Why hotter weather is likely to affect people in developing countries more
Jan 20, 2016 05:45 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature
As the temperatures soar and weather patterns continue to be affected by global warming and climate dynamics, more people particularly in developing countries are likely to die from natural deaths such as respiratory...
As El Niño rains arrive, Los Angeles shunts precious water to sea
Jan 05, 2016 11:45 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature
If ever a city was built to be resilient to heavy rains, it is Los Angeles. And yet, El Niño is about to test just how resilient the city is in the short term to flooding, and even more importantly, how resilient it...
Explainer: South Africa's developing solar energy landscape
Jan 05, 2016 05:57 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature Technology
Until a few years ago solar panels were a rare sight in South Africa, largely limited to the roofs of a few affluent households. This is changing rapidly, driven by three factors: the worldwide drive towards renewable...
Our prettiest pollutant: just how bad are fireworks for the environment?
Dec 31, 2015 10:37 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature
The bangs and fizzes of fireworks are rapidly replacing the chimes of Big Ben as the defining sound of New Years Eve celebrations in London, while around the world, city landmarks are becoming stages for increasingly...
How emissions trading at Paris climate talks has set us up for failure
Dec 14, 2015 18:13 pm UTC| Insights & Views Business Nature
The Paris Agreement has mostly been greeted with enthusiasm, though it contains at least one obvious flaw. Few seem to have noticed that the main tool mooted for keeping us within the 2℃ global warming target is a...
Climate and the rise and fall of civilizations: a lesson from the past
Dec 11, 2015 04:09 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature
2015 will likely be the hottest year on record, beating the previous record set only in 2014. It is also likely to be the first year the global average temperature reaches 1℃ above pre-industrial temperatures (measured...
Why is the business world suddenly clamouring for a global carbon tax?
Dec 11, 2015 03:57 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature Business
Among the various interests at the Paris climate talks, it is arguably the voice of business that has emerged most clearly. Many business leaders are now saying that if the world is intent on reducing greenhouse gas...
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