Climate Change Series

Green and cool roofs provide relief for hot cities, but should be sited carefully

Jun 30, 2016 13:40 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature Technology

More than half of the worlds population lives in cities, and the United Nations projects that this share will rise to 70 percent by 2050. During the daytime, these expanding urban areas absorb more solar energy than the...

Does a planet need plate tectonics to develop life?

Jun 28, 2016 20:05 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature Science

Plate tectonics may be a phase in the evolution of planets that has implications for the habitability of exoplanets, according to new research published this month in the journal Physics of the Earth and Planetary...

Climate Change Series

We can have fish and dams: here's how

Jun 27, 2016 23:24 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Fish are the most threatened group among Earths freshwater vertebrates. On average, freshwater fish populations have declined by 76% over the past 40 years. Damaged fish communities and declining fisheries characterise...

Climate Change Series

How science can genetically strengthen endangered plants and agriculture

Jun 23, 2016 18:30 pm UTC| Insights & Views Science Nature

As the human population swells and in the face of a changing and unpredictable climate the demand for natural resources increases. This leads to distressing rates of deforestation to prepare land for agriculture,...

Climate Change Series

Trump's energy plan poses climate threat to U.S. economy

Jun 23, 2016 10:31 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature Economy

Last December in Paris, the nations of the world agreed to an ambitious goal for greenhouse gas emissions: to bring net emissions to zero in the second half of this century. Their objective: to limit global warming to 1.5...

Climate Change Series

Can we harness bacteria to help clean up future oil spills?

Jun 22, 2016 12:46 pm UTC| Science Nature

In 2010 the Deepwater Horizon oil spill released an estimated 4.2 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico the largest offshore spill in U.S. history. The spill caused widespread damage to marine species, fisheries...

Climate Change Series

Could 'nitrogen trading' help the Great Barrier Reef?

Jun 16, 2016 17:42 pm UTC| Insights & Views Business Nature

Among the increasing sums of money being pledged to help save the Great Barrier Reef is a federal government pledge to spend A$40 million on improving water quality. The Queensland government has promised another A$33.5...