We’re used to hearing about floods and wildfires, but there’s a great deal of climate change happening beneath the surface. You’ve likely heard about ocean acidification and coral bleaching, but there’s so much more we just can’t see. On a small research boat in Chesapeake Bay, a scientist collected water to study tiny living things called microbes. All around, people were enjoying the beach, unaware that dangerous bacteria called Vibrio were hiding in the water. Vibrio live naturally in oceans and rivers. Some types are harmless and even help the environment by recycling nutrients. But others can make people very sick—with symptoms like stomach cramps, diarrhea, or in rare cases,…

Special thanks to Jay Thompson for his contribution to this blog! Vanishing insects are the silent alarm of climate change—one we can’t afford to ignore. Some of my most cherished memories come from forests, such as the rainforests of Borneo, or in Tasmania where I was greeted by a curious pademelon at the entrance of my log cabin. In the Amazon rainforest I watched wild macaw parrots gather at clay licks — a vibrantly colorful and magical sight I wish everyone could experience. In nearly any forest on Earth, the productions of nature saturate our senses: the smell of moist ground and humid air, the sounds of birdsong, of tree…

Vanishing clouds? Why should we care? We usually think of clouds as just part of the weather—something that blocks the sun, brings rain, or makes cool shapes in the sky. But did you know that clouds also help protect our planet from getting too hot? A new study shows that certain types of clouds are disappearing, and that’s bad news for our warming world. What’s Happening? Scientists studied 20 years of satellite data to learn how clouds are changing. They found that the thick, low clouds that form over the ocean are shrinking. These clouds are important because they reflect sunlight back into space—kind of like a giant mirror. When…

We hear the most about carbon dioxide (CO2) because it’s the main greenhouse gas causing climate change. Most of the CO2 comes from burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas for things like electricity, cars, and factories. Since humans produce so much of it every day, CO2 has the biggest long-term impact on Earth’s temperature. That’s why people talk about it the most. We just reached 430 ppm CO2, a more than 50% increase since 1750. CO2 levels haven’t been this high in millions of years. That’s way before humans—or even most of the animals and plants we know today—existed. That’s a big warning sign for our planet. Don’t…

Alarming Forecast: The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a group that studies Earth’s weather and climate. They just released a new report that looks at what Earth’s climate might be like from 2025 to 2029, and it’s scary! This report, called the Global Annual to Decadal Climate Update, is something they publish regularly to help us understand what’s coming in the next few years. It uses powerful computer models to predict both long-term climate changes caused by things like greenhouse gas emissions and short-term natural patterns like El Niño, La Niña, and ocean cycles like the Atlantic Multidecadal Variability (AMV). What Does the Forecast Predict? 1. Super-hot years are probably…

Wildfires are becoming more common and intense, and human-caused climate change is a big reason why. Here’s a simple explanation of how climate change fuels wildfires. 🔥 Why Are Wildfires Getting Worse? As the Earth’s climate warms, certain areas experience hotter, drier conditions and thirstier air. This dries out trees, plants, and grass, making them more likely to catch fire. When a fire starts—due to lightning, human activity, or other causes—it can spread quickly and become harder to control. In fact, fire seasons are lasting longer and happening more often than they used to. Wildfires and Climate Change: A Two-Way Street Wildfires aren’t just caused by climate change—they can make…

Climate change is making it easier for diseases spread by insects, like mosquitoes and ticks, to affect more people around the world. As temperatures rise and weather patterns change, these insects can live in more places and for longer periods. Now we’re seeing a surrge of insect-related diseases. What Are Insect-Related Diseases? Insect-related, known as vector-borne, diseases are are illnesses transmitted to humans through carriers like mosquitoes and ticks. These carriers, or “vectors,” pick up harmful germs from one host and pass them to another. Examples include: Malaria Dengue fever Zika virus Chikungunya Yellow fever These diseases are responsible for over 700,000 deaths each year and make up more than…