It Only Takes A Few Countries To Kickstart A Decarbonisation Revolution
In 2016, more renewable energy was added to the global grid than ever before, and at a lower cost. A global energy revolution is clearly underway. What catalysed this transformation?
Better Ways To Foster Solar Innovation And Save Jobs Than Tariffs
Far from protecting U.S. interests, the tariffs are bound to stifle the current solar boom, destroying American jobs and dragging down clean energy innovation. As economists who research climate and energy policies that can foster a greener North American economy, we argue the government should instead create targeted subsidies that support innovation and lower costs across the supply chain.
Would Standing On The First Butterfly Really Change The History Of Evolution?
Science fiction writers can’t seem to agree on the rules of time travel. Sometimes, as in Doctor Who, characters can travel in time and affect small events without appearing to alter the grand course of history.
On Dangerous Ground: Land Degradation Is Turning Soils Into Deserts
Land degradation can take many forms, but always entails a serious disruption of a healthy balance between five key ecosystem functions.
The Anthropocene Began In 1965, According To Signs Left In The World's Loneliest Tree
On Campbell Island in the Southern Ocean, some 400 miles south of New Zealand, is a single Sitka spruce. More than 170 miles from any other tree, it is often credited as the “world’s loneliest tree”.
What These 6 Clouds Can Reveal About The Weather
You don’t need a supercomputer to predict how the weather above your head is likely to change over the next few hours – this has been known across cultures for millennia. By keeping an eye on the skies above you, and knowing a little about how clouds form, you can predict whether rain is on the way.
The Unholy Alliance That Explains Why Renewable Energy Is Trouncing Nuclear
If recent trends continue for another two years, the global share of electricity from renewables excluding hydropower will overtake nuclear for the first time.
Hope From Chaos: Can Political Upheaval Lead To A New Green Epoch?
Imagine then an enlightened “quantitative easing” transferring resources not to banks, but to mobilise a rapid transformation in energy infrastructure, retrofitting existing buildings, decarbonising transport and constructing zero-carbon power stations.
Spring Is Now Arriving Earlier The Farther North You Go
For every 10 degrees north from the equator you move, spring arrives about four days earlier than it did a decade ago, a new study suggests.
New Scenarios Show How The World Could Limit Warming To 1.5C In 2100
In the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change, nearly every country on Earth pledged to keeping global temperatures “well below” 2C above pre-industrial levels and to “pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5C”.
How To Use Critical Thinking To Spot False Climate Claims
Much of the public discussion about climate science consists of a stream of assertions. The climate is changing or it isn’t; carbon dioxide causes global warming or it doesn’t; humans are partly responsible or they are not; scientists have a rigorous process of peer review or they don’t, and so on.
Why Scientists Have Modelled Climate Change Right Up To The Year 2300
The seas will continue to rise for 300 years. That’s the conclusion of a new study, published in Nature Communications, which projects how much the sea level will rise under varying degrees of success in tackling climate change right up to the year 2300.
Agroforestry May Be A New Weapon In Climate Change Fight
Agroforestry could play an important role in mitigating climate change because it sequesters more atmospheric carbon in plant parts and soil than conventional farming, report researchers.
Who Are The New Renewable Superpowers
Imagine a world where every country has not only complied with the Paris climate agreement but has moved away from fossil fuels entirely. How would such a change affect global politics?
Why Are So Many People Still Living In Flood-prone Cities?
Over the last 30 years, floods have killed more than 500,000 people globally, and displaced about 650m more. In a paper published by the Centre for Economic Performance, we examined why so many people are hit by devastating floods.
Sustainable Shopping: How To Stay Green When Buying White Goods
Most of us have a range of white goods (refrigerators, washing machines, etc.) in our homes. These white goods provide a host of benefits, but they also have significant environmental impacts, and it’s important to consider these when using and choosing white goods.
The EU Got Less Electricity From Coal Than Renewables In 2017
For the first time, the European Union generated more electricity from wind, solar and biomass than from coal in 2017, according to new analysis from two thinktanks.
How Contracts With Landowners Could Help Prevent Deforestation
Forest owners at greater risk of illegally cutting trees on their land prefer to join conservation programs that allow sustainable timber harvesting, a new study suggests.
