Climate

    This Pacific nation was hit by a massive earthquake. Is climate change increasing seismic activity?
    21 Dec 2024

    A recent study joins a growing body of evidence that climate influences seismic activity. Three days ago, a violent magnitude 7.3 quake struck just offshore from the Pacific nation of Vanuatu’s most populous island. Damage was concentrated in the capital Port Vila’s downtown area, and the official figure of 10 confirmed deaths and more than […]

    How loss of urban trees affects educational outcomes
    19 Dec 2024

    It’s well established that urban tree cover provides numerous environmental and psychological benefits to city dwellers. Urban trees may also bolster education outcomes and their loss could disproportionately affect students from low-income families, according to new research by University of Utah social scientists. Economics professor Alberto Garcia looked at changes in school attendance and standardized […]

    Environmental damage ‘will leave $25 trillion a year dent in global economy’
    18 Dec 2024

    Environmental damage will cost the world economy up to $25 trillion a year in the decades to come and threaten the health of billions, unless governments address its effects on biodiversity and food production, according to a UN-backed report published on Tuesday. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), describes its document as the “most ambitious […]

    Only seven countries in the world breathe safe air. Three of them are in Europe
    17 Dec 2024

    Scientists say that air pollution is a ‘global health catastrophe’. Only seven countries in the world met safe air pollution levels in 2023, according to a report by Swiss air quality technology company IQAir. The World Air Quality Report, released earlier this year, draws on data from more than 30,000 monitoring stations in 134 countries, […]

    Keir Starmer to visit carbon capture facilities in trip to Norway
    16 Dec 2024

    Britain and Norway will launch a new Green Industrial Partnership on Monday, as the two countries seek closer co-operation across a range of sectors, particularly those related to clean energy projects and innovations. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will visit a carbon transport and storage facility in Norway to witness first-hand how such projects can regenerate industrial heartlands […]

    Cop16 gives indigenous communities a louder voice
    15 Dec 2024

    Talks at a critical UN summit to tackle desertification went into overtime as negotiators pushed into Friday night to gain a conclusion from governments on tackling drought. Nations made significant progress in laying the groundwork for a future global drought regime. However, the conference closed without a firm conclusion. That is expected to be achieved […]

    The Arctic tundra has transformed from carbon sink to carbon source, report finds
    14 Dec 2024

    Dramatic changes in the Arctic are being driven by high temperatures and intense wildfires. After storing carbon dioxide for millennia in frozen soil, the Arctic tundra has now become a source of emissions. “Our observations now show that the Arctic tundra, which is experiencing warming and increased wildfire, is now emitting more carbon than it […]

    UAE to harness AI to help protect crucial mangroves as global efforts falter
    12 Dec 2024

    A new UAE-based technology has been launched to tackle sustainable issues such as mangrove restoration. Nabat.ai, an initiative by the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), aims to boost mangrove regeneration – with an estimated seed success rate of about 30 per cent. The technology uses artificial intelligence (AI) and drones developed and built in the UAE to map […]

    Hot in the city: Planting trees not the whole answer to cooler urban living
    11 Dec 2024

    Planting certain kinds of trees can make cities hotter at night, not cooler, according to a new study. Trees can significantly reduce the temperature of cities during the day by providing shade, changing the airflow and through the evaporation of water from microscopic pores in their leaves. But a new study has found that tree canopies can trap heat, […]

    Billions face arid future as climate change turns land to desert
    10 Dec 2024

    More than three quarters of the Earth have become irreversibly drier over the past three decades, according to a UN report which says there is an existential crisis that could affect billions more worldwide. About 77.6 per cent of Earth’s land was under drier conditions during the three decades up to 2020 compared to the 30 years […]