Climate &amp; Environment /today/ en Scientists harness AI to reveal forces behind glacier surges /today/2026/03/06/scientists-harness-ai-reveal-forces-behind-glacier-surges <span>Scientists harness AI to reveal forces behind glacier surges</span> <span><span>Megan M Rogers</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-03-06T10:17:02-07:00" title="Friday, March 6, 2026 - 10:17">Fri, 03/06/2026 - 10:17</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2026-03/Negribreen%20surge%202017.JPG?h=258ff3ec&amp;itok=YVlBq3Xo" width="1200" height="800" alt="Negribreen glacier on Spitsbergen island in Norway's Svalbard archipelago"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/today/taxonomy/term/16"> Climate &amp; Environment </a> <a href="/today/taxonomy/term/6"> Science &amp; Technology </a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p>Glaciers are constantly changing and reshaping the Earth's surface. 91´«Ă˝ researchers have developed a new machine-learning tool to better understand how Arctic glaciers suddenly surge.</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>Glaciers are constantly changing and reshaping the Earth's surface. 91´«Ă˝ researchers have developed a new machine-learning tool to better understand how Arctic glaciers suddenly surge.</div> <script> window.location.href = `/ecee/scientists-harness-AI-reveal-forces-behind-glacier-surges`; </script> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Related Articles</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Fri, 06 Mar 2026 17:17:02 +0000 Megan M Rogers 56247 at /today Bridging research and action: How collaboration has changed wildfire approach and response /today/2026/03/05/bridging-research-and-action-how-collaboration-has-changed-wildfire-approach-and <span>Bridging research and action: How collaboration has changed wildfire approach and response</span> <span><span>Megan M Rogers</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-03-05T11:08:00-07:00" title="Thursday, March 5, 2026 - 11:08">Thu, 03/05/2026 - 11:08</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2026-03/WiRe%20story%20photo%20Hannah%20Brenkert%20Smith.png?h=7cc15d3b&amp;itok=G_0SPsP0" width="1200" height="800" alt="wildfire researchers"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/today/taxonomy/term/16"> Climate &amp; Environment </a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p>Researchers and practitioners who work at the intersection of communities and wildfire issues have formed a community of practice essential to the development of wildfire mitigation and preparedness across the nation.&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>Researchers and practitioners who work at the intersection of communities and wildfire issues have formed a community of practice essential to the development of wildfire mitigation and preparedness across the nation. </div> <script> window.location.href = `/oce/2026/02/24/bridging-research-and-action-how-collaboration-has-changed-wildfire-approach-and`; </script> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Related Articles</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Thu, 05 Mar 2026 18:08:00 +0000 Megan M Rogers 56235 at /today CUriosity: Why does Colorado have so many hot springs, and are they at risk? /today/2026/03/04/curiosity-why-does-colorado-have-so-many-hot-springs-and-are-they-risk <span>CUriosity: Why does Colorado have so many hot springs, and are they at risk?</span> <span><span>Daniel William…</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-03-04T15:57:54-07:00" title="Wednesday, March 4, 2026 - 15:57">Wed, 03/04/2026 - 15:57</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2026-03/Steamboat3.jpeg?h=07872f23&amp;itok=V9hoFF-B" width="1200" height="800" alt="View of a series of pools surrounded by snow"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/today/taxonomy/term/16"> Climate &amp; Environment </a> </div> <a href="/today/daniel-strain">Daniel Strain</a> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p><em>In </em><a href="/today/curiosity" rel="nofollow"><em>CUriosity</em></a><em>, experts across the 91´«Ă˝ campus answer questions about humans, our planet and the universe beyond.</em></p><p><em>Shemin Ge, professor in the </em><a href="/geologicalsciences" rel="nofollow"><em>Department of Geological Sciences</em></a><em>, shares how a source of clean energy known as geothermal power could pose unexpected risks to Colorado's iconic hot springs.</em></p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle wide_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/wide_image_style/public/2026-03/Steamboat3.jpeg?h=07872f23&amp;itok=_4kromGm" width="1500" height="563" alt="View of a series of pools surrounded by snow"> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p class="small-text">Visitors enjoy a winter dip in Strawberry Park Hot Springs in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. (Credit: Adobe Stock)</p> </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p>Shemin Ge remembers a winter drive she took around Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Ice had formed over the trees, and a blanket of snow lay over the landscape.</p><p>Then Ge saw something surprising in the middle of all that white.</p> <div class="align-right image_style-default"> <div class="field_media_oembed_video"><iframe src="/today/media/oembed?url=https%3A//www.youtube.com/shorts/GHDe3fN9buY&amp;max_width=516&amp;max_height=350&amp;hash=v6C8PL5Yq8_vCqT7T00BeLePArXUn6FSbdDBQFvtNPE" width="197" height="350" class="media-oembed-content" loading="eager" title="CUriosity: Why does Colorado have so many hot springs?"></iframe> </div> </div> <p>“[There was] snow everywhere, all the way to the rim of the hot springs. There you have steamy things coming out,” said Ge, professor in the Department of Geological Sciences at 91´«Ă˝. “What a beautiful, nice thing to see.”</p><p>Ge is a hydrogeologist, a scientist who studies the interactions between water and rock around the planet. In Colorado, she has plenty to explore.</p><p>The <a href="https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/water/hot-springs/" rel="nofollow">Colorado Geological Survey reports</a> that the state is home to at least 93 “thermal areas”—places where hot water from underground bubbles up to the surface, forming pools and streams.