VU professor Bart van den Hurk appointed co-chair of UN climate panel IPCC
Professor of climate change and adaptation at VU Amsterdam, Bart van den Hurk has been appointed as co-chair of one of the three working groups in the UN climate panel, IPCC. His working group is concerned with the consequences of, and adaptation to, climate change. “I feel a strong need to deliver the message in such a way that the knowledge that is missing triggers social action,” says Van den Hurk. Read the article on VU.nl.
Mining pollution affects millions and threatens health and the environment globally
VU Amsterdam climatologist Paolo Scussolini and hydrologist Dirk Eilanden showed that metal mining causes serious environmental and health problems. Mining has a major impact on rivers and on the fertile, flat land along their banks, with negative consequences for people and the environment. The findings highlight the need for improved mining management and pollution control.
Extreme weather the new normal
Climate scientist Bart van den Hurk could no longer keep up with the large number of extreme weather events this summer, he says in NOS Journaal (in Dutch). Recently appointed co-chair of the UN climate panel IPCC, Van den Hurk advocates not only for warning people about the climate crisis but also for emphasising what’s still possible to be done about it.
A campus free of cigarette butts: that's what we're aiming for
On Monday afternoon, 18 September, we held a big cigarette butt cleanup on the VU Campus, together with Peukenzee and Green Office VU. Will you help us fight against the cigarette sea?
Read more about the initiative here.
The playful media gimmicks of climate activists
Extinction Rebellion has a clever media strategy, says VU professor of social change Jacquelien van Stekelenburg to NOS (in Dutch). According to her, the activist group has “in an incredibly clever approach, with playful campaigns and strong media direction, which has ensured they kept getting news coverage.”
Point of no return
Devastation on Maui, flooded streets in Slovenia and landslides in Norway: the current extreme events are in line with expectations, says VU climate researcher Sem Vijverberg in an article on NU.nl (in Dutch). He’s particularly concerned about tipping points: moments when systems become irreversibly damaged.
VU researcher Niels Debonne named in ScienceGuide as influential scientist for 2023 – 2024
Last year, VU Amsterdam became the first Dutch university to sever ties with the fossil fuel industry. According to ScienceGuide, Niels Debonne, IVM researcher and member of Scientist Rebellion, was an important voice in this. Debonne, along with four other scientists, will be defining figures in the knowledge sector in the Netherlands and abroad in 2023 – 2024, as per ScienceGuide.
Veni grant for climate scientist Marleen de Ruiter
It’s not clear when, where and how often successive natural disasters lead to disease outbreaks and what factors play a role in this. Climate scientist Marleen de Ruiter plans to research this using her Veni funding.
Mediterranean region becoming more sensitive to effects of heat
Although the wildfires in Greece have been larger and more intense than in recent years, the Mediterranean region has not yet been hit harder than average over the past ten years. This is according to VU Amsterdam researcher Roland Vernooij on BNR (in Dutch). “But due to the effects of heat, the area is becoming increasingly sensitive.”
Carbon offsets by fossil fuels industry prove to be greenwashing
The climate promises of oil and gas companies are a joke – so says the research that VU scientist Mathieu Blondeel carried out with Gregory Trencher (Kyoto University) and Jusen Asuka (Tohoku University) into the climate strategies of the fossil fuels industry. “The carbon compensation policy of companies like Shell is the prototype for greenwashing,” says Blondeel.
Climate-proof future: saline agriculture on the European policy agenda
On 11 July 2023, VU Amsterdam scientists from the Institute for Environmental Affairs (IVM) wrote a policy brief to the EU, asking for saline agriculture to be given a prominent place on the policy agenda. They emphasise that climate change caused by human activity is a threat to agriculture, while arguing that embracing saline agriculture can bring about a climate-proof future for the agricultural sector.
Canadian wildfires fit the trend: more fires in northern forests than predicted
The number of wildfires in the northern forests of Canada and Alaska is increasing faster than predicted on the basis of climate forecasts. So says physical geographer Sander Veraverbeke. This is a problem, because these fires are a lot more harmful to the climate than those in the Mediterranean or the African Savannah, for example.
VU students sue Shell
VU students from the International Business Law, Climate Change and Corporations master’s programme have sued Shell. They believe that the oil giant is guilty of misleading customers by promising in advertising campaigns that they’ll compensate customers’ carbon emissions.
“Companies cannot substantiate claims about carbon offsets,” says Clemens Kaupa, assistant professor of climate law and leader of the VU Climate and Sustainability Law Clinic.
Adaptation reduces migration due to sea-level rise
Research by VU climate scientist Lena Reiman shows that residents of coastal areas are being encouraged not to flee from rising sea levels by the large-scale construction of dykes. This and other forms of climate adaptation will reduce domestic migration by 30–90% by 2100.
Dry summers 30 years earlier than predicted: what’s going on?
The Netherlands is again dealing with serious drought. “There’s one thing we know for sure,” says VU climate researcher Dim Coumou in a NU.nl article (in Dutch) that appeared on 10 June. “In models, the increase in summer heatwaves is underestimated.”
In order to reach climate goals, net-zero targets must actually be implemented
A recent study by VU scientists shows that many net-zero targets are not being sufficiently implemented to achieve the intended climate goals. According to the scientists, additional efforts are needed to implement those targets in order to limit further global warming.
