Is any optimism about climate still possible? Two conservation stories broke on the same day last week: one tragedy and one triumph. Meanwhile, some trends look highly promising.
New Great Barrier Reef mass bleaching found
Glossary
Symbiosis - Despite being rooted to the seabed, coral itself is in fact made up of animals. These animals secrete chemicals that form a rock-like structure, which provides a home for algae. The algae in turn help the coral by removing waste and producing food through photosynthesis. When species live together for mutual benefit in this way, it is called symbiosis.
Wetlands - A landscape that is always or often flooded with water. This sort of environment can be home to particularly rich and diverse ecosystems and especially a wide range of birds.
RSPB - The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, founded in 1889, is Britain's largest conservation charity.
Coral gardening - This fiddly process involves breeding coral in controlled environments and then inputting them into areas where coral has been damaged or killed.
Solar energy - Energy from the sun, which can be captured by solar panels and used to produce electricity.
Exponentially - Exponential growth is when the rate of growth increases steadily over time, for instance by doubling: 1, 2, 4, 8 rather than 1, 2, 3, 4. This kind of growth has the capacity to lead to dramatic changes over relatively short time spans.
Fossil fuels - Fuels made from decomposing plants and animals, including coal, natural gas and oil. These fuels release carbon dioxide, causing global warming.
Think-tank - An organisation that conducts research in order to produce policy recommendations for governments and other large organisations. The think-tank behind this report was RethinkX.