Shrinking hole in the ozone layer shows what collective action can achieve
Jul 04, 2016 18:26 pm UTC| Nature Insights & Views
The hole in the ozone layer was first discovered in 1985 by scientists from the British Antarctic Survey, who described how ozone levels above the Antarctic were steadily dropping compared to the previous decade. This was...
What President Buhari can do to help Ogoniland clean up oil pollution
Jun 30, 2016 14:44 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature
The Nigerian government has finally started the clean-up of oil-soaked Ogoniland after years of inaction. A billion dollars has been committed to what has been described as one of the worlds most wide-ranging and long-term...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
Johannesburg in a time of darkness: Ivan Vladislavić’s new memoir reminds us of the city’s fragility
Economist Chris Richardson on an ‘ugly’ inflation result and the coming budget
Why Germany ditched nuclear before coal – and why it won’t go back
Labour can afford to be far more ambitious with its economic policies – voters are on board
Sudan: civil war stretches into a second year with no end in sight