2026 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #34

Stories we promoted this week, by category:

Climate Education and Communication (6 articles)

• The false and the furious: We aren't just bothered by different beliefs-we're bothered when we think others are wrong When people use facts to defend their preferences, tastes or values, they may turn a disagreement over priorities into a dispute over who is right and who is wrong, turning up the emotional heat. The Conversation, Andras Molnar, George Loewenstein, Aug 15, 2026.
• `It is not only a future certainty - the disaster is already here`: why we need climate fiction As wildfires rage across Europe and Britain swelters through its hottest summer on record, literary fiction has a vital role to play in capturing the severe consequences of climate crisis The Guardian, Tara Menon, Aug 16, 2026.
• Climate Trunk - Science Summary post of John Lang's Climate Trunk visuals in the "Science" ring Skeptical Science, Bärbel Winkler, Aug 18, 2026.
• Climate doom may discourage climate action, but there`s a way to counter it The Conversation, Sander van der Linden & Rachel O'Boyle, Aug 18, 2026.
• The cognitive bias behind bad climate math A new study finds two persistent mental shortcuts—not ignorance—are why people keep overrating recycling and underrating flying less. The Anthropocene, Sarah DeWeerdt, Aug 18, 2026.
• In a Summer of Catastrophe, Climate Scientist`s Words from the 80s Playing Out A review of what scientists were saying to the public about climate change in the 1980s. This is Not Cool, Peter Sinclair, Aug 19, 2026.

Climate Policy and Politics (6 articles)

• In Germany, record heat meets climate action fatigue DW, Oliver Pieper, Aug 17, 2026.
• UK politicians vastly overestimate public opposition to climate policies, study finds Members of Parliament from the UK's three biggest political parties in the House of Commons significantly overestimate levels of public resistance to major policy proposals for tackling climate change, a University of Cambridge study suggests. Phys.org, Gaby Clark, Aug 19, 2026.
• How far-right parties are using extreme weather events to boost their cause Political scientists explain why extreme weather events like this summer's European heatwaves can drive support to parties that traditionally deny human-made climate change. NPR, Ruth Sherlock, Aug 19, 2026.
• How Florida quietly removed climate change content from textbooks Publishers acceded to state requests watering down information on climate change’s impact, WUSF/Hechinger Report investigation finds. Now the state has turned to updating its science standards The Hechinger Report, Jessica Meszaros and Katie Worth, Aug 20, 2026.
• How Trump Is Trying to Crush California`s Climate Policies At least a half-dozen federal agencies have taken action against the state that has led the nation in environmental protections. New York Times, Maxine Joselow, Aug 20, 2026.
• Extreme Heat Waves Fuel Political Tensions in Europe At the limits of adaptation, governments face a choice: point fingers, or seize the moment for transformational change. Inside Climate News, Bob Berwyn, Aug 21, 2026.

Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation (4 articles)

• With Puerto Rico`s water crisis, climate change meets ineptitude LA Times, Carlos De Loera, Aug 14, 2026.
• Fire rangers of Mongolian steppe: climate crisis spurs revival of ancient knowledge - photo essay Fire has always be part of life on the grasslands, but has grown worse due to rising temperatures and severe droughts. In response, people have turned to their nomadic heritage to help tackle the blazes The Guardian, Michael O Snyder, Aug 16, 2026.
• Flights over Atlantic will adjust paths in test to reduce contrails Hundreds of commercial flights will be told to change their paths over the northeastern Atlantic Ocean during the next two winters to show how minor altitude adjustments can reduce aviation’s climate impact. AP News, Jennifer McDermott, Aug 19, 2026.
• As Minnesota gets warmer and wetter, what does that mean for drought? Climate change demands climate adaptation; Minnesota Public Radio unpacks how this looks for farmers and others in daily life. MPR News, Harshawn Ratanpal, Aug 21, 2026.

Climate Science and Research (4 articles)

• Scientists detect a surprising shift in human blood as atmospheric CO2 rises Researchers analyzing more than two decades of U.S. health data found that blood bicarbonate levels have climbed about 7% since 1999, while calcium and phosphorus have declined—changes that closely track increasing atmospheric CO2. Science Daily , The Kids Research Institute, Australia, Aug 15, 2026.
• Explainer: How the ‘super El Niño’ will reshape the world’s weather Carbon Brief, Robert McSweeney and Daisy Dunne, Aug 18, 2026.
• The pace of climate change matters more than overall heat in the race to save key Atlantic currents, study finds The rate of global warming, rather than the extra heat itself, could determine whether a system of ocean currents known as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation will cross a tipping point, new research suggests. Live Science, Sascha Pare, Aug 18, 2026.
• Skeptical Science New Research for Week #34 2026 Skeptical Science's weekly survey of the entire scope of climate research, from physics to policy. Skeptical Science, Doug Bostrom & Marc Kodack, Aug 20, 2026.

Health Aspects of Climate Change (3 articles)

• As temperatures get hotter, pesticides are more dangerous to farmworkers Research shows heat amplifies the dangers of pesticides for farmworkers, and that the problem is poised to grow as the global climate warms. Inside Climate News, Amy Green, Aug 17, 2026.
• A federal case in Texas could change how we treat prisoners during hot weather As heat waves intensify, advocates are pushing for protections for incarcerated people, who have little ability to escape dangerous temperatures. Yale Climate Connections, Sarah Kennedy, Aug 21, 2026.
• Heat wave-hit Europe logs over 30,000 excess summer deaths: First figures Phys.org, Luca MATTEUCCI, Olivia BUGAULT, Pascale JUILLIARD , Aug 22, 2026.

Climate Change Impacts (2 articles)

• Is this El Niño a glimpse of a future, hotter Earth? There are important differences between long-term global warming and El Niño warming The Climate Brink, Andrew Dessler & Zeke Hausfather, Aug 17, 2026.
• Emissions are Flatlining. So Why’s CO2 Rising at Record Speed? ClimateAdam on Youtube, Adam Levy, Aug 22, 2026.

Climate Law and Justice (1 article)

• What happened after 13 young people in Hawaii sued over climate change Charlotte Madin joined the lawsuit at age 12. Today, she is part of a youth council advising the Hawaii Department of Transportation on climate priorities. Yale Climate Connections, Bridgett Ennis, Aug 17, 2026.

Public Misunderstandings about Climate Science (1 article)

• Witnessing a grand jeté of climate-change denial Defense and policy analyst Gwynne Dyer critiques climate change fatalists. Brandon Sun, Gwynne Dyer, Aug 19, 2026.

Miscellaneous (1 article)

• Skeptical Science New Research for Week #33 2026 A listing of 28 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, August 9, 2026 thru Sat, August 15, 2026. Skeptical Science, Bärbel Winkler & Doug Bostrom, Aug 16, 2026.