think it'll be a very smart thing to do."

Lawmakers have had their own ideas on how to handle climate threats, and have passed two bills that, when taken together, are similar to DeSantis' Resilient Florida proposal.

"It's not exactly as he said he wanted it, but it's close," said Jonathan Webber, deputy director of Florida Conservation Voters. "These are policies that need to happen. It would have been better if they happened 20 years ago."

"I am not a global warming person"

In his 2018 campaign, DeSantis appealed directly to supporters of former President Donald Trump, such as in this ad where he tells one of his children to "build the wall" with toy blocks. The environment was a major issue in that election.

Residents were grappling with a toxic red tide and blue-green algae crisis that made beaches and waterways unsafe, and left marine-life belly-up.

In recent years Floridians have also experienced deadly, devastating consequences of back-to-back major hurricanes.

All the while, advocates were highlighting likely links between the state's environmental woes and global warming.

Florida's climate challenges are among the biggest in the country. Beyond those related to hurricanes intensified by climate change, they include sea level rise, extreme heat, drought and increasing health threats from mosquito-borne diseases.

By its own numbers, the DeSantis administration predicts that with sea level rise, $26 billion in residential property statewide will be at risk of chronic flooding by 2045.

But in 2018, DeSantis let voters know that he had clear limits when it came to climate change.

"I am not in the pews of the church of the global warming leftists," DeSantis told reporters at one 2018 campaign stop. "I am not a global warming person. I don't want that label on me."

Early plaudits from environmentalists

Once in office, DeSantis won early plaudits for directives aimed at cleaning up water and helping Florida adapt to climate change. He appointed the first state resilience officer and the first chief scientist, and ordered Florida's Department of Environmental Protection to make sure its decisions were based on the best available science.

In 2019, they approved of DeSantis' order to his environmental regulators to oppose fracking, but he since has failed to get his Republican colleagues in the legislature to pass a statewide fracking ban, something he advocated for during his campaign. The state's oil and gas industry does not currently use fracking as a drilling method, but environmentalists are worried it might start doing so, resulting in water pollution.

Environmental groups also praised DeSantis in 2020 when the governor announced the state was backing a plan to buy 20,000 acres of the Everglades to prevent oil development there.

And they did the same when DeSantis backed spending $166 million in settlement money Florida received from Volkswagen on electric vehicle charging stations and cleaner electric buses. The money, part of a larger $14.7 billion settlement, came after the German automaker was caught lying about its cars' diesel emissions.

"Everyone was optimistic," said Susan Glickman, the Florida director for the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. "I kept hearing an opening on climate."

Two years later, though, Glickman and other advocates are assessing DeSantis' climate record much like this: He's done more than previous Governor Scott, but that's not saying much.

DeSantis quietly replaced his chief science officer in March with Mark Rains, a professor, and chair and director of the School of Geosciences at the University of South Florida. But he never has replaced his chief resilience officer after she left for the Trump administration after only a few months in the position.

"Missing in action" on renewables

In many ways, it's what DeSantis hasn't done that defines his climate record. He has chosen not to use his bully pulpit to advocate for a clean-energy future, like his Democratic Party counterparts in the Southeast states of North Carolina and Virginia, or like the mayors of Orlando and Tampa.

DeSantis has also been "missing in action" in debate over bills this year in the Florida legislature that would undermine local government efforts to transition to clean energy, said Webber, with the Florida Conservation Voters group.

One such bill, that has passed the House and Senate and awaits DeSantis' consideration, would ban local governments from restricting fuel sources. The oil and gas industry has supported such measures around the country. They aim to block the push by climate activists to ban natural gas hook-ups in new buildings, and electrify them instead to reduce carbon emissions.

Of course, electrification only reduces emissions if it's powered by renewable energy. But Florida has no requirement that utilities provide a certain amount of that. Solar power accounts for only about 2.5% of the electricity produced by utilities, while they rely on fossil fuels for about 84%.

When DeSantis had a chance to appoint someone to the state's powerful Florida Public Service Commission, a regulatory body with a big say in state energy policy, he chose the Florida chairman of the American Legislative Exchange Council, a group known for its support of fossil fuels.

"We are very frustrated by the messaging, and the lack of acknowledgement of the root of the problem of all these issues," said Yoca Arditi-Rocha, executive director of The CLEO Institute, a nonprofit that focuses on climate science education.

"We need to acknowledge the warming temperatures and the rising seas are a result of our warming climate," she said. "We cannot adapt our way out of it. We need to aggressively tackle mitigation."

"What places can we not save?"

In Satellite Beach, Courtney Barker, the city manager who welcomes the governor's help with adapting to climate change, also wants to see him tackle the emissions side of the equation.

Besides moving the public works building and fire station to higher ground, the community is fortifying its system of flood control. Barker said the community needs more funding opportunities from the state.

"We're looking for assistance in helping us engineer our way out of it," she said.

