James Dinneen
@jamesdinneen.bsky.social
Science journalist reporting on Earth from NYC; writing book about the deep Earth for @vikingbooks.bsky.social. Send tips via Signal @jamesnesw.44. Newsletter: northeastsouthwest.substack.com
Pinned
AI reveals vast ‘ghost forests’ along U.S. coast
Machine learning method counts nearly 12 million dead trees, many likely killed by rising seas
www.science.org
I joined a team of ecologists wading through the muck of the Carolina coast in search of "ghost forests" killed by rising seas for @science.org. We were guided by a a new map that reveals millions of dead trees standing along the East Coast, marking an overlooked consequence of climate change...
Can fuel made from aluminum scraps supply the clean heat industry needs? For @technologyreview.com, I got a sneak peak of Found Energy's largest aluminum-water reactor to date.
This startup is about to conduct the biggest real-world test of aluminum as a zero-carbon fuel
We got a sneak peek inside Found Energy’s lab, just as it gears up to supply heat and hydrogen to its first customer.
www.technologyreview.com
October 23, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Can fuel made from aluminum scraps supply the clean heat industry needs? For @technologyreview.com, I got a sneak peak of Found Energy's largest aluminum-water reactor to date.
Reposted by James Dinneen
Here is our exclusive survey asking leading climate scientists to give their views on solar geoengineering:
*66% believe we will see it attempted this century
*52% say it will probably be done by a "rogue actor"
*81% want an international treaty to manage risk
www.newscientist.com/article/2498...
*66% believe we will see it attempted this century
*52% say it will probably be done by a "rogue actor"
*81% want an international treaty to manage risk
www.newscientist.com/article/2498...
Exclusive: Climate scientists expect attempts to dim the sun by 2100
An exclusive New Scientist survey of leading scientists reveals widespread concern that schemes to tweak Earth’s atmosphere could launch within decades in a risky bid to cool the planet
www.newscientist.com
October 22, 2025 at 9:08 AM
Here is our exclusive survey asking leading climate scientists to give their views on solar geoengineering:
*66% believe we will see it attempted this century
*52% say it will probably be done by a "rogue actor"
*81% want an international treaty to manage risk
www.newscientist.com/article/2498...
*66% believe we will see it attempted this century
*52% say it will probably be done by a "rogue actor"
*81% want an international treaty to manage risk
www.newscientist.com/article/2498...
What do climate scientists really think about solar geoengineering?
For @newscientist.com, @tinymaddie.bsky.social and I surveyed 120 IPCC authors about their attitudes towards solar geoengineering given the world's failure to slash emissions on time. The results were surprising:
For @newscientist.com, @tinymaddie.bsky.social and I surveyed 120 IPCC authors about their attitudes towards solar geoengineering given the world's failure to slash emissions on time. The results were surprising:
Exclusive: Climate scientists expect attempts to dim the sun by 2100
An exclusive New Scientist survey of leading scientists reveals widespread concern that schemes to tweak Earth’s atmosphere could launch within decades in a risky bid to cool the planet
www.newscientist.com
October 22, 2025 at 9:05 PM
What do climate scientists really think about solar geoengineering?
For @newscientist.com, @tinymaddie.bsky.social and I surveyed 120 IPCC authors about their attitudes towards solar geoengineering given the world's failure to slash emissions on time. The results were surprising:
For @newscientist.com, @tinymaddie.bsky.social and I surveyed 120 IPCC authors about their attitudes towards solar geoengineering given the world's failure to slash emissions on time. The results were surprising:
Reposted by James Dinneen
Climate scientists believe humans will launch risky schemes to block radiation from the sun in a desperate bid to cool global temperatures before the end of the century - read more in our @newscientist.com excl from myself & @jamesdinneen.bsky.social www.newscientist.com/article/2498...
Exclusive: Climate scientists expect attempts to dim the sun by 2100
An exclusive New Scientist survey of leading scientists reveals widespread concern that schemes to tweak Earth’s atmosphere could launch within decades in a risky bid to cool the planet
www.newscientist.com
October 21, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Climate scientists believe humans will launch risky schemes to block radiation from the sun in a desperate bid to cool global temperatures before the end of the century - read more in our @newscientist.com excl from myself & @jamesdinneen.bsky.social www.newscientist.com/article/2498...
Reposted by James Dinneen
For those interested in this topic, @jamesdinneen.bsky.social wrote a great feature on the faltering land carbon sink this month for @newscientist.com www.newscientist.com/article/2497...
