2021 in the environment

! scope="col" width="20" style="width:5%;" | Date / period

! scope="col" width="30" style="width:10%;" | Type of event

! scope="col" width="30" style="width:80%;" | Event

! scope="col" width="3" style="width:2%;" | Topics

! scope="col" width="3" style="width:3%;" | Image

! scope="col" width="20" style="width:5%;" | Date / period

! scope="col" width="30" style="width:10%;" | Type

! scope="col" width="30" style="width:80%;min-width:550px;" class="unsortable" | Description

! scope="col" width="3" style="width:2%;" | Topics

! scope="col" width="3" style="width:3%;" | Image

| Review

| In the first scientific systematic review of the scientific evidence around global waste, its management and impact on human health and life, authors provide assessments, suggestions for corrective action, engineering solutions and requests for further research. They find that about half of all the municipal solid terrestrial waste – or close to one billion tons per year – is either not collected or mismanaged after collection, often being burned in open and uncontrolled fires. Authors conclude that "massive risk mitigation can be delivered" while noting that broad priority areas each lack a "high-quality research base", partly due to the absence of "substantial research funding", which scientists often require.{{cite news |title=Health crisis: Up to a billion tons of waste potentially burned in the open every year |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-01-health-crisis-billion-tons-potentially.html |access-date=13 February 2021 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Cook |first1=E. |last2=Velis |first2=C. A. |title=Global Review on Safer End of Engineered Life |journal=Global Review on Safer End of Engineered Life |date=6 January 2021 |url=http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/169766/ |access-date=13 February 2021 |language=en}}

| [waste]

|frameless

| Statistics / records

| A new record high temperature of the world's oceans is reported, measured from the surface level down to a depth of 2,000 metres.{{cite news |date=13 January 2021|title=Upper ocean temperatures hit record high in 2020 | url=https://eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-01/ioap-uot011021.php|work=EurekAlert!|access-date=13 January 2021}}{{cite journal |last1=Cheng |first1=Lijing |last2=Abraham |first2=John |last3=Trenberth |first3=Kevin E. |last4=Fasullo |first4=John |last5=Boyer |first5=Tim |last6=Locarnini |first6=Ricardo |last7=Zhang |first7=Bin |last8=Yu |first8=Fujiang |last9=Wan |first9=Liying |last10=Chen |first10=Xingrong |last11=Song |first11=Xiangzhou |last12=Liu |first12=Yulong |last13=Mann |first13=Michael E. |last14=Reseghetti |first14=Franco |last15=Simoncelli |first15=Simona |last16=Gouretski |first16=Viktor |last17=Chen |first17=Gengxin |last18=Mishonov |first18=Alexey |last19=Reagan |first19=Jim |last20=Zhu |first20=Jiang |title=Upper Ocean Temperatures Hit Record High in 2020 |journal=Advances in Atmospheric Sciences |date=13 January 2021 |volume=38 |issue=4 |pages=523–530 |doi=10.1007/s00376-021-0447-x |bibcode=2021AdAtS..38..523C |language=en |issn=1861-9533|doi-access=free }}

| [temperature record]

|frameless

| Review, Analysis, Assessment

| A group of 17 high-ranking ecologists publish a perspective piece that reviews a number of studies that, based on current trends, indicate that future environmental conditions will be far more dangerous than currently believed, concluding that current challenges – themselves in specific – that humanity faces are large and underestimated. The small group cautions that such an "optimism bias" is prevalent and that fundamental changes are required, listing a few of such they consider adequate in the form of broad descriptions in their largely static document, published by a scientific journal.{{cite news |title=Top scientists warn of 'ghastly future of mass extinction' and climate disruption |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/13/top-scientists-warn-of-ghastly-future-of-mass-extinction-and-climate-disruption-aoe |access-date=12 February 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=13 January 2021 |language=en}}{{cite web |title=Avoiding a 'Ghastly Future': Hard Truths on the State of the Planet |url=https://e360.yale.edu/features/avoiding-a-ghastly-future-hard-truths-on-the-state-of-the-planet |website=Yale E360 |access-date=12 February 2021}}{{cite journal |last1=Bradshaw |first1=Corey J. A. |last2=Ehrlich |first2=Paul R. |last3=Beattie |first3=Andrew |last4=Ceballos |first4=Gerardo |last5=Crist |first5=Eileen |last6=Diamond |first6=Joan |last7=Dirzo |first7=Rodolfo |last8=Ehrlich |first8=Anne H. |last9=Harte |first9=John |last10=Harte |first10=Mary Ellen |last11=Pyke |first11=Graham |last12=Raven |first12=Peter H. |last13=Ripple |first13=William J. |last14=Saltré |first14=Frédérik |last15=Turnbull |first15=Christine |last16=Wackernagel |first16=Mathis |last17=Blumstein |first17=Daniel T. |title=Underestimating the Challenges of Avoiding a Ghastly Future |journal=Frontiers in Conservation Science |date=2021 |volume=1 |doi=10.3389/fcosc.2020.615419 |language=English |issn=2673-611X|doi-access=free }} 50px Available under [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ CC BY 4.0].

| [policy]

| frameless

| Review

| A study described as the "first long-term assessment of global bee decline", which analyzed GBIF-data of over a century, finds that the number of bee species declined steeply after the 1990s, shrinking by a quarter in 2006–2015 compared to before 1990.{{cite news |last1=Shah |first1=Karina |title=A quarter of all known bee species haven't been seen since the 1990s |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2265680-a-quarter-of-all-known-bee-species-havent-been-seen-since-the-1990s/ |access-date=11 February 2021 |work=New Scientist}}{{cite journal |last1=Zattara |first1=Eduardo E. |last2=Aizen |first2=Marcelo A. |title=Worldwide occurrence records suggest a global decline in bee species richness |journal=One Earth |date=22 January 2021 |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=114–123 |doi=10.1016/j.oneear.2020.12.005 |bibcode=2021OEart...4..114Z |language=English |issn=2590-3330|doi-access=free |hdl=11336/183742 |hdl-access=free }}

| [insect decline]

|frameless

| Review

| Global ice loss is found to be accelerating at a record rate in a scientific review, matching the worst-case scenarios of the IPCC.{{cite news |date=25 January 2021|title=Global ice loss accelerating at record rate, study finds | url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/25/global-ice-loss-accelerating-at-record-rate-study-finds|work=The Guardian|access-date=25 January 2021}}{{cite news |date=25 January 2021|title=Global ice loss increases at record rate | url=https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-01/uol-gil012121.php|work=EurekAlert!|access-date=25 January 2021}}{{cite journal |last1=Slater |first1=Thomas |last2=Lawrence |first2=Isobel R. |last3=Otosaka |first3=Inès N. |last4=Shepherd |first4=Andrew |last5=Gourmelen |first5=Noel |last6=Jakob |first6=Livia |last7=Tepes |first7=Paul |last8=Gilbert |first8=Lin |last9=Nienow |first9=Peter |title=Review article: Earth's ice imbalance |journal=The Cryosphere |date=25 January 2021 |volume=15 |issue=1 |pages=233–246 |doi=10.5194/tc-15-233-2021 |bibcode=2021TCry...15..233S |url=https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/15/233/2021/ |access-date=12 February 2021 |language=English |issn=1994-0416|doi-access=free |hdl=20.500.11820/df343a4d-6b66-4eae-ac3f-f5a35bdeef04 |hdl-access=free }} 50px Available under [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ CC BY 4.0].

| [global warming] [sea level rise]

|frameless

| Observation, Analysis

| Scientists report that shark and ray populations have fallen by 71% since 1970 as a result of human actions, primarily overfishing.{{cite news |last=Einhorn |first=Catrin |date=January 27, 2021 |title=Shark Populations Are Crashing, With a 'Very Small Window' to Avert Disaster |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/27/climate/sharks-population-study.html |work=The New York Times |location= |access-date=February 16, 2021}}{{cite journal |doi = 10.1038/s41586-020-03173-9|title = Half a century of global decline in oceanic sharks and rays|year = 2021|last1 = Pacoureau|first1 = Nathan|last2 = Rigby|first2 = Cassandra L.|last3 = Kyne|first3 = Peter M.|last4 = Sherley|first4 = Richard B.|last5 = Winker|first5 = Henning|last6 = Carlson|first6 = John K.|last7 = Fordham|first7 = Sonja V.|last8 = Barreto|first8 = Rodrigo|last9 = Fernando|first9 = Daniel|last10 = Francis|first10 = Malcolm P.|last11 = Jabado|first11 = Rima W.|last12 = Herman|first12 = Katelyn B.|last13 = Liu|first13 = Kwang-Ming|last14 = Marshall|first14 = Andrea D.|last15 = Pollom|first15 = Riley A.|last16 = Romanov|first16 = Evgeny V.|last17 = Simpfendorfer|first17 = Colin A.|last18 = Yin|first18 = Jamie S.|last19 = Kindsvater|first19 = Holly K.|last20 = Dulvy|first20 = Nicholas K.|journal = Nature|volume = 589|issue = 7843|pages = 567–571|pmid = 33505035|bibcode = 2021Natur.589..567P|hdl = 10871/124531|s2cid = 231723355|hdl-access = free}}

| [animals]

| frameless

| Attribution, Modelling

| A study using a high spatial resolution model and an updated concentration-response function finds that 10.2 million global excess deaths in 2012 and 8.7 M in 2018 – or {{tooltip|2=A review of this and a more nuanced assessment of mortality impacts in terms of contribution to death, rather than number of deceased, may be needed|a fifth}}{{dubious|date=March 2021|reason=A review of this and a more nuanced assessment of mortality impacts in terms of contribution to death, rather than number of deceased, may be needed}} – were due to air pollution generated by fossil fuel combustion, significantly higher than earlier estimates and with spatially subdivided mortality impacts.{{cite news |last1=Green |first1=Matthew |title=Fossil fuel pollution causes one in five premature deaths globally: study |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-pollution-fossil-idUSKBN2A90UB |access-date=5 March 2021 |work=Reuters |date=9 February 2021 |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Vohra |first1=Karn |last2=Vodonos |first2=Alina |last3=Schwartz |first3=Joel |last4=Marais |first4=Eloise A.|author4-link=Eloise Marais |last5=Sulprizio |first5=Melissa P. |last6=Mickley |first6=Loretta J. |title=Global mortality from outdoor fine particle pollution generated by fossil fuel combustion: Results from GEOS-Chem |journal=Environmental Research |date=1 April 2021 |volume=195 |pages=110754 |doi=10.1016/j.envres.2021.110754 |pmid=33577774 |bibcode=2021ER....19510754V |s2cid=231909881 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0013935121000487 |access-date=5 March 2021 |language=en |issn=0013-9351}}

| [air pollution] [transportation]

| frameless

| Analysis, Predictions

| A study concludes that the rates of emissions reductions need to increase by 80% beyond NDCs to meet the 2{{nbsp}}°C upper target range of the Paris Agreement, that the probabilities of major emitters meeting their NDCs without such an increase is very low, estimating that with current trends the probability of staying below 2 °C of warming is 5% and if NDCs were met and continued post-2030 by all signatory systems 26%.{{cite news |title=Limiting warming to 2 C requires emissions reductions 80% above Paris Agreement targets |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-02-limiting-requires-emissions-reductions-paris.html |access-date=6 March 2021 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Liu |first1=Peiran R. |last2=Raftery |first2=Adrian E. |title=Country-based rate of emissions reductions should increase by 80% beyond nationally determined contributions to meet the 2 °C target |journal=Communications Earth & Environment |date=9 February 2021 |volume=2 |issue=1 |page=29 |doi=10.1038/s43247-021-00097-8 |pmid=33899003 |pmc=8064561 |bibcode=2021ComEE...2...29L |language=en |issn=2662-4435|doi-access=free }} 50px Available under [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ CC BY 4.0].

| [global warming] [policy]

| frameless

| Development, Analysis

| A study finds that air pollution by nitrogen dioxide could be a technosignature by which one could detect extraterrestrial civilizations via "atmospheric SETI".{{cite news |title=Pollution on other planets could help us find aliens, Nasa says |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/alien-pollution-planets-nasa-b1801543.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210212170134/https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/alien-pollution-planets-nasa-b1801543.html |archive-date=2021-02-12 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |access-date=6 March 2021 |work=The Independent |date=12 February 2021 |language=en}}{{cite magazine |title=Can Alien Smog Lead Us to Extraterrestrial Civilizations? |url=https://www.wired.com/story/can-alien-smog-lead-us-to-extraterrestrial-civilizations/ |access-date=6 March 2021 |magazine=Wired |language=en-us}}{{cite journal |last1=Kopparapu |first1=Ravi |last2=Arney |first2=Giada |last3=Haqq-Misra |first3=Jacob |last4=Lustig-Yaeger |first4=Jacob |last5=Villanueva |first5=Geronimo |title=Nitrogen Dioxide Pollution as a Signature of Extraterrestrial Technology |journal=The Astrophysical Journal |date=22 February 2021 |volume=908 |issue=2 |pages=164 |doi=10.3847/1538-4357/abd7f7 |language=en |issn=1538-4357|arxiv=2102.05027|bibcode=2021ApJ...908..164K |s2cid=231855390 |doi-access=free }}

| [air pollution]

| frameless

| Observation

| Researchers report, for the first time, the detection of lifeforms 872 m below the ice of Antarctica, at a depth of 1,233 m and 260 km from the open water at the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf's calving margin.{{cite news |last=Guenot |first=Marianne |title=Scientists accidentally found life under 3,000 feet of ice in Antarctica. 'Never in a million years' would they have expected it, the lead scientist said. |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/scientist-discover-life-3000-ft-under-ice-in-antarctica-2021-2 |date=15 February 2021 |work=Business Insider |access-date=15 February 2021 }}{{cite magazine |last=Simon |first=Matt |title=Scientists Accidentally Discover Strange Creatures Under a Half Mile of Ice - Researchers only drilled through an Antarctic ice shelf to sample sediment. Instead, they found animals that weren't supposed to be there. |url=https://www.wired.com/story/scientists-discover-strange-creatures-under-a-half-mile-of-ice/ |date=15 February 2021 |magazine=Wired |access-date=15 February 2021 }}{{cite journal |author=Griffiths, Huw J. |display-authors=et al. |title=Breaking All the Rules: The First Recorded Hard Substrate Sessile Benthic Community Far Beneath an Antarctic Ice Shelf |date=15 February 2021 |journal=Frontiers in Marine Science |volume=8 |doi=10.3389/fmars.2021.642040 |s2cid=231920652 |doi-access=free }} 50px Available under [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ CC BY 4.0].

