Born in Bivange, Luxembourg on 27 March 1897, the young Edward emigrated to the US with his parents when he was 18. His was a long, varied & rich artistic career: though mainly known as a photographer, he was also a painter, director, curator, gardner & passionate experimenter. As director of the department of photography of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Steichen created two monumental exhibitions … Read more Homage to Edward Steichen who died on this day fifty years ago.
Less predictable rainfall important for Maya decline
Reduced predictability of seasonal rainfall might have played an important role in the disintegration of Classic Maya societies about 1100 years ago. That is the result of a new study of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and Potsdam University. The research team studied variations in stable isotope signatures from a stalagmite that was collected in a cave near Uxbenka/Belize, an important archaeological site in the former … Read more Less predictable rainfall important for Maya decline
Overshooting climate targets could significantly increase risk for tipping cascades
Press release by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) 12/22/2022 Temporarily overshooting the climate targets of 1.5-2 degrees Celsius could increase the tipping risk of several Earth system elements by more than 70 percent compared to keeping global warming in line with the United Nations Paris Agreement range, a new risk analysis study by an international team of researchers shows. This tipping risk increases even if in … Read more Overshooting climate targets could significantly increase risk for tipping cascades
10 MustDos from Biodiversity Science
from Leibniz Research Network Biodiversity: We are calling for policymakers worldwide to take in the scientific knowledge synthesized in the 10 Must Knows from Biodiversity Science (10MustKnows) to inform much needed policies. At the UN Biodiversity Conference in Montréal in December, your decisive action is needed to halt the man-made extinction of species and to strengthen biodiversity. The 10MustDos are intended to support you in taking such action by … Read more 10 MustDos from Biodiversity Science
Risk of passing multiple climate tipping points escalates above 1.5°C global warming
Joint press release by the University of Exeter, Stockholm Resilience Centre, Future Earth and Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) 09/09/2022 Multiple climate tipping points could be triggered if global temperature rises beyond 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, according to a major new analysis published in the journal Science. Even at current levels of global heating the world is already at risk of passing five dangerous climate tipping points, … Read more Risk of passing multiple climate tipping points escalates above 1.5°C global warming
Extreme temperatures fuel online hate speech
Relationship between temperature and hate tweets across five climatic zones in the USA Press release by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) 09/08/2022 Online Hate speech increases when daily maximum temperatures are above or below a “feel-good window” of 12°C-21°C (54-70°F) – this is shown by the analysis of more than four billion tweets using statistics and AI methods Temperatures above 30°C (86° F) spur online hate … Read more Extreme temperatures fuel online hate speech
Timber! or: Living in timber cities could avoid emissions…
(Photo by Sarah Worth ) Press release by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) 08/30/2022 Living in timber cities could avoid emissions – without using farmland for wood production Transition to timber cities could avoid more than 100 billion tons of CO2 emissions by 2100– about 10% of the remaining CO2 budget for the 2°C climate target. Wood needed is sourced from natural forests and timber plantations … Read more Timber! or: Living in timber cities could avoid emissions…
Considering catastrophe: high-impact, low-probability climate scenarios “dangerously underexplored”
08/02/2022 Press release by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) Researchers call for a new “Climate Endgame” agenda and say far too little work has gone into understanding the mechanisms by which rising temperatures might pose a “catastrophic” risk to society and humanity: For instance, if temperature rises are worse than many predict or cause cascades of events we have yet to consider, or indeed both. The … Read more Considering catastrophe: high-impact, low-probability climate scenarios “dangerously underexplored”
How to avoid eating the world:
From degrowth to a sustainable food system transformation Press release by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) 05/16/2022 • To make our food system more sustainable, curbing growth or shifting incomes alone won’t do it • People’s eating habits change towards more climate-harming choices already at small income increases • What’s needed is changing what we eat, changing what and how we grow, and a price on … Read more How to avoid eating the world:
Forests, Food, Pandemics and the Extinction of Species:
Biodiversity Hotspots Research network publishes “10 Must Knows” on biodiversity Press Release by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research 03/25/2022 “10 Must Knows from Biodiversity Science”, ranging from climate stress for forests to the corona virus that has jumped from animals to humans, are now published for the first time. More than 45 experts from the German Leibniz Research Network Biodiversity and colleagues have compiled this inventory on … Read more Forests, Food, Pandemics and the Extinction of Species: