Why do flood defences fail?

Dec 08, 2015 20:37 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature

More than 40,000 people were forced to leave their homes after Storm Desmond caused devastating floods and wreaked havoc in north-west England. Initial indications were that the storm may have caused the heaviest local...

Meet the fossil fuel firms sponsoring the world's biggest climate conference

Dec 08, 2015 08:57 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

In their recent book Climate Change, Capitalism, and Corporations: Processes of Creative Self-Destruction, Christopher Wright and Daniel Nyberg argue that the reputation risk that flows from an association with (greenhouse...

Removing CO2 from the atmosphere won't save us: we have to cut emissions now

Dec 08, 2015 02:51 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Over 190 countries are negotiating in Paris a global agreement to stabilise climate change at less than 2℃ above pre-industrial global average temperatures. For a reasonable chance of keeping warming under 2℃ we can...

Beijing Smog Problem Worsens Amid Climate Change Summit

Dec 02, 2015 12:26 pm UTC| Life Nature

On Monday, Chinese netizens saw the streets of Beijing blanketed in the thickest, hazardous smoke the country has seen. Reuters said Beijing maintained the second-highest orange level alert on Monday, forcing major...

Coal could still kill us

Dec 02, 2015 03:39 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Was it Confucius who said its a funny old world? If he didnt he might well do so now. Having spent part of the last couple of weeks trying to breathe in Beijing, one cant help but be struck by the remarkable contradictions...

Australia needs a 'fresh start' on climate policy: authority

Nov 30, 2015 08:11 am UTC| Commentary Nature

Australia needs to reset discussions related to climate policy, according to the governments advisory body on climate policy. The Climate Change Authority makes the argument in the second draft report of its special review...

Explainer: how scientists know climate change is happening

Nov 30, 2015 06:01 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

The Paris climate conference will set nations against each other, and kick off huge arguments over economic policies, green regulations and even personal lifestyle choices. But one thing isnt up for debate: the evidence...