"Globally, most of the new natural gas being used isn't displacing coal, it's providing new energy. That's the key interaction, and that's true for renewables even," said Rob Jackson. "We need renewables that displace fossil fuels, not supplement them."

“Emissions grew more slowly than last year but we still set a global record. It’s hard to be upbeat about that,” said Rob Jackson. “The U.S. National Academy of Sciences sounded the alarm on carbon and climate 40 years ago. Since then, global carbon dioxide emissions have doubled, and the world is hurtling towards catastrophic climate change.”

“Obviously it’s a bad thing,” that this is the third year in a row that carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels have increased. “It’s just one more year where we churn along emitting record levels of carbon-dioxide pollution. The years and decades are slipping by,” Rob Jackson said.

“We’re blowing through our carbon budget the way an addict blows through cash,” Rob Jackson said. “It’s troubling, because carbon dioxide pollution is higher than it’s ever been.”

“We have a clear understanding, based on the fundamental physics of Planet Earth, that stabilizing the global climate system at any global mean temperature – including the UN Paris target – will require reaching net zero global emissions,” said Noah Diffenbaugh.

The air above Earth – especially above California – might have way more methane in it than anyone thought. And that could be good news. "Most of the emissions come from a small fraction of sources,” says Stanford Earth's Adam Brandt. 

“This idea that you can just be off the grid, we are hearing that more and more,” Sally Benson says about backup power sources. Under some circumstances, the systems may do more environmental harm than good.

“The next 10 years are crucial for getting ahead of the fire issue,” said Chris Field. “We really need to address almost every aspect.”

Stanford Earth's Paul Segall comments on a new, cheaper way to track crustal movements on the ocean floor. The method would replace expensive ships with ocean-going drones.

As governments in California increasingly consider limiting new residential natural gas connections, it is important to question whether banning natural gas is an “antidote to climate change,” writes Anthony Kovscek.

“Every house, every high-rise that’s built with gas, may be in place for decades. We’re establishing infrastructure that may be in place for 50 years,” says Rob Jackson.  

“Without the U.S. engaged, we don’t have the technical, the moral or the financial impetus that the world needs,” Chris Field said about the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement.

“I agree with the president that fuel reduction and fire breaks are important,” said Chris Field. “But they are just the beginning. We also need to upgrade homes and businesses to make them more fire resistant, improve defensible spaces around buildings, and limit ignitions, including from downed power lines.”

“Understanding of these things has reached a stage where you can think of prescribed burns as comparable in safety to running a lawnmower through the area,” said Chris Field.

As detailed in a new study published in Geology, Stephen Dobbs and his collaborators used open-source multibeam sonar data, along with topographic data, to compare land and underwater canyons. 

“One of the ways to sort of insulate yourself better from public safety power shut-offs is to have some local storage so that you can segregate your electrical grid a little bit so that it’s more of a microgrid,” says Tony Kovscek.