Science & Climate
- China’s falling emissions amid Iran war spark hope of decarbonisation watershed
Oil consumption plummets and EV sales soar as analysts say demand may not fully return even if crude price falls China’s carbon dioxide emissions fell by 1% after the outbreak of the US-Israeli war on Iran, thanks to a sharp reduction in oil consumption and a steady rise in the use of electric vehicles and public trans…
- China’s Carbon Pollution Fell in Recent Months as Oil Demand Plummeted
The world’s second-largest oil consumer cut its use by 9 percent as the Iran war crimped supply. The drop could accelerate China’s pivot away from the fossil fuel. By Nicholas Kusnetz China’s carbon pollution fell modestly in recent months after the country’s consumers and industries sharply cut their use of oil, accor…
- Analysis: China’s CO2 emissions fall in Q2 2026 due to plummeting oil use
China’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions fell by 1% in the second quarter of 2026, as oil consumption plummeted amid the strait of Hormuz crisis . The country’s use of oil fell by 9% overall and by 16% for transport, after the disruptions to supply from the Gulf through the strait. This guest post is by: Lauri Myllyvirta…
- Widow whose husband died after falling into slurry pit warns of pressure on farmers
Margaret Owen says "things are getting worse" after a rise in deaths of workers on British farms.
- Scientists may have found first hint of dark matter
The mysterious material has eluded scientists for nearly a century.
- US medical groups urge people to get flu and Covid shots in counter to Trump guidance
Top medical groups band together to ease confusion from Trump administration’s changing immunization advice Leading US medical groups are urging people to get updated flu and Covid-19 vaccinations this fall, banding together on Wednesday to issue shot guidelines – and highlight the science behind them – saying they hop…
- Temperature check: alarm as prediction markets lean into weather and climate bets
Climate experts warn that US Kalshi and Polymarket users are ‘gamifying disasters’ as they bet on events like heatwaves and daily temperatures Online prediction markets, saturated by money staked on sport, crypto and politics, have now set their sights on a promising new area of growth: betting on the future livability…
- Interstellar solar sails hit a strange problem at 75% of light speed
Solar sails pushed by powerful lasers could reach incredible speeds, but relativity may eventually make the light itself work against them. At around 75% of the speed of light, scattered photons can begin creating drag, adding a surprising obstacle to interstellar travel.
- Money problems may age your brain faster
Persistent financial hardship in early and middle adulthood was linked to poorer thinking skills by the 50s and more signs of brain aging later in life. Researchers say years of chronic stress and financial worry may gradually take a toll on the brain.
- Pop-up camps help US children find normalcy after wildfires: ‘ambulance chasers for good’
Providers like Project:Camp offer emergency education and care to families in Washington state as climate change brings more destructive weather One week after evacuating from the wildfires that devastated parts of this eastern Washington city, Mareesha Backman handed over her youngest son to a stranger and took her fi…
- UK government does not know what datacentres are being used for, FoI request shows
Lack of information raises fears over environmental impact of the AI boom The UK government does not know what the country’s datacentres are being used for despite fears over the growing environmental impact of the AI boom. When asked in a freedom of information (FoI) request who was using the largest sites and what fo…
- Alzheimer’s may leave a mark on the brain long before plaques appear
Brain changes associated with Alzheimer’s may begin at least seven years before amyloid plaques become detectable with current PET scans. Researchers uncovered the signal by tracking healthy older adults with repeated brain imaging over nearly 20 years. The discovery could help scientists identify Alzheimer’s earlier a…
- A coffee-table-size scorpion roamed Earth before forests existed
A meter-long scorpion with massive pincers stalked ancient Britain 415 million years ago, long before forests and the better-known age of giant insects. Its surprising size and possible semi-aquatic lifestyle could reshape ideas about how early arthropods became giants.
- Astronauts set out on rare all-female spacewalk
For the sixth time in history, a team of two women completed a spacewalk outside the International Space Station.
- Will your name be the next UK storm?
The storm name list for the next year is out. Will your name be on it?
- No Relief for Maui Wildfire Survivors Losing Thousands to Contractors
Homeowners rebuilding in Lahaina have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars to unlicensed or unreliable contractors. Government officials have so far failed to hold anyone accountable. By Erin Nolan, Keerti Gopal This story is a collaboration between Inside Climate News and Honolulu Civil Beat .
- Barclays faces complaint over backing for power plant near world’s largest mangrove forest
Bangladeshi complainants allege Rampal power station’s pollution and climate risks threaten the Sunderbans, a world heritage site Barclays Bank is facing a formal complaint over its financial links to a coal-fired power station near the Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest and home to millions of people in B…
- Is Donald Trump 'supplying all that money' to Nasa?
BBC Verify fact checks President Trump's funding claims about Nasa.
- Lawsuit in Argentina Challenges British-Israeli Oil Project Near the Long-Disputed Falkland Islands
The complaint alleges the oil operations pose severe risks to Atlantic and Antarctic ecosystems while unlawfully exploiting Argentine resources. By Katie Surma A proposed offshore oil project near the Falkland Islands threatens sensitive marine ecosystems—and Argentina’s sovereignty—and must be halted, an Argentine env…
- Gen Z is using ‘polyester’ as an insult. It’s actually a throwback.
Even if you’re not wearing polyester now, it’s probably sitting somewhere in your closet — after all, it is the most ubiquitous fabric for textiles on Earth. Is that bad? Judging by social media, the answer is solidly “yes.” Influencers want you to know it’s a form of plastic , fashioned from melted crude oil or…
- Michigan invests $7.5M to find out if it’s sitting on a clean energy gold mine
Michigan is investing $7.5 million to research geologic hydrogen — a clean energy source buried beneath the state that experts say could help power a transition away from fossil fuels. That’s because when hydrogen fuel burns, the only byproduct is water. There are no greenhouse gases or other harmful air pollutants emi…
- A glacier collapsed in Nepal but this is not the time to talk about climate change | First Dog on the Moon
It’s always thoughts and prayers and please don’t politicise this horrible disaster Sign up here to get an email whenever First Dog cartoons are published Get all your needs met at the First Dog shop if what you need is First Dog merchandise and prints Continue reading...
- Too much coffee may weaken bones, study finds
Following nearly 10,000 older women for 10 years, researchers found that tea drinking was associated with slightly higher hip bone density. Moderate coffee consumption did not appear harmful, but drinking more than five cups a day was linked to lower bone density. The findings suggest tea may offer a small bone-health…
- Almost half of world’s farmers poisoned by pesticides every year, experts find
Study reveals that pesticide poisoning kills 11,000 people each year, with India accounting for nearly 60% of fatalities Almost half of the world’s farmers are poisoned by pesticides every single year, a study has found. Using publicly available data from 2006-2023, the study, which was commissioned by Pesticide Action…
- Wednesday briefing: What’s behind the global backlash against datacentres?
In today’s newsletter: Communities from Scotland to India are pushing back against datacentres, warning they threaten energy supplies and the climate Good morning. This summer, datacentres have become targets of resistance across the world. Ever since the arrival of ChatGPT, big tech has been lobbying for the creation…
- A search for one exotic particle uncovered two strange new structures
A search for one mysterious particle unexpectedly revealed evidence for two different structures that may belong to the bizarre family of exotic subatomic particles known as XYZ states. The findings could help physicists uncover new ways that quarks and gluons combine to create matter.
- Specieswatch: Deciduous trees are marching north and ousting evergreens
Northern landscapes could soon look different, as wildfires and storms disturb boreal forests A warmer world is making high latitude forests more deciduous and less evergreen, research shows. Global heating has increased the likelihood of extreme events such as wildfires and storms and this warmer and less stable envir…
- Earth may have lost the Sun’s protective shield millions of years ago
NASA-funded studies suggest Earth’s climate has been influenced by both the Sun’s travels through dense regions of the Milky Way and the violent superflares of its youth. Those events may help explain ancient ice ages as well as how early Earth stayed warm enough for liquid water when the Sun was much dimmer.
- Polluting Nylon Plants Clean Up Their Acts
By Phil McKenna, Investigative Reporter Many of our impact case studies cover ongoing stories that Inside Climate News continues to actively cover. The impact reflected here is current as of publication and may be updated as the situation develops.
- Climate ‘Overshoot’ Is Coming—Are We Ready?
If global warming remains above 1.5 degrees Celsius, a new U.N. report says “there are no good outcomes.” By Bob Berwyn Fossil fuel emissions are pushing Earth’s climate toward a dangerous new phase of climate “overshoot,” scientists warned Wednesday in a new report from the United Nations Environmental Programme.
- Global heating will hit at least 1.8C, UN warns, and there are ‘no good outcomes’
But scientists say the world could get back to 1.5C through deep, rapid emissions cuts and removing carbon from the atmosphere Global heating will reach at least 1.8C under even the most optimistic future, well beyond the Paris agreement goal of 1.5C, according to a UN report that warns every fraction of temperature ri…
- Federal Judge Strikes Down New York’s Climate Change Superfund Law
The decision comes as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to hear oral arguments in a landmark climate litigation case. By Lauren Dalban A federal judge has struck down New York’s Climate Change Superfund Act, ruling that it “conflicts with” federal authority.
- At the Grand Canyon, Flooding and Wildfire Underscore Compounding Extreme Weather Risks
Thunderstorms triggered flash floods that killed at least two people at one of the United States’ most-visited national parks. By Kiley Price An intense downpour at Grand Canyon National Park transformed hiking trails and shallow creeks into deadly rapids over the weekend, killing at least two people.
- Watch: Astronauts set out on rare all-female spacewalk
For the sixth time in history, a team of two women completed a spacewalk outside the International Space Station.
- Why Montana Firefighters Are Intentionally Burning Areas Around Two Wildfires
Crews are igniting vegetation between control lines and the main fires in areas where steep terrain, heavy fuels and safety concerns make direct attack difficult. By Mosabber Hossain About a month ago, two wildfires ignited a day apart in southwest Montana. The Bobcat Lakes Fire started July 31 near Wise River, followe…
- 'We'll find way to save Jodrell Bank,' Burnham says
Burnham said "there is no way that we can see its demise, and it won't happen under my Government".
- How a small island in Canada appeared, vanished, and was found again
Officials in British Columbia say the floating island drifted towards the shoreline of a local lake. But its origins remain a mystery.
- Met Office: Summer 2026 was UK's hottest ever
The UK had a spring and summer of persistent heat with five widespread heatwaves and 40 days of temperatures above 30C (86F), smashing the previous record of 34 days.
- More hosepipe bans in force as drought declared - is your area affected?
About 30 million people have been placed under hosepipe bans due to higher demand and low rainfall.
