Climate
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Icy Arctic ‘vortex’ too cold for US polar bear
As freak weather sees North American temperatures plummet, climate change sceptics, who say ‘global weirding’ undermines climate science, face an online ban? Is this fair?
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Syria’s hidden Christmas refugee crisis
Three quarters of the Syrian population will need aid during 2014, according to the UN. As the winter snows draw in, a massive refugee disaster unfolds. Why is it not on the front pages?
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New global warming claims over deadly typhoon
Is climate change to blame for the Philippines typhoon? Scientists are cautious but David Cameron and some United Nations leaders are now arguing that there is a link.
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Baby brings joy amid Philippines ‘bedlam’
In the Philippines, a nation famous for its optimism, aid workers are struggling to cope with the aftermath of the strongest ever storm to reach land. How should the rest of the world react?
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Philippines devastated by ‘worst ever storm’
A monstrous typhoon has blasted the Philippines, leaving thousands dead and many more without water or electricity. Are poor countries more vulnerable to environmental catastrophe?
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Iceland’s writing boom provokes creativity debate
Debate is raging over why it is that so many Icelanders have become novelists. Do the freezing conditions tend to produce an outburst of creativity? Or are such theories dangerous?
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Britain swelters in longest heat wave since 2006
The grass is barely visible in Britain’s parks for the sea of bodies sunning in 30°C heat. For sun-deprived Northern Europe, is this a glimpse of what life ought to be like?
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Warnings of early deaths as smog chokes China
The rise of China as an economic superpower has brought the downsides as well as the advantages of industrialisation. Air pollution is now so bad it is shortening lives.
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Act now to save declining species, experts beg
A wide-ranging study of British wildlife has revealed the hopes and fears of conservationists for the most endangered species in the UK. Does modern life prevent us valuing nature?
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‘Monster’ twister claims 20 children’s lives
Response teams are desperately searching the rubble of an Oklahoma suburb devastated by a tornado of awesome power. But is our fascination with these terrifying storms ghoulish?
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Europe frostbitten by wintriest March in decades
Saturday was World Weather Day, and the bitter cold was on everyone’s lips. But do seasons still matter in a society where few rely on weather conditions for their livelihoods?
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Calls for help to end amphibian armageddon
Every year, Gorley Road in Hampshire is flooded with the corpses of amorous toads. The crossing is perilous and, like amphibians worldwide, their numbers are dwindling. Is it time to save the...
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‘Siberian hunters have the secret of happiness’
Director Werner Herzog has labelled Siberian trappers ‘happy people’, while Indian judges ban contact with a tribal society. Are pre-modern lifestyles worth protecting?
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Freezes, fires and crop failures trigger alarm
Snow has come to Britain – and it may stay for some time. Meanwhile Australia is ablaze and the US Met Office confirms that the American climate is shifting. Will our leaders finally act?
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Global anger over the cost of going green
At the United Nations conference on tackling climate change, poorer countries are demanding subsidies for green energy plans from industrialised nations. Frustration is building on both sides.