Friederike Otto | Lightnews

Prof Friederike Otto

@frediotto.bsky.social

🇬🇧 🇪🇺 physicist, philosopher, lead https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/, author of Climate InJustice https://greystonebooks.com/collections/current-affairs-politics/products/climate-injustice, she/her

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Friederike (Fredi) Elly Luise Otto is a climatologist who as of December 2021 works as a Senior Lecturer at the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment at Imperial College London. She is an Honorary Research Associate of the Environmental Change Institute (ECI) at the University of Oxford. Her research focuses on answering the question whether and to what extent extreme weather conditions change as a result of external climate drivers. A highly recognised expert in the field of attribution research, she examines the extent to which human-caused climate change as well as vulnerability and exposure are responsible for events such heat waves, droughts and floods. Together with climate scientist Geert Jan van Oldenborgh she founded the international project World Weather Attribution which she still leads. In 2021, she was included in the Time 100, Time's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. She was also one of ten scientists who had had important roles in scientific developments in 2021 highlighted in the scientific journal Nature. .. more

Environmental science 54%

Geography 16%

Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Du Toit, Neil Pederson

Prof Friederike Otto @frediotto.bsky.social · 1d

Patagonian wildfires show how denying climate change & pushing environmental destruction make the reality of climate change much worse. Threatening the destruction of trees that have been alive when the bronze age collapsed. @wwattribution.bsky.social www.worldweatherattribution.org/climate-chan...

a map of southern south America showing the location of burning fires with lots of red dots.

Prof Friederike Otto @frediotto.bsky.social · 7d

It was a tough decision, lots of really good submissions. I’m mostly very happy with where we landed. Enjoy! - & tell me if you think I have terrible taste.

Leo Barasi @leobarasi.bsky.social · 7d

This year's Climate Fiction Prize longlist looks great. Read all of last year's list, haven't read any of these yet. Time to get stuck in.

Explore the longlist - The Climate Fiction Prize

Explore the inaugural longlist for the Climate Fiction Prize

climatefictionprize.co.uk

Reposted by Friederike Otto

Leo Barasi @leobarasi.bsky.social · 7d

This year's Climate Fiction Prize longlist looks great. Read all of last year's list, haven't read any of these yet. Time to get stuck in.

Explore the longlist - The Climate Fiction Prize

Explore the inaugural longlist for the Climate Fiction Prize

climatefictionprize.co.uk

Reposted by Friederike Otto, Robin J. Hogan

Prof Richard Betts @richardabetts.bsky.social · 11d

This new video from @climateadam.bsky.social is even more brilliant than usual - insightful and hilarious 🧐🤣❤️

www.youtube.com/watch?v=py0X...

Climate Scientist Reacts to AI Overlords

YouTube video by ClimateAdam

www.youtube.com

Reposted by Du Toit

Prof Friederike Otto @frediotto.bsky.social · 14d

Quadruple whammy: High exposure, vulnerability, La Niña and human-induced climate change turned very heavy rainfall into a disastrous deluge around the Limpopo, Umbeluzi, Maputo, Incomati, Save and Buzi rivers. - new @wwattribution.bsky.social study www.worldweatherattribution.org/la-nina-clim...

a map of Southern Africa highlighting the area of heavy rain

Reposted by Axel Bruns, Brigitte Nerlich, Peter Thorne , and 4 more Axel Bruns, Brigitte Nerlich, Peter Thorne, Du Toit, Wim Thiery, Benjamin I. Cook, John Hogan

Prof Friederike Otto @frediotto.bsky.social · 21d

While Australian heatwaves were some of the very first extreme events attributed to climate change, people still underestimate how much worse they got - killing more people than all other natural hazards combined. New @wwattribution.bsky.social study. www.worldweatherattribution.org/climate-chan...

A map of southeastern Australia showing the temperature anomalies during the heatwave.

Reposted by Brigitte Nerlich, Stefan Rahmstorf, Peter Thorne , and 3 more Brigitte Nerlich, Stefan Rahmstorf, Peter Thorne, Tina van de Flierdt, Wim Thiery, Stephen D. Murphy

Prof Friederike Otto @frediotto.bsky.social · Dec 30

Looking back to @wwattribution.bsky.social studies in 2025 showed again, in stark terms, how unfairly the consequences of human-induced climate change are distributed. The world does not have to be like this, we have a lot of agency to make it better. www.worldweatherattribution.org/unequal-evid...

a world map with locations of extreme weather event studies by WWA in pink & yellow dots

Reposted by Katharine Hayhoe, Valerie M. Delmotte, Sonia I. Seneviratne , and 3 more Katharine Hayhoe, Valerie M. Delmotte, Sonia I. Seneviratne, Gavin A. Schmidt, Wolfgang Crämer, Evelyne de Leeuw

Prof Friederike Otto @frediotto.bsky.social · Dec 11

In the world we live in today, that is 1.3C warmer due to our continued burning of fossil fuels, the extreme rainfall leading to disastrous flooding in many parts of Asia is up to 50 to 160% more intense - new @wwattribution.bsky.social study www.worldweatherattribution.org/increasing-h...

map of Sumatra and Malaysia showing heavy rainfall between November 23rd and 27th

Reposted by Friederike Otto

Blätter für deutsche und internationale Politik @blaetter.bsky.social · Nov 27

📬 Ab heute im Briefkasten: Die Dezember-»Blätter«!

