Climate
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Can Hungary’s Famous Paprika Survive a Hotter Climate?
Paprika may be sitting quietly in your spice cabinet, but in Hungary, it’s a big deal. The bright red spice is an essential part of Hungarian cooking and culture. It gives dishes such as goulash their famous color and flavor, and strings of red peppers drying outside homes were once a familiar sight in Hungary’s countryside. But today, the farmers who grow those peppers are struggling. Extreme heat, drought, pests, rising costs, worker shortages, and cheaper imports are making Hungary’s famous paprika increasingly difficult to produce. And climate change is adding even more pressure. A Brutal Summer for Paprika Farmers Imagine working in a field from before sunrise until nearly…
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Butterflies Are on the Move — and That’s a Warning Sign
Butterflies are turning up in places they’ve never lived before. And they’re vanishing from places they’ve called home for generations. Climate change seems to be a big reason why. In the largest study of its kind, an international team led by Shawan Chowdhury at Monash University in Australia combed through more than 6,000 records of butterfly movements, covering 1,758 species in 105 countries. Their results, published in August in Nature Ecology & Evolution, are striking: about 1 in 10 butterfly species worldwide has already changed where it lives, and climate change or extreme weather was connected to nearly 80% of those moves. But here’s the kicker: that 1-in-10 number is…
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What Happens When Earthquakes Hit a Thawing Arctic?
What a rockslide on a tiny Arctic island can teach us about a warming world Way up in the Arctic, about halfway between Iceland and Norway’s Svalbard islands, there’s a skinny little island called Jan Mayen. It’s about 30 miles long. It has one volcano — a big one, Beerenberg — a handful of glaciers sliding down its sides, and no permanent residents except a rotating crew of about eighteen people who run a weather station. It is, in other words, one of the loneliest places on Earth. Which makes what happened there on March 10, 2025, easy to miss. That day, a magnitude 6.5 earthquake rattled the island. And…
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The Biggest Climate Culprit Isn’t What Vegans Think
By Holly Shaftel, contributing writer After 12 years in climate science communications, I paused my career to become an animal rights activist, targeting animal agriculture. I had spent years exposing false information about climate change. So, I thought the people in my new community would understand the science. I was wrong. Many animal rights activists think that raising animals for food causes more climate change than burning fossil fuels. But when I traced that claim, the same sources emerged: • Misleading “documentaries” — essentially propaganda — such as Cowspiracy • Well-meaning platforms such as Unchained TV that get the science wrong • Individuals such as Dr. Sailesh Rao, a climate…
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The Hidden Threat to Our Power Supply: Extreme Heat
When you think about a heat wave, you probably picture sweltering afternoons, packed beaches, and air conditioners working overtime. But here’s something you might not think about: extreme heat can threaten our power supply, too. That’s exactly what happened in France this summer. As temperatures soared, the country temporarily shut down three nuclear reactors and reduced power at several others. Was something wrong with the reactors? Nope. The problem was the water used to keep them cool. What Do Rivers Have to Do With Nuclear Power? Quite a lot, actually. Nuclear power plants produce heat, which is used to make steam. That steam spins a turbine, which generates electricity. But…
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A Powerful El Niño Is Brewing—and Scientists Are Watching Closely
El Niño is a natural event where the surface water in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, near the equator, gets warmer than usual. This happens every few years, and it changes weather patterns all over the world — causing things like extra rain in some places, droughts in others, and shifts in temperature. A Record-Breaking El Niño on the Rise Scientists at NOAA say this year’s El Niño is growing fast and could become one of the strongest ever recorded since they started keeping track in 1950. There’s an 81% chance it will reach “very strong” status by fall. This El Niño only started last month, but it’s already…
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Unmasking CO₂ Myths: The Science You Need to Know
Welcome to the third part of my Fact-Checking Series, where I dig into myths about carbon dioxide and clear up misunderstandings about climate. Carbon dioxide, or CO₂, is an invisible gas that is all around us in the air. It’s made up of one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms. People and animals breathe it out when we exhale, and plants take it in to help them grow through a process called photosynthesis. CO₂ is also a strong greenhouse gas, which means it traps heat in the Earth’s atmosphere. Without CO₂, our planet would be too cold for us to live. While this is natural and important for life, too…
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California Wildfire Severity Is Skyrocketing — And Scientists Know Why
