Claire Zarakas
@czarakas.bsky.social
Climate scientist. Thinking about interactions between land, climate, and society & applying research to advance climate action
Schmidt Science Fellow @carbonplan.org and @UCIrvine. Atmospheric Sciences PhD @UW. Opinions my own.
Schmidt Science Fellow @carbonplan.org and @UCIrvine. Atmospheric Sciences PhD @UW. Opinions my own.
Reposted by Claire Zarakas
Philanthropy is vital in advancing the science needed to address global challenges. Our co-founder @wendyschmidt.bsky.social is an inspiring example. Thank you for your unwavering support for science @schmidtocean.bsky.social @schmidtsciences.bsky.social www.forbes.com/sites/elisab...
Why Billionaire Wendy Schmidt Is ‘Doubling Down’ On Climate Science In The Age Of Trump
How billionaire Wendy Schmidt became a crucial funder of science and climate research amid political rollbacks—backing ocean discovery, data access, and storytelling.
www.forbes.com
September 18, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Philanthropy is vital in advancing the science needed to address global challenges. Our co-founder @wendyschmidt.bsky.social is an inspiring example. Thank you for your unwavering support for science @schmidtocean.bsky.social @schmidtsciences.bsky.social www.forbes.com/sites/elisab...
Reposted by Claire Zarakas
It's not your imagination: Wildfire smoke in the U.S. has dramatically worsened since 2019. According to a new study, it's already killing 41,000 people a year - and it's poised to get much worse.
new from me @johnmuyskens.bsky.social and @sadbumblebee.buzz
www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
new from me @johnmuyskens.bsky.social and @sadbumblebee.buzz
www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
Record wildfire smoke kills more people each year than car crashes. It’s about to get worse.
The past six summers have been the smokiest on record. New research shows that smoke could become the costliest consequence of climate change for Americans.
www.washingtonpost.com
September 18, 2025 at 3:25 PM
It's not your imagination: Wildfire smoke in the U.S. has dramatically worsened since 2019. According to a new study, it's already killing 41,000 people a year - and it's poised to get much worse.
new from me @johnmuyskens.bsky.social and @sadbumblebee.buzz
www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
new from me @johnmuyskens.bsky.social and @sadbumblebee.buzz
www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
Reposted by Claire Zarakas
Our paper "Sensitivity to Data Choice for Index‐Based Flood Insurance" is now published in Earth’s Future!
We show that the data chosen to trigger index‑based flood insurance payouts can change everything.
agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
#ClimateResilience #FloodInsurance
We show that the data chosen to trigger index‑based flood insurance payouts can change everything.
agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
#ClimateResilience #FloodInsurance
September 16, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Our paper "Sensitivity to Data Choice for Index‐Based Flood Insurance" is now published in Earth’s Future!
We show that the data chosen to trigger index‑based flood insurance payouts can change everything.
agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
#ClimateResilience #FloodInsurance
We show that the data chosen to trigger index‑based flood insurance payouts can change everything.
agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
#ClimateResilience #FloodInsurance
Reposted by Claire Zarakas
I'm happy to share a paper in Science Advances that makes the case for a weak land carbon sink, drawing upon JPL and Chloris biomass time series. To close the budget with a net land sink of 0.8 Pg C/y from 2000-2019, we propose increases in the ocean sink and decreases in fossil fuel emissions.
September 10, 2025 at 8:01 PM
I'm happy to share a paper in Science Advances that makes the case for a weak land carbon sink, drawing upon JPL and Chloris biomass time series. To close the budget with a net land sink of 0.8 Pg C/y from 2000-2019, we propose increases in the ocean sink and decreases in fossil fuel emissions.
Reposted by Claire Zarakas
Right then...
A quick review of the DOE's new 'critical review' of climate science. Whether it's worth a formal community response - I'm still not sure, but here's my first thoughts
/thread/
A quick review of the DOE's new 'critical review' of climate science. Whether it's worth a formal community response - I'm still not sure, but here's my first thoughts
/thread/
I can't imagine there will be any problems with this summary of climate science
July 30, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Right then...
