Published

2 years ago

June 28, 2024

Alice Rush

Climate activists talk a lot about following “the science” around climate change. What actually is the science and how is it calculated? Read more here: https://econ.st/3ci07Qy

Find our school briefings series here, including our recent climate explainers: https://econ.st/2Zeo7kV

Sign up to receive The Economist’s fortnightly newsletter to keep up to date with our latest coverage on climate change: https://econ.st/3dZrKz6

Find The Economist’s most recent climate-change coverage here: https://econ.st/2X74b0w

Covid-19 presents an opportunity for countries to flatten the climate curve: https://econ.st/3em6YKn

Read about the pressure to make the post covid-19 rebound green: https://econ.st/2XA7NbF

Why the world urgently needs to expand its use of carbon prices: https://econ.st/2ZJdtmu

Humans’ dependence on fossil fuels is heating up the planet at an unprecedented rate. Governments and policymakers must take urgent action. That action is guided by what science says about the impact of climate change on the Earth.

This is how it’s calculated.

This is Vilhelm Bjerknes. At the end of the 19th century he devised formulas which linked the flow of heat, water and air. 50 years later his ideas were the basis of the first computer model of the atmosphere. And modern-day weather forecasting was born

Today’s climate models are the highly evolved descendants of that original, except the computers are some 25trn times faster. Here’s how it works

Scientists divide the Earth’s atmosphere into a grid of hundreds of thousands of cells, in stacks like a skyscraper.
The model used by the Met Office, Britain’s national weather service for example, uses stacks which are 85 cells high

The models then calculate how energy, air and water vapour flow through each cell over a given time period. While weather forecasting takes a snapshot of the atmosphere at a given time and predicts what will happen over the next few days

Climate models consider the atmosphere’s behaviour over years and years simulating either the world as it is or the world as it might be.

For all their complexity, these models have limitations.

This means the models often struggle to capture details like cloud cover.

And clouds play a key role in climate.

As greenhouse gases make the atmosphere warmer they change the amount of water vapour it can hold and how air rises and falls. That in turn changes the amount and character of cloud cover. Depending on where clouds form, they can either trap sunlight which warms the planet, or reflect it back into space, cooling it. And some processes which govern cloud formation work on a very small scale.

Dozens of these models exist, run by teams all over the world

Every few years the models are brought together fed standardised questions and then their results are compared.

This helps scientists understand the strengths and weaknesses of different climate models, and improves them. Of course, it’s impossible to assess the models’ future projections.

But what researchers can do is compare the success of models from previous decades. A recent report compared the models from the 1970s to the 2000s.

The climate models are getting increasingly complicated capturing more aspects of the Earth.

But there is one element that is impossible to model. And it is the biggest contributor to climate change.

Instead, scientists take simplified results from these climate models and run them through economic models.

In 2013 scientists used these models to examine the effect of different climate policies on the future temperature of the planet.

The first looked at what would happen if there was continued large-scale use of coal. The second, if there was continued use of fossil fuels but some use of renewable energy. The third, if there was a much higher uptake of renewable energy. And the fourth if there was a lot of use of carbon-capture technology and more land to grow biofuels.

Climate models don’t predict the future and they’re not perfect. There is a long way to go before they fully represent all of Earth’s intricate processes. But for now they are the only way that scientists have of understanding how damaging an increase in carbon dioxide will be for the planet.
Ultimately, the solution to climate change won’t lie inside models but rather what humans choose to do with the information they provide

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSGorwtY-zM

Climate Change Videos

Why British summers are the worst

Published

5 days ago

August 11, 2026

Alice Rush

British summers are truly the worst. But why? Well, two big reasons…

This video was funded by the Wellcome Trust.

Thanks to Professor Mitchell and the team at Bristol for their help with this video. You can learn more about their research here: https://www.bristol.ac.uk/cabot/what-we-do/climate-health/

You can support the channel by becoming a patron at http://www.patreon.com/simonoxfphys

REFERENCES
1. https://www.calculator.net/heat-index-calculator.html?airtemperature=28&airtemperatureunit=celsius&humidity=90&ctype=1&x=Calculate
2. https://climate.copernicus.eu/why-are-europe-and-arctic-heating-faster-rest-world
3. https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/progress-in-reducing-emissions-2026-report-to-parliament/
4. https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/a-well-adapted-uk/
5. https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/europe-recorded-10000-excess-deaths-during-late-june-heatwave-data-show-2026-07-12/
6. https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/adcbc5
7. https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/adcbc5
8. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-018-0222-x
9. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-018-0222-x
10. https://www.bmj.com/content/393/bmj-2026-100088
11. https://journal-buildingscities.org/articles/10.5334/bc.541
12. https://journal-buildingscities.org/articles/10.5334/bc.541
13. https://www.cape.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/GBI-Rapid-Evidence-Assessment.pdf
14. https://apps.london.gov.uk/cool-spaces/
15. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yj8ew1pnlo
16. https://ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/2026/06/01/what-is-west-nile-virus-and-is-it-found-in-the-uk/
17. https://ukhealthalliance.org/flooding/
18. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38766924/
19. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/adverse-weather-and-health-plan
20. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/heat-health-alerting-system

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More about me – https://www.simonoxfphys.com/
My second channel – https://www.youtube.com/simonclarkerrata
My book – https://geni.us/firmament

Bluesky – https://bsky.app/profile/simonoxfphys.com
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/simonoxfphys
Twitch – https://www.twitch.tv/drsimonclark

———- II ———-

Music by Epidemic Sound: http://nebula.tv/epidemic
Some stock footage courtesy of Getty.

Edited by Luke Negus.
Research by Amelia Jabry.
Tarot cards designed by Amelia Jabry and Miralia Jabry.

