2016 is likely to be the world's hottest year: here's why
May 18, 2016 03:07 am UTC| Nature
Were not even halfway through the year but already you may have heard talk of 2016 being the hottest on record. But how can scientists be so sure were going to beat the previous record, set just last year? Even before...
New report on GE crops avoids simple answers -- and that's the point, study members say
May 18, 2016 00:09 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature
Editors note: In a new report, the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine have provided a broad review of available information on genetically engineered (GE) crops and their impacts on the environment and...
Why the effects of 2016 El Niño trumped climate change in the Alberta wildfires
May 17, 2016 16:15 pm UTC| Nature
In the wake of the damaging Alberta fires, there has been a lot of attention paid to what role climate change plays in wildfires. Yet 2016 is also a powerful El Niño year, which has created ideal conditions for the...
Fairness on the agenda as UN begins job of strengthening the Paris climate deal
May 16, 2016 13:09 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature
The dust has long settled from Decembers Paris climate summit, which hammered out the first truly global deal to reduce emissions. But the negotiations ended with widespread acknowledgement that the deal needs significant...
The things people ask about the scientific consensus on climate change
May 13, 2016 10:42 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature
Its been almost a month since the paper I co-authoured on the synthesis of research into the scientific consensus on climate change was published. Surveying the many studies into scientific agreement, we found that more...
South Australia is now coal-free, and batteries could fill the energy gap
May 13, 2016 10:15 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature
South Australias last coal-fired power station closed on Monday this week, leaving the state with only gas and wind power generators. The Northern Power Station, in Port Augusta on the northern end of the Spencer Gulf,...
Why you should never put a goldfish in a park pond ... or down the toilet
May 12, 2016 04:22 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature
Have you ever walked past a fountain in the park and seen beautifully coloured fish swimming about, and wondered how they got there? Often with the best of intentions, people leave unwanted pet fish in public fountains,...
South Africa’s plan to move away from coal: 8 steps to make it succeed
Germany lowers voting age to 16 for the European elections
IceCube researchers detect a rare type of energetic neutrino sent from powerful astronomical objects