A quick review of the DOE's new 'critical review' of climate science. Whether it's worth a formal community response - I'm still not sure, but here's my first thoughts
/thread/
A quick review of the DOE's new 'critical review' of climate science. Whether it's worth a formal community response - I'm still not sure, but here's my first thoughts
/thread/
Reposted by Claire Zarakas
A synthetic paper about fast vs. slow responses of ecological systems to changing climate, explaining how and why those responses can shift (even in sign) over time. Examples across scales and subdiscplines (population genetics, ecosystem ecology). besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Ecological acclimation: A framework to integrate fast and slow responses to climate change
Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
June 25, 2025 at 5:31 PM
A synthetic paper about fast vs. slow responses of ecological systems to changing climate, explaining how and why those responses can shift (even in sign) over time. Examples across scales and subdiscplines (population genetics, ecosystem ecology). besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by Claire Zarakas
🚨Calling U.S.-based climate experts! The newly formed U.S. Academic Alliance for the @ipcc.bsky.social is now accepting nominations for the Seventh Assessment Report.🌍
Join a global network of scientists shaping the future of climate action.
Apply by April 4: buff.ly/hDrBH1F
#IPCC #AGU
Join a global network of scientists shaping the future of climate action.
Apply by April 4: buff.ly/hDrBH1F
#IPCC #AGU
buff.ly
March 20, 2025 at 12:05 PM
🚨Calling U.S.-based climate experts! The newly formed U.S. Academic Alliance for the @ipcc.bsky.social is now accepting nominations for the Seventh Assessment Report.🌍
Join a global network of scientists shaping the future of climate action.
Apply by April 4: buff.ly/hDrBH1F
#IPCC #AGU
Join a global network of scientists shaping the future of climate action.
Apply by April 4: buff.ly/hDrBH1F
#IPCC #AGU
Reposted by Claire Zarakas
My hard copies of the BCI book have arrived! 98 chapters of plant and ecosystem science. "All" I need now is a comfy chair, a pot of tea, and no distractions for a week.
Downloadable here: smithsonian.figshare.com/articles/boo...
Downloadable here: smithsonian.figshare.com/articles/boo...
March 31, 2025 at 6:24 PM
My hard copies of the BCI book have arrived! 98 chapters of plant and ecosystem science. "All" I need now is a comfy chair, a pot of tea, and no distractions for a week.
Downloadable here: smithsonian.figshare.com/articles/boo...
Downloadable here: smithsonian.figshare.com/articles/boo...
Reposted by Claire Zarakas
There’s an ongoing debate over what should “count” as CO₂ removal. In a new commentary with @hausfath.bsky.social, we break down key points of contention, proposed definitions, and why no definition offers a perfect path forward. (1/5)
carbonplan.org/research/def...
carbonplan.org/research/def...
“What is CDR?” is the wrong question – CarbonPlan
We summarize the ongoing debate around what “counts” as CDR, highlighting the trade-offs of each proposed definition. We suggest an alternative set of questions that can provide a more meaningful guid...
carbonplan.org
February 25, 2025 at 7:11 PM
There’s an ongoing debate over what should “count” as CO₂ removal. In a new commentary with @hausfath.bsky.social, we break down key points of contention, proposed definitions, and why no definition offers a perfect path forward. (1/5)
carbonplan.org/research/def...
carbonplan.org/research/def...
Reposted by Claire Zarakas
"Others found the financial enticements to leave insulting. 'I don’t work here for the fucking money,' said one longtime agency employee who works on air pollution. 'I work here because I believe in it, and I want to serve the public.'"
New: A glimpse inside the EPA, where the 20+ workers I spoke with are sad, terrified, resigned and, in not a few cases, really, really mad.
www.propublica.org/article/epa-...
www.propublica.org/article/epa-...
“We Feel Terrorized”: What EPA Employees Say About the Decision to Stay or Go Under Trump
More than 300 career employees at the Environmental Protection Agency have left. Those who remain face a painful decision: resign or work for an administration that plans to radically reshape the EPA ...
www.propublica.org
February 6, 2025 at 2:49 PM
"Others found the financial enticements to leave insulting. 'I don’t work here for the fucking money,' said one longtime agency employee who works on air pollution. 'I work here because I believe in it, and I want to serve the public.'"
Reposted by Claire Zarakas
GHG emissions from the German LULUCF sector have gone from around neutral to a large source!
The change is almost entirely in forest land.
"Due to the years of drought, around two million hectares of trees have been damaged and some have died completely."
www.thuenen.de/en/thuenen-t...
1/
The change is almost entirely in forest land.
"Due to the years of drought, around two million hectares of trees have been damaged and some have died completely."
www.thuenen.de/en/thuenen-t...
1/
February 5, 2025 at 11:53 AM
GHG emissions from the German LULUCF sector have gone from around neutral to a large source!
The change is almost entirely in forest land.
"Due to the years of drought, around two million hectares of trees have been damaged and some have died completely."
www.thuenen.de/en/thuenen-t...
1/
The change is almost entirely in forest land.
"Due to the years of drought, around two million hectares of trees have been damaged and some have died completely."
www.thuenen.de/en/thuenen-t...
