The UK is set for a spell of unsettled weather as we approach Halloween and the weekend.
The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather alert for waters surrounding parts of southeast Florida. The warning is due to Hurricane Melissa moving northeast in the Atlantic.
Officials attempt to artifically trigger rains in the city to tackle its worsening air pollution.
Delhi's attempt at tackling air pollution through cloud seeding has sparked criticism from environmental specialists who view this strategy as nothing more than a costly band-aid.
The monster hurricane pummelling Jamaica is powered by abnormal sea surface temperatures in the Caribbean, which were made at least 500 times more likely by global warming
From 2040 onwards the average year for marine ecosystems is likely to be more extreme than the worst years experienced up until 2015, researchers say Sign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter here Australia’s oceans will enter “uncharted territory” by 2040 due to global heating, even if significant emissions cuts occur, new research has found. Australian researchers modelled ocean conditions under four scenarios, including current, high- and low-emissions futures. They found that in 15 years, marine ecosystems would be facing extreme heat, oxygen loss and acidity conditions. Sign up to get climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s Clear Air column as a free newsletter Continue reading...
Amanda Porretto isn't sure she'll ever have children.
"This is unequivocally the most astounding capture of the atmosphere that I have ever seen."View Entire Post ›
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline . Is there empirical evidence for human-caused global warming? There are multiple lines of evidence that our greenhouse gas emissions are warming the planet. The greenhouse effect is the process whereby “greenhouse” gases such as carbon dioxide create a kind of atmospheric blanket, absorbing outgoing heat energy and re-radiating a portion of it back down to Earth. CO 2 levels surged after humans began burning fossil fuels such as coal and oil. Today, we’re over 420 parts per million — up 50% from pre-industrial times and higher than for millions of years. We...
While Hurricane Melissa isn't tracking to make landfall on Canada's east coast, some wet and windy weather is expected for the region at the end of the week.
This is a re-post from And Then There's Physics There’s a recent Carbon Brief article about a supposedly controversial methane metric . The metric in question is GWP*, which I’ve actually written about before . Methane emissions are typically compared to CO 2 using a metric known as Global Warming Potential (GWP). These are often measured over periods of 20 years (GWP20) or 100 years (GWP100). For methane GWP20 has a value of about 80, while GWP100 has a value of about 30. As the Carbon Brief article says, these are often interpreted as suggesting that one tonne of methane causes the same amount of warming as around 80 tonnes of CO2, when measured over a period of 20 years…….. When calculated over 100 years, methane’s...
New ‘national interest’ provision revealed as extracts of legislation circulated to stakeholders before bill introduced to parliament later this week Sign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter here Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The environment minister would be able to approve projects at odds with nature laws if it was deemed in the “national interest” under the Albanese government’s planned overhaul of the environmental protection regime. The proposed new provision was revealed in extracts of the legislation that were circulated to stakeholders on Monday, before its introduction to federal parliament later this week. Sign up to get climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s Clear Air column as a...
Heriot-Watt has launched the world’s first online course dedicated to tackling the excess of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the Earth’s atmosphere.
Opposition leader Sussan Ley wants to prioritise ‘practical’ measures for fast-track projects but delay protections for nature Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The Coalition wants to break reforms of the federal environment protection regime in two, prioritising measures to fast-track projects while likely further delaying protections for nature. The opposition leader, Sussan Ley, has made the “constructive” offer to Anthony Albanese before the return of federal parliament on Monday, where the political fight over long-awaited legislation updating the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC) is expected to dominate. Continue reading...
The end of the hurricane season across the US could be affected by a disturbing weather pattern. A lead hurricane seasonal forecaster shared his prediction.
Halving how much edible food is thrown away, swapping beef for pork or chicken and having one meatless day a week could slash the carbon "hoofprint" of U.S. cities by up to 51%, a new study finds.
The Scottish Government was 'utterly irresponsible' in the way it handled a botched recycling scheme, a court heard yesterday.
In Brazil's coffee-producing areas, more than 42,000 square miles of forest have disappeared over about two decades, says Coffee Watch. Deforestation leads to drought, which harms crop yields.