- One still missing after Grand Canyon floods kill two and prompt rescue efforts
Almost everyone is now accounted for after dozens of hikers were airlifted to safety, an official says.
- Could humans ever communicate with whales? - video
Ever since the earliest known recording of whale song was made in 1949 , researchers have been captivated by the wails, rumbles, clicks, grunts and squeals of their communication. As technology improves, scientists are decoding the intricate patterns that make different species’ vocalisations distinctive. Madeleine Fin…
- Mindfulness may lower blood pressure in just 8 weeks
Mindfulness, gratitude, and optimism training may improve blood pressure, inflammation, and other heart-health measures within just eight to 12 weeks. The strongest programs paired daily practice with regular reinforcement, suggesting that improving psychological well-being could become another tool for protecting card…
- Scientists discover why snake embryos twist into spirals
Snake embryos begin life curled into a distinctive right-handed spiral, and scientists may finally know why. Their bodies grow faster than their guts, creating a tether that forces the lengthening embryo to buckle and twist inside the egg. Researchers reached the conclusion after studying more than 900 embryos and usin…
- Summer 2026 was UK's hottest on record, Met Office says
Met Office figures show that the previous record, set in 2025, has been broken after an unprecedented summer of persistent heat.
- Reaching 90 without dementia doesn’t mean you’re in the clear
A study of people over 90 found that dementia risk remains strongly shaped by sex, race and genetics, with women and black participants facing notably higher risks. Intriguingly, some people stayed cognitively healthy despite carrying major risk factors, potentially offering clues to how the brain can resist dementia d…
- Rare butterfly spotted in Cornwall
It is believed to be one of only a handful of sightings recorded in England this year.
- A massive plume deep beneath Africa is pulling the continent apart
A vast plume rising from deep inside Earth may be responsible for mysterious movements along the East African Rift. The discovery reveals how forces deep in the mantle are working alongside shallower geological forces as the continent slowly pulls apart.
- The Amazon’s Defenders Declare a State of Emergency
As governments push oil and mining expansion, thousands of Indigenous leaders and activists gathered in Ecuador to chart another path. Story and photos by Katie Surma PUYO, Ecuador—People fighting oil wells, mines and other threats to their homelands did not come to this Amazonian city to lobby politicians at an enviro…
- Nepal’s glacial collapse foreshadowed a future of climate disaster | Michael Mann
The deluge capped a summer of extreme climate events, from deadly heatwaves to wildfires. We must take action now For millennia, the high peaks of the Himalayas were held together by an invisible, frozen cement – permafrost and glacial ice that bound ancient rock into seemingly unshakable fortresses. But as the planet…
- The Trump EPA Is a Toothless Friend of Polluting Industries, Analysis Shows
The EPA’s retreat from its role guarding clean air and water will have lasting effects on public health, critics fear. By Peter Aldhous By its own account, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is doing a fantastic job. In a March report on its performance in the last fiscal year, the agency boasted that it had conc…
- Guest post: Why tough methane cuts are crucial for keeping warming ‘well-below’ 2C
Print article Share Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas and the second-largest contributor to global warming after carbon dioxide (CO2). Methane traps heat in the atmosphere more efficiently than CO2, but has a significantly shorter lifespan, fading after just a few decades. Therefore, reducing emissions of methane –…
- When plastic companies write the lesson plans
This fall, 54 million K-12 student s are headed back to the classroom for another year of lessons in all the classic subjects: math, English, history, biology. But there’s another subject that’s been sneaking into school curricula: plastics. A new report from the nonprofit Plastic Pollution Coalition documents the many…
- Family fear for missing hydropower worker after Nepal flood
Jit Bahadur Chaudhary was working at the hydropower site when the flood hit on Wednesday.
- The final minutes before floodwater crashed through Nepal-China border
More than 100 Indians are missing at a vital Nepal-China trade crossing after devastating Himalayan floods.
- NASA’s Swift telescope is back, but time is running out
NASA has brought two of Swift’s telescopes back online after technical problems derailed a commercial mission intended to rescue the aging observatory by raising its orbit. With atmospheric drag pulling the spacecraft downward faster than expected, scientists may have only another month or two before Swift falls below…
- NASA delays Crew-13 launch after leak found on SpaceX Dragon
NASA and SpaceX have delayed Crew-13 after finding an oxidizer leak in the Dragon spacecraft’s propulsion system during prelaunch preparations. Engineers are investigating the problem before the four-person crew can begin its journey to the International Space Station.
- Heathland plan to support two rare species of ant
Devon Wildlife Trust says it will improve the heathland homes of the narrow-headed and erratic ants.
- Cities sweltering and the smell of the middle ages: has the climate crisis killed Instagram’s Euro summer? | Brigid Delaney
Who dreams of having a Euro summer now when staying in an ancient, uncooled building in the Old Town is like trying to sleep in a wood-fired pizza oven? This week the Euro summer comes to an end – and so does a certain type of posting on Instagram. Waiting at the bus stop in the grey winter dawn, a slanting rain soakin…
- The Nepal and Tibet flood is a warning: melting snow and ice will bring more disasters around the world | Bill McGuire
In Alaska, the Himalayas, the Andes, Greenland, and perhaps also the Alps, deadly chain reactions are just waiting to be triggered You may not have felt it, but the earth beneath our feet is getting twitchier, and global heating is to blame. As temperatures surge and climate breakdown accelerates, interactions between…
- New storm names for 2026-2027 released by Met Office
Tuesday 1 September marks the start of the UK storm season and a new list of storm names have been released including Austen, Chloe and Evelyn.
- Scientists find a human-only gene that may help explain our brainpower
Scientists discovered that human microglia, immune cells that help shape developing brain circuits, can take four to eight years to mature instead of just weeks as they do in mice. The unusually slow process may help explain how the human brain develops its remarkable complexity and cognitive abilities.
- Explainer: The CMIP7 emissions scenarios – and how they explore future climate change
Print article Share Every six to seven years, climate modelling groups around the world run a coordinated set of simulations that explore how the climate could change in the future. These simulations form a key line of evidence for future projections used in Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assess…
- ‘Superhuman’ AI tool spots heart disease in less than 2 seconds
Technology trained on millions of routine ECGs could fast-track high-risk patients for treatment Doctors have developed a “superhuman” AI tool that can spot heart disease in less than two seconds. The groundbreaking technology has been trained on millions of patients and works by extracting more information from a rout…
- Popular sweeteners may leave effects that last for generations
Two widely used zero-calorie sweeteners, sucralose and stevia, may have effects that linger far longer than the sweet taste itself. In mice, researchers found that both sweeteners altered the gut microbiome, reduced beneficial compounds produced by gut bacteria, and changed the activity of genes involved in metabolism…
- Scientists discover two superconducting states hiding as one
Scientists have uncovered hidden complexity inside two ultrathin superconductors that seemed much simpler than they really are. Niobium diselenide and tantalum disulfide appeared to have a single superconducting state, but highly sensitive measurements revealed that each actually contains two strongly interacting state…
- Smelling test: children need education in sniffing aromas, scientist says
Exclusive: Dr Will Tullett says better understanding of scents can improve wellbeing and perception of the world Children need a better education in sniffing aromas, a leading historian of smells has said, noting it may improve their wellbeing and help them understand the world around them. Dr Will Tullett, of the Univ…
- Scientists challenge a 70-year-old “lizard brain” myth
A long-standing picture of brain evolution as newer, rational layers stacked on top of an ancient “lizard brain” may be deeply misleading. Researchers found that evolution instead appears to balance two competing styles of brain wiring, expanding one while shrinking the other depending on what an animal needs to surviv…
- Fossil feet may be misleading scientists about human evolution
Wild monkeys in West Africa can climb vertical tree trunks using foot flexibility scientists did not realize they possessed. The discovery challenges a key assumption about what the last common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees looked like and how it moved.
- Space junk punched a new hole in the moon. It’s not ours to abuse | Moriba Jah
The space industry treats the sky as a place to dump what it no longer wants. We must develop a new model of accountability On 5 August, a piece of a derelict SpaceX rocket traveling at 5,400 miles an hour met with the moon and punched a fresh hole into it near Einstein Crater . Astronomers were thrilled. The European…
- NASA’s Roman Space Telescope launches to reveal the Universe’s darkest secrets
NASA’s Roman Space Telescope has launched on a million mile journey to L2, where it will scan huge portions of the cosmos for clues about dark matter, dark energy, and distant worlds. With survey speeds roughly 1,000 times faster than Hubble and a torrent of 1.4 terabytes of data per day, Roman could uncover cosmic sur…
- When ocean temperatures increase, so does child malnutrition on land
In 2024, an interdisciplinary team of social and marine scientists set out to examine whether the prevalence of marine heat waves — prolonged rises in ocean temperatures that are becoming more frequent and more intense because of climate change — has any impact on child and maternal health outcomes. “I was very re…
- Manhattan’s flood walls are almost done. What will Mamdani do next?
New York City has more than 500 miles of coastline. The city’s coastal zone is home to around 1 million people as well as billions of dollars of residential and commercial property, and no two miles of the waterfront are quite the same. The marshy areas of southern Queens, the housing projects in waterfront Brooklyn, a…
- Can you solve it? The fin-tastic fish puzzle
Can you think in 3D? UPDATE: Read the solution here Today’s puzzle concerns a fish swimming in a tank that is two metres high, one metre across and one metre deep. The image below shows one path the fish swam. Continue reading...
- Starwatch: Sagitta’s arrow shape makes it easy to see against a dark sky
The third-smallest constellation can be found partway along one of the imaginary lines of the summer triangle We are on the hunt for another small, northern summer constellation this week: Sagitta, the arrow. Although it consists of just a handful of faint stars, Sagitta’s distinctive shape (it really does look like an…
- Rocky planets may have formed just 100 million years after the Big Bang
Rocky planets may have been able to start forming just 100 million years after the Big Bang, thanks to enormous early supernovae that scattered planet-building elements across space. Simulations found enough solid material and water around a young star to suggest that Earth-like worlds could have appeared far earlier t…
- Scientists discover diamonds can generate electricity
Diamond was thought to be incapable of producing electricity through mechanical deformation, but ultrathin flexible diamond membranes have now shown a strong and repeatable piezoelectric effect. The unexpected discovery could open the door to diamond-powered sensors, tiny energy systems, and self-powered medical implan…
- Forbidden planet: was Pluto’s 2006 demotion a big mistake?