As Climate Changes, Why We Need The Arts More Than Ever
In tumultuous times, art can and must express the turmoil and help us process what’s going on.
How District Heating Warms Cities Without Fossil Fuels
Many cities which endure cold winters are adapting district heating schemes to keep people warm without the use of fossil fuels.
How Urban Forests Add To Cities’ Health And Wealth
Planting more urban forests is a simple way not only to improve the health of a city’s people, but to make them wealthier too.
With Cheap Solar And Wind Power, Is It Time To Rethink Energy Efficiency?
The need to cut emissions from the energy sector has motivated the use of hydro, solar and wind power, and the development of more efficient buildings that consume less energy.
This Water-based Air Conditioner Cools Without Harmful Chemicals
A new water-based air-conditioning system cools air to as low as 18 degrees Celsius (about 64 degrees Fahrenheit) without using energy-intensive compressors and environmentally harmful chemical refrigerants.
The Netherlands Can Feed the World. Here’s Why It Shouldn’t
Recently, National Geographic published an article called “This Tiny Country Feeds the World,” where the author extolled the innovations of a small European country that has managed to become a global powerhouse in agriculture and technology—the Netherlands.
Why Is Climate Change's 2 Degrees Celsius Of Warming Limit So Important?
If you read or listen to almost any article about climate change, it’s likely the story refers in some way to the “2 degrees Celsius limit.” The story often mentions greatly increased risks if the climate exceeds 2°C and even “catastrophic” impacts to our world if we warm more than the target.
Disasters Are Destroying Places We Hold Dear. What We Do Next Will Make All The Difference
When fires, floods and other major disruptions alter natural areas, our first instinct is to restore what’s lost. But moving forward may mean leaving some treasured things behind.
Extreme Weather Cost A Record Breaking $1.5 Trillion And Counting in 2017
The Trump administration, and its allies in Congress, are fighting a losing war. They continue to press forward for the development of oil, gas, and coal when the rest of the world understands the implication of that folly. Global warming is the most pressing issue for our time.
How This Grocery Store Program Pushed Farmers To Go Green
A program of one of the five largest supermarket chains in South Africa, drove increased adoption of environmental practices at the farm level, a new study of the store’s supply chain indicates.
Home Biogas Is Turning Food Waste Into Renewable Energy
Last night I cooked my family a delicious pasta dinner using biogas energy. This morning we all had eggs cooked on biogas. I’m not sure what’s for dinner tonight, but I know what will provide the energy for cooking
Is Warming In The Arctic Behind This Year's Crazy Winter Weather?
Damage from extreme weather events during 2017 racked up the biggest-ever bills for the U.S. Most of these events involved conditions that align intuitively with global warming: heat records, drought, wildfires, coastal flooding, hurricane damage and heavy rainfall.
7 Regions Poised To Feel Climate Change Pain And What They’re Doing About It
Climate change will not affect every place equally. Here’s what seven regions in the bull’s eye are doing about it now.
What Earlier Springs Mean For Forests
New research that combines satellite data with on-the-ground measurements, suggests that as global temperatures rise, spring in the Northeastern United States is starting earlier.
Where Natural Climate Patterns Are Creating Hot Spots Of Rapid Sea Level Rise
Many scientists have found evidence that climate change is amplifying the impacts of hurricanes. For example, several studies just published in December 2017 conclude that human-induced climate change made rainfall during Hurricane Harvey more intense. But climate change is not the only factor making hurricanes more damaging.
What To Do When You're Suffering From Climate Trauma
To maintain our capacity to address climate change, we need to recognize and address the trauma it creates.
To Slow Climate Change, India Joined The Renewable Energy Revolution
On June 3 2017, two days after President Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the Paris climate accord, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi exchanged a hug with French President Emmanuel Macron during an official visit to Paris.
Why Remote Antarctica Is So Important In A Warming World
Ever since the ancient Greeks speculated a continent must exist in the south polar regions to balance those in the north, has been popularly described as remote and extreme.
Is China’s Growing Footprint Threatening To Trample The Natural World?
Many observers of China’s escalating global program of foreign investment and infrastructure development are crossing their fingers and hoping for the best.
Will Puerto Ricans Return Home After Hurricane María?