Buried underground near the surface, frozen regions of Mars could have tiny hidden channels full of liquid water, which could be a habitable environment for microscopic organisms
Albanese government will need to make major concessions to pass promised federal nature laws as Liberals attack ‘nature positive 2.0’ Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The Albanese government will need to cough up major concessions to either the Coalition or the Greens to have any hope of overhauling federal nature laws after the two parties ruled out supporting the current plan. The environment minister, Murray Watt, said he was open to working with either side, but wouldn’t speculate about possible changes, leaving the fate of the promised re-write of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act unknown ahead of its introduction to parliament in the upcoming sitting fortnight. Continue reading...
Humans have been selectively breeding animals for millennia. If we can help species survive by tweaking their DNA in a lab, I say bring it on Do you think we should genetically modify wildlife? What if we could make seabirds resistant to the flu that has been exterminating them en masse , just by tweaking their DNA a smidgen? Or make fish that can shrug off pollution, or coral that can survive warming waters? Engineer in the sorts of change that could occur naturally, given enough time, if only the wildlife would stop dying already. Thanks to newly emerging methods, such as Crispr , these feats are within reach. Recently, conservationists met at the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s ( IUCN) 2025 World Conservation Congress where they debated GM wildlife and voted on a...
Secretary-General António Guterres spoke at a World Meteorological Organization meeting aimed to promote early warning systems for floods, storms, forest fires and heat waves.
In his latest grim warning, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that passing a critical global warming threshold is now 'inevitable'.
The cycling of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in the ocean is closely linked to seawater alkalinity and the regulation of atmospheric CO2. In the modern pelagic ocean, almost all CaCO3 is produced by three groups of calcifying planktonic organisms: ...
GENEVA - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Wednesday it was now clear that efforts to cap global warming at 1.5 Celsius above pre-industrial levels would fail in the short term.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Wednesday it was now clear that efforts to cap global warming at 1.5 Celsius above pre-industrial levels would fail in the short term.
Rotting landfill produces methane, a greenhouse gas at least 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide. If you mine the gas and turn it into electricity, you can reduce emissions and power homes.
Wesley Brooks would become assistant secretary of State focused on oceans and the environment.
Congress chartered the Ozone Transport Commission as part of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments to help manage the Northeast’s stubborn smog problem.
Scientists at the University of Birmingham say the expansion of the ULEZ in August 2023 had no significant impact on lowering air pollution.
Several agency programs are trying to track and reduce methane emissions around the world. They aren’t meeting the targets fast enough.
[UN News] Lush, green and brimming with trees and wildlife, forests are the Earth's lungs and source of livelihoods for many communities.
Temperatures forecast by Bureau of Meteorology to reach 39C in the CBD as rain and damaging wind gusts up to 130km/h expected along Victoria’s south-west coast Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The weather bureau has forecast a “blistering day” for Sydney on Wednesday, with record-breaking heat shifting towards the east coast, while damaging winds whip through southern states. On Tuesday, both New South Wales and Queensland recorded their hottest-ever October temperatures , the highest since records began in 1910, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. Continue reading...
Delhi's air quality plunged into the 'very poor' category on Diwali night as firecracker violations surged, pushing PM2.5 levels to their highest since 2021. Despite a temporary spike, rising winds and warmer temperatures prevented a prolonged severe episode. Authorities are monitoring the situation, with Stage III of GRAP not yet invoked.
STATEMENT: European Commission Protects EUDR’s Core Principles nate.shelter@wri.org Tue, 10/21/2025 - 12:52 Brussels (October 21, 2025) — The European Commission today put forward a formal proposal to simplify the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) for micro and small enterprises, as well as downstream operators. These companies will have reduced obligations under the EUDR, and the formal entry into application for micro and small enterprises will be delayed until December 2026. For all other companies, the overall entry into force date remains December 30, 2025, but a 6-month grace period for checks and enforcement will be granted in light of IT issues. The EUDR aims to prevent commodities linked to deforestation — such as coffee, cocoa, soy, beef, leather...
With weather warnings issued and the potential for a named storm, Simon King takes a look at the forecast.
[IPS] Closing legal loopholes that allow deforestation-linked products to enter markets and getting international lenders to align funding with environmental goals are key to ending deforestation, says Erin Matson, one of the lead authors of the Forest Declaration Assessment 2025.
Birdsville sets new high as BoM forecasts more record hot weather, with heatwave warnings in place in some states Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast October heat records have been broken in several states this week as authorities in New South Wales prepare for temperatures above the norm to hit Sydney and the east coast of Australia. The Queensland outback town of Birdsville broke a new record on Tuesday, hitting 46.1C at 2.28pm local time, according to the Bureau of Meteorology, making it the highest temperature recorded in the state in October. The state’s previous October record was 45.1C at Birdsville police station on 31 October 1995. Continue reading...
