WORLD
UK faces flood and draught? Nature can fix Britain’s water woes
Britain’s water woes are tied to how we’ve exploited our natural resources. It’s time to let nature return to doing more of the work
ENVIRONMENT
Take a nap, or go nocturnal. How to beat the heat this summer
Avoiding the heat during peak day hours has long been a strategy for hot locations. Mediterranean countries have their siestas while Gulf nations have introduced summer bans on outdoor work
ENVIRONMENT
Climate Change: What's worse for the planet than planes? Drained bogs
Peatlands store twice as much carbon as the world’s forests. In a healthy bog, the waterlogged conditions prevent plant material from fully decomposing, so rather than releasing CO2, the greenhouse gas is trapped in the ground. About 11% of peatlands globally have been modified and drained. These degraded wetlands cover less than 0.4% of the Earth’s land area but are responsible for 5% of human-caused emissions — more than aviation
BUSINESS
The world needs a soundtrack for the climate crisis
Isn’t climate change a science issue? Shouldn’t musicians just shut up and sing? Scientists and their research have been, and will always be, crucial in raising the alarm on fossil fuels and humanity’s damage to the planet. But who’s more influential to the masses: an atmospheric physicist, or a pop star? Musicians are able to reach far more people — and an entirely different demographic — than scientists or politicians
INDIA
Climate Crisis: EU steers carbon markets to a brighter future with two new rules
A provisional deal to compile rules for certifying carbon-removal credits — the Carbon Removal Certification Framework (CRCF) — is the first time there is a policy which clearly defines quality carbon removal and seeks to quantify it. The Green Claims Directive seeks to stop greenwashing; companies must get approval for any environmental marketing claims before using them. Lawbreakers may face fines of at least at 4 percent of their annual turnover
TRENDS
Are energy efficient appliances worth it?
The biggest gains will be made by adding insulation and switching to low-carbon heating, as these investments will have the largest impact on fossil-fuel demand (74% of UK homes are heated with gas). But energy efficiency is a no-brainer climate solution. Improving it not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions but also energy bills. Residential electricity consumption fell by 12% between 2008 and 2018, even as the UK population grew, thanks to improvements in lighting and appliances
ENVIRONMENT
The climate crisis is starving polar bears. Humans should take note
Despite the belief that animals have an unimpeachable survival instinct, polar bears are increasingly making wrong energy expending decisions in their desperate search for food. In trying to adapt to the climate crisis, projects can actually make us more vulnerable or simply waste resources. For example, we keep building higher flood barriers, only to see the water redirected to an area without protections or have them breached as climate change intensifies storms
WORLD
Germany makes a risky bet on Hydrogen energy
Hydrogen is expensive and the cost of building, and then later upgrading, power plants to burn a fuel which isn’t yet widely available is also high. Hydrogen’s potential has been downgraded in recent years after being initially touted as the fuel of the future, powering planes, trains and automobiles and heating homes
ENVIRONMENT
Azerbaijan has a mighty job ahead for COP29
The fear voiced by many activists is the annual gathering is once again overseen by those with a vested interest in slowing down the transition away from fossil fuels, which was agreed upon last year
BUSINESS
COP28: Give the climate action money to city mayors and local initiatives
If the impacts of climate change are felt locally, then so are the benefits of low-carbon initiatives. City officials are in the best place to engage with their people, ensuring a just transition that benefits everyone
WORLD
We already know what will happen at COP28
It’s beyond time to ask whether COP works as it should. Despite nearly three decades of summits, emissions continue to climb. One clear problem is the voting structure requiring consensus, meaning that all 198 UNFCCC member countries must agree. Overt focus on long-term targets with broad scopes isn't helping either
TRENDS
Sustainable Fashion: Do you want your clothes to shrink our forests?
Brands seeking to make more sustainable materials using less energy, water and biodegradable are ironically relying on fibres extracted from forest produce like wood pulp. An estimated 300 million trees are cut down for these manmade cellulosic fibres every year, and there have been reports linking rampant deforestation with some of the world’s largest pulp and viscose producers
TRENDS
The steep price of blue jeans
This beloved wardrobe staple is long overdue for a revamp
BUSINESS
‘Gobsmackingly bananas’ record temperatures are dividing scientists
Global temperature records are being broken on a consecutive monthly basis. That’s not good
BUSINESS
Farming can work so much better for the planet
Food production contributes about a third of global greenhouse gas emissions. Consumer choices, tech and policy will decide whether that remains the case
BUSINESS
What happens in Antarctica, doesn’t stay in Antarctica
The southernmost continent had the most extreme heatwave ever recorded
BUSINESS
Carbon Removal: An industry that actually welcomes regulation
A regulatory process for monitoring, reporting and verification is needed to certify the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and durable storage elsewhere It’s essential for scaling, forging trust around removals and avoiding the types of scandals that have hit carbon offset markets. Self certification won't work either. Private capital is also hesitant to rush in because of the regulatory vacuum
BUSINESS
Water risks are coming to bite investors
An increased scarcity of H2O poses dangers for all manner of businesses
BUSINESS
AI robots can’t clean our plastic-plagued oceans alone
Technology can help mitigate environmental damage, but it can’t solve the problem
BUSINESS
Air conditioning can't stop climate migration
Humans are being pushed out of our temperature comfort zone
TRENDS
Mosquitoes are poised to swamp our health systems
Warmer, wetter conditions mean tropical diseases are spreading
BUSINESS
No more cheap flights is the new reality for air travel
Airlines face an expensive and challenging few decades ahead as climate compliance laws get stricter.
TRENDS
The latest IPCC climate crisis report paints nightmarish scenarios for our kids
If emissions remain high, a 70-year-old in 2090 could be living on a planet that’s 4℃ warmer than pre-industrial levels. Substantial impacts on water availability, heat and the health of both humans and animals are already happening
BUSINESS
We now know how much the coal surge set us back
But the latest IEA report on carbon emissions comes with two spots of good news — and a lesson