| [animals]

| frameless

| Analysis, Observation

| Global warming is found to cause increases of pollen season lengths and concentrations.{{cite news |last1=Schwartz |first1=John |title=Achoo! Climate Change Lengthening Pollen Season in U.S., Study Shows |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/08/climate/climate-change-pollen-season.html |access-date=7 March 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=8 February 2021}}{{cite journal |last1=Anderegg |first1=William R. L. |last2=Abatzoglou |first2=John T. |last3=Anderegg |first3=Leander D. L. |last4=Bielory |first4=Leonard |last5=Kinney |first5=Patrick L. |last6=Ziska |first6=Lewis |title=Anthropogenic climate change is worsening North American pollen seasons |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |date=16 February 2021 |volume=118 |issue=7 |pages=e2013284118 |doi=10.1073/pnas.2013284118 |pmid=33558232 |pmc=7896283 |bibcode=2021PNAS..11813284A |language=en |issn=0027-8424|doi-access=free }} 50px Available under [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ CC BY 4.0].

| [global warming]

| frameless

| Analysis, Observation, Projections

| Researchers confirm that the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation, which includes the Gulf Stream, is at its weakest since about 1,000 years ago, experiencing unprecedented weakening – likely due to global warming – which could result in more extreme weather events – including heatwaves and intense winters – and is moving towards a "tipping point".{{cite news |last1=Harvey |first1=Fiona |author-link=Fiona Harvey |date=26 February 2021 |title=Atlantic Ocean circulation at weakest in a millennium, say scientists |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/25/atlantic-ocean-circulation-at-weakest-in-a-millennium-say-scientists |access-date=7 March 2021 |work=The Guardian}}{{cite news |title=Gulf Stream System at its weakest in over a millennium |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-02-gulf-stream-weakest-millennium.html |access-date=7 March 2021 |work=phys.org |publisher=Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Caesar |first1=L. |last2=McCarthy |first2=G. D. |last3=Thornalley |first3=D. J. R. |last4=Cahill |first4=N. |last5=Rahmstorf |first5=S. |title=Current Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation weakest in last millennium |journal=Nature Geoscience |date=25 February 2021 |volume=14 |issue=3 |pages=118–120 |doi=10.1038/s41561-021-00699-z |bibcode=2021NatGe..14..118C |s2cid=232052381 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-021-00699-z |access-date=7 March 2021 |language=en |issn=1752-0908}}

| []

| frameless

| Assessment, Attribution, Projections

| Study results indicate that limiting global warming to 1.5 °C would prevent most of the tropics from reaching the wet-bulb temperature of the human physiological limit, beyond which they are fatal after a few hours without artificial cooling.{{cite news |title=Global heating pushes tropical regions towards limits of human livability |url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/mar/08/global-heating-tropical-regions-human-livability |access-date=19 April 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=8 March 2021 |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Zhang |first1=Yi |last2=Held |first2=Isaac |last3=Fueglistaler |first3=Stephan |title=Projections of tropical heat stress constrained by atmospheric dynamics |journal=Nature Geoscience |date=March 2021 |volume=14 |issue=3 |pages=133–137 |doi=10.1038/s41561-021-00695-3 |bibcode=2021NatGe..14..133Z |s2cid=232146008 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-021-00695-3 |access-date=19 April 2021 |language=en |issn=1752-0908}}

| [global warming]

| frameless

| Attribution

| A new global food emissions database indicates that the current food systems are responsible for one third (34%) of the global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions.{{cite news |title=FAO - News Article: Food systems account for more than one third of global greenhouse gas emissions |url=http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/1379373/icode/ |access-date=22 April 2021 |work=www.fao.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Crippa |first1=M. |last2=Solazzo |first2=E. |last3=Guizzardi |first3=D. |last4=Monforti-Ferrario |first4=F. |last5=Tubiello |first5=F. N. |last6=Leip |first6=A. |title=Food systems are responsible for a third of global anthropogenic GHG emissions |journal=Nature Food |date=March 2021 |volume=2 |issue=3 |pages=198–209 |doi=10.1038/s43016-021-00225-9 |pmid=37117443 |language=en |issn=2662-1355|doi-access=free }}

| [Food system]

| frameless

| Review

| Results of a scientific synthesis indicate that, in terms of global warming, the Amazon basin with the Amazon rainforest now emits more greenhouse gases than it absorbs overall due to climate change impacts and human activities in the area – mainly deforestation.{{cite news |last1=Fox |first1=Alex |title=The Amazon Rainforest Now Emits More Greenhouse Gases Than It Absorbs |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/amazon-rainforest-now-emits-more-greenhouse-gases-it-absorbs-180977347/ |access-date=19 April 2021 |work=Smithsonian Magazine |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Covey |first1=Kristofer |last2=Soper |first2=Fiona |last3=Pangala |first3=Sunitha |last4=Bernardino |first4=Angelo |last5=Pagliaro |first5=Zoe |last6=Basso |first6=Luana |last7=Cassol |first7=Henrique |last8=Fearnside |first8=Philip |last9=Navarrete |first9=Diego |last10=Novoa |first10=Sidney |last11=Sawakuchi |first11=Henrique |last12=Lovejoy |first12=Thomas |last13=Marengo |first13=Jose |last14=Peres |first14=Carlos A. |last15=Baillie |first15=Jonathan |last16=Bernasconi |first16=Paula |last17=Camargo |first17=Jose |last18=Freitas |first18=Carolina |last19=Hoffman |first19=Bruce |last20=Nardoto |first20=Gabriela B. |last21=Nobre |first21=Ismael |last22=Mayorga |first22=Juan |last23=Mesquita |first23=Rita |last24=Pavan |first24=Silvia |last25=Pinto |first25=Flavia |last26=Rocha |first26=Flavia |last27=de Assis Mello |first27=Ricardo |last28=Thuault |first28=Alice |last29=Bahl |first29=Alexis Anne |last30=Elmore |first30=Aurora |title=Carbon and Beyond: The Biogeochemistry of Climate in a Rapidly Changing Amazon |journal=Frontiers in Forests and Global Change |date=2021 |volume=4 |doi=10.3389/ffgc.2021.618401 |language=English |issn=2624-893X|doi-access=free }} 50px Available under [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ CC BY 4.0].

| [deforestation] [forests]

| frameless

| Assessment, Development

| A study finds that an optimized globally coordinated marine conservation could be "nearly twice as efficient as uncoordinated, national-level" planning and estimates that bottom trawling releases as much CO₂-emissions as pre-COVID-19 aviation.{{cite news |title=Having it all: Protecting biodiversity, carbon capture, and fish stocks |url=https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/03/how-to-optimize-protecting-the-ocean/ |access-date=19 April 2021 |work=Ars Technica |date=24 March 2021 |language=en-us}}{{cite news |title=Targeted ocean protection could offer 3X the benefits |url=https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/03/targeted-ocean-protection-benefits-climate-change-environment-biodiversity/ |access-date=19 April 2021 |work=World Economic Forum |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Sala |first1=Enric |last2=Mayorga |first2=Juan |last3=Bradley |first3=Darcy |last4=Cabral |first4=Reniel B. |last5=Atwood |first5=Trisha B. |last6=Auber |first6=Arnaud |last7=Cheung |first7=William |last8=Costello |first8=Christopher |last9=Ferretti |first9=Francesco |last10=Friedlander |first10=Alan M. |last11=Gaines |first11=Steven D. |last12=Garilao |first12=Cristina |last13=Goodell |first13=Whitney |last14=Halpern |first14=Benjamin S. |last15=Hinson |first15=Audra |last16=Kaschner |first16=Kristin |last17=Kesner-Reyes |first17=Kathleen |last18=Leprieur |first18=Fabien |last19=McGowan |first19=Jennifer |last20=Morgan |first20=Lance E. |last21=Mouillot |first21=David |last22=Palacios-Abrantes |first22=Juliano |last23=Possingham |first23=Hugh P. |last24=Rechberger |first24=Kristin D. |last25=Worm |first25=Boris |last26=Lubchenco |first26=Jane |title=Protecting the global ocean for biodiversity, food and climate |journal=Nature |date=April 2021 |volume=592 |issue=7854 |pages=397–402 |doi=10.1038/s41586-021-03371-z |pmid=33731930 |bibcode=2021Natur.592..397S |s2cid=232301777 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03371-z |access-date=19 April 2021 |language=en |issn=1476-4687}}

| [ocean] [policy]

| frameless

| Attribution

| An accepted preprint finds that the severity of heatwave and drought impacts on crop production roughly tripled over the last 50 years in Europe.{{cite news |title=Europe's heat and drought crop losses tripled in 50 years: study |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-04-europe-drought-crop-losses-tripled.html |access-date=19 April 2021 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Brás |first1=Teresa Armada |last2=Seixas |first2=Júlia |last3=Carvalhais |first3=Nuno |last4=Jägermeyr |first4=Jonas |title=Severity of drought and heatwave crop losses tripled over the last five decades in Europe |journal=Environmental Research Letters |date=18 March 2021 |volume=16 |issue=6 |page=065012 |doi=10.1088/1748-9326/abf004 |bibcode=2021ERL....16f5012B |language=en |issn=1748-9326|doi-access=free |hdl=10362/144590 |hdl-access=free }} 50px Available under [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ CC BY 4.0].

| [extreme weather]

| frameless

| Attribution, Analysis

| In a static proprietary article that appeared in and was reviewed by a scientific journal, authenticated scientists analyze data from multiple public databases to create a regional representation of levels of deforestation induced by nations' recent, largely unmodulated, trade-, production- and consumption-patterns, showing e.g. that the G7 are driving an average annual loss of 3.9 trees per capita and that India and China increased the deforestation embodied in their imports.{{cite news |title=Average westerner's eating habits lead to loss of four trees every year |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/mar/29/average-westerners-eating-habits-lead-to-loss-of-four-trees-every-year |access-date=19 April 2021 |work=the Guardian |date=29 March 2021 |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Hoang |first1=Nguyen Tien |last2=Kanemoto |first2=Keiichiro |title=Mapping the deforestation footprint of nations reveals growing threat to tropical forests |journal=Nature Ecology & Evolution |date=29 March 2021 |volume=5 |issue=6 |pages=845–853 |doi=10.1038/s41559-021-01417-z |pmid=33782576 |s2cid=232420306 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-021-01417-z |access-date=19 April 2021 |language=en |issn=2397-334X}}

| [deforestation]

| frameless

| Observation

| A case-control study of cities finds that redistributing street space for cycling infrastructure – for so-called "pop-up bike lanes" – during the COVID-19 pandemic lead to large additional increases in cycling.{{cite news |last1=Penney |first1=Veronica |title=If You Build It, They Will Bike: Pop-Up Lanes Increased Cycling During Pandemic |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/01/climate/bikes-climate-change.html |access-date=19 April 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=1 April 2021}}{{cite journal |last1=Kraus |first1=Sebastian |last2=Koch |first2=Nicolas |title=Provisional COVID-19 infrastructure induces large, rapid increases in cycling |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |date=13 April 2021 |volume=118 |issue=15 |pages=e2024399118 |doi=10.1073/pnas.2024399118 |pmid=33782111 |pmc=8053938 |bibcode=2021PNAS..11824399K |language=en |issn=0027-8424|doi-access=free }}

| [global warming] [policy]

| frameless

| Analysis

| The extensive pesticide pollution risks worldwide are estimated with a new environmental model.{{cite news |title=A third of global farmland at 'high' pesticide pollution risk |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-03-global-farmland-high-pesticide-pollution.html |access-date=22 April 2021 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Tang |first1=Fiona H. M. |last2=Lenzen |first2=Manfred |last3=McBratney |first3=Alexander |last4=Maggi |first4=Federico |title=Risk of pesticide pollution at the global scale |journal=Nature Geoscience |date=April 2021 |volume=14 |issue=4 |pages=206–210 |doi=10.1038/s41561-021-00712-5 |bibcode=2021NatGe..14..206T |language=en |issn=1752-0908|doi-access=free }}

| [insects] [pesticides]

|

| Observation, Projections, Analysis

| A study finds that carbon emissions from Bitcoin mining in China – where a majority of the proof-of-work algorithm that generates current economic value is computed, largely fueled by nonrenewable sources – have accelerated rapidly, would soon exceed total annual emissions of countries like Italy and Spain in 2016 and interfere with climate change mitigation commitments.{{cite news |last1=Lu |first1=Donna |title=Bitcoin mining emissions in China will hit 130 million tonnes by 2024 |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2273672-bitcoin-mining-emissions-in-china-will-hit-130-million-tonnes-by-2024/ |access-date=9 May 2021 |work=New Scientist}}{{cite journal |last1=Jiang |first1=Shangrong |last2=Li |first2=Yuze |last3=Lu |first3=Quanying |last4=Hong |first4=Yongmiao |last5=Guan |first5=Dabo |last6=Xiong |first6=Yu |last7=Wang |first7=Shouyang |title=Policy assessments for the carbon emission flows and sustainability of Bitcoin blockchain operation in China |journal=Nature Communications |date=6 April 2021 |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=1938 |doi=10.1038/s41467-021-22256-3 |pmid=33824331 |pmc=8024295 |bibcode=2021NatCo..12.1938J |language=en |issn=2041-1723|doi-access=free }} 50px Available under [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ CC BY 4.0].

