Trusted Sources on Climate Science
I’ve been asked for a list of reputable sources for information on climate change. It isn’t enough to simply search for a term on the internet, as the results often include links with correct information, links with unintentionally wrong or incomplete information, and links with intentionally wrong or misleading information.
Most of the time, I believe the real question is “how can I improve the quality of my search results?” When people tell me “I studied that topic”, if they are not in academics they often mean that they searched the topic a few different ways on their favorite search engine then opened and read a few of the links the search engine provided. My response is that it isn’t enough to read the results that the search provider presents us with. These links will include paid posts and posts from organizations skilled at Search Engine Optimization (SEO) which do not always correlate with links for good information.
A meaningful step to better search results is to limit the types of sites you allow in the results. End your query with “site:.gov” (not in quotes, and with no space between the colon and the period) to specifically search government sources in the United States or “site:.edu” to specifically search sources from universities. Experiment with this tool - for instance, you can further focus the search to NASA’s content by ending the query with “site:nasa.gov”. This simple step will eliminate a lot of sites that are either trying to get you to click their link with a catchy heading and good SEO, or trying to mislead you intentionally for purposes of their own.
Example search… greenhouse gas inventory site:.gov
And within your search results, start by opening pages you trust - and simply skip those pages you are skeptical of. Believing you need to open all the top search results is like thinking you need to read every book when you walk into a Barnes & Noble - or maybe all the books on the front display that B&N is trying to sell you. Instead, take control of what sources you open as a first step.
If you see the search results from any of the following sources in your search results, prioritize them. {The date the link was checked is in brackets}. Most people do not simply browse a source, but these are also good links to open and explore.
Current issues in climate change & mitigation
US Global Change Research Program at globalchange.gov/climate-change is a joint effort across many agencies, including NASA, NSF, NOAA, Department of Interior, and Department of Defense.
Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) at c2es.org
Climate science (US Sources)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) at climate.gov. Accurate, trusted overviews of real data with graphical displays and also good technical updates.The National Centers for Environmental Information in my current home town of Asheville, NC is part of NOAA. {May 12, 2023}
US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) at epa.gov/climate-change. Start here for a menu of resources. {May 12, 2023}
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at https://climate.nasa.gov/ {May 12, 2023}
Climate Central at climatecentral.org/ refer to themselves as “an independent group of scientists and communicators who research and report the facts about our changing climate and how it affects people’s lives.” {May 12, 2023}
Berkeley Earth at berkeleyearth.org, “an independent US non-profit organization focused on environmental data science and analysis.” {May 12, 2023}
The Science (International Organizations)
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) at ipcc.ch/ is the United Nations’ body for assessing the science related to climate change. Their assessment reports provide solid overviews of the current state of our understanding at different times - the current summary report is the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) which includes separate volumes on the science, on the impacts and on mitigation. {May 12, 2023}
World Meteorological Organizatoin for example https://public.wmo.int/en/about-us/frequently-asked-questions/climate {May 12, 2023}
World Health Organization (WHO) for example https://www.who.int/health-topics/climate-change#tab=tab_1 for information on the human impacts. {May 12, 2023}
Australia’s National Science Agency, CSIRO https://www.csiro.au/en/research/environmental-impacts/climate-change/ {May 12, 2023}
Canada Climate Atlas at https://climateatlas.ca/topic/climate-science {May 17, 2023}
Canada Climate Science 2050 https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/climatechange/climate-science-2050.html {May 17, 2023}
United Kingdom for example climate change explained at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/climate-change-explained {May 17, 2023}
United Kingdom Met Office for example Effects of climate change https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/climate-change/effects-of-climate-change {May 17, 2023}