</p><p>Hot springs play an important role in the cultures of many of the West’s Native American groups. They’re also a big draw for locals and tourists alike who enjoy long, leisurely dips with a mountain view.</p><p>Why are these relaxing features so common in Colorado?</p><p>Like so many things in the West, the answer comes down to the Rocky Mountains. Tens of millions of years ago, collisions between the planet’s tectonic plates caused the ground under the American West to buckle, building the mountains we know today.</p><p>That same uplift created a network of cracks and channels in the hard, rocky crust below the region—perfect pathways for toasty water to flow to the surface.</p><p>“Earth’s crust is thinner [in the West] compared to the eastern part of the country,” Ge said. “When the crust is thinner, it’s easier for the deep, hot mantle to come up closer to the surface.”</p><p>Ge’s own research has explored a modern human activity that could influence these ancient features.</p><p>In recent years, energy companies and other entities have begun investigating a potentially abundant source of sustainable power: geothermal energy.</p><div class="ucb-box ucb-box-title-hidden ucb-box-alignment-right ucb-box-style-fill ucb-box-theme-black"><div class="ucb-box-inner"><div class="ucb-box-title">&nbsp;</div><div class="ucb-box-content"><p class="text-align-center hero"><i class="fa-solid fa-bolt-lightning">&nbsp;</i><strong>Previously in CUriosity</strong></p> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2026-03/NY_NYE_0.jpg?itok=tFjjmk2x" width="1500" height="933" alt="Lights in Times Square with confetti raining down"> </div> <p class="text-align-center hero"><a href="/today/node/55849/" rel="nofollow">How can you make your resolutions stick?</a></p><p class="text-align-center small-text"><a href="/today/curiosity" rel="nofollow"><em>Or read more CUriosity stories here</em></a></p></div></div></div><p>Geothermal energy can come in many forms, but, in general, people dig deep wells to pump up hot water from underground. Once at the surface, that water can be used to heat floors or sidewalks, or even power turbines and generate electricity.</p><p>But when people pump hot water up, they usually replace that liquid with cooler water from the surface. This could, in theory, cool some hot springs down.</p><p>In a <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-29479-0" rel="nofollow">2025 paper</a>, Roseanna Neupauer, a professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering at 91´«Ă˝, and Ge explored this idea. The team used computer simulations, or models, to recreate the geological conditions under Colorado’s surface. In particular, the group tested what might happen if people installed a well near Mount Princeton, a hub of geothermal activity near Buena Vista, Colorado.</p><p>The possible impacts of that hypothetical well depended on how close it came to hot springs. If the well sat about 650 feet east of a spring, it might lead to cooling, and temperatures could dip by as much as 27 degrees Fahrenheit over the long run.</p><p>Ge said that scientists still have a lot of research to do before they can say for sure whether geothermal energy poses risks to Colorado’s hot springs.</p><p>But, she added, it’s important to ask the question. Nothing makes a frigid winter day better than a long, relaxing dip in one of Colorado’s many hot springs.</p><p>“Geothermal energy is a sustainable, renewable source of energy, and I would love to see it used more,” Ge said. “But we don’t want to cause a negative impact for the people who live nearby.”</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>Geologist Shemin Ge shares how a source of clean energy known as geothermal power could pose unexpected risks to Colorado's iconic hot springs.</div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Related Articles</div> </div> </h2> <div>Zebra Striped</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Wed, 04 Mar 2026 22:57:54 +0000 Daniel William Strain 56217 at /today House fires release harmful compounds into the air /today/2026/02/27/house-fires-release-harmful-compounds-air <span>House fires release harmful compounds into the air</span> <span><span>Megan M Rogers</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-02-27T13:55:23-07:00" title="Friday, February 27, 2026 - 13:55">Fri, 02/27/2026 - 13:55</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2026-02/VOCs%20fire%20emission%20experiment%20at%20CSU_Will%20Dresser%20CIRES.jpeg?h=71976bb4&amp;itok=E0ZEXBRn" width="1200" height="800" alt="VOCs fire emission experiment "> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/today/taxonomy/term/16"> Climate &amp; Environment </a> </div> <span>CIRES</span> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p>New CIRES-led research shows that common synthetic materials used in homes, like plastics and insulation, can release harmful compounds into the air when they burn.</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>New CIRES-led research shows that common synthetic materials used in homes, like plastics and insulation, can release harmful compounds into the air when they burn.</div> <script> window.location.href = `https://cires.colorado.edu/news/house-fires-release-harmful-compounds-air`; </script> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Related Articles</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Fri, 27 Feb 2026 20:55:23 +0000 Megan M Rogers 56203 at /today Political polarization can spur CO2 emissions, stymie climate action /today/2026/02/25/political-polarization-can-spur-co2-emissions-stymie-climate-action <span>Political polarization can spur CO2 emissions, stymie climate action</span> <span><span>Lisa Marshall</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-02-25T15:39:15-07:00" title="Wednesday, February 25, 2026 - 15:39">Wed, 02/25/2026 - 15:39</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2026-02/Bruce_Mansfield_Power_Plant.jpg?h=46c3d081&amp;itok=Ztbhxwtx" width="1200" height="800" alt="A coal fired power plant with smoke billowing above it"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/today/taxonomy/term/16"> Climate &amp; Environment </a> </div> <a href="/today/lisa-marshall">Lisa Marshall</a> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p>In recent years, <a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-polisci-051117-073034" rel="nofollow">studies</a> and media reports have blamed growing partisan hostility in the U.S. for shattered marriages, broken families, ruined holiday dinners and increased stress.