| [global warming]

| frameless

| Statistics / records

| The NOAA reports the largest annual increase in methane emissions since records began, with a rise of 14.7 parts per billion (ppb) in 2020. {{cite news |title=Despite pandemic shutdowns, carbon dioxide and methane surged in 2020 |url=https://research.noaa.gov/article/ArtMID/587/ArticleID/2742/Despite-pandemic-shutdowns-carbon-dioxide-and-methane-surged-in-2020 |date=April 7, 2021 |work=NOAA |accessdate=April 10, 2021 }}

| [Methane emissions]

| frameless

| Meta

| The magazine Scientific American announces that it will stop using the term "climate change" in articles about human-caused global warming and substitute "climate emergency" instead. {{cite news |title=Citing grave threat, Scientific American replaces 'climate change' with 'climate emergency' |url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/citing-grave-threat-scientific-american-replacing-climate-change-with-climate-emergency-181629578.html |date=April 12, 2021 |work=Yahoo!|accessdate=April 13, 2021 }}

| [declarations]

| frameless

| Development

| News outlets report that the first prototype 3D printed house made out of clay, Tecla, has been completed. The low-carbon housing was printed by two large arms from a mix of mainly locally sourced soil and water.{{cite news |last1=Palumbo |first1=Jacqui |title=Is this 3D-printed home made of clay the future of housing? |url=https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/tecla-3d-printed-house-clay/index.html |access-date=9 May 2021 |work=CNN |language=en}}{{cite news |title=First 3D printed clay house completed |url=https://www.wlns.com/dont-miss/first-3d-printed-clay-house-completed/ |access-date=9 May 2021 |work=WLNS 6 News |date=14 April 2021}}{{cite web |title=Mario Cucinella Architects and WASP creates 3D-printed sustainable housing prototype |url=https://www.dezeen.com/2021/04/23/mario-cucinella-architects-wasp-3d-printed-housing/ |website=Dezeen |access-date=9 May 2021 |language=en |date=23 April 2021}} Such buildings could be highly cheap, well-insulated, stable, get produced rapidly, require only very little easily learnable manual labor, mitigate carbon emissions from concrete, require less energy, reduce homelessness, help enable intentional communities, and enable the provision of housing for victims of natural disasters as well as for migrants to Europe near their homes, rather than political facilitation of their influx.

| [global warming] [housing]

| frameless

| Development

| Scientists develop a prototype and design rules for both-sides-contacted silicon solar cells with conversion efficiencies of 26% and above, Earth's highest for this type of solar cell.{{cite news |title=Both-sides-contacted solar cell sets new world record of 26 percent efficiency |url=https://techxplore.com/news/2021-04-both-sides-contacted-solar-cell-world-percent.html |access-date=10 May 2021 |work=techxplore.com |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Richter |first1=Armin |last2=Müller |first2=Ralph |last3=Benick |first3=Jan |last4=Feldmann |first4=Frank |last5=Steinhauser |first5=Bernd |last6=Reichel |first6=Christian |last7=Fell |first7=Andreas |last8=Bivour |first8=Martin |last9=Hermle |first9=Martin |last10=Glunz |first10=Stefan W. |title=Design rules for high-efficiency both-sides-contacted silicon solar cells with balanced charge carrier transport and recombination losses |journal=Nature Energy |date=April 2021 |volume=6 |issue=4 |pages=429–438 |doi=10.1038/s41560-021-00805-w |bibcode=2021NatEn...6..429R |s2cid=234847037 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41560-021-00805-w |access-date=10 May 2021 |language=en |issn=2058-7546}}

| [solar power]

| frameless

| Development

| Researchers demonstrate the whitest ever paint formulation, which reflects up to 98.1% of sunlight and could be used in place of air conditioners. {{cite news |title=Whitest-ever paint could help cool heating Earth, study shows |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/apr/15/whitest-ever-paint-could-help-cool-heating-earth-study-shows |date=April 15, 2021 |work=The Guardian|accessdate=April 16, 2021 }}{{cite journal |last1=Li |first1=Xiangyu |last2=Peoples |first2=Joseph |last3=Yao |first3=Peiyan |last4=Ruan |first4=Xiulin |title=Ultrawhite BaSO4 Paints and Films for Remarkable Daytime Subambient Radiative Cooling |journal=ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces |date=15 April 2021 |volume=13 |issue=18 |pages=21733–21739 |doi=10.1021/acsami.1c02368 |pmid=33856776 |s2cid=233259255 |url=https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsami.1c02368 |access-date=9 May 2021 |issn=1944-8244}}

| [global warming]

| frameless

| Observation, Analysis

| Scientists report that in the case of Alaskan forests, such boreal forests recovered from wildfires by shifting to a deciduous-coniferous mix, which could offset the carbon emitted during the fires.{{cite news |last1=Sawal |first1=Ibrahim |title=Alaskan forests may store more carbon after being burned by wildfire |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2274752-alaskan-forests-may-store-more-carbon-after-being-burned-by-wildfire/ |access-date=9 May 2021 |work=New Scientist}}{{cite journal |last1=Mack |first1=Michelle C. |last2=Walker |first2=Xanthe J. |last3=Johnstone |first3=Jill F. |last4=Alexander |first4=Heather D. |last5=Melvin |first5=April M. |last6=Jean |first6=Mélanie |last7=Miller |first7=Samantha N. |title=Carbon loss from boreal forest wildfires offset by increased dominance of deciduous trees |journal=Science |date=16 April 2021 |volume=372 |issue=6539 |pages=280–283 |doi=10.1126/science.abf3903 |pmid=33859032 |bibcode=2021Sci...372..280M |s2cid=233245004 |url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abf3903 |access-date=9 May 2021 |language=en |issn=0036-8075}}

| [forests] [wildfires] [global warming]

| frameless

| Assessment

| Scientists report that of ~39 million groundwater wells 6-20% are at high risk of running dry, particularly that this would likely occur if local groundwater levels decline by less than 5 meters, or – as with many areas and possibly more than half of major aquifers{{cite journal |last1=Famiglietti |first1=James S. |last2=Ferguson |first2=Grant |title=The hidden crisis beneath our feet |url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abh2867 |journal=Science |access-date=10 May 2021 |pages=344–345 |language=en |doi=10.1126/science.abh2867 |date=23 April 2021|volume=372 |issue=6540 |pmid=33888627 |bibcode=2021Sci...372..344F |s2cid=233353241 }} – if they continue to decline.{{cite news |title=The largest assessment of global groundwater wells finds many are at risk of drying up |url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/04/210423130101.htm |access-date=10 May 2021 |work=ScienceDaily |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Jasechko |first1=Scott |last2=Perrone |first2=Debra |title=Global groundwater wells at risk of running dry |journal=Science |date=23 April 2021 |volume=372 |issue=6540 |pages=418–421 |doi=10.1126/science.abc2755 |pmid=33888642 |bibcode=2021Sci...372..418J |s2cid=233353207 |url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abc2755 |access-date=10 May 2021 |language=en |issn=0036-8075}}

| [water resources]

| frameless

| Analysis, Assessment

| A study assesses benefits of fast action to reduce methane emissions when compared to slower climate change mitigation of this form.{{cite journal |last1=Ocko |first1=Ilissa B |last2=Sun |first2=Tianyi |last3=Shindell |first3=Drew |last4=Oppenheimer |first4=Michael |last5=Hristov |first5=Alexander N |last6=Pacala |first6=Stephen W |last7=Mauzerall |first7=Denise L |last8=Xu |first8=Yangyang |last9=Hamburg |first9=Steven P |title=Acting rapidly to deploy readily available methane mitigation measures by sector can immediately slow global warming |journal=Environmental Research Letters |date=2021-05-01 |volume=16 |issue=5 |pages=054042 |doi=10.1088/1748-9326/abf9c8 |bibcode=2021ERL....16e4042O |s2cid=234859914 |issn=1748-9326|doi-access=free }} 50px Available under [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ CC BY 4.0]. On 6 May a U.N. report assesses benefits and costs of rapidly mitigating methane emissions.{{cite web |title=Global Methane Assessment: Benefits and Costs of Mitigating Methane Emissions |date=5 May 2021 |url=https://www.unep.org/resources/report/global-methane-assessment-benefits-and-costs-mitigating-methane-emissions |access-date=13 June 2021}}

| [methane emissions]

| frameless

| Analysis, Attribution

| Researchers find that China's CO₂ emissions surpassed that of all OECD countries combined for the first time in 2019.{{cite news |last1=Schonhardt |first1=Sara |title=China's Greenhouse Gas Emissions Exceed Those of All Other Developed Countries Combined |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/chinas-greenhouse-gas-emissions-exceed-those-of-all-other-developed-countries-combined/ |access-date=13 June 2021 |work=Scientific American |language=en}}{{cite web |title=China's Greenhouse Gas Emissions Exceeded the Developed World for the First Time in 2019 |url=https://rhg.com/research/chinas-emissions-surpass-developed-countries/ |website=Rhodium Group |date=6 May 2021 |access-date=14 June 2021}} On 20 May China's CO₂ emissions are found to be 9 % higher than pre-COVID-19-pandemic levels in 2021-Q1 with CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and cement production having grown by 14.5% compared to 2020.{{cite news |title=China's CO2 emissions 9pc higher than pre-pandemic in 2021 Q1: research |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3134322/chinas-co2-emissions-9-cent-higher-pre-pandemic-levels-2021 |access-date=13 June 2021 |work=South China Morning Post |date=2021-05-21 |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=He |first1=Laura |title=China's construction boom is sending CO2 emissions through the roof |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2021/05/21/economy/china-co2-emissions-construction-intl-hnk/index.html |access-date=13 June 2021 |work=CNN}}{{cite web |title=Analysis: China's carbon emissions grow at fastest rate for more than a decade |url=https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-chinas-carbon-emissions-grow-at-fastest-rate-for-more-than-a-decade |website=Carbon Brief |access-date=19 June 2021 |language=en |date=2021-05-20}}

| [global warming] [policy]

| frameless

| Development

| Researchers address a key problem of perovskite solar cells by increasing their stability and long-term reliability with a form of "molecular glue".{{cite news |title="Molecular glue" strengthens the weak point in perovskite solar cells |url=https://newatlas.com/energy/molecular-glue-strengthens-perovskite-solar-cells-stability/ |access-date=13 June 2021 |work=New Atlas |date=2021-05-10}}{{cite journal |last1=Dai |first1=Zhenghong |last2=Yadavalli |first2=Srinivas K. |last3=Chen |first3=Min |last4=Abbaspourtamijani |first4=Ali |last5=Qi |first5=Yue |last6=Padture |first6=Nitin P. |title=Interfacial toughening with self-assembled monolayers enhances perovskite solar cell reliability |journal=Science |date=2021-05-07 |volume=372 |issue=6542 |pages=618–622 |doi=10.1126/science.abf5602 |pmid=33958474 |bibcode=2021Sci...372..618D |s2cid=233872843 |url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abf5602 |access-date=13 June 2021 |language=en |issn=0036-8075}}

| [solar power]

|

| Analysis

| Scientists estimate, with higher resolution data, that land-use change has affected 17 % of land in 1960–2019, or when considering multiple change events "around four times" previous estimates and investigate its drivers, identifying global trade affecting agriculture as a main driver.{{cite news |title=Nearly a fifth of Earth's surface transformed since 1960 |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-05-earth-surface.html |access-date=13 June 2021 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Winkler |first1=Karina |last2=Fuchs |first2=Richard |last3=Rounsevell |first3=Mark |last4=Herold |first4=Martin |title=Global land use changes are four times greater than previously estimated |journal=Nature Communications |date=2021-05-11 |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=2501 |doi=10.1038/s41467-021-22702-2 |pmid=33976120 |pmc=8113269 |bibcode=2021NatCo..12.2501W |language=en |issn=2041-1723}} 50px Available under [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ CC BY 4.0].

| [land-use change] [food system]

| frameless

| Analysis, Assessment, Projections

| Scientists report that degrowth scenarios, where economic output either "declines" or declines in terms of contemporary economic metrics such as current GDP, have been neglected in considerations of 1.5 °C scenarios reported by the IPCC, finding that investigated degrowth scenarios "minimize many key risks for feasibility and sustainability compared to technology-driven pathways" with a core problem of such being feasibility in the context of contemporary political decision-making and rebound- and relocation-effects.{{cite news |title=1.5°C degrowth scenarios suggest need for new mitigation pathways |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-05-degrowth-scenarios-mitigation-pathways.html |access-date=14 June 2021 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite news |title=1.5°C degrowth scenarios suggest need for new mitigation pathways: Research |url=https://scienmag.com/1-5c-degrowth-scenarios-suggest-need-for-new-mitigation-pathways-research/ |access-date=14 June 2021 |work=Scienmag: Latest Science and Health News}}{{cite journal |last1=Keyßer |first1=Lorenz T. |last2=Lenzen |first2=Manfred |title=1.5 °C degrowth scenarios suggest the need for new mitigation pathways |journal=Nature Communications |date=2021-05-11 |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=2676 |doi=10.1038/s41467-021-22884-9 |pmid=33976156 |pmc=8113441 |bibcode=2021NatCo..12.2676K |language=en |issn=2041-1723}} 50px Available under [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ CC BY 4.0].

