Muhammad Ittefaq, Ph.D.
@ittefaq.bsky.social
Assistant Professor: Michigan State University
Host: @scitalkofficial.bsky.social
Science Talk YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ScienceTalkOfficial/featured
Host: @scitalkofficial.bsky.social
Science Talk YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ScienceTalkOfficial/featured
Reposted by Muhammad Ittefaq, Ph.D.
More evidence that data centers are driving a resurgence of local democracy: Across the country, first-time candidates for local office say they were inspired to run so they can help protect their communities from data center harms.
Data Center Opposition Spawns a Surge of First-Time Candidates
Activists who cut their teeth fighting data center projects in their towns are now riding a wave of AI tech pushback to seek office in local elections.
www.bloomberg.com
September 25, 2026 at 6:27 PM
More evidence that data centers are driving a resurgence of local democracy: Across the country, first-time candidates for local office say they were inspired to run so they can help protect their communities from data center harms.
Reposted by Muhammad Ittefaq, Ph.D.
"If the Supreme Court takes an aggressive stance in support of the oil industry, it will indicate something troubling about how the Supreme Court is thinking about its role in our constitutional system," said Chris Winter of the University of Colorado Law School.
A landmark Boulder climate case is heading to SCOTUS. What's at stake?
Can state courts decide who pays for damage from climate change? As the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to consider the question, an environmental law expert
www.colorado.edu
September 25, 2026 at 4:53 PM
"If the Supreme Court takes an aggressive stance in support of the oil industry, it will indicate something troubling about how the Supreme Court is thinking about its role in our constitutional system," said Chris Winter of the University of Colorado Law School.
Reposted by Muhammad Ittefaq, Ph.D.
Women form the backbone of Nepal's agriculture, yet cultural barriers keep many from owning their land despite legal equality.
Experts note that expanding land access for women boosts farm productivity, reduces poverty, and slows environmental degradation.
Haven Sager reports for #Mongabay.
Experts note that expanding land access for women boosts farm productivity, reduces poverty, and slows environmental degradation.
Haven Sager reports for #Mongabay.
In Nepal, women seek ownership rights to the lands they tend
POKHARA, Nepal — Before Binita Bishwokaarma understood Nepal’s property laws, she understood the work required to sustain a farm. Growing up in the village of Sindhupalchok, east of the capital,…
mongabay.cc
September 25, 2026 at 2:10 AM
Women form the backbone of Nepal's agriculture, yet cultural barriers keep many from owning their land despite legal equality.
Experts note that expanding land access for women boosts farm productivity, reduces poverty, and slows environmental degradation.
Haven Sager reports for #Mongabay.
Experts note that expanding land access for women boosts farm productivity, reduces poverty, and slows environmental degradation.
Haven Sager reports for #Mongabay.
Reposted by Muhammad Ittefaq, Ph.D.
Trump says climate change is hoax, but the US has refrained from opposing a landmark UN General Assembly Resolution.
The reason? Because it is a hard reality that sea levels are rising, and all states including the US want to preserve their maritime zones.
www.straitstimes.com/world/united...
The reason? Because it is a hard reality that sea levels are rising, and all states including the US want to preserve their maritime zones.
www.straitstimes.com/world/united...
UN approves resolution on dealing with rising sea levels
Global sea levels are set to rise by a metre or more by the end of the century without drastic action. Read more at straitstimes.com.
www.straitstimes.com
September 25, 2026 at 2:37 AM
Trump says climate change is hoax, but the US has refrained from opposing a landmark UN General Assembly Resolution.
The reason? Because it is a hard reality that sea levels are rising, and all states including the US want to preserve their maritime zones.
www.straitstimes.com/world/united...
The reason? Because it is a hard reality that sea levels are rising, and all states including the US want to preserve their maritime zones.
www.straitstimes.com/world/united...
Reposted by Muhammad Ittefaq, Ph.D.
I have a new post on the #water crisis up at Substack.
Check it out and subscribe!
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Check it out and subscribe!
substack.com/home/post/p-...
The Water Crisis
Everything Everywhere All at Once
substack.com
September 15, 2026 at 3:50 PM
I have a new post on the #water crisis up at Substack.
Check it out and subscribe!
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Check it out and subscribe!
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Reposted by Muhammad Ittefaq, Ph.D.
EXCLUSIVE: Humans are reading ChatGPT users’ prompts to improve OpenAI’s models, and those chats can include sensitive, personal information, according to leaked internal documents and real prompts seen by 404 Media.
