May 2017 Volume 7, Issue 5

Political swings and roundabouts p305
doi:10.1038/nclimate3294
With a politically tumultuous spring and the window on keeping global average temperatures below 2 °C above preindustrial levels closing, environmental advocacy perhaps has a more important role now than ever before.

Aligning agriculture and climate policy pp307 – 309
A. Chabbi, J. Lehmann, P. Ciais, H. W. Loescher, M. F. Cotrufo, A. Don, M. SanClements, L. Schipper, J. Six, P. Smith and C. Rumpel
doi:10.1038/nclimate3286
The 4‰ initiative to sequester carbon in soils has the potential to connect sustainable development goals, enhance food security and mitigate climate change by utilizing waste organic residues.

Out of the lab and into the field pp309 – 311
Dan M. Kahan and Katherine Carpenter
doi:10.1038/nclimate3283
Decision scientists have identified remedies for various cognitive biases that distort climate-change risk perceptions. Researchers must now use the same empirical methods to identify strategies for reproducing — in the tumult of the real world — results forged in the tranquillity of their labs.

The IPCC and the politics of anticipation pp311 – 313
Silke Beck and Martin Mahony
doi:10.1038/nclimate3264
In the emerging post-Paris climate governance regime, the role of scientific expertise is radically changing. The IPCC in particular may find itself in a new role, where projections of future climate function as a kind of regulatory science. This poses great challenges to conventional ideals of scientific neutrality.

Climate-induced migration: Impacts beyond the coast pp315 – 316
Jeroen C. J. H. Aerts
doi:10.1038/nclimate3279
Global warming and sea-level rise will potentially impact millions of people in coastal zones. New research shows that such migration will affect all US states, including inland states which are unprepared for such an inflow of residents.
See also: Letter by Mathew E. Hauer

Global energy budget: Elusive origin of warming slowdown pp316 – 317
Richard P. Allan
doi:10.1038/nclimate3282
Global surface warming was slower than expected in the first decade of the twenty-first century. Research attributes similar events to ocean or atmosphere fluctuations, but the subtle origins of these events may elude observational detection.
See also: Letter by Christopher Hedemann et al.

Biogeochemistry: The soil carbon erosion paradox pp317 – 319
Jonathan Sanderman and Asmeret Asefaw Berhe
doi:10.1038/nclimate3281
Erosion is typically thought to degrade soil resources. However, the redistribution of soil carbon across the landscape, caused by erosion, can actually lead to a substantial sink for atmospheric CO2.
See also: Letter by Zhengang Wang et al.

Water resources: Future Nile river flows pp319 – 320
Declan Conway
doi:10.1038/nclimate3285
Climate change is projected to increase annual Nile river flow; importantly, year-to-year variability is also expected to increase markedly. More variable flows could present a challenge for consistent water resource provision in this region.
See also: Letter by Mohamed S. Siam et al.