Marine and climate scientist Jeff Chanton, of Florida State University, thinks there's too much emphasis on sea walls, which can cause beach erosion and destroy tidal zones vital to marine life, including crabs and turtles.

"An ideal governor would try to lessen the impacts of growth in this state, especially along our coastlines," he said.

Before her departure, Julia Nesheiwat, DeSantis' chief resilience officer, characterized the state's infrastructure as "outdated" in a report, and called its resilience strategy "disjointed."

For Thomas Ruppert, an attorney and coastal planning specialist with Florida Sea Grant, DeSantis' emphasis on hardening infrastructure ignores that — for some communities — the investments will be futile in staving off the inevitable.

"Ultimately, what we really need is to start talking seriously [about] what places can we not save? And what is an exit strategy? Because we have no idea," Ruppert said.

Barker hopes it doesn't come to that in Satellite Beach, where she grew up.

"It's personal to all of us, because I think everyone can look at their own hometown, and you can't imagine being anywhere else."

This story is a collaboration between Inside Climate News and WMFE Orlando, a member of ICN's National Reporting Network-Southeast.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

A rollercoaster that once sat on the Funtown Pier in Seaside Heights, N.J., rests in the ocean on Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012 after the pier was washed away by superstorm Sandy.; Credit: Julio Cortez/AP

When Hurricane Sandy swept up the eastern seaboard in 2012, it left a trail of damage from Florida to Maine. Subways were inundated in New York City. Hurricane-force winds tore across New Jersey. Blizzard conditions walloped Appalachia.

The hurricane — also known as Superstorm Sandy — caused an estimated $70 billion in damages in the U.S., mostly from flooding. And while scientists have long believed that some of the carnage was attributable to a warming climate, it's been unclear just how much of a role human-caused warming played in the storm's impacts. New research, published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications, puts a dollar amount on some of those damages and it's a startling figure.

Using flood maps and sea-level rise measurements, researchers found that human-induced sea-level rise caused an estimated $8 billion in excess flooding damage during Hurricane Sandy and affected an additional 70,000 people.

"I often hear people say when we're trying to help them adapt to increasing coastal flooding, 'Well, it's not going to happen in my lifetime, the sea-level rise won't happen in my lifetime,'" said Philip Orton, a co-author of the study from the Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey. "But it's already happening to people. It's already here."

Sea levels at the tip of Manhattan have risen about 8 inches since 1950, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Estimates range for how much additional sea-level rise is likely to occur, but on average, the expectation is that by mid-century water levels could rise by more than a foot in New York City, compared to the year 2000.

In worst case scenarios, in which humanity does not significantly cut its climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions and the world's ice sheets rapidly melt, sea levels could rise by more than 6 feet by the end of the century, putting hundreds of millions of people at risk worldwide.

Higher water levels mean more areas are susceptible to flooding, storm surge and other problems associated with hurricanes, as well as more chronic flooding from high tides.

The Biden administration has made addressing climate change one of its top priorities. It's proposed a major reconfiguration of the nation's energy and transportation sectors to cut the country's outsized contribution to global warming, with the goal of making the U.S. carbon neutral by the year 2050. Accomplishing that feat will require major federal investments and likely bipartisan support. It's unclear if the administration will be able to procure the latter.

The new study, which joins a growing body of broader attribution science, aims to quantify the cost of inaction and business as usual. Similar studies found that climate change fueled the strength of Hurricane Harvey, increased the risk of Australia's recent unprecedented fire season and contributed to a record-breaking heatwave in Europe.

Scientists have debated whether Hurricane Sandy was made more intense by a warming climate, but it's difficult to know. Generally, there's agreement in the scientific community that hotter global temperatures and warmer ocean waters will lead to more rapid intensification of hurricanes.

Quantifying exactly how much those climatic differences affected a storm like Sandy is difficult. That's why Orton and the team of researchers focused their efforts on sea-level rise, where there's a bevvy of good data. They used that data to model the impacts of Hurricane Sandy in a world without climate change and found the estimated $8 billion difference.

"Increasingly we have the tools to simulate these events and study and quantify the impact of climate change on people's lives," Orton said. "People's lives were dramatically changed by Hurricane Sandy and a lot of them don't realize it had to do with climate change at all."

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Crews searching the building collapse site in Surfside, Fla., have discovered four more victims since Monday, bringing the death toll to 32. Authorities have identified 26 of the bodies.

Another 113 people were unaccounted for, though local officials said they had only been able to confirm that about 70 of those people were in the building at the time of the collapse nearly two weeks ago.

Detectives are continuing to follow up on reports submitted about possible victims in the partial collapse, but in some cases they have been unable to reach those who submitted the tips in the first place.

"People call anonymously. People call and don't leave return phone numbers. People call with partial information, not enough to really secure whether that person may or may not have been in the building," Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told reporters on Tuesday.

Some of the reports of possible victims are also incomplete, she said, including a name but no apartment number or no date of birth.

