Oregon city’s education board will now insist on teaching that ‘the climate crisis is created by human beings’
May 24, 2016 — Schools in Portland, Oregon, have voted to abandon textbooks that “express doubt about the severity of the climate crisis or its root in human activities”. Continue reading Portland schools ditch textbooks that question climate change
Arctic would warm by as much as 20°C by 2300 with disastrous impacts if action is not taken on climate change, warns new study
May 23, 2016 — The planet would warm by searing 10°C if all fossil fuels are burned, according to a new study, leaving some regions uninhabitable and wreaking profound damage on human health, food supplies and the global economy. Continue reading World could warm by massive 10C if all fossil fuels are burned
The new special envoys will be responsible for ‘raising the profile and sounding the alarm,’ says UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
UNITED NATIONS (May 22, 2016) — UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Friday, May 20, appointed former Irish President Mary Robinson and Kenyan diplomat Macharia Kamau as special envoys for El Niño and climate. Continue reading UN names special envoys for El Niño and climate
The Philippines current commitments include 70% carbon mitigation by 2030. All of these commitments, however, are conditional.
BONN, Germany (May 22, 2016) — The Philippines announced on Wednesday, May 18, during the third day of climate negotiations that it will review and revise its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) to align better with the 1.5-degree target. Continue reading PH to revise UN climate pledges to align with 1.5-degree target
Tropical regions likely to suffer biggest increase in hot days and extreme weather because of climate change, say scientists
May 16, 2016 — New evidence that poorer countries will suffer the worst effects of climate change has shown that the number of hot days in tropical developing countries is likely to increase markedly as global warming takes hold. Continue reading Global warming will hit poorer countries hardest
Organisation urges better city planning and defensive measures to defend against rapid rise in climate change-linked disasters
May 16, 2016 — The global community is badly prepared for a rapid increase in climate change-related natural disasters that by 2050 will put 1.3 billion people at risk, according to the World Bank. Continue reading Climate change puts 1.3bn people and $158tn at risk
Images of the devastated Canadian city show just how destructive fire can be to urban populations. But the risk is greatest in informal settlements, where high population density and low-grade construction can be a deadly combination
May 16, 2016 — With patches of lawn on fire in the front yards of his neighbourhood’s suburban homes and flames rising up the trees at the back, Jared Sabovitch frantically got into his car and began driving away from his home in Fort McMurray, Alberta, the Canadian city recently overtaken by wildfires. Continue reading Where are the world’s most fire-prone cities
Latest monthly figures add to string of recent temperature records and all but assure 2016 will be hottest year on record
May 16, 2016 — Last month was the hottest April on record globally – and the seventh month in a row to have broken global temperature records. Continue reading April breaks global temperature record, marking seven months of new highs
Should we be optimistic that the Paris agreement can save us from serious climate change or is it too little too late? Clive Hamilton looks at both sides of the debate
May 12, 2016 — For anyone who takes notice of the climate change debate, a mass of often-contradictory information comes flooding into our lives. Some of it prompts great alarm. The Great Barrier Reef is suffering severe bleaching. Wild fires are consuming Alberta. Continue reading How scared or hopeful should we be in a warming world
Future in which global concentration of CO2 is permanently above 400 parts per million looms
May 12, 2016 — The world is hurtling towards an era when global concentrations of carbon dioxide never again dip below the 400 parts per million (ppm) milestone, as two important measuring stations sit on the point of no return. Continue reading World’s carbon dioxide concentration teetering on the point of no return