| [economy] [global warming] [policy]

| frameless

| Development

| Researchers report the development of a plant proteins-based biodegradable packaging alternative to plastic based on research about the molecularly similar spider silk which is known for its high strength.{{cite news |title='Vegan spider silk' provides sustainable alternative to single-use plastics |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-06-vegan-spider-silk-sustainable-alternative.html |access-date=11 July 2021 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Kamada |first1=Ayaka |last2=Rodriguez-Garcia |first2=Marc |last3=Ruggeri |first3=Francesco Simone |last4=Shen |first4=Yi |last5=Levin |first5=Aviad |last6=Knowles |first6=Tuomas P. J. |title=Controlled self-assembly of plant proteins into high-performance multifunctional nanostructured films |journal=Nature Communications |date=10 June 2021 |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=3529 |doi=10.1038/s41467-021-23813-6 |pmid=34112802 |pmc=8192951 |bibcode=2021NatCo..12.3529K |language=en |issn=2041-1723}}

| [plastic pollution]

| frameless

| Observation

| Scientists report measurements of the rapidly increasing rate of the Earth's energy budget imbalance of global warming.{{cite news |last1=Ramirez |first1=Rachel |title=The amount of heat the Earth traps has doubled in just 15 years, study shows |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2021/06/17/us/earth-trapped-heat-doubled/index.html |access-date=11 July 2021 |work=CNN}}{{cite journal |last1=Loeb |first1=Norman G. |last2=Johnson |first2=Gregory C. |last3=Thorsen |first3=Tyler J. |last4=Lyman |first4=John M. |last5=Rose |first5=Fred G. |last6=Kato |first6=Seiji |title=Satellite and Ocean Data Reveal Marked Increase in Earth's Heating Rate |journal=Geophysical Research Letters |date=2021 |volume=48 |issue=13 |pages=e2021GL093047 |doi=10.1029/2021GL093047 |bibcode=2021GeoRL..4893047L |language=en |issn=1944-8007|doi-access=free }}

| [global warming]

| frameless

| Observation

| Scientists complement extensive evidence that cosmetics are widely designed with formulations and disposals that are known to be harmful to human health and ecosystems, often containing PFAS.{{cite news |title=Many cosmetics contain hidden, potentially dangerous 'forever chemicals' |url=https://www.sciencenews.org/article/cosmetics-makeup-pfas-chemicals |access-date=11 July 2021 |work=Science News |date=15 June 2021}}{{cite journal |last1=Whitehead |first1=Heather D. |last2=Venier |first2=Marta |last3=Wu |first3=Yan |last4=Eastman |first4=Emi |last5=Urbanik |first5=Shannon |last6=Diamond |first6=Miriam L. |last7=Shalin |first7=Anna |last8=Schwartz-Narbonne |first8=Heather |last9=Bruton |first9=Thomas A. |last10=Blum |first10=Arlene |last11=Wang |first11=Zhanyun |last12=Green |first12=Megan |last13=Tighe |first13=Meghanne |last14=Wilkinson |first14=John T. |last15=McGuinness |first15=Sean |last16=Peaslee |first16=Graham F. |title=Fluorinated Compounds in North American Cosmetics |journal=Environmental Science & Technology Letters |date=15 June 2021 |volume=8 |issue=7 |pages=538–544 |doi=10.1021/acs.estlett.1c00240 |url=https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.estlett.1c00240 |access-date=11 July 2021|hdl=20.500.11850/495857 |s2cid=236284279 |hdl-access=free }}

| [waste]

| frameless

| Analysis, Assessment

| A study concludes that public services are associated with higher human need satisfaction and lower energy requirements while contemporary forms of economic growth are linked with the opposite. Authors find that the contemporary economic system is structurally misaligned with goals of sustainable development and that to date no nation can provide decent living standards at sustainable levels of energy and resource use. They provide analysis about factors in social provisioning and assess that improving beneficial provisioning-factors and infrastructure would allow for sustainable forms of sufficient need satisfaction.{{cite news |title=Securing decent living standards for all while reducing global energy use |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-06-decent-standards-global-energy.html |access-date=10 July 2021 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |title=Socio-economic conditions for satisfying human needs at low energy use: An international analysis of social provisioning |journal=Global Environmental Change |date=29 June 2021 |pages=102287 |doi=10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2021.102287 |language=en |issn=0959-3780|last1=Vogel |first1=Jefim |last2=Steinberger |first2=Julia K. |last3=O'Neill |first3=Daniel W. |last4=Lamb |first4=William F. |last5=Krishnakumar |first5=Jaya |volume=69 |doi-access=free }}

| [economy] [energy]

| frameless

| Analysis

| Scientists report that solar-energy-driven production of microbial foods from direct air capture substantially outperforms agricultural cultivation of staple crops in terms of land use.{{cite news |title=Growing food with air and solar power: More efficient than planting crops |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-06-food-air-solar-power-efficient.html |access-date=11 July 2021 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Leger |first1=Dorian |last2=Matassa |first2=Silvio |last3=Noor |first3=Elad |last4=Shepon |first4=Alon |last5=Milo |first5=Ron |last6=Bar-Even |first6=Arren |title=Photovoltaic-driven microbial protein production can use land and sunlight more efficiently than conventional crops |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |date=29 June 2021 |volume=118 |issue=26 |pages=e2015025118 |doi=10.1073/pnas.2015025118 |pmid=34155098 |s2cid=235595143 |language=en |issn=0027-8424|pmc=8255800 |bibcode=2021PNAS..11815025L |doi-access=free }}

| [land use] [food system]

| frameless

| Analysis, Observation

| A study finds that 9.4% of global deaths between 2000 and 2019 – ~5 million annually – can be attributed to extreme temperature with cold-related ones making up the larger share and decreasing and heat-related ones making up ~0.91 % and increasing.{{cite news |title=Extreme temperatures kill 5 million people a year with heat-related deaths rising, study finds |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/08/extreme-temperatures-kill-5-million-people-a-year-with-heat-related-deaths-rising-study-finds |access-date=14 August 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=7 July 2021 |language=en}}{{cite journal |title=Global, regional, and national burden of mortality associated with non-optimal ambient temperatures from 2000 to 2019: a three-stage modelling study |journal=The Lancet Planetary Health |date=1 July 2021 |volume=5 |issue=7 |pages=e415–e425 |doi=10.1016/S2542-5196(21)00081-4 |language=English |issn=2542-5196|last1=Zhao |first1=Qi |last2=Guo |first2=Yuming |last3=Ye |first3=Tingting |last4=Gasparrini |first4=Antonio |last5=Tong |first5=Shilu |last6=Overcenco |first6=Ala |last7=Urban |first7=Aleš |last8=Schneider |first8=Alexandra |last9=Entezari |first9=Alireza |last10=Vicedo-Cabrera |first10=Ana Maria |last11=Zanobetti |first11=Antonella |last12=Analitis |first12=Antonis |last13=Zeka |first13=Ariana |last14=Tobias |first14=Aurelio |last15=Nunes |first15=Baltazar |last16=Alahmad |first16=Barrak |last17=Armstrong |first17=Ben |last18=Forsberg |first18=Bertil |last19=Pan |first19=Shih-Chun |last20=Íñiguez |first20=Carmen |last21=Ameling |first21=Caroline |last22=de la Cruz Valencia |first22=César |last23=Åström |first23=Christofer |last24=Houthuijs |first24=Danny |last25=Dung |first25=Do Van |last26=Royé |first26=Dominic |last27=Indermitte |first27=Ene |last28=Lavigne |first28=Eric |last29=Mayvaneh |first29=Fatemeh |last30=Acquaotta |first30=Fiorella |pmid=34245712 |s2cid=235791583 |display-authors=1 |doi-access=free |hdl=10216/149548 |hdl-access=free }}

| [extreme weather]

| frameless

| Review, Analysis, Assessment

| The first scientific review in the professional academic literature about global plastic pollution in general finds that the rational response to the "global threat" would be "reductions in consumption of virgin plastic materials, along with internationally coordinated strategies for waste management" – such as banning export of plastic waste unless it leads to better recycling – and describes the state of knowledge about "poorly reversible" impacts.{{cite news |title=Is global plastic pollution nearing an irreversible tipping point? |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-07-global-plastic-pollution-nearing-irreversible.html |access-date=13 August 2021 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=MacLeod |first1=Matthew |last2=Arp |first2=Hans Peter H. |last3=Tekman |first3=Mine B. |last4=Jahnke |first4=Annika |title=The global threat from plastic pollution |journal=Science |date=2 July 2021 |volume=373 |issue=6550 |pages=61–65 |doi=10.1126/science.abg5433 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/352907165 |pmid=34210878 |bibcode=2021Sci...373...61M |s2cid=235699724 |language=en |issn=0036-8075}}

| [plastic pollution]

| frameless

| Development

| Researchers report that a mix of microorganisms from cow stomachs could break down three types of plastics.{{cite news |last1=Spary |first1=Sara |title=Cows' stomachs can break down plastic, study finds |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2021/07/02/world/cows-plastic-scli-intl-scn/index.html |access-date=14 August 2021 |work=CNN}}{{cite journal |last1=Quartinello |first1=Felice |last2=Kremser |first2=Klemens |last3=Schoen |first3=Herta |last4=Tesei |first4=Donatella |last5=Ploszczanski |first5=Leon |last6=Nagler |first6=Magdalena |last7=Podmirseg |first7=Sabine M. |last8=Insam |first8=Heribert |last9=Piñar |first9=Guadalupe |last10=Sterflingler |first10=Katja |last11=Ribitsch |first11=Doris |last12=Guebitz |first12=Georg M. |title=Together Is Better: The Rumen Microbial Community as Biological Toolbox for Degradation of Synthetic Polyesters |journal=Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology |date=2021 |volume=9 |doi=10.3389/fbioe.2021.684459 |language=English |issn=2296-4185|doi-access=free }}

| [plastic pollution]

| frameless

| Mechanics

| Researchers describe effects of deforestation and climate change in a transformation of Amazonia from carbon sink to carbon source.{{cite news |last1=Schwartz |first1=John |title=Parts of the Amazon Go From Absorbing Carbon Dioxide to Emitting It |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/14/climate/amazon-rainforest-carbon.html?smtyp=cur&smid=tw-nytimesscience |access-date=13 August 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=14 July 2021}}{{cite journal |last1=Gatti |first1=Luciana V. |last2=Basso |first2=Luana S. |last3=Miller |first3=John B. |last4=Gloor |first4=Manuel |last5=Gatti Domingues |first5=Lucas |last6=Cassol |first6=Henrique L. G. |last7=Tejada |first7=Graciela |last8=Aragão |first8=Luiz E. O. C. |last9=Nobre |first9=Carlos |last10=Peters |first10=Wouter |last11=Marani |first11=Luciano |last12=Arai |first12=Egidio |last13=Sanches |first13=Alber H. |last14=Corrêa |first14=Sergio M. |last15=Anderson |first15=Liana |last16=Von Randow |first16=Celso |last17=Correia |first17=Caio S. C. |last18=Crispim |first18=Stephane P. |last19=Neves |first19=Raiane A. L. |title=Amazonia as a carbon source linked to deforestation and climate change |journal=Nature |date=July 2021 |volume=595 |issue=7867 |pages=388–393 |doi=10.1038/s41586-021-03629-6 |pmid=34262208 |bibcode=2021Natur.595..388G |s2cid=235906356 |language=en |issn=1476-4687|url=https://research.rug.nl/en/publications/amazonia-as-a-carbon-source-linked-to-deforestation-and-climate-change(c27d876f-3af6-405d-a72d-3d1d835cbae4).html }}

| [deforestation]

| frameless

| Analysis, Assessment, Projections

| Researchers review 217 analyses of on-the-market products and services as well as existing alternatives to mainstream food, holidays, and furnishings, and conclude that total greenhouse gas emissions could be lowered by to date up to 36–38% if consumers – without a decrease in total estimated expenditure or considerations of self-interest rationale – instead were to obtain those they could assess to be more sustainable.{{cite journal |last1=Kanyama |first1=Annika Carlsson |last2=Nässén |first2=Jonas |last3=Benders |first3=René |title=Shifting expenditure on food, holidays, and furnishings could lower greenhouse gas emissions by almost 40% |journal=Journal of Industrial Ecology |year=2021 |volume=25 |issue=6 |pages=1602–1616 |doi=10.1111/jiec.13176 |language=en |issn=1530-9290|doi-access=free }}

| [global warming] [economy]

| frameless

| Analysis, Assessment

| Researchers report that higher exposure to woodland urban green spaces is associated with improved cognitive development and risks of mental problems for urban adolescents.{{cite news |last1=Woodyatt |first1=Amy |title=City children have better mental health and cognition if they live near woodlands |url=https://us.cnn.com/2021/07/20/health/woodland-children-wellness-scn-intl-scli-gbr/index.html |access-date=14 August 2021 |work=CNN}}{{cite journal |last1=Maes |first1=Mikaël J. A. |last2=Pirani |first2=Monica |last3=Booth |first3=Elizabeth R. |last4=Shen |first4=Chen |last5=Milligan |first5=Ben |last6=Jones |first6=Kate E. |last7=Toledano |first7=Mireille B. |title=Benefit of woodland and other natural environments for adolescents' cognition and mental health |journal=Nature Sustainability |date=19 July 2021 |volume=4 |issue=10 |pages=851–858 |doi=10.1038/s41893-021-00751-1 |hdl=10044/1/98026 |s2cid=236096013 |language=en |issn=2398-9629|url=https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10132926/ |hdl-access=free }}

| [cities]

| frameless

| Analysis, Assessment

| Scientists report that wild pigs are causing soil disturbance that, among other problems, globally results in annual carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to that of ~1.1 million passenger vehicles, implying that wild pig meat – unlike other meat products – has beneficial effects on the environment.{{cite news |title=The climate impact of wild pigs greater than a million cars |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-07-climate-impact-wild-pigs-greater.html |access-date=14 August 2021 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=O'Bryan |first1=Christopher J. |last2=Patton |first2=Nicholas R. |last3=Hone |first3=Jim |last4=Lewis |first4=Jesse S. |last5=Berdejo-Espinola |first5=Violeta |last6=Risch |first6=Derek R. |last7=Holden |first7=Matthew H. |last8=McDonald-Madden |first8=Eve |title=Unrecognized threat to global soil carbon by a widespread invasive species |journal=Global Change Biology |year=2021 |volume=28 |issue=3 |pages=877–882 |doi=10.1111/gcb.15769 |pmid=34288288 |s2cid=236157683 |language=en |issn=1365-2486}}

| [soil]

| frameless

| Mechanics, Projections

| A study finds that the increasing probability of record week-long heat extremes occurrence depends on warming rate, rather than global warming level and provides projections.{{cite news |title=Extreme heat waves in a warming world don't just break records – they shatter them |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/extreme-heat-waves-in-a-warming-world-dont-just-break-records-they-shatter-them |access-date=13 August 2021 |work=PBS NewsHour |date=28 July 2021 |language=en-us}}{{cite journal |last1=Fischer |first1=E. M. |last2=Sippel |first2=S. |last3=Knutti |first3=R. |title=Increasing probability of record-shattering climate extremes |journal=Nature Climate Change |date=August 2021 |volume=11 |issue=8 |pages=689–695 |doi=10.1038/s41558-021-01092-9 |bibcode=2021NatCC..11..689F |s2cid=236438374 |language=en |issn=1758-6798|doi-access=free |pmc=7617090 }}

| [extreme weather]

| frameless

| Review, Analysis, Assessment

| In an update to the World Scientists' Warning to Humanity, scientists report that evidence of nearing or crossed tipping points of critical elements of the Earth system is accumulating, that 1990 jurisdictions have formally recognized a state of climate emergency, that frequent and accessible updates on the emergency are needed, that COVID-19 "green recovery" has been insufficient and that root-cause system changes above politics are required.{{cite news |title=Critical measures of global heating reaching tipping point, study finds |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jul/27/global-heating-critical-measures-tipping-point-study |access-date=13 August 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=28 July 2021 |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Ripple |first1=William J |last2=Wolf |first2=Christopher |last3=Newsome |first3=Thomas M |last4=Gregg |first4=Jillian W |last5=Lenton |first5=Timothy M |last6=Palomo |first6=Ignacio |last7=Eikelboom |first7=Jasper A J |last8=Law |first8=Beverly E |last9=Huq |first9=Saleemul |last10=Duffy |first10=Philip B |last11=Rockström |first11=Johan |title=World Scientists' Warning of a Climate Emergency 2021 |journal=BioScience |date=28 July 2021 |volume=71 |issue=9 |pages=894–898 |doi=10.1093/biosci/biab079|hdl=1808/30278 |hdl-access=free }}

