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Reposted by @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social

Climate Diplomacy and Security @climatediplo.bsky.social · 12h

From our morning breakout session on disinformation and AI at #BCSC2026: Thais Lazzeri, Founder and Director, FALA states that “Disinformation is not by accident, but is a business model.", providing evidence of how disinformation intersects with business and sector (e.g. fossil fuel) interests.

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 15h

Discussing the "price of fragility", Tonni Brodber from the UN's WPHF stresses the need to empower local communities

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 15h

At #BCSC2026, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul outlines how climate change connects many crises & security challenges around the world - and why prevention is key

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Reposted by @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social

Erin Sikorsky @erinsikorsky.bsky.social · 17h

@tonyagotha.bsky.social kicks off the first plenary reminding us of the clean energy economic trajectory: $1 trillion invested in fossil fuels last year, $2 trillion in clean energy.

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 17h

#BCSC2026 is kicking off - and there is a live-stream: berlin-climate-security-conference.de/en/bcsc-2026

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

"More than 489m hectares of #forests have been cleared since 1990, while an even greater area is degraded" whereas "national, regional and global initiatives have promised to place more than 1bn hectares of land under restoration, but barely a fifth of that" is being restored, @fao.org warns 👇

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

"Forecasts now suggest a more than 90% chance that this year’s event will surpass every El Niño since observations began in the 1870s" ... which may "bring drought and failed harvests to some areas, and floods to others; fuel wildfires in dried-out forests and peatlands; and drive coral bleaching" 👇

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

"working group III includes five authors from the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC) ... [which] has the same number of authors in working group III as Imperial College London and Vienna’s International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis" (most represented institutions

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

"At least a dozen IPCC lead authors are employed by or linked to Saudi Aramco, Saudi institutions and other oil and gas interests ... The investigation identified 20 cases with strong conflict of interest concerns." (1/2) 👇 www.theguardian.com/environment/...

theguardian.com

How Saudi oil scientists ended up working on the world’s most important climate reports

Guardian investigation reveals fossil fuel links of IPCC authors, with experts declaring the body’s conflict of interest policy ‘not fit for purpose’

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

"“We are currently releasing the most powerfully uncontrollable inscrutable technology that we’ve ever invented", led by “a handful of semi-ego-religious Silicon Valley leaders who believe they’re birthing a god and don’t mind the worst-case scenario" while incentivized to cut corners on safety

ft.com

Home - Financial Times

News, analysis and opinion from the Financial Times on the latest in markets, economics and politics

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

"“AI (mis)alignment is almost a red herring,” said a former Anthropic employee. “[It] isn’t designed to distract, but it diverts attention from the main and highest priority risks. As models evolve, power gets more concentrated in fewer hands.” (1/2) 👇

ft.com

Home - Financial Times

News, analysis and opinion from the Financial Times on the latest in markets, economics and politics

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

"Entscheidend ist nun, ob demokratische Politik wieder zusammenbringt, was zu oft auseinandergefallen ist: einen Staat, der funktioniert, und eine Vorstellung davon, wohin diese Republik will; Reformen, die das Leben konkret verbessern, und Zugehörigkeit, die nicht ausgrenzt" 👇 fürs Wochenende

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Reposted by @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social

Wim Zwijnenburg @wammezz.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

The destruction of #Gaza's sewage systems by Israel now backfiring, causing cross-border impact due the warming water and algae growth that is affecting desalination plants on Israel's coastal areas. Here visible with satellite imagery at #Gaza's coast www.haaretz.com/opinion/edit...

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Da winkt noch eine steile Karriere bei Tichys Einblick ...

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Interesting analysis of how climate change & policy became a culture war issue in the US (and whence in Europe, to some degree), describing how the far right in the US managed to co-opt (many) centre right Republicans by finding a shared enemy: the administrative state 👇

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Reposted by @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social

Prof. Stefan Rahmstorf @rahmstorf.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Mountain glaciers are losing mass increasingly fast world-wide over the past 75 years in response to #globalwarming. This and permafrost thawing can destabilize mountain sides and cause glacial collapse and flash floods. Graph: World Glacier Monitoring Service wgms.ch/global-glaci...

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Danke, interessant! Scham als Motiv angesichts vielfach überhörter Warnungen klingt mir für die Mehrheit plausibel, aber das paart sich m.E. auch mit Schamlosigkeit derer, die es besser wissen (müssten). Insofern scheint mir die Überwindung dieser Scham ein zweischneidiges Schwert ...