Since it was stripped of planetary status, Pluto’s defenders have been fighting the decision – and they’re only getting more passionate Twenty years ago, Pluto got demoted. After a vote by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in August 2006, Pluto was relegated from major planet to dwarf planet status. Our solar…
- USDA reportedly shelves cyclospora research amid relocations and fund cuts
Trump officials shuttering three projects on foodborne parasite, two defunded by Congress, Politico reports The Trump administration is shuttering two of the three US Department of Agriculture research projects studying cyclospora after the foodborne parasite has sickened tens of thousands of Americans during the sum…
- 'A giant leap forward': Nasa launches powerful new space telescope
The US space agency's telescope is starting a multi-year mission to create a new map of the universe and learn more about dark energy and dark matter.
- The datacenter backlash is bringing the entire political spectrum together – against big tech billionaires
The movement against datacenters is uniting Americans because they perfectly illustrate how a few individuals hold all the power to control decisions that affect our lives Bryce Gustafson has been knocking on doors in Indiana for more than a decade. The lead organizer with Citizens Action Coalition (CAC), a consumer an…
- 1.4-million-year-old footprints reveal a surprisingly large human relative
Ancient footprints in Kenya reveal that eight Paranthropus boisei may have traveled together 1.4 million years ago, with some individuals reaching surprisingly large, human-like body sizes. The tracks offer a rare glimpse of their social behavior and suggest these extinct human relatives may have lived in more complex…
- This strange “spacetime crystal” can suddenly become a black hole
Physicists have mathematically captured a bizarre “spacetime crystal” that can either dissolve or collapse into a microscopic black hole after only a tiny change in energy. Their breakthrough came from an unusual trick involving infinitely many dimensions, potentially giving researchers a new tool for studying primordi…
- HEPA air purifiers may boost brain function after just one month
Adults aged 40 and older performed about 12% faster on a test of executive function after using a HEPA air purifier at home for one month. The findings suggest that cleaner indoor air could offer a simple way to help protect the brain from the effects of traffic-related pollution.
- Hundreds of hidden earthquakes found at Antarctica’s Doomsday Glacier
Hundreds of previously overlooked seismic events have been detected beneath Antarctica, including 245 near the marine edge of the Thwaites Glacier. Many appear to be glacial earthquakes caused when huge icebergs break off, capsize, and collide with the glacier. The surge in activity coincided with a period when Thwaite…
- West Point’s only climate scientist fired after continuing to teach human causes of climate change
The only climate scientist teaching at West Point, the U.S. Army’s military academy, was fired after he resisted an order to stop teaching about the human causes of the climate emergency, a lawsuit claims. Dr. Adam Kalkstein, a civilian professor of geography at the New York institution, was terminated after the spring…
- Scientists discover a massive heat anomaly deep inside Mars
Mars has a hidden temperature divide, with its southern interior potentially hundreds of degrees hotter than the north and partially molten. The discovery could help explain several long-standing Martian mysteries, including unusual magnetism, seismic behavior, and clues to the planet’s ancient water history.
- Nasa space telescope launches after surviving Trump budget cuts
Searching for exoplanets and clues on planet formation, the Roman telescope begins million-mile journey from Florida launchpad A $4.3bn space telescope that Donald Trump tried to kill has lifted off from Florida as Nasa embarks on the next stage of its quest to unlock the secrets of the universe. The Nancy Grace Roman…
- Seven new frog species were hiding beneath Madagascar’s forest floor
Scientists have discovered seven new species of Madagascar’s elusive diamond frogs, using DNA from modern and century-old museum specimens to solve a long-running biological puzzle. The findings reveal surprising hidden diversity and could help protect these little-known amphibians as their forest habitats disappear.
- Ancient Egyptian princesses were buried with weapons. Their bones reveal why
Weapons buried with ancient Egyptian princesses may have been more than ceremonial decorations. Researchers studying royal mummies from Dahshur found bone changes consistent with years of archery and other strenuous weapon use. Several women also showed evidence of healed injuries, suggesting surprisingly active lifest…
- Researchers find Britain’s 11th-century ‘Conquest Man’ was Scandinavian – but did he land with the Norman army?
It’s ‘plausible’, though more likely the Humberside resident was one of many immigrants to Viking-controlled Danelaw One of the most consequential showdowns in the history of the British Isles, the Battle of Hastings is seen as the foundational event of the Anglo-Saxons’ conquest by their Norman enemy across the Channe…
- Charity thanks inmates for work to save hedgehogs
Prisoners in HMP La Moye make feeding and nesting boxes for Jersey Hedgehog Preservation Group.
- Researchers unveil sustainable spirulina solution to vitamin B12 deficiency
Researchers have produced a form of Spirulina containing biologically active vitamin B12 at levels comparable to beef. By carefully controlling the light used to grow the algae, they overcame a major problem with conventional Spirulina, which mainly contains a form of B12 the human body cannot use. The carbon-neutral s…
- Nature reserves spot rare species during heatwaves
A wildlife trust says unusually hot weather and increased monitoring has led to interesting finds.
- The next Cascadia megaquake could hit Oregon harder than expected
The Juan de Fuca plate beneath northern Oregon appears to be shallower than previously estimated, potentially making shaking from a future Cascadia megathrust earthquake significantly stronger. Scientists also found a deep basin beneath Tillamook that could trap seismic waves and intensify the shaking even further.
- Some signs of quantum gravity may be an illusion
Quantum mechanics and Einstein’s theory of gravity explain almost everything we see in nature, yet physicists still do not know how to unite them. A new theoretical framework suggests that some experiments that appear to show gravity behaving quantum mechanically may have a much more ordinary explanation. Researchers f…
- A cancer therapy put severe rheumatoid arthritis into remission
CAR T-cell therapy dramatically reduced disease activity in six people with severe rheumatoid arthritis that had resisted other treatments, with three achieving medication-free remission. The treatment may work by clearing out harmful immune cells and effectively rebooting part of the immune system, although much large…
- Artemis II astronauts receive nation's highest space honor for their successful moonshot
Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen receive Congressional Space Medal of Honor The Artemis II astronauts who flew around the moon in April received the US’s highest space honor on Friday. Donald Trump presented the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to the three Americans and one Canadian whos…
- The race to stop England running out of water
Who is to blame for the summer drought, and can England future-proof its water supplies?
- How rising temperatures likely contributed to Nepal’s deadly flood
Roughly 160 people are dead and hundreds more — including dozens of international tourists — are missing after flash floods hit a region on the mountainous border of Nepal and Tibet on Wednesday. Devastating footage posted to social media shows people fleeing a wall of water that washed away buildings and vehicles. Ini…
- Dogs may hold surprising clues to human longevity
Dogs and humans may have more in common when it comes to aging than scientists realized. Researchers with the Dog Aging Project found that patterns of small molecules in dogs’ blood were linked to longer or shorter lifespans in remarkably similar ways to those seen in people. These metabolic “fingerprints” could offer…
- Scientists turn one of the hardest plastics to recycle into high-performance engine lubricant
Researchers have discovered a way to turn notoriously difficult-to-recycle PVC plastic into a key ingredient used in high-performance lubricants such as engine oil. The technique could give mountains of plastic waste a valuable second life while making lubricant production more sustainable.
- The universe is still speeding up, but nobody knows why
A major new analysis challenges recent claims that the universe's expansion is slowing, finding that the evidence for cosmic acceleration remains strong. The findings preserve the leading role of dark energy, while leaving scientists with the enduring mystery of what this strange cosmic force actually is.
- Long-term melatonin use linked to 90% higher heart failure risk
People with chronic insomnia who used melatonin long term had a roughly 90% higher risk of developing heart failure over five years, according to a large preliminary study. The findings do not prove melatonin causes heart problems, but they raise new questions about the safety of taking the popular sleep supplement for…
- Australia’s red soil may be hiding a massive clean energy source
Researchers have discovered that Western Australia’s iron-rich rocks can naturally generate hydrogen and that the process may be boosted to produce much larger amounts. If it can be scaled up, the vast formations beneath the Pilbara could become a major new source of low-emission energy for Australia and potentially th…
- Scientists discover why damaged nerves struggle to heal
Scientists have identified a protein that acts like a brake on the nervous system’s ability to repair damaged connections. Blocking AHR helped injured nerve fibers regrow and improved movement and sensation in mice with nerve or spinal cord injuries. The discovery could eventually point toward new treatments designed t…
- Nevada preached peace on the Colorado River. Now it’s suing to protect its water.
Nevada officials have long presented themselves as a voice for compromise and conservation in debates over the Colorado River. The Las Vegas area, home to two-thirds of the state’s population and most of its economy, has become a model of urban water conservation. As the river has declined from overuse and a decades-lo…
- Experimental eye drops help blind mice see again
Scientists have created light-activated drugs that helped blind mice perceive light again and restored visually guided behavior without gene therapy, implants, or specialized lighting. Even more intriguingly, two of the most promising compounds worked when administered as eye drops, pointing toward a potentially simple…
- NASA’s Roman telescope will see 100 times more sky than Hubble
NASA’s Roman Space Telescope will combine Hubble-like detail with a field of view 100 times larger, giving astronomers a sweeping new way to explore the cosmos. Its observations could uncover hidden planets, map billions of cosmic objects, and help scientists unravel the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy.
- The rush to power data centers is weakening the Clean Air Act
Across the country, the electricity needs of data centers have been a major driver of the widespread resistance to speedy development. The rapid buildouts of data centers have raised concerns that residential and small business utility customers will end up shouldering the costs, and about the health and climate impact…
- How to deal with burnout on a burning planet
In this month’s Ask a Climate Therapist column, we’re tackling two questions at once — each examining similar themes of burnout and paralysis from two very different vantage points. Wherever you are on your own path of climate engagement, I hope the advice will resonate. Dear Leslie, I have been working in sustainabili…
- In the American West, wildfire comes for the suburbs
Somersett, a short drive from downtown Reno, Nevada, is a peaceful place where homes with sweeping, high-desert views line cul-de-sacs, and roads meander through shrubland, trailheads, and golf courses. But in the summer, months of low humidity and hot weather prime the landscape to burn. On the morning of August 22, i…
- New research shows the world isn’t doing nearly enough to fix its food problem
A new report finds that across the globe, progress toward developing more sustainable, resilient food systems is not advancing fast enough to meet internationally agreed upon deadlines. The research builds on previous studies tracking a number of goals, including some established a decade ago by United Nations member c…
- BBC Inside Science
The datacentres are coming, potentially in the hundreds.
- France relaxes strict cheese-making rules after prolonged drought
Makers of some of France's most famous cheeses get waivers on where herds graze due to the lack of grass.
