The year the floods came to Southern California
In 1861-62, a series of deadly winter storms caused widespread devastation and flooding in the West — and it could happen again. Learn why in this piece that first published in 2020.
How young climate activists are making their voices heard at COP27 over Egypt’s protest suppression
Activists aren’t necessarily more aggressive than in the past, but they are using creative and sometime shocking new tactics that are meant to go viral to spread their message.
COP27 summit: Eyes on Russia-Ukraine as global energy, food insecurity threaten U.N. climate ambitions
USC experts weigh in on the impacts of the protracted conflict on climate change as world leaders convene for the annual climate summit — an event being held against the backdrop of Russian supply chain manipulation.
New USC Annenberg center empowers climate storytellers
The Center for Climate Journalism and Communication will provide critical training to media, public relations and communications professionals to be climate storytellers who advance a deeper understanding of the consequences of climate change.
In a warmer world, half of all species are on the move — but where are they going?
A new computer modeling tool provides a more accurate analysis of species’ movement amid climate change. What it’s finding is bleaker than experts expected.
Risk of death surges when extreme heat and air pollution coincide
Keck School of Medicine of USC researchers used a new analytic approach to study more than 1.5 million deaths across California.
Yellowstone flooding underscores environmental pressures facing U.S. national parks
USC researcher Douglas Noble discusses the impact of climate change on Old Faithful, shrinking glaciers and desert oases.
What is ‘committed warming’? A climate scientist explains why global warming can continue long after emissions end
Because of humans, the concentration of planet-warming carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is now 50% higher than before the industrial era and these gases are raising Earth’s temperature.
Forget that doom-and-gloom attitude toward climate change
Climate change isn’t an inevitable death sentence, but the latest news often makes people as though it is. A task force led by USC’s Gale Sinatra finds that psychologists can make a big difference.
Why the cost of mitigating climate change can’t be boiled down to one right number
Human behaviors change constantly and shift in response to numerous factors such as changes in public policy and the arrival of new technologies. All those changes and more are hard to predict, and they affect tomorrow’s costs.
Adverse environmental conditions impact a growing number of Angelenos, LABarometer survey finds
The second annual USC Dornsife-Union Bank LABarometer survey regarding sustainability and resilience examines how Los Angeles County residents experience and interact with their natural environment in the midst of a warming climate.
Why is a delegation from the Vatican attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference?
The president of USC Dornsife’s Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies explains the Catholic case for climate action.
U.N. climate conference draws USC experts and students to grapple with solutions
COP26 summit brings the world together to discuss sustainability, and Trojans aim to contribute.
With the clock ticking on climate disaster, USC experts see ways to respond
Scientists and researchers discuss how humanity will respond to climate change as the 26th U.N. Climate Conference and two weeks of negotiations kick off this week.
Wetlands have saved Australia $27 billion in storm damage over the past five decades
Tropical storms have caused about $3 billion in damage in Australia over 50 years — a figure that would have been 10 times larger if not for coastal wetlands, a USC researcher and colleague found.
What Are Algal Blooms and Are They Harmful?
In oceans and lakes across the country, tiny organisms create big problems.
What Will Our World Look Like in 2050?
USC researchers say confronting reality and taking local action may help humanity cope — and even spur economies and innovation.
How undersea gases once helped superheat our planet
Undersea carbon reservoirs have caused global warming before — and it could happen again, according to research by an international team of scientists led by USC.
Ancient volcanoes could be key to predicting impact of climate change
A new study strengthens the case that a prehistoric disaster is a good model for studying the potential effect of rising carbon dioxide levels.
Solar energy system up and running at USC’s Catalina Island facility
The installation and launch of a solar energy system at USC Wrigley Marine Science Center marks a significant step in the university’s efforts to boost sustainability.
Microorganisms battle it out within algal blooms
Looking closer, researchers discover that algal blooms in the ocean encompass microscopic battles, with the front lines shifting on a daily basis.
Are we ready for El Niño?
USC Dornsife scientist explains why current models aren’t enough to predict future changes in climate and weather patterns.
USC Dornsife students make an environmental difference
By learning how to write a funding grant, they propose ways to help the USC Wrigley Marine Science Center and LA Coliseum.
Southern Pacific voyage links hydrothermal plumes to global climate
USC researcher finds surprising levels of iron used by marine microbes in the deep sea.