How El Niño and La Niña climate patterns form
Learn how El Niño and La Niña climate patterns take shape and what the current El Niño could mean for winter weather in parts of the U.S.
Environment
Research roundups, tip sheets, articles and explainers related to the topic of energy and the environment
Expert Commentary
El Niño: What it is, how it devastates economies, and where it intersects with climate change
This research-based explainer looks at how El Niño stunts global and regional economic growth and what climatologists know about how climate change affects El Niño patterns.
Expert Commentary
6 story ideas in the 2023 Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change report
Climate reports like the Lancet Countdown are large documents, laden with data, and can be difficult to summarize in one news story. But local journalists can look for specific issues that apply to their communities to produce stories that resonate with their audiences.
Expert Commentary
Study: US voters who distrust university researchers less likely to believe in climate change
A PLOS Climate study, based on a survey of 2,096 registered U.S. voters, finds trust in university research centers was higher among voters under 30, non-Protestants, regular religious service attendees, Democrats, and ideologically moderate or liberal individuals.
Expert Commentary
Environmental conservation in the farm bill: A research roundup
In this second of our three-part series, we look at environmental conservation programs that get billions of dollars in funding in the farm bill, which expires in late September.
Expert Commentary
Tree equity and trees’ impact on surface temperatures, human health: A research roundup
The absence of trees is not just an aesthetic discrepancy — it can impact human health and well-being, a growing body of research shows. We highlight several studies that examine this association and highlight residential tree inequities.
Expert Commentary
How extreme heat affects human health: A research roundup
Studies show that extreme heat can affect most people, particularly vulnerable populations like children, older adults and outdoors workers. We round up recent studies that shed light on how warming temperatures due to climate change are affecting various populations.
Expert Commentary
7 tips for covering stories about PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water (and a list of reporting resources)
The “forever chemicals” issue touches many journalistic beats. To help inform news coverage of the topic, we enlisted advice from several researchers and journalists who study and cover PFAS.
Expert Commentary
PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water: An explainer and research roundup
We summarize studies on where PFAS are found, health impacts, the efficacy of consumer water filters, new methods of destroying PFAS, and racial disparities in PFAS exposure.
Expert Commentary
Wildfires have long-term health effects, both direct and indirect, several studies show
A recent systematic review of studies on long-term impacts of wildfires finds they are associated with mental health disorders, COVID-19 complications, death from heart disease, shorter height in children and poorer overall health.
Expert Commentary