climate

Policymakers and energy planners are increasingly considering nuclear power to enhance grid reliability, reduce greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation, and meet rising electricity demand driven by data centers.

As of 2025, the World Meteorological Organization estimates the global average surface temperature has increased by about 1.3 degrees Celsius since the late 1800s.

As of 2025, estimates indicate that implementing current national climate pledges would likely result in global warming peaking near 2.5 degrees Celsius this century.

As of 2025, countries' existing policies are projected to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 12% by 2035.

The United Nations convenes an annual climate summit called the Conference of the Parties (COP).

United Nations COP climate summits commonly last about two weeks.

The green economic transition includes expansion of electric vehicles and increased deployment of solar power.

The 2025 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Emissions Gap report found that the latest nationally determined climate plans reduced projected future global warming by about 0.3 degrees Celsius compared with projections one year earlier.

Emissions from burning coal are a leading driver of climate change and contribute to sea level rise and more extreme weather.

The Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta is a geographic region located in southwestern Alaska.

A study analyzing the 2023 Florida reef heat wave (co-authored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the University of South Florida, and nonprofit organizations) estimated that between 97.8% and 100% of staghorn and elkhorn corals in the affected area died, leading researchers to characterize those species as functionally extinct in the Caribbean region.

Ukraine's winter season typically runs from late October through March, with the coldest months being January and February.

Winter weather in Alaska shortens the logistical window for transporting rebuilding supplies to remote coastal communities, often requiring sea or air transport.

Delivering construction materials to heavily damaged or remote communities in Alaska frequently requires air or sea transport, which creates logistical constraints and shortens the effective repair season before winter.

The polar vortex is an area of cold air around the Arctic.

The Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) is an eastward-moving pulse of clouds, rainfall, winds, and pressure.

Multiple scientific studies suggest polar vortex excursions may be becoming more likely as global temperatures rise, but the relationship remains an area of active research.

Disruption of the stratospheric polar vortex is a natural process that occurs almost every winter or every few winters.