- Everyone hates datacentres. Do we really need them? - video
AI companies have promised us world-shifting technology. But there’s a cost: loud, unsightly datacentres that drain environmental resources. As the government pushes their rapid growth, can local communities do anything to push back? Madeleine Finlay speaks to the Guardian’s global technology reporter Aisha Down about…
- How decoding beluga whales’ chitchat may save them – and teach us more about ourselves
From humpbacks learning the latest songs to sperm whales’ ‘clan codas’, drones and AI learning are helping reveal another dimension to the concept of culture Podcast: Could humans ever communicate with whales? In 2015, the whale researcher Valeria Vergara pitched a small tent at the icy water’s edge on Somerset Island…
- ‘Starwashing’: The new space race has an environmental problem
As artificial intelligence devours more land and electricity, a new breed of tech companies promises that outer space holds the solutions to our problems on Earth. If data centers are so hard to find a place for down here, why not put them hundreds of miles above the planet instead? Since power demand surges in the eve…
- On Louisiana’s disappearing coast, a natural gas terminal is poised to become the largest in the US
Less than two years after opening, a liquefied natural gas terminal near New Orleans is seeking a multibillion-dollar expansion under the Trump administration’s new “emergency” permitting process that cuts regulatory review and could put nearby wetlands and waterways at greater risk. Earlier this summer, the U.S. Army…
- The fossil fuel industry is spending record amounts to keep California from regulating it
The fossil fuel industry isn’t just raking in record profits amid the war with Iran. In California, it’s also spending big to oppose climate and worker-safety legislation. According to analyses by a coalition of environmental groups called the Last Chance Alliance, oil and gas companies spent more than $17 million on C…
- Everyone hates datacentres. Do we really need them? – podcast
AI companies have promised us world-shifting technology. But there’s a cost: loud, unsightly datacentres that drain environmental resources. As the government pushes their rapid growth, can local communities do anything to push back? Madeleine Finlay speaks to the Guardian’s global technology reporter Aisha Down about…
- Climate change exposes 580 million children to 20 extra ‘heat-stress days’ every year
Print article Share More than 40% of children under the age of 10 globally are already experiencing at least 20 additional “heat-stress days” due to climate change. This is according to a new attribution study, published in Science Advances , which combines climate models with demographic data to assess the age groups…
- The great American road trip is in peril
My husband, friends, and I sat huddled at a faux-marble-topped table in the lobby of our Utah hotel, looking down at a Google Maps route pulled up on my iPhone. We pinched and scrolled the screen as the breakfast buffet crowd hummed around us. We were less than a week into a Great American Road trip — one that wo…
- Fires still burn in charred landscape as focus turns to wildfire prevention
The RSPB is considering measures it can take to improve resilience in the wake of a five-week long fire in the Cairngorms.
- Creatine: is there truth behind the hype? – video
Creatine has become the go-to supplement for anyone wanting to give their fitness a boost and build muscle. It’s even made it out of the gym, with influencers touting its cognitive benefits. But what’s the science behind creatine, and does the evidence stack up? Madeleine Finlay hears from science editor Ian Sample and…
- US companies are on the cusp of big climate solutions. Thank the government.
The United States has never been one of the most ambitious countries when it comes to tackling climate change, but it has long maintained a program that funds innovative clean energy technology. This program is known as the Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy, or ARPA-E, and over the past 15 years it has doled out…
- Offshore wind power projects are flailing, just when the East Coast needs them most
With congested, aging power lines and a densely developed landscape, the East Coast has few options for building large-scale renewable power. Meanwhile, the region’s electricity prices are rising, and states are falling behind their emissions goals. Offshore wind offered a unique opportunity to meet those challen…
- Creatine: is there truth behind the hype? – podcast
Creatine has become the go-to supplement for anyone wanting to give their fitness a boost and build muscle. It’s even made it out of the gym, with influencers touting its cognitive benefits. But what’s the science behind creatine, and does the evidence stack up? Madeleine Finlay hears from science editor Ian Sample and…
- World's oceans hit highest temperature on record as El Niño grows
The record "is another clear signal of an ocean under growing stress", according to Dr Samantha Burgess from the European Copernicus climate change service.
- Tennessee helped usher in the nuclear age. It wants to lead the way again.
Luther “Sunny” Miller is nearly 80, but in his younger days, he worked at Aerojet, a rocket and missile manufacturer located quite literally in his backyard. He can’t prove it, but he worries that his thyroid and bladder problems, and his wife’s kidney disease, can be traced to the plant. Last year, national nuclear su…
- UK's rarest bird of prey rears new chicks in secret location
The Montagu Harrier successfully nested for the second year running in the same secret location.
- Living with drought has taught pastoralists lessons the world needs
Cattle are a central part of the identity of Andrew Msami’s Maasai community in northeast Tanzania. Herd size determines social position, and many people keep all their wealth in livestock, not banks. But in recent years, Msami and others have been forced to sell the animals and buy goats, which can handle drought bett…
- Factcheck: 10 flaws in the Conservative report on ‘cheap power’
Print article Share Article Contents Expand menu Close The plan would increase UK emissions The plan would slow electrification Gas prices are unlikely to remain low and stable The plan assumes gas plants are cheap to build Nuclear faces high costs and delivery challenges The report’s high network cost estimates do not…
- It's finally raining, but the drought's not over
After a summer that has seen England and Wales experience the driest July since records began, rain is finally on the horizon. But with reservoirs at ‘exceptionally low’ levels, will there be enough rain to replenish stocks? Madeleine Finlay hears from Dr Anna Murgatroyd, a lecturer in hydrology at Newcastle University…
- There is nothing scientific about The Great ADHD Myth? ‘documentary’ | Gina Rippon
Channel 4’s programme wastes a chance to ask important questions about how ADHD is diagnosed and treated, instead indulging in unscientific methods and conspiracy theories Prof Gina Rippon is emeritus professor of cognitive neuroimaging at the Aston Brain Centre, Aston University When Channel 4 announced that it would…
- It’s finally raining. Will it be enough to end the drought? – podcast
After a summer that has seen England and Wales experience the driest July since records began, rain is finally on the horizon. But with reservoirs at ‘exceptionally low’ levels, will there be enough rain to replenish stocks? Madeleine Finlay hears from Dr Anna Murgatroyd, a lecturer in hydrology at Newcastle University…
- Q&A: What is ‘long-duration energy storage’ – and why does the UK need it?
Print article Share The UK is pioneering the use of “ super batteries ” that can store energy for long periods, smoothing the output from wind and solar power as the country moves towards net-zero. It is aiming to build “long-duration energy storage” (LDES) that fills up when supplies are plentiful, to help cover the g…
- Explainer: How the ‘super El Niño’ will reshape the world’s weather
The world is currently experiencing what is expected to become the strongest El Niño on record – dubbed a “ super El Niño ” by many. El Niño is the warm phase of a recurring climate pattern in the tropical Pacific that releases heat from the ocean into the atmosphere. This temporarily raises global temperat…
- Analysis: The two largest reservoirs in the US have hit record-low levels
Print article Share The second-largest reservoir in the US reached a record-low water height on Saturday – just days after the country’s largest reservoir broke its own record. Both Lake Mead and Lake Powell are located on the Colorado River. They provide water for populations across seven US states in the south-…
- Did you solve it? A new goat for puzzledom’s GOAT
The solution to today’s puzzle Earlier today I set you a new twist on the Monty Hall problem, which is (according to AI) the most discussed recreational maths puzzle in history. The standard Monty Hall problem is as follows: Continue reading...
- Why land-use emissions have fallen by a third this century – in six charts
Print article Share Emissions from land-use change – including deforestation, loss of peatland and forest degradation – have been falling over the course of the 21st century. The latest Global Carbon Budget report, formally published in May in the journal Earth System Science Data , notes a “statistically significant d…
- Can you solve it? A new goat for puzzledom’s GOAT
Take this puzzle by the horns Today’s puzzle is a new twist on The Monty Hall problem, arguably the greatest maths puzzle of all time. (According to Gemini, who trawled the internet for me, it is the most discussed and debated recreational maths puzzle of all time.) Continue reading...
- The Fauci hearing was painful to watch. But we need answers on Covid-19’s origin| David Relman
Despite the recent hearings in Congress, we seem to be even further from the goal of understanding Covid-19’s origin’s than we have ever been As a microbiologist and infectious disease clinician, it has been tough to watch the recent devolution of public discourse on Covid-19 origins. It has been especially difficult f…
- Q&A: What does China’s 15th five-year plan for coal mean for climate action?
Print article Share China has published a new five-year plan for coal, the latest in a slew of important policy documents for the country’s energy transition. The 15th five-year plan for the development of the coal industry was published by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the National Energy A…
- I’m a neuroscientist. Here’s why our brains need pop concerts | Bala Subramaniam
Attending a Nick Jonas show with my kids was an invitation to ‘collective effervescence’. We need these shared experiences now more than ever Three years ago, I agreed to accompany my children to a Nick Jonas concert. The appeal of the Jonas Brothers, and in this case only one of them, was unfamiliar territory. The con…
- Analysis: Weaker EV targets could cost UK consumers £3bn a year by 2030
Print article Share An upcoming UK government consultation on weakening targets for electric vehicles (EVs) could cost consumers as much as £3bn a year by 2030, according to Carbon Brief analysis. It could require the UK to import an extra 17m barrels of oil in 2030, raising expected net imports by 8%, as well as addin…
- Max’s heart stopped while playing basketball. It was a case of 'sudden cardiac arrest' – video
At 14, Max’s heart stopped during a basketball game. Five years after her son's death, Fiona Connolly recalls pleading with hospital staff to save her son. 'I said, "This is Max. His name is Max, and I really need you to to do what you do really well, and please just get him back to life.”' Research suggests one person…
- Q&A: What is in China’s new five-year plan for climate change?
Print article Share China has released a five-year plan dedicated to addressing climate change. The 15th five-year plan for a national response to climate change is the latest in a series to outline in-depth climate and energy targets for the 2026-2030 period. These include five-year plans for “building a B…
- Four types of thinker, the cyclosporiasis outbreak, and the UK’s biggest telescope threatened – podcast
Madeleine Finlay is joined by Ian Sample, Guardian science editor, to discuss three eye-catching science stories including an investigation that has identified four distinct types of thinker. Also on the agenda is the unprecedented cyclosporiasis outbreak in the US which has now been linked to two fatalities, and the f…
- Did you solve it? Are you a match for the world’s smartest teen?
The solution to today’s puzzle Earlier today I set you the following puzzle, suggested by Briton Alex Chui, the most successful ever candidate at the International Mathematical Olympiad. Last month Alex, who is a pupil at Tonbridge School in Kent, became the first person to win a medal at the olympiad for seven years i…
- How the UK's extreme heat is shifting the conversation about air-con
Should we embrace air conditioning despite its costs and consequences?