Inside ‘Project Lily’: The Humans Reading Your ChatGPT Chats
Humans are reading ChatGPT users’ prompts to improve OpenAI’s models, and those chats can include sensitive, personal information, according to leaked internal documents and real prompts seen by 404 M...
www.404media.co
September 14, 2026 at 2:26 PM
EXCLUSIVE: Humans are reading ChatGPT users’ prompts to improve OpenAI’s models, and those chats can include sensitive, personal information, according to leaked internal documents and real prompts seen by 404 Media.
Reposted by Muhammad Ittefaq, Ph.D.
"Scientists say prolonged warming is disrupting fisheries, damaging coral reefs, raising sea levels and threatening economies that depend on healthy seas." via @en.rfi.fr at www.rfi.fr/en/environme...
How 100 days of record ocean heat is reshaping life in and around the seas
Global oceans have endured 100 consecutive days of record average heat, as human-driven climate change pushes temperatures higher and puts growing pressure on marine life. Scientists say prolonged war...
www.rfi.fr
September 12, 2026 at 4:36 PM
"Scientists say prolonged warming is disrupting fisheries, damaging coral reefs, raising sea levels and threatening economies that depend on healthy seas." via @en.rfi.fr at www.rfi.fr/en/environme...
Reposted by Muhammad Ittefaq, Ph.D.
Trump's coal fetish is turning out to be very costly to ratepayers, not to mention the atmosphere.
Court deals blow to Trump’s plan to revive coal
Emergency orders forcing plants to remain open have cost ratepayers nearly $1 billion, according to utility filings.
wapo.st
September 12, 2026 at 4:42 PM
Trump's coal fetish is turning out to be very costly to ratepayers, not to mention the atmosphere.
Reposted by Muhammad Ittefaq, Ph.D.
"If you were on a big boat, like the Titanic, & someone comes up to you & says the boat's going down, you bloody well get on those lifeboats & start acting & do stuff"
"We're not doing that. The ship is starting to sink in a really massive way, & we're not seeing it as what it is. It is so serious"
"We're not doing that. The ship is starting to sink in a really massive way, & we're not seeing it as what it is. It is so serious"
Great Barrier Reef at risk of 'collapse', scientists warn
Australia's Great Barrier Reef is at a very high risk of extreme and widespread bleaching and "ecosystem collapse" linked to this year's El Nino weather phenomenon, top scientists warn.
www.rnz.co.nz
July 21, 2026 at 9:24 AM
"If you were on a big boat, like the Titanic, & someone comes up to you & says the boat's going down, you bloody well get on those lifeboats & start acting & do stuff"
"We're not doing that. The ship is starting to sink in a really massive way, & we're not seeing it as what it is. It is so serious"
"We're not doing that. The ship is starting to sink in a really massive way, & we're not seeing it as what it is. It is so serious"
Reposted by Muhammad Ittefaq, Ph.D.
'‘There are no easy answers here’: New study forecasts a dire dip in food production if key Atlantic currents collapse.
…the system is currently the weakest it’s been in >1,000 years, having lost 10% to 20% of its strength due to climate change, estimates show.'
www.livescience.com/planet-earth...
…the system is currently the weakest it’s been in >1,000 years, having lost 10% to 20% of its strength due to climate change, estimates show.'
www.livescience.com/planet-earth...
'There are no easy answers here': New study forecasts a dire dip in food production if key Atlantic currents collapse
Researchers have examined how weakening currents in the Atlantic Ocean could impact global agriculture — and the results are concerning.
www.livescience.com
September 12, 2026 at 10:12 AM
'‘There are no easy answers here’: New study forecasts a dire dip in food production if key Atlantic currents collapse.
…the system is currently the weakest it’s been in >1,000 years, having lost 10% to 20% of its strength due to climate change, estimates show.'
www.livescience.com/planet-earth...
…the system is currently the weakest it’s been in >1,000 years, having lost 10% to 20% of its strength due to climate change, estimates show.'
www.livescience.com/planet-earth...
Reposted by Muhammad Ittefaq, Ph.D.
Warming-induced emissions of greenhouse gases – such as those released from permafrost, wetlands and wildfires – could amplify post-2020 anthropogenic warming by 20%-30%
iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1...
iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1...
Projected amplification of global warming by warming-induced greenhouse gas emissions
Projected amplification of global warming by warming-induced greenhouse gas emissions, Abernethy, Sam, Monteverde, Danielle, Schädel, Christina, Buma, Brian, Duffy, Philip B, Jackson, Robert B, Natali, Susan M, Ocko, Ilissa, Rogers, Brendan M, Poulter, Benjamin
iopscience.iop.org
September 11, 2026 at 1:45 PM
Warming-induced emissions of greenhouse gases – such as those released from permafrost, wetlands and wildfires – could amplify post-2020 anthropogenic warming by 20%-30%
iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1...
iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1...
