Climate
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Methane plumes reveal vicious climate circle
Scientists have discovered that, as global warming melts arctic ice, methane is being released from the sea. Does this ‘positive feedback loop’ mean climate change could become irreversible?
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Global summit speaks up for developing economies
Last week, the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa met for the fourth annual BRICS Summit. Are these emerging nations the future of our planet?
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New wind farms face stiffening gale of opposition
A fresh poll shows that the number of Britons who would ‘strongly oppose’ a new wind farm has tripled in the space of two years. The bitter debate has split the environmental movement.
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Drought hits UK as officials ‘prepare for worst’
Months before summer, much of Britain is already officially in drought. If rains don’t come soon, it could be the worst such crisis in 35 years. Can the famously damp UK really be drying out?
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More snow on way, as Britain’s big freeze continues
With more snow to come, the UK is in the grip of some icy winter weather. A freezing front from the Arctic has dominated the skies – and British conversation. Why is the nation so obsessed?
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Tragic polar expedition remembered 100 years on
Robert Falcon Scott raced through icy blizzards to reach the South Pole – only to discover he had been beaten to it. Three months later, he was dead. But why does his legend live on?
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Groundbreaking climate deal agreed in Durban
As the world’s climate keeps changing, and with millions of livelihoods under threat, UN climate talks in South Africa have made a small but important step forward. Is hope now on the horizon?
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Giant ice cube to fight climate change in Mongolia
Scientists in Ulan Bator are trying a radical new technique to keep the city cool during its boiling summers: constructing one of the world’s biggest blocks of ice.
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New research confounds climate sceptics
A conservative foundation has unwittingly funded a study that proves climate change is real. What will this mean for the future of our planet?
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World population set to tip seven billion
The world population has doubled over the past 50 years, and on Monday it is set to reach a phenomenal seven billion. How will the planet deal with this unprecedented number of people?
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An ecosystem wiped out in a single generation
Coral reefs – among the world's most exciting habitats – are set for extinction. For the first time in history, humans will have destroyed not just a species but a whole living ecosystem.
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Australia launches bold new plan on global warming
The Australian government has revealed details of a new carbon tax, to be implemented next year. It will help slow global warming, but industry leaders are worried.
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East Africa hit by returning drought and famine
The United Nations believes 10 million people are at risk from lack of food and water in the Horn of Africa. Lack of rain has left crops failing and livestock dead.
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‘War on motorists’ drives cars off the roads
The world is divided on what to do with cars. Some countries want to help motorists. Others want to make their lives impossible. The debate has deep cultural roots.
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China drought raises fears of global crisis
Parts of China are experiencing their worst drought in 50 years. Desperate officials have opened dams, spending the country's water reserves. But water shortages remain a global threat.