- Trump again shrinks Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments
Monday morning, Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments stretched across over 3 million acres of public lands in southern Utah, protecting some of the country’s most remote landscapes and scores of archaeological sites sacred to local tribes. By that evening, President Donald Trump had cut the monum…
- Majority of US voters link extreme weather to climate crisis, study finds
Top Democrat says findings show public ‘way ahead of the politicians’ as Trump dismisses global heating as ‘hoax’ Amid a summer of dangerous heat , drought and floods , a majority of Americans are connecting increasingly severe weather to the climate crisis, new polling shows, despite efforts by Donald Trump to dismiss…
- How Trump and his administration have mired the US in multiple crises
From manufactured election insecurity to an outbreak of ‘explosive’ diarrhea, Americans are bearing the brunt of harmful policies Between widespread cuts to vital government agencies, various disease and illness outbreaks, and new environmental disaster vulnerabilities, the United States is facing a convergence of cris…
- Canefields to ocean to rolling hills: vision splendid of 135km northern NSW rail trail short-changed
Despite the backing of councils in a region in dire need of support, the federal government has rejected a $42m grant request to complete the trail’s 54km missing link Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast There are glow-worms in the old train tunnel if you look hard enough into the deepest, dark…
- The hidden cost of the night shift and how to sleep it off
More than three million people in the UK work night shifts, which can greatly impact their health. What can be done to help them?
- New York governor orders first statewide data center moratorium
New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, issued an executive order Tuesday that puts a moratorium on the construction of large-scale data centers. The pause, which will last up to a year, is the nation’s first statewide ban on data centers, which have drawn increasing concern from lawmakers and citizens based on the…
- Poultry sector growth plan risks UK national security, campaigners warn
Government’s food security push is said to rely on animal feed imports with vulnerability to supply chain shocks The government’s planned poultry sector growth plan is a risk to national security, campaigners have warned. Earlier this month, the environment secretary, Emma Reynolds , told the Groundswell agriculture fe…
- Arizona teen hailed for helping save woman with dementia wandering in 103F heat
Fire crew in Gilbert to honor Royal Cothrun, 14, for helping elderly woman who became disoriented amid heatwave An Arizona fire department is formally honoring a 14-year-old boy who recently helped save an elderly woman with dementia after she wandered miles off course amid potentially lethal temperatures, saying the t…
- ‘It’s only going to get worse’: wildfires forcing firefighters to make impossible choices
As the climate crisis fuels more intense blazes, pushing them to new parts of the world, those tackling them are forced to ration resources and decide which to fight César Alcaraz had only just become a firefighter in the late 1990s when he found himself ambushed by a fast-moving blaze. Barely able to breathe and with…
- Thousands flee as First Nations bear the brunt of Canada’s wildfires
More than 900 wildfires are burning throughout Canada, with devastating impacts for First Nations. Thirteen Nations remain under evacuation orders that have forced 2,182 people from their homes. The Namaygoosisagagun (Collins) First Nation watched one blaze largely destroy its entire community in less than an hou…
- Europe’s most effective tool to cut greenhouse gas emissions ‘risks being weakened’
European Commission proposal to overhaul emissions trading system would give companies less demanding pathway to reductions Europe’s most effective method of cutting dangerous planet-heating gases risks being weakened after the European Commission proposed an overhaul of its flagship carbon market, critics have said. I…
- Wildfire smoke threatens the World Cup final. FIFA still doesn’t have a plan.
The biggest game in soccer is set for Sunday, when Argentina and Spain will meet in the World Cup final, held just outside of New York City. There’s just one problem — wildfire smoke now threatens the match and FIFA, the sport’s governing body, doesn’t appear to have any plan in place to protect player or fan health.&n…
- Debriefed 17 July 2026: UK ‘firewave’ | Fossil-fuelled heat deaths | London’s Natural History Museum spotlights climate
Welcome to Carbon Brief’s DeBriefed. An essential guide to the week’s key developments relating to climate change. This week Heat and firewaves ‘FIREWAVE’: Wildfires ravaged Europe and North America this week. France utilised water-dumping planes collecting from the Seine to contain a fire in the Fontainebleau fo…
- Q&A: Europe’s May and June heatwave deaths – and how they were counted
Recent weeks have seen a flurry of reports from public health authorities and scientists that estimate the deaths caused by Europe’s record-breaking summer heatwaves . In France , the national public health agency reported 2,025 excess deaths over the week where the heatwave peaked in June. Authorities in G…
- ‘My eyes were stinging’: New Yorkers navigate smoky air and soaring temperatures
Pollution levels in the city were elevated as smoke from Canadian wildfires drifted south across a huge swathe of the US The sun shone feebly through the thick haze. The smell of burning wood hung thick in the air. Many New Yorkers donned masks as the air quality plummeted amid health warnings. The National Weather Ser…
- Why did energy-saving tips disappear from the Energy Department website?
If you wanted to save some money by learning how to check your home for air leaks, poor insulation, and power-hungry lightbulbs, the Department of Energy’s website was ready to help. And if you needed an expert, the site guided you to another page for help lining up a professional energy assessment, a well-established…
- Line 5 tunnel in Michigan clears major permitting hurdle, in blow to opposition
Michigan regulatory officials on Wednesday issued several key permits for the construction of a tunnel to replace an aging section of the Line 5 pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac, the waterways that straddle the state’s Upper and Lower peninsulas. Officials said that the necessity of the project in preventing an oil…
- Biden’s climate law is dead. The energy transition might not be.
The Inflation Reduction Act, which became law in 2022, was the first and largest climate bill in the history of the United States. It was also the cornerstone of President Joe Biden’s economic agenda. The bill offered billions of dollars in tax credits for companies that built solar and wind farms or electric vehicle b…
- As the UK and Europe battle deadly wildfires, what lessons can Australia offer?
Knowledge learned over more than a century in Australia is being tested by worsening fires. It’s a familiar narrative around the world The violent hot red flames of deadly wildfires across the UK and Europe and scenes of panicked communities fleeing homes could not, at least geographically, be further away for Jan Harr…
- ‘We are waiting with bated breath’: experts alarmed as BoM says gathering El Niño could be strongest on record
Most Australian capital cities have at least 80% chance of unusually warm and dry spring as climatologists watch developing system with increasing alarm Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The El Niño climate phenomenon linked to record glo…
- The Aral Sea isn’t just an ecological nightmare — it’s a carbon bomb
The Aral Sea sits between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and was once the fourth-largest inland body of water on Earth. For the past 60 years, though, humans have bled it nearly dry irrigating cotton crops, leaving behind a salty plain the size of Ireland. Its loss has long been seen as an ecological and humanitarian proble…
- Food scraps and mushrooms: the closed-loop garden behind the world’s first community-powered sauna
R-Urban Poplar in London is a ‘living lab’ where locals can experiment with ways of taking charge of their food supply On a stiflingly hot and dusty morning at the height of the summer’s third heatwave, traffic thunders down the A12 arterial route through east London. A high, red-brick wall rises by the road. What few…
- Data centers are booming. Indigenous leaders want help protecting their lands.
This story is published through the Indigenous News Alliance. AI is the transformative technology of our time, with the potential to reshape our world on a global scale. And yet, underpinning its potential is the need for so-called hyperscale data centers that require vast amounts of land, energy, and water. As tech co…
- Wildfire smoke engulfs Toronto as unhealthy air reaches New York - video
Smoke from more than 100 potential wildfires in northern Ontario have made Toronto’s air quality the current worst in the world and caused yellow, smoky air in cities across the north-east US. 'You could definitely smell the smoke in the air and it's very hazy out. So absolutely it's noticeable,' says Toronto resident…
- Train crew in Canada 'encased' by intense flames amid wildfires - video
Video footage of a train near the community of Armstrong, Ontario, highlights the speed and ferocity of one of more than 100 wildfires currently burning in Canada. 'This could potentially overtake us here … This has gotten a little scary,' says a crew member as a wall of flames whips across the windows. 'We’re encased…
- UK withdraws millions in funding from world’s second-largest rainforest in Congo
The UK has abandoned projects worth tens of millions of pounds that were meant to help protect Congo rainforests and support local people. Together, these initiatives would have made up around half of the £200m that the UK pledged to support conservation in the Congo basin – the world’s second-largest rainforest. When…
- Cropped 15 July 2026: Uganda starves | Trump opens endangered habitats | UK cuts rainforest aid
We handpick and explain the most important stories at the intersection of climate, land, food and nature over the past fortnight. This is an online version of Carbon Brief’s fortnightly Cropped email newsletter. Subscribe for free here. Key developments Global drought and heat DRY THEN WET: A recent heatwav…
- Surviving extreme heat increasingly boils down to this: access to air conditioning | Mark Wolfe
The next great climate divide will be between countries that have the resources to adapt and those that don’t This summer, much of the media’s attention has focused on record temperatures across Europe and the United States. Television coverage has been filled with familiar images: heat maps shaded deep red, schools cl…
- The battle over peat: why do some gardeners still insist on using it?
Peat bogs are essential to the environment, holding twice as much carbon as all the world’s forests. But in the UK, 80% are damaged, most of what is extracted is used in horticulture – and some campaigners fear the problem is getting worse ‘I don’t see how I can possibly do my job and eat mushrooms,” says Sally Nex, a…
- They wanted to hold Exxon accountable. Then they got hacked.
They wanted to hold Exxon accountable. Then they got hacked. A decade after climate activists’ emails were breached, a court case is shedding new light on who allegedly orchestrated the hacking. By Miles Morrisseau Illustration by Grist / Getty Images Jul 17, 2026 Topic Climate + Indigenous Affairs Share/Republish Co…
- A Bay Area financial analyst wants a piece of this mineral-rich seabed surrounded by 3 Pacific nations
Last summer, at the United Nations Ocean Conference, French Polynesia established the world’s largest contiguous marine protected area, reinforcing its 2022 ban on seabed mining. “The deep sea is not for sale,” France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, said at the time. A year later, that might not hold true for the w…
- Nebraska wants data centers to come clean about water usage
Often seen as a black box of information, data centers in Nebraska will be forced to reveal more about their operations, like their annual water use and power demand, to the state, following the recent passing of a new law by the Nebraska Legislature. Jesse Bradley, director of the Department of Water, Energy, and Envi…
- For Indigenous peoples, conflict means so much more than war
This story is published through the Indigenous News Alliance. Guatemala’s 36-year civil war led to the killing of around 200,000 people, the destruction of hundreds of villages, and the raping of more than 100,000 women. Indigenous Maya people experienced these crimes at disproportionate rates, and both the United Nati…
- After record heat, could the Atlantic make Britain's weather even more extreme?
