EurekAlert! Climate Change - Latest News Releases

Latest News Releases

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 19-Apr-2025 14:08 ET (19-Apr-2025 18:08 GMT/UTC)

March research news from the Ecological Society of America

Ecological Society of America
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Linking elk pregnancy to elk “foodscapes”, climate impacts on bee gut microbiomes and more from ESA’s journals.

Colder temperatures increase gastroenteritis risk in Rohingya refugee camps

Hokkaido University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Colder temperatures are linked with increased risk of diarrhea among Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, emphasizing the need for climate-sensitive health strategies in refugee settings.

Journal: JAMA Network Open
Funder: Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

Melting snow and ice enhance cloud short-wave cooling effect, partially slowing further melting

Science China Press
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In a paper published in National Science Review, a Chinese team of scientists conducted an analysis on how changes in Arctic snow and ice cover affect cloud short-wave radiative effects, using satellite observations and climate model data. The study found that even under conditions where cloud properties remain unchanged, the melting of snow and ice can trigger an enhanced clouds’ short-wave cooling effect. The enhanced cooling effect can partially slow down the melting process, while it cannot reverse the overall decreasing trend of ice and snow.

Journal: National Science Review
Funder: National Key Research and Development Program of China, National Natural Science Foundation of China

Breaking the American climate silence

PLOS
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Americans are more likely to discuss climate change with family and friends if they feel worried or at risk, perceive society as supportive of pro-climate behaviors or see global warming depicted in the media, according to a study published April 17, 2025 in the open-access journal PLOS Climate by Margaret Orr from George Mason University College of Humanities and Social Sciences in Fairfax, Virginia, and colleagues.

Journal: PLOS Climate

Securing our food future with controlled environment agriculture

TUMCREATE Limited
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Climate change and a decline in available arable land are reducing crop yields which can significantly impact food security. Sustainable solutions to feed the increasingly growing population are urgent.

A research team as part of the Proteins4Singapore (P4SG) project, co-led by TUMCREATE in Singapore and the Technical University of Munich (TUM), proposes that future controlled environment agriculture - CEA systems can boost productivity for several food sources. In CEA, all growth conditions are carefully controlled to optimise growth and yield. Controllable parameters impacting these growth conditions span temperature, humidity, light, carbon dioxide concentration, and nutrients. All the outputs can be finely tuned, largely minimising environmental impact.

CEA enables a consistent year-round production of safe food and can complement traditional farming, according to Dr Vanesa Calvo-Baltanás, research fellow at TUMCREATE and the lead researcher of this finding. The team investigated the yield potential of six food groups cultivated under CEA conditions, including crops, algae, mushrooms, insects, fish and cultivated meat.

Journal: PNAS Nexus

Curious isolation: New butterfly species discovered

Pensoft Publishers
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new butterfly species, Satyrium curiosolus, was discovered in a recent study at Blakiston Fan in Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta. It has unique evolutionary history, having likely remained in isolation for up to 40,000 years, leading to flatlined genetic diversity and exceptionally high levels of inbreeding. Due to its specific ecological associations and low genetic diversity, this butterfly may soon face challenges with climate change adaptation and will require special conservation strategies. The discovery was published in the open-access journal ZooKeys.

Journal: ZooKeys

Blood pressure: New research shows a changing climate may jeopardise global blood supply

Australian Red Cross Lifeblood
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at the University of the Sunshine Coast and Australian Red Cross Lifeblood say health issues, the spread of infectious disease and extreme weather exacerbated by climate change will impact the ability of people to donate, and at the same time may trigger a rise in the need for blood.

Journal: The Lancet Planetary Health

Study links climate change to rising arsenic levels in paddy rice, increasing health risks

Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Study reveals that climate change may significantly impact arsenic levels in paddy rice, a staple food for millions across Asia. The research shows that increased temperatures above 2°C, coupled with rising carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, lead to higher concentrations of inorganic arsenic in rice, potentially raising lifetime health risks for populations in Asia by 2050.

Journal: The Lancet Planetary Health
Funder: National Key Research and Development Program of China

Nearly half of Americans would consider eating a plant-based diet to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, finds new survey

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
Reports and Proceedings

As Earth Day approaches on April 22, a new Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine/Morning Consult survey shows that 46% of Americans would consider eating a plant-based diet to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from food production.

Climate-related trauma can have lasting effects on decision-making, study finds

University of California - San Diego
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study from UC San Diego suggests that climate trauma — such as experiencing a devastating wildfire — can have lasting effects on cognitive function.

Journal: Scientific Reports

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