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Claire Zarakas

@czarakas.bsky.social
563 followers 599 following 7 posts

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.

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Reposted by Claire Zarakas
Andrew Dessler @andrewdessler.com · 30/03/2026
The next CLIVAR climate risk seminar is April 28 at 4 pm ET. We have two fantastic presentations on the schedule. Join the mailing list to get the info to join. mailchi.mp/usclivar.org...
Speaker lineup showing two presenters: Carolyn Kousky from Insurance for Good, presenting 'How Do We Make Insurable Communities?', and Ori Chegwidden from Carbon Plan, presenting 'Open Climate Risk: An Explorer Mapping Wildfire Risk Across the Contiguous United States.'
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Reposted by Claire Zarakas
Benjamin Cook @dustybowl.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
Okay, who knows what happened to relative humidity in 2025?
Met Office graph of Relative Humidity, showing major jump in 2025
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Reposted by Claire Zarakas
Dr. Genevieve Guenther (she/they) @doctorvive.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
In a preprint, researchers from Princeton, Hong Kong U, & WRI find that the form of carbon removal called "bioenergy w carbon capture & storage," or BECCS, is "likely to produce higher emissions for decades than using natural gas without carbon capture." This is a Big Deal because the IPCC... 1/3
Decades of Increased Emissions from Forest-Fueled
BECCS
Timothy Searchinger 1
ORCID Email
Liqing Peng? Email
Daniella Russi
Charles Canham 4
ORCID
へ
1 Princeton University,
2 Hong Kong University,
3 World Resources Institute,
4 Cary Institute for Ecosystem Studies
This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal.
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https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9038129/v1
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License
Abstract Should climate policies encourage bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) using wood from existing forests? Although mitigation pathways in integrated assessment models often rely on BECCS fueled by energy crops, European governments are moving to financially support BECCS sourced instead from existing forests. To estimate its emissions and financial costs, we develop a model that transparently tracks carbon flows from forest to end use and allows policymakers to easily alter assumptions. Modeling multiple wood- sourcing scenarios, we find that BECCS is unlikely to generate negative emissions within 150 years, is likely to produce higher emissions for decades than using natural gas without carbon capture and is likely to increase electricity costs by ~ 3.5-fold. Only limited improvements occur even if half of the wood comes from residues and half from fast-growing plantations. These results reflect that most emissions occur before the power plant and therefore cannot be captured, and that wood has twice the carbon intensity of natural gas and generates electricity less efficiently. These results counsel against emerging BECCS policies, and our easy-to-use model
allows policymakers to evaluate results and different scenarios themselves.
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Claire Zarakas @czarakas.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
Today is the deadline to respond to NSF's Dear Colleague Letter about restructuring NCAR -- there is still time to submit comments by emailing NSF_NCAR@nsf.gov! www.nsf.gov/funding/info...
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Reposted by Claire Zarakas
CarbonPlan @carbonplan.org · 13/03/2026
NCAR is the backbone of Earth system science in the US and a global leader in open climate research. It directly supports our mission. Alongside a wide range of peers in the scientific research community, we submitted a letter to NSF strongly opposing any efforts to dismantle or restructure NCAR.
files.carbonplan.org
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Reposted by Claire Zarakas
Abigail Swann, PhD @ecoclimatelab.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
I'd love to talk to prospective postdocs who are thinking about the role of land in the climate system about applying! If that's you please reach out!
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Reposted by Claire Zarakas
American Meteorological Society @ametsoc.org · 26/02/2026
A team of scientists from @tamu.bsky.social and NCAR (@ncar-ucar.bsky.social) has created an unprecedented set of high-resolution Earth system simulations that is freely available to the scientific community. Learn more about the MESACLIP project: bit.ly/4rBK9bg
The high-resolution simulations in the MESACLIP dataset include such features as snow cover on land and sea surface temperatures in the oceans. Photo credit: NCAR.
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Reposted by Claire Zarakas
CarbonPlan @carbonplan.org · 26/02/2026
Our new report, written in collaboration with the Carbon Removal Standards Initiative, presents a framework for policymakers to connect the dots between future net negativity and the practical decisions that underpin public investments in early-stage technologies. carbonplan.org/blog/cdr-pol...
carbonplan.org
Let’s reframe the CDR policy conversation – CarbonPlan
CDR policies must align with a coherent vision of a net-negative world.
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Reposted by Claire Zarakas
Dr. Jonathan Foley @globalecoguy.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
FELLOWSHIP! We’re proud to announce the launch of the Climate Science Serving America fellowship, open to early- and mid-career scientists & engineers who work on climate solutions. Full salary, benefits, and a research stipend. Remote anywhere in the United States. drawdown.org/news/project...
drawdown.org
Project Drawdown launches Climate Science Serving America Fellowship to support scientists working in the public good
Fellowship seeks early- to mid-career researchers based in America who are committed to science and public expertise
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Reposted by Claire Zarakas
Dan Visioni @danvisioni.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
It has warmed my hearth to see we have reached over 200 signatures here :) Thank you to everyone who has put their name down. As this is picking up steam, together with other initiatives, and with some UCAR representatives, we're trying to make sure this reaches the general public, congress & NSF.
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Reposted by Claire Zarakas
Emily Pontecorvo @emilypont.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
I wrote about the first 100% transparent climate risk tool. You can look up your home's wildfire risk, w/ all underlying data, methods, and code available to dl. The hope is to get this info out of black box models and invite public/scientific scrutiny and collaboration. heatmap.news/adaptation/c...
heatmap.news
This New Wildfire Risk Model Has No Secrets
CarbonPlan has a new tool to measure climate risk that comes with full transparency.
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Reposted by Claire Zarakas
Heatmap News @heatmap.news · 10/02/2026
Climate risk modeling is notoriously fraught, but @carbonplan.org is trying anyway — and showing its work. Here's @emilypont.bsky.social with the story: heatmap.news/adaptation/c...
heatmap.news
This New Wildfire Risk Model Has No Secrets
CarbonPlan has a new tool to measure climate risk that comes with full transparency.
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Claire Zarakas @czarakas.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
Very excited to see this out in the world, modeling what it looks like to develop fully open-source climate risk tools
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Reposted by Claire Zarakas
Shannon Osaka @shannonosaka.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
