While models plod, nature sprints

onMay 31, 2007 @ 08:21 PDT

It used to be that climate scientists worried about how to make the public care about changes that might not happen for a century. Today they have a bigger problem: some of the changes aren’t waiting around that long.

Stefan Rahmstorf, a climatologist at Potsdam University, points out that models tend to underestimate sea level rise, too. “As climatologists, we’re often under fire because of our pessimistic message, and we’re accused of overestimating the problem,” he says. “But I think the evidence points to the opposite—we may have been underestimating it.”

By Ross Gelbspan

Event | Join Naomi Klein, Michael E. Mann, and Jim Hoggan to Celebrate DeSmog's 20th Anniversary

ByDeSmog

onJul 1, 2026 @ 16:56 PDT

Sign up for our July 8 virtual conversation on combatting fossil fuels and fascism, keeping up with climate denial, and solving polluted information ecosystems.

Seafood Industry Giants Failing to Tackle Pollution, New Study Finds

ByBrigitte Wear

onJul 1, 2026 @ 03:12 PDT

More farmed salmon will not necessarily bring better food security, say researchers.

Series: Spotlight on Industrial Aquaculture

uk/‘Detailed and Determined Scoop’: DeSmog Wins Association of British Science Writers’ Award

ByDeSmog

onJun 30, 2026 @ 04:10 PDT

Clare Carlile's reporting was recognized under the ‘News Item of the Year’ award for revealing how UK government staffing shortages would harm the environment during a historic drought.