Huge thanks to my supporters on Patreon:
bitreign33 , Dave Teare, Eric A Gentzler, Gary Stark, Glen Monks, Marcus Bosshard.

Artem Plotnikov, Ben Curtis, David TLR, Jeffry ., Jon Arlov, Marius Kießling, Paul H and Linda L, Peter Reid, TheKeeperOfPie, Tom Oldfield.

Adam Gillard, Adam Pazderka, Adrian Sand, Alex, Alex Hall, Andrea De Mezzo, Andy Hartley, Andy Parr, Anže Cesar, Ashley Hauck, Ashley Steel, Atkinson , AYS , Baerbel Winkler, Bastian Pranzas, Ben Blower, Bill Keydel, Brian Moss, Chris Laslett, Christian Weckner, Christopher Hall, Cifer, Ciotka Cierpienia, Circuitrinos, Clemens, Cody VanZandt, Crisan Talpes, Dan Hanvey, Daniel Andersson, Daniel Cooney, David Mccann, David Stone, Denis Kovachev, Dom, Dominik Rihak, Duffman, FireFerretDann, flakykilowatt, Florian Thie, Gabriele Siino, Hannarrrr, Haris Karimjee, Heijde, Ian Hamilton, idris, j, Jack Fretwell, Jacob Speelman, James Gaskell, James Gurney, James Haigh, James Leadbetter, Jan-Willem Goedmakers, Jean-Manuel Izaret, Jekel’s Climate Channel, Joachim Murat, John, Josef Probst, Katharina Hartmuth, Kevin B, Kirsten Athome, Knut Nesheim, Korbinian, Kristopher Sicari, Lach Woods, Leonard Neamtu, Marcin Wrochna, Mark Harper, Mark Moore, Mark Richardson, Matthew H, Mercure, Micael Batista, Michael Belde, Michelle Valentino, Miguel Cabrera Brufau, Mike, Mike T, Mikkel Kragh, Morten Engsvang, Nathan Rohrlach, Nick Humphries, Nico Kempe, OldGreyWolf, Peter Lee, Phil Saici, Philipp Legner, Rapssack, Real Engineering, Reid, Richard Bartlett, Richard Swain, Ryan, Sean Richards, Seb Stott, Sergio Alvarez, Sergio Diaz, Simone, Steffan , Sylvus , szigyi, Ted CLAY, Thibault , Thomas Charbonnel, Thomas Newman, Thusto , Tobias Ahsbahs, Tom Painter, Tom Wilson, Tomás Garnier Artiñano, Tony, Tschäff Reisberg, Ui, Victor Gordan, Yorick Droz, Youri Hubaut, Zoey O’Neill.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfJzRpmbPuY

Climate Change Videos

What everyone misses about wildfires

Published

2 weeks ago

July 31, 2026

Alice Rush

Some thoughts on a surprising learning journey.
Get Nebula for 50% off: https://go.nebula.tv/simonclark
Ten Pound Traveller: https://nebula.tv/videos/jdraper-the-pirate-ship-docked-in-central-london-the-ten-pound-traveller?ref=simonclark

Key resources
– Carbon Brief debunking article: https://www.carbonbrief.org/factcheck-no-europes-heatwaves-are-not-being-caused-by-declining-air-pollution
– Heated article on Republicans: https://heated.world/p/the-fossil-fuel-money-behind-the
– World Weather Attribution study on French and Spanish wildfires: https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/climate-change-increases-likelihood-of-compounding-drivers-of-severe-wildfire-conditions-in-france-and-spain/
– World Weather Attribution study on European precipitation/temperature: https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/increasingly-hot-europe-faces-more-severe-droughts-and-growing-challenges-for-water-and-land-management/
– Copernicus data on wildfire carbon emissions: https://atmosphere.copernicus.eu/copernicus-global-biomass-burning-emissions-2026-their-lowest-level-2003
– Article expanding on Copernicus data: https://phys.org/news/2026-07-wildfires-extreme-europe-north-america.html
– UK wildfire data: https://www.moorlandassociation.org/post/2026-uk-wildfire-emissions-data
– Ayesha Tandon: https://www.youtube.com/@AyeshaTandon
– State of Wildfires: https://stateofwildfires.com/latest-report/
– How to prevent a wildfire: https://smileymovement.org/news/how-to-prevent-a-wildfire

Places to get good climate reporting
– Carbon Brief: https://www.carbonbrief.org/
– DeSmog: https://www.desmog.com/
– Heated: https://heated.world/
– Climate Brink: https://www.theclimatebrink.com/

Fire-related charities
– Fire Aid: https://www.fire-aid.org/
– One Tree Planted: https://onetreeplanted.org/products/wildfire-fund
– After the Fire USA: https://afterthefireusa.org/

You can support the channel by becoming a patron at http://www.patreon.com/simonoxfphys

———- II ———-

More about me – https://www.simonoxfphys.com/
My second channel – https://www.youtube.com/simonclarkerrata
My book – https://geni.us/firmament

Bluesky – https://bsky.app/profile/simonoxfphys.com
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/simonoxfphys
Twitch – https://www.twitch.tv/drsimonclark

———- II ———-

Music by Epidemic Sound: http://nebula.tv/epidemic
Some stock footage courtesy of Getty.

Huge thanks to my supporters on Patreon:
bitreign33 , Dave Teare, Eric A Gentzler, Gary Stark, Glen Monks, Marcus Bosshard.

Artem Plotnikov, Ben Curtis, David TLR, Jeffry ., Jon Arlov, Marius Kießling, Paul H and Linda L, Peter Reid, TheKeeperOfPie, Tom Oldfield.