Mit Texten von: @frediotto.bsky.social, @meronmendel.bsky.social, @lisalandenberger.bsky.social, @kristinhelberg.bsky.social, @bickel.bsky.social, @tobiaslambert.bsky.social u.v.m.

👉 www.blaetter.de/ausgabe/2025...

Reposted by Peter Thorne, Dana R. Fisher

Prof Friederike Otto @frediotto.bsky.social · Nov 21

Watch, @fisherdanar.bsky.social , @davidho.bsky.social and me talk about corporate capture, cat capture and where we think things climate could be in 5 years. cece.american.edu/copout-episo...

screenshot of podcast recording with cat

Reposted by Du Toit

Prof Friederike Otto @frediotto.bsky.social · Nov 21

Two years ago, we did a study on a devastating drought in the Fertil Crescent. Due to climate change and water governance disputes the drought is still ongoing. Teheran might be running out of water, if it doesn't start raining soon. Our update: www.worldweatherattribution.org/human-induce...

maps of rainfall deficit & agricultural drought for the last 5 years over Iran and the Euphrates and Tigris basin.

Reposted by Friederike Otto, Mark Lubell

Dana R. Fisher (aka the Apocalyptic Optimist) @fisherdanar.bsky.social · Nov 21

🎙️ Episode 4 of the COPOut Podcast is LIVE! Tune in to hear from @davidho.bsky.social and @frediotto.bsky.social as they discuss what we know and what we still need to understand (as well as what makes them angry with the climate regime).
cece.american.edu/copout-episo...

COPOut Episode 4: On Measurement and Attribution - Center for Environment, Community, & Equity (CECE)

In our fourth episode of the COPOut Podcast, Dr. Dana R. Fisher talks with guest experts who help us understand where we are in measuring carbon and attributing the effects that climate change is havi...

cece.american.edu

Reposted by Friederike Otto, Peter Thorne, Gavin L. Foster , and 1 more Friederike Otto, Peter Thorne, Gavin L. Foster, Dana R. Fisher

David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · Nov 20

I might have failed at my assignment from @fisherdanar.bsky.social to say what makes me hopeful about climate, but I think @frediotto.bsky.social and her team's work that would enable us to hold polluters responsible should be a source of hope.

Tune in to Episode 4 of the #COPOut Podcast tomorrow!

Prof Friederike Otto @frediotto.bsky.social · Nov 13

Shortly before hurricane Melissa hit the Caribbean, capturing global media attention, Mexico suffered from severed flooding, killing more than 78 people and destroying infrastructure; disproportionally affecting indigenous communities.
www.worldweatherattribution.org/heavy-rainfa...

maps of rainfall in Mexico during the rainy season and the flood inducing event

Prof Friederike Otto @frediotto.bsky.social · Nov 13

Thank you so much! 😍

Reposted by Friederike Otto

Wim Thiery @wimthiery.bsky.social · Nov 13

Many congratulations to the amazing @frediotto.bsky.social for receiving the Hans Oeschger Medal! This career award from the @egu.eu Climate Division underlines the ground-breaking research Fredi did on many fronts, most notably on near-realtime extreme event attribution @wwattribution.bsky.social

Prof Friederike Otto @frediotto.bsky.social · Nov 11

I've got a medal! And not just any, but the Hans Oeschger Medal from the EGU, for outstanding contributions to research on climatic changes. www.egu.eu/news/1551/eg...

Prof Friederike Otto @frediotto.bsky.social · Nov 12

Thank you! Stepping in big shoes 😊

Prof Friederike Otto @frediotto.bsky.social · Nov 12

Well, they don’t have pedestrian crossings in Kensington either… so, people are definitely unwelcome.

Reposted by Friederike Otto

Rosemary Mosco @rosemarymosco.com · Nov 11

Baby pigeon mystery.
My pigeon book is here: www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/rosem...

A six-panel comic. In panel 1, text says "People often wonder, why don't I see baby pigeons? Here's where they're hiding:" and there's an egg with an arrow pointing to a question mark, then an arrow pointing to an adult pigeon. Panel 2 says "Pigeons don't nest in trees. They nest in sheltered spaces on or in buildings. This keeps their babies safe from weather and predators." There's a pigeon nesting in a sheltered cavity in the side of a building. Panel 3 says "The hidden babies look like this: like moldy potatoes, but cute" and there are two baby pigeons looking, well, like moldy pink and gray potatoes with yellow fuzz. Panel 4 says "Older baby pigeons hide in plain sight. When they leave the nest, they're adult-sized, but they're still young and learning" and a fledgling pigeon is flying out of a building saying "aaaaaa". Panel 5 says "Here's how to identify these young pigeons" and shows a fledgling pigeon with arrows pointing to these features: eyes may be gray-brown, pale-edged feathers, smaller "nose" (cere), subdued hues, and looks worried. Panel 6 says "Scientifically speaking, though, all pigeons are sweet babies" and there are three very cute round pigeons, a gray, white, and red one, with arrows pointing to them to make things look scientific.