As temperatures rise, scientists are investigating whether a changing Atlantic could bring more volatile weather to the UK
- Andy Burnham must act fast on the climate – or risk getting stuck in a ‘derailment’ doom loop | Laurie Laybourn
Around the world, climate-sceptic parties are exploiting floods and fires to make political capital. Without urgent changes, this deadly spiral will continue Recent unprecedented heatwaves in the UK may have killed thousands of people. Children are suffering in overheating schools . NHS trusts are straining under recor…
- Kemi declares war on net zero – and what remains of her party
Badenoch’s ideological purge gathers pace as moderates are cast out and the Tories edge ever closer to political extinction You have to hand it to Kemi Badenoch. She doesn’t take any prisoners. While the rest of us have been trying to survive a heatwave and are wondering if air-con may be needed for future summers, the…
- 28 quotes from next UK leader Andy Burnham on climate, net-zero and fossil fuels
The UK’s incoming prime minister Andy Burnham has remained tight-lipped on his views on climate change during his leadership campaign. When asked his views on reversing Labour’s manifesto pledge to stop new North Sea drilling in June – a move that the oil-and-gas industry and right-wing media have pushed for in recent…
- The US may be hitting a tipping point for heat pumps
It appears America is falling in love with heat pumps, which is a tall order for an appliance. They use tricks of physics to extract warmth from wintry air and bring it inside, a far more efficient way of staying toasty than with gas furnaces. (It’s better to move heat from one place to another, instead of generating i…
- There is a way to dress for the office in a heatwave – but leave the Paul Mescal short shorts at home | Chloe Mac Donnell
Breathable fabrics and loose cuts are in. It’s possible to beat the heat without dressing like you’re off to the beach or the lido Never mind weddings or job interviews. When it comes to getting dressed, the past few weeks have confirmed that the biggest challenge is what to wear to the office during a heatwave. I writ…
- Interview: COP31 president says electrification is ‘surest way to protect citizens’
Last month, COP31 president-designate Murat Kurum launched a target for 35% of the world’s final energy to come from electricity by 2035. In an interview with Carbon Brief, Kurum says that the target was not a political choice, but instead reflects the latest evidence on “what is needed to keep 1.5C within reach”. The…
- DeBriefed 10 July 2026: Deadly Europe heat | EU electrification leak | COP31 president interview
Welcome to Carbon Brief’s DeBriefed. An essential guide to the week’s key developments relating to climate change. This week ‘Catastrophic’ climate impacts RECORD HEAT: Western Europe experienced its hottest June on record – some 3C above average – according to analysis covered by the Guardian . It said the f…
- Eight facts about air conditioning amid an overheated global debate
As successive heatwaves hit Europe, air-conditioning (AC) has emerged as a new front in the international “ culture war ” over climate action. France, Germany and the UK have experienced record-breaking heat and thousands of heat-related deaths this summer, with June temperatures in many regions passing 40C. This has d…
- China Briefing 9 July 2026: Guangxi floods | ‘Beautiful China’ plan | New EU-China mechanism
W elcome to Carbon Brief’s China Briefing. China Briefing handpicks and explains the most important climate and energy stories from China over the past fortnight. Subscribe for free here. Key developments Rain, typhoons and heat GUANGXI FLOODS: Severe floods hit south-western China’s Guangxi province after heavy rains,…
- Interview: Dr Sun Yixian on his new database tracking Chinese climate ‘leadership’
The number of global climate initiatives launched or run by China has been growing since 2009, a new study shows. But whether this will translate into China taking up the mantle of climate leadership remains an “open question”, says Dr Sun Yixian , study co-author and professor of sustainability governance at the Unive…
- First dinosaur bone from Antarctica found in a drawer
The fossil, collected in Antarctica in 1985, is part of the tail of a beast called a Titanosaur.
- Fossil identified as first dinosaur ever found in Antarctica
Argentinian geologist Eduardo Olivero became the first scientist to find the remains of a dinosaur in Antarctica in 1986.
- DeBriefed 19 June 2026: Bonn talks end in ‘gridlock’ | Energy’s ‘new era’ | Oceans in climate negotiations
Welcome to Carbon Brief’s DeBriefed. An essential guide to the week’s key developments relating to climate change. This week Bonn talks close ‘SIDE-STEPPING AND STALLING’: UN climate talks in Bonn have ended in “gridlock”, according to Climate Home News . The outlet reported on the failure to balance developing c…
- Bonn climate talks: Key outcomes from the June 2026 UN climate conference
Two weeks of tense UN climate talks in Bonn, Germany, have produced few tangible outcomes as diplomats faced “ gridlock ”. Negotiators failed to find agreement in numerous areas, such as scaling up global emissions cuts and funding for climate adaptation. In the closing plenary, many diplomats lamented weakened t…
- Say what?! New insults to use in 2026 | Fiona Katauskas
The news is providing a lot of material to work with See more of Fiona Katauskas’s cartoons here Continue reading...
- Two World Cup matches were played in ‘severe heat’, analysis finds
Games in Miami and Monterrey were at heat level a players’ union had warned in the past should trigger delays Two of the first round of matches at the World Cup were played at a level of severe heat that a football players’ union has previously said should trigger the delay or postponement of games, a Guardian analysis…
- Experts: Why carbon removal needs a ‘major scale up’ to return warming to 1.5C
Last week, more than 260 researchers convened in Milan to discuss the opportunities, challenges and risks involved in scaling “carbon dioxide removal” (CDR) to help curb climate change. The conference – held on the campus of the Politecnico di Milano – is the fourth in a series, with previous editions held in Oxford, U…
- ‘Termination shock’: trust our expert warnings on geoengineering’s planetary risks | Raymond Pierrehumbert, Julia Slingo, Michael Mann and Valerie Masson-Delmotte
Do we really want to play dice with our planet? A series in the Guardian recently declared “it’s time to talk about geoengineering.” So let’s talk about it. And let us start with some simple truths about this cluster of techno-optimistic “quick fixes” which purport to somehow offset our slow progress towards zeroing ou…
- James Bruggers, Who Brought Passion and Kindness to Environmental Reporting, Dies at 68
Bruggers was known to colleagues as a dogged reporter and a generous coworker, and to sources as an honest watchdog. By Nicholas Kusnetz James Bruggers, whose decades of dogged reporting shined a light on polluting corporations, inadequate regulations and the people who fought against them for environmental justice, di…
- Green Economy Hits $10 Trillion in Market Value
If the green economy—defined as the group of companies heavily involved in environmental business—were its own industry, it would be the third-largest in the world. By Ajani Stella The group of companies that derive significant revenue from environmental solutions, known as the green economy, has topped $10 trillion in…
- How FIFA’s climate solution has turned into ‘water-gate’
When the United States takes the pitch against Australia this afternoon, millions of soccer fans will tune in. Anyone who hasn’t watched a match since the last World Cup will notice something new: players stopping midway through each half to drink some water. Introduced in the name of player safety, these mandatory thr…
- My trip to meet the scientists trying to refreeze the Arctic
In this week’s newsletter: The melting of the Arctic’s summer sea ice is the most visible upshot of the climate crisis. Refreezing it might be a long shot – but do drastic times call for drastic measures? • Don’t get Down to Earth delivered to your inbox? Sign up here Speeding across rapidly melting Arctic ice on a sno…
- The changing face of Mongolia as, beneath the grass, permafrost thaws
The warming caused by climate breakdown in the landlocked east Asian country is transforming its fragile ecosystem As the climate crisis accelerates, Mongolia is warming rapidly, transforming the country’s cryosphere, including some of the most southerly permafrost landscapes in the northern hemisphere. Although rarely…
- Alabama Limestone Quarry Settles Lawsuit Over Dust, Noise
The settlement requires the quarry to set buffer zones around houses or buildings, notify residents before blasting and stop operating at night or on Sundays. By Dennis Pillion Residents of the small north Alabama community of Belle Mina are breathing easier after reaching a settlement with a limestone quarry they say…
- Federal Regulators Tell Electric Grid Operators to Fix Their Rules on Data Centers
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission stops short of fulfilling the Trump administration’s wishes but puts regional grid operators on a “short leash.” By Lisa Sorg, Charles Paullin The nation’s electric grid is stressed out.
- Comprehensive national climate damage assessments framework applied to the UK
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 19 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02665-2 The economic impact of climate change has been widely acknowledged, yet current assessments remain fragmented and uncertain. Researchers develop a comprehensive channel-specific framework, apply it to the UK and show that the potentia…
- Climate change drives ecological novelty and new social challenges
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 19 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02672-3 Ecosystems are changing rapidly because of climate change, and this will have increasing social effects around the globe. We suggest that common social responses to rising novelty are often counterproductive, and we advocate for strat…
- United Nations Climate Talks in Bonn Marked by ‘Sidestepping and Stalling’
U.S. policies and military actions have raised anxieties, as well as hopes of a faster transition away from fossil fuels. By Bob Berwyn The United States did not send a federal government delegation to the latest round of high-level global climate negotiations in Bonn, Germany, but the current administration’s foreign…
- How Shining a Light on Ships Could Help Solve Illegal Fishing
Sixteen countries have adopted the Mombasa Declaration to combat illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing. The biggest weapon in their arsenal: transparency. By Johnny Sturgeon Mamadou Sarr remembers when an artisanal fisherman in Dakar only had to helm his wooden pirogue a single kilometer offshore to find a rich b…
- ‘Mega-consumers’ of food and energy cost environment $5.7tn a year, study finds
Top 10% generate climate and biodiversity damage bill that exceeds economies of most countries, say researchers The environmental damage bill racked up by the highest-consuming 10% of the world’s population has reached up to $5.7tn a year – larger than the economy of every country except the US and China, a study has f…
- Why General Motors Is Betting on Sodium-Ion Batteries
The automaker and Peak Energy are developing an alternative to lithium-ion batteries for energy storage. By Dan Gearino Peak Energy announced last week that it has entered a new partnership with General Motors to manufacture sodium-ion batteries for energy storage systems.
- Q&A: What do China’s provincial five-year plans say about climate and energy?
China’s provincial-level governments have now all published their 15th five-year plans – economic and social development blueprints for 2026-2030. These provincial plans reaffirm the overall trajectory of China’s energy transition, but reveal regional differences, based on economic and geographic considerations.…
- Detainees Moved Out of Alligator Alcatraz, ICE Confirms
The Trump administration said individuals were moved to ensure their safety during hurricane season. Environmental groups pursuing litigation over the site want more transparency. By Amy Green Inmates have been moved out of Alligator Alcatraz, the Everglades migrant detention site, the Trump administration confirmed We…
- Trump Administration’s Coal Investments Breathe New Life Into Plants With Repeated Violations
At least three of the 12 coal plants the Trump administration funded have been repeatedly cited for violating environmental regulations, amplifying public-health concerns. By Ajani Stella In 2023, after years of pollution , equipment failures and health concerns, the Cumberland Fossil Plant in Tennessee was slated to c…
- Colombia Passes First-Ever National Law Requiring Beef to Be Traced Back to Its Origins
The new law is aimed at tackling deforestation in protected areas and will take effect over two years. By Georgina Gustin Colombia this month enacted a landmark law designed to stop deforestation connected to cattle ranching, a move that environmental groups say could provide a model for the wider Amazon region, where…
- A solution to data center backlash? Put them in oil fields.
