by Daniel Brouse The Trend Flash droughts are one of the three fastest-accelerating climate extremes. The share of global land affected by heat-driven drought has expanded dramatically—from approximately 2.5% in the 1980s to 16.7% in recent years. The rate of increase has also accelerated, rising roughly eightfold since 2000. This shift is important because heat-triggered […]
Category Archives: Energy
Heat-Triggered Flash Droughts: The Rapid Intensification of Heat, Drought, and Wildfire Risk
Global Wildfire Smoke
by Daniel Brouse Global warming is exactly that—global. These two videos of the 2026 wildfire season provide a striking example. The first video shows wildfire smoke spreading across North America. The second follows that smoke as it is transported across the atmosphere and circulates around the globe, reaching the UK and Europe. The second video […]
Climate Change and Moisture Transport
I’m wondering whether there is any way to quantify whether precipitation is now falling more rapidly over smaller areas and closer to where the moisture originates, potentially contributing to historically high-volume flooding. Conversely, could less precipitation falling over broader areas be contributing to worsening drought and diminishing inland snowpack? Is there any long-term tracking of […]
Consumer Solar Panels
Michigan State University’s technology sounds amazing because it can turn almost any window into a power generator. However, there’s an inherent trade-off: allowing light to pass through the window means not absorbing the visible energy needed to generate electricity, which limits energy efficiency. What may be even more promising are “balcony” solar panels. These systems […]
Three Irrefutable Lines of Evidence for Human-Caused Climate Change
by Daniel Brouse The evidence for human-caused climate change does not rest on a single temperature record, computer model, or scientific study. It comes from multiple independent lines of evidence that converge on the same conclusion. Three of the clearest are rising global temperatures, shrinking ice sheets and glaciers, and rapidly increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide […]
Greenland’s Melting Ice Is Slowing Earth’s Ocean Conveyor Belt (AMOC)
by Daniel Brouse Glacial retreat is weakening the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) by injecting enormous amounts of freshwater into the North Atlantic. This disrupts the natural “ocean conveyor belt” that redistributes heat around the planet and plays a critical role in regulating global climate patterns. The Mechanics of the Slowdown The AMOC depends on […]
The Three Fastest-Accelerating Climate Extremes Since 2000
by Daniel Brouse Since 2000, three climate extremes have accelerated faster than all others in their frequency, intensity, and geographic reach: extreme heatwaves, major flooding, and heat-triggered flash droughts. 1. Extreme Heatwaves The Trend: The years 2015–2025 were the 11 warmest years ever recorded globally.The Impact: Heatwaves have become dramatically longer, hotter, and more widespread, […]
Climate Change Hotspots: Highest Risk Over the Next Decade
by Daniel Brouse Climate Change Hotspots: Highest Risk Over the Next Decade
Spoiled Soil
by Daniel Brouse Spoiled Soil What Is Happening to the Dirt Beneath Your Feet? Most people think of soil as nothing more than dirt. In reality, healthy soil may be one of the most important—and overlooked—parts of Earth’s climate system. Unlike the atmosphere, oceans, or glaciers, soil is alive. A single handful of healthy soil […]
Wildfire Smoke, Climate Feedbacks, and Ecological Paradoxes
by Daniel Brouse Wildfire Smoke, Climate Feedbacks, and Ecological Paradoxes: The Dual Impacts of Atmospheric Aerosols on Terrestrial and Marine Systems Abstract Wildfire smoke is an increasingly important variable in understanding climate impacts, ecosystem responses, and agricultural productivity. Prolonged smoke exposure can significantly reduce incoming solar radiation, creating a “sunblock” effect that suppresses photosynthesis, delays […]