The hottest Climate change Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Climate & Environment Topics

Running Dry: The Devastating Cost of Groundwater Extraction

Adetokunbo Sees • 208 implied HN points • 02 Aug 25
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate change
  1. Most of the world's water is used for farming, especially irrigation. This means we're using a lot of groundwater to help grow our food.
  2. Many parts of the world are losing groundwater faster than it can be replaced. This can lead to issues like less drinking water and even rising sea levels.
  3. To prevent further problems, we need to monitor our groundwater and find ways to use water more wisely. This includes using different sources and conservation measures.

Spatial vs Temporal Externalities

Maximum Progress • 412 implied HN points • 01 Nov 23
💼 Business Climate change
  1. Government intervention is effective in correcting externalities because it has a stake in the outcome.
  2. Governments struggle to address long-term externalities because they focus on short-term goals and lack incentives for future outcomes.
  3. Markets can incentivize individuals to consider future consequences, making them potentially more effective than governments in addressing temporal externalities.

💡 My Quick Q&A with … data scientist Hannah Ritchie on building a sustainable planet

Faster, Please! • 1919 implied HN points • 05 Jan 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate change
  1. The technologies needed for a sustainable planet are already available, they just need to be deployed at scale.
  2. Most of the crucial technologies like solar, wind, and batteries are already there, but some sectors still require more work.
  3. We are just at the beginning of deploying sustainable technologies, and there is room for significant progress in bending the curve down further.

Dancing with a permanent emergency

The Joyous Struggle • 454 implied HN points • 02 Aug 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate change
  1. The author shifted focus from climate change to the meta crisis due to frustrations with prevailing climate praxis and a desire to address broader societal challenges.
  2. Climate change is a porous and permeating issue that manifests in various aspects of life, from military waste to education, and requires a shift in perspective to understand its global impact.
  3. Approaching the climate crisis as part of a larger meta crisis, including systemic inertia and the need for a fundamental shift in perspective, is crucial for meaningful action and addressing the root causes of the issue.
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An El Niño

treethinking • 235 implied HN points • 29 Jan 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate change
  1. Weather patterns can drastically change perceptions of the changing climate.
  2. El Niño events are becoming more frequent and will likely continue to strengthen.
  3. Variability in climate makes predicting ecological responses to climate change challenging.

Warning for 2025: Last Year Saw Record-breaking Disasters and Losses

Adetokunbo Sees • 208 implied HN points • 26 Jul 25
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate change
  1. Last year was extremely tough for many countries, with record disasters and a lot of deaths due to climate issues. Places like Saudi Arabia, the U.S., and several others faced serious problems like extreme heat and floods.
  2. The Earth's temperatures were the highest ever recorded, indicating that climate change is getting worse. Many regions are seeing more heat, heavier rain, and rising sea levels as a result.
  3. If we keep consuming resources the same way, we will face even more disasters in the future. We need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and take steps now to protect our planet.

Britain's austerity has millions of losers

System Change • 432 implied HN points • 02 Mar 23
🌍 World Politics Climate change
  1. Austerity in Britain has negatively impacted public services and public sector employees.
  2. The economic policy of austerity has failed and led to a significant decrease in real wages for British workers.
  3. High public debt in Britain is a consequence of economic policy failure and does not directly impact the funding of public services.

Richest 1% took 2/3rds of global wealth since 2020 - twice as much as 99% of population earned

Geopolitical Economy Report • 518 implied HN points • 18 Jan 23
🌍 World Politics Climate change
  1. Since 2020, the wealthiest 1% of the world's population took nearly two-thirds of new wealth, significantly more than the rest of the population.
  2. Global poverty is worsening while the very richest individuals continue to amass huge amounts of wealth, creating an alarming level of inequality.
  3. Oxfam's report highlights the need for governments to increase taxes on the rich, invest in social services, and address the economic systems that benefit the wealthy.

Purpose Disruptors needs disrupting

Thoughts on Writing • 319 implied HN points • 22 Nov 23
💼 Business Climate change
  1. The ad industry and climate movement should aim for better collaborations and campaigns that actually make a positive impact.
  2. It's important to critically evaluate the claims and research behind advertising campaigns related to climate change to ensure credibility and effectiveness.
  3. Narratives around climate action in advertising should be aspirational, inclusive, and focus on tangible positive changes rather than guilt or deprivation.

