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It’s too late to halt the climate crisis
Nature is going to solve the problem by eliminating the modern human
In response to Ashish Ghadiali’s story last week (“Yes, there is a lot of greenwashing, but Cop summits are our best chance of averting climate breakdown”, Comment, last week), nearly 70 years ago Gilbert Plass coined the term “climate change” in a paper in the journal Tellus.
Most of that 70 years has been spent arguing over the reality of climate change, an argument by vested interests that continues to this day. Meanwhile, global warming has continued to rise due to the burning of fossil fuels. Now, polar ice caps and glaciers are melting at an alarming rate, causing sea level rises and threatening the survival of over half the world’s population living on islands and in coastal zones near sea level.
Continue reading...Saudi Arabia Leads Pushback Against Global Plastic Treaty
‘It brings back memories of Aberfan’: coal tip collapse in storms sparks revolt in Welsh valley
Villagers hit by extreme weather accuse Labour of neglecting flood defences as Reform UK reaps political rewards – while denying impact of climate crisis
Thick, dark slurry flecked with stones and twigs covers the entire ground floor of Ralph Connor and Tina Honeyfield’s terraced house in the former coal mining village of Cwmtillery in south Wales. They use the lights on their phone to show what happened when a long-abandoned coal tip collapsed during last weekend’s torrential rainfall and surged through their front and back doors.
“Our house bore the brunt of the landslide… I spent an hour holding the door to prevent the slurry from getting in [last Sunday night],” says Connor, 49, as he stands in the cold gloom of their powerless living room. “It was frightening but when you are in it, you just react. It’s fight or flight.”
Continue reading...Is it safe to have a child? Americans rethink family planning ahead of Trump’s return
Some in the US are reconsidering children, with fears over reproductive healthcare and the climate crisis front of mind
Chris Peterson wasn’t surprised that Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election. But he was surprised by how quickly he and his wife started asking one another: should we try to have another baby before a possible nationwide abortion ban takes effect? Or should we give up on having a second child?
Peterson and his wife, who live in North Carolina, are thousands of dollars in debt because their first child needed to spend weeks in the hospital after being born prematurely. They had wanted to pay off that debt and wait a few years before having a second baby. But now, reproductive rights are again in the balance – Trump has said he would veto a nationwide abortion ban, but his allies are emboldened to push through more restrictions.
Continue reading...The big idea: on Remembrance Day for Lost Species, here’s why it matters
A way to personally connect with wildlife is vital when statistics alone can’t convey the scale of the loss
Sixty-six million years ago, an asteroid struck Earth, causing the extinction of around 75% of all species. This event was so significant that we now use it to define the boundary between the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras. There had only been four extinction events of this magnitude up until then; today, we are living through the sixth – and we are its cause.
News of the sixth mass-extinction often comes in the form of statistics – 1 million species threatened with extinction; extinctions now occurring up to 1,000 times more frequently than before humans – and we are left none the wiser about what it is we are losing. A few years ago, I asked the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for a list of species that had recently gone extinct. I wanted to understand what was happening to the natural world, beyond the numbers. The list they sent back contained species from all over the world. One in particular, however, stood out to me.
Continue reading...New Orleans’ Striking Advantage in the Age of Climate Change
Hochul Tries to Meet New York’s Climate Goals Without Provoking Trump
The week around the world in 20 pictures
The ceasefire in Lebanon, the aftermath of floods in Valencia, Russian airstrikes in Kyiv and Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade: the past seven days as captured by the world’s leading photojournalists
Continue reading...UK increases World Bank contribution, boosting climate finance prospects
Government puts forward £1.98bn in funding over three years, an increase of about 40% on last pledge
The UK has increased its contribution to the World Bank, in a move that will boost prospects for climate finance.
Next week, at a meeting in Seoul of the International Development Association (IDA) – the body that funds the World Bank’s support for low-income countries – the UK will put forward £1.98bn in funding over three years, an increase of about 40% on the previous pledge.
Continue reading...New powder that captures carbon could be ‘quantum leap’ for industry
A ‘covalent organic framework’ can be used to capture carbon to store it or convert it for industrial use
An innocuous yellow powder, created in a lab, could be a new way to combat the climate crisis by absorbing carbon from the air.
Just half a pound of the stuff may remove as much carbon dioxide as a tree can, according to early tests. Once the carbon is absorbed by the powder, it can be released into safe storage or be used in industrial processes, like carbonizing drinks.
