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Articles by Astrid Caldas
COP30 Is Not Just about Climate
Next month, COP30—or the UN Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)—returns to my home country of Brazil, in Belém. The UNFCCC is the treaty adopted by most of the world’s countries in 1992 to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations and prevent dangerous human-induced interference with the climate system.
City of Crisfield to Trump Administration: Return Promised BRIC Funds to Fight Sea Level Rise
Despite being the highest-scoring project nationwide awarded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) FY2023 program, the City of Crisfield, Maryland’s $36 million flood mitigation project has been put on hold indefinitely because the Trump administration has terminated BRIC and cancelled the grant.
Missing Pieces: Why Filling Gaps in Voting Data is Key to Building Trust in Elections
When scientists study anything at all, the first step is nearly always the same: sourcing reliable, standardized data. Without it, analysis is impossible—like knitting a sweater with no yarn. Election science is no exception. In theory, if I request this data from election commissioners, I should be able to request and receive it, easily analyze it, and understand how it was gathered. It is, after all, public and available upon request. The reality, however, is far different.
What We’re Watching: A Hurricane’s Explosive Growth and Western Wildfires Amid Fresh Climate Naysaying
Marc Alessi, Carlos Martinez, Carly Phillips and Shana Udvardy contributed to this post. We’ve just entered the most active part of the Atlantic hurricane season, which has historically been from August to October. We have been fortunate to have seen only 4 storms and one hurricane so far. But already, there has been loss of life and millions of dollars in damage. In order to be properly prepared, we need accurate hurricane forecasts.
9 Ways to Counter Disinformation Now that the Trump Administration Has Made It US Climate Policy
On Tuesday, July 29, the EPA released the draft of a proposed rule to roll back the Endangerment Finding, “the agency’s 2009 foundational scientific finding that global warming pollution endangers public health and the environment.” In conjunction, the Department of Energy released a “climate report” that in 150 pages knits together a tangle of self-contradictory, disinforming, and science-denying claims into one ugly, itchy sweater.
Trump Admin Uses Fossil Fuel Industry Deception Tactics to Undermine Climate Science
On July 29, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed rescinding the 2009 Endangerment Finding, a cornerstone of US climate policy that has strengthened federal climate action over the past 15 years. This foundational scientific determination establishes that heat-trapping emissions driving climate change pose harms to human health and well-being.
Trump Administration Slashes NOAA, FEMA, Making 2025 Hurricane Season More Dangerous
This post was co-authored by Dr. Marc Alessi. Here we are once again, on the cusp of the Atlantic hurricane season, which starts on June 1. That’s when we start regularly (maybe obsessively?) checking the National Hurricane Center (NHC) website for daily updates on the likelihood of tropical storm formation.
Astrid Caldas
The Moon is seen as is rises, Sunday, Dec. 3, 2017 in Washington. Photo by NASA. CC-BY-2.0 (Flickr)
Trump/Musk Onslaught Reminds Me of Brazil’s Dictatorship
With the Brazilian movie “I’m Still Here” showing around the country and having been nominated for Golden Globe and Oscar awards, memories of my youth in Brazil during the military dictatorship keep flooding back. Brazil’s dictatorship started with a military coup in 1964 and lasted well into my formative years, ending in 1985. The United States supported the coup in Brazil as it supported coups elsewhere in Latin America, from Guatemala to Chile, as tools in the fight against communism.
President Trump and Musk’s Onslaught Reminds Me of Brazil’s Dictatorship
With the Brazilian movie “I’m Still Here” showing around the country and having been nominated for Golden Globe and Oscar awards, memories of my youth in Brazil during the military dictatorship keep flooding back. Brazil’s dictatorship started with a military coup in 1964 and lasted well into my formative years, ending in 1985. The United States supported the coup in Brazil as it supported coups elsewhere in Latin America, from Guatemala to Chile, as tools in the fight against communism.