October 16, 2025 at 10:43 AM
For those interested in this topic, @jamesdinneen.bsky.social wrote a great feature on the faltering land carbon sink this month for @newscientist.com www.newscientist.com/article/2497...
Record gold prices = bad news for the Amazon
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Illegal gold mining clears 140,000 hectares of Peruvian Amazon
Armed criminal groups tear down precious rainforest to capitalise on record gold prices, report finds
www.theguardian.com
October 9, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Record gold prices = bad news for the Amazon
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Over the past two years, the land carbon sink appears to have weakened dramatically, driving the largest one year jump in atmospheric CO2 on record in 2024. Is this the end of the land carbon sink? I asked around for @newscientist.com.
One of Earth’s most vital carbon sinks is faltering. Can we save it?
For decades, forest, grasslands and other land ecosystems have collectively absorbed up to a third of the carbon dioxide we emit each year - but this climate buffer may be collapsing far sooner than a...
www.newscientist.com
October 7, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Over the past two years, the land carbon sink appears to have weakened dramatically, driving the largest one year jump in atmospheric CO2 on record in 2024. Is this the end of the land carbon sink? I asked around for @newscientist.com.
Scary news for West Coast friends in my latest for @science.org. Disturbed ocean sediments off California suggest big earthquakes on the Cascadia fault can trigger big quakes on the San Andreas. The "Big One" could well become the "Big Two"...
Big U.S. West Coast earthquakes could come as a one-two punch
Cascadia and San Andreas fault zones appear to generate synchronized earthquakes
www.science.org
October 6, 2025 at 10:15 PM
Scary news for West Coast friends in my latest for @science.org. Disturbed ocean sediments off California suggest big earthquakes on the Cascadia fault can trigger big quakes on the San Andreas. The "Big One" could well become the "Big Two"...
NEWS: I'm writing a book about Earth's interior, from innermost inner core to the deep biosphere. Can't wait to share all I've learned about what's happening inside this planet and how it shapes the surface world we care about. 🌏 Subscribe here to follow along: northeastsouthwest.substack.com
October 6, 2025 at 2:44 PM
NEWS: I'm writing a book about Earth's interior, from innermost inner core to the deep biosphere. Can't wait to share all I've learned about what's happening inside this planet and how it shapes the surface world we care about. 🌏 Subscribe here to follow along: northeastsouthwest.substack.com
We all must do our part.
Pope Leo XIV blesses a chunk of ice the “Raising Hope for Climate Justice” event https://x.com/HotSpotHotSpot/status/1973737188140695833/video/1
October 2, 2025 at 7:14 PM
We all must do our part.
I joined a team of ecologists wading through the muck of the Carolina coast in search of "ghost forests" killed by rising seas for @science.org. We were guided by a a new map that reveals millions of dead trees standing along the East Coast, marking an overlooked consequence of climate change...
AI reveals vast ‘ghost forests’ along U.S. coast
Machine learning method counts nearly 12 million dead trees, many likely killed by rising seas
www.science.org
October 1, 2025 at 8:38 PM
I joined a team of ecologists wading through the muck of the Carolina coast in search of "ghost forests" killed by rising seas for @science.org. We were guided by a a new map that reveals millions of dead trees standing along the East Coast, marking an overlooked consequence of climate change...
Honored to have won an @sciencewriters.org "Science in Society" award for my @newscientist.com story on the Panama Canal's chronic water shortages. It's something the canal's visionary builders never imagined would be possible in one of the rainiest parts of the planet...
IN THE SCIENCE REPORTING CATEGORY:
“Dire straits for the Panama Canal” by science and environmental journalist James Dinneen, for New Scientist
www.newscientist.com...
#SciWriAwards 💚🧪📝[3/n]
“Dire straits for the Panama Canal” by science and environmental journalist James Dinneen, for New Scientist
www.newscientist.com...
#SciWriAwards 💚🧪📝[3/n]
Drought has hit the Panama Canal hard – can it survive climate change?
A severe drought exacerbated by climate change and a lack of updated infrastructure have led to some ships waiting more than a month to cross one of the world's most important waterways
www.newscientist.com
October 1, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Honored to have won an @sciencewriters.org "Science in Society" award for my @newscientist.com story on the Panama Canal's chronic water shortages. It's something the canal's visionary builders never imagined would be possible in one of the rainiest parts of the planet...
