January 2025

President Trump reshapes US research landscape

Pubblicato il 22/01/2025

Con una serie di ordini esecutivi, Donald Trump smantella le politiche climatiche di Biden e ritira gli Stati Uniti dall'accordo di Parigi. Le agenzie federali scientifiche (EPA, NIH, CDC, FDA, NASA) vengono ristrutturate con nuove nomine orientate alla deregolamentazione. Vengono congelate le assunzioni federali, mentre la revisione delle collaborazioni internazionali potrebbe ridefinire il ruolo USA nella ricerca globale. Immagine: Donald Trump.

20 January 2025 marks a turning point in US science policy, with a series of executive orders drastically redefining the role of federal science and research agencies. A detailed analysis of the documents reveals an approach that fundamentally changes the basis of US climate, energy and biomedical research policy.

This comprehensive list shows the scope and breadth of the first day's interventions, which touch virtually every aspect of the federal government, from foreign policy to national security, from energy to immigration, from administrative reform to social policy.

The Log and the Speck: The True Causes of Wildfires and Floods

di Roberto Buizza

di Paolo Vineis

Pubblicato il 13/01/2025

The Parable of the Speck and the Log. Ottmar Ellinger the Younger

The wildfires in Los Angeles and other extreme events, as well as their media coverage, highlight how immediate causes often overshadow the real issue: climate change, which increases the intensity and frequency of catastrophic phenomena. Tackling this crisis requires urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions using already available technologies and investments to strengthen territorial resilience. Only a combination of mitigation and adaptation can prevent irreversible damage, ensuring a sustainable future for the next generations.

In the image: The Parable of the Speck and the Log. Ottmar Ellinger the Younger

Environment

Even in the face of the vast Los Angeles wildfires—still ongoing—as in other recent circumstances, the media's attention is primarily focused on the most immediate and “proximal” causes: the malfunctioning of the power grid, insufficient water reserves, the unpreparedness of newly hired firefighters, and so on.

No, the wildfires in California are not "ideological"

di Jacopo Mengarelli

Pubblicato il 12/01/2025

Rampini from the Corriere includes a series of errors and inaccuracies to support the unbearable rhetoric of “ideology” in the ecological transition and even in climate physics. Contrary to what he claims, the probability and intensity of wildfires are increasing due to the very "human" climate changes. Of course, solutions also involve proper management of vegetation and infrastructure, but this should not overshadow the goal of achieving net-zero emissions. Especially after 2024, which for the first time surpassed an average temperature of 1.5°C.

This topic is also addressed in the guide Extreme Weather Events and Climate Change: A Guide for Journalists, which the Climate Media Center Italia has translated into Italian from the original by World Weather Attribution.

Image: California wildfires photographed by the European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-3 imagery

Environment

Climatology

Federico Rampini continues his battle against the “ideologies” of ecological transition.