Continue reading...Life After Death: America’s Cemeteries Are Rewilding
Death of Cyclist in Paris Lays Bare Divide in Mayor’s War Against Cars
Death of Cyclist in Paris Lays Bare Divide in Mayor’s War Against Cars
‘Climate-induced poisoning’: 350 elephants probably killed by toxic water
Satellite data analysis suggests algal blooms could be behind mass die-off in Botswana that sparked flurry of theories in 2020
More than 350 elephants that died in mysterious circumstances probably drank toxic water, according to a new paper that warns of an “alarming trend” in climate-induced poisoning.
The deaths in Botswana’s Okavango delta were described by scientists as a “conservation disaster”. Elephants of all ages were seen walking in circles before collapsing and dying. Carcasses were first spotted in north-eastern Botswana in May and June 2020, with many theories circulating about the cause of death, including cyanide poisoning or an unknown disease.
Continue reading...How climate policies reduce air pollution saving lives and money
Early deaths from air pollution in US could be reduced by between 4,000 and 15,000 a year by 2035, study shows
The burning of fossil fuels that harms our climate also produces air pollution that damages ecosystems and harms our health. But we fail to tally up the benefits of reduced air pollution in our climate policies, and overlook opportunities to tackle these problems together.
A reminder of this failure is illustrated in a new study which has found that reduced air pollution from net zero policies in the US could result in a health gain of between $65bn (£51bn) and $128bn in 2035 alone.
Continue reading...Spain introduces paid climate leave after deadly floods
Government approves up to four days of paid leave so workers can avoid travelling during weather emergencies
Spain’s leftwing government has approved “paid climate leave” of up to four days to allow workers to avoid travelling during weather emergencies, a month after floods killed at least 224 people.
Several companies came under fire after the 29 October catastrophe for ordering employees to keep working despite a red alert issued by the national weather agency. The firms said the authorities failed to inform them sufficiently and sent telephone alerts too late during the European country’s deadliest floods in decades.
Continue reading...The Cop29 agreement failed island states. Now the UN’s top court must act on climate harm | Ralph Regenvanu
The shortcomings of Cop29 increase the urgency for the ICJ to issue an advisory opinion on the legal obligations of states in respect to climate harm
The UN climate conference in Baku has ended with an agreement for $300bn annually, by 2035, to be provided in global finance to help less wealthy countries develop clean economies and adapt to damage from climate change. Estimates by independent economists have said the need will approach $1.3tn annually by 2030. The $1.3tn was acknowledged in the deal in Baku, but there were no firm commitments to reach that figure. The difference of $1tr each year sounds absurd, but is true.
This is why we brought a climate change case to the international court of justice (ICJ), to seek an advisory opinion on climate obligations. Hearings on the case begin next week in The Hague and the shortcomings of the Cop29 agreement make this unprecedented action – to clarify the legal obligations of states under international law in respect of climate change and the legal consequences for breaches – even more urgent.
Ralph Regenvanu is special envoy for climate change and environment in the government of Vanuatu
Continue reading...Footballers at ‘very high risk of extreme heat stress’ during World Cup 2026
Scientists warn Fifa’s ‘wet bulb’ temperature policy underestimates strain players undergo during matches
Footballers face a “very high risk of experiencing extreme heat stress” at 10 of the 16 stadiums that will host the next World Cup, researchers have warned, as they urge sports authorities to rethink the timing of sports events.
Hot weather and heavy exercise could force footballers to endure temperatures that feel higher than 49.5C (121.1F) in three North American countries in 2026, according to the study. It found they are most at risk of “unacceptable thermal stress” in the stadiums in Arlington and Houston, in the US, and in Monterrey, in Mexico.
Continue reading...South-west France swelters in ‘staggering’ 26.9C November night heat
Temperatures of this week would be exceptional for summer, says climatologist, never mind late November
Towns in south-west France roasted in “completely extreme” heat in the early hours of Tuesday, with overnight temperatures hitting 26.9C (80.42F).
“It’s very exceptional temperatures – even for the summer, let alone late November,” said Matthieu Sorel, a climatologist at Météo France.
Continue reading...Massachusetts farmers turn cranberry bogs back to wetlands in $6m initiative
Restoration projects awarded grants to convert defunct bogs to bring environmental benefits and restore wildlife
As millions of cranberries were being harvested for Thursday’s US Thanksgiving holiday, Massachusetts farmers were working to convert defunct cranberry bogs to back to wild wetlands, amid climate crisis woes.
Several restoration projects were awarded $6m in grants to carry out such initiatives, state officials announced this week.
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