Whoa! First long-term ice core record of atmospheric *hydrogen*, which amplifies warming effects of methane, shows there has been a 60% rise since the industrial revolution.
rt/ @tinymaddie.bsky.social
www.newscientist.com/article/2497...
rt/ @tinymaddie.bsky.social
www.newscientist.com/article/2497...
Atmospheric hydrogen is rising, which may be a problem for the climate
Ice core records of atmospheric hydrogen reveal a huge rise in concentration since the Industrial Revolution which has contributed to global warming – and could sway the debate over hydrogen as a fuel
www.newscientist.com
September 19, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Whoa! First long-term ice core record of atmospheric *hydrogen*, which amplifies warming effects of methane, shows there has been a 60% rise since the industrial revolution.
rt/ @tinymaddie.bsky.social
www.newscientist.com/article/2497...
rt/ @tinymaddie.bsky.social
www.newscientist.com/article/2497...
Dinosaurs, like beavers or elephants or buffalo, were ecosystem engineers. I discuss a new study on how their extinction also transformed landscapes in @nautil.us.
🧪
🧪
The Dinos’ Demise Gave Rivers Their Shape
Their extinction left an indelible mark on the landscape
nautil.us
September 16, 2025 at 11:05 PM
Dinosaurs, like beavers or elephants or buffalo, were ecosystem engineers. I discuss a new study on how their extinction also transformed landscapes in @nautil.us.
🧪
🧪
Asgard archaea frozen in Siberia appear to have remained alive for more than 100,000 years based on DNA analysis. Genetic overlap with other Asgards suggests astonishingly long lifespans could be common trait among the closest living relatives of all eukaryotes. Per @karenlloyd.bsky.social etal.🧪
We are unlocking how frozen microbes stay alive for 100,000 years
Microbes found buried deep in Siberian permafrost may be able to survive over extremely long timescales using protein repair genes
www.newscientist.com
August 26, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Asgard archaea frozen in Siberia appear to have remained alive for more than 100,000 years based on DNA analysis. Genetic overlap with other Asgards suggests astonishingly long lifespans could be common trait among the closest living relatives of all eukaryotes. Per @karenlloyd.bsky.social etal.🧪
Solar panel exports from China to Africa surged 60 per cent over the past year, says @ember-energy.org. Unlike previous jumps, this upward trend was spread across the continent – with 20 countries seeing import records and 25 countries importing more than 100 megawatts worth of panels.🔌💡
Is Africa about to see the solar energy boom it needs?
African countries imported a record number of solar panels in the past year, which could be the beginning of a green energy boom on the continent
www.newscientist.com
August 26, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Solar panel exports from China to Africa surged 60 per cent over the past year, says @ember-energy.org. Unlike previous jumps, this upward trend was spread across the continent – with 20 countries seeing import records and 25 countries importing more than 100 megawatts worth of panels.🔌💡
Also learned that Bingham Canyon Mine in Utah (pictured below) is one of just a few US mines that have installed additional circuits to refine byproducts. Mainly a copper mine, but now also extract tellurium.
The huge volume of ore extracted from existing US mines is full of critical minerals, but nearly all of this goes to waste. New analysis finds out just out how much is getting tossed out.🧪🔌💡
We could get most metals for clean energy without opening new mines
An analysis of active US mines finds they already collect virtually all of the minerals the country needs for batteries, solar panels and wind turbines – but these critical minerals mostly go to waste
www.newscientist.com
August 21, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Also learned that Bingham Canyon Mine in Utah (pictured below) is one of just a few US mines that have installed additional circuits to refine byproducts. Mainly a copper mine, but now also extract tellurium.
BUT during a DOE workshop I went to yesterday on critical minerals, undersecretary P. Wells Griffith III made clear the agency's support for byproduct recovery didn't rule out new mining in pursuit of "energy dominance".
“We should never apologize for our modern way of life,” he said.🌞
“We should never apologize for our modern way of life,” he said.🌞
The huge volume of ore extracted from existing US mines is full of critical minerals, but nearly all of this goes to waste. New analysis finds out just out how much is getting tossed out.🧪🔌💡
We could get most metals for clean energy without opening new mines
An analysis of active US mines finds they already collect virtually all of the minerals the country needs for batteries, solar panels and wind turbines – but these critical minerals mostly go to waste
www.newscientist.com
August 21, 2025 at 6:27 PM
BUT during a DOE workshop I went to yesterday on critical minerals, undersecretary P. Wells Griffith III made clear the agency's support for byproduct recovery didn't rule out new mining in pursuit of "energy dominance".