</p><p>New <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00031224251396518" rel="nofollow">91´«Ă˝ research</a> suggests it may have an even broader impact, hindering democracies’ capacity to address climate change around the world.</p><p>“There has been a lot of research on the effects of political polarization at the interpersonal level, but ours is the first study to look at how it impacts the ability of democracies to mitigate climate change,” said senior author Don Grant, professor of sociology and fellow with the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI). “We find that in democracies marked by deep interparty animosity, power plants—some of the world’s largest carbon polluters—emit CO<sub>2</sub> at significantly higher rates. And these outcomes are not unique to the U.S.”</p><h2>More polarization equals more CO<sub>2</sub></h2><p>In a study published in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/00031224251396518" rel="nofollow">American Sociological Review</a>, Grant and his colleagues looked at the annual CO<sub>2</sub> emission rates (CO<sub>2</sub> emissions per unit of electricity produced) from 20,115 fossil-fueled power plants across 92 democratic countries. They also looked at each country's level of what is known as "affective polarization," scored on a 0 to 4 scale. They found that in countries with greater affective polarization, or intense partisan hostility, democratic institutions are less able to effectively enforce climate regulation.</p> <div class="align-right image_style-small_500px_25_display_size_"> <div class="imageMediaStyle small_500px_25_display_size_"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/small_500px_25_display_size_/public/2026-02/Grant.Photo_.jpg?itok=nFvIYeWH" width="375" height="375" alt="Don Grant"> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p>Don Grant</p> </span> </div> <p>The study distinguishes ideological polarization—policy disagreements that can stimulate innovation—and affective polarization, a more personal and corrosive form of division in which citizens distrust and demonize those aligned with an opposing party. While robust debate about policy can strengthen democracy, affective polarization mobilizes citizens into rival stakeholder coalitions determined to obstruct policies advanced by their adversaries, said Grant.</p><p>“As these coalitions harden, governance becomes more difficult, existing policies lose effectiveness, and legislative processes designed to foster compromise are increasingly undermined,” he said.</p><p>Research shows affective polarization is on the rise globally, and climate change is a key wedge issue.</p><p>After controlling for other factors that could influence emissions, Grant’s study found that in countries with more affective polarization, plant-level CO<sub>2</sub> emission rates are significantly higher.</p><p>For example, in Uruguay, which had the lowest affective polarization score, emission rates were 11% below average. In Poland, which had the highest affective polarization score, emission rates were nearly 8% above average. The U.S. ranked near the top for affective polarization and above average for emission rates.</p><h2>Changing times</h2><p>In the early 1970s, political parties were, in many ways, less divided over issues like environmental protection. The U.S. Senate unanimously approved the Clean Air Act in 1970, authorizing the Environmental Protection Agency to establish national air quality standards.<span>&nbsp; And u</span>tilities routinely included green-energy stakeholders as key collaborators in decision making.</p><p>Times have changed.</p><p>Grant argues that as people have grown more reluctant to associate with those with opposing views, utilities have disenfranchised many environmental groups, and power plants have become insulated from citizen and regulatory pressure. As a result, even in democracies with formal climate measures in place, the institutions meant to hold polluters accountable have failed to function as intended.</p><p>The study found that in countries with heightened interparty hostility, climate policies are less effective at curbing plants’ emissions. Also, government-owned power plants are particularly prone to emit more carbon.</p><p>“When polarization is higher, it may be harder to fully implement policies and for public utilities to reconcile the concerns of both pro-fossil fuel and pro-environment groups,” Grant said.</p><p>He speculates that if affective polarization continues, it may result in the repeal of long-standing climate mitigation policies.</p><p>“We already see evidence of this happening in the United States,” said Grant, referring to the EPA’s move <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/legalindustry/epa-repeals-endangerment-finding-now-what--pracin-2026-02-24/" rel="nofollow">on Tuesday</a> to repeal the 2009 “endangerment finding,” which classified greenhouse gas emissions as a threat to public health. “Affective polarization is becoming a runaway phenomenon that threatens to erode democracies’ capacity to protect the planet.”</p><h2>A ray of hope</h2><p>While full of somber findings and predictions, the paper ends on a positive note.</p><p>It points to Great Britain, which despite its long history of rancorous politics, has been able to rein in its worst-polluting power facilities in recent years.&nbsp;</p><p>In September 2024, Britain closed its last operating coal plant, ending more than 140 years of reliance on coal.</p><p>Britain accomplished this, said Grant, by framing the shift toward renewable energy as a national endeavor rather than a political victory for one side over the other.</p><p>“At the same time that the U.S. is retreating from its climate promises, places like the U.K. show how it is possible to overcome the effect of polarization and follow through on climate commitments,” said Grant. “They provide a ray of hope.”</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>An analysis of more than 20,000 power plants across 92 democratic countries found that in nations with more political incivility, power plants emit more carbon.