In The News

Flooding of Coast, Caused by Global Warming, Has Already Begun

Justin Gillis September 6, 2016
Rising waters threaten communities along the eastern and southern coasts of the United States even without storms as warned by climate researchers. “The inundation of the coast has begun,” reports Justin Gillis for the New York Times. “The sea has crept up to the point that a high tide and a brisk wind are all it takes to send water pouring into streets and homes. Federal scientists have...

Tough Question in Climate Change: Who Gets Saved?

Christopher Flavelle August 29, 2016
Governments preparing for climate change already assess which communities can be saved and which cannot. Christopher Flavelle compares Newtok and other remote communities in Alaska with Isle de Jean Charles in Louisiana, all trying to escape rising waters. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development ran a National Disaster Resilience Competition intended to raise awareness about climate...

Are We Feeling Collective Grief Over Climate Change?

Margaret Hetherman August 17, 2016
Extreme weather events lead news reports, and changing weather patterns disrupt business and community routines. “The deterioration of our planet – the only home we have ever known and an assurance we used to take for granted – is bound to elicit a wide range of emotions in different individuals,” explains Margaret Hetherman for Scientific American. She interviews forensic psychiatrist Lise Van...

The Change Luck City: Dhaka’s Climate Refugees

Nellie Le Beau and Hugh Tuckfield August 12, 2016
As many as a half million people flee their homes in Bangladesh each year because of the “devastating effects of climate change – floods, salinization of land, destructive super cyclones, and reduced agricultural yields,” explain Nellie Le Beau and Hugh Tuckfield in an essay with photographs for the Diplomat. “Displaced primarily from Bangladesh’s southern and eastern regions, these are climate...

How Climate Disasters Can Drive Violent Conflict Around the World

Chelsea Harvey August 3, 2016
Higher temperatures and rising sea levels associated with climate change are expected to contribute to food and water shortages, in turn displacing communities. “Overall, multiple studies have indicated a connection between climate and conflict, although several have suggested that the link may be weak,” notes Chelsea Harvey for the Washington Post. A research study published in the Proceedings...

Brexit: Boon or Bane

Nayan Chanda July 11, 2016
The British decision to leave the European Union is expected to shrink global economic growth. “This means that the contributions made to the global economy by China, India and other developing economies would become more important than ever,” explains Nayan Chanda, YaleGlobal’s founding editor, in his column for Businessworld. Emerging economies confront enormous challenges, as suggested by the...

Why Brexit Freaks Out So Many Scientists

Michael Greshko June 28, 2016
The UK is belatedly tallying up benefits of EU membership including research support. “The decision has dismayed scientists in the United Kingdom and across Europe, as it stands to disrupt scientific funding and the United Kingdom’s stature in the European and international research communities,” writes Michael Greshko for National Geographic. The country will have a transition of two years, and...