Science Talk

@scitalkofficial.bsky.social

Truthful and genuine conversations with experts and scientists about climate, health, science, and technology. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ScienceTalkOfficial Host: @ittefaq.bsky.social

The rise in Niño 3.4 region sea surface temperatures over the past few weeks has been nothing short of astonishing. We are now hotter than any days during the 1997/1998 super El Niño event, and we are still many months from the peak.

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NASA: Warming Effects of Carbon Pollution since the 1800s. Wait for it. Since human’s industrialized the Earth has warmed 1.5°C/2.7°F due to heat-trapping greenhouse gases released from the burning of fossil fuels, changes in land use, and the feedbacks of both. This may not sound like much but 1/

Your 'moment of doom' for Aug. 4, 2026 ~ Easy come, easy go. "Hungary and Romania have been forced to shut down nuclear reactors cooled by the Danube for the first time, as record-low water levels deepen fears of an energy crisis across the region." www.theguardian.com/world/2026/a...

Romania blasts rock to divert water from drought-hit Danube to nuclear reactor

Hungary and Romania face energy crisis as record-low river levels force atomic power plants to reduce output

theguardian.com

Fantastic to see the publication of the ACCESS Adaptation and Resilience Task Force's new report: "Putting people at the centre of UK climate adaptation and resilience", co-led by CAST's Prof Irene Lorenzoni (University of East Anglia) & Dr Rory Walshe (Government Office for Science). 👇

Putting people at the centre of UK climate adaptation and resilience

This report summarises evidence on how placing people at the heart of climate adaptation policy and action can improve outcomes.

gov.uk

Europe’s Summer of Reckoning Is ‘Just the Beginning’ “2026 is just the beginning,” Professor Rockström added. “It will inevitably get worse. It will get worse and worse and worse to the point where, I’m afraid, we’ll be passing the limits of adaptation.” @nytimes.com 1/

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Your 'moment of doom' for Aug. 1, 2026 ~ Climate hell incoming. "Temperatures above 50°C (122°F), which have been virtually impossible at Mediterranean locations in the pre-industrial world, have seen their likelihood increase by a factor of 10 to 1,000 under human-induced climate change"

Building for 131°F: Europe races to protect its infrastructure from a ‘quiet catastrophe’

A summer of weather extremes and severe infrastructure stress has prompted companies and policymakers across Europe to respond.

cnbc.com

Your 'doom quote' for today: "I don't think we're yet evolved to the point where we're clever enough to handle as complex a situation as climate change. The inertia of humans is so huge that you can't really do anything meaningful." www.theguardian.com/science/2010...

James Lovelock: Humans are too stupid to prevent climate change

In his first in-depth interview since the theft of UEA emails, the scientist blames inertia and democracy for lack of action

theguardian.com

Relatively stable climate of last 10,000 years gone forever Yet everyone acts as if it is still here Climate crisis-driven heat ‘sucking soils dry’ as extreme drought hits Europe Heatwaves making atmosphere thirstier damaging water supplies food power generation www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Climate crisis-driven heat ‘sucking soils dry’ as extreme drought hits Europe

Analysis shows how heatwaves are making atmosphere thirstier, damaging water supplies, food production and power generation

theguardian.com

"And at the far end, a state actor or saboteur could manipulate one or many stations to set off an early warning system or even keep one silent when it should sound. Step by step, the risk grows, from fraud to compromised disaster preparedness to a matter of national security."

The risk of weather data sabotage is rising

Prediction markets and a move toward AI forecasting are starting to put the accuracy of weather predictions at risk. Here’s what we can do to safeguard them.

technologyreview.com

On Thu, Jul 9 at 11am PT, I'll have a livestream to discuss building "heat dome" that will eventually expand to encompass most of western & central US by mid Jul. I'll discuss impacts, including record heat, wildfire risk, & monsoon moisture/thunderstorms.

Huge "heat dome" to expand across West and Central U.S: Impacts on SW monsoon, wildfire, & more - YouTube

The latest in a recurring series of live, virtual, & interactive #weather and #climate-focused "office hours" hosted by Dr. Daniel Swain. 07/09/2026 topic: A...

youtube.com

NEW: In the case of OB-GYN Mark Mulholland, who was repeatedly accused of sexual misconduct, Washington’s medical board waited six weeks to announce it had filed charges. He kept seeing patients during that time, and one alleges he abused her in the interim. with @kuow.org

Washington Law Says to Alert the Public When Doctors Are Accused of Misconduct. It Can Take Months.

In the case of Mark Mulholland, who was repeatedly accused of sexual misconduct, the board waited six weeks to announce that it had filed charges. He was allowed to keep seeing patients during that ti...

propublica.org

Scientists built a solar reactor that eats plastic bottles and burps out clean hydrogen at scale Cambridge Uni made the device with simple materials using a paint sprayer—offering a possible dual fix for plastic pollution and dirty hydrogen production www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2026/07/scie...

Scientists built a solar reactor that eats plastic bottles and burps out clean hydrogen . . .at scale.

A Cambridge University team made the device with simple materials using a paint sprayer—offering a possible dual fix for plastic pollution and dirty hydrogen production

anthropocenemagazine.org

Germans have won a fight to keep a coal mine out of an ancient forest. In US Trump opening millions of acres of protected lands for drilling In June,Trump opened 500,000 square miles of protected Pacific Ocean waters for commercial fishing. www.dw.com/en/hambach-f...

Germany saves forest from mining, US opens land to drilling

Germans have won a fight to keep a coal mine out of an ancient forest. In the US, the Trump administration is opening protected lands for drilling and development.

dw.com