1/
Reposted by Claire Zarakas
The extent of Storm #Eowyn’s impact on forests cannot be seen properly from the ground. This drone footage taken today above a stand I visited in Meath shows how wind hardened trees around the edge remain standing while the centre has been flattened.
January 30, 2025 at 6:34 PM
The extent of Storm #Eowyn’s impact on forests cannot be seen properly from the ground. This drone footage taken today above a stand I visited in Meath shows how wind hardened trees around the edge remain standing while the centre has been flattened.
Reposted by Claire Zarakas
We maintain a tool that shows how companies use offsets to comply with California’s cap-and-trade program. The tool is now updated with the latest available data, providing a complete picture of offset use in the first decade of the program — from 2013 through 2023. 🧪
carbonplan.org/blog/complia...
carbonplan.org/blog/complia...
New data added to the Compliance Users tool – CarbonPlan
We updated the Compliance Users tool to include the latest available cap-and-trade program data about who used which offsets during the program’s fourth compliance period.
carbonplan.org
December 19, 2024 at 9:40 PM
We maintain a tool that shows how companies use offsets to comply with California’s cap-and-trade program. The tool is now updated with the latest available data, providing a complete picture of offset use in the first decade of the program — from 2013 through 2023. 🧪
carbonplan.org/blog/complia...
carbonplan.org/blog/complia...
Reposted by Claire Zarakas
One challenge of using National Forest Inventory data for GHG estimates of forest carbon uptake is that only a share of the inventory plots are sampled each year, meaning the last 5 years or so is a guestimate.
In Sweden, it looks like forest uptake has stabilised, but...
1/
In Sweden, it looks like forest uptake has stabilised, but...
1/
December 18, 2024 at 8:19 AM
One challenge of using National Forest Inventory data for GHG estimates of forest carbon uptake is that only a share of the inventory plots are sampled each year, meaning the last 5 years or so is a guestimate.
In Sweden, it looks like forest uptake has stabilised, but...
1/
In Sweden, it looks like forest uptake has stabilised, but...
1/
Reposted by Claire Zarakas
The meeting is hybrid, so join us online from anywhere for free! Tutorial for running emissions-driven CESM is in person only, and it would be great to see you in Boulder. We will also make all of the materials from the tutorial public.
Registration is open for the 2025 CESM land and biogeochemistry winter working groups (Feb 24-26 in Boulder) AND there will be an emissions-driven coupled modelling tutorial :) www.cesm.ucar.edu/events/worki...
CESM Working Group Meetings 2025 | Community Earth System Model
www.cesm.ucar.edu
December 18, 2024 at 4:53 PM
The meeting is hybrid, so join us online from anywhere for free! Tutorial for running emissions-driven CESM is in person only, and it would be great to see you in Boulder. We will also make all of the materials from the tutorial public.
We have a new preprint out on land-atm interactions in wet regions!
New preprint-> @czarakas.bsky.social shows that land-atm feedbacks occur in wet places! The "classic" view is soil moisture and precip can be correlated in dry-ish regions. We find a bigger role of the atm in wet places, where ET is dampened by lower evap demand. essopenarchive.org/doi/full/10....
Land-Atmosphere Feedbacks Dampen Surface Evapotranspiration Fluxes in Wet Regions
Terrestrial processes control land-to-atmosphere fluxes of water, energy, and carbon and are also influenced by climate. Feedbacks in the land-atmosphere coupled system can therefore potentially modul...
essopenarchive.org
December 17, 2024 at 4:50 PM
We have a new preprint out on land-atm interactions in wet regions!
Reposted by Claire Zarakas
Carbon Dioxide Removal research needs a central, multidisciplinary hub. We’re building it at cdrxiv.org. Read and download others' work, explore CDR pathways and topics, and help the platform grow by submitting your CDR research!
CDRXIV
CDRXIV is a new open access platform for sharing preprints and data related to carbon dioxide removal (CDR).
cdrxiv.org
December 6, 2024 at 11:02 PM
Carbon Dioxide Removal research needs a central, multidisciplinary hub. We’re building it at cdrxiv.org. Read and download others' work, explore CDR pathways and topics, and help the platform grow by submitting your CDR research!