European airlines are starting to become prudent when promoting flight carbon-offset measures, such as reforestation, following courtroom losses and stepped-up pressure by regulators.
Bogotá, Colombia, Uses Data and Smart Urban Design to Cut Air Pollution sarah.brown@wri.org Mon, 10/20/2025 - 11:31 Nestled in the Andes, Bogotá’s mountainous landscape traps air pollutants, sometimes cloaking the Colombian capital in a dusty smog. The consequences have been severe. The city’s poor air quality resulted in an estimated 2,300 excess deaths in 2019. In 2023, Bogotá’s average concentration of PM2.5, a fine particulate matter that can cause respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses, measured more than three times the recommended limit from the World Health Organization (WHO). Bogotá is not alone. More than 40% of cities worldwide have air pollution levels over seven times higher than the WHO’s recommended limit. But unlike many other cities, Bogotá is...
This is a re-post from Carbon Brief India’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from its power sector fell by 1% year-on-year in the first half of 2025 and by 0.2% over the past 12 months, only the second drop in almost half a century. As a result, India’s CO2 emissions from fossil fuels and cement grew at their slowest rate in the first half of the year since 2001 – excluding Covid – according to new analysis for Carbon Brief. The analysis is the first of a regular new series covering India’s CO2 emissions, based on monthly data for fuel use, industrial production and power output, compiled from numerous official sources. (See the regular series on China’s CO2 emissions, which began in 2019 .) Other key findings...
Millions of Aussies will be forced to suffer through an unusually hot summer according to a brutal long-range weather forecast.
Exclusive: Environment Agency not testing for ‘forever chemical’ made by factory despite evidence of emissions Regulators measuring “forever chemicals” near a Lancashire chemicals plant are not testing for a substance made by the company itself, despite evidence it could be reprotoxic and is being emitted in large volumes. Reprotoxic means a substance can be damaging to a person’s sexual function, fertility, or their child’s development and, now, Continue reading...
Oct. 18, 2025: Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over the weekend.
[Ghanaian Times] The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Crops Research Institute (CSIR-CRI), in collaboration with the Agroecology Circular Economy for Ecosystem Services (ACE4ES) and the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG), has organised a day's training workshop for the media in Accra.
Typhoon Nakri sweeps through Izu Islands off Tokyo, a week after Halong, causing damage and disruption The Izu Islands in Japan have endured another powerful blow as Typhoon Nakri swept through on Monday, following in the footsteps of Typhoon Halong, which struck a week earlier. Officials on Hachijojima Island, south of Tokyo, reported disruption and damage to about 220 homes after the storm brought 37mm (1.5in) of rain in one hour and gusts of up to 95mph (152km/h). Airport operations were disrupted, infrastructure damaged, and heavy rainfall caused landslides across the island chain. The typhoon also generated 9-metre waves, creating dangerous coastal conditions. Off the Pacific coast in Oiso, in Kanagawa prefecture, three men were swept away while fishing, one of whom has been confirmed...
The rush to grow more biofuels continues, despite the fact they increase CO2 emissions rather than lower them, raise food prices and devastate nature. It has to stop, says Michael Le Page
Open access notables Mountain glaciers recouple to atmospheric warming over the twenty-first century , Shaw et al., Nature Climate Chang Recent studies have argued that air temperatures over many mountain glaciers are decoupled from their surroundings, leading to a local cooling which could slow down melting. Here we use a compilation of on-glacier meteorological observations to assess the extent to which this relationship changes under warming. Statistical modelling of the potential temperature decoupling of the world’s mountain glaciers indicates that currently glacier boundary layers warm ~0.83 °C on average for every degree of ambient temperature rise. Future projections under shared socioeconomic pathway (SSP) climate scenarios SSP 2-4.5...
Surging emissions from wildfires may have been behind the increase, which was the largest since modern measurements began more than half a century ago.
EPA is planning to ax a public records provision that granted expedited processing for marginalized communities.
Artist Tavares Strachan's first L.A. show blends his research into climatology, ocean science, aeronautics, chemistry, genealogy and undertold scientific breakthroughs by Black people to create a multi-sensory exhibit.
Britain should expect at least 2 degrees Celsius of warming by 2050 and 4 C by the end of the century, the U.K.'s climate adviser said.
Scorching temperatures forecast for large parts of Australia could break records this weekend.
