Human activity is changing the climate in unprecedented and sometimes irreversible ways, a major UN scientific report has said. The landmark study warns of increasingly extreme heatwaves, droughts and flooding, and a key temperature limit being broken in just over a decade. The report “is a code red for humanity”,Continue Reading
A new study shows that the percentage of the global population at risk from flooding has risen by almost a quarter since the year 2000. Satellite images were used to document the rise, which is far greater than had been predicted by computer models. The analysis shows that migration and a growingContinue Reading
Against a backdrop of fires and floods, researchers are meeting virtually to finalise a key climate science study. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is preparing the most comprehensive assessment on the state of global heating since 2013. Over the next two weeks, the scientists will go through theirContinue Reading
The searing heat that scorched western Canada and the US at the end of June was “virtually impossible” without climate change, say scientists. In their study, the team of researchers says that the deadly heatwave was a one-in-a-1,000-year event. But we can expect extreme events such as this to becomeContinue Reading
It’s becoming more likely that a key global temperature limit will be reached in one of the next five years. A major study says by 2025 there’s a 40% chance of at least one year being 1.5C hotter than the pre-industrial level. That’s the lower of two temperature limits setContinue Reading
Foals keyboardist Edwin Congrave has said he has questioned being in the band over the carbon footprint of their global tours. The musician says he has struggled with the idea of touring far-flung places like Asia and Australia. “I think that it would be quite easy for us and aContinue Reading
Biodiversity: Why the nature crisis matters, in five graphics. Human activities are destroying the natural world, leading to the extinction of animal and plant species at an alarming rate. Now, world leaders are promising action to tackle the problem. But will it be enough? Human activities are destroying the naturalContinue Reading
Like many of us, Sir David Attenborough has had to adapt to new ways of working since the coronavirus pandemic took hold this spring. For his latest series, the 93-year-old – who has been shielding – had to record some of his voiceovers from his home in south-west London. “I’mContinue Reading
Sharks are rarely seen at almost one in five of the world’s coral reefs, a major study has found. The crash in shark numbers, caused largely by over-fishing, could have dire consequences for corals struggling to survive in a changing climate, researchers have said. Sharks are top predators, playing aContinue Reading
Finnish scientists producing a protein “from thin air” say it will compete with soya on price within the decade. The protein is produced from soil bacteria fed on hydrogen split from water by electricity. The researchers say if the electricity comes from solar and wind power, the food can beContinue Reading