Get Ready: 85% Chance of Above-Normal Atlantic Hurricane Season that May Break Records
Source: https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/noaa-predicts-above-normal-2024-atlantic-hurricane-season The May 23 outlook from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasts 17 to 25 named storms, eight to 13 of which could become hurricanes. Four to seven major hurricanes are forecast. This is a concerning outlook, and it can be explained as follows.
Get Ready: 85% Chance of Above-Normal Atlantic Hurricane Season that May Break Records
Source: https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/noaa-predicts-above-normal-2024-atlantic-hurricane-season The May 23 outlook from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasts 17 to 25 named storms, eight to 13 of which could become hurricanes. Four to seven major hurricanes are forecast. This is a concerning outlook, and it can be explained as follows.
2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season-a Wrap (Maybe)
“In the eye of a hurricane There is quiet For just a moment A yellow sky When I was seventeen a hurricane Destroyed my town I didn’t drown I couldn’t seem to die” The above lyrics written by Lin-Manuel Miranda from the musical Hamilton, bring out feelings—and facts—about hurricanes. Yes, Alexander Hamilton did, in fact, survive a hurricane that destroyed his native St. Croix, according to a letter written to his father.
2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season—a Wrap (Maybe) - Union of Concerned Scientists | Everand
“In the eye of a hurricane There is quiet For just a moment A yellow sky When I was seventeen a hurricane Destroyed my town I didn’t drown I couldn’t seem to die” The above lyrics written by Lin-Manuel Miranda from the musical Hamilton, bring out feelings—and facts—about hurricanes. Yes, Alexander Hamilton did, in fact, survive a hurricane that destroyed his native St. Croix, according to a letter written to his father.
Danger Season & Deadly Heat Mean National Parks Are No Longer a Summer Respite
If you are like me (and I know many people are), you plan your vacations around national parks. There’s so much to see: beautiful nature, great history, historical lodges, and nice infrastructure. The perfect getaway for me always includes a national park. The lure of getting away from civilization to be immersed in gorgeous scenery is strong, with the National Park Service recording 312 million recreational visits last year. However, visiting during the summer now comes with added dangers.
Danger Season and Deadly Heat Mean National Parks Are No Longer a Summer Respite
This report was co-authored by Juan Declet-Barreto If you are like me (and I know many people are), you plan your vacations around national parks. There’s so much to see: beautiful nature, great history, historical lodges, and nice infrastructure. The perfect getaway for me always includes a national park. The lure of getting away from civilization to be immersed in gorgeous scenery is strong, with the National Park Service recording 312 million recreational visits last year.
Danger Season and Deadly Heat Mean National Parks Are No Longer a Summer Respite
This report was co-authored by Juan Declet-Barreto If you are like me (and I know many people are), you plan your vacations around national parks. There’s so much to see: beautiful nature, great history, historical lodges, and nice infrastructure. The perfect getaway for me always includes a national park. The lure of getting away from civilization to be immersed in gorgeous scenery is strong, with the National Park Service recording 312 million recreational visits last year.
Atlantic Hurricane Season 2023: the Good, the Bad, the Ugly-and More
Another Atlantic hurricane season is upon us starting on June 1st. What will this season bring? Hard to foretell, but some data can help us with the basics.
Atlantic Hurricane Season 2023: the Good, the Bad, the Ugly—and More - Union of Concerned Scientists | Scribd
Another Atlantic hurricane season is upon us starting on June 1st. What will this season bring? Hard to foretell, but some data can help us with the basics.
Floods, flash floods, rainfall, natural disasters
FLOODSMultiform Floods: A Growing Climate Threat Published 18 August 2022 We are in the thick of danger season (aka summer), that time of year when droughts, heat waves, wildfires, floods and hurricanes are more likely to happen. Not only that; climate change has made these disasters more severe and more likely to occur. We are in the thick of danger season (aka summer), that time of year when droughts, heat waves, wildfires, floods and hurricanes are more likely to happen.
Multiform Floods: A Growing Climate Threat
Multiform Floods: A Growing Climate Threat We are in the thick of danger season (aka summer), that time of year when droughts, heat waves, wildfires, floods and hurricanes are more likely to happen. Not only that; climate change has made these disasters more severe and more likely to occur.