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

"Most of the 193 UN members resent the openly Mafiotic turn that the world has taken" but "At best, the next UN boss will resemble the reform-minded mayor or police chief of a gangster-infested metropolis"

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

On the search for a new UN secretary-general: 👇 "Unfortunately for the UN, the world’s most disruptive bullies, America, China and Russia, each enjoy a veto over its actions and top appointments" (1/2) www.economist.com/internationa...

economist.com

Al Capone would recognise today’s world order. That’s not good

In a gangsterish age, the UN needs an ultra-pragmatist as secretary-general

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

should say: "beyond the 95th percentile of the 1961-1990 distribution" - it's too hot already...

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Every European summer since 2005 sits beyond the 95th percentile of the 1950-90 (and the recent ones WAY out there) 👇

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Interesting read on the collaboration between #Iran and #UAE as they "have little choice but to wait until #Trump and his advisors realize that it is in their best interest to simply walk away from this war" 👇 www.bourseandbazaar-substack.org/p/iran-and-t...

bourseandbazaar-substack.org

Iran and the UAE are Working Together to Outlast Trump

While President Trump struggles to end the war in the Persian Gulf, a "truce" between the UAE and Iran is boosting resilience in both countries.

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

I disagree. The conditional is correct, but no one is arguing adaptation instead of mitigation (which indeed would be defeatist). We need to stop burning fossil fuels. But we also need to live with the consequences of the fossil fuels we have burned already, which requires adaptation.

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

I would rather say it is a necessary consequence of our earlier failure to address the cause - but now we have to address the consequences of that failure. However, the "focus" here is relative - it obviously cannot be a substitute for mitigation, but needs to come on top.

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

" #China’s willingness to minimize its own positions on #Afghanistan" & to "consult early and often with the council’s permanent members stands in sharp contrast to recent #U.S.-led negotiations on texts related to #Gaza and #Haiti, during which U.S. diplomats offered little space for discussion"

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Interesting deep dive 👇 in @justsecurity.org which shows that there is still scope for the #UNSC to serve as an instrument for joint conflict resolution (or at least conflict management), rather than just as an arena for geopolitical competition (1/2)

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Well, I very much agree we should stop burning oil (to limit the consequences of climate change which are continuing to increase), but we will also have to cope with the consequences of all the oil that we have already burned. Just one is not enough anymore IMHO.

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

"If this summer marks anything, it should be the moment that adaptation moves from the margins of environmental policy to the centre of economic planning and foreign policy", @chathamhouse.org colleagues argue 👇 - and this goes for other governments as well www.chathamhouse.org/2026/07/euro...

chathamhouse.org

Europe’s summer of fires: Burnham must centre climate adaptation in policies

The UK government should treat adaptation to the effects of climate change as a core organizing principle of both economic policy at home and foreign policy.

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Reposted by @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social

Teresa Ribera @teresaribera.ec.europa.eu · 02/08/2026

Global heating made hot, dry and windy weather at least 20 times more likely in Spain and twice as likely in France, according to the World Weather Attribution consortium. Blame on the heating caused by the burning of oil, gas and coal. Climate change threats. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...

theguardian.com

‘Extremely scary findings’ show climate crisis is supercharging Europe’s wildfire weather

Latest study says global heating has made hot, dry and windy conditions in Spain at least 20 times more likely

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

Europe "is home to less than 10 percent of the world’s population but accounted for more than one-third of the WHO’s estimated heat deaths between 2000 and 2019." "We are still treating heat as a weather event rather than a chronic public health threat.", @who.int's Hans Kluge is quoted 👇

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Reposted by @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social

Met Office - weather and climate @metoffice.gov.uk · 25/05/2026

Today has been the hottest day in May on record with Kew Gardens provisionally reaching 34.8°C - exceeding the previous highest May temperature in the UK by a full 2 degrees Celsius🌡️ This heat would be exceptional in the UK even in mid summer, let alone in May📈

A map of the UK showing a temperature of 34.8 degrees Celsius, recorded in Kew Gardens, London on Monday 25 May 2026

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

While foreign aid has previously helped prevent famine caused by drought (in 2016/17 & 2022/23, after arriving too late in 2011, w/ famine killing nearly 260,000, "U.S. aid cuts have made famine this time round both more likely and easier to hide" #Somalia www.crisisgroup.org/anb/africa/s...

crisisgroup.org

Somalia Barrels toward Possible Famine amid Aid Cuts | International Crisis Group

Crisis Group experts Chris Newton and Omar Mahmood explain the latest famine warnings for Somalia and the scant prospects of relief on the horizon

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

Haven't we been there before? "the number of people receiving emergency food aid in #Syria fell to 650,000 in May from 1.3 million [...] Meanwhile, 7.2 million people in Syria remain acutely food insecure, including 1.6 million facing severe hunger" www.reuters.com/world/un-foo...

reuters.com

UN food agency halves Syria food aid, halts bread subsidy over funding shortages

The World Food Programme said on Wednesday it had halved emergency food assistance in Syria due to funding shortages, warning that millions remained vulnerable despite signs of stabilisation in parts...