Even before this year’s devastating hurricane season, the team of demographers I work with at Penn State and the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics had predicted that the population of Puerto Rico would decline over the next few decades.
A Fresh Start For Climate Change Mitigation In New Zealand
The election of the sixth Labour-led government heralds a new direction for climate change policy in New Zealand. As part of the new government’s 100-day priority plan, it pledged to set a target of carbon neutrality by 2050 and to establish the mechanisms to phase out fossil fuels.
Can Cities Get Smarter About Extreme Weather?
Remember the movie “Moneyball”? The Oakland A’s are struggling, financially and on the baseball field.Then they introduce an innovative system for figuring out which players will improve team performance.
How Carbon Farming Can Help Solve Climate Change
Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, nations pledged to keep the average global temperature rise to below 2C above pre-industrial levels and to take efforts to narrow that increase to 1.5C.
How Telling The Right Stories Can Make People Act On Climate Change
The latest UN Climate Change Conference since the 2015 Paris Agreement is taking place in Bonn between November 6-17 – and the world will be watching.
How Climate Change Affects The Building Blocks For Health
In August 2016, a third of the residents of the North Island township Havelock North fell acutely ill with gastroenteritis after their water was contaminated with campylobacter.
Ice Cores Indicate Even Higher Methane Emissions Than Previously Believed
Humans are probably contributing more methane to the atmosphere through fossil fuel use and extraction than scientists previously believed, report researchers.
The Burger Apocalypse: Low Carbon Eating And Avoiding Food Waste
More than 95% of people still eat meat and don’t like being told that it is wrong and bad for the planet to do so. But it is now well established that meat production is responsible for a substantial proportion of human greenhouse gas emissions, not to mention issues around animal welfare.
World Hunger Is Increasing Due To Wars And Climate Change
Around the globe, about 815 million people – 11 percent of the world’s population – went hungry in 2016, according to the latest data from the United Nations. This was the first increase in more than 15 years.
How Antarctic Ice Melt Can Be A Tipping Point For The Whole Planet's Climate
Melting of Antarctica’s ice can trigger rapid warming on the other side of the planet, according to our new research which details how just such an abrupt climate event happened 30,000 years ago, in which the North Atlantic region warmed dramatically.
Does Eating Grass-fed Beef Help Fight Climate Change?
Beef gets a bad press, environmentally speaking. We’re bombarded with reports highlighting its high carbon footprint accompanied by images of belching cows and devastated rainforests.
Could Climate Change Benefit Some Northeastern Farms?
Some aspects of climate change could benefit certain forms of agriculture in the Northeastern United States, new research suggests—though the researchers caution that there are many variables in the future scenario they envision.
How Sunlight And Microbes In Permafrost Add Carbon To Atmosphere
Microbes in permafrost that eat sun-weakened carbon and convert it into carbon dioxide may be providing a major pathway for the greenhouse gas to enter the atmosphere, new research suggests.
Why People Around The World Fear Climate Change More Than Americans Do
When asked about major threats to their country, Europeans are more likely than Americans to cite global climate change, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey.
Why Americans Are Embracing Climate Change Realities
Robert Jay Lifton was born 91 years ago. Living through the catastrophes of the 20th century — world war, tyrannical regimes, genocide, the nuclear bomb, terrorism — he grappled with their terrible impact on human beings. His work as a psychiatrist, historian and public intellectual forged his reputation as one of the world’s foremost thinkers.
Why Iron Added Naturally In The Pacific Ocean May Have Slowed Climate Change
Researchers have found at least eight occurrences of iron penetrating the Pacific Ocean, with each occurrence likely associated with global climate change over thousands of years.
Study Shows Wetlands Can Significantly Reduce Property Damage
A 12-year “hurricane drought” during which no major hurricanes formed in the Atlantic ended dramatically in 2017. The devastating impacts of Harvey, Irma, Jose and Maria across the United States and the Caribbean provide tragic reminders of the catastrophic risks we face on our coasts.
Solar Is Now The Most Popular Form Of New Electricity Generation Worldwide
Solar has become the world’s favourite new type of electricity generation, according to global data showing that more solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity is being installed than any other generation technology.
