Jeff Dukes

Research Works - NSF NCAR|UCAR Harnessing the power of research to protect lives and property, support the economy, and strengthen national security.

Why would it be such a problem to dismantle NCAR, you might wonder. Well, it’s an institution that provides all kinds of value to the US taxpayer and beyond. Here are some examples.

researchworks.ucar.edu

Trump moves to pull US out of bedrock global climate treaty, becoming first country to do so | CNN The Trump administration is pulling the United States out of the bedrock treaty that underpins international cooperation on climate change, along with dozens of other global bodies.

Trump moves to pull the US from bedrock climate treaty, UN IPCC and other int'l orgs & UN agencies. In doing so, the US becomes the only country to withdraw from this particular climate agreement dating back to 1992 (UNFCCC). www.cnn.com/2026/01/07/c...

Withdrawing the United States from International Organizations, Conventions, and Treaties that Are Contrary to the Interests of the United States MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United

A truly gonzo Executive Order from the Trump Administration removes US from not just the UN Framework Convention on Climate change, but also the IPCC (!), the IUCN, the IPBES (the IPCC of biodiversity), and all sorts of other organizations. www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...

Interior to Spend Holidays Studying Refuges for Possible Closure Congress will have to approve any Interior Department plans to abolish national wildlife refuges as staff members spend the next few weeks completing a review the US Fish and Wildlife Service has orde...

Over the holidays, every single national wildlife refuge, plus some fish hatcheries and marine monuments were directed to conduct a system-wide review. Outrageous deadline of Jan 5 functionally eliminates public input & tribal consultation.

news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-...

Fig. 5 Measurement-model-remote sensing framework to improve and scale predictions of ecosystem response to climate change across landscapes.

#Viewpoint: Improving the representation of plant water stress and #water use in Earth System Models

Dukes et al. 👇

📖 nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

#LatestIssue #PlantScience @dukesjeff.bsky.social @changliao.bsky.social @richphillipslab.bsky.social @scottmcadam.bsky.social

The U.S. Is Funding Fewer Grants in Every Area of Science and Medicine (Gift Article) A quiet policy change means the government is making fewer bets on long-term science.

www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

So much drama at @stanfordjrbp.bsky.social

A yellow banana slug slithers across brown fallen California bay leaves on a trail.

The scientist walked on down the trail, carrying the box and wondering if mimicking snakes was something California newts even did. When, all of a sudden…

“Whoa! A banana slug!”

But that’s another story.

Happy Sunday!
16/16

The newt’s tail is barely visible under the soil-covered mushroom.

“Wheeew!” The newt thought, as the scientist walked away. “That was close!” And it promptly fell fast asleep under the mushroom.
15/16

The tail of the newt, still looking very snake head-like, starts heading back under the mushroom cap.

The newt wondered if the scientist was about to grab him.

“Well, that’s probably as much excitement as that newt wants to have today,” the scientist thought. The box he was carrying had nothing to do with newts. “I should probably leave it alone now.”
14/??

The newt’s tail retracts slightly, like a snake contemplating making a strike. The rest of the newt remains hidden under the soil-covered mushroom.

The hiker, who was in fact a scientist, was impressed. “I didn’t know that newts could make their tails look like snakes, he thought. Is that even what this one is trying to do? Amazing.”
13/??

The newt’s tail curves out horizontally from under the mushroom, looking like the head of a small snake.

The newt was creative. I will make my tail look like a ferocious snake, it thought. It wasn’t sure if that was something newts even did. But it was worth a try. It carefully curved its tail and poked out the tip.
12/??

The newt’s tail arches and moves back towards the edge of the soil-covered mushroom

But what if he doesn’t understand my warning colors, the newt wondered? He’s not going away! And I saw he was carrying a big box. I don’t want to be caught!
11/??

The newt’s tail emerges from under the mushroom, with its orangish bottom side facing the viewer, and wraps over the mushroom’s cap

I know he saw me, the newt thought. I better show him I am not afraid. I will stick out my tail with its warning colors, it thought. Then he will know not to mess with me.
10/??

The newt has totally disappeared under the mushroom.

The newt made it completely under the mushroom! It was totally hidden. But now, it started to wonder. What’s happening out there? That hiker looked like a scientist. Will it grab me? Does it realize I am toxic?
(Actually 9/??)

Just the newt’s tail remains sticking out from the mushroom.

The mushroom was perfect cover. But it was a little small. The newt scrunched all the way in, trying to figure out how to fit its tail.
9/??

The newt starts heading under a large emerging mushroom that is still covered in soil

The hideout was a brand new mushroom that had just pushed up from the soil. It made a little cave. And the newt thought it could fit underneath.
7/??

The newt continues across the leaves, now heading away from the camera.

It hadn’t seen this hideout before. But just maybe it would work.
6/??

Moving quickly now, for a being of its general nature, the newt heads towards the side of the trail, going to the right-hand side of the picture across a layer of Valley Oak leaves and California Bay leaves.

Off the side of the trail, it spied a promising possibility. But could it get there before disaster struck?
5/??

The newt begins to take a left turn, heading towards the right of the picture.

The newt decided its best option was to take cover. But where?
4/??

The note takes a big slow step, looking ahead at the comparatively MUCH larger hiker.

It came across a hiker. I’m not sure what to make of him, it thought.
3/??

The newt continues on its path

It was a perfectly happy newt, minding its own business
2/??

A brown California newt walks across some brown fallen oak leaves

Short story Sunday:
There once was a California newt heading down a leafy trail 1/??

Love maps? (Us too.) Interested in learning more about biodiversity and helping science? (Ditto.)

This Wednesday, join Cal Academy researchers for a free, virtual georeferencing training session. 🌱

Learn more and register here: bit.ly/4qJoVbP

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We just published the Global Carbon Budget 2025, with a mix of bad news (CO2 emissions continue to grow) and encouraging news (35 countries saw emissions decline over the past decade while growing their economies).

Read the highlights in a short article:
theconversation.com/the-worlds-c...

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To support this year's Global Carbon Budget, 2025, we are publishing

The big paper, made possible by the strong commitment of a core group of scientists, with @pfriedling.bsky.social at the lead, working with a network of equally committed contributors from 102 research organizations worldwide

Latest from Reuters using @globalenergymon.bsky.social data! Two-thirds of new power projects are solar & wind 🌞💨 Around 950 GW of clean capacity is being built—345 GW of that from solar alone.

www.reuters.com/markets/comm...

Hydrology Paper of the Day @dukesjeff.bsky.social on plant hydraulics in Earth System Models: challenges with capturing complexity and spatial variability; water stresses and transpiration in the context of drought and species-specific ecology; the challenges of scaling; and testing new models.

‘Emerging threat’: An invasive species is upending life in the Delta, with no help on the way One year after the discovery that golden mussels had invaded the Delta, thick colonies coat boats and piers and threaten water supplies for cities and farms. Yet the state has no specific funding o…

“These things came [to California] clearly from another region, another country — and that means all of our waterways are at risk,” Ransom said, calling the mussels a “serious emerging threat” to farms, water supplies, and recreation.

www.mercurynews.com/2025/11/06/e...

Just published this new paper, with a bunch of fantastic colleagues, with many suggestions for "Improving the representation of plant water stress and water use in Earth System Models." Access is free online. We have some great figures, thanks to Victor Leshyk. 🧪🌐🌳🌎