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

"The abrupt withdrawal of #USAID led to a significant and sustained increase in conflict across #Africa’s most USAID-dependent regions. ... The mitigating role of inclusive institutions highlights the persistent vulnerability of regions with weak governance" 👇 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

science.org

Aiding peace or conflict? The impact of USAID cuts on violence

Less than a week after its inauguration, the second Trump administration issued a blanket stop-work order for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the largest national human...

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

"Indigenous organizations from across the Amazon and Latin America" warn that "the expansion of organized crime is undermining Indigenous governance systems and threatening communities that have long acted as stewards of some of the world’s most biodiverse ecosystems" 👇 apnews.com/article/amaz...

apnews.com

Indigenous Amazon groups urge the UN to curb organized crime, not militarize territories

Indigenous organizations from across the Amazon and Latin America have sent a letter to the United Nations warning that organized crime — including illegal mining, drug trafficking and logging — is dr...

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

"The agricultural system is absorbing the Middle East crisis across its entire supply chain simultaneously through increased input costs, market volatility, and trade disruption. ... This is no longer a sequence of separate crises. It is the convergence of conflict and climate risk" 👇

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 18/04/2026

"the efforts of Europe’s politicians to protect consumers from higher energy prices show they have learned little from the past [...] price caps exacerbate the problems, because they subsidise demand" 👇 www.economist.com/europe/2026/...

economist.com

European policymakers fiddle with energy prices, again

By subsidising fuel, they are delaying adjustments in demand

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

Very detailed article on US decision-making on #Iran👇Essentially, everyone in the war cabinet (save Hegseth) thought this would not add up, and they (Vance in particular) want the NYT / world to know. www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/u...

nytimes.com

How Trump Took the U.S. to War With Iran

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

"Oil and gas built the Gulf economies, but desalinated seawater sustains the populations that inhabit them." @ashoswai.bsky.social 👇 on the asymmetry of technologically advanced but hydrologically fragile #Gulf societies & the worrying erosion of norms of international humanitarian law wrt/ #water

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Reposted by @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social

Lauri Myllyvirta @laurimyllyvirta.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

The real, lasting effect of the 2021-22 fossil fuel crisis was a major acceleration in solar that pushed coal down *faster* than the pre-crisis trendline in the following years.

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Reposted by @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social

Prof Bill McGuire @profbillmcguire.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

Time required for a 1C increase in global average temperature 1970 - 2008 average rise 0.18C per decade = 55 years 2015 - 2024 average rise 0.27C pd = 37 years New study - last 10+ years - average rise 0.35 pd = 28 years www.theguardian.com/environment/...

theguardian.com

Humanity heating planet faster than ever before, study finds

Researchers identify sharp rise to about 0.35C every decade, after excluding natural fluctuations such as El Niño

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

"While the world’s attention is drawn to Iran after the US and Israel’s attack, on the heels of other armed conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, the primary threat to many countries is the climate crisis, said Regenvanu", noting 1 cyclone wiped out 64% of Vanuatu’s GDP www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...

theguardian.com

Vanuatu moves forward with UN climate resolution despite Trump opposition

Pacific island says the US weakened its proposal to advance a key climate ruling but vows to hold major polluters accountable

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

The Trump administration does not seem to have a clear theory of change, but "bombings from the air do not manufacture organized political alternatives"

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

Worth your time 👇 TL;DR: the view that Khamenei's reign was disastrous for the system is widespread among its remnants & regime change is already a reality, but the question is how, given sense of existential threat; "they don't know how to get out of the corner without fighting their way out" (1/2)

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

This year, "Ukraine and the EU tabled a much shorter text. The U.S. pitched an unsuccessful last-minute proposal to delete two paragraphs affirming Ukraine’s sovereign rights, which only eleven countries – including Russia – backed." 👇

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

While I very much subscribe to the sentiment of this speech, it is somewhat ironic to invoke Potemkin to describe "pseudo-history", given that the "Potemkin villages" seem to have been posthumous fake news according to Simon Sebag Montefiori...

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

Great overview on the state of EU climate policy 👇 Tl;dr: "Despite the shifting political landscape, the EU has demonstrated its ability to act. But: major concessions on review clauses, flexibilities & conditions have increased policy uncertainty - posing new risks to policy instruments"

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benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social @benjaminpohlberlin.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

The researchers estimate that Mao‘s „anti-sparrow campaign by itself accounted for nearly 20% of the fall in crop production during the famine. They reckon that loss, amplified by the effects of the redistribution system, killed about 2m people directly.“ 👇 www.economist.com/science-and-...

economist.com

How the persecution of sparrows killed 2m people

The birds were almost wiped out during China’s Great Leap Forward

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