National Academies back extreme‑event attribution science

scienceJul 16, 202648408

The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released a landmark report endorsing extreme-event attribution science, concluding that human-induced climate change has "a direct and well-understood impact" on extreme heat and rainfall and that attribution methods can link heatwaves and wildfires to climate change. The report says tools, observations, and methods have advanced rapidly, enabling some event attributions to be completed within days. Researchers and outlets including The New York Times and Bloomberg reported the assessment could strengthen legal and policy uses, for example by supporting lawsuits seeking damages from fossil fuel companies. The report drew scrutiny and pushback from industry allies ahead of its release, and a proposed House bill to grant fossil fuel liability protections cites attribution science as lacking credibility and now has 20 co-sponsors. Committee membership included Kelvin Droegemeier, who served on the panel producing the assessment. The National Academies framing shifts the science from a debated research niche toward a practical tool for courts, regulators, and policymakers evaluating responsibility and damages from extreme weather events.

David Ho

@davidho.bsky.social

I’ve been saying for years that this is the most important area of climate science. The research could be used in legal cases against fossil fuel companies for damages caused by extreme weather events. Follow @frediotto.bsky.social and others at @wwattribution.bsky.social for more.

1713h ago

Quoting this

Kit Marie Rackley (Geogramblings)5

💯 Can’t agree with David more. And it breaks my heart to say it - but I foresee children dying where coroners will be able to put ‘climate change’ down as an exacerbating factor. This is why I’ve been pushing for years for climate change to be officially recognised as a child safeguarding issue.

Michael E. Mann

@michaelemann.bsky.social

My comments on the new @nationalacademies.org report on climate change & extreme weather attribution. The TLDR statement: If anything, the academy understates the strength of the science linking increasingly extreme weather events to climate change: michaelmann.net/comments-on-...

1147h ago

fbschwing.bsky.social3

This is a smoking gun to assist states and communities in their legal actions against fossil fuel interests.

ReverendJoey1

Today. Ohio. Lake Erie. Sandusky Bay

Don Boesch 🇺🇦🇬🇱🇭🇺1

Noting that Kelvin Droegemeier, Trump's first-term science advisor was one of the reviewers of this report.

Quoting this

Simon Donner9

As smoke from heatwave-fueled wildfires spreads across eastern US and Canada, the National Academy of Sciences releases a report confirming the link between extreme events and climate change. Coincidence? Yes... but a likely one given the rise in extremes. www.nationalacademies.org/publications...

David Roberts

@volts.wtf

From the National Academies, a comprehensive assessment of the science of "extreme event attribution," ie, tracing extreme weather events to climate change.

366h ago

Eos

@eos.org

Attribution science is getting better, says a new @nationalacademies.org report. That could be good news for plaintiffs suing fossil fuel companies. 🧪 eos.org/research-and...

183h ago

James Aura

@jamesaura.bsky.social

Top Science Panel Backs Research Linking Extreme Weather to Climate Change. #climate Attribution science is advancing quickly, researchers said. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/16/c...

54h ago

Aviel Roshwald

@avielroshwald.bsky.social

Woke scientists claim weather during one period of time could be part of a larger pattern of weather over a longer period of time. Top Science Panel Backs Research Linking Extreme Weather to Climate Change www.nytimes.com/2026/07/16/c...

54h ago

Environmental Voter Project

@environmentalvoter.bsky.social

"The nation’s top scientific advisory body issued a report on Thursday backing a growing field of science that could help governments hold oil, gas and coal companies responsible for the damage caused by extreme weather." www.nytimes.com/2026/07/16/c...

31h ago

Dr Tom Harris

@drtomharris.bsky.social

As we in Europe recover from another heatwave, others brace for the next one and other extreme weather events pepper the globe, weather attribution science updates us on the contribution Climate Change is making to all these events - but how does it work? drtomharris.substack.com/p/how-much-i...

3Yesterday

Dana Drugmand

@danad1012.bsky.social

This is why the industry & its political allies are attacking this science & new report The #BigOil immunity bill in Congress claims that extreme event attribution "lacks scientific credibility." House bill now has 20 co-sponsors (incl. 4 new ones just this week) 👀 www.barrons.com/news/new-sci...

52h ago

ACCR

@accr.bsky.social

Attribution science has become more precise and is expected to be used in court to hold companies and governments financially liable for the damage caused by climate change. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

2Yesterday

AZLD14Dems

@azld14dems.bsky.social

www.nytimes.com/2026/07/16/c... #Attribution science - or should we say cause and effect! #Climatechange is real and changing our world, no matter what climate deniers say. Even #tRump and his minions can't lie away facts. We all need to step up and save the planet!

42h ago

Robbie Andrew

@robbieandrew.bsky.social

A new report from the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine backs attribution science.

63h ago

House of Reps. SEEC

@houseseec.bsky.social

Today, @nationalacademies.org released a landmark assessment that affirms more than a decade of peer-reviewed research validating attribution science. The evidence is overwhelming; climate change is driven by fossil fuel pollution & its impacts are accelerating toward more dangerous extremes.

24h ago

Brian Wilcox

@brianwilcox.bsky.social

Explore this gift article from The New York Times. Cool. But we're not going to be able to sue our way out of this problem. We need to make sure that every person we vote for 1) is committed to addressing climate change and 2) is not accepting a single dollar from Big Oil and their proxies.

26h ago

Climate Watcher

@pmagn.bsky.social

Attribution science is advancing quickly, but not as quickly as Rapid Anthropogenic Global Warming 🔥 impacts 👀 www.nytimes.com/2026/07/16/c...

2Just now

1 source

nytimes.comNational Academies Report Backs Climate Change Attribution Science (Gift Article)

How to build a Corsi-Rosenthal box for wildfire smokescience National Academies back extreme‑event attribution sciencescience

National Academies back extreme‑event attribution science

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