Global Scans · Climate · Weekly Summary

• [New] Using a statistical model built on the drought index, population data, and nearly fifty years of water use history, the Sierra Club projects 2050 demand at roughly 147 million gallons per day-compared to the 222 MGD the SFPUC and BAWSCA are projecting. Sierra Club
• [New] The SFPUC is projecting retail rate increases of more than 6.5% annually for seven years starting in 2027-meaning water rates will be at least 70% higher in eight years. Sierra Club
• [New] Other studies based on data from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have largely confirmed their projection that temperatures could hit 122 degree F (50 degrees C) by the end of the century. Reasons to be Cheerful
• [New] Mining peatlands will result in the release of additional greenhouse gases, accelerating the progression of global climate change. EBSCO
• [New] The world's ocean plastic crisis could be dramatically reduced in just 15 years - and for less than $1bn (£750m). Positive News
• [New] The second round of HIP upgrades that HDB flats will undergo - known as HIP II - will be more extensive and make use of new technologies like microwave scanning to detect issues such as water seepage. ST
• [New] Climate change could be increasing the time spent outdoors in regions that used to have fewer warm-weather days, contributing to an increase in skin cancers in northern regions like Canada and Scandinavia. AAMC
• [New] The newly formed Marine Minerals Administration (MMA) anticipates holding three offshore lease sales during fiscal years 2026 and 2027, including in waters off American Samoa in August, the Northern Mariana Islands in November, and Alaska in December. IADC.org
• [New] Historical climate change has already increased global average AT by around 1.1 °C, and future warming is projected to reach 1.5 °C between 2030 and 2035. Nature
• [New] Future climate change will substantially increase heat stress globally, and thus the impact of extreme heat on human health. Nature
• [New] A moral hazard Geoengineering could encourage polluters to keep polluting instead of doing the more critical work of cutting planet-warming gases such as carbon dioxide and methane. Sierra Magazine
• [New] By the year 2030, the national network of satellite-based sensors used in daily weather forecasting will be due for an upgrade, one that could potentially draw on the array of newly developed tools. American Meteorological Society
• [New] With global demand for passenger transport expected to nearly triple by 2050, an expansion of efficient, affordable public transport is critical in helping address the climate crisis and toxic air pollution. The Guardian
• [New] The increasing lack and limitations of key cereals such as rice and wheat, aggravated by climate change, growing population, and declining agricultural sustainability, pose significant threats to global food and nutrition security. Frontiers
• [New] Heatwaves, the deadliest of all climate-driven hazards, are compounding air pollution and other health stressors worldwide. Perry World House
• [New] With warming at approximately 1.14 °C above preindustrial levels and set to increase, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts with very high confidence that climate-related illness will also rise. Perry World House
• [New] Up to half of the world's rangelands are degraded or at risk, with serious consequences for food and water security, biodiversity, climate resilience and rural livelihoods. United Nations
• [New] The Met Office's latest three-month outlook predicts a 40-per-cent likelihood of hot weather lasting into July. GB News
• [New] Under the European Climate Law, the European Commission has set a legally binding target of reducing net greenhouse-gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. Tony Blair Institute
• [New] The North Sea has become the global epicenter of offshore wind, hosting more than 80% of Europe's installed offshore capacity, with regional plans to reach at least 300 GW by 2050 through the North Seas Energy Cooperation. Tony Blair Institute
• [New] By 2030, AI implementation could reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by up to 4%, highlighting AI's significant potential to combat climate change. Scientific Research Publishing
• [New] 2026 will be the hottest year on record, thanks to both climate change and a powerful El Nino effect that will raise temperatures further. New Scientist
• [New] The second half of 2026 will almost certainly see the start of El Nino, a natural climate phase when warm water expands across the equatorial Pacific Ocean, heating the entire planet. New Scientist

Last updated: 11 May 2026