| [global warming]

| frameless

| Analysis, Projections

| A study introduces an early-warning indicator for critical transitions of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) and finds early-warning signals in eight independent AMOC indices. A, possibly abrupt,{{cite news |title=Ocean current system seems to be approaching a tipping point |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-08-ocean-current-approaching.html |access-date=21 September 2021 |work=phys.org |language=en}} likely irreversible collapse from the current strong to a weak mode is thought to have severe impacts on Earth system components and global climate.{{cite news |title=Atlantic Ocean currents weaken, signalling big weather changes - study |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/atlantic-ocean-currents-weaken-signalling-big-weather-changes-study-2021-08-05/ |access-date=21 September 2021 |work=Reuters |date=5 August 2021 |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Boers |first1=Niklas |title=Observation-based early-warning signals for a collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation |journal=Nature Climate Change |date=August 2021 |volume=11 |issue=8 |pages=680–688 |doi=10.1038/s41558-021-01097-4 |bibcode=2021NatCC..11..680B |s2cid=236930519 |language=en |issn=1758-6798|url=https://publications.pik-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_25859 }} The Sixth IPCC report assesses a 'medium confidence' that such a collapse won't happen by 2100.{{cite web |last1=Hannam |first1=Peter |title='How lucky do you feel?': The awful risks buried in the IPCC report |url=https://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/how-lucky-do-you-feel-the-awful-risks-buried-in-the-ipcc-report-20210811-p58hut.html |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=21 September 2021 |language=en |date=11 August 2021}}

| [climate change] [oceans]

| frameless

| Review

| The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) releases the first part of its Sixth Assessment Report. The report which has been described as a "code red for humanity" summarizes the state of physical sciences on climate change based on over 14,000 papers.{{cite news |last1=Chestney |first1=Nina |last2=Januta |first2=Andrea |title=U.N. climate change report sounds 'code red for humanity' |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/un-sounds-clarion-call-over-irreversible-climate-impacts-by-humans-2021-08-09/ |access-date=25 September 2021 |work=Reuters |date=9 August 2021 |language=en}}{{cite web|date=9 August 2021|title=Climate change widespread, rapid, and intensifying – IPCC|url=https://www.ipcc.ch/2021/08/09/ar6-wg1-20210809-pr/|access-date=9 August 2021|publisher=IPCC}}

| [climate change]

| frameless

| Analysis

| A researcher reports that solar superstorms would cause large-scale global months-long Internet outages. She describes potential mitigation measures and exceptions – such as user-powered mesh networks, related peer-to-peer applications and new protocols – and the robustness of the current Internet infrastructure.{{cite news |title=Computer scientist warns global internet is not prepared for a large solar storm |url=https://techxplore.com/news/2021-08-scientist-global-internet-large-solar.html |access-date=22 September 2021 |work=techxplore.com |language=en}}{{cite magazine |title=A Bad Solar Storm Could Cause an 'Internet Apocalypse' |url=https://www.wired.com/story/solar-storm-internet-apocalypse-undersea-cables/ |access-date=22 September 2021 |magazine=Wired}}{{cite book |last1=Jyothi |first1=Sangeetha Abdu |title=Proceedings of the 2021 ACM SIGCOMM 2021 Conference |chapter=Solar superstorms |date=9 August 2021 |pages=692–704 |doi=10.1145/3452296.3472916 |publisher=Association for Computing Machinery|isbn=9781450383837 |s2cid=236961660 |doi-access=free }}

| [solar storms]

| frameless

| Assessment

| Scientists conclude that personal carbon allowances (PCAs) could be a component of climate change mitigation. They find that the economic recovery from COVID-19 and novel digital technology capacities open a window of opportunity for first implementations. PCAs would consist of – e.g. monetary – credit-feedbacks and decreasing default levels of per capita emissions concessions. The researchers find that recent advances in machine learning technology and "smarter home and transport options make it possible to easily track and manage a large share of individuals' emissions" and that feedback effective in engaging individuals to reduce their energy-related emissions and relevant new personalized apps could be designed.{{cite news |title=Analysis {{!}} We Need Cap-and-Trade For Individuals As Well As Companies |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/energy/we-need-cap-and-trade-for-individuals-as-well-as-companies/2021/08/25/7e51e650-056a-11ec-b3c4-c462b1edcfc8_story.html |access-date=21 September 2021 |newspaper=Washington Post}}{{cite news |title=Pandemic and digitalization set stage for revival of a cast-off idea: Personal carbon allowances |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-08-pandemic-digitalization-stage-revival-cast-off.html |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Fuso Nerini |first1=Francesco |last2=Fawcett |first2=Tina |last3=Parag |first3=Yael |last4=Ekins |first4=Paul |title=Personal carbon allowances revisited |journal=Nature Sustainability |date=16 August 2021 |volume=4 |issue=12 |pages=1025–1031 |doi=10.1038/s41893-021-00756-w |s2cid=237101457 |language=en |issn=2398-9629|doi-access=free }} Issues may include privacy, evaluating emissions from individuals co-running multinational companies and the availability and prices of products and services.

| [climate change]

| frameless

| Review

| Researchers assess regionally-differentiated drivers and risks associated with worldwide pollinator decline, informing globally-relevant policy responses.{{cite news |title=Pollinators: First global risk index for species declines and effects on humanity |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-08-pollinators-global-index-species-declines.html |access-date=21 September 2021 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Dicks |first1=Lynn V. |last2=Breeze |first2=Tom D. |last3=Ngo |first3=Hien T. |last4=Senapathi |first4=Deepa |last5=An |first5=Jiandong |last6=Aizen |first6=Marcelo A. |last7=Basu |first7=Parthiba |last8=Buchori |first8=Damayanti |author-link8=Damayanti Buchori |last9=Galetto |first9=Leonardo |last10=Garibaldi |first10=Lucas A. |last11=Gemmill-Herren |first11=Barbara |last12=Howlett |first12=Brad G. |last13=Imperatriz-Fonseca |first13=Vera L. |last14=Johnson |first14=Steven D. |last15=Kovács-Hostyánszki |first15=Anikó |date=16 August 2021 |title=A global-scale expert assessment of drivers and risks associated with pollinator decline |url=http://rid.unrn.edu.ar/handle/20.500.12049/7526 |journal=Nature Ecology & Evolution |language=en |volume=5 |issue=10 |pages=1453–1461 |doi=10.1038/s41559-021-01534-9 |issn=2397-334X |pmid=34400826 |s2cid=237148742 |last16=Kwon |first16=Yong Jung |last17=Lattorff |first17=H. Michael G. |last18=Lungharwo |first18=Thingreipi |last19=Seymour |first19=Colleen L. |last20=Vanbergen |first20=Adam J. |last21=Potts |first21=Simon G.}}

| [insect decline]

| frameless

| Observation, Analysis

| A study suggests that the global policy Montreal Protocol intended to control the production of ozone-depleting substances has also substantially mitigated climate change.{{cite news |title=Saving ozone layer has given humans a chance in climate crisis – study |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/aug/19/saving-ozone-layer-has-given-humans-a-chance-in-climate-crisis-study |work=the Guardian |date=19 August 2021 |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Young |first1=Paul J. |last2=Harper |first2=Anna B. |last3=Huntingford |first3=Chris |last4=Paul |first4=Nigel D. |last5=Morgenstern |first5=Olaf |last6=Newman |first6=Paul A. |last7=Oman |first7=Luke D. |last8=Madronich |first8=Sasha |last9=Garcia |first9=Rolando R. |title=The Montreal Protocol protects the terrestrial carbon sink |journal=Nature |date=August 2021 |volume=596 |issue=7872 |pages=384–388 |doi=10.1038/s41586-021-03737-3 |pmid=34408332 |bibcode=2021Natur.596..384Y |s2cid=237215751 |language=en |issn=1476-4687|url=http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/531263/1/N531263PP.pdf }}

| [climate change] [policy]

| frameless

| Development

| Scientists report the development of a new solar-energy passive off-grid chemically stored on-demand cooling system for houses and/or refrigeration without electrical components which may be useful for climate change mitigation and adaptation.{{cite news |title=Strong sunlight powers passive cooling device |url=https://techxplore.com/news/2021-09-strong-sunlight-powers-passive-cooling.html |access-date=20 October 2021 |work=King Abdullah University of Science |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Sunlight and salt water join forces in electricity-free cooling system |url=https://newatlas.com/good-thinking/sunlight-salt-water-electricity-free-cooling-system/ |access-date=20 October 2021 |work=New Atlas |date=20 September 2021}}{{cite journal |last1=Wang |first1=Wenbin |last2=Shi |first2=Yusuf |last3=Zhang |first3=Chenlin |last4=Li |first4=Renyuan |last5=Wu |first5=Mengchun |last6=Zhuo |first6=Sifei |last7=Aleid |first7=Sara |last8=Wang |first8=Peng |title=Conversion and storage of solar energy for cooling |journal=Energy & Environmental Science |date=1 September 2021 |volume=15 |pages=136–145 |doi=10.1039/D1EE01688A |s2cid=239698764 |language=en |issn=1754-5706|doi-access=free |hdl=10754/670903 |hdl-access=free }}

| [climate change mitigation] [climate change adaptation]

| frameless

| Observation, Assessment

| A study finds that outdoor air pollution is associated with substantially increased mortality "even at low pollution levels below the current European and North American standards and WHO guideline values".{{cite news |title=Human health may be at risk from long-term exposure to air pollution below current air quality standards and guidelines |url=https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-09-human-health-long-term-exposure-air.html |access-date=18 October 2021 |work=British Medical Journal |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Strak |first1=Maciej |last2=Weinmayr |first2=Gudrun |last3=Rodopoulou |first3=Sophia |last4=Chen |first4=Jie |last5=Hoogh |first5=Kees de |last6=Andersen |first6=Zorana J. |last7=Atkinson |first7=Richard |last8=Bauwelinck |first8=Mariska |last9=Bekkevold |first9=Terese |last10=Bellander |first10=Tom |last11=Boutron-Ruault |first11=Marie-Christine |last12=Brandt |first12=Jørgen |last13=Cesaroni |first13=Giulia |last14=Concin |first14=Hans |last15=Fecht |first15=Daniela |last16=Forastiere |first16=Francesco |last17=Gulliver |first17=John |last18=Hertel |first18=Ole |last19=Hoffmann |first19=Barbara |last20=Hvidtfeldt |first20=Ulla Arthur |last21=Janssen |first21=Nicole A. H. |last22=Jöckel |first22=Karl-Heinz |last23=Jørgensen |first23=Jeanette T. |last24=Ketzel |first24=Matthias |last25=Klompmaker |first25=Jochem O. |last26=Lager |first26=Anton |last27=Leander |first27=Karin |last28=Liu |first28=Shuo |last29=Ljungman |first29=Petter |last30=Magnusson |first30=Patrik K. E. |last31=Mehta |first31=Amar J. |last32=Nagel |first32=Gabriele |last33=Oftedal |first33=Bente |last34=Pershagen |first34=Göran |last35=Peters |first35=Annette |last36=Raaschou-Nielsen |first36=Ole |last37=Renzi |first37=Matteo |last38=Rizzuto |first38=Debora |last39=Schouw |first39=Yvonne T. van der |last40=Schramm |first40=Sara |last41=Severi |first41=Gianluca |last42=Sigsgaard |first42=Torben |last43=Sørensen |first43=Mette |last44=Stafoggia |first44=Massimo |last45=Tjønneland |first45=Anne |last46=Verschuren |first46=W. M. Monique |last47=Vienneau |first47=Danielle |last48=Wolf |first48=Kathrin |last49=Katsouyanni |first49=Klea |last50=Brunekreef |first50=Bert |last51=Hoek |first51=Gerard |last52=Samoli |first52=Evangelia |title=Long term exposure to low level air pollution and mortality in eight European cohorts within the ELAPSE project: pooled analysis |journal=BMJ |date=2 September 2021 |volume=374 |pages=n1904 |doi=10.1136/bmj.n1904 |pmid=34470785 |pmc=8409282 |language=en |issn=1756-1833}} On 22 September, for the first time since 2005, the WHO, after a systematic review of the accumulated evidence, adjusted their air quality guidelines whose adherence could save millions of lives, protect against future diseases and help meet climate goals.{{cite news |last1=Vaughan |first1=Adam |title=WHO calls for lower limits on air pollution to save millions of lives |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2291000-who-calls-for-lower-limits-on-air-pollution-to-save-millions-of-lives/ |access-date=18 October 2021 |work=New Scientist}}{{cite web |title=WHO Global Air Quality Guidelines |url=https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/who-global-air-quality-guidelines |website=www.who.int |access-date=18 October 2021 |language=en}}

| [air pollution]

| frameless

| Observation, Analysis, Projections

| Scientists report that the accelerated, higher-variability warming of the Arctic is causing more frequent extremely cold winter weather across parts of Asia and North America – including the February 2021 North American cold wave – via, observed and modeled, stratospheric polar vortex disruption.{{cite news |title=Climate change: Arctic warming linked to colder winters |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-58425526 |access-date=20 October 2021 |work=BBC News |date=2 September 2021}}{{cite journal |last1=Cohen |first1=Judah |last2=Agel |first2=Laurie |last3=Barlow |first3=Mathew |last4=Garfinkel |first4=Chaim I. |last5=White |first5=Ian |title=Linking Arctic variability and change with extreme winter weather in the United States |journal=Science |date=3 September 2021 |volume=373 |issue=6559 |pages=1116–1121 |doi=10.1126/science.abi9167 |pmid=34516838 |bibcode=2021Sci...373.1116C |s2cid=237402139 |url=https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abi9167 |url-access=subscription}}

| [climate change] [extreme weather]