The global average concentration of CO2 surged by 3.5 parts per million to reach 423.9 ppm last year, fuelling worries that the planet’s ability to soak up excess carbon is weakening
Energy Environ. Sci. , 2025, Accepted Manuscript DOI : 10.1039/D5EE02728D, Paper Seth Kane, Baishakhi Bose, Jin Fan, Thomas Hendrickson, Sarah Nordahl, Corinne D. Scown, Sabbie Miller Currently, materials production of materials is responsible for over 25% of anthropogenic CO2 emissions. However, due to their long-lived nature and enormous scale of production, some building materials offer a... The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry
CO 2 in air hit new high last year, with scientists concerned natural land and ocean carbon sinks are weakening Levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere soared by a record amount in 2024 to hit another high, UN data shows, deepening the climate crisis that is already taking lives and livelihoods across the world. Scientists are worried that the natural land and ocean “sinks” that remove CO 2 from the air are weakening as a result of global heating, which could form a vicious circle and drive temperatures up even faster. Continue reading...
Brazilian farmers are lobbying to roll back deforestation restrictions in order to sell more soybeans to the huge Chinese market.
The Advertising Standards Authority agrees with River Action that the food safety body’s 2023 advert misled the public The UK’s advertising watchdog has upheld a complaint that Britain’s biggest farm assurance scheme misled the public in a TV ad about its environmental standards. The Red Tractor scheme , used by leading supermarkets including Tesco, Asda and Morrisons to assure customers their food meets high standards for welfare, environment, traceability and safety , is the biggest and perhaps best known assurance system in Britain. Continue reading...
Four years after a global pledge to end deforestation, the amount of money going toward conserving and restoring forests is not enough, the analysis found.
Layoff notices were sent to about two dozen staffers in the division leading plastic pollution prevention and recycling programs.
Former state Liberal treasurer and current chair of the Climate Change Authority says report would give businesses certainty and is in the national interest Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Matt Kean has scolded the federal Coalition for “playing politics rather than acting in the national interest” on new nature laws, adding to the political and industry pressure on Sussan Ley to strike a deal with Labor. The former New South Wales Liberal treasurer and Labor-appointed chair of the Climate Change Authority sent the message to his party colleagues ahead of Labor’s introduction on Thursday of a 1,400-page bill to overhaul the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act. Continue reading...
In 2021, rich countries vowed to spend more to help poor countries adapt to warming. That goal is unlikely to be met, a new report finds.
Delhi has revived artificial rainmaking after over 50 years, conducting a cloud-seeding trial to combat severe winter smog. A Cessna aircraft released flares over the capital, marking the third such experiment since Independence. This initiative, a collaboration with IIT Kanpur, aims to leverage technology against the city's persistent air pollution crisis.
Federal environment minister admits controversial BoM site refresh ‘not meeting many users’ expectations’ Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The new Bureau of Meteorology website is “not meeting many users’ expectations”, the environment minister admits, saying he has hauled in the BoM’s top brass to make some changes. The federal opposition is also calling for a redesign and review, after the weather website’s recent refresh annoyed many users , drawing a large number of complaints about its accessibility and usefulness. Continue reading...
Delhi has initiated its first cloud-seeding trials, deploying aircraft from Kanpur to release compounds like silver iodide over areas including Burari and Karol Bagh. This initiative aims to combat severe winter air pollution by inducing artificial rain. While a recent test flight released seeding agents, insufficient atmospheric moisture prevented rainfall, highlighting the technique's dependence on specific weather conditions.
Delhi is set to attempt artificial rainfall today. This cloud seeding operation aims to clear the city's toxic air. The trial depends on weather conditions in Kanpur. If successful, it could bring much-needed rain to wash out pollutants. This is a joint project by IIT Kanpur and the Delhi Government. It is the fourth attempt to curb severe air pollution.
The billionaire philanthropist said a "doomsday" view of global warming has crowded out more worthy causes.
More than 50 groups faulted Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic lawmakers for weakening environmental laws to boost housing and energy.
The highest priority must be to ensure land-clearing is properly regulated to save our native forests Sign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter here Australia’s parliament will soon consider proposed reforms to federal environmental laws – known as the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. Unfortunately, signals from the government suggest this may be another reform process that fails to deliver the progress we need – despite everyone agreeing that Australia’s biodiversity is in catastrophic decline. When introduced, the EPBC Act was a historic reform by a conservative government. For the first time since federation, the Australian parliament exercised its full suite of constitutional powers to regulate environmentally...