</div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Related Articles</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2026-02/Bruce_Mansfield_Power_Plant.jpg?itok=Ikuv5t92" width="1500" height="763" alt="A coal fired power plant with smoke billowing above it"> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p>A power plant on the Ohio River in Pennsylvania. Source: Wikamedia Commons</p> </span> </div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> <div>A power plant on the Ohio River in Pennsylvania. Source: Wikamedia Commons</div> Wed, 25 Feb 2026 22:39:15 +0000 Lisa Marshall 56183 at /today Bushbabies reclassified as 'near threatened.' Scientists share how to protect these adorable primates /today/2026/02/16/bushbabies-reclassified-near-threatened-scientists-share-how-protect-these-adorable <span>Bushbabies reclassified as 'near threatened.' Scientists share how to protect these adorable primates</span> <span><span>Daniel William…</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-02-16T15:25:30-07:00" title="Monday, February 16, 2026 - 15:25">Mon, 02/16/2026 - 15:25</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2026-02/Bushbaby_tree.png?h=67ecbee6&amp;itok=HbJkK--0" width="1200" height="800" alt="Primate with glowing eyes at night in a tree"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/today/taxonomy/term/16"> Climate &amp; Environment </a> </div> <a href="/today/daniel-strain">Daniel Strain</a> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default 1"> <div class="ucb-article-text d-flex align-items-center" itemprop="articleBody"> <div> <div class="align-center image_style-original_image_size"> <div class="imageMediaStyle original_image_size"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/original_image_size/public/2026-02/Bushbaby_tree.png?itok=RDHNuLX1" width="2048" height="1071" alt="Primate with glowing eyes at night in a tree"> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p class="small-text">Thick-tailed bushbaby (Credit: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Otolemur_crassicaudatus_32734601.jpg" rel="nofollow">CC image via Wikimedia Commons</a>)</p> </span> </div> <p>Frank Cuozzo and <a href="/anthropology/michelle-sauther" rel="nofollow">Michelle Sauther</a> first traveled to South Africa in 2012 to search for some of the most unusual primates on Earth—bushbabies.</p><p>These animals are nocturnal and small, often around the size of a housecat. Bushbabies have big ears, round eyes and get their names from the eerie, wailing noises they make at night.</p><p>Two species of bushbabies are native to South Africa: The thick-tailed bushbaby (<em>Otolemur crassicaudatus</em>) and the Moholbushbaby (<em>Galago moholi</em>). At the time, they had a reputation for being everywhere. They would sneak into towns to steal pet food from bowls and beg for handouts from tourists on safari.</p><p>But the more Cuozzo and Sauther looked, the more they realized that something didn’t seem right: They kept finding bushbabies <a href="/today/2023/02/09/bruiser-bushbaby-was-killed-dog-south-africa-he-isnt-alone" rel="nofollow">killed on roads or mauled by dogs</a>.</p><p>The <a href="/today/2021/11/10/female-bushbabies-more-stressed-may-be-more-vulnerable-changing-environment" rel="nofollow">dangers facing the animals</a>, in fact, seemed to be mounting.</p><div class="feature-layout-callout feature-layout-callout-large"><div class="ucb-callout-content"> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2026-02/Bushbaby_face.png?itok=Wx9p15Xz" width="1500" height="1302" alt="Close up of primate's face as it's held by a human"> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p class="small-text">Thick-tailed bushbaby (Credit: Michelle Sauther)</p> </span> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2026-02/Bushbaby_buck1.png?itok=g6R7G1oT" width="1500" height="1077" alt="Nighttime image of a primate standing next to a deer-like animal"> </div> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2026-02/Bushbaby_buck2.png?itok=RRNm0Sc2" width="1500" height="1080" alt="Nighttime image of a primate standing next to a deer-like animal"> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p class="small-text">Trail camera captures a bushbaby mysteriously grooming a bushbuck at night in South Africa. (Credit: Michelle Sauther)</p> </span> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/article-image/linden_greater_bushbaby_0.jpg?itok=VG7QA8pM" width="1500" height="1094" alt="Greater bushbaby seen at night crossing a simple bridge"> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p class="small-text">Greater bushbaby seen crossing a canopy bridge at night. (Credit: Birthe Linden)</p> </span> </div></div><p>Now, after more than a decade of research by the primatologists and their colleagues, a major environmental organization in southern Africa has changed the conservation status of these cute animals. In January, the <a href="https://ewt.org/" rel="nofollow">Endangered Wildlife Trust</a> (EWT) <a href="https://ewt.org/project/thick-tailed-bushbaby-otolemur-crassicaudatus/" rel="nofollow">redesignated thick-tailed bushbabies</a> from a species of “least concern” to “near threatened.” This category isn’t as severe as “endangered” but indicates that bushbaby numbers are likely dropping at a concerning rate.</p><p>“Human threats are everywhere, for all species,” said Cuozzo, a scientist at the <a href="https://www.lajuma.com/" rel="nofollow">Lajuma Research Centre</a> in South Africa and research fellow at the <a href="https://www.up.ac.za/mammal-research-institute" rel="nofollow">University of Pretoria’s Mammal Research Institute</a>. “But we’ve been able to document that the human threats facing bushbabies, including deforestation and habitat loss, are increasing.”</p><p>Sauther, a professor of anthropology at 91´«Ă˝, sees the new conservation listing as a culmination of years of work—and, perhaps, a new beginning for bushbabies.</p><p>“We don't want this species to ever become endangered,” Sauther said. “Now that we know they're near threatened, we can do something about it.”</p><p>The researchers also hope their findings will call attention to the many other plants and animals that live in the same forests as bushbabies.