| frameless

| Analysis, Assessment

| Scientists provide the first scientific assessment of the minimum amount of fossil fuels that would need to be secured from extraction per region as well as globally, to allow for a 50 % probability of limiting global warming by 2050 to 1.5 °C.{{cite news |last1=Ramirez |first1=Rachel |title=Majority of remaining fossil fuels must stay in the ground to limit climate crisis below critical threshold, study shows |url=https://us.cnn.com/2021/09/08/us/fossil-fuel-budget-climate-change-study/index.html |access-date=18 October 2021 |work=CNN}}{{cite journal |last1=Welsby |first1=Dan |last2=Price |first2=James |last3=Pye |first3=Steve |last4=Ekins |first4=Paul |title=Unextractable fossil fuels in a 1.5 °C world |journal=Nature |date=September 2021 |volume=597 |issue=7875 |pages=230–234 |doi=10.1038/s41586-021-03821-8 |pmid=34497394 |bibcode=2021Natur.597..230W |s2cid=237455006 |language=en |issn=1476-4687|doi-access=free }}

| [climate change] [fossil fuels]

| frameless

| Review, Assessment

| 43 expert scientists publish the first scientific framework version that – via integration, review, clarifications and standardization – enables the evaluation of levels of protection of marine protected areas and can serve as a guide for improving, planning and monitoring marine protection-quality and -extents such as in efforts towards the 30%-protection-goal of the "Global Deal For Nature"{{cite journal |last1=Dinerstein |first1=E. |last2=Vynne |first2=C. |last3=Sala |first3=E. |last4=Joshi |first4=A. R. |last5=Fernando |first5=S. |last6=Lovejoy |first6=T. E. |last7=Mayorga |first7=J. |last8=Olson |first8=D. |last9=Asner |first9=G. P. |last10=Baillie |first10=J. E. M. |last11=Burgess |first11=N. D. |last12=Burkart |first12=K. |last13=Noss |first13=R. F. |last14=Zhang |first14=Y. P. |last15=Baccini |first15=A. |last16=Birch |first16=T. |last17=Hahn |first17=N. |last18=Joppa |first18=L. N. |last19=Wikramanayake |first19=E. |title=A Global Deal For Nature: Guiding principles, milestones, and targets |journal=Science Advances |year=2019 |volume=5 |issue=4 |pages=eaaw2869 |doi=10.1126/sciadv.aaw2869|pmid=31016243 | pmc=6474764 |bibcode=2019SciA....5.2869D }} and the UN's SDG 14.{{cite news |title=Improving ocean protection with the first marine protected areas guide |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-09-ocean-marine-areas.html |access-date=19 October 2021 |work=Institut de Recherche pour le Développement |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Grorud-Colvert |first1=Kirsten |last2=Sullivan-Stack |first2=Jenna |last3=Roberts |first3=Callum |last4=Constant |first4=Vanessa |last5=Horta e Costa |first5=Barbara |last6=Pike |first6=Elizabeth P. |last7=Kingston |first7=Naomi |last8=Laffoley |first8=Dan |last9=Sala |first9=Enric |last10=Claudet |first10=Joachim |last11=Friedlander |first11=Alan M. |last12=Gill |first12=David A. |last13=Lester |first13=Sarah E. |last14=Day |first14=Jon C. |last15=Gonçalves |first15=Emanuel J. |last16=Ahmadia |first16=Gabby N. |last17=Rand |first17=Matt |last18=Villagomez |first18=Angelo |last19=Ban |first19=Natalie C. |last20=Gurney |first20=Georgina G. |last21=Spalding |first21=Ana K. |last22=Bennett |first22=Nathan J. |last23=Briggs |first23=Johnny |last24=Morgan |first24=Lance E. |last25=Moffitt |first25=Russell |last26=Deguignet |first26=Marine |last27=Pikitch |first27=Ellen K. |last28=Darling |first28=Emily S. |last29=Jessen |first29=Sabine |last30=Hameed |first30=Sarah O. |last31=Di Carlo |first31=Giuseppe |last32=Guidetti |first32=Paolo |last33=Harris |first33=Jean M. |last34=Torre |first34=Jorge |last35=Kizilkaya |first35=Zafer |last36=Agardy |first36=Tundi |last37=Cury |first37=Philippe |last38=Shah |first38=Nirmal J. |last39=Sack |first39=Karen |last40=Cao |first40=Ling |last41=Fernandez |first41=Miriam |last42=Lubchenco |first42=Jane |title=The MPA Guide: A framework to achieve global goals for the ocean |journal=Science |year=2021 |volume=373 |issue=6560 |pages=eabf0861 |doi=10.1126/science.abf0861|pmid=34516798 |s2cid=237473020 |url=https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00723/83464/88455.pdf }}

| [marine protected area]

| frameless

| Mechanics, Observation

| Scientists confirm that widespread phytoplankton blooms can be a feedback effect of wildfires. The climate change-exacerbated 2019–2020 Australian wildfires caused oceanic deposition of wildfire aerosols, enhancing marine productivity and thereby increasing oceanic carbon dioxide uptake.{{cite news |title=Australian fires in 2019–2020 had even more global reach than previously thought |url=https://www.sciencenews.org/article/australia-wildfires-climate-change-carbon-dioxide-ocean-algae |access-date=19 October 2021 |work=Science News |date=15 September 2021}}{{cite journal |last1=Tang |first1=Weiyi |last2=Llort |first2=Joan |last3=Weis |first3=Jakob |last4=Perron |first4=Morgane M. G. |last5=Basart |first5=Sara |last6=Li |first6=Zuchuan |last7=Sathyendranath |first7=Shubha |author-link7=Shubha Sathyendranath|last8=Jackson |first8=Thomas |last9=Sanz Rodriguez |first9=Estrella |last10=Proemse |first10=Bernadette C. |last11=Bowie |first11=Andrew R. |last12=Schallenberg |first12=Christina |last13=Strutton |first13=Peter G. |last14=Matear |first14=Richard |last15=Cassar |first15=Nicolas |title=Widespread phytoplankton blooms triggered by 2019–2020 Australian wildfires |journal=Nature |date=September 2021 |volume=597 |issue=7876 |pages=370–375 |doi=10.1038/s41586-021-03805-8 |pmid=34526706 |bibcode=2021Natur.597..370T |hdl=2117/351768 |s2cid=237536378 |language=en |issn=1476-4687 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354614634|hdl-access=free }} A study using satellite data complements these findings, estimating the CO₂ emissions of the fires from November 2019 to January 2020 to be ~715 million tons.{{cite news |title=Australian bushfire smoke caused massive phytoplankton bloom in Southern Ocean |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/sep/16/australian-bushfire-smoke-caused-massive-phytoplankton-bloom-in-southern-ocean |access-date=19 October 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=15 September 2021 |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=van der Velde |first1=Ivar R. |last2=van der Werf |first2=Guido R. |last3=Houweling |first3=Sander |last4=Maasakkers |first4=Joannes D. |last5=Borsdorff |first5=Tobias |last6=Landgraf |first6=Jochen |last7=Tol |first7=Paul |last8=van Kempen |first8=Tim A. |last9=van Hees |first9=Richard |last10=Hoogeveen |first10=Ruud |last11=Veefkind |first11=J. Pepijn |last12=Aben |first12=Ilse |title=Vast CO2 release from Australian fires in 2019–2020 constrained by satellite |journal=Nature |date=September 2021 |volume=597 |issue=7876 |pages=366–369 |doi=10.1038/s41586-021-03712-y |pmid=34526704 |bibcode=2021Natur.597..366V |hdl=1871.1/c4f7bd8b-1e9b-49bb-9604-ba873e5a4d52 |s2cid=237536364 |language=en |issn=1476-4687|url=https://research.vu.nl/ws/files/152420184/Vast_CO2_release_from_Australian_fires_in_2019_2020_constrained_by_satellite.pdf }}

| [climate change]

| frameless

| Development

| Media outlets report that the world's first synthetic coffee product has been created, still awaiting regulatory approval for near-term commercialization. On 15 September production of the first batches of synthetic coffee by another biotechnology company is reported.{{cite news |last1=Lavars |first1=Nick |title=Lab-grown coffee cuts out the beans and deforestation |url=https://newatlas.com/science/lab-grown-coffee-beans-deforestation/ |access-date=18 October 2021 |work=New Atlas |date=20 September 2021}}{{cite web |title=Sustainable coffee grown in Finland – {{!}} VTT News |url=https://www.vttresearch.com/en/news-and-ideas/sustainable-coffee-grown-finland-land-drinks-most-coffee-capita-produces-its-first |website=www.vttresearch.com |date=15 September 2021 |access-date=18 October 2021 |language=en}} Such products, for which multiple companies' R&D have acquired substantial funding, may have equal or highly similar effects, composition and taste as natural products but use less water, generate less carbon emissions, require less labor{{additional citation needed|date=October 2021}} and cause no deforestation.

| [food system]

| frameless

| Development

| Researchers report the world's first artificial synthesis of starch. The material essential for many products and the most common carbohydrate in human diets was made from CO₂ in a cell-free process and could reduce land, pesticide and water use as well as greenhouse gas emissions while increasing food security.{{cite news |title=World-first artificial synthesis of starch from CO2 outperforms nature |url=https://newatlas.com/science/artificial-synthesis-starch-from-co2/ |access-date=18 October 2021 |work=New Atlas |date=28 September 2021}}{{cite journal |last1=Cai |first1=Tao |last2=Sun |first2=Hongbing |last3=Qiao |first3=Jing |last4=Zhu |first4=Leilei |last5=Zhang |first5=Fan |last6=Zhang |first6=Jie |last7=Tang |first7=Zijing |last8=Wei |first8=Xinlei |last9=Yang |first9=Jiangang |last10=Yuan |first10=Qianqian |last11=Wang |first11=Wangyin |last12=Yang |first12=Xue |last13=Chu |first13=Huanyu |last14=Wang |first14=Qian |last15=You |first15=Chun |last16=Ma |first16=Hongwu |last17=Sun |first17=Yuanxia |last18=Li |first18=Yin |last19=Li |first19=Can |last20=Jiang |first20=Huifeng |last21=Wang |first21=Qinhong |last22=Ma |first22=Yanhe |title=Cell-free chemoenzymatic starch synthesis from carbon dioxide |journal=Science |date=24 September 2021 |volume=373 |issue=6562 |pages=1523–1527 |doi=10.1126/science.abh4049 |pmid=34554807 |bibcode=2021Sci...373.1523C |s2cid=237615280 |language=EN|doi-access=free }}

| [food system]

| frameless

| Development

| After commissioning two impact assessment studies and a technology analysis study, the European Commission proposes the implementation of a standardization – for iterations of USB-C – of phone charger products, which may increase device-interoperability, convergence and convenience for consumers while decreasing resource-needs, redundancy and electronic waste.{{cite news |title=Apple opposes EU plans to make common charger port for all devices |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/23/apple-opposes-eu-plans-to-make-common-charger-port-for-all-devices |access-date=19 October 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=23 September 2021 |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Peltier |first1=Elian |title=In a setback for Apple, the European Union seeks a common charger for all phones. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/23/business/european-union-apple-charging-port.html |access-date=19 October 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=23 September 2021}}{{cite web |title=One common charging solution for all |url=https://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/electrical-engineering/red-directive/common-charger_en |website=Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs - European Commission |access-date=19 October 2021 |language=en |date=5 July 2016}}

| [e-waste] [material extraction]

| frameless

| Projections

| Researchers conclude that projecting effects – such as regional inhabitability, human migration and food insecurity – of greenhouse gas emissions only for up to 2100, as widely practiced in research and policy-making, is short-sighted and model climate change scenarios for up to 2500.{{cite news |title=By 2500 earth could be alien to humans |url=https://scienmag.com/by-2500-earth-could-be-alien-to-humans/ |access-date=18 October 2021 |work=Scienmag: Latest Science and Health News |date=14 October 2021}}{{cite journal |last1=Lyon |first1=Christopher |last2=Saupe |first2=Erin E. |last3=Smith |first3=Christopher J. |last4=Hill |first4=Daniel J. |last5=Beckerman |first5=Andrew P. |last6=Stringer |first6=Lindsay C. |last7=Marchant |first7=Robert |last8=McKay |first8=James |last9=Burke |first9=Ariane |last10=O'Higgins |first10=Paul |last11=Dunhill |first11=Alexander M. |last12=Allen |first12=Bethany J. |last13=Riel-Salvatore |first13=Julien |last14=Aze |first14=Tracy |title=Climate change research and action must look beyond 2100 |journal=Global Change Biology |year=2021 |volume=28 |issue=2 |pages=349–361 |doi=10.1111/gcb.15871 |pmid=34558764 |s2cid=237616583 |language=en |issn=1365-2486|doi-access=free |hdl=20.500.11850/521222 |hdl-access=free }}

| [climate change]

| frameless

| Projections

| Researchers estimate that children born in 2020 (e.g. "Generation Alpha") will experience 2–7 as many extreme weather events, particularly heat waves, compared to people born in 1960 (e.g. "Baby Boomers" and "Generation X") under current climate policy pledges over their lifetimes, raising issues of intergenerational equity.{{cite news |last1=Gramling |first1=Carolyn |title=2020 babies may suffer up to seven times as many extreme heat waves as 1960s kids |url=https://www.sciencenews.org/article/children-climate-change-generation-burden-extreme-heat |access-date=18 October 2021 |work=Science News |date=1 October 2021}}{{cite journal |last1=Thiery |first1=Wim |last2=Lange |first2=Stefan|author3-link=Joeri Rogelj |last3=Rogelj |first3=Joeri |last4=Schleussner |first4=Carl-Friedrich |last5=Gudmundsson |first5=Lukas |last6=Seneviratne |first6=Sonia I. |last7=Andrijevic |first7=Marina |last8=Frieler |first8=Katja |last9=Emanuel |first9=Kerry |last10=Geiger |first10=Tobias |last11=Bresch |first11=David N. |last12=Zhao |first12=Fang |last13=Willner |first13=Sven N. |last14=Büchner |first14=Matthias |last15=Volkholz |first15=Jan |last16=Bauer |first16=Nico |last17=Chang |first17=Jinfeng |last18=Ciais |first18=Philippe |last19=Dury |first19=Marie |last20=François |first20=Louis |last21=Grillakis |first21=Manolis |last22=Gosling |first22=Simon N. |last23=Hanasaki |first23=Naota |last24=Hickler |first24=Thomas |last25=Huber |first25=Veronika |last26=Ito |first26=Akihiko |last27=Jägermeyr |first27=Jonas |last28=Khabarov |first28=Nikolay |last29=Koutroulis |first29=Aristeidis |last30=Liu |first30=Wenfeng |last31=Lutz |first31=Wolfgang |last32=Mengel |first32=Matthias |last33=Müller |first33=Christoph |last34=Ostberg |first34=Sebastian |last35=Reyer |first35=Christopher P. O. |last36=Stacke |first36=Tobias |last37=Wada |first37=Yoshihide |title=Intergenerational inequities in exposure to climate extremes |journal=Science |date=8 October 2021 |volume=374 |issue=6564 |pages=158–160 |doi=10.1126/science.abi7339|pmid=34565177 |bibcode=2021Sci...374..158T |s2cid=237942847 |url=https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/6345242 }}