I don't say this often but: I'm so proud to be a climate and environment reporter. We cover an issue that is vitally important to humanity and the natural world. 14 of my climate colleagues at the Post were laid off today and I'm devastated. www.climatecoloredgoggles.com/p/washington...
climatecoloredgoggles.com
Breaking: Washington Post gutting its climate team
Clean energy dies in darkness. Courtesy of Jeff Bezos.
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CarbonPlan @carbonplan.org · 20/01/2026
Most carbon removal projects don’t pull CO₂ from the atmosphere instantly — there are temporal lags. We contributed to a new preprint showing why accounting for lags matters for both near-term warming and long-term temperature stabilization. 1/2 carbonplan.org/blog/cdr-tem...
carbonplan.org
The need to consistently account for time in CDR – CarbonPlan
We collaborated on a new preprint that establishes clearer language for talking about temporal lags in CDR, and shows how ignoring them can drive near-term warming.
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CDRXIV @cdrxiv.org · 20/01/2026
Consistent temporal accounting supports credible CDR use. cdrxiv.org/preprint/302
cdrxiv.org
Consistent temporal accounting supports credible CDR use – CDRXIV
Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is increasingly used to support national targets and corporate net-zero commitments, yet the timing of atmospheric drawdown remains poorly represented in carbon accounting...
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The Weather & Climate Livestream @wclivestream.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
#SaveNCAR Update: CO Senators aren't backing down on NCAR protections, so now is the time to call your representatives and force the amendment to a vote: wclivestream.com/act/
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Schmidt Science Fellows @schmidtfellows.bsky.social · 18/09/2025
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...
forbes.com
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.
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Shannon Osaka @shannonosaka.bsky.social · 18/09/2025
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...
washingtonpost.com
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.
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Jo Giezi @jgiezendanner.com · 16/09/2025
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
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Reposted by Claire Zarakas
Jim Randerson @jimranderson.bsky.social · 10/09/2025
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.
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Ben Sanderson @benmsanderson.bsky.social · 30/07/2025
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/
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Margaret Evans @mekevans.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
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/...
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
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.
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Reposted by Claire Zarakas
AGU (American Geophysical Union) @agu.org · 20/03/2025
🚨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
buff.ly
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Martijn Slot @martijnslot.bsky.social · 31/03/2025
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...
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CarbonPlan @carbonplan.org · 25/02/2025
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
“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...
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Shane Coffield @shanecoffield.bsky.social · 06/02/2025
"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.'"
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Glen Peters @glenpeters.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
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/
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Philip Boucher-Hayes @philipb-h.bsky.social · 30/01/2025
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.
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CarbonPlan @carbonplan.org · 19/12/2024
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
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.
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Glen Peters @glenpeters.bsky.social · 18/12/2024
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/
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Abigail Swann, PhD @ecoclimatelab.bsky.social · 18/12/2024
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.
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Claire Zarakas @czarakas.bsky.social · 17/12/2024
We have a new preprint out on land-atm interactions in wet regions!
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CDRXIV @cdrxiv.org · 06/12/2024
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.org
CDRXIV
CDRXIV is a new open access platform for sharing preprints and data related to carbon dioxide removal (CDR).
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Reposted by Claire Zarakas
Dr. Yue Li @yueli-la.bsky.social · 14/11/2024
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/...
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Charlie Koven @ckoven.bsky.social · 15/11/2024
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/
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Allison Crimmins @acrimmins.bsky.social · 14/11/2024
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
An image of President Biden behind a podium announcing the release of the 5th National Climate Assessment. Arati Prabhakar,
Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Allison Crimmins, Director of the National Climate Assessment, are standing behind the President and smiling.
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CarbonPlan @carbonplan.org · 14/11/2024
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
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.
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Gavin Schmidt @climateofgavin.bsky.social · 13/11/2024
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...
nytimes.com
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.
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Pierre Friedlingstein @pfriedling.bsky.social · 13/11/2024
The global carbon budget 2024 is out ! Highlights covered in Carbon Brief. @hausfath.bsky.social www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-glo...
carbonbrief.org
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)
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Zeke Hausfather @zekehausfather.com · 13/11/2024
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/...
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Zeke Hausfather @zekehausfather.com · 11/11/2024
We need carbon removal in addition to deep emissions reductions to get to net-zero. But as we show in a new study the durability of removals is key to ensure net-zero actually stabilizes global temperatures and meets our climate goals: www.nature.com/artic...
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Abigail Swann, PhD @ecoclimatelab.bsky.social · 04/11/2024
Land matters for climate! We show how things we don't know about land change surface climate (a lot!) using 36 plausible simulated versions of Earth. Led by Claire Zarakas and just published in Geophys. Res. Lett.: doi.org/10.1029/2024...
doi.org
Land Processes Can Substantially Impact the Mean Climate State
Land processes substantially impact the climatological mean state terrestrial temperature and precipitation Land parameters influence climate predominantly through changing evapotranspiration rat...
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Rosie Fisher @rosieafisher.bsky.social · 10/11/2024
I made a list (or 'starter pack') of Land Surface Modelers, because that's the kind of thing one does on #bluesky. Please tell your friends and also (v. important) TELL ME if you want to be added. We need more people here! go.bsky.app/Mw4tJ3t
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