Coronavirus Shutdowns Have Unintended Climate Benefits: Cleaner Air, Clearer Water
The coronavirus outbreak has, at least in part, contributed to a noticeable drop in pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in some nations.
Changing Climate
In-depth coverage of our changing climate and environmental issues
The Latest
-
Earth’s Coral Reefs Could Be Gone by 2100, Research Finds
Climate change could wipe out almost all coral reef habitats around the world by 2100, according to research released Monday.
-
As Sea Levels Rise, Venice Fights to Stay Above the Waterline
While scientists around the world warn about the threat posed by rising seas, Venice has had the tide literally at its doorstep since its foundation — it has been adapting to it for centuries, NBC News reports.
-
RK Pachauri, Who Led Nobel-Winning Climate Panel, Dies at 79
Indian environmentalist Rajendra Kumar Pachauri, under whose leadership a U.N. climate change panel shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, has died after recent heart surgery. He was 79.
-
’Ignored and Trivialized’: Experts Warned Australia Government Before Catastrophic Blazes
A former deputy commissioner of New South Wales fire and rescue services sounded the alarm long before wildfires killed 34 Australians, decimated the country’s unique wildlife and created a smoke cloud so vast it was visible from space, NBC News reports.
-
Teen Climate Activist Greta Thunberg Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize
Two lawmakers in Sweden have nominated Swedish teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg for the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize
-
Thunberg Brushes Off Mockery From US Finance Chief
Climate activist Greta Thunberg has brushed off criticism and mockery from U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin
-
Scientists Move ‘Doomsday Clock’ Closer to Midnight
Scientists warned Thursday that Earth is inching closer to disaster. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moved its symbolic Doomsday Clock closer to midnight, indicating that the likeliness of a human-caused apocalypse has increased since last year.
-
Climate Not Considered a Top 10 Risk by CEOs: Survey
Climate issues are set to be one of the main talking points at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort of Davos this week, but a survey of CEOs released Monday shows that they are not even ranked among the top ten threats to business growth.
-
Fires Set Stage for Irreversible Forest Losses in Australia
Australia’s forests are burning at a rate unmatched in modern times and scientists say the landscape is being permanently altered as a warming climate brings profound changes to the island continent. Heat waves and drought have fueled bigger and more frequent fires in parts of Australia, so far this season torching some 40,000 square miles (104,000... -
Scientists Seek Rare Species Survivors Amid Australia Flames
Australia’s unprecedented wildfires season has so far charred 40,000 square miles (104,000 square kilometers) of brushland, rainforests, and national parks — killing by one estimate more than a billion wild animals. Scientists fear some of the island continent’s unique and colorful species may not recover. For others, they are trying to throw lifel... -
Crafting for Critters: Australian Fires Prompt Global Effort
Thousands of crafters worldwide are churning out swaddling wraps for bats, hanging enclosures for kangaroos, and cozy pouches for wallabies. They hope to help wildlife harmed in the Australian wildfires. But there’s confusion over whether the items are really needed or will be used.
-
Fever Chart: Earth Had Its Hottest Decade on Record in 2010s
Two U.S. agencies say the decade that just ended was by far the hottest ever measured on Earth, capped off by the second-warmest year on record. And scientists say there is no doubt at all this is man-made climate change.
-
Australian Open: Players Struggle on Court Due to Bushfire Smoke
Smoke haze and poor air quality caused by wildfires temporarily suspended practice sessions for the Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Tuesday, but qualifying began later in the morning in “very poor” air quality.
-
Trump Proposes Sweeping Rollback of Environmental Oversight
In a dramatic rollback of environmental oversight, President Donald Trump took action Thursday to clear the way and speed up development of a wide range of commercial projects by cutting back federal review of their impact on the environment. Trump’s proposal calls for greatly narrowing the scope of the half-century-old National Environmental Polic... -
How to Help Victims, Volunteers of Australia Wildfires
The Australian wildfires continue to wreak havoc with more than two dozen people dead along with hundreds of thousands of animals. Parts of the country have been leveled with at least 12 million acres of land impacted by the fires. The World Wide Fund for Nature-Australia estimates approximately half a billion animals have been killed and the fires... -
JetBlue Announces Plans to Become Carbon Neutral on Domestic Flights in a First for the US Airline Industry
JetBlue is tackling the high environmental impact of flying by aiming to become carbon neutral on all domestic flights by July 2020, according to a press release Monday. The New York-based airline said this will entail offsetting between 15 billion and 17 billion additional pounds of emissions per year, which the company noted is “the annual equiva... -
2 More Missing in Australian Wildfires as Rain Brings Relief
Two more people are missing in remote parts of New South Wales state as rain and cooler temperatures brought some measure of relief Monday to Australian communities battling wildfires. But the rain was also making it challenging for fire crews to complete strategic burns as they tried to prepare for higher temperatures that have been forecast for l...
