Climate
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Parched California seeks salvation in science
California is a naturally arid land made to bloom by grandiose feats of infrastructure. But water is running out and the state is enduring its worst ever drought. Is there a solution?
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Cyclone turns islands into ‘hell on earth’
One of the most powerful cyclones ever has devastated the Pacific islands of Vanuatu, leaving many without homes, electricity and drinking water. But are these disasters really ‘natural’?
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Giant blizzard brings New York to its knees
It was not quite the ‘snowmageddon’ the media envisaged. Yet the city that never sleeps all but shut down this week, fearing the worst from Winter Storm Juno. What stoked our fears?
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Full frack ahead: UK government defies rebels
Despite strong warnings from experts and activists, MPs have passed legislation to make it easier for energy companies to frack for shale gas. Can we ever break our fossil fuel habit?
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Britain blitzed by ‘weather bomb’
Lights go out and boats huddle in harbours as Scotland and Northern England feel the blast from an ‘explosive’ North Sea storm. Will we soon be able to ward off such extreme weather?
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Designers plan future cities under the ocean
As life on the Earth’s surface becomes increasingly uncertain, Japanese designers propose a radical solution — building new metropolises beneath the waves. Will it ever happen?
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Fresh concerns for the fate of Kenya’s wildlife
Conservationists warn that the country’s animals will ‘disappear like dinosaurs’ as roads and railways spring up and companies hunt for oil. Is conservation more important than development?
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Climate change and Ukraine dominate G20 summit
The world’s most powerful leaders gathered in Australia last weekend for the annual G20 summit. Yet with so much disagreement on important issues, are these meetings becoming pointless?
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‘The new epoch of humans is here,’ experts say
A 7 billion population and the massive use of fossil fuels: two reasons why science is recognising humans as a geological force to be reckoned with. Are we in a new epoch — the Anthropocene?
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Himalayan blizzard death toll still rising
At least 39 have died in a freak snowstorm which caught trekkers and their guides unawares. Is the exploitative tourism industry partly to blame for Nepal’s worst mountaineering disaster?
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Lego ditches Shell after Greenpeace viral video
Greenpeace’s campaign against Shell’s Arctic drilling has forced Lego to end its 50-year partnership with the oil giant. But are environmentalists really just going for the soft targets?
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India’s ‘water grab’ threatens the Himalayas
The world’s highest mountain range could be at risk as neighbouring countries rush to dam its mighty rivers. Will it be an environmental disaster or is it a green way to harness nature?
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Scientists fear catastrophic walrus stampede
With the melting of the Arctic sea ice, 35,000 walruses have been forced to shelter on an Alaskan beach. A sudden panic could crush thousands. Is climate change putting the species at risk?
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Animal numbers on earth have halved in 40 years
From elephants to eels and dolphins to monkeys, all species are in rapid decline through the destruction of habitat fuelled by human consumption. Is population growth to blame?
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Greens outraged as fracking gets legal boost
Despite overwhelming opposition, energy companies will now have the right to take oil and gas from under homes in the UK without permission. Are we heading for a fracking catastrophe?