A trio of judges found that EPA erred in eliminating affirmative defenses for some pollution violations at major facilities.
The White House cited national mineral security concerns in its push to limit the environmental regulations facing the nation's few copper refineries.
Graeme Samuel says he is ‘puzzled’ by the opposition’s desire to split the EPBC Act into two parts given his previous interactions with Sussan Ley Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Graeme Samuel has urged the Coalition and Greens to set aside grievances with the Albanese government’s new nature laws and support them, avoiding further delays in fixing a system that his landmark review found was broken. The author of the 2021 review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act issued a stern message to both sides as Labor braces for a political fight to deliver the long-awaited reforms. Sign up to get climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s Clear Air column as...
Follow the latest updates live Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The environment minister, Murray Watt, claims Sussan Ley ’s reluctance to support the EPBC laws is about her “desperately trying to shore up her leadership” as the Coalition once again ties itself in knots over net zero and climate policy. Speaking to reporters in Parliament House this morning, he says he’s open to making a deal with either the Greens or the Coalition, flatly rejecting Ley’s request to split up the environment bill into various chunks to be voted on separately. It’s because she’s desperately trying to shore up her leadership ahead of some very difficult net zero conversations with her party room. This week, Sussan Ley is in danger of putting her own leadership ahead of...
A new round of furlough notices were issued to EPA employees last week, while the Interior Department disclosed plans to cut positions affecting national parks, endangered species, and toxic contamination research.
What would a just transition mean for nature? Deborah Long, Chief Officer at Scottish Environment LINK, looks at how and why we might achieve it
Australians have an obvious interest in action against global warming. Focusing on gas instead of renewables for the energy transition risks sabotaging our future Sign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter here Sydney’s record October heat; high winds battering both Melbourne and New Zealand, causing death and destruction; the algal bloom caused by South Australia’s marine heatwave wreaking havoc on our marine environment; coral in both the Great Barrier and Ningaloo reefs suffering horrific bleaching. There’s barely an Australian who hasn’t been affected by one extreme weather event or another, some badly. Some have lost their lives, their homes or both. Continue reading...
The operation was assisted by Interpol’s environmental security unit, the organization said.
Committee urges ministers to set out measures to reduce carbon emissions before work starts on new runways Airport expansion plans backed by the government are putting the UK’s net zero target in “serious jeopardy”, MPs have warned. Without new safeguards, proposals to enlarge airports including Heathrow and Gatwick could push the UK over its carbon budgets, according to a report from the cross-party Commons environmental audit committee. Continue reading...
Severe ‘blob’ or marine heatwave can lead to increased inundation and wintery weather in eastern North America A marine heatwave known as a blob was especially severe this year in the north-western and central Pacific Ocean, which could lead in the coming months to increased flooding in the US Pacific north-west and especially wintery weather in eastern North America, according to climate scientists. The temperature in August in the northern Pacific was 2.5C above preindustrial levels, according to Berkeley Earth , a non-profit that studies global warming. Continue reading...
[Vanguard] The Minister of Environment, Malam Balarabe Abbas Lawal, has charged members of the Institute of Environmental Practitioners of Nigeria (IEPN) to uphold the highest ethical standards and remain worthy ambassadors of the profession in the discharge of their duties.
Doctor warns air pollution risks, especially post-Diwali, are underestimated. Immediate symptoms like cough, breathlessness, and eye irritation signal danger. He advises staying indoors, wearing masks outdoors, limiting strenuous activity, and maintaining a healthy diet. Healthcare systems must prepare for respiratory and cardiac spikes. Proactive measures are crucial for public health.
Last year, authorities experimented with artificial rainfall to disperse the haze in the eastern city of Lahore, but the effort had little impact.
Delhi's air quality has plummeted, causing widespread respiratory distress and exacerbating existing health conditions. Vulnerable groups, including children, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses, face heightened risks. Experts urge immediate preventive measures like staying indoors, wearing masks, and maintaining clean indoor air to mitigate the severe health impacts of the smog.
The migration of Christmas Island’s red crabs is in full swing, with roads closed in some places to protect millions of the crustaceans. Every year, the crabs emerge from the forest to travel to the ocean to breed, creating a red tide across the island. The Christmas Island national park said a massive spawning event will take place around 15 and 16 November, with a second spawning in mid-December Continue reading...