Have you ever driven through a forest and seen a huge field of burned tree trunks, standing like ghosts? That’s what one wildfire researcher calls “tree gravestones” — and in California, they’re becoming a lot more common. A new study from UCLA looked at forest fires across the state going all the way back to 1985, and the results show just how much California wildfire severity has changed. What they found is pretty alarming: today’s forest fires burn about 10 times more land every year than fires did back in the 1980s. But here’s the part that really stands out — the most destructive type of fire, called high-severity fire,…
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The AMOC Slowdown: A Warning Sign From the Atlantic
What Is the AMOC? Picture a giant conveyor belt — like the ones at a grocery store checkout — but instead of groceries, it’s moving billions of gallons of ocean water all around the planet. That’s basically what the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, or AMOC (say it like “AY-mock”), does. Here’s how it works: Warm, salty water near the tropics flows north along the surface of the Atlantic Ocean, carrying heat with it toward Europe. When this warm water reaches the cold waters near Greenland, it cools down and gets heavier. Heavy water sinks to the ocean floor, then flows back south as a deep, cold current. Eventually, that cold…
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How California’s Ocean Heat Wave Is Wiping Out Seabirds
My good friend, George is a surfer. Recently, he walked up the beach carrying his surfboard and counted seven dead birds in a distance of just 100 feet or so. So, what’s going on? A major ocean heat wave is hitting the California coast and harming wildlife — especially seabirds like pelicans, cormorants, murres, and gulls. In some places, ocean temperatures have jumped as much as 7 degrees above normal, breaking records along the coast. Scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography recorded 38 days since January 1st where the water temperature off their La Jolla pier broke records dating back to 1916. Why Are Birds Starving? Warm water disrupts…
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Is Global Warming Just an Urban Heat Island Effect? Scientists Say No
Have you ever noticed it’s hotter in a city than in the countryside? That’s not your imagination — it’s a real thing called the urban heat island effect. But some people claim this means global warming isn’t real, that we’re just measuring hot pavement instead of an actual warming planet. It may sound convincing at first, but the evidence doesn’t support it. First, What is the Urban Heat Island Effect? Cities are full of concrete, asphalt, and buildings that soak up heat during the day and release it slowly at night. There aren’t many trees to provide shade or moisture. So, cities end up several degrees warmer than the forests…
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Green California Has a Dirty Methane Secret
The State Can’t Be a Climate Leader While Animal Agriculture Pollutes Freely This piece was originally written for FactoryFarmWatch.org and has been simplified for a middle school audience. By Holly Shaftel, contributing writer California loves to call itself a climate leader. But how well does that reputation hold up when you zoom in? Using more than 100,000 data points, Factory Farm Watch maps over 1,300 factory farms across the state, exposing a source of climate pollution that many don’t think about: industrial livestock. “Using the most comprehensive data gives us an opportunity to see more precisely what the amount and distribution of factory farming’s impact is on California,” said Matthew…
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The Simplest Way to Add Solar to Your Home
By Holly Shaftel, contributing writer 10/5/2026 UPDATE: Plug-in solar is now legal in California! Learn more here. I’ve been a proud of solar panels since 2021. They significantly decreased my electricity bills to $11 per month, and it feels good to do my small part to help combat climate change. Then one day our bills started climbing again. I began wondering if something fishy was happening behind the scenes and to consider getting more solar. Unfortunately, it’s not in the cards for me financially. Next thing I know, “plug-in solar” — also called “plug-and-play” and “balcony solar” — came on my radar. Already common in several European countries, particularly Germany, and…
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Red Flag Warning: Why Wildfires Are Everyone’s Problem Now
You’ve probably heard the phrase “red flag warning” lately. It might sound like complicated weather talk — but it’s actually a warning we all need to take seriously. A red flag warning means conditions are perfect for a wildfire to ignite quickly and spread even faster. All it takes is: One spark. That’s it. And suddenly, you have a wildfire. This isn’t just a hypothetical — it’s happening right now, across the country. In Georgia, fires are behaving in extreme ways: racing forward with the wind and hurling embers ahead of the flames, destroying homes and infrastructure in their path. As of April 25, 2026, a dangerous combination of severe…
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Earth’s Energy Imbalance: Why Our Planet Is Heating Up
Have you ever stepped outside on a sunny day (it’s 78 today where I live!) and felt the warmth of the Sun on your skin? That sunlight is energy—and it’s what keeps our planet livable. But here’s the problem: Earth is now taking in more energy than it sends back out to space. Scientists call this an energy imbalance, and it’s the main reason our planet is warming. Scientists have been tracking this imbalance since the late 1980s. But things really improved in 2000, when Terra satellite began collecting detailed data using NASA’s CERES instrument. That mission gave us the first long-term, high-accuracy global record of Earth’s energy imbalance. How…
