Look to cities, but past their mayors, for new climate solutions
A little over three months after the COP27 climate summit in Sharm-el-Sheikh drew to a close, the global community is no closer to finding a…
Articles by The Conversation
Our US$10 trillion global energy bill dwarfs what’s needed to limit global heating
The world’s energy bill for 2022 is set to be the highest ever, topping US$10 trillion (£8.3 trillion). This is the total price paid for…
Keen to retrofit your home to lower its carbon footprint and save energy? Consider these 3 things
If you’re anything like me, you’re increasingly working from home, one that was built before energy efficiency measures were introduced in Australia. With temperatures along…
Net zero: Copenhagen’s failure to meet its 2025 target casts doubt on other major climate plans
The city of Copenhagen, often celebrated as one of the world’s greenest for its cycling culture and other initiatives, recently defaulted on its pledge to…
Meet the power plant of the future: Solar + battery hybrids are poised for explosive growth
America’s electric power system is undergoing radical change as it transitions from fossil fuels to renewable energy. While the first decade of the 2000s saw…
Protecting biodiversity – and making it accessible – has paid off for Costa Rica
After two years of pandemic lockdowns and border closures, global travel appears to be rebounding in much of the world in 2022. Wilderness is a…
Forests in the tropics are critical for tackling climate change – yet the people showing how are being exploited
Nowhere is nature more vibrant than in Earth’s tropical forests. Thought to contain more than half of all plant and animal species, the forests around…
Why Bulgaria and Poland can withstand Russia cutting off their gas supply
Russian energy giant Gazprom has completely cut off gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria. Both countries are apparently being punished for refusing Russia’s demand that…
Record-smashing heatwaves are hitting Antarctica and the Arctic simultaneously. Here’s what’s driving them, and how they’ll impact wildlife
Record-breaking heatwaves hit both Antarctica and the Arctic simultaneously this week, with temperatures reaching 47℃ and 30℃ higher than normal. Heatwaves are bizarre at any…
How we measure energy efficiency in homes isn’t working
If you’ve ever rented or bought a house, you’ve probably come across energy performance certificates (EPCs). These certificates, with their brightly coloured bar charts, adorn…
Small climate changes can have devastating local consequences – it happened in the Little Ice Age
The Little Ice Age brought some bitter extremes. Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1565 Dagomar Degroot, Georgetown University In recent weeks, catastrophic floods overwhelmed towns in…
Space tourism: rockets emit 100 times more CO₂ per passenger than flights – imagine a whole industry
Space tourism: rockets emit 100 times more CO₂ per passenger than flights – imagine a whole industry Eloise Marais, UCL The commercial race to get tourists…
Hydrogen cars won’t overtake electric vehicles because they’re hampered by the laws of science
Hydrogen may bomb. Eillen Tom Baxter, University of Aberdeen Hydrogen has long been touted as the future for passenger cars. The hydrogen fuel cell electric…
5 things to watch for in the latest IPCC report on climate science
On Aug. 9, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will release its most comprehensive report on the science of climate change since 2013. It…
Earth’s energy budget is out of balance – here’s how it’s warming the climate
The Sun over Earth, seen from the International Space Station. NASA, CC BY-NC Scott Denning, Colorado State University You probably remember your grade school science…
Shipping is tough on the climate and hard to clean up – these innovations can help cut emissions
Ships carry more than 80% of world trade, and they rely heavily on some of the least environmentally friendly transportation fuels available. There are no…