Stanford and local experts discuss ways to mitigate risk to communities and infrastructure amid dramatic swings between flood and drought.

Stanford and Princeton co-hosted an official side event at COP27 to present the 2022 Global Carbon Budget, outline approaches to impact at scale at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, and discuss the challenges and solutions for decarbonizing agriculture.

Climate change and decades of fire suppression have fueled increasingly destructive wildfires across the western U.S. and Canada. Stanford scholars and wildfire experts outline how a path forward requires responsive management, risk reduction, and Indigenous stewardship.

"This summer, we have seem some catastrophic fires but the total area that has been burned is not as bad as it's been in the last few years and I'm optimistic that we are beginning to see some of the results of the investments made," says Chris Field.

Stanford's Precourt Institute for Energy selected an inaugural set of six new research projects to support for a total of $5.1 million through its Strategic Energy Research Consortium. 

Environmental scientist Chris Field explains why taking on climate change will require that we continue to reduce emissions and adapt to the effects of increasing temperatures. (Source: Stanford Engineering)

Field has won one of the world’s foremost prizes for his contributions to estimation of global biospheric productivity and climate change science.

As climate conditions change, tree species are shifting their ranges. Wildfire is accelerating this process, likely by reducing competition from established species – a finding that raises questions about how to manage land in an era of shifting ecosystems.

Stanford experts discuss strengths and weaknesses of major pledges at the UN climate summit that target methane emissions and deforestation.

International negotiators will meet in Scotland this Sunday for the latest UN Climate Change Conference. Stanford experts in a range of fields discuss their hopes for the talks as well as major themes likely to influence negotiations, keys to success and more.

Field has been appointed co-chair of a new nonpartisan, multidisciplinary, multiyear project focused on identifying barriers to climate action and recommending how the U.S. can accelerate climate mitigation and adaptation.

Droughts and water constraints in California and the West could impact America's supply of nuts, fruits and vegetables. "So far, we have not seen widespread food price increases for American consumers," Chris Field wrote in an email. "But, as extremes become more common, the risk becomes more and more real."

While solar radiation management remains on the periphery of climate discussions, carbon dioxide removal has been accepted as a necessary tool for mitigating climate change, said Stanford University scientist Chris Field.

Noah Diffenbaugh and Chris Field explain how July 4th fireworks could increase the risk of wildfires. 

April 2021 saw a 20-year high in the number of people stopped at the U.S./Mexico border, and President Joe Biden recently raised the cap on annual refugee admissions. Stanford researchers discuss how climate change’s effect on migration will change, how we can prepare for the impacts and what kind of policies could help alleviate the issue.

A collection of research and insights from Stanford experts who are revealing the stakes of emission cuts, enabling better carbon accounting, predicting the consequences of future emission pathways and mapping out viable solutions.

Chris Field co-authored an op-ed about how a comprehensive national climate adaptation plan can save lives and money. 

“Solar geoengineering is not a substitute for decarbonizing,” said Chris Field, adding that technology to reflect sunlight “should be researched as rapidly and effectively as possible.”

The U.S. must seriously consider the idea of tinkering with the atmosphere to cool a warming Earth and research how and whether humanity should hack the planet. “I honestly don’t know whether or not it’s going to make sense,” said Chris Field.

Texas' power woes should be yet another reminder that California needs to invest more in preparing for disaster risk, said Chris Field, director of Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment.

In a Sept. 30 Stanford Global Energy Dialogues panel, Sally Benson and Chris Field discussed the importance of addressing tradeoffs, working across sectors, and incorporating urgent climate action in approaches to carbon removal.

In a Sept. 18 webinar, Chris Field and Marshall Burke were among four Stanford panelists who discussed new evidence on the health impacts of exposure to wildfire and wildfire smoke, and implications for what individuals and policymakers can do to reduce impacts.

Unusual lightning strikes sparked the massive wildfires burning across California. Stanford climate and wildfire experts discuss extreme weather’s role in current and future wildfires, as well as ways to combat the trend toward bigger, more intense conflagrations.

Researchers hypothesize outcomes of the pandemic’s unprecedented socioeconomic disruption, and outline research priorities for advancing our understanding of humans’ impact on the environment.

Stanford scholars, including faculty at Stanford Earth, detail some of the major environmental success stories of the past half century and reflect on important milestones.

The California Report includes a segment on research by Chris Field and Rebecca Miller finding that more controlled burns are needed to prevent future wildfires in our state.

“The important message that people should take away is that there’s good fire and bad fire,” says Chris Field about using prescribed burns to manage the wildfire threat in California.

Despite having proven effective at reducing wildfire risks, prescribed burns have been stymied by perceived and real risks, regulations and resource shortages. A new analysis highlights ways of overcoming those barriers, offering solutions for wildfire-ravaged landscapes.

The Australian wildfires have become “the iconic representation of climate change impacts,” undeniable trends and unpredictable weather that created “a horrific convergence of events,” says Chris Field.

"There is something just intrinsically terrifying about these big wildfires ... The wildfires are kind of the iconic representation of climate change impacts," says Chris Field.

“Cows are pretty disgusting eaters, with methane coming from both ends,” says Chris Field about a claim made by Jack Black about the merits of veganism. “But most of it comes from burping.”

Chris Field is an editor on a special collection of peer-reviewed articles in the journal Frontiers of Marine Sciences that highlights innovative technology that has successfully advanced solutions at the ocean, climate and human interface.

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

Chris Field was joined by climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe in a discussion on science communication and climate change awareness.

“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.