</p><p>“There are so many plant species there that botanists can’t even identify, the same with some of the reptiles and amphibian,” said Birthe Linden, a primatologist at <a href="https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/" rel="nofollow">Aberystwyth University</a> in Wales. “It is a biodiverse area, and there are so many gaps in what we know.”</p><h2>Rising deforestation</h2><p>Thick-tailed bushbabies spend most of their lives in trees where they mostly eat acacia gum. They range widely across Southern Africa, thriving in the lush, green forests that grow around rivers.</p><p>Sauther said the animals never cease to amaze her.</p><p>Once, she and her colleagues caught a bushbaby on a trail camera grooming an antelope known as a bushbuck—the bushbuck stood still while the primate plucked insects from its fur and ate them.</p><p>“They’re our cousins, and they even have these connections to other species,” Sauther said. “They’re a lovely animal to understand.”</p><p>In 2023, she, Cuozzo and Linden began working with the EWT to reassess the status of this species.</p><p>The researchers aren’t sure exactly how fast bushbaby numbers are falling in southern Africa. But they gathered a wide range of data showing that the threats are growing.</p><p>Using satellite images, the researchers calculated that the habitats where bushbabies live are shrinking by about 3.6% per decade—faster than the average loss for natural areas in the region. Humans cut down bushbaby forests to make room for agriculture and suburban housing.</p><p>In one alarming example, bushbabies once abounded in the Mokopane Biodiversity Centre roughly 200 kilometers (124 miles) north of Pretoria, South Africa. When a dam was installed upriver about 20 years ago, the primates’ favorite forests dried up and died.</p><p>“In 2015, we tried to look for bushbabies there, and there was nothing,” said Cuozzo, who earned his doctorate in biological anthropology from 91´«Ă˝ in 2000. “We didn’t hear anything. We didn’t find a single individual.”</p><p>In previous studies, the team also showed that the <a href="/today/2021/05/17/bushbabies" rel="nofollow">pet trade</a>, <a href="/today/2023/02/09/bruiser-bushbaby-was-killed-dog-south-africa-he-isnt-alone" rel="nofollow">road kill and dog attacks</a> might be taking a much bigger toll on primates in South Africa than scientists realized.</p><h2>Keeping bushbabies safe</h2><p>Cuozzo, Linden and Sauther hope their findings will inspire more researchers to take a closer look not just at bushbabies, but other understudied plants and animals around the world.</p><p>The researchers said South Africans care about their wildlife, and there’s a lot they can do to protect bushbabies today.</p><p>They encourage people not to feed primates or leave pet food out at night. These morsels encourage bushbabies to venture into human settlements where they can get attacked by dogs.</p><p>To stop roadkill, the researchers advocate for “canopy bridges.” They allow animals to cross roads without risking being hit by cars and can be as simple as two ropes stretched over a highway.</p><p>“We can’t protect anything if we don’t know about it,” Linden said. “There’s so little money available for conservation. The more we learn about a creature, the more we can spend that money in a way that’s really effective.</p></div> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content-media ucb-article-content-media-below"> <div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--from-library paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div> <div class="ucb-article-secondary-text"> <div><div class="ucb-box ucb-box-title-hidden ucb-box-alignment-none ucb-box-style-fill ucb-box-theme-darkgray"><div class="ucb-box-inner"><div class="ucb-box-title">&nbsp;</div><div class="ucb-box-content"><p class="hero"><strong>Explore A&amp;S</strong></p><p>Discover inquiry, insights and research from across the College of Arts and Sciences.</p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-gold ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="/asmagazine/" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Arts &amp; Sciences Magazine</span></a></p></div></div></div></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>After more than a decade of research by primatologists at 91´«Ă˝ and their colleagues, a major environmental organization has changed the conservation status of an unusual, and petite, species of primate that lives in southern Africa.</div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Related Articles</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Mon, 16 Feb 2026 22:25:30 +0000 Daniel William Strain 56103 at /today Climate change media coverage fell 14% in 2025 /today/2026/02/16/climate-change-media-coverage-fell-14-2025 <span>Climate change media coverage fell 14% in 2025</span> <span><span>Yvaine Ye</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-02-16T10:03:09-07:00" title="Monday, February 16, 2026 - 10:03">Mon, 02/16/2026 - 10:03</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2026-02/figure4.jpg?h=deace2b1&amp;itok=gxYkboqI" width="1200" height="800" alt="Examples of newspaper front pages with climate change stories relating to the Los Angeles, California area fires in January 2025."> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/today/taxonomy/term/16"> Climate &amp; Environment </a> </div> <span>Brigitta Rongstad</span> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p dir="ltr"><span>In 2025—</span><a href="https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202513" rel="nofollow"><span>Earth's third warmest year on record</span></a><span>—massive fires destroyed entire neighborhoods in Los Angeles, a deadly heatwave killed more than 24,000 in Europe and powerful storms triggered catastrophic flooding in Southeast Asia.&nbsp;</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>Scientists were quick to highlight the potential links between many of these disasters and a rapidly changing climate. But&nbsp;</span><a href="https://mecco.colorado.edu/summaries/special_issue_2025.html" rel="nofollow"><span>media coverage of climate change decreased by 14% in 2025 compared to 2024</span></a><span>, according to a recent report from 91´«Ă˝â€™s Media and Climate Change Observatory (MeCCO).