News

Can forests save us from climate change?

Additional climate benefits through sustainable forest management will be modest and local rather than global. Even if Europe's forests are managed in such a way that their carbon sequestration is maximized it will not impact the climate significantly. »

Climate models fail to simulate recent air-pressure changes over Greenland

Climatologists may be unable to accurately predict regional climate change over the North Atlantic because computer simulations have failed to include real data from the Greenland region over the last three decades -- and it could lead to regional climate predictions for the UK and parts of Europe being inaccurate. »

Conflict diamonds and climate change: Cooperate, don’t compete over natural resources urges Guterres

The struggle over natural resources often lies at the heart of violent conflicts, fuelling strife in many parts of the world, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said on Tuesday, urging governments and everyone with a stake in valuable resources, to think hard about how they are managed and exploited. »

Leaders move past Trump to protect world from climate change

Far more must be invested in adapting to warming, says new global commission that aims to rebuild political will after US withdrawal from Paris agreement. Far too little is being done to protect people from the heatwaves, storms and floods being supercharged by climate change, according to a high-level international commission. »

Fact check: Donald Trump's claims versus climate science

Trump’s assertions are at odds with scientific consensus that humans are causing higher temperatures that pose immediate and growing threats. Asked about climate change on CBS’ 60 Minutes and by reporters in Georgia on Monday, Donald Trump suggested that climate change will “change back again,” that it might not be man-made, and that hurricanes aren’t getting worse. »

U.S. government, but not Trump, can be sued over climate: judge

A group of young Americans suing the federal government over lack of action to fight climate change can proceed with their lawsuit, but U.S. President Donald Trump cannot be named as a defendant, a federal judge ruled on Monday. »

Australia should be 'exporting sunshine, not coal', economist Jeffrey Sachs tells Q&A

US analyst criticises successive governments for defending coal in wake of alarming IPCC report on climate change. Economist Jeffrey Sachs has criticised successive Australian governments for “defending a 19th or 20th century industry” rather than taking decisive action on climate change, saying Australia should be “exporting sunshine, not coal”. »

Our leaders are destroying our future. Wentworth must be a referendum on climate change | Richard Flanagan and Geoff Cousins

In the face of sustained government stupidity, many feel powerless. Voters in Wentworth can lead the way. If a bricklayer builds a wall that falls over 12 years later, killing someone, the bricklayer can be sued and even jailed. »

Trouble Brewing? Climate Change Closes In on Beer Drinkers

Increasing droughts and heat waves could have a devastating effect on barley stocks—and beer prices -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com. »

New interactive scenario explorer for 1.5 degrees C pathways

IIASA and the Integrated Assessment Modeling Consortium (IAMC) have made the scenarios underlying last week's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 1.5 degrees C Special Report publicly available, in an interactive online resource. »

Beer lovers face price spikes, shortages as climate changes: study

Climate change will brew trouble for beer lovers in coming decades as it shrinks yields of barley, the top grain used to make the world's most popular alcoholic drink, a study published on Monday said. »

Trouble brewing: climate change to cause 'dramatic' beer shortages

Extreme weather damage to the global barley crop will mean price spikes and supply problems, according to new research. Trouble is brewing for the world’s beer drinkers, with climate change set to cause “dramatic” price spikes and supply shortages, according to new research. »

Banks, insurers must have credible plans for climate change: BoE

Britain's banks and insurers must come up with credible plans for protecting themselves against risks from climate change and may need to hold more capital, the Bank of England said on Monday. »

There’s one key takeaway from last week’s IPCC report | Dana Nuccitelli

Cut carbon pollution as much as possible, as fast as possible. »

Banks will not be forced to reveal climate change risks they face

Critics demand tougher action as Bank of England stops short of call for mandatory reports. The Bank of England has stopped short of forcing the banking industry to disclose the potential risks they face from climate change, despite growing calls from campaigners for such action. »

Would you munch on a bug to save the planet from global warming? | Jessica Brown

More people would give up meat for edible insects if they believed bugs were tasty and trendy. The thought of rising sea levels and more intense heatwaves are enough to keep you up at night. But while we all know the situation is getting more serious, most of us are preoccupied with work, doctor’s appointments and paying bills – and these immediate, visceral worries win every time. »

'It'll change back': Trump says climate change not a hoax, but denies lasting impact

Climate scientists have political agendas, US president says in interview with 60 Minutes. Donald Trump is doubling down on his doubts about climate change, suggesting that the climate could “change back again,” and that climate scientists are politically motivated. The US president has long questioned man-made global warming. »

This week in climate news (14 October 2018)

The most popular articles from the past week. »

Forget coal wars, says Alan Finkel – look at emission outcomes

Chief scientist says Australia must use all available technologies. Australia’s chief scientist says the question facing the nation’s energy future is not about renewables versus coal but how best to create “a whole-of-economy emissions reduction strategy”. »

Australia's climate idiocracy must end – and there's no time to waste | Greg Jericho

The Liberal party’s biggest con was the idea that reducing emissions could be done without pain and at little cost. This week came the news from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that we are screwed. I wish I could be more optimistic. I wish I could hold out some hope that things are about to improve. »