| [climate change] [extreme weather]

| frameless

| Development

| Landsat 9, described as the world's most important satellite, is launched by NASA to study the Earth and its environment.{{cite web|date=27 September 2021|title=Landsat-9: 'Satellite of record' launches to picture Earth|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-58683181|access-date=27 September 2021|work=BBC}}{{cite web|date=27 September 2021|title=NASA Launches New Mission to Monitor Earth's Landscapes|url=https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-launches-new-mission-to-monitor-earth-s-landscapes|access-date=28 September 2021|work=NASA}}

| [monitoring]

| frameless

| Award

| The 2021 Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded to Syukuro Manabe and Klaus Hasselmann (1/2) "for the physical modelling of Earth's climate, quantifying variability and reliably predicting global warming" and Giorgio Parisi (1/2) "for the discovery of the interplay of disorder and fluctuations in physical systems from atomic to planetary scales" – all of which "for groundbreaking contributions to our understanding of complex systems".{{cite web |title=The Nobel Prize in Physics 2021 |url=https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/2021/summary/ |website=NobelPrize.org |access-date=5 October 2021}}

| [climate change]

|

| Projections

| Scientists project public health impacts, along with some of the environmental damage, of a simulated imminent Red Sea oil spill from the FSO Safer.{{cite news |title=Anticipated spill from deteriorating Red Sea oil tanker threatens public health, study finds |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-10-deteriorating-red-sea-oil-tanker.html |access-date=15 November 2021 |work=Stanford University Medical Center |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Huynh |first1=Benjamin Q. |last2=Kwong |first2=Laura H. |last3=Kiang |first3=Mathew V. |last4=Chin |first4=Elizabeth T. |last5=Mohareb |first5=Amir M. |last6=Jumaan |first6=Aisha O. |last7=Basu |first7=Sanjay |last8=Geldsetzer |first8=Pascal |last9=Karaki |first9=Fatima M. |last10=Rehkopf |first10=David H. |title=Public health impacts of an imminent Red Sea oil spill |journal=Nature Sustainability |date=11 October 2021 |volume=4 |issue=12 |pages=1084–1091 |doi=10.1038/s41893-021-00774-8 |pmid=34926834 |pmc=8682806 |language=en |issn=2398-9629}}

| [ocean pollution]

| frameless

| Observation

| Scientists report that for 13,115 cities extreme heat exposure of a wet bulb globe temperature above 30 °C tripled between 1983 and 2016. It increased by ~50% when the population growth in these cities is not taken into account. Urban areas are often significantly warmer than surrounding rural areas.{{cite news |last1=Henson |first1=Bob |title=Exposure to extreme urban heat has tripled worldwide since the 1980s, study finds |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2021/11/09/extreme-heat-exposure-urban-climate/ |access-date=15 November 2021 |newspaper=Washington Post}}{{cite journal |last1=Tuholske |first1=Cascade |last2=Caylor |first2=Kelly |last3=Funk |first3=Chris |last4=Verdin |first4=Andrew |last5=Sweeney |first5=Stuart |last6=Grace |first6=Kathryn |last7=Peterson |first7=Pete |last8=Evans |first8=Tom |title=Global urban population exposure to extreme heat |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |date=12 October 2021 |volume=118 |issue=41 |pages=e2024792118 |pmid=34607944| doi=10.1073/pnas.2024792118 |pmc=8521713 |bibcode=2021PNAS..11824792T |language=en |issn=0027-8424|doi-access=free }}

| [climate change]

| frameless

| Analysis, Assessment

| A comprehensive study by Scientists for Future concludes that nuclear fission energy cannot meaningfully contribute to climate change mitigation as it is "too dangerous, too expensive, and too sluggishly deployable" as well as "an obstacle to achieving the social-ecological transformation".{{cite news |title=Faktencheck: Ist Atomenergie klimafreundlich? {{!}} DW {{!}} 11.11.2021 |url=https://www.dw.com/de/faktencheck-ist-atomenergie-klimafreundlich-was-kostet-strom-aus-kernkraft/a-59709250 |access-date=15 November 2021 |work=Deutsche Welle (www.dw.com) |language=de-DE}}{{cite news |title=Warum Atomkraft nicht im Kampf gegen den Klimawandel hilft {{!}} MDR.DE |url=https://www.mdr.de/wissen/kernkraft-keine-loesung-klimawandel-100.html |access-date=15 November 2021 |work=MDR |language=de}}{{cite journal |last1=Wealer |first1=Ben |last2=Breyer |first2=Christian |last3=Hennicke |first3=Peter |last4=Hirsch |first4=Helmut |last5=von Hirschhausen |first5=Christian |last6=Klafka |first6=Peter |last7=Kromp-Kolb |first7=Helga |last8=Präger |first8=Fabian |last9=Steigerwald |first9=Björn |last10=Traber |first10=Thure |last11=Baumann |first11=Franz |last12=Herold |first12=Anke |last13=Kemfert |first13=Claudia |last14=Kromp |first14=Wolfgang |last15=Liebert |first15=Wolfgang |last16=Müschen |first16=Klaus |title=Kernenergie und Klima |date=16 October 2021 |pages=1–98 |doi=10.5281/zenodo.5573718 }}

| [climate change]

| frameless

| Development

| Researchers release a "policy sequencing" framework, in particular for policies of polycentric governance for completely halting and preventing deforestation based on data about already implemented government-designed policies, UN-decided REDD+ initiatives and voluntary private sector initiatives of recent deforestation interventions.{{cite news |title=Timing is everything: Researchers reveal why the right sequence of policies is essential to slow deforestation |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-10-reveal-sequence-policies-essential-deforestation.html |access-date=15 November 2021 |work=Stanford University |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Furumo |first1=Paul R. |last2=Lambin |first2=Eric F. |title=Policy sequencing to reduce tropical deforestation |journal=Global Sustainability |date=27 October 2021 |volume=4 |doi=10.1017/sus.2021.21 |s2cid=239890357 |language=en |issn=2059-4798|doi-access=free }}

| [Policy] [deforestation]

| frameless

| Proposal

| An open letter by {{tooltip|2=296 as of November 2021|almost 300}} scientists asks the WTO to eliminate increasing harmful fisheries subsidies.{{cite news |title=Scientists join international push to ban harmful fisheries subsidies |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-10-scientists-international-fisheries-subsidies.html |access-date=15 November 2021 |work=University of Western Australia |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Sumaila |first1=U. Rashid |display-authors=et al. |title=WTO must ban harmful fisheries subsidies |journal=Science |date=29 October 2021 |volume=374 |issue=6567 |pages=544 |doi=10.1126/science.abm1680|pmid=34709891 |bibcode=2021Sci...374..544S |hdl=11585/836841 |s2cid=240153044 |url=https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/104895/1/Science_WTO%20must%20ban%20harmful%20fisheries%20subsidies.pdf }}

| [Policy] [ocean]

| frameless

| Review

| A comprehensive review summarizes scientific research and data about health impacts of climate change.{{cite news |last1=Langmaid |first1=Virginia |title=Report warns of climate change's 'code red' impact on health |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2021/10/20/health/climate-change-health-covid-19/index.html |access-date=15 November 2021 |work=CNN}}{{cite journal |last=Romanello |first=Marina |display-authors=et al. |date=30 October 2021 |title=The 2021 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: code red for a healthy future |url=https://www.cpha.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/advocacy/2021_lancet/2021_Lancet_Countdown_e.pdf |journal=The Lancet |language=English |volume=398 |issue=10311 |pages=1619–1662 |doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(21)01787-6 |issn=0140-6736 |pmid=34687662 |hdl=10278/3746207 |s2cid=239046862}}

| [climate change]

| frameless

| Analysis

| A study concludes that PM_2.5 air pollution induced by contemporary forms of free trade and consumption by the 19 G20 nations (the EU as a whole is not included) causes two million premature deaths annually, suggesting that the average lifetime consumption of about ~28 people in these countries causes at least one premature death (average age ~67) while developing countries "cannot be expected" to implement or be able to implement countermeasures without external support or internationally coordinated efforts.{{cite news |title=Air pollution from G20 consumers caused two million deaths in 2010 |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2295873-air-pollution-from-g20-consumers-caused-two-million-deaths-in-2010/ |access-date=11 December 2021 |work=New Scientist}}{{cite journal |last1=Nansai |first1=Keisuke |last2=Tohno |first2=Susumu |last3=Chatani |first3=Satoru |last4=Kanemoto |first4=Keiichiro |last5=Kagawa |first5=Shigemi |last6=Kondo |first6=Yasushi |last7=Takayanagi |first7=Wataru |last8=Lenzen |first8=Manfred |title=Consumption in the G20 nations causes particulate air pollution resulting in two million premature deaths annually |journal=Nature Communications |date=2 November 2021 |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=6286 |doi=10.1038/s41467-021-26348-y |pmid=34728619 |pmc=8563796 |bibcode=2021NatCo..12.6286N |language=en |issn=2041-1723}}

| [air pollution]

| frameless

| Observation

| A report by Brazil's INPE based on satellite data finds deforestation of the Amazon rainforest has increased by 22% over 2020 and is at its highest level (13,235 km²) since 2006.{{cite news |title=Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon at highest level since 2006 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/nov/18/deforestation-in-brazils-amazon-rises-by-more-than-a-fifth-in-a-year |access-date=13 December 2021 |work=Reuters/The Guardian |date=19 November 2021 |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Brazil: Amazon sees worst deforestation levels in 15 years |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-59341770 |access-date=13 December 2021 |work=BBC News |date=19 November 2021}}{{additional citation needed|date=December 2021|reason=INPE report missing}}

| [deforestation]

| frameless

| Analysis, Assessment

| Researchers systematically assess impacts of climate change mitigation options on 18 constituents of well-being, finding largely beneficial effects of demand-side solutions based on inputs from 604 studies.{{cite news |title=MCC: Quality of life increases when we live, eat and travel energy-efficiently |url=https://idw-online.de/de/news781561 |access-date=11 December 2021 |work=idw-online.de}}{{cite journal |last1=Creutzig |first1=Felix |last2=Niamir |first2=Leila |last3=Bai |first3=Xuemei |last4=Callaghan |first4=Max |last5=Cullen |first5=Jonathan |last6=Díaz-José |first6=Julio |last7=Figueroa |first7=Maria |last8=Grubler |first8=Arnulf |last9=Lamb |first9=William F. |last10=Leip |first10=Adrian |last11=Masanet |first11=Eric |last12=Mata |first12=Érika |last13=Mattauch |first13=Linus |last14=Minx |first14=Jan C. |last15=Mirasgedis |first15=Sebastian |last16=Mulugetta |first16=Yacob |last17=Nugroho |first17=Sudarmanto Budi |last18=Pathak |first18=Minal |last19=Perkins |first19=Patricia |last20=Roy |first20=Joyashree |last21=de la Rue du Can |first21=Stephane |last22=Saheb |first22=Yamina |last23=Some |first23=Shreya |last24=Steg |first24=Linda |last25=Steinberger |first25=Julia |last26=Ürge-Vorsatz |first26=Diana |title=Demand-side solutions to climate change mitigation consistent with high levels of well-being |journal=Nature Climate Change |date=25 November 2021 |volume=12 |pages=36–46 |doi=10.1038/s41558-021-01219-y |s2cid=244657251 |language=en |issn=1758-6798|doi-access=free }}

| [policy] [climate change]

| frameless

| Observation, Proposal

| Researchers propose buffer-zones around nature reserves where pesticide-use is drastically reduced, based on Germany-wide field study data which i.a. found insect samples in such areas to be contaminated with ~16 pesticides on average.{{cite news |title=Insekten mit durchschnittlich 16 verschiedenen Pestiziden belastet |url=https://www.heise.de/hintergrund/Insekten-mit-durchschnittlich-16-verschiedenen-Pestiziden-belastet-6307087.html?seite=all |access-date=17 January 2022 |work=heise online |language=de}}{{cite journal |last1=Brühl |first1=Carsten A. |last2=Bakanov |first2=Nikita |last3=Köthe |first3=Sebastian |last4=Eichler |first4=Lisa |last5=Sorg |first5=Martin |last6=Hörren |first6=Thomas |last7=Mühlethaler |first7=Roland |last8=Meinel |first8=Gotthard |last9=Lehmann |first9=Gerlind U. C. |title=Direct pesticide exposure of insects in nature conservation areas in Germany |journal=Scientific Reports |date=16 December 2021 |volume=11 |issue=1 |pages=24144 |doi=10.1038/s41598-021-03366-w |pmid=34916546 |pmc=8677746 |bibcode=2021NatSR..1124144B |language=en |issn=2045-2322}}

| [policy] [pesticides]

| frameless

! scope="col" width="20" style="width:5%;" | Date / period

! scope="col" width="30" style="width:10%;" | Type

! scope="col" width="30" style="width:80%;min-width:550px;" class="unsortable" | Description