Silencing Climate Whistle-Blowers

The Climate Historian • 19 implied HN points • 02 Aug 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate change
  1. Climate scientists often face pressure from political leaders, leading to threats against their work. For instance, Virginia Burkett, a scientist at USGS, was demoted for opposing harmful actions by the Trump administration.
  2. Historical cases show that scientists like James Hansen faced censorship for speaking out on climate change. Even reputable scientists can be silenced because of their messages that contradict certain political views.
  3. The influence of special interests can lead to significant changes in scientific priorities. This jeopardizes crucial climate research as short-term profit motives often take precedence over environmental concerns.

Global Heat Waves: The New Normal in a Warming World

Adetokunbo Sees • 208 implied HN points • 28 Jun 25
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate change
  1. Heat waves are happening more often and are becoming more intense. Many places around the world are experiencing temperatures much higher than before.
  2. The number of people affected by heat waves is increasing significantly. More workers are feeling the impacts of extreme heat, highlighting a growing concern for health and safety.
  3. To combat the rising heat, it's crucial to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Cutting down pollution is necessary to lessen the severity of heat waves and protect lives.

Sheet cake as ammunition

The Crucial Years • 1464 implied HN points • 20 Jan 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate change
  1. In a polarized society, sometimes fighting in a different, more creative way can be effective.
  2. Using strategic and thoughtful tactics can make a difference in important fights like climate change.
  3. Being considerate of societal impacts and strategic in activism can lead to positive outcomes, even in difficult situations.

Giving Up On 1.5C: A Personal and Climatic Journey

This Week in MCJ (My Climate Journey) • 176 implied HN points • 23 Jan 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate change
  1. Limiting global warming to under 1.5C is crucial to prevent irreversible climate impacts and protect ecosystems.
  2. The current trajectory in reducing carbon emissions is insufficient to stay within the 1.5C warming limit.
  3. Despite challenges and setbacks, it is important to maintain hope, take action, and continue efforts to address climate change.

Glacial Gardens

Street Smart Naturalist: Explorations of the Urban Kind • 319 implied HN points • 24 Aug 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate change
  1. Glacier retreat creates unique landscapes with rocks and rubble that offer a constantly changing environment. Walking on these surfaces can be tricky and shows how glaciers shape the land.
  2. Despite being on glaciers, there are surprising ecosystems with plants and wildlife. These plants show that life can flourish in unexpected places, even in harsh conditions.
  3. Debris-covered glaciers may serve as safe havens for plants and animals as the climate warms. They can help species survive by providing a cooler habitat as they migrate to higher ground.

Suggestions to reform the German electricity market

Jérôme à Paris • 534 implied HN points • 19 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Climate change
  1. Germany needs to redesign its electricity market to make it more efficient and environmentally friendly. This means achieving reliable power delivery at the lowest cost while reducing carbon emissions.
  2. Renewable energy sources should not get special treatment, as they can already produce power at low costs. Instead, the focus should be on balancing supply and demand effectively without unnecessary subsidies.
  3. Smart meters must be rolled out faster to help households adjust their energy use and production. This would allow them to save money and contribute to a more stable electricity system.

Alternative Facts

The Honest Broker Newsletter • 1099 implied HN points • 08 Mar 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate change
  1. Disasters are influenced by human exposure and vulnerability, not just the intensity of extreme events, making cause-effect links challenging to establish.
  2. Climate advocates have historically tried to connect extreme weather events to climate change, leaning towards sensational narratives even when not fully supported by scientific consensus.
  3. Media outlets have become more fragmented, leading to tailored content that aligns with specific audience values, potentially influencing the reporting of climate change issues.

The Last Crusade or the Temple of Doom?

Logging the World • 398 implied HN points • 14 Jan 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate change
  1. The COVID-19 pandemic led to extreme groupings on each side of the argument, mimicking past experiences in climate change discussions
  2. Centrist views, acknowledging real problems but also the progress being made, are important in addressing climate change
  3. Promoting centrist voices and avoiding extreme rhetoric can be effective in fostering positive action and moving away from a sense of hopelessness

We must fearlessly pursue truth, and truth alone

Heterodox STEM • 192 implied HN points • 08 Jun 25
🔬 Science Climate change
  1. It's important for scientists to report accurate information about climate change, without exaggerating risks. This helps keep trust in science strong.
  2. Some published studies can mislead people by only showing negative aspects of climate data. A balanced view is necessary to understand the full picture.
  3. We should encourage honest and thorough research that combines both good and bad news about our world. Pursuing the truth is essential.