“We should never apologize for our modern way of life,” he said.🌞
“We should never apologize for our modern way of life,” he said.🌞
The huge volume of ore extracted from existing US mines is full of critical minerals, but nearly all of this goes to waste. New analysis finds out just out how much is getting tossed out.🧪🔌💡
We could get most metals for clean energy without opening new mines
An analysis of active US mines finds they already collect virtually all of the minerals the country needs for batteries, solar panels and wind turbines – but these critical minerals mostly go to waste
www.newscientist.com
August 21, 2025 at 6:06 PM
The huge volume of ore extracted from existing US mines is full of critical minerals, but nearly all of this goes to waste. New analysis finds out just out how much is getting tossed out.🧪🔌💡
The sun has MOODS.🌞
NASA and IBM released an AI model that can forecast what the sun will look like and even predict solar flares two hours in advance.
It's a new tool for studying the sun, and may even enhance early warnings about space weather that could impact Earth. 🧪
www.newscientist.com/article/2492...
It's a new tool for studying the sun, and may even enhance early warnings about space weather that could impact Earth. 🧪
www.newscientist.com/article/2492...
NASA and IBM built an AI to predict solar flares before they hit Earth
An AI model trained on years of data from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory can predict the sun’s future appearance and potentially flag dangerous solar flares
www.newscientist.com
August 20, 2025 at 3:37 PM
The sun has MOODS.🌞
Reposted by James Dinneen
Mouth-watering news...We've identified microbes that produce fine flavours in chocolate, a discovery that could lead to entirely new kinds of the delectable treat.
www.newscientist.com/article/2492...
www.newscientist.com/article/2492...
How cocoa beans' microbiomes are key to the finest chocolate flavours
Nine species of fungi and bacteria have been found in cocoa beans that produce fine chocolate, and this knowledge could help producers develop better flavours
www.newscientist.com
August 19, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Mouth-watering news...We've identified microbes that produce fine flavours in chocolate, a discovery that could lead to entirely new kinds of the delectable treat.
www.newscientist.com/article/2492...
www.newscientist.com/article/2492...
Very interesting here.
www.newscientist.com/article/2492...
www.newscientist.com/article/2492...
New subtype of diabetes found in youths from sub-Saharan Africa
In sub-Saharan African youths diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, 65 per cent do not have antibodies or genetic risks associated with the disease, suggesting they have a novel non-autoimmune subtype of th...
www.newscientist.com
August 18, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Very interesting here.
www.newscientist.com/article/2492...
www.newscientist.com/article/2492...
Reposted by James Dinneen
NEW – Factcheck: Trump’s climate report includes more than 100 false or misleading claims | @ayeshatandon.carbonbrief.org @leohickman.carbonbrief.org @ceciliakeating.carbonbrief.org @rtmcswee.carbonbrief.org @tomoprater.carbonbrief.org
Read here: buff.ly/AvcB7Aw
Read here: buff.ly/AvcB7Aw
August 14, 2025 at 3:48 PM
NEW – Factcheck: Trump’s climate report includes more than 100 false or misleading claims | @ayeshatandon.carbonbrief.org @leohickman.carbonbrief.org @ceciliakeating.carbonbrief.org @rtmcswee.carbonbrief.org @tomoprater.carbonbrief.org
Read here: buff.ly/AvcB7Aw
Read here: buff.ly/AvcB7Aw
Reposted by James Dinneen
Nothing to see here, just the planet edging ever closer to deadly hot & humid conditions www.newscientist.com/article/2492...
2024 saw a record-breaking number of dangerously humid days
As the planet heats up, the atmosphere is holding more moisture – and this is resulting in more days with weather conditions close to the limits of survivability
www.newscientist.com
August 14, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Nothing to see here, just the planet edging ever closer to deadly hot & humid conditions www.newscientist.com/article/2492...
Big new modeling study finds climate change may have locked temperatures in the Pacific Ocean into a pattern could drive drought in the western US for decades. More broadly, this suggests climate models may generally underestimate how much our emissions influence longterm cycles of ocean temps.🧪
Pacific Ocean changes may 'lock in' US megadrought for decades
A major cycle of Pacific Ocean temperatures is shifting due to climate change, and that could drive decades of megadrought in the western US
www.newscientist.com
August 13, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Big new modeling study finds climate change may have locked temperatures in the Pacific Ocean into a pattern could drive drought in the western US for decades. More broadly, this suggests climate models may generally underestimate how much our emissions influence longterm cycles of ocean temps.🧪