Most Americans loathe data centers. Recent polling found that Democrats and Republicans alike would oppose having one in their neighborhood, and hundreds of communities across the country have fought against them, citing fears about noise, water contamination, and energy bills. After years spent courting tech companies…
- Desperate for shade on your walk? There’s (almost) an app for that.
It’s getting increasingly unbearable, even downright dangerous, to walk in cities. That’s because of the urban heat island effect : Buildings, sidewalks, and roads absorb the sun’s energy and radiate it back at pedestrians, raising temperatures far above that you’d find in the surrounding countryside. If a city like Ph…
- The US military is spending big on critical minerals
This is an original story by Mongabay and is republished through the Indigenous News Alliance. Over the past decade, Department of Defense spending for critical minerals transformed from virtually nonexistent into a major spending area. The last five years in particular have seen a dramatic surge in both contracts and…
- ‘The sea took everything away’: how Nigeria’s ‘Happy City’ is disappearing beneath the waves
More than half of Ayetoro – a Christian utopia founded in the 1940s – has been lost to the ocean, and its remaining people are running out of options In the early hours of 15 February 2019, the Atlantic Ocean came for Arowo Victoria’s livelihood. The 60-year-old retired midwife was asleep when neighbours began banging…
- Temperate local extinctions from climate change are outpacing tropical extinctions
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 18 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02669-y The authors analyse global-scale resurvey data for 5,151 species to reveal the sensitivity of tropical versus temperate species to climate change. They show significantly higher frequencies of local extinction in temperate species tha…
- Alabama’s Self-Proclaimed ‘AI Watchman’ Unseats Incumbent Public Service Commissioner
Jim Zeigler first served on the body nearly 50 years ago. Now the Republican is hoping his opposition to data centers will stave off a Democratic victory in November. By Lee Hedgepeth MOBILE, Ala.—Jim Zeigler didn’t have much time to celebrate.
- Alabama Governor Names Four New PSC Members, Including Its First Two Black Appointees
Gov. Kay Ivey announced the appointments as a first step under new legislation expanding the state’s utilities regulator from three to seven seats in 2027. By Dennis Pillion The Alabama Public Service Commission has never had a Black commissioner in its 145-year history, but that’s about to change.
- Simpler, older version of Stonehenge found three miles from famous site
The structure consisted of two posts that lined up with the solstices 5,000 years ago.
- Apocalypse when? ‘Earth’s Black Box’ to be installed in remote Tasmanian airfield
Rouser Lab says the steel structure will record ‘every step’ humanity takes towards climate catastrophe Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast It was designed to survive the apocalypse, as humanity’s last testament to its failure. But for a wh…
- Cropped 17 June 2026: Coral reef ‘hope’ | Ocean talks | Plant flowering times ‘shift’
We handpick and explain the most important stories at the intersection of climate, land, food and nature over the past fortnight. This is an online version of Carbon Brief’s fortnightly Cropped email newsletter. Subscribe for free here. Key developments Ocean talks MAKING WAVES: African and Commonwealth cou…
- Rising temperatures may increase flood risk through river ‘whiplash’, study finds
Sudden shifts from wet to dry weather, or vice versa, may foil typical drought- and flood-prevention measures Rising temperatures may trigger a dangerous increase in “hydroclimatic whiplash” in rivers that would make traditional approaches to flood and drought planning insufficient, a study has found. As temperatures r…
- US public still favours action on climate change despite Trump’s fossil fuel drive
Two-thirds of Americans say they are worried about climate but level of media coverage does not reflect this US political and media discourse has drifted away from the climate crisis amid a frontal assault by Donald Trump upon policies to limit global heating and the president’s pugnacious demands to “drill, baby, dril…
- The ocean has shielded us from the worst of climate change. Now it is running a fever | Karina Von Schuckmann
Nearly every indicator of climate change is flashing red. But we still hold the tools available to bring the planet back into balance The ocean is running a fever. In 2025, the number of days of marine heatwaves – prolonged spells when the sea turns abnormally, dangerously warm – was more than triple what it was in the…
- Inside the government’s push to divert Puerto Rico solar funds to a bankrupt utility
When Congress approved a $1 billion Energy Resilience Fund for Puerto Rico in 2022, the money was desperately needed. Multiple hurricanes had battered the island’s notoriously fragile electric grid, and lawmakers envisioned the money supporting rooftop solar and battery systems that could provide resilient backup power…
- Georgia is losing farmland fast. Is a state conservation fund enough to save it?
Georgia’s legislature has allotted $2 million for the first year of the Georgia Farmland Conservation Fund. Farm landowners across the state have applied for a piece of that funding to protect their land from development — for housing, warehouses, data centers, and other uses. Applicants will find out in August if they…
- Channelling Trump and deriding journalists: five key moments from Pauline Hanson’s Press Club speech
One Nation leader uses platform to rail against multiculturalism, the media and the climate change ‘hoax’ Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A nationally televised address to the National Press Club was perhaps the clearest proof yet of Pa…
- Attributing carbon to capital owners
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 17 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02654-5 Greenhouse gas emissions are typically attributed to where they are produced or consumed. A recent analysis traces them to capital owners, revealing a stronger concentration and offering new perspectives on how they are distributed —…
- Global inequalities in ownership-based carbon footprints
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 17 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02662-5 An ownership-based approach to carbon accounting is emerging alongside production- and consumption-based frameworks. This study provides global estimates, identifies which countries are net owners of emissions abroad and traces the co…
- Globally constrained forest biophysical cooling benefits under rising atmospheric dryness
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 17 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02677-y The biophysical effects of forests on climate are important for mitigation, but the impacts of climate change on these effects are unclear. This study shows that vapour pressure deficit is the primary driver of trends in forest biophy…
- Author Correction: Priority science can accelerate agroforestry as a natural climate solution
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 17 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02693-y Author Correction: Priority science can accelerate agroforestry as a natural climate solution
- Analysis: Energy-efficient air conditioning could save Indian homes 69bn rupees a year
More energy-efficient air-conditioning units could, together, save Indian households ₹ 69bn ($724m) a year, according to new analysis by Carbon Brief. Climate change-induced extreme heat is driving up the use of air conditioning across the country, as people try to cope with record-breaking temperatures . T…
- The ‘super El Niño’ is here. What happens next could upend food systems worldwide.
The oceanic phenomenon known as El Niño, which increases temperatures worldwide, has officially begun, according to U.S. weather forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Meteorologists have warned that this could be the strongest El Niño this century . It is expected to drive extreme weather…
- Trump Administration Abandons Fight Against Wind Energy as Clean Energy Output Surges
The clean energy sector is showing resilience despite challenges thrown at it by a hostile White House, a recent report found. A string of legal victories has further dampened the Trump administration’s efforts to halt wind and solar power. By Aman Azhar The Trump administration has abandoned its effort to halt wind en…
- An early warning system to forecast biodiversity risks of extreme temperatures
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 16 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02641-w Climate change is predicted to increase extremes of weather, affecting ecosystems and resulting in biodiversity losses. We leveraged advances in climate seasonal forecasts to develop an early warning system that helps identify exposur…
- Asymmetric intensification increases global disparities in cropland use and emissions
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 16 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02666-1 The authors classify cropland and emissions changes for 174 countries over 30 years. They highlight the asymmetric intensification of global disparities, with imports from countries with high emissions intensities and low-efficiency c…
- Analysis: UK’s EV drivers are now saving £1,100 each a year – and £3bn in total
Amid reports that the government could weaken the UK’s electric vehicle (EV) targets, Carbon Brief analysis reveals the nation’s EV drivers are saving more than £1,100 a year in fuel costs, compared with running a petrol car. Battery EVs (BEVs) are roughly four times more efficient than combustion-engine cars, making t…
- Microsoft’s Clean Energy Reversal Collides With Virginia’s Climate Goals
Amid a data center boom in the state, the tech giant backpedals on a key climate promise. By Charles Paullin One of the world’s most profitable technology companies could be abandoning an ambitious clean-energy goal in Virginia as it races to build electricity-hungry data centers. Several of the company’s facilities ar…
- Even $75M from Trump may not save Oakland’s embattled coal terminal
When investor Phil Tagami first proposed building an export terminal in Oakland, California, more than a decade ago, he probably didn’t anticipate the firestorm of litigation and controversy that would follow, in a saga that has now spanned three presidential administrations. There were early rumors that the terminal w…
- ‘The Antarctic is the last frontier’: the quest to save Shackleton’s Endurance
Amid fears the wreck will be more accessible to explorers – and new species – as the climate warms, conservationists want to create the region’s first underwater protected area The harsh temperatures, treacherous currents and shifting pack ice of the Antarctic’s Weddell Sea, which crushed and sank his ship, Endurance,…
- Want a deal on a heat pump? Team up with your neighbors.
Last year, Marie Tai needed a better way to keep her condo cool. Her window air-conditioning units were borderline ineffective, even running at full blast. Summers have been getting more intense in Tai’s Boston neighborhood because of a rapidly warming climate, and she had just adopted a 16-year-old cat…
- ‘It’s going to be extremely hot’: workers imperiled as sweltering World Cup temperatures are forecast
It could top 90F in several cities hosting World Cup games – and workers could pay the price with their health As the World Cup kicks off, labor advocates and scholars warn that the workers making the tournament possible could face serious heat-related risks. “It’s going to be extremely hot, and you just cannot leave p…
- Amoc collapse could change Europe’s climate 10x faster than expected. We aren’t ready | Penny Holliday, Femke de Jong and Sjoerd Groeskamp
The system of ocean current that moves heat in the Atlantic Ocean plays a key role in regulating climate. Today’s monitoring of it may be discontinued Imagine we detect a large asteroid heading straight for Earth. We are able to intervene and prevent disaster, but instead we cut the funding needed to track it. A few mi…
- As Global Warming Threatens Corals Worldwide, Woods Hole Scientists Search for ‘Super Reefs’ That Can Take the Heat
If protected, researchers say these coral strongholds may help repopulate more degraded reefs across the Central Pacific. By Teresa Tomassoni MAJURO, Marshall Islands—Perched on the bow of an aluminum landing craft, Anne Cohen gazed a few yards ahead of the vessel toward a yellow robot gliding across the emerald Majuro…
- Pandemic Roulette
Go behind the scenes with managing editor Jamie Smith Hopkins and ICN reporters Katie Surma and Kiley Price as they explain what sloth deaths in Florida reveal about the global wildlife trade and risks to public health. By Katie Surma, Kiley Price Billions of live animals move through the legal and illegal wildlife tra…
- Denial is back in vogue. As Australia leads climate talks, it’s beyond time we took the issue seriously
It is unlikely that many voters are flocking to Pauline Hanson for her scientific insights – but that is where they are lining up, regardless Want to get this in your inbox when it publishes? Sign up for the Clear Air Australia newsletter here Politics is disconnecting from long-held assumptions at historic speed and n…
- A Commercial Space Race Prompts a Thorny Question: Who Owns the Sky?