What Are Multiform Floods? One More Thing to Worry about with Climate Change.
We are in the thick of “danger season” (aka summer), that time of year when climate-related disasters such as droughts, heat waves, wildfires, floods and hurricanes are more likely to happen. Not only that, but climate change has made many of these disasters more severe and more likely to occur. Just in 2022 we have seen flooding in the U.S. and across the world that can be characterized as multiform.
Prepare for Another Dangerous Hurricane Season Predicted for 2022
Here we are again, on the cusp of another hurricane season. June 1 is the official start, but for the past 7 years the first named storm (and sometimes the second) formed before that date. This year broke the streak, and that is a good thing. Still, both the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecast, released on May 24, and the Colorado State University (CSU) forecast, released on April 7, predict a season with above-normal activity— for the seventh consecutive year.
US Got “Lucky” with 2021 Hurricane Season-3rd Most Active in Recorded History
Update: Corrects second paragraph under “The numbers.” Eight storms made landfall in the US in 2021. An earlier version of this blog post stated that 13 storms made landfall. The end of the official Atlantic hurricane season is upon us. While we may still see tropical storms forming, historic data tells us the worst of it should be over. How did the 2021 season fare?
How Can Scientific Organizations Support Science Advocacy? 5 Ways to Get Started
Rose Hendricks, Program Director, Society Civic Science Initiative, UCS Science Network, UCS | May 11, 2021, 12:48 pm EDT Scientists have many reasons to organize, mobilize, and advocate — whether it’s to stand up for democracy and voting rights, to push for evidence-informed solutions to threats like climate change or the COVID-19 pandemic, or to demand structural changes that make the scientific enterprise itself more inclusive and anti-racist.
Scientific Integrity Task Force Will Tackle Politicization in Federal Science
Jacob Carter, Research scientist | May 11, 2021, 2:12 pm EDT Yesterday, the Biden-Harris administration announced the formation of a task force whose goal is to review and strengthen scientific integrity across the federal government. The task force was mandated by a presidential memorandum signed by President Biden on January 27 of this year.
Ohio Needs to Strengthen, Not Restrict Voting Rights Protections
Michael Latner, Kendall Science Fellow | May 11, 2021, 1:42 pm EDT The strength of voting and elections law varies greatly between states. There are three key areas where these laws differ, 1) voter eligibility and ease of registration, 2) ballot access and time to vote, and 3) ballot processing, rejection rates, and quality control.
Insular Areas Climate Change Act: Cambios para fortalecer la respuesta a los desastres climáticos y proteger poblaciones vulnerables
Juan Declet-Barreto, Climate Vulnerability Social Scientist | May 10, 2021, 12:04 pm EDT La Dra. Adi Martínez-Román del Centro Legal de Desarrollo de Resiliencia de la Universidad de Puerto Rico es co-autora de este escrito. Las islas y su gente son más vulnerables a los impactos climáticos que las jurisdicciones continentales y se encuentran más desprotegidas de los estragos climáticos que cada vez son más feroces.
Insular Areas Climate Change Act: Strengthen Territories’ Response to Climate Disasters and Protect the Most Vulnerable
Juan Declet-Barreto, Climate Vulnerability Social Scientist | May 10, 2021, 6:00 am EDT This blog post was co-authored by Dr. Adi Martínez-Román with the University of Puerto Rico Resiliency Law Center. Islands and their people are more vulnerable to climate impacts than continental jurisdictions. They are more unprotected from climate ravages that are becoming more ferocious. Their vulnerability is related to climate change, but more directly to the effect of human decisions.
New NOAA Data Shows Just How Abnormal Our Climate Has Become
Kristy Dahl, senior climate scientist | May 7, 2021, 11:37 am EDT Two seemingly disconnected announcements over the last few weeks are giving us a glimpse of what “normal” looks like right now in terms of our climate. In reflecting how profoundly we’re altering our climate system, NOAA’s new 30-year “climate normals” clearly show how “normal” ain’t what it used to be. And the latest report from the International Energy Agency reminds us that “normal” isn’t always a state we should be longing for.
