News

Royal family squeeze out climate change in US media coverage

Analysis shows royals crowding out coverage of global warming, as Prince Charles makes his strongest climate warning yet. Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, made one of his strongest speeches yet on the dangers of a warming planet when he warned this month that climate change is "the greatest risk we have ever faced". »

Century-old science helps confirm global warming

Ocean measurements taken more than 135 years ago during the scientific expedition of HMS Challenger have provided further confirmation of human-produced global warming over the past century. »

Urgent evacuation of Russian Arctic post

Moscow: Russia has ordered the urgent evacuation of the 16-strong crew of a drifting Arctic research station after the ice floe that hosts the floating laboratory began to disintegrate.    . »

Locust plagues point to grim future of climate change

Climatic changes in China, the Middle East and Africa could see more severe outbreaks of locusts devastating food crops. The desert locust, the most notorious of about a dozen locust species for its ability to rapidly multiply and travel long distances, threatens an area of 32 million square kilometres, stretching across 50 countries from west Africa to India. »

Matt Ridley's misguided climate policy | Dana Nuccitelli

If we're fortunate that climate consequences will take a decade longer, we're still not doing nearly enough to solve the problem. In an opinion article for the London Times this past Monday, writer Matt Ridley discussed his interpretation of a new paper which suggests that the Earth's climate sensitivity may be a bit lower than current best estimates. »

New EU climate policy unlikely before 2015: Poland

The European Union is unlikely to hammer out its new policy on global warming ahead of a global climate deal that could be clinched in 2015, Poland's environment minister said Wednesday. »

Don't delay on renewable energy, government told

Committee on Climate Change says the sooner the UK invests in low-carbon power generation the cheaper it will be. Investing in new renewable power generation, rather than a "dash for gas", will be the lower-cost option for keeping the lights on while cutting greenhouse gas emissions, the government's climate change watchdog has said. »

China unveils details of pilot carbon-trading programme

Nation's first trading scheme in the southern city of Shenzhen will cover 638 companies when it begins next month. China has unveiled details of its first pilot carbon-trading programme, which will begin next month in the southern city of Shenzhen. »

World on course to run out of water, warns Ban Ki-moon

Freshwater supply and water quality under pressure, warns UN secretary general on International Day of Biological Diversity. Ban Ki-moon has warned the world is on course to run out of freshwater unless greater efforts are made to improve water security. »

Unexpected effects of ocean acidification on deep-sea organisms

About 55.5 million years ago, geologically rapid emission of a large volume of greenhouse gases at the Paleocene-Eocene boundary (PETM) led to global warming of about 5oC, severe ocean acidification, and widespread extinction of microscopic organisms living on the deep-sea floor (foraminifera). »

Don't pin US tornado on climate change, UN panel head says

Pinning the deadly tornado in the US state of Oklahoma on climate change is wrongheaded, even though the world is set to see a rise in high-profile weather disasters due to global warming, the leader of a UN body said Tuesday. »

What Role Does Climate Change Play in Tornadoes?

A powerful tornado as much as two-miles wide devastated the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore on May 20. The twister reportedly boasted winds above 200 miles-per-hour as it tore through homes and schools, leaving a path of large-scale destruction and killing dozens of people, including many children. »

Matt Ridley has joined the real climate debate | Myles Allen

The climate sceptic's interpretation of my study as final endorsement of his position means we can move on. It isn't often, as a climate scientist, that you find your research being enthusiastically endorsed by climate sceptic Matt Ridley in the Times. »

Oklahoma tornado: is climate change to blame? | Harry Enten

The Oklahoma twister was a 'classic look', but the data shows we are experiencing more volatility in the US tornado season. Global climate change and politics are linked to each other – for better or worse. »

Heartland Institute wastes real scientists' time – yet again | John Abraham

Wouldn't it be nice to live in a world where armchair experts gave up fighting over whether climate change is occurring? This spring, I began receiving calls and emails from colleagues about a strange little book that was mailed to environmental science professors around the country. This was a big mailing, in total, a reported 100,000 copies were sent out. »

Caribbean Scientist Warns of Climate Change Disaster

The Caribbean does not have the luxury of time for decisive action on climate change and global warming. In fact, it is on the brink of calamity, according to a prominent scientist. Conrad Douglas, a Jamaican scientist who has published over 350 reports on environmental management and related matters, has warned that “urgent action at... »

Extreme global warming seen further away than previously thought

Extreme global warming is less likely in coming decades after a slowdown in the pace of temperature rises so far this century, an international team of scientists said on Sunday. »

China 'will not accept' carbon tax on EU flights: report

China will not pay for CO2 emissions by its airlines on flights within Europe, a top civil aviation official reportedly said after the European Commission warned eight Chinese firms face fines for nonpayment. »

Climate change meltdown unlikely but human disaster looms, claims new research

But forecast global temperature rise of 4C heralds disaster for large swaths of planet with oceans absorbing most global warming. Some of the most extreme predictions of global warming are unlikely to materialise, new scientific research has suggested, but the world is still likely to be in for a temperature rise of double that regarded as safe. »

Heatwave deaths in New York city could rise by up to 22%, study shows

New temperature norms under climate change will increase weather-related deaths in metropolitan areas in coming decades. New York city could experience up to 22% more deaths from extreme summertime heat in the coming decade under global warming, according to a study of the impact of climate trends. »