Levine Cava urged people who are missing loved ones to communicate with local authorities. She said there may also be victims of the collapse who have not been reported missing.

The rescue effort stopped briefly overnight due to lightning from a passing storm. Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said high winds were hampering the cranes moving heavy debris from the collapse site.

Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez said Florida has declared a state of emergency ahead of Tropical Storm Elsa, which is expected to reach hurricane strength before making landfall Wednesday morning on the state's west coast.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

“The technology services industry, at some level, is recession proof,” Premji said at the company’s 76th annual general meeting on Tuesday. “In good times, clients spend on new initiatives and business transformation and serving customers digitally. They focus on reducing costs when times are not so good,” he said addressing a question on inflation concerns.

The expansion will more than double clinic space. It will allow the clinic to provide routine dental services, such as cleanings, fillings, sealants, and extractions, to an additional 1,500 children and young adults. During the renovation, the current dental practice will remain open and operate under current hours

Used cooking oil will be accepted only at the Blackburn Solidwaste Convenience Center at 3864 Rocky Ford Road, Newton, NC 28658. No business waste accepted. The Blackburn Solidwaste Convenience Center is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The agreement would substantially increase the number of items collected for recycling across Catawba County, with further expansion of items collected as needed over time; begin �single stream� collection of recyclable commodities so recycled materials would no longer be required to be separated at curbside; increase Republic Services� investment in Catawba County by $13 million; and protect more than 150 local jobs.

A new County Solid Waste Franchise with Republic Services (formerly known as GDS), effective July 1, is bringing expanded recycling, new fee schedule, services.

Catawba County offers electronics and paint recycling, year round, at Blackburn Landfill during regular landfill operating hours, as of July 1.

Marijuanas active components are potentially effective in treating pain, nausea, the anorexia of AIDS wasting, and other symptoms, and should be tested rigorously in clinical trials.

Long-term population trends for some North American pollinators -- bees, birds, bats, and other animals and insects that spread pollen so plant fertilization can occur -- are demonstrably downward, says a new report from the National Research Council.

While every mode of transportation in the U.S. will be affected as the climate changes, potentially the greatest impact on transportation systems will be flooding of roads, railways, transit systems, and airport runways in coastal areas because of rising sea levels and surges brought on by more intense storms, says a new report from the National Research Council.

Rates of physical and sexual abuse of children have declined over the last 20 years, but for reasons not fully understood, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine. Yet, reports of psychological and emotional child abuse have risen in the same period, and data vary significantly as to whether child neglect is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant.

The U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the Royal Society, the national science academy of the U.K., released a joint publication today in Washington, D.C., that explains the clear evidence that humans are causing the climate to change, and that addresses a variety of other key questions commonly asked about climate change science.

There is no substitute for dramatic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate the negative consequences of climate change, a National Research Council committee concluded in a two-volume evaluation of proposed climate-intervention techniques.

Conducting clinical investigations of mitochondrial replacement techniques (MRT) in humans is ethically permissible as long as significant conditions and principles are met, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

It is now possible to estimate the influence of climate change on some types of extreme events, such as heat waves, drought, and heavy precipitation, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Today President Obama signed a Presidential Memorandum to address climate change and national security. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine look forward to taking the lead in engaging the academic community in efforts to guide this initiative, and are well-positioned to tap the broad, multidisciplinary expertise of researchers across the nation.

In response to alarming evidence of high rates of depression and suicide among U.S. health care workers, the National Academy of Medicine is launching a wide-ranging “action collaborative” of multiple organizations to promote clinician well-being and resilience.

Mobilization of a rapid and robust clinical research program that explores whether investigational therapeutics and vaccines are safe and effective to combat the next infectious disease epidemic will depend on strengthening capacity in low-income countries for response and research, engaging people living in affected communities, and conducting safety trials before an epidemic hits, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Cognitive training, blood pressure management for people with hypertension, and increased physical activity all show modest but inconclusive evidence that they can help prevent cognitive decline and dementia, but there is insufficient evidence to support a public health campaign encouraging their adoption, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Halting the opioid epidemic requires aggressive action across multiple dimensions, including informed, active, and determined front-line leadership from health clinicians working in every setting throughout the nation, says a new National Academy of Medicine (NAM) special publication developed at the request of the National Governors Association to assist the nation’s governors as they work with clinicians to counter the opioid crisis.

The ocean plays a critical role in climate and weather, serving as a massive reservoir of heat and water that influences tropical storms, El Nin~o, and climate change.

An op-ed in today’s Wall Street Journal questions the conclusions of a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine analysis, issued earlier this year, of a draft of the federal government’s U.S. Global Change Research Program’s Climate Science Special Report (CSSR).

NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) should implement a coordinated approach for their space-based environmental observations to further advance Earth science and applications for the next decade, says a new report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are launching a major initiative to more effectively enable their extensive body of work on climate science, impacts, and response options to inform the public and decision makers.