News by Subject Atmospheric Science

There is no clear link between cancer incidence and locally produced food from an area with a history of glass manufacture with contaminated soil, according to a new study from, among others, Linköping University in Sweden. A high consumption of certain local foods seems to be linked to an increased risk of certain cancers, but this probably reflects that the exposure to contaminants was higher in the past. The findings are published in Environmental International.

New research suggests that over the next few decades, acting to reduce climate change is expected to cost much less than the damage otherwise inflicted by climate change on people, infrastructure and ecosystems.

A new Earth Commission, comprised of 19 of the world's foremost scientists, chaired by Johan Rockström, Joyeeta Gupta, and Dahe Qin, will define guardrails -- akin to >2C for climate -- for land, water, oceans and biodiversity leading to a coherent suite of practical, science-based targets. The targets will also be specifically tailored for megacities and large companies. Future Earth, based at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm, will host the work.

A toxic cocktail of chemical pollutants in US drinking water could result in more than 100,000 cancer cases, according to a peer-reviewed study from Environmental Working Group -- the first study to conduct a cumulative assessment of cancer risks due to 22 carcinogenic contaminants found in drinking water nationwide.

Steadily reducing fossil fuel emissions over coming years will prevent millions of premature deaths and help avoid the worst of climate change without causing a large spike in short-term warming that some studies predict, new analysis from Duke University and the University of Leeds finds. The finding dispels the misconception that the air-quality and climate benefits of transitioning to clean energy play out at different timescales -- a sticking point in recent climate negotiations.

From September 23 to 25, 2019, heads of government from around the world will convene at the United Nations General Assembly to discuss efforts to advance climate action and global sustainable development. The summit aims to boost national ambitions to achieve the objectives of the Paris Agreement and will review the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. The relationship between air pollution and climate change is the subject of a new IASS Policy Brief.

Current scenarios used to inform climate policy have a weakness in that they typically focus on reaching specific climate goals in 2100 - an approach which may encourage risky pathways that could have long-term negative effects. A new IIASA-led study presents a novel scenario framework that focuses on capping global warming at a maximum level with either temperature stabilization or reversal thereafter.

Malaysia's plans to create a Pan-Borneo Highway will severely degrade one of the world's most environmentally imperilled regions, says a research team from Australia and Malaysia.