Cities need to cool down
The BreatheLife Network promotes measures to cool cities. This initiative is now showcasing numerous examples of cities that are fighting climate change by cooling down. Temperatures in cities are around 5 to 9 degrees...
Tagged: climate change
Reforestation is good in principle, but it’s a question of where and how
An international group of ecologists is contesting a popular article on reforestation, arguing that among its mistakes is the proposed ‘reforestation’ of the Cerrado, Brazil’s savannah biome. An article recently published in Science by...
New global coalition to push for disaster-resilient infrastructure
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Coalition for Disaster-Resilient Infrastructure at the recent UN climate action summit in New York. Its aim is to reduce damage to critical infrastructure caused by climate change....
Green theme at the 15th Zürich Film Festival
The 15th Zürich Film Festival was not only green because of its carpet. The green theme kicked off with the film Bruno Manser – Voice of the Rainforest, followed by another gala premiere Watson...
Tourism causing carbon emissions to soar
Nearly half of all flights that people take to a tourist destination exceed an individual’s annual carbon mobility budget for all forms of transportation, finds a new study from the University of Texas at...
Finance alliance renews commitment to urban climate action
The Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance has renewed its commitment to deploy finance for city-level climate action ‘at scale’ by 2030. The Alliance was featured at the recent UN climate summit in New York...
An India-Pakistan nuclear war could kill millions, threaten global starvation
A nuclear war between India and Pakistan could, over the span of less than a week, kill 50-125 million people – more than the death toll during all six years of World War II,...
High CO2 atmosphere a first in history of humankind
A new study has proven that Earth’s carbon dioxide atmospheric concentrations only exceeded 320 parts per million in 1965, a high point never before reached since humans first walked the Earth. A high-carbon dioxide...
Investing in zero-carbon cities is good for the climate and the economy
Implementing low-carbon measures in cities could reduce urban emissions by nearly 90%, support 87 million jobs annually by 2030 and unlock nearly $24 trillion by 2050, finds a new report from the Coalition for...
Young climate activists making a splash
It has been only a year since Greta Thunberg began her school strike for the climate, and the attention she has received and raised for the fight against climate change is staggering. She is,...
Costa Rica named ‘UN Champion of the Earth’
Costa Rica has won a 2019 Champions of the Earth award, the UN’s highest environmental honour, for its pioneering role in fighting climate change. The Central American nation was recognized by the UN Environment...
Nestlé launches vegan burgers in US and Switzerland
Global food giant Nestlé is expanding its plant-based food range in the US and Switzerland is response to new food trends and a growing concern about the environmental impact of meat production. Nestlé announced...
Aerosols from coniferous forests no longer cool the climate as much
Emissions of greenhouse gases have a warming effect on the climate, whereas small airborne particles in the atmosphere, aerosols, act as a cooling mechanism. That is the received wisdom in any case. However, new...
Cutting emissions won’t cause sudden spike in warming
New research shows that, contrary to some fears, cutting fossil fuel emissions gradually would not cause an unintended jump in temperatures. The researchers at Duke University and the University of Leeds analysed 42 scenarios...
Saving coral reefs could benefit land ecosystems, too
New research from Australia shows that bolder actions to protect coral reefs from the effects of global warming will benefit all ecosystems, including those on land. According to two researchers from the ARC Centre...
Investing in climate change more urgent than ever
Acting to reduce climate change now will cost much less than the damage otherwise inflicted by climate change in the future, argue an internationally respected group of scientists. Scientists from around the world published...
Rising temps and diesel cars harming urban air quality
New data from real-world emissions testing shows that diesel cars emit up to 30% more nitrogen oxide at higher summer temperatures. Motorcycles are especially to blame. Diesel car emissions of nitrogen oxide increase sharply...
Extreme weather events impact mental health
People whose homes are damaged by storms or flooding are significantly more likely to experience mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, according to new research. Emergency planning needs to include mental health...
Renewable energy investment over past decade to exceed $2.5tn
UN-backed report has found that renewable energy investments over the past decade quadrupled renewable capacity and avoided 2 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions. Solar energy led the way. Global investment in new renewable energy...
Amazon deforestation warming local Brazilian climate
The loss of forest cover in the Amazon is having a significant impact on the local climate in Brazil – and making forests more susceptible to burning, according to a new study. The 2019...