What Climate Change Means For Northern, Colder Cities
A new study outlines some of the effects that climate change will have on northern cities with cold climates, including in Europe and the North America.
Irma And Harvey: Very Different Storms, But Both Affected By Climate Change
There has been no let up since Hurricane Harvey dumped record-breaking rains on the Houston area of Texas. Hurricane Irma lashed parts of the Caribbean and Cuba and devastated the Florida Keys and the state’s west coast.
How I Came To Know That I Am A Closet Climate Denier
What we believe and how we act don’t always stack up. Recently, in considering what it means to live in a post-truth world, I had cause to examine my understanding of how the world works and my actions on sustainability.
What Made The Rain In Hurricane Harvey So Extreme?
The rainfall from Harvey has now exceeded the amount from the previous record-bearer, Tropical Storm Amelia in 1978.
Why Is Climate Change's 2 Degrees Celsius Of Warming Limit So Important?
If you read or listen to almost any article about climate change, it’s likely the story refers in some way to the “2 degrees Celsius limit.”
100% Renewable By 2050: The Technology Already Exists To Make It Happen
Most of the world could switch to 100% renewable energy by 2050, creating millions of jobs, saving millions of lives that would otherwise be lost to air pollution, and avoiding 1.5℃ of warming.
Greenland: How Rapid Climate Change On World’s Largest Island Will Affect Us All
The largest wildfire ever recorded in Greenland was recently spotted close to the west coast town of Sisimiut, not far from Disko Island where I research retreating glaciers.
Why Time Is The Essence To Curb Climate Change
By virtue of its size, elevation and currently frozen state, Greenland has the potential to cause large and rapid increases to sea level as it melts.
Why Power Companies Should Be Investing Now In Carbon-free Electricity
When utility executives make decisions about building new power plants, a lot rides on their choices.
Inaction On Climate Change Risks Leaving Future Generations $530 Trillion In Debt
By continuing to delay significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, we risk handing young people alive today a bill of up to US$535 trillion.
Could You Be An Optimistic Radical Solarpunk?
Solarpunk imagines a sustainable future, and what it might be like to live in it. Solarpunk’s optimism towards the future is the first concept that needs complicating here.
Why A Community’s Vulnerability To Drought Is More Important Than The Drought Itself.
Our worry is that putting too much emphasis on the climate overlooks the role of political and socio-economic factors in determining a community’s vulnerability to environmental stress.
How Wildfires Could Radically Change Our Forests And Your Life
Multiple lines of evidence are now telling us a convincing story that boreal fires are changing — they are getting bigger, larger. And if this continues, there is a good chance that...
I've Studied Larsen C And Its Giant Iceberg For Years and It's Not A Simple Story Of Climate Change
One of the largest icebergs ever recorded has just broken away from the Larsen C Ice Shelf in Antarctica.
Why 1 In 5 People Could Be A Refugee By 2100
In the year 2100, 2 billion people—about one-fifth of the world’s population—could become refugees due to rising ocean levels.
How Climate Change Is Making Cities Sick
Urban Canadians are feeling the impact of climate change. Flooding in Quebec this spring damaged nearly 1,900 homes in 126 municipalities, causing widespread psychological distress.
How Electric Cars Can Power Buildings From The Parking Lot
Using energy stored in the batteries of electric vehicles to power large buildings not only provides electricity for the building, but also increases the lifespan of the vehicle batteries, new research shows.
Saving Energy At Home Makes Us Think We Have Done Enough
People who report working to save energy in their own lives may be less likely to support government action on energy-use reduction and sustainability, a new study suggests.
Cities Can Jump Start Climate Progress By Plugging In Their Vehicles
President Donald Trump’s decision to exit the Paris climate agreement reaffirmed what was already clear
3 Minute Story Of 800,000 Years Of Climate Change With A Sting In The Tail
There are those who say the climate has always changed, and that carbon dioxide levels have always fluctuated.
Climate Action Never Did Depend on Trump
There are so many ways we can slow and stop the burning of fossil fuels in the United States. But we need to get to work.
6 Ways To Save California’s Trout And Salmon
A new report indicates that almost half of native California salmon, steelhead, and trout species are on track to be extinct in the next 50 years.