Reposted by Muhammad Ittefaq, Ph.D.
Recommended read: Drilled interviewed Nepalese climate negotiator Raju Pandit Chhetri about the country’s demands for loss-and-damage financing and climate justice.
Nepal Floods Put Climate Loss and Damage Fund to the Test
An interview with Raju Pandit Chhetri, a climate negotiator from Nepal, about the country’s demands for loss and damage financing and climate justice.
buff.ly
September 12, 2026 at 10:32 AM
Recommended read: Drilled interviewed Nepalese climate negotiator Raju Pandit Chhetri about the country’s demands for loss-and-damage financing and climate justice.
Reposted by Muhammad Ittefaq, Ph.D.
The way I explained the suppression of Atlantic hurricane activity to my students is that El Niño chops off the heads of hurricanes by altering global atmospheric circulation, generating strong upper-level westerly winds across the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean.
New hurricane season record as 'historic' El Niño leaves Atlantic eerily quiet
The Atlantic hurricane season has reached its climatological peak, but a strong El Niño means no hurricanes have formed this year.
www.bbc.co.uk
September 12, 2026 at 10:43 AM
The way I explained the suppression of Atlantic hurricane activity to my students is that El Niño chops off the heads of hurricanes by altering global atmospheric circulation, generating strong upper-level westerly winds across the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean.
My conversation with @petergleick.bsky.social on water, Iran's droughts, and climate change.
youtube.com/shorts/SGqwI...
youtube.com/shorts/SGqwI...
Are Droughts Getting Worse Because of Climate Change?
YouTube video by Science Talk
youtube.com
September 12, 2026 at 2:02 AM
My conversation with @petergleick.bsky.social on water, Iran's droughts, and climate change.
youtube.com/shorts/SGqwI...
youtube.com/shorts/SGqwI...
Reposted by Muhammad Ittefaq, Ph.D.
GOOD NEWS: the Arctic Report Card will continue under its independent editorial team – led by researchers at CIRES @colorado.edu and @uafairbanks.bsky.social – with new support from @agu.org.
cires.colorado.edu/news/2026-ar...
cires.colorado.edu/news/2026-ar...
2026 Arctic Report Card finds critical support from strategic partners
The highly anticipated yearly assessment will continue under its independent editorial team led by CIRES researchers
cires.colorado.edu
September 9, 2026 at 6:40 PM
GOOD NEWS: the Arctic Report Card will continue under its independent editorial team – led by researchers at CIRES @colorado.edu and @uafairbanks.bsky.social – with new support from @agu.org.
cires.colorado.edu/news/2026-ar...
cires.colorado.edu/news/2026-ar...
Reposted by Muhammad Ittefaq, Ph.D.
In which my brother's oyster farm gets a shout-out (apparently his taste like "grass-fed butter") www.wsj.com/lifestyle/tr...
As Summer Winds Down in Maine, Oyster Season Hits Its Peak
The Damariscotta River is home to some of Maine’s oldest oyster farms—and enough distinct types to fill a whole weekend of tastings
www.wsj.com
August 30, 2026 at 4:07 PM
In which my brother's oyster farm gets a shout-out (apparently his taste like "grass-fed butter") www.wsj.com/lifestyle/tr...
Reposted by Muhammad Ittefaq, Ph.D.
Climate change equals more ticks? Shorter winters fail to kill off the tick population and longer warm periods increase the likelihood of human-tick interactions…read more ⬇️ buff.ly/EkORre0
Tick Populations Surge as the Climate Warms, and Farmers Bear the Brunt
Farmers are at an elevated risk for tick-borne illnesses, which can have devastating health and economic consequences.
civileats.com
August 30, 2026 at 4:11 PM
Climate change equals more ticks? Shorter winters fail to kill off the tick population and longer warm periods increase the likelihood of human-tick interactions…read more ⬇️ buff.ly/EkORre0
Reposted by Muhammad Ittefaq, Ph.D.
Permafrost is thawing deeper and it’s happening worldwide.
A new study of 156 monitoring sites found that the active layer, the soil that thaws each summer, increased significantly at many sites from 2000–2024.
www.nature.com/articles/s43...
A new study of 156 monitoring sites found that the active layer, the soil that thaws each summer, increased significantly at many sites from 2000–2024.
www.nature.com/articles/s43...