</span></p> <div class="align-right image_style-small_500px_25_display_size_"> <div class="imageMediaStyle small_500px_25_display_size_"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/small_500px_25_display_size_/public/2026-02/MaxBoykoff.png?itok=j-rCknGR" width="375" height="496" alt="Max Boykoff"> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p>Max Boykoff</p> </span> </div> <p dir="ltr"><span>“Over the past three and a half decades, climate change has become a high-stakes, high-profile, and highly-politicized venture involving science, policy, culture, psychology, environment and society,” said </span><a href="https://cires.colorado.edu/people/maxwell-boykoff" rel="nofollow"><span>Max Boykoff</span></a><span>, professor of Environmental Studies and a fellow at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES).</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>Boykoff, who is also the faculty executive director of the&nbsp;</span><a href="/center/spike/" rel="nofollow"><span>SPIKE Center for Sustainability Education</span></a><span>, leads MeCCO’s efforts to track media coverage of climate change and understand messaging trends here in the U.S. and across the world. 91´«Ă˝ Today sat down with him to chat about the shift and the implications.&nbsp;</span></p><h2><span>What is the Media and Climate Change Observatory?</span></h2><p dir="ltr"><span>MeCCO is a collaborative project that monitors and assesses climate change and global warming coverage in 131 newspapers, radio and television outlets spanning 59 countries and 14 languages. There is no other open-access resource like it available to researchers and practitioners, interested media outlets and decision-makers across anywhere else in the world.</span></p><h2><span>How do 91´«Ă˝ students support MeCCO?</span></h2><p dir="ltr"><span>In a new partnership between CIRES and the SPIKE Center for Sustainability Education, MeCCO is expanding student involvement and support at 91´«Ă˝. As part of broader MeCCO activities, 91´«Ă˝ students also serve as SPIKE Student Emissaries, working with collaborators at universities, institutes and organizations worldwide. Together, the 30-member team monitors climate-related news and produces monthly and annual summaries and explainers. The partnership expands MeCCO’s reach while building competence and confidence among participating researchers and students.</span></p><h2><span>How does your team track changes in media coverage about climate change?&nbsp;</span></h2><p dir="ltr"><span>In partnership with the University Libraries, MeCCO team members produce open access datasets each month at the global level for newspaper and radio coverage. The team also evaluates newspaper coverage in seven regions—Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, North America and Oceania—as well as at the country level in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>We use existing news archives to assemble data, making sure we have broad geographic coverage, high circulation and reliable access to material.</span></p> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2026-02/figure1_0.jpg?itok=j-fVwi1i" width="1500" height="720" alt="Media coverage of climate change or global warming in seven different regions around the world, from January 2004 through December 2025."> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p><span>Media coverage of climate change or global warming in seven different regions around the world, from January 2004 through December 2025. (Credit: MeCCO/91´«Ă˝)</span></p> </span> <h2><span>What contributed to the decline in coverage in 2025?&nbsp;</span></h2><p dir="ltr"><span>Ongoing political economic headwinds, and newsroom consolidation and reductions have contributed to this diminished coverage. Moreover, there is finite news space for competing stories, with the Trump administration flooding the public sphere with news stories across several domains.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>News editors and reporters may also sense that their readers are getting tired of reading and hearing about climate change when making decisions about what stories to cover. Furthermore, journalists may be hesitant to connect the dots between ecological and meteorological events like wildfires, and a changing climate due to the ongoing politicization of climate science, despite the fact that those links are clear within relevant expert scientific communities.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><h2><span>How does this decline impact people’s awareness and understanding of climate change science?</span></h2><p dir="ltr"><span>People typically do not start their day with a cup of coffee and the latest peer-reviewed journal article. Instead, they turn to media—television, newspapers, radio, social media—to understand how science and policies could impact their everyday lives. This reality drives MeCCO’s work to monitor media coverage of climate change around the world and investigate how climate change coverage affects media consumers. When the media fail to cover these pressing climate issues abundantly and accurately, people may not recognize how climate change shapes their daily lives, livelihoods and challenges.</span></p><h2><span>What are other ways scientists can reach people who might only hear about climate change issues from the news?</span></h2><p dir="ltr"><span>There are many ways scientists can creatively communicate and connect with different sectors of society. They can improve education and literacy, mobilize more effective advocacy efforts, raise individual-to collective-scale awareness, prompt behavior change and promote cultural change. Through video, theater, dance and writing, scientists can connect new and wider audiences to climate change—tapping into experiential, emotional, visceral and aesthetic ways of learning that go beyond traditional communication.</span></p><h2><span>'Doom and gloom' messaging is prevalent in the media. How do you inspire hope?</span></h2><p dir="ltr"><span>There are many alternative pathways to effectively communicate about climate-related issues. In collaboration with 91´«Ă˝ students, my colleague, Beth Osnes-Stoedefalke in the Department of Theater, and I have explored avenues like studying fast fashion communication strategies and environmental impacts (an industry that contributes significantly to global warming) and sustainable fashion alternatives.