BUSINESS
2024 was the hottest year on record. What will spur climate action?
This year was the warmest on record, yet humanity shows little wherewithal to reverse course Mark Gongloff
WORLD
Europe, Africa, North Carolina Flooding: Once-in-a-lifetime floods are becoming routine
Once rare deadly deluges are happening more frequently and causing more damage as the planet heats up
BUSINESS
More debt is no climate solution for poor nations
The developing countries most at risk of suffering extreme weather events are often indebted to the same countries that have produced most of the greenhouse gases
WORLD
Trump and big oil are a match made in climate hell
The former president has promised to cater to the industry’s every wish if it helps him regain the White House, but that would be shortsighted
WORLD
Hurricanes and tornadoes may occur less but destroy more as climate changes
Climate change might make them less frequent but more destructive
BUSINESS
Not even Elon Musk can doom the EV charger network
The decimation of Tesla’s Supercharger team is a blow to Biden’s electric-vehicle ambitions but won’t throttle them
BUSINESS
Green is the new crypto for corporate rebranding
Companies that gave themselves new names linked to sustainability between 2000 and 2022 enjoyed one-day returns of 15 percent, on average, according to a study
ENTERTAINMENT
‘Dune: Part 2’ is a climate story we can actually root for
If you write a news article or column about climate, the odds are strong it will be too depressing, too repetitive or too wonky to attract eyeballs. But there is more likelihood of people lining up to see a well-crafted movie with messages on climate change. It turns out the best route for delivering climate messages is often an indirect one
BUSINESS
Three seasons in 24 hours stump US climate change deniers
Hundreds of records fell across the US this week in a bizarre winter heat wave in Texas and St Louis and sparked a handful of wildfires. In Chicago, there was uncharacteristic spring weather, torrential summer-like rainfall and tornadoes, and then a steep drop to freezing temperatures, all in 24
ENVIRONMENT
Climate Change: California atmospheric river and Chile fires are just the beginning
Earth so far has warmed by only about 1.2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial averages. Every tenth of a degree by which we crank up the global thermostat increases the atmospheric chaos and threatens tipping points that could fuel exponentially more warming and destruction
WORLD
COP28 deal is missing one big thing: Money
Neglecting the money was a common feature of all of COP28’s modest victories. The ballyhooed deal to launch a loss-and-damage fund to repay developing nations for the harm global heating is already causing attracted just $792 million in pledges, a comically tiny amount that wouldn’t cover the cost of one run-of-the-mill Florida hurricane
WORLD
COP28: Do 70,000 people really need to be at a climate conference?
How many people do you think it takes to hammer out a global climate agreement? 500? 5,000? 50,000? Apparently, the correct answer is 70,000. That’s about how many people are expected to turn up in Dubai over the next few weeks for COP28
ENVIRONMENT
Human brains aren't wired to fight climate change
Most of us don’t even save enough for retirement. If we have a choice between eating a donut right now and being marginally more healthy later, the donut almost always wins. Not just individuals, society as a whole is also prone to toxic short-termism, which among other things also hinders our climate change fight
WORLD
$266 trillion to combat climate change is a no-brainer
An estimated $266 trillion has to be invested between now and 2050 to limit and adapt to climate change. But even such huge numbers are pennies compared with the damage that will accumulate if we don’t make these investments. That could amount to $2.3 quadrillion by the end of the century
WORLD
The clean energy revolution is moving too slowly
The power sector is making progress toward net-zero greenhouse-gas emissions by 2050, but a more concerted effort is needed
BUSINESS
Climate Change is wrecking the tourist havens
From Hawaii in the US to Himachal Pradesh in India, hopes of riding out climate change in tropical paradises or verdant hill landscapes are fast receding. The long arm of global heating will find you everywhere. Get cracking on flood-proofing infrastructure to updating water and fire management, and making homes and other buildings more resilient
BUSINESS
It’s getting too hot for airplanes
Hot air is less dense than cold air, its molecules zipping around at higher speeds, meaning planes have less lift when the mercury rises. That makes it harder for them to take off and stay aloft
BUSINESS
Capitalism alone won’t save the planet
Green bonds need government support to finance fight against global warming
BUSINESS
$200 trillion is needed to stop global warming. That’s a bargain
A new report estimates that it could cost $196 trillion in investments to zero out the world’s carbon emissions by 2050, a deadline many countries have pledged to keep, to avoid society-destroying global warming. Ironically, the world’s net-zero pledges haven’t yet been followed by the hard cash, or even promises of hard cash, necessary to make them a reality.
BUSINESS
KitKats are no longer carbon neutral. That’s good
Nestle’s decision to emphasise true emissions reductions rather than offsets offers a lesson for other companies
BUSINESS
Global heat records are falling. A little panic might be in order
Soaring temperatures this spring should spur governments to finally live up to their pledges to curb fossil-fuel use
BUSINESS
The actual climate costs are not the spends on achieving net zero emissions
Companies like Exxon cribbing about the "costs" of decarbonisation should know that time and money spent strategically to address climate change is an investment. The actual "costs" are the damages wreaked on people and infrastructure by climate disasters