Long-term monitoring of active layer thickness confirms global permafrost degradation - Communications Earth & Environment
Active-layer thickness increased at 55% and 38% of Arctic and Antarctic sites, and >90% in European, Asian, and South American mountains, driven by increasing thawing degree-days and rainfall, acco...
www.nature.com
August 30, 2026 at 4:07 PM
Permafrost is thawing deeper and it’s happening worldwide.
A new study of 156 monitoring sites found that the active layer, the soil that thaws each summer, increased significantly at many sites from 2000–2024.
www.nature.com/articles/s43...
A new study of 156 monitoring sites found that the active layer, the soil that thaws each summer, increased significantly at many sites from 2000–2024.
www.nature.com/articles/s43...
Reposted by Muhammad Ittefaq, Ph.D.
In 1986, I endowed a chair at the Environmental Defense Fund for Dr Michael Oppenheimer to focus on the dangers of climate change. He along with other climate scientists and Al Gore warned the world was short on time to address its worst impacts.
August 30, 2026 at 10:41 AM
In 1986, I endowed a chair at the Environmental Defense Fund for Dr Michael Oppenheimer to focus on the dangers of climate change. He along with other climate scientists and Al Gore warned the world was short on time to address its worst impacts.
Reposted by Muhammad Ittefaq, Ph.D.
Sometimes I feel like I'm living on a different planet than the one I grew up on, not just a new climate ... global warming is a profoundly planet-altering process.
Europe Faces Surging Wildfire Threat, New Research Shows - Inside Climate News
From the Scottish Highlands to coastal France and Belgium’s boggy forests, conflagrations are already spreading into new regions.
insideclimatenews.org
August 30, 2026 at 3:17 PM
Sometimes I feel like I'm living on a different planet than the one I grew up on, not just a new climate ... global warming is a profoundly planet-altering process.
Reposted by Muhammad Ittefaq, Ph.D.
Still a lot to unravel in the ongoing calamity after Wednesday's glacier collapse and flood catastrophe in the Himalayas. It's clear enough that our human-warmed climate is destabilizing glaciers and permafrost. @climateconnections.bsky.social
yaleclimateconnections.org/2026/08/the-...
yaleclimateconnections.org/2026/08/the-...
The worrying climate link to Nepal's avalanche and flood catastrophe » Yale Climate Connections
Glacier collapse, not an earthquake, was the direct cause of the disaster that has left thousands missing.
yaleclimateconnections.org
August 28, 2026 at 5:12 PM
Still a lot to unravel in the ongoing calamity after Wednesday's glacier collapse and flood catastrophe in the Himalayas. It's clear enough that our human-warmed climate is destabilizing glaciers and permafrost. @climateconnections.bsky.social
yaleclimateconnections.org/2026/08/the-...
yaleclimateconnections.org/2026/08/the-...
Reposted by Muhammad Ittefaq, Ph.D.
Ishaan Tharoor writes about the floods, triggered by a glacial collapse in the Himalayas, that have killed at least 500 people in Nepal. www.newyorker.com/news/the-led...
The Floods Nepal Didn’t Cause
Flash floods, triggered by a glacial collapse in the Himalayas, have killed at least five hundred people in a nation that has contributed little to climate change but is disproportionately affected by it.
www.newyorker.com
August 30, 2026 at 4:00 PM
Ishaan Tharoor writes about the floods, triggered by a glacial collapse in the Himalayas, that have killed at least 500 people in Nepal. www.newyorker.com/news/the-led...
Reposted by Muhammad Ittefaq, Ph.D.
Two thirds of articles about the wildfires didn't mention climate change.
Once again parts of our media are failing at the most basic part of their job - reporting the truth.
uk.themedialeader.com/two-thirds-o...
Once again parts of our media are failing at the most basic part of their job - reporting the truth.
uk.themedialeader.com/two-thirds-o...
Two-thirds of UK news articles about wildfires this summer haven't mentioned climate change
Analysis from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit adds to concerns that national newspapers are failing to link this summer's extreme weather to climate change and the net-zero policies necessary to mitigate its drastic effects.
uk.themedialeader.com
August 17, 2026 at 11:00 AM
Two thirds of articles about the wildfires didn't mention climate change.
Once again parts of our media are failing at the most basic part of their job - reporting the truth.
uk.themedialeader.com/two-thirds-o...
Once again parts of our media are failing at the most basic part of their job - reporting the truth.
uk.themedialeader.com/two-thirds-o...