Climate modelling that best accounts for the processes that sustain plant life predicts plants could absorb up to 20% more CO₂ than the simplest version predicted.
Mike Joy, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
The idea that harm done today can be offset in the future is based on a basic misunderstanding of the carbon cycle. Planting more trees is important – but it’s no substitute for cutting emissions.
A swan stands between dumped plastic bottles and waste on the Danube river near Belgrade, Serbia, on April 18, 2022.
(AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
Climate action should be framed not as a sacrifice but as an investment that can generate economic savings and improve human and ecosystem health today.
Australia has the world’s biggest carbon footprint from fashion. This is one area where changing our personal clothing choices can make a big difference, just as it did in the second world war.
The widespread pessimism about our ability to solve climate change is misplaced. Australia is putting in place the fundamentals of a net zero future. Now we need to go faster.
The rising climate crisis presents an existential threat to humanity yet our government and political system are on a go-slow response. Is this issue too hard for humans to solve?
Global efforts to cut emissions fall well short of what’s needed to avoid dangerous warming. It’s becoming essential to develop carbon-removal strategies to get to net zero.
We used satellite data to create global maps of where and how fires are burning. Fire season lasts two weeks longer than it used to and fires are more intense. But there are regional differences.
Not only is deforestation unsightly. Fewer trees also mean less precious carbon sinks to absorb anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions.
Flickr
Any smart climate strategy will need to simultaneously move away from fossil fuels and protect biodiversity, including through carbon sink preservation and a shift toward sustainable agriculture.
The 142 fossil fuel producers collectively exceeded the limits on coal, gas and oil production required to achieve the Paris Agreement goals by between 63% and 70%.
On 13 September 2017, Paris was named as host city of the 2024 summer games. Two days later, visitors to the city visited the games’ iconic rings, displayed by the Trocadero.
Anne Jea/Wikipedia
One year away from the 2024 Olympic Games, the grim reality of climate change is impossible to deny. How do we make the mega-event sustainable and avoid the pitfalls of greenwashing?
Thick smoke rises from a peat bog fire in June 2023.
Bernd Wüstneck/picture alliance via Getty Images
Large stretches of the Arctic are carbon-rich peat bogs. As the region warms and dries, lightning strikes can spark underground fires that can burn for years.
Before you fire up for barbecue season, make sure to consider the environmental impact of your meal.
Milan Ilic Photographer/Shutterstock