The surge in satellites brings pollution and risks of repeating destructive colonial practices, experts warn. By Bob Berwyn The starry night sky has always anchored humanity’s sense of place in a vast universe. It’s a map guiding travelers, a calendar for migrations and harvests, a wellspring of stories. But a surge of…
- A Massive Volunteer Network in Florida Works to Save Endangered Sea Turtles
Bowser, a 172-pound loggerhead sea turtle, was rescued from the Navarre Beach Fishing Pier Sunday. The operation was one of a growing number of rescues in areas where sea turtles and humans overlap. By Dennis Pillion “Pull! Pull!” shouts Scott Dexter, chanting the cadence for eight men gripping a rope. “Pull!”
- ‘Their Breath Was Captured in the Tree’
The author of “When Trees Testify” on the intertwined nature of America’s history, its trees and Black Americans. Interview by Steve Curwood, Living on Earth From our collaborating partner “Living on Earth,” public radio’s environmental news magazine , an interview by host Steve Curwood with botanist and author Beronda…
- Tropical heron spotted in UK for first time as more exotic birds arrive to thrill birdwatchers
Appearance of a western reef heron in north Wales is unlikely to be the last, as heating temperatures mean species can survive Britain’s winter, say experts It is a tropical bird typically encountered between west Africa and India, but last week a western reef heron arrived in north Wales in what is believed to be the…
- Trees may store less planet-heating carbon than hoped, study suggests
Photosynthesis does not always result in wood growth, a key factor in carbon dioxide sequestration Trees may not be able to store as much planet-heating carbon as hoped, a study suggests, with researchers finding photosynthesis does not always lead to wood growth. Scientists studied 137 sites across the US and found tr…
- Australia can switch from fossil fuel exports to renewables, says next Cop president
Climate minister Chris Bowen says country must prepare for changing world and can play bigger role in reducing emissions Australia will find exporting fossil fuels increasingly difficult but can switch to exporting clean energy products, the president of the next UN climate negotiations has declared. Speaking at a clim…
- The Climate Change Culprits Not Addressed by Global Policy
A new paper suggests that 15 percent of global warming comes from overlooked pollutants. By Nina Sablan Record-high global temperatures aren’t driven only by well-known greenhouse gas culprits.
- Trump’s EPA Unlawfully Cancelled Environmental Justice Grants, Judge Rules
The decision voided the EPA guidance to terminate the $2.8 billion grant program. But it stopped short of requiring the agency to resume administering it. By Lauren Dalban A federal judge in South Carolina ruled this week that the Trump administration’s termination of environmental justice grants was “illegal.” The dec…
- Hoover Dam Approaches a Hydropower Cliff
Big cuts in generating capacity are coming as the Colorado River struggles to meet demand. Brett Walton, Circle of Blue Some day in the next 12 months—maybe in late August, maybe not until next spring— Lake Mead will drop below the critical threshold of 1,035 feet above sea level.
- Antarctica’s west coast missing an area of sea ice the size of France as temperatures peak 20C above average
Exclusive A vast area of the Bellingshausen Sea should be covered by sea ice by now, with one expert calling the loss of ice ‘depressing’ Antarctica’s west coast is missing an area of winter sea ice the size of France, sparking concerns for threatened penguins other marine life and global sea levels. One expert said th…
- DeBriefed 12 June 2026: El Niño begins | COP31 hosts eye electrification | Atlantic current monitoring at risk
Welcome to Carbon Brief’s DeBriefed. An essential guide to the week’s key developments relating to climate change. This week El Niño begins ‘DOMINO WEATHER’: The natural weather phenomenon El Niño, which can raise global heat and “bring domino weather effects across the planet”, is now underway, the US National O…
- Analysis: Solar overtakes gas power in Asia for first time ever
Solar has overtaken gas power in Asia to become the continent’s third-largest source of electricity, according to new analysis by Carbon Brief. The rapid expansion of solar power in nations such as China, India and Pakistan has seen its annual output increase nearly fourfold since 2020. Asia accounts for around 60% of…
- What’s driving up your expenses? Many Americans say climate change.
For decades, American politicians have been slow to take on climate change and curb carbon dioxide emissions, under the assumption that doing so might pass along costs to their voters. Ironically, their failure to rein in fossil fuel emissions has yielded the same result: Expenses for everyday Americans have soared as…
- What is the best use for old railroad tracks? New Yorkers have opinions.
Travis Terry lives in Forest Hills, a neighborhood in Queens about 5 minutes from an abandoned rail line. He describes the tracks, last used in 1962, as a “blight” plagued by illegal dumping. “It’s been sitting there for 65 years now,” he said, “and those of us in the community, we got tired of what it had become.”&nbs…
- Nuclear in my backyard: A Nebraska utility is skirting the public backlash that plagues wind and solar
This story is made possible through a partnership between Grist and The Flatwater Free Press , Nebraska’s first independent, nonprofit newsroom focused on investigations and feature stories. Applause echoed through the halls of the Gage County courthouse in Nebraska. The county board had just approved new, more stringe…
- Hug a climate scientist today! Just don’t make it weird, they are already dealing with enough | First Dog on the Moon
Today we show our love and gratitude to the brave boffins at the coal face of existential dread Sign up here to get an email whenever First Dog cartoons are published Get all your needs met at the First Dog shop if what you need is First Dog merchandise and prints Continue reading...
- Natural history GCSE to teach teenagers to plant wildflower-friendly gardens
Long-awaited course to examine human effects on natural world and explore everyday ways to aid biodiversity School pupils will learn how to plant a wildflower-friendly garden, according to long-awaited plans announced on Thursday for a natural history GCSE in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Campaigners have for mo…
- This unfathomably huge fungal network keeps Earth cool and green
Even if you don’t like eating mushrooms, you’re in debt to fungi. One group of them, known as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, form vast subterranean networks of tubes called hyphae, hooking up with the roots of plants to exchange nutrients. Earth is so verdant in large part thanks to these partnerships , as this expansiv…
- China Briefing 11 June 2026: Tech clampdown | Extreme weather | Provinces’ energy plans
W elcome to Carbon Brief’s China Briefing. China Briefing handpicks and explains the most important climate and energy stories from China over the past fortnight. Subscribe for free here. Key developments Trade tensions intensify AUTHORITY TO RETALIATE: China has issued “sweeping” new rules that increase “control…
- What federal cuts to science funding could mean for the Great Lakes
Some groups that do research and collect data on the Great Lakes are facing existential threats as the annual budgeting process for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration gets underway. A proposed budget request from President Donald Trump would zero out programs that scientists say are the foundation of w…
- Guest post: How a record-high ‘energy imbalance’ is driving global warming
The planet is heating up more quickly than ever before. For decades, greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activity have been building up in the atmosphere and trapping ever-higher levels of heat. The resulting asymmetry between incoming solar energy and energy radiated back out into space – known as “Earth’s energy…
- When is rare good news on climate science actually bad? When News Corp misrepresents it | Temperature Check
The worst-case scenario for a high-emissions scenario has been revised downward – but the best-case option is now implausible Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast In a world where people accept global heating is bad, news that we had avoided…
- ‘Every day it’s more barriers’: how the US is shutting out climate refugees
As the US shuts its doors to most refugees, there’s little hope of a new system to help those forced from home by climate impacts Trump targets migrants from countries hit most by climate shocks Millions of people around the world are having their lives upended by floods, storms and heatwaves worsened by the climate cr…
- UN officials urge Russia to free Indigenous climate advocate
Ten U.N. officials are calling on Russia to immediately release Daria Egereva, an Indigenous international climate advocate, and her colleague Natalia Leongardt, both of whom have been jailed for six months on terrorism charges, ahead of a key court hearing this week. Egereva, who is Indigenous Selkup from Russia…
- For first time, Americans are getting more of their electricity from solar than coal
Solar energy just provided more electricity in the United States than coal for the first time on record — marking a milestone for the rise of renewables in America. While gas and nuclear plants still lead the country’s energy mix, solar contributed 12.8 percent of the nation’s electrons in May, according to an an…
- Author Correction: Rising temperatures increase added sugar intake disproportionately in disadvantaged groups in the USA
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 10 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02689-8 Author Correction: Rising temperatures increase added sugar intake disproportionately in disadvantaged groups in the USA
- Cited 9 June 2026: Europe’s ‘exceptional’ heatwave | Warming forecast | AMOC observations ‘at risk’
Welcome to Cited, your essential guide to new climate research. In the news SPRING HEATWAVE: Temperature records for May fell across western Europe as the region baked in an “exceptionally early” heatwave, reported the Associated Press . The outlet noted that temperatures reached 35.1C in the UK and 36C in France at th…
- The quiet push to shield pesticide makers from lawsuits
In April 2026, California farmer Terri McCall stood on the steps of the Supreme Court at a rally protesting pesticide use, telling the story of how her husband and dog both died of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma , a disease she believes was caused by pesticides. Her husband, Jack, had used Roundup for more than three decades o…
- The World Cup is one wildfire away from an air quality disaster
Last month, nearly a dozen wildfires erupted across southern California, sending plumes of smoke and particulate matter into the air. Public health officials in Los Angeles issued a multiday air quality advisory for the county, warning of “potential direct smoke impact” and advising everyone who could see or smell smok…
- DeBriefed 5 June 2026: UK eyes 2040 emissions cut | US ‘dismantling’ oceans research | China’s solar slump
W elcome to Carbon Brief’s DeBriefed. An essential guide to the week’s key developments relating to climate change. This week UK proposes new emissions target ‘ON COURSE’: The UK government has proposed reducing the country’s greenhouse gas emissions to 87% below 1990 levels by 2040, reported the Associated Press . The…
- From blast off to splashdown: My days following Nasa's historic mission to the Moon
BBC Science Editor Rebecca Morelle reflects on how it felt to watch history being made.
- The 40 minutes when the Artemis crew loses contact with the Earth
As the astronauts pass behind the Moon they will experience a moment of silence and solitude as communication with the Earth is blocked.