Understanding and responding to climate change: our favourite climate research from 2021
Climate change solutions must reach across education, agriculture, energy production, politics and policymaking, manufacturing, travel, transport – almost every aspect of life.
The six articles highlighted below demonstrate the breadth of research being undertaken by scientists globally as they work to understand the complex impacts of climate change, design new technologies and processes for a greener future, assess the financial implications of climate action, and develop resources to inspire new generations of problem solvers.
All of this work is part of the research community’s global effort to ensure a liveable, sustainable future for life on Earth. Each of the following articles was published by Research Outreach in 2021 in partnership with the individual scientists behind the research.
Understanding the impacts
Climate change is a complex issue that affects different regions in different ways. Investigating the ways in which climate change affects particular ecosystems is critical work which enables us to better understand the extent of the challenges we face, model the future, and develop informed policies and problem-solving technologies.
1. Measuring an ecosystem’s response to climate change through sun induced fluorescence (SIF) in the Caatinga bioregion
Rising global temperatures and the increasing frequency of droughts – two well-documented consequences of climate change – put a huge amount of strain on fragile ecosystems.
Finding ways to measure the impacts of climate change on plant life is extremely important work, especially considering the close relationship between the climate and the biosphere, and the fact that vegetation has the ability to act as a giant carbon sink.
Chlorophyll fluorescence – a side-effect of photosynthesis – refers to the light re-emitted from chlorophyll molecules in leaves, algae, or bacteria. The level of fluorescence emitted can be measured to indicate a plant’s health and energy production power – this makes fluorescence a useful gauge for assessing plants’ responses to climatic changes over time.
Learn more about the development and application of this innovative monitoring technique here.
2. Climate change and the rise of infectious diseases: An Arctic perspective
As global temperatures rise, animals that carry infectious microorganisms are migrating North. These shifts in behaviour threaten to expose Northern communities to more infectious diseases and alter the intimate relationship these communities have with the natural world.
At the CLINF Nordic Center of Excellence, researchers from eight nations worked together to predict how climate change will affect the distribution of climate-sensitive infections (CSI).
The project required a supply of reliable long-term data on environmental indicators as well as human and animal health. This alone posed a significant challenge to researchers as datasets supplied by different countries were often incompatible and could not be easily compared.
This type of difficulty can be a significant obstacle to the success of international research projects – the critical importance of international cooperation to meaningful climate research, policymaking, and problem solving is clear.
Find out more about this important project here.
Reimagining our resources
Creativity, innovation, and collaboration will all be critical in creating a sustainable future. Designing this future will depend on rethinking firmly embedded behaviours and technologies. The production and of energy and goods, for example, are key areas earmarked by thought leaders for transformational change.
3. Technological leapfrogging the global energy crisis: How can changing the role of science in developing countries help with an oncoming climate catastrophe?
In 1975, the Brazilian government launched the National Alcohol Program (NAP), a scheme designed to relieve Brazil’s dependence on fossil fuels. Successful technological leapfrogging has meant that, today, ethanol produced from sugarcane replaces 50% of the gasoline that would otherwise be in use across the country.
This example illustrates the effectiveness of appropriate, non-traditional approaches to energy production. It also demonstrates the important role science can play in solving problems faced particularly by developing countries. Professor José Goldemberg (the University of São Paulo) believes that developing nations can–and should–leapfrog over technologies that are unsuitable for their specific situations.
The need to implement effective, large-scale fossil-fuel alternatives has never been greater – read more about how technological leapfrogging could shape the future of energy here.
4. Closing the loop: Upcycling plastic waste for carbon capture
PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is an extremely common plastic used to make bottles and packaging. It is also one of the most prevalent contributors to plastic pollution globally and takes an estimated 450 years to degrade.
Dr Xiangzhou Yuan, Research Professor at the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Korea University (Seoul), and Dr Shuai Deng, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the School of Tianjin University (China), have proposed a new sustainable waste-management solution that harnesses the prevalence and longevity of plastic waste by giving this waste, specifically plastic bottles, the ability to absorb CO2.
The goal is to create a ‘closed carbon and plastic loop’ – this would be achieved if a waste plastic bottle captured as much, or more CO2 than was released during its production. Currently, findings suggest that this approach could also be extended to mixed plastic waste.
Discover the chemistry behind this innovative idea here.
Calculating the cost
5. Climate change economics: A net cost analysis of the Paris Agreement targets
The economic impact of climate change is a key issue influencing scientific research, public opinion, and policy. However, predicting the cost of climate action is itself a significant challenge.
Dr Patrick Brown, (San José State University) has undertaken a net cost analysis to find out when the benefits of meeting the Paris Agreement targets on reducing carbon emissions will begin to outweigh the costs.
Dr Brown weighed the financial benefits of limiting global warming against the complex costs of climate action efforts, ie. the cost of decarbonising the energy, transport, and industrial sectors. His research accommodates various scenarios and timescales and highlights the importance of thinking long-term when it comes to climate policy.
Find out more about Dr Brown’s methodology and findings here.
Starting early
6. Training a new generation of problem solvers: Innovation in STEM education
Education will play a huge role in boosting climate literacy and preparing younger generations to face the challenges posed by climate change.
Socio-Scientific Issues (SSI) is a term used to describe science education that focusses on problem solving. At the University of Utah, Professor Nancy Butler Songer and her collaborators have developed a suite of innovative learning resources as part of an eco-solutioning programme offering elementary and secondary students the chance to create solutions for local, urban environmental issues.
Compared to traditional teaching models, eco-solutioning places more emphasis on action and is designed specifically to drive curiosity, collaboration, and creativity. Students collect rather than formally receive data, and topics/concepts are approached practically via engaging projects.
The students involved achieved significant learning gains, greater awareness of local issues, and increasingly saw themselves as scientists.
Learn more about the project and its goals here.