&nbsp;</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>We also explore how comedy may unexpectedly offer new routes to learning about climate change, overcoming often sober or gloomy scientific assessments through experiential, narrative, emotive and relatable storytelling. Humor can help increase accessibility to the complex and often-distant dimensions of climate change by bringing a long-term set of issues into the immediate social context. While comedy can provide relief amid anxiety-producing scientific results, it also serves to bridge difficult topics and overcome polarized discussions through entertaining and non-threatening ways to recapture a missing middle ground.&nbsp;</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>These activities then provide space for young people—college-aged students most centrally—to hope and to work toward desirable, sustainable futures.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-content-media ucb-article-content-media-above"> <div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--from-library paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div> <div class="ucb-article-secondary-text"> <div><div class="ucb-box ucb-box-title-hidden ucb-box-alignment-none ucb-box-style-fill ucb-box-theme-lightgray"><div class="ucb-box-inner"><div class="ucb-box-title">&nbsp;</div><div class="ucb-box-content"><p><em><span>91´«Ă˝ Today regularly publishes Q&amp;As on news topics through the lens of scholarly expertise and research/creative work.</span><span lang="EN"> The responses here reflect the knowledge and interpretations of the expert and should not be considered the university position on the issue. All publication content is subject to edits for clarity, brevity and&nbsp;</span></em><a href="/brand/how-use/text-tone/editorial-style-guide" rel="nofollow"><em><span lang="EN">university style guidelines</span></em></a><em><span lang="EN">.</span></em></p></div></div></div></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ucb-article-text d-flex align-items-center" itemprop="articleBody"> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-content-media ucb-article-content-media-above"> <div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--from-library paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div> <div class="ucb-article-secondary-text"> <div><div class="ucb-box ucb-box-title-hidden ucb-box-alignment-none ucb-box-style-fill ucb-box-theme-darkgray"><div class="ucb-box-inner"><div class="ucb-box-title">&nbsp;</div><div class="ucb-box-content"><p class="hero"><strong>Explore A&amp;S</strong></p><p>Discover inquiry, insights and research from across the College of Arts and Sciences.</p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-gold ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="/asmagazine/" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Arts &amp; Sciences Magazine</span></a></p></div></div></div></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ucb-article-text d-flex align-items-center" itemprop="articleBody"> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>Despite rising impacts, climate change received less attention in media around the world in 2025. 91´«Ă˝ sociologist Max Boykoff shares the reasons and implications.</div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Related Articles</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2026-02/figure4.jpg?itok=IBkD4riZ" width="1500" height="1372" alt="Examples of newspaper front pages with climate change stories relating to the Los Angeles, California area fires in January 2025."> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p><span>Examples of newspaper front pages with climate change stories relating to the Los Angeles, California area fires in January 2025. (Courtesy of the MeCCO team)</span></p> </span> </div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> <div>Examples of newspaper front pages with climate change stories relating to the Los Angeles, California area fires in January 2025. (Courtesy of the MeCCO team)</div> Mon, 16 Feb 2026 17:03:09 +0000 Yvaine Ye 56120 at /today Snow news day: The challenge of climate reporting as newsrooms cut back /today/2026/02/13/snow-news-day-challenge-climate-reporting-newsrooms-cut-back <span>Snow news day: The challenge of climate reporting as newsrooms cut back</span> <span><span>Megan M Rogers</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-02-13T11:59:49-07:00" title="Friday, February 13, 2026 - 11:59">Fri, 02/13/2026 - 11:59</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2026-02/2026.02.11%20SNOWPACK26-lede.jpg?h=ddc58dd3&amp;itok=XtCXUnMl" width="1200" height="800" alt="snowpack 2026"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/today/taxonomy/term/4"> Business &amp; Entrepreneurship </a> <a href="/today/taxonomy/term/16"> Climate &amp; Environment </a> </div> <a href="/today/college-media-communication-and-information">College of Communication, Media, Design and Information</a> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p>The College of Communication, Media, Design and Information's Water Desk has expanded the services it offers to resource-starved reporters who need help covering complex stories around the Colorado River and climate change.&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>The College of Communication, Media, Design and Information's Water Desk has expanded the services it offers to resource-starved reporters who need help covering complex stories around the Colorado River and climate change. </div> <script> window.location.href = `/cmdinow/2026/02/11/snow-news-day-challenge-climate-reporting-newsrooms-cut-back`; </script> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Related Articles</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Fri, 13 Feb 2026 18:59:49 +0000 Megan M Rogers 56115 at /today One safety step sparks another /today/2026/02/13/one-safety-step-sparks-another <span>One safety step sparks another</span> <span><span>Megan M Rogers</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-02-13T07:57:41-07:00" title="Friday, February 13, 2026 - 07:57">Fri, 02/13/2026 - 07:57</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2026-02/Lick_Fire_on_the_Umatilla_National_Forest_burning_at_night.jpg?h=71976bb4&amp;itok=CCGmziQn" width="1200" height="800" alt="wildfire in Umatilla National Forest"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/today/taxonomy/term/16"> Climate &amp; Environment </a> </div> <span>Colorado Arts and Sciences Magazine</span> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p>Research from 91´«Ă˝ environmental economist Grant Webster finds that wildfire risk mitigation and proactive evacuation preparation are complementary.</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>Research from 91´«Ă˝ environmental economist Grant Webster finds that wildfire risk mitigation and proactive evacuation preparation are complementary.</div> <script> window.location.href = `/asmagazine/2026/02/10/one-safety-step-sparks-another`; </script> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Related Articles</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Fri, 13 Feb 2026 14:57:41 +0000 Megan M Rogers 56107 at /today Global collaboration to limit air pollution flowing across borders could save millions of lives /today/2026/02/12/global-collaboration-limit-air-pollution-flowing-across-borders-could-save-millions <span>Global collaboration to limit air pollution flowing across borders could save millions of lives</span> <span><span>Daniel William…</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-02-12T11:25:10-07:00" title="Thursday, February 12, 2026 - 11:25">Thu, 02/12/2026 - 11:25</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2026-02/Smog.jpeg?h=e39f4ada&amp;itok=pqDRNo8R" width="1200" height="800" alt="Emissions coming from a power plant"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/today/taxonomy/term/16"> Climate &amp; Environment </a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div> <div class="align-center image_style-wide_image_style"> <div class="imageMediaStyle wide_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/today/sites/default/files/styles/wide_image_style/public/2026-02/Smog.jpeg?h=e39f4ada&amp;itok=8rRivoiO" width="1500" height="563" alt="Emissions coming from a power plant"> </div> </div> <p><br><em>This story is adapted from a version published by Cardiff University. </em><a href="https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/news/view/3024675-climate-policy-must-consider-cross-border-pollution-exchanges-to-address-inequality-and-achieve-health-benefits,-research-finds" rel="nofollow"><em>Read the original version here</em></a><em>.</em></p><p>Ambitious climate action to improve global air quality could save up to 1.32 million lives per year by 2040, according to a new study.</p><p>Researchers from 91´«Ă˝ and Cardiff University in the United Kingdom have found that developing countries, especially, rely on international action to improve air quality, because much of their pollution comes from outside their borders.&nbsp;</p><p>The new study, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-68827-0" rel="nofollow">published in Nature Communications</a>, analyzed cross-border pollution “exchanges” for 168 countries and revealed that if countries do not collaborate effectively on climate policy, it could lead to greater health inequality for poorer nations that have less control over their own air quality.&nbsp;</p><p>The team’s work focuses on the impact of exposure to fine particulate matter, what scientists call “PM2.5,” which is the leading environmental risk factor for premature deaths globally.</p><p>“Some climate policies could inadvertently make air pollution inequalities worse, specifically for developing nations that might rely heavily on their neighbors for clean air,” said Daven Henze, senior author of the new study and professor at the <a href="/mechanical" rel="nofollow">Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering</a> at 91´«Ă˝.</p><p>“Holistic climate policy should therefore evaluate how dependent a nation is on others’ emissions reductions, how mitigation scenarios reshape air-pollution flows across borders, and whether global efforts are helping or harming equity.”</p><p>Lead author Omar Nawaz at the Cardiff University School of Earth and Environmental Sciences said: “While we know climate action can benefit public health, most research has ignored how this affects the air pollution that travels across international borders and creates inequalities between countries.</p><p>“Our analysis shows how climate mitigation decisions made in wealthy nations directly affect the health of people in the Global South, particularly in Africa and Asia.”&nbsp;</p><p>The research team used advanced atmospheric modeling and NASA satellite data to simulate different future emissions scenarios for the year 2040. The researchers used this data and a health burden estimation to understand how countries could make an impact through climate policy.</p><p>“We were surprised to find that although Asia sees the most total benefits from climate action to its large share of the population, African countries are often the most reliant on external action, with the amount of health benefits they get from climate mitigation abroad increasing in fragmented future scenarios,” said Nawaz.</p><p>According to the researchers’ projections, the balance of pollution flowing across borders could shift, even if total global air pollution declines.</p><p>These insights could inform policymaking and global aid work that seeks to address climate change.&nbsp;</p><p>In a sustainable socioeconomic development scenario, for example, pollution flowing across the U.S.-Mexico border would substantially decrease. Mexico would contribute much more to the health benefits that come from this shift than the United States.</p><p>The team plans to do further research exploring how climate change itself alters the weather patterns that transport this pollution, as well as looking at other pollutant types like ozone and organic aerosols.</p><p>“Ozone is transported even further in the atmosphere than PM2.5, contributes to significant health burdens, and shares common emission sources with PM2.5. We thus have follow-up studies in the works to investigate the interplay between climate policies and long-range health co-benefits associated with both species simultaneously,” said Henze.</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>First-of-its-kind study assesses how health benefits of aggressive climate policy travel across international borders.</div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Related Articles</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Thu, 12 Feb 2026 18:25:10 +0000 Daniel William Strain 56086 at /today