New research from Colorado State University suggests that irrigating U.S. crops may deliver a surprisingly large climate benefit by allowing farmers to produce more food without converting additional natural land into agriculture. Irrigation increases crop yields, which means the same amount of food can be grown on a smaller area. According to the researchers, if […]
When Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai erupted beneath the South Pacific in January 2022, the explosion ranked among the most powerful volcanic events of the modern era. But researchers have now uncovered an unexpected consequence of that eruption: the enormous volcanic cloud appears to have helped destroy some of the methane pollution produced by the volcano itself. […]
A coral reef off the coast of Benin that was thought to be dead for decades has been found alive and apparently healthy. Surveys conducted in the 1960s, which were primarily designed to locate productive fishing grounds, identified what appeared to be a deep-water coral reef. At the time, researchers concluded that the reef was […]
“For too long a sense has prevailed that solutions to the climate and nature are out of reach. This new research explodes that myth once and for all.” The world risks irreversible damage as our reliance on planet-heating fossil fuels pushes ecosystems towards catastrophic climate tipping points. A recent report from the United Nations Environment […]
“If humanity doesn’t cut the fossil fuel pollution baking our planet, this summer’s brutal heat, fires and droughts will seem mild compared to the permanent climate nightmare that will follow,” said Simon Stiell, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary. “Europe’s summer has been hot as hell. This is the price of global fossil fuel addiction hitting […]
The world has experienced its joint-hottest month since records began, with August pushing the planet’s average global temperature to more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, data shows. Extreme weather and climate-related disasters raged around the world last month. Scientists have said climate change likely played a role in the landslides and flash floods that killed […]
Built for the desert heat using stone, coral and mud brick, the UAE’s traditional homes are central to the country’s heritage. Today, old Gulf-style houses are being studied by an academy of German and Arab scientists to help solve the newer problem of climate change. Researchers involved in the project, which looks at the architecture of the […]
Plants facing both a warming climate and rapidly declining pollinator populations may be pulled in competing evolutionary directions. A University of Michigan study suggests that, instead of adapting primarily to climate pressures, some plants may be evolving traits that help them attract pollinators. In morning glories, researchers found that the population’s rate of adaptation fell […]
Tackling air pollution and climate change together could save lives and boost economies, UN reports show. Climate change-driven wildfires and heatwaves are worsening air pollution, with damaging consequences for nature and human health, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Global warming is making these events worse as they release microscopic airborne pollutants that risk […]
A persistent patch of unusually warm tropical ocean helped intensify snowfall over East Antarctica, contributing to a temporary net ice sheet mass gain of about 695 billion tons, according to a new study published in Nature on August 19. Researchers found that sustained warming in the tropical warm pool during 2021-23 set off a chain of atmospheric […]