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California’s Next Megaflood May Be Closer Than You Think
Scientists like Daniel Swain are studying something called megafloods, which are really, really big floods that can last for weeks and cover large parts of a region with water. These aren’t normal floods from a thunderstorm — they’re massive events caused by long periods of extreme rain and storms. I decided to write about this after three powerful storms recently slammed parts of California. Some neighborhoods in Los Angeles even flooded. I went to college in LA and lived there from 2002 to 2022. In all those years, I never saw fires and floods like the ones we’re seeing now. The weather feels different — more intense, more extreme. It…
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Big Changes Are Happening in a Very Salty Part of the Ocean
Scientists found that part of the southern Indian Ocean, the water off the west coast of Australia, is losing a lot of salt much faster than expected. Normally this area is one of the saltiest parts of the ocean, but now it’s getting fresher (less salty) very quickly — and that seems to be connected to climate change. You might ask, “Who cares?” Why Salt Matters in the Ocean Salt changes how heavy water is. This sinking and rising movement helps power giant ocean currents — sometimes called the ocean’s “conveyor belt.” These currents move heat and nutrients all around the planet. But now, research shows the salty region in…
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African Penguins: Cute, Unique, and Critically Endangered
Did you know there are penguins in Africa? It surprises a lot of people—but it’s true! African penguins live along the coasts of South Africa and Namibia. And right now, these tuxedo-wearing birds are fighting for their lives. African penguins are facing a serious food crisis. Scientists and wildlife experts say many of them are starving because they simply can’t find enough fish to eat. This isn’t just a bad year—it’s part of a long-term problem that has pushed African penguins to the edge of extinction. In fact, African penguins are now listed as critically endangered, which means they could disappear forever if things don’t change soon. What Do African…
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AI Has a Climate Problem. Here’s a Smarter Way Forward.
By Holly Shaftel, contributing writer Did you know that every time you Google something or give ChatGPT a command, it creates greenhouse (heat-trapping) emissions and uses a lot of water? The internet uses a lot of energy globally. If you look at the rapid growth of artificial intelligence* (AI) in particular, its data centers (“servers”) use about 1.5% of the world’s electricity. This demand is growing about 12% per year, according to the International Energy Agency. Data center energy use could double by 2030! “AI is an incredibly transformative technology that is here to stay,” said Phillip Thomas, a mechanical engineer in the power electronics** industry, with a focus on…
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N2O – The Greenhouse Gas No One Talks About (But Should)
When people talk about climate change, two gases usually steal the spotlight: carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄). But there’s another greenhouse gas quietly heating up the planet—nitrous oxide (N₂O)—and most people hardly ever hear about it. I live in one of the most diverse and vibrant agricultural regions in the state. Here, winegrapes, olive trees, berries, and vegetables grow side by side, set against rolling green hills—at least in the winter. Farming is part of everyday life here. And that’s exactly why nitrous oxide matters so much. It’s closely tied to how we grow food, and even though it’s often overlooked, it packs a powerful climate punch. What Is…
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Is the World Running Out of Fresh Water?
A new report from the United Nations (UN) warns that the world is running out of fresh water. The UN says we’ve entered a time called “water bankruptcy,” which means many places are under extreme water stress. Water stress happens when a community is using almost all the water it has—so there’s very little left to share. This often happens because water isn’t managed well, and climate change makes things worse by bringing longer droughts and less predictable rainfall. Many Big Cities Are Running Out of Fresh Water New research shows that about half of the world’s 100 biggest cities are running out of fresh water. That means places where…
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The CO₂ Fingerprint: Proving Where Extra Carbon Comes From
If Earth had a detective story, carbon dioxide would be one of the biggest clues. Scientists know the amount of CO₂ in the air is rising—but the big question is why. Is it volcanoes? The ocean? Natural changes? Or is it us? It turns out carbon leaves behind a kind of fingerprint. By studying tiny differences inside carbon atoms, scientists can tell where that carbon came from. When they looked closely at the CO₂ building up in the atmosphere, the evidence pointed clearly in one direction: human activities, especially burning coal, oil, and gas. This carbon clue is called the Suess Effect, and it helps explain how scientists know the…
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Why Last Year Wasn’t the Warmest On Record
2025 was the third-warmest year ever recorded on Earth, according to Berkeley Earth. Only 2024 and 2023 were hotter. We’re emitting more CO2 every year, so why wasn’t last year this year even warmer? Even though Earth is warming over the long run, not every single year will be warmer than the one before it. That’s because natural climate patterns, like El Niño and La Niña, can give the planet little “boosts” or “breaks” from heat for a year or two. Right now, we’re experiencing La Niña conditions. Here’s an easy way to think about it: El Niño = temporary warming boost During an El Niño, the trade winds relax,…