How FERC Transmission Reform Can End the Delay of a Cleaner Future
Mike Jacobs, Senior energy analyst | May 7, 2021, 2:58 pm EDT Transmission is to electricity what roads and highways are to cars and trucks. Some local roads (or driveways) are built by private interests to access new real estate development, while most every major highway, bridge or mountain tunnel is built by a regional public agency.
California Takes the Next Step Towards Ensuring Cleaner Cars and Trucks
David Reichmuth, Senior vehicles engineer | May 7, 2021, 10:16 am EDT On Thursday, California’s air quality regulator, the California Air Resources Board (CARB), released the first draft of their plan to ensure all new passenger cars and trucks are electric drive by 2035. The proposed Advanced Clean Cars 2 program would update existing Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) regulations and gradually require all car companies to increase the fraction of electric-drive vehicles they sell in the state.
Scientists Must Get Involved in Democracy Reform!
Andrew Rosenberg, director, Center for Science & Democracy | May 6, 2021, 4:30 pm EDT At its core, much of science is about understanding what is happening in the world. That is certainly true of the science of democracy, studying how the structures of democracy work. And American democracy is frail—and eroding under the weight of baseless attacks on the rights and ability of citizens to exercise their right to vote and to be fully represented in our democracy.
Transitioning from Coal to Clean Will Save You Money. Could Make You Money!
Joseph Daniel, Senior Energy Analyst | May 6, 2021, 11:32 am EDT About five years ago, when UCS looked at the economics of coal plants, we found that . Almost every year since our report has come out, a new study has come out and come to a similar conclusion with one notable difference: The amount of coal that is uneconomic seems to always be increasing.
Putting the Politics of COVID-19 “Under the Microscope” via Podcast
Elizabeth Thompson, graduate student, Rockefeller University, UCS Science Network, UCS | May 5, 2021, 3:56 pm EDT This post is a part of a series on #ScienceforPublicGood As a bright-eyed matriculating graduate student entering my PhD at Rockefeller University, I thought I would face two choices upon earning that hard-won degree: academia or industry.
Don’t Let Them Fool You: Disinformation Is Not an Accident
Courtesy of Union Of Concerned Scientists. By Astrid Caldas, Senior Climate Scientist I recently appeared in a video made by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Don’t Let Them Fool You: Disinformation Is Not an Accident.
Astrid Caldas, climate scientist | May 4, 2021, 2:38 pm EDT I recently appeared in a video made by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Global COVID-19 Vaccine Inequity: A Shameful Crisis within a Crisis
Rachel Cleetus, Policy Director and Lead Economist, Climate & Energy | May 4, 2021, 2:31 pm EDT This post is a part of a series on COVID-19 and the Coronavirus Pandemic Like many of you in the US, I’m looking forward to being fully vaccinated soon. Yesterday I read welcome news that the FDA will soon be approving the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine for children as young as 12-15 years old, meaning my kids could soon be vaccinated too. Summer is looking up for many of us.
Don’t Let Them Fool You: Disinformation Is Not an Accident.
I recently appeared in a video made by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The video, where I talk about climate science communication, is part of a series on “Countering Science Misinformation.” While recording it, I realized that, while misinformation is the most common type of falsehood in science around us, disinformation is also a common presence, and unlike misinformation, it can have much more serious and deliberate consequences.
Who Wants to Learn More about Climate Change? All Kinds of People!
Astrid Caldas, climate scientist | April 22, 2021, 11:54 am EDT I am a very social person. I like going out, meeting people, sharing meals with colleagues and friends, and most of all, getting to know people by talking about stuff we have in common and are passionate about. I happen to be passionate about climate change. Well, I don’t love climate change itself (who would?)–rather, I love learning what is happening, what other scientists are saying, and what we can do about it.
Who Wants to Learn More about Climate Change? All Kinds of People!