Bullet Points: Arguments about Arguments edition

The Future, Now and Then • 110 implied HN points • 24 Aug 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Climate change
  1. Investment bubbles can lead to innovation, but the risks often fall on those without wealth or influence. The idea that we should create more bubbles because they are 'good' ignores the significant consequences for everyday people.
  2. Current efforts for progressive policy changes, like permitting reforms for energy projects, face challenges in today’s political environment. Major opposition from political figures makes swift action nearly impossible.
  3. There is debate about whether staying on platforms like Twitter is still valuable, but many feel it's no longer worth it due to a lack of genuine interaction and increased bot activity. Engaging there can also limit what you can say without facing backlash.

A few seconds of video

The Crucial Years • 1574 implied HN points • 08 Sep 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate change
  1. The video illustrates the impact of climate change through unprecedented floods in Greece.
  2. The urgency to take action against climate change is emphasized, as we witness extreme weather events becoming more common.
  3. Global efforts to meet climate targets, such as the Paris Agreement, are falling short and require more substantial commitments.

Fire Weather

The Chris Hedges Report • 392 implied HN points • 12 Jan 25
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate change
  1. Wildfires are becoming more common due to climate change and a reliance on fossil fuels. Areas like California are facing intense fire seasons, which scientists warned would happen.
  2. The boreal forests, which play a critical role in storing carbon and providing fresh water, are being destroyed by industrial activities like oil extraction. This destruction contributes to the worsening fire conditions.
  3. Modern homes are highly flammable because they're made with many petroleum-based materials. When they catch fire, they can burn much hotter than older buildings, making wildfires even more dangerous.

The weather is nice so we have to freak out about heatwaves now

eugyppius: a plague chronicle • 176 implied HN points • 21 Jun 25
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate change
  1. Currently, even though the weather is nice, many people are still worried about heatwaves and climate change. It seems like there's always something to worry about, regardless of the actual conditions.
  2. In Germany, the current temperatures aren't as extreme as some predictions suggest, but the media is still making a big deal out of potential heat. Often, it's not the heat itself that's dangerous, but how suddenly it increases.
  3. Instead of banning fun summer activities, a better solution for helping vulnerable people during heatwaves would be to provide air conditioning. It's important to focus on practical solutions rather than creating fear around the nice weather.

The Narrative Rules

The Honest Broker Newsletter • 1511 implied HN points • 06 Sep 23
🔬 Science Climate change
  1. When framing research findings, consider how to emphasize certain conclusions over others for press releases.
  2. Acknowledge and address the gap between climate change headlines and climate reality.
  3. Be mindful of how narrative rules can shape the presentation of research to increase publication chances in high-profile journals.

Talking science communication with a Mythbuster

Science Forever • 119 implied HN points • 26 Feb 24
🔬 Science Climate change
  1. Science communication should be personalized and emotional to engage people effectively.
  2. Revisiting and retesting myths is an essential part of the scientific process and can lead to different results.
  3. Encouraging transparency in scientific publishing, advocating for open access, and embracing the self-correcting nature of science can help address the reproducibility crisis.

Japan and Climate Change: Not As Bad As It Looks, Part I

Japan Economy Watch • 279 implied HN points • 14 Jun 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate change
  1. Japan is facing challenges in tackling climate change due to influence from the fossil fuel lobby, but there are also strong economic forces pushing for a transition to renewable energy.
  2. The shift to renewable energy sources like solar and wind in Japan is becoming more cost-effective than operating coal or gas-fired power plants, creating a game-changing incentive for producers and consumers.
  3. Globally, there is a trend towards clean energy investment over fossil fuels, leading to a shift in the auto industry towards battery-powered electric vehicles and a decrease in the financial viability of new coal plants.

No Human Has Ever Seen it Hotter

The Crucial Years • 1514 implied HN points • 05 Jul 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate change
  1. Recently recorded extreme heat events are unprecedented and have significant impacts on the planet.
  2. The rise in solar power generation is proving to be a vital and reliable alternative to traditional energy sources during heatwaves.
  3. Transitioning to renewable energy sources like solar power is crucial in mitigating climate change impacts and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.