Reposted by Claire Zarakas
Plant physiological responses to CO2 #fertilization can make natural climate solutions (e.g., reforestation, avoiding #deforestation) less efficient through climate feedback from stomatal closure. @newphyt.bsky.social
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
November 14, 2024 at 6:22 PM
Plant physiological responses to CO2 #fertilization can make natural climate solutions (e.g., reforestation, avoiding #deforestation) less efficient through climate feedback from stomatal closure. @newphyt.bsky.social
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by Claire Zarakas
Really excited for this flat10MIP preprint to come out! In addition to @benmsanderson.bsky.social's points below, I want to add what I think is coolest about these experiments. /Thread/
We have a new preprint out today about flat10: an emissions-driven experimental design to measure TCRE, ZEC and climate reversibility - a set of experiments which will form part of the fast track for #CMIP7. /THREAD/ egusphere.copernicus.org/preprints/20...
flat10MIP: An emissions-driven experiment to diagnose the climate response to positive, zero, and negative CO2 emissions
Abstract. The proportionality between global mean temperature and cumulative emissions of CO2 predicted in Earth System Models (ESMs) is the foundation of carbon budgeting frameworks. Deviations from ...
egusphere.copernicus.org
November 15, 2024 at 5:18 PM
Really excited for this flat10MIP preprint to come out! In addition to @benmsanderson.bsky.social's points below, I want to add what I think is coolest about these experiments. /Thread/
Reposted by Claire Zarakas
One year ago, the 5th National Climate Assessment was released!
Below is a thread highlighting resources in and around the assessment that you might find useful.
nca2023.globalchange.gov
Below is a thread highlighting resources in and around the assessment that you might find useful.
nca2023.globalchange.gov
November 14, 2024 at 6:08 PM
One year ago, the 5th National Climate Assessment was released!
Below is a thread highlighting resources in and around the assessment that you might find useful.
nca2023.globalchange.gov
Below is a thread highlighting resources in and around the assessment that you might find useful.
nca2023.globalchange.gov
Reposted by Claire Zarakas
Projects that aim to remove carbon by tweaking existing industrial processes can end up avoiding some emissions as well. That’s a good thing for the climate — but it can pose challenges when trying to support these projects through the sale of carbon removal credits.
carbonplan.org/research/cdr... 🧪
carbonplan.org/research/cdr... 🧪
Crediting challenges when carbon removal comes with avoided emissions – CarbonPlan
Some carbon removal projects also result in avoided emissions. This is good for the climate, but can pose challenges for individual projects that are trying to earn carbon removal credits.
carbonplan.org
November 14, 2024 at 2:40 PM
Projects that aim to remove carbon by tweaking existing industrial processes can end up avoiding some emissions as well. That’s a good thing for the climate — but it can pose challenges when trying to support these projects through the sale of carbon removal credits.
carbonplan.org/research/cdr... 🧪
carbonplan.org/research/cdr... 🧪
Reposted by Claire Zarakas
We have an opinion piece at the NYT on the need to operationalize some aspects of climate science. 🧪
Thoughts welcome!
(Gift link)
www.nytimes.com/2024/11/13/o...
Thoughts welcome!
(Gift link)
www.nytimes.com/2024/11/13/o...
Opinion | Climate Science Can’t Keep Up With the Warming Planet
We need more timely updates in response to the rapid changes to the climate.
www.nytimes.com
November 13, 2024 at 11:20 AM
We have an opinion piece at the NYT on the need to operationalize some aspects of climate science. 🧪
Thoughts welcome!
(Gift link)
www.nytimes.com/2024/11/13/o...
Thoughts welcome!
(Gift link)
www.nytimes.com/2024/11/13/o...
Reposted by Claire Zarakas
The global carbon budget 2024 is out !
Highlights covered in Carbon Brief.
@hausfath.bsky.social
www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-glo...
Highlights covered in Carbon Brief.
@hausfath.bsky.social
www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-glo...
Analysis: Global CO2 emissions will reach new high in 2024 despite slower growth - Carbon Brief
Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuels and cement will rise around 0.8% in 2024, reaching a record 37.4bn tonnes of CO2 (GtCO2)
www.carbonbrief.org
November 13, 2024 at 12:04 AM
The global carbon budget 2024 is out !
Highlights covered in Carbon Brief.
@hausfath.bsky.social
www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-glo...
Highlights covered in Carbon Brief.
@hausfath.bsky.social
www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-glo...
Reposted by Claire Zarakas
The 2024 Global Carbon Budget was just released! Unfortunately despite hopes emissions might peak, both fossil CO2 and total CO2 emissions reached new record highs. I cover details w/ Pierre Friedlingstein (@PFriedling) at Carbon Brief: www.carbonbrief.org/...
November 13, 2024 at 12:40 AM
The 2024 Global Carbon Budget was just released! Unfortunately despite hopes emissions might peak, both fossil CO2 and total CO2 emissions reached new record highs. I cover details w/ Pierre Friedlingstein (@PFriedling) at Carbon Brief: www.carbonbrief.org/...