Many experts believe recent disasters represent a new era — one in which major wildfires that threaten people and their homes are a regular fixture in our lives. Chris Field talks about how the scientific community is thinking about wildfires.

Chris Field discusses the growing risk of typhoons and the need for disaster preparedness in a changing climate.

Chris Field speaks about the latest blackout and wildfires to hit California.

Chris Field projects crop losses of up to 40 percent by 2050, depending on the location.

“We know there are thresholds we don’t want to cross,” says Chris Field. “But we don’t know precisely where they are.”

“The main theme from the study is that we should avoid warming on the high end and do everything possible to meet the targets of the Paris Climate Agreement,” says Chris Field.

Chris Field comments on a study, saying the calculations make sense, "but the question of whether it is actually feasible to restore this much forest is much more difficult.”

Researchers led by Stanford's Katharine Mach estimate that over the last century, climate has influenced up to 20 percent of armed conflict risk and that this percentage will increase dramatically.

As global temperatures climb, the risk of armed conflict is expected to increase substantially. Extreme weather and related disasters can damage economies, lower farming production and intensify inequality.

"We need to cut emissions, but they are rising for both carbon dioxide and methane. We need to explore other ways to remove greenhouse gases after they’re in the atmosphere," says Rob Jackson.

New Stanford research proposes a method for atmospheric capture of methane to alleviate warming and buy more time to tackle the bigger CO2 problem.

A relatively simple process for converting one greenhouse gas into another could help turn the tide of climate change while also turning a healthy profit.

Earth system science professor Chris Field is co-chair of a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NAS) committee analyzing geoengineering strategies that reflect sunlight to cool Earth.

Stanford scientists and water experts discuss how California can secure a safe and reliable water supply.

Stanford's Chris Field says people don’t have to give up meat entirely to make a difference, and that pork and chicken have much smaller environmental footprints than beef.

What will life be like after we've solved climate change? Stanford Earth's Noah Diffenbaugh and Chris Field comment. "Every single proposed solution will simultaneously improve life and decrease carbon emissions."

“As a measure of climate change, the dailies (temperature records) will tell you more about what’s happening,” said Chris Field of Stanford. “The impacts of climate change almost always come packaged in extremes.”

In a speech at Stanford, Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado Quesada described a vision for the Central American country to phase out all carbon emissions by the year 2050. 

“When people say we ought to present two sides, they’re saying we ought to present a side that’s totally been disproven along with a side that has been fundamentally supported by the evidence,” says Stanford's Chris Field.

"These floods are tangible, annoying, and they happen all the time in some communities," says Stanford Earth PhD student Miyuki Hino, lead author of a new study analyzing the fiscal impact of nuisance flooding in Annapolis, Maryland.

Protecting carbon sinks, such as forests and wetlands, is key to slowing climate change, but only part of the puzzle, Stanford researchers say. Reducing emissions is still essential for meeting global climate goals.

“The evidence is totally overwhelming that in fact these greenhouse gases, through their effects on climate change, do endanger public health and welfare,” says Stanford Earth professor and Woods Institute director Chris Field.

Stanford's Chris Field describes the review process that formed the basis of last year’s National Climate Assessment, which concluded that continued burning of fossil fuels is harming the planet.

Woods Institute director and Stanford Earth professor Chris Field comments on a White House plan to create a panel to question the findings of recent federal climate science reports.

The Feb. 14 panel looked at the major causes behind the shift in global emissions, implications for reaching the target in the Paris Agreement, and how efforts can be focused to reduce future emissions.

Coastal communities are already hurting from climate change and local businesses are paying a high price, according to a new study by Stanford researchers including Miyuki Hino, Katharine Mach and Chris Field.

Miyuki Hino, a PhD student in E-IPER and co-author of a new study with Katharine Mach and Chris Field, discusses the role of climate change in more frequent high-tide flooding, which can disrupt local economies. 

High-tide flooding resulting from climate change is already disrupting the economy of Annapolis, Maryland. As sea levels rise, the impacts are expected to get worse for coastal communities.

Stanford researchers along with scholars across the country find the evidence for greenhouse gases endangering human health and welfare is even more significant than previously thought.

The recent midterm elections could have far-reaching implications for the direction of federal- and state-level environment and energy policy. Stanford experts discuss ways forward, lessons learned and more.

Stanford Earth's Chris Field explains how a New Age-style experiment in the Arizona desert has become "an important piece in our portfolio for understanding climate change."

“We’ve already seen dangerous interference," explains Stanford Earth's Chris Field. "Now the question is, How do we deal as effectively as we can with that?”

"Until the United States can join with the international community to really push the most organized end of the agenda, it's going to be really hard to not fall short," Stanford Earth's Chris Field says.

Stanford experts discuss the linkages between climate change and health, an area that will be a focus of Stanford-led events at the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco.

“The strongly warming climate means that extremely warm waters will become more and more common, especially in El Niños,” explains Chris Field of Stanford Earth.

The struggle between farmers and insects is one of the most important themes in the history of agriculture says Stanford Earth's Chris Field, commenting on research co-authored by Roz Naylor.

Chris Field, a professor of Earth System Science and director of the Woods Institute for the Environment, writes about the potential for California's tropical forests to slow climate change.

The president announced that the United States will withdraw from the Paris climate agreement. Four Stanford scholars discuss the implications of this decision.

Stanford scientists explain the risks of betting the world’s future on massive-scale deployment of carbon removal technologies.

Chris Field says that adapting to the realities of climate change is "just going to be something that great nations do."