UN summit to tackle ’emergency’ in world’s oceans
Nice, France - A global summit on the dire state of the oceans kicks off Monday in France, with calls...
Science
Morocco volunteers on Sahara clean-up mission as part Nomads Festival
M'HAMID EL GHIZLANE, Morocco - It may be the gateway to the vast Sahara desert, but that does not mean...
Economy
How harmful are microplastics to human health?
A New England Journal of Medicine study found microplastics in blood vessels are linked to higher risks of heart attack,...
- These tiny pieces of plastic have been detected almost everywhere on Earth, from the deepest oceans to the highest mountains, as well as in the air, water, soil and food chain
- Every day humans ingest, inhale or otherwise come in contact with microplastics, which are less than five millimetres (0.2 inches) and mostly invisible to the naked eye
UN biodiversity conference in Colombia: what’s at stake?
Paris, France - The world's pledges to halt humankind's destruction of nature will be put to the test when the 16th...
- The COP16 is the first meeting of the international community since the adoption two years ago of an unprecedented roadmap to stop humankind's destruction of nature
- But putting that agreement into practice risks not moving fast enough to stop the destruction of land, oceans and species by a 2030 target date
Can biodiversity credits unlock billions for nature?
Paris, France - For supporters, biodiversity credits could unlock billions in much-needed funding for nature, but critics fear a repeat of...
- Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has mooted a global fund for rainforest conservation that considers paying countries for forest areas that are protected or restored
- Many environment groups are wary, fearing money generated from biodiversity credits will not benefit conservation or indigenous communities living closely with nature
World Bank boosts climate financing by 10 percent
Washington, United States - The World Bank announced Thursday that it delivered a record $42.6 billion in climate change financing in...
- In December, the Bank committed to raising the proportion of its annual financing that goes to climate change adaptation from 35 percent to 45 percent
- This figure included lending, along with other financial instruments such as grants and guarantees, a World Bank official told AFP by email
UN draft on climate finance highlights deep divisions ahead of COP29
Paris, France - The UN has published a draft on climate financing due to be presented at the COP29 in November,...
- The document is the basis for negotiating an accord that is due to be reached at COP29 in Baku under Azerbaijan's presidency
- Arab countries say developed countries should commit at least $441 billion a year in grants between 2025-2029 to mobilise loans and private financing
Dubai airport diverts flights as ‘exceptional weather’ hits Gulf
Dubai, the Middle East's financial centre, has been paralyzed by the torrential rain that caused floods across the UAE and...
- The world's busiest air hub for international passengers confirmed a halt to arrivals at 7:26 pm (1526 GMT) before announcing a "gradual resumption" more than two hours later
- Earlier the airport, which had been expecting more than 100 flight arrivals on Tuesday evening, briefly halted its operations in the chaos caused by the storm
Geostrategy
Top Europe rights court to issue landmark climate verdicts
STRASBOURG, FRANCE – Europe's top rights court will on Tuesday issue unprecedented verdicts in three separate cases on the responsibility of...
- In a sign of the importance of the issue, the cases have all been treated as priority by the Grand Chamber of the ECHR.
- All three cases accuse European governments of inaction or insufficient action in their measures against global warming.
Business
Electric cars credited with lower CO2 emissions in US neighborhoods
LOS ANGELES, US – The booming use of electric vehicles in parts of California is reducing CO2 emissions in those areas,...
- Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, say a network of sensors has logged a small drop in the volume of carbon dioxide.
- Carbon dioxide is one of the main contributors to global warming, the human-caused phenomenon of rising temperatures.
Economy
Climate change is slowing heat waves, prolonging misery
While previous research has found climate change is causing heat waves to become longer, more frequent and more intense, the...
- "If a heatwave is moving slower, that means heat can stay in a region longer, so that has effects on communities," senior author Wei Zhang of Utah State University told
- Researchers used climate models to determine what the results would have looked like absent human-caused climate change, and found manmade factors loomed large
Economy
Sprinklers and drip irrigation help Iraqis beat drought
After four years of drought, Iraqi farmer Mohammed Sami was about to abandon his father's parched land, but then a...
- Last year the WFP's water management project helped more than 1,100 farmers "in areas most affected by climate change and drought," said Khansae Ghazi from the UN agency
- The new irrigation systems "use 70 percent less water than traditional methods such as flooding" -- the vastly more wasteful method used for millennia
UN summit to tackle ’emergency’ in world’s oceans
Nice, France - A global summit on the dire state of the oceans kicks off Monday in France, with calls...
Science
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AI talking trees feature at Chelsea Flower Show
Arts & Culture
Latest News
World reaches $300 bn climate finance deal at COP29
A group of 134 developing countries had pushed for at least $500 billion from rich governments to build resilience against...
‘Moment of truth’ for world-first plastic pollution treaty
Bangkok, Thailand - Plastic pollution litters our seas, our air and even our bodies, but negotiators face an uphill battle next...
Divided G20 fails to agree on climate action, Ukraine war escalation dominates Rio summit talks
G20 leaders in Rio failed to resolve UN climate talks deadlock, merely stating funding for developing countries battling global warming...
Most Read
World leaders meet for climate talks, but big names missing raising concerns over global climate commitment
The small group of developed countries that currently contributes the money wants the donor pool expanded to include other rich...
- More than 75 leaders are expected in Baku over two days but the heads of some of the most powerful and polluting economies are not attending this year's summit
- Just a handful of leaders from the G20 -- which accounts for nearly 80 percent of planet-heating greenhouse gas emissions -- are expected in Azerbaijani capital
How harmful are microplastics to human health?
A New England Journal of Medicine study found microplastics in blood vessels are linked to higher risks of heart attack,...
- These tiny pieces of plastic have been detected almost everywhere on Earth, from the deepest oceans to the highest mountains, as well as in the air, water, soil and food chain
- Every day humans ingest, inhale or otherwise come in contact with microplastics, which are less than five millimetres (0.2 inches) and mostly invisible to the naked eye
UN biodiversity conference in Colombia: what’s at stake?
Paris, France - The world's pledges to halt humankind's destruction of nature will be put to the test when the 16th...
- The COP16 is the first meeting of the international community since the adoption two years ago of an unprecedented roadmap to stop humankind's destruction of nature
- But putting that agreement into practice risks not moving fast enough to stop the destruction of land, oceans and species by a 2030 target date