Sussan Ley’s sharp criticism marks a shift for the opposition, which had appeared open to a deal on the bill Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Sign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter here The Albanese government’s second attempt at rewriting federal environmental protection laws is in jeopardy after the Coalition joined the Greens in criticising the proposed changes, leaving Labor without an obvious partner to get it through the Senate. The opposition leader, Sussan Ley, claimed the nature laws were a “red light” for jobs and a “handbrake” for investment, warning the Coalition would need far more convincing before agreeing to support the plan. Continue reading...
Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, Volume 130, Issue 20, 28 October 2025.
Using what environmental groups dubbed the “inbox from hell,” EPA in March opened the door for industries to apply for the exemptions from pollution limits via email.
Scientists are seriously considering mimicking volcanic eruptions to mitigate global warming, but that comes with more than a few issues.
UN satellite tracking has greatly improved detection of major methane leaks – a gas responsible for about a third of global warming – yet companies and governments are acting on only around 12 per cent of alerts.
Methane is short-lived but its planet-heating effects are much stronger than CO2. A new report says action on cutting the gas is too slow. Where does it come from, and what can we do to stop it polluting the atmosphere?
The surprise decision follows a string of unexpected changes to the EU’s main tool to end deforestation.
Air quality monitoring stations in Delhi experienced significant data gaps during peak pollution hours, with several stations going offline when PM2.5 and PM10 levels neared 1,000 µg/m³. Experts allege this skews 24-hour averages and hinders understanding of pollution's impact. Authorities, however, deny any missing data.
This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong recorded a minimum temperature of 18.4 degrees Celsius (65 Fahrenheit) on Wednesday, the lowest this autumn so far, according to the weather forecaster. The chilly morning was caused by an intense northeast monsoon, while the outer rainbands of Severe Tropical Storm Fengshen continued to bring scattered showers to the coast of Guangdong and the...
Government consults on allowing regulator to use lower civil standard of proof and introducing automatic penalties Water companies in England could face more, and automatic, fines for sewage dumping under new Environment Agency powers. The government is consulting on allowing the regulator to use a lower, civil, standard of proof instead of the higher criminal standard, for minor to moderate environmental offences. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Looming overhaul of protections should also include definition of ‘unacceptable impact’ on environment, Murray Watt says Sign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter here The Albanese government wants the power to strip companies of any financial gains made from breaking environment laws, as part of a package of landmark reforms to be put before parliament in the next two weeks. In an interview with Guardian Australia, the environment minister, Murray Watt, also revealed he wants a definition of “unacceptable impact” to be part of the nation’s new environment laws. Continue reading...
Lush, green and brimming with trees and wildlife, forests are the Earth’s lungs and source of livelihoods for many communities.
Closing legal loopholes that allow deforestation-linked products to enter markets and getting international lenders to align funding with environmental goals are key to ending deforestation, says Erin Matson, one of the lead authors of the Forest Declaration Assessment 2025.
The coalition says it will develop a framework that eliminates double-counting carbon pollution and attributes emissions to their sources.
Timber imports by companies operating in the European Union can be traced to logging on Indonesia's Borneo island, a new report published Tuesday showed, with NGOs calling for the bloc to stop delaying a ban on deforestation-linked products.
The agency is holding town hall meetings for employees reassigned to the Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions, which officially launched Sunday.
Scientists have launched the first batch of a novel type of radiation monitor into the atmosphere as part of an innovative project to enhance space weather models and deepen scientific understanding of the impact of space weather.
Exclusive: Documents reveal state environment department had ‘reckless indifference’ to fate of individual koalas, Greens spokesperson Sue Higginson says Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The New South Wales government rejected advice from an expert scientific panel before it attempted a failed reintroduction of koalas to a forest in the state’s south that resulted in the death of more than half the animals. Internal documents show most members of a panel advising the state environment department on plans to relocate endangered koalas as part of a conservation strategy recommended against moving marsupials from forest near Wollongong to the South East Forest national park near Bega, a five-hour drive away. Continue reading...
Scientists debate whether current extinction rates mark a planet-wide crisis or reflect a more nuanced reality, highlighting the challenges of defining and measuring human impact on biodiversity.
Climate models suggest that climate change could reduce the Southern Ocean’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2). However, observational data actually shows that this ability has seen no significant decline in recent decades. In a recent study, researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute have discovered what may be causing this. Low-salinity water in the upper ocean has typically helped to trap carbon in the deep ocean, which in turn has slowed its release into the atmosphere – until now, that is, because climate change is increasingly altering the Southern Ocean and its function as a carbon sink. The study is published in the journal Nature Climate Change.