Reposted by Wim Thiery

Prof Friederike Otto @frediotto.bsky.social · Nov 11

I've got a medal! And not just any, but the Hans Oeschger Medal from the EGU, for outstanding contributions to research on climatic changes. www.egu.eu/news/1551/eg...

Reposted by Du Toit, Wim Thiery

Prof Friederike Otto @frediotto.bsky.social · Nov 6

If we do not seriously move away from burning fossil fuels, hurricanes like Melissa will only become worse. Already today Melissa tested the limits of what preparedness and adaptation can do. These limits are very real for everyone in the Caribbean. www.worldweatherattribution.org/climate-chan...

The wettest 5-day period in each location between 19-29 October 2025, which is related to the passage of Melissa. The track of Hurricane Melissa at 12 hour intervals is shown as a series of pink points. Data from MSWX

Reposted by Friederike Otto

Annika Brockschmidt @ardenthistorian.bsky.social · Oct 20

Vorschieben, Frauen & Mädchen schützen zu wollen, als würde sexualisierte Gewalt vor allem von Migranten ausgehen, ist so hanebüchen wie perfide. Es ist rassistisch und misogyn zugleich - und eine klassische Erzählung von Rechtsextremen, die im Übrigen nicht auf "Schutz", sondern Besitzanspruch fußt

Reposted by Friederike Otto

Roland Pease @peaseroland.bsky.social · Oct 17

The sharp rise in hot days since the 2015 Paris climate accord, + alarming future risks lead Science in Action this week with @wwattribution.bsky.social's @frediotto.bsky.social.
Also the Int'l Drought Expt's Mendy Smith on devastating multiyear droughts on grasslands.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w...

BBC World Service - Science In Action, Paris agreement impacts and drought realities

10 years on from the Paris climate agreement, has it helped at all?

www.bbc.co.uk

Reposted by Peter Thorne, Du Toit, Anthony Burke , and 1 more Peter Thorne, Du Toit, Anthony Burke, Christian Hof

Prof Friederike Otto @frediotto.bsky.social · Oct 16

The Paris Agreement offers a powerful framework for a fairer, healthier world. But as extreme heat shows, every tenth of a degree matters. We need higher ambition to stop violating the rights of ever more people. - new @wwattribution.bsky.social study
www.worldweatherattribution.org/ten-years-of...

frequency of extreme heat in Mali & Burkina Faso under different warming scenarios

Prof Friederike Otto @frediotto.bsky.social · Oct 2

Very exciting “job” I’ll have over the coming months. Can’t wait to see how & where this dearly needed field of fiction is moving. 📕📗⚖️🔥

Climate Fiction Prize @climate-fiction.bsky.social · Oct 2

2026 Climate Fiction Prize Announce Stellar Judging Panel as Submissions Open!

📚 @arifa.bsky.social
📚 Jessie Greengrass
📚 @kitdewaal.com
📚 @frediotto.bsky.social
📚 @savidgereads.bsky.social

Publishers have until 13th November to submit novels published between 1 Sept 2024 – 31 Aug 2025.

Reposted by Friederike Otto

Climate Fiction Prize @climate-fiction.bsky.social · Oct 2

Reposted by Friederike Otto, Gavin L. Foster

Gaia Vince @wanderinggaia.bsky.social · Sep 29

Terrible headline on a good article. It’s the world’s taste for MEAT that’s fuelling Amazon destruction. The soya is cattle feed.

How the world’s taste for soya is eating Brazil’s Amazon

Cultivation of the crop has made a few wealthy but at a huge cost to untouched forest as it spreads across vast areas of former wilderness

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Du Toit

Prof Friederike Otto @frediotto.bsky.social · Sep 26

Planetary boundaries sound very abstract & high level, this year, for the first time @eraju.bsky.social & I contributed a chapter how breaching these boundaries has affected people around the world: losing lives, livelihoods, health… & for whom the limits of adaptation have been reached.

PIK_climate @pik-potsdam.bsky.social · Sep 24

Seven of nine planetary boundaries now breached – ocean acidification joins the danger zone," says PIK director Johan Rockström presenting the key findings of the Planetary Health Check 2025 today. #PlanetaryBoundaries
➡️ www.pik-potsdam.de/en/news/late...

Prof Friederike Otto @frediotto.bsky.social · Sep 25

I was wrong! @eraju.bsky.social is here!

Reposted by Friederike Otto, Rob Marchant, Du Toit , and 4 more Friederike Otto, Rob Marchant, Du Toit, Thomas Backhaus, Paul Lehmann, Dominik Wiedenhofer, Fiona Armstrong

PIK_climate @pik-potsdam.bsky.social · Sep 24

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