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How We Know What Earth’s Climate Was Like Long Ago
Part Three In Part One, we explored how scientists measure climate change right here on Earth’s surface.In Part Two, we looked at how satellites in space track changes across the whole planet. Now comes Part Three—one of the coolest parts of climate science: How scientists learn about Earth’s climate long before thermometers and satellites existed. So how do we know what Earth’s climate was like hundreds, thousands, or even millions of years ago? The answer: Earth keeps records of its own past. Scientists call this paleoclimate data—natural clues that reveal what the climate used to be like. Ice Cores: Climate Time Capsules One of the most powerful climate records comes…
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Eyes in the Sky: How Satellites Track Earth’s Changing Climate
In Part One of this series, we learned how scientists measure climate change right here on Earth’s surface—using weather stations, ocean tools, and field surveys. In Part Two, we zoom out to space. Satellites help scientists see the whole planet. Together with ground measurements, they let scientists spot small changes up close and big patterns around the world. Think of satellites and aircraft as super-smart Earth cameras, orbiting the planet 24/7 and checking Earth’s vital signs. Here’s how they do it. They Measure Earth’s Temperature Satellites also measure temperature—but not with thermometers. Instead, they measure the energy (brightness) coming from Earth’s surface and atmosphere. Scientists use computer models to turn…
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How Do We Know That Earth’s Climate Is Changing?
Part One Many people wonder how scientists can be so sure Earth’s climate is changing. After all, our planet is huge, and the weather changes every day. A cold day or a big storm can make climate change feel confusing. The answer is simple: scientists don’t rely on just one piece of evidence or a single tool. Instead, they look at the big picture. They use many different kinds of measurements, collected in different ways, over long periods of time. All of these clues point to the same conclusion. Scientists know Earth’s climate is changing in three main ways. They measure temperatures, rainfall, and sea level right here on Earth’s…
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The Big Thaw: What’s Happening to Earth’s Ice Right Now
Earth’s ice might seem far away—at the top of the world or high on a mountain—but it quietly helps keep Earth livable. Frozen oceans reflect sunlight, glaciers store freshwater, and icy ground holds ancient carbon in place. Together, these frozen parts of our planet are called the cryosphere, and they act like Earth’s natural air conditioner. As 2025 comes to an end, scientists are taking a hard look at how that system is doing. The answer is sobering. From shrinking sea ice at the poles to retreating glaciers and thawing permafrost, Earth’s ice is changing faster than expected. What’s happening in these frozen places doesn’t stay there—it affects sea level,…
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A Planet Under Pressure: Global Emissions in 2025
As 2025 wraps up (even though it feels like it just started!), here’s a quick update on global greenhouse gas emissions. Sadly, the news isn’t great—our three biggest heat-trapping gases are still risi Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Emissions CO₂ is one of the main greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases act like a blanket around Earth, trapping heat. We need some of them to keep the planet warm enough for life, but too much makes Earth heat up too fast. CO₂ comes from burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas. It also comes from wildfires and volcanoes. Scientists have been measuring CO₂ since 1958 at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii.…
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Earth’s Losing Its Shine (And That’s Not Good)
Have you ever noticed how bright our planet looks from space? Earth usually reflects sunlight like a giant blue-and-white mirror. But scientists have discovered something surprising: Earth is losing it’s shine and is actually getting dimmer. What “Getting Dimmer” Means Our planet has a property called albedo, which is the fraction of sunlight that gets bounced back into space. Earth has been losing its shine for decades, reflecting less light back into space—and the amount of light reflected by the Northern Hemisphere is decreasing more quickly than that of the Southern Hemisphere, recent research suggests. For a long time, scientists believed both hemispheres reflected roughly the same amount of light.…
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Why Methane Matters: The Short-Lived Gas with a Big Impact
Since about 2006, methane levels in Earth’s atmosphere have been climbing fast — mostly because of human activities. It is a super-powerful greenhouse gas that traps heat, but it doesn’t last as long in the air as carbon dioxide does. It’s also the second-largest contributor to rising global temperatures after carbon dioxide (CO₂). It’s already added about half a degree Celsius of global warming since the late 1800s. To keep global warming within the limits of the Paris Agreement, we have to cut methane emissions quickly and deeply. Natural sources like wetlands are hard to control, so the biggest opportunity is reducing this human-made (anthropogenic) greenhouse gas — from things…
