RealClimate

RealClimate
Name	RealClimate
Type	Blog
Owner	Climate scientists
Launch date	2004
Language	English

RealClimate is an online commentary site founded in 2004 by climate scientists to provide expert perspectives on climate science, paleoclimatology, atmospheric physics, and policy-relevant interpretation. It was created by researchers associated with institutions such as NASA, NOAA, and UC Berkeley to address media coverage of topics like global warming, radiative forcing, and temperature reconstructions. The site positions itself as a corrective to misconceptions in outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Fox News by drawing on peer-reviewed literature from journals like Nature (journal), Science (journal), and Geophysical Research Letters.

History

RealClimate was launched in December 2004 against a backdrop of public debates tied to events including the 2003 European heat wave, the publication of the IPCC Third Assessment Report, and the film The Great Global Warming Swindle. Founding authors included researchers affiliated with MIT, Columbia University, University of East Anglia, and Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Early posts engaged with controversies such as the Hockey stick controversy, critiques from think tanks like the George C. Marshall Institute, and coverage by newspapers such as The Guardian and The Washington Post. Over time the site responded to advances reported in conferences like the American Geophysical Union fall meeting and assessments by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The archive documents responses to episodes including the Climatic Research Unit email controversy and subsequent inquiries in the United Kingdom and United States.

Mission and Editorial Policy

RealClimate states an intent to explain scientific findings published in outlets such as Journal of Climate, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and Nature Climate Change. Its editorial posture is informed by authors' affiliations with laboratories like Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory and agencies such as the United States Geological Survey. The site emphasizes peer-reviewed evidence from fields including paleoclimatology, atmospheric chemistry, and oceanography and often cites assessments from bodies like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Editorial decisions are shaped to rebut misinterpretations seen in media outlets including Daily Mail (United Kingdom), The Economist, and National Public Radio while clarifying findings from landmark studies by researchers such as Michael E. Mann, James E. Hansen, and Kerry Emanuel.

Content and Topics Covered

RealClimate covers topics ranging from instrumental records analyzed by teams at Hadley Centre and NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information to proxy records from studies published by researchers at University of Arizona and University of Colorado Boulder. Posts examine mechanisms like radiative forcing, greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide as measured by observatories including Mauna Loa Observatory. It addresses modeling results from groups running climate models like those in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project and centers including Hadley Centre for Climate Change, GFDL, and NCAR. The site discusses impacts documented in reports from World Meteorological Organization, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and IPCC assessment reports, and analyzes events such as sea level rise, Arctic amplification, and El Niño–Southern Oscillation. RealClimate also evaluates paleo records like the Vostok ice core, debates over attribution exemplified by studies from NOAA and JPL, and policy-relevant topics intersecting with reports from International Energy Agency and rulings such as Massachusetts v. EPA.

Contributors and Governance

Contributors have included academics from Columbia University, University of Cambridge, Princeton University, California Institute of Technology, and University of Washington. Individual authors have published in journals including Journal of Geophysical Research, Nature Geoscience, and Climatic Change and have served on advisory panels such as those convened by the National Research Council and IPCC. The site operates under informal governance by its core group, with editorial decisions informed by the norms of professional societies like the American Meteorological Society and American Geophysical Union. Guest posts and commentary have featured contributors from institutions such as Yale University, Stanford University, ETH Zurich, and Max Planck Institute for Meteorology.

Reception and Impact

RealClimate has been cited by media outlets including BBC News, The Guardian, Los Angeles Times, and Scientific American as an expert source on climate science. It influenced public understanding during episodes such as the Climategate investigations and informed commentary around policy instruments like carbon pricing and reports from the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report. Its posts have been referenced in legal and legislative briefings in jurisdictions such as European Union institutions and the United States Congress. Academics and educators have used articles as teaching resources in courses at Harvard University, University of Oxford, and University of California, Berkeley.

Controversies and Criticism

RealClimate has been criticized by organizations like Competitive Enterprise Institute and commentators appearing in The Wall Street Journal for perceived advocacy, prompting debates about the boundary between science communication and activism. Critics invoked episodes such as the Climatic Research Unit email controversy to question transparency and conflicts of interest, while supporters pointed to inquiries by bodies including the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee that cleared many scientists of wrongdoing. Discussion has involved tensions with journalists at outlets including The Mail on Sunday and policy advocates at Heritage Foundation and led to broader debates about expert blogging, media literacy, and the role of scientists in public discourse.

Category:Climate change communication