! scope="col" width="3" style="width:2%;" | Topics

! scope="col" width="3" style="width:3%;" | Image

|

| Scientists report that all glacial periods of ice ages over the last 1.5 M years were associated with northward shifts of melting Antarctic icebergs which changed ocean circulation patterns, leading to more CO₂ being pulled out of the atmosphere. Authors note that this process may be disrupted as the Southern Ocean may be too warm for the icebergs to travel far enough to trigger these changes or effects.{{cite news |title=Melting icebergs key to sequence of an ice age, scientists find |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-01-icebergs-key-sequence-ice-age.html |access-date=12 February 2021 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Terrawatch: the adventurous icebergs that trigger ice ages |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/03/terrawatch-the-adventurous-icebergs-that-trigger-ice-ages |access-date=12 February 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=3 February 2021 |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Starr |first1=Aidan |last2=Hall |first2=Ian R. |last3=Barker |first3=Stephen |last4=Rackow |first4=Thomas |last5=Zhang |first5=Xu |last6=Hemming |first6=Sidney R. |last7=van der Lubbe |first7=H. J. L. |last8=Knorr |first8=Gregor |last9=Berke |first9=Melissa A. |last10=Bigg |first10=Grant R. |last11=Cartagena-Sierra |first11=Alejandra |last12=Jiménez-Espejo |first12=Francisco J. |last13=Gong |first13=Xun |last14=Gruetzner |first14=Jens |last15=Lathika |first15=Nambiyathodi |last16=LeVay |first16=Leah J. |last17=Robinson |first17=Rebecca S. |last18=Ziegler |first18=Martin |title=Antarctic icebergs reorganize ocean circulation during Pleistocene glacials |journal=Nature |date=January 2021 |volume=589 |issue=7841 |pages=236–241 |doi=10.1038/s41586-020-03094-7 |pmid=33442043 |bibcode=2021Natur.589..236S |hdl=10261/258181 |s2cid=231598435 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-03094-7 |access-date=12 February 2021 |language=en |issn=1476-4687|hdl-access=free }}

| [climate change]

|frameless

|

| Scientists report that the short global geomagnetic reversal – a geomagnetic excursion – of Earth's magnetic field ~42,000 years ago – the Laschamp event – in combination with grand solar minima, caused major extinctions and environmental changes and may have contributed to the extinction of the Neanderthals and appearances of cave art. It altered the geographical extension of auroras and levels of harmful radiation worldwide. They term the event which they find to constitute a major enviro-archaeological boundary "Adams Transitional Geomagnetic Event".{{cite news |last1=Mitchell |first1=Alanna |title=A Hitchhiker's Guide to an Ancient Geomagnetic Disruption |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/18/science/laschamp-earth-magnetic-climate.html |access-date=5 March 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=18 February 2021}}{{cite journal |last1=Cooper |first1=Alan |last2=Turney |first2=Chris S. M. |last3=Palmer |first3=Jonathan |last4=Hogg |first4=Alan |last5=McGlone |first5=Matt |last6=Wilmshurst |first6=Janet |last7=Lorrey |first7=Andrew M. |last8=Heaton |first8=Timothy J. |last9=Russell |first9=James M. |last10=McCracken |first10=Ken |last11=Anet |first11=Julien G. |last12=Rozanov |first12=Eugene |last13=Friedel |first13=Marina |last14=Suter |first14=Ivo |last15=Peter |first15=Thomas |last16=Muscheler |first16=Raimund |last17=Adolphi |first17=Florian |last18=Dosseto |first18=Anthony |last19=Faith |first19=J. Tyler |last20=Fenwick |first20=Pavla |last21=Fogwill |first21=Christopher J. |last22=Hughen |first22=Konrad |last23=Lipson |first23=Mathew |last24=Liu |first24=Jiabo |last25=Nowaczyk |first25=Norbert |last26=Rainsley |first26=Eleanor |last27=Ramsey |first27=Christopher Bronk |last28=Sebastianelli |first28=Paolo |last29=Souilmi |first29=Yassine |last30=Stevenson |first30=Janelle |last31=Thomas |first31=Zoë |last32=Tobler |first32=Raymond |last33=Zech |first33=Roland |title=A global environmental crisis 42,000 years ago |journal=Science |date=19 February 2021 |volume=371 |issue=6531 |pages=811–818 |doi=10.1126/science.abb8677 |pmid=33602851 |s2cid=231955607 |url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abb8677 |access-date=5 March 2021 |language=en |issn=0036-8075}}

| [geomagnetic reversal]

| frameless

|

| Scientists report evidence of subglacial sediment stored since 1966 that indicates that Greenland was ice-free and vegetated at least once within the last million years.{{cite news |title=Scientists stunned to discover plants beneath mile-deep Greenland ice |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-03-scientists-stunned-beneath-mile-deep-greenland.html |access-date=22 April 2021 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Christ |first1=Andrew J. |last2=Bierman |first2=Paul R. |last3=Schaefer |first3=Joerg M. |last4=Dahl-Jensen |first4=Dorthe |last5=Steffensen |first5=Jørgen P. |last6=Corbett |first6=Lee B. |last7=Peteet |first7=Dorothy M. |last8=Thomas |first8=Elizabeth K. |last9=Steig |first9=Eric J. |last10=Rittenour |first10=Tammy M. |last11=Tison |first11=Jean-Louis |last12=Blard |first12=Pierre-Henri |last13=Perdrial |first13=Nicolas |last14=Dethier |first14=David P. |last15=Lini |first15=Andrea |last16=Hidy |first16=Alan J. |last17=Caffee |first17=Marc W. |last18=Southon |first18=John |title=A multimillion-year-old record of Greenland vegetation and glacial history preserved in sediment beneath 1.4 km of ice at Camp Century |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |date=30 March 2021 |volume=118 |issue=13 |pages=e2021442118 |doi=10.1073/pnas.2021442118 |pmid=33723012 |pmc=8020747 |bibcode=2021PNAS..11821442C |language=en |issn=0027-8424|doi-access=free }}

|

|frameless

|

| Scientists report that the event that caused the mass-extinction of dinosaurs gave rise to neotropical rainforest biomes like the Amazonia, replacing species composition and structure of local forests. During ~6 million years of recovery to former levels of plant diversity, they evolved from widely spaced gymnosperm-dominated forests to the forests with thick canopies which block sunlight, prevalent flowering plants and high vertical layering as known today.{{cite news |title=Dinosaur-killing asteroid strike gave rise to Amazon rainforest |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-56617409 |access-date=9 May 2021 |work=BBC News |date=2 April 2021}}{{cite journal |last1=Carvalho |first1=Mónica R. |last2=Jaramillo |first2=Carlos |last3=Parra |first3=Felipe de la |last4=Caballero-Rodríguez |first4=Dayenari |last5=Herrera |first5=Fabiany |last6=Wing |first6=Scott |last7=Turner |first7=Benjamin L. |last8=D'Apolito |first8=Carlos |last9=Romero-Báez |first9=Millerlandy |last10=Narváez |first10=Paula |last11=Martínez |first11=Camila |last12=Gutierrez |first12=Mauricio |last13=Labandeira |first13=Conrad |last14=Bayona |first14=German |last15=Rueda |first15=Milton |last16=Paez-Reyes |first16=Manuel |last17=Cárdenas |first17=Dairon |last18=Duque |first18=Álvaro |last19=Crowley |first19=James L. |last20=Santos |first20=Carlos |last21=Silvestro |first21=Daniele |title=Extinction at the end-Cretaceous and the origin of modern Neotropical rainforests |journal=Science |date=2 April 2021 |volume=372 |issue=6537 |pages=63–68 |doi=10.1126/science.abf1969 |pmid=33795451 |bibcode=2021Sci...372...63C |s2cid=232484243 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350569900 |access-date=9 May 2021 |language=en |issn=0036-8075}}

|

| frameless

| Observation, development

| Researchers demonstrate that probiotics can help coral reefs mitigate heat stress, indicating that such could make them more resilient to climate change and mitigate coral bleaching.{{cite news |title=Probiotics help lab corals survive deadly heat stress |url=https://www.sciencenews.org/article/probiotics-lab-coral-heat-stress-death-reef-survival-ocean-warming |access-date=22 September 2021 |work=Science News |date=13 August 2021}}{{cite journal |last1=Santoro |first1=Erika P. |last2=Borges |first2=Ricardo M. |last3=Espinoza |first3=Josh L. |last4=Freire |first4=Marcelo |last5=Messias |first5=Camila S. M. A. |last6=Villela |first6=Helena D. M. |last7=Pereira |first7=Leandro M. |last8=Vilela |first8=Caren L. S. |last9=Rosado |first9=João G. |last10=Cardoso |first10=Pedro M. |last11=Rosado |first11=Phillipe M. |last12=Assis |first12=Juliana M. |last13=Duarte |first13=Gustavo A. S. |last14=Perna |first14=Gabriela |last15=Rosado |first15=Alexandre S. |last16=Macrae |first16=Andrew |last17=Dupont |first17=Christopher L. |last18=Nelson |first18=Karen E. |last19=Sweet |first19=Michael J. |last20=Voolstra |first20=Christian R. |last21=Peixoto |first21=Raquel S. |title=Coral microbiome manipulation elicits metabolic and genetic restructuring to mitigate heat stress and evade mortality |journal=Science Advances |date=August 2021 |volume=7 |issue=33 |pages=eabg3088 |doi=10.1126/sciadv.abg3088 |pmid=34389536 |pmc=8363143 |bibcode=2021SciA....7.3088S |language=EN}}

| [oceans] [climate change]

|frameless

| Observation

| Scientists report that the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum was directly preceded by volcanism and that data about the event supports the existence of substantial climate-shifting tipping points in the Earth system.{{cite news |title='Tipping points' in Earth's system triggered rapid climate change 55 million years ago, research shows |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-08-earth-triggered-rapid-climate-million.html |access-date=21 September 2021 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Kender |first1=Sev |last2=Bogus |first2=Kara |last3=Pedersen |first3=Gunver K. |last4=Dybkjær |first4=Karen |last5=Mather |first5=Tamsin A. |last6=Mariani |first6=Erica |last7=Ridgwell |first7=Andy |last8=Riding |first8=James B. |last9=Wagner |first9=Thomas |last10=Hesselbo |first10=Stephen P. |last11=Leng |first11=Melanie J. |title=Paleocene/Eocene carbon feedbacks triggered by volcanic activity |journal=Nature Communications |date=31 August 2021 |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=5186 |doi=10.1038/s41467-021-25536-0 |pmid=34465785 |pmc=8408262 |bibcode=2021NatCo..12.5186K |language=en |issn=2041-1723}}

| [climate change]

| frameless

| Observation

| Scientists report that Earth is reflecting less light – a dimming of ~0.5% in reflectance over two decades may have both been co-caused by climate change as well as substantially increase global warming.{{cite news |last1=Gray |first1=Jennifer |title=The Earth isn't as bright as it once was |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2021/10/04/weather/earth-dimming-climate/index.html |access-date=19 October 2021 |work=CNN}}{{cite journal |last1=Goode |first1=P. R. |last2=Pallé |first2=E. |last3=Shoumko |first3=A. |last4=Shoumko |first4=S. |last5=Montañes-Rodriguez |first5=P. |last6=Koonin |first6=S. E. |title=Earth's Albedo 1998–2017 as Measured From Earthshine |journal=Geophysical Research Letters |date=2021 |volume=48 |issue=17 |pages=e2021GL094888 |doi=10.1029/2021GL094888 |bibcode=2021GeoRL..4894888G |s2cid=239667126 |language=en |issn=1944-8007|doi-access=free }}

|

| frameless

| Observation

| Scientists report that harmful algal blooms, which have been linked to deforestation, global warming and soil erosion, are proliferating in lakes and rivers around the globe. They add that such toxic algal blooms were a prominent feature of previous mass extinction events, in particular of the End-Permian Extinction.{{cite news |title=Animals died in 'toxic soup' during Earth's worst mass extinction: A warning for today |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-09-animals-died-toxic-soup-earth.html |access-date=18 October 2021 |work=University of Connecticut |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Mays |first1=Chris |last2=McLoughlin |first2=Stephen |display-authors=etal. |date=September 17, 2021 |title=Lethal microbial blooms delayed freshwater ecosystem recovery following the end-Permian extinction |url= |journal=Nature Communications |volume=12 |issue=5511 |page=5511 |doi=10.1038/s41467-021-25711-3|pmid=34535650 |pmc=8448769 |bibcode=2021NatCo..12.5511M |doi-access=free }}

|[climate change]

|frameless

| Plan S

| Plan S is an initiative for open-access science publishing launched in 2018{{cite news |title=Coalition of European Funders Announces 'Plan S' to Require Full OA, Cap APCs, & Disallow Publication in Hybrid Journals |url=https://sparcopen.org/news/2018/coalition-european-funders-announces-plan-s/ |work=SPARC |date=4 September 2018}}{{cite web |title=Plan S: Accelerating the transition to full and immediate Open Access to scientific publications |url=https://www.scienceeurope.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Plan_S.pdf |website=Science Europe |accessdate=13 September 2018 |date=4 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180904122211/https://www.scienceeurope.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Plan_S.pdf |archive-date=4 September 2018 |url-status=dead }} by "cOAlition S",{{Cite web |url=https://www.scienceeurope.org/coalition-s/|title=Science Europe – cOAlition S|website=scienceeurope.org|access-date=15 September 2018}} a consortium of national research agencies and funders from twelve European countries. The plan requires scientists and researchers who benefit from state-funded research organisations and institutions to publish their work in open repositories or in journals that are available to all by 2021.{{cite news |title=European countries demand that publicly funded research should be free to all |url=https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2018/09/15/european-countries-demand-that-publicly-funded-research-should-be-free-to-all |newspaper=The Economist |date=15 September 2018 |accessdate=13 September 2018}} The "S" stands for "shock".{{cite news |title=Hobbels op weg naar open wetenschap |first=Claud |last=Biemans |url= https://www.ntvn.nl/archief/2019/ |journal=Nederlands Tijschrift voor Natuurkunde |date=March 2019 |language=nl |quote=De S staat voor shock. (Robbert-Jan Smits, presentation at the Physics@Veldhoven conference, 22 January 2019).}}

|

|Paris Agreement

|

|

| Aichi Target 11, 2010 (1)

| Protecting 17% of Earth's land by 2020

| {{Yes}} (16.64 % officially reported, assessed as likely exceeding 17 %){{cite news |last1=Vaughan |first1=Adam |title=The world has missed its target for protecting oceans to save species |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2277886-the-world-has-missed-its-target-for-protecting-oceans-to-save-species/ |access-date=27 May 2021 |work=New Scientist}}

| Aichi Target 11, 2010 (2)

| Protecting 10% of Earth's marine environments by 2020

| {{No}} (7.74 %)