Greenhouse gas concentrations increased by a record amount in 2024 as more carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide became locked in Earth's atmosphere, a World Meteorological Organization report finds.
The pact has started to have an impact on global warming, but not fast enough to save us from the impact of heat already ravaging oceans and forests.
Scientists are hunting for ancient RNA in Svalbard’s permafrost, hoping to shed light on the evolution of viral diseases
Proposed timeframe leaves 12 days to scrutinise most significant changes to national environmental protection regime since 1999 Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The environment minister wants to pass a major re-write of federal nature laws this year, encouraging miners to lobby the Coalition to work with Labor to help rush it through parliament in the final three sitting weeks. Murray Watt relayed the message in private talks with mining industry leaders in Perth this week after giving a speech promising faster project approvals under a planned overhaul of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act). Continue reading...
As the US government shutdown enters its third week, concerns mount over how the nation’s public lands will fare Cars and RVs surged into Yosemite national park throughout the weekend, as visitors from around the world came to enjoy the crisp autumn weather, undeterred by a lack of park services and the absence of rangers. National parks have largely been kept open through the lapse in US federal funding that has left workers furloughed and resources for the parks system more scarce than usual. But as the US government shutdown enters its third week and legislators warn that their impasse could linger even longer than the one in Trump’s first term – which currently holds the record at 35 days – concerns are mounting over how the nation’s treasured public lands will fare. Continue reading...
When Super Typhoon Ragasa hit Hong Kong last month, nearly 80 Red Cross staff and volunteers worked for 74 hours before, during and after the storm to help residents living in flood-prone areas. In Tai O, the team – comprising 43 Red Cross staff and 34 volunteers – helped residents raise their furniture and issued weather alerts to more than 500 people. As the storm intensified, volunteers distributed 200 sandbags to Sai Kung and Sham Tseng, and supported emergency shelters. Afterwards, they...
Determined to find a solution to the discarded plastic nets, Ian Falconer found a way to convert them into filament for 3D printing, for use in products from motorbikes to sunglasses Ian Falconer kept thinking about the heaps of discarded plastic fishing nets he saw at Newlyn harbour near his home in Cornwall. “I thought ‘it’s such a waste’,” he says. “There has to be a better solution than it all going into landfill.” Falconer, 52, who studied environmental and mining geology at university, came up with a plan: shredding and cleaning the worn out nets, melting the plastic down and converting it into filament to be used in 3D printing. He then built a “micro-factory” so that the filament could be made into useful stuff. Continue reading...
Heat-trapping carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere jumped by the highest amount on record last year, soaring to a level not seen in human civilisation and “turbocharging” the Earth’s climate and causing more extreme weather, the United Nations weather agency said Wednesday. The World Meteorological Organization said in its latest bulletin on greenhouse gases, an annual study released ahead of the UN’s annual climate conference, that carbon dioxide growth rates have now tripled since the...
Researchers have discovered dozens of new methane seeps littering the ocean floor in the Ross Sea coastal region of Antarctica, raising concerns of an unknown positive climate feedback loop that could accelerate global warming.
Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels rose by a record amount in 2024, reaching new highs and locking in further long-term warming and extreme weather, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
Carbon dioxide levels in the Earth's atmosphere reached a new record high in 2024, the World Meteorological Organization said Wednesday.
UK climate advisers warned the government for the first time on Wednesday to prepare for 2C of global warming by 2050, stressing current efforts to adapt to extreme weather are falling far short.
Festivals in India bring joy with fireworks, but the smoke poses serious dangers to babies. Their developing lungs are highly vulnerable to pollutants like PM2.5 and heavy metals. Studies show a dramatic rise in air pollution during festivals, impacting infant health. Parents must take precautions to protect their little ones.
General Motors will record a negative impact of US$1.6 billion in its next quarter after tax incentives for electric vehicles were slashed by the US and rules governing emissions are relaxed. Shares fell less than 2 per cent before the opening bell on Tuesday. The EV tax credit ended last month. The clean vehicle tax credit was worth US$7,500 for new EVs and up to US$4,000 for used ones. Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency has been working on easing rules aimed at cleaning up auto...
EPA has delayed implementation of stricter hazardous air pollution regulations for U.S. Steel and Cleveland Cliffs.