How Australian Farmers Are Adapting To Climate Change
2016-17 has been a great year for Australian farmers, with record production, exports and profits. These records have been driven largely by good weather, in particular a wet winter in 2016, which led to exceptional yields for major crops
Why We Should Be Turning Waste Into Fuel
The federal government recently announced that it is giving recycling company ResourceCo a loan of A$30 million to build two waste-to-fuel plants producing “solid waste fuel”.
The World's Scientists Are Taking On The Greenhouse Gas Challenge
Ingenuity in laboratories worldwide is harnessing microbes, water and hot air to produce different types of renewable energy from greenhouse gas.
Global Warming Could Exceed The 1.5°C Temperature Limit By 2026
The planet is on course to breach the internationally agreed warming limit of 1.5°C within 10 years, according to new research from Australia.
In Face Of Danger, Humans Are Better At Rapid Change Than We Think
A new study provides evidence that humans are capable of radically altering the world around us, and offers hope in the face of climate change.
Why Global Warming Slowdown Claims Are Not Credible
Much of the public and scientific discussion around a slowdown, or hiatus, in the rate of global warming has been misguided, says prominent climatologist.
Deadly Heat Stress Could Threaten Hundreds Of Millions Even If Climate Targets Reached
Deadly heat stress is projected to affect hundreds of millions more people each year under relatively little additional climate warming.
2016 Is The Year Coal Collapsed For Britain's Electricity Generation
Socially and politically, 2016 was a momentous year for Britain. It was also a record breaking year for energy and the environment, but thankfully for all the right reasons.
Fixing Methane Leaks Wouldn’t Cost That Much
The US Environmental Protection Agency recently enacted regulations to reduce methane emissions from oil and natural gas production.
Do We Need To Think About Redefining Citizenship?
The hottest year on record was 2016. It was also the year scientists advised that Earth’s citizens were now living in the Anthropocene Epoch.
Just One Change Can Make The Entire Food Web Unstable
Seeing how a new crop or missing animal affects the food web of the Ancestral Puebloan southwestern United States could shed light on the future of our food.
Why We Also Need To Reduce The Amount Of Carbon In The Atmosphere
Getting climate change under control is a formidable, multifaceted challenge. Analysis by my colleagues and me suggests that staying within safe warming levels now requires removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
How Climate Predictions And Climate Reality Is Starting To Converge
Scientists studying climate change have long debated exactly how much hotter Earth will become given certain amounts of greenhouse gas emissions.
Providing Sustainable Energy Worldwide Isn’t Just About Gadgets And Dollars
Around the world, 1.1 billion people have no electricity and 2.9 billion can’t cook with “clean” energy. The international community has big aspirations to tackle this challenge, and its focus is on sustainable energy.
Why We Should Be Using Carbon Capture For Other Industries Than Clean Coal
Since the February blackouts in South Australia, the Australian government has increased its interest in carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS).
Why Restoring Soil Fertility Is One Of Humanity’s Best Options For Making Progress On Climate Change
Most of us don’t think much about soil, let alone its health. But as Earth Day approaches, it’s time to recommend some skin care for Mother Nature.
How Farmers Can Profit Economically And Politically By Addressing Climate Change
President Trump, congressional Republicans and most American farmers share common positions on climate change
Nuclear Giants Limp Towards Extinction From Cost Overruns
Cost overruns and delays are pushing the nuclear industry into a financial black hole that threatens any future expansion.
How The Climate Cycle Fuels Famine In East Africa
Indian Ocean climate phenomenon is identified as a major factor in the drought threatening widespread famine around the Horn of Africa.
How Forests Offer Cool Way To Slow The Pace Of Global Warming
New global database of trees affirms the need for greater conservation and protection of forests to slow the pace of global warming.
Greater Than Anticipated Permafrost Thaw Threatens Flood Of CO2 And Methane
Global warming’s greater than anticipated impact on permafrost will release huge amounts of methane and carbon dioxide as the soil thaws.
Why We Are Heading For The Warmest Climate In Half A Billion Years
Carbon dioxide concentrations are heading towards values not seen in the past 200m years. The sun has also been gradually getting stronger over time.
Species Driven By Climate Change Are On The Move And Changing Almost Everything
Last year in Paris, for the very first time, English sparkling wine beat champagne in a blind tasting event.