I am a very social person. I like going out, meeting people, sharing meals with colleagues and friends, and most of all, getting to know people by talking about stuff we have in common and are passionate about. I happen to be passionate about climate change. Well, I don’t love climate change itself (who would?)–rather, I love learning what is happening, what other scientists are saying, and what we can do about it. So yeah, I tend to talk about it a lot.
US Should Pledge to Cut Heat-trapping Emissions At Least 50 Percent Below 2005 Levels by 2030
Rachel Cleetus, Policy Director and Lead Economist, Climate & Energy | March 10, 2021, 10:06 am EST This post is a part of a series on Priorities for the Biden Administration President Biden has brought the US back into the Paris Agreement and has announced a Leaders’ Climate Summit, now set for April 22—Earth Day. The administration has said it will develop and submit its nationally determined contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement ahead of the summit.
The FHFA Begins to Reckon with Climate Risks to the Housing Market
Rachel Cleetus, Policy Director and Lead Economist, Climate & Energy | March 5, 2021, 1:48 pm EST Yesterday I had the opportunity to offer comments at the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s public listening session on its recently issued Request for Information (RFI) on climate and natural disaster risk to the housing finance system.
We Must Urgently Build an Inclusive Science Advocacy Movement
On March 4, 1969, the Union of Concerned Scientists held its first public event at MIT. On that day, UCS founders staged a teach-in with the goal of disrupting teaching and research to give way to a different kind of teaching—reflecting on the misuse of scientific knowledge and protesting the atrocities that the US government perpetrated against the Vietnamese people during the Vietnam War.
The Social Cost of Carbon Gets an Interim Update from the Biden Administration
Rachel Cleetus, Policy Director and Lead Economist, Climate & Energy | March 2, 2021, 9:28 am EST This post is a part of a series on Priorities for the Biden Administration Last Friday, the Biden administration announced an interim update to the social cost of heat-trapping emissions, key metrics for measuring the economic costs of climate impacts from a unit increase in these emissions.
For Years, the Federal Workforce Languished. Congress May Now Revive It
During a House subcommittee hearing on Tuesday, congressional leaders and a panel of experts examined the state of the federal workforce—and talked through plans to bolster and protect civil servants in the coming years. The last administration tried to undermine the federal workforce To kick off the discussion, Chairman Gerald E. Connolly (D-VA) highlighted the previous administration’s efforts to undermine civil servants.
To Save Its Soil and Clean Up Its Water, Iowa Needs to Act Fast(er)
Karen Perry Stillerman, senior analyst, Food and Environment | February 25, 2021, 2:40 pm EST Iowans have long prized their state’s deep, rich soils and its position as an agricultural powerhouse. In the heart of the Corn Belt, its farmers lead the nation in corn acres planted, and come in second in soybean acres.
Renewable Energy Technology is not Fully Helping Communities That Need it Most
Carolyn E. Ramirez, Chemical Engineering Ph.D. Candidate, Northwestern University, UCS Science Network, UCS | February 25, 2021, 11:10 am EST This post is a part of a series on Science For Justice When we look at the devastating effects of climate change and the , research shows we need to replace fossil fuels with affordable clean tech based on renewable energy. However, funding and creating that technology are not enough.
Diablo Canyon cerrará. ¿Está preparada California?
Mark Specht, Energy analyst | February 23, 2021, 11:53 am EST La red eléctrica de California está cargada de retos. A lo largo de todo el año está presente el riesgo de que chispazos salidos de los cables originen incendios descontrolados. También existe la posibilidad real de que una ola de calor extremo obligue a aumentar los cortes rotativos de electricidad.
President Biden’s Science Policies Are...Good, Actually. And That's Worth Celebrating.
David Shiffman, marine conservation biologist, UCS Science Network, UCS | February 22, 2021, 2:44 pm EST As an interdisciplinary conservation scientist, I spent a lot of time thinking about the proper role of science in advising and informing government decisionmaking. While scientists don’t know everything and science can’t solve every problem, relying on expertise and evidence to inform decisionmaking generally results in better outcomes than just making up nonsense.
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