Latest Updates

  • From Peatland Destruction to Prosperity: Sustainable Farming in Indonesia

    Farmers in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, are adopting climate-friendly agricultural methods under an initiative by Indonesia's Peat and Mangrove Restoration Agency (BRGM) and the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS). Since its inception in 2019, the program has brought transformative changes, ending land burning and fostering positive impacts.

  • "US Municipal Bond Market Pricing May Be Biased by Race, Unphased by Climate Risk"

    New research indicates that the US municipal bond market exhibits systemic mispricing of risk. Specifically, the pricing of municipal debt within this market fails to consider local physical climate risks, while simultaneously demanding higher credit spreads from communities with a greater proportion of Black residents. The study, conducted by Erika Smull and colleagues from Duke University, sheds light on these findings, which are presented in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on August 9.

  • "New North Sea Oil and Gas Licenses Threaten Marine Protection Areas"

    An investigation conducted jointly by NGOs Oceana and Uplift has raised concerns over the UK Government's plans to permit a series of offshore fossil fuel projects, with 40% of these developments falling within areas designated as off-limits. The analysis focused on potential oil and gas developments in the North Sea, revealing a significant risk of damage to critical marine ecosystems. The report highlighted the potential for harm to the North Norfolk Coast Special Protected Area, The Wash and North Norfolk Coast Special Area of Conservation, Shetland's Foula Special Protected Area, Liverpool Bay Special Protected Area, and Southern North Sea Special Protected Area. The threats posed include large-scale oil spills, frequent minor spills, microplastics, and destruction of seabed habitats.

  • July 2023 Sets Unprecedented Temperature Records: Hottest Month in At Least 120,000 Years

    The United Nations weather agency, in collaboration with partners, has officially confirmed that July 2023 attained the highest global average temperature ever recorded, potentially reaching levels unseen for over 120,000 years. Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director at the European Commission’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, emphasized that July's temperature exceeded the average for the period from 1815 to 1900, an era often considered as pre-industrial times, by around 1.5 degrees Celsius. She also pointed out the occurrence of widespread heatwaves across various regions during the month.

  • Punjab could harness the Biomass potential to tackle climate change

    Punjab has significant potential for biomass to combat climate change. Biomass is organic material that can be used to produce energy. It can be derived from a variety of sources, including agricultural waste, wood, and animal manure.

  • "Unprecedented Precision: Global Droughts Mapped with Satellite Data and Hydrological Modeling"

    Researchers from the University of Bonn have harnessed cutting-edge technology and innovative methodologies to achieve an unparalleled understanding of global water distribution and its changes over the past two decades. By fusing the hydrological model WaterGAP with data from the GRACE satellite mission, the team, led by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jürgen Kusche, has generated an intricate portrayal of Earth's water balance dynamics. Their groundbreaking findings, soon to be published in the Journal of Geodesy, illuminate the extent and impact of droughts and facilitate forecasts of climate change effects on water systems.

  • "Unveiling the Past: Seawater Droplets Preserve Ancient World's Secrets"

    Recent research led by Mebrahtu Weldeghebriel, PhD '22, a postdoctoral fellow at Princeton University, in collaboration with Binghamton University's Distinguished Professor of Earth Sciences, Tim Lowenstein, has uncovered a remarkable connection between chemical shifts in seawater and the geological history of our planet. Utilizing advanced equipment and a unique approach, the team explored the evolution of seawater chemistry over an astounding span of 150 million years, revealing insights into geological phenomena and climate transformations. Their groundbreaking study,

  • "Revolutionizing Energy Storage: Supercapacitor Crafted from Cement, Water, and Carbon Black"

    In a groundbreaking development, engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have created a cutting-edge energy storage system using ancient and abundant materials. The innovative technology, called a supercapacitor, has the potential to revolutionize energy storage, particularly for renewable sources like solar, wind, and tidal power, by maintaining stable energy networks amid fluctuations in renewable energy supply.

  • "Ancient Climate Shifts Orchestrated Early Human Love Story Through Interbreeding"

    A recent study featured in the journal Science, conducted by an international team of climate experts and paleo-biologists from South Korea and Italy, has revealed a captivating narrative linking early human interbreeding to past changes in atmospheric CO2 levels and corresponding shifts in climate and vegetation. This innovative approach sheds light on the intriguing interactions between different hominin species, such as Neanderthals and Denisovans, and the influence of climatic conditions on their interbreeding patterns.

  • "Innovative Solar Shield Tethered to Asteroid Could Hold Key to Combating Climate Change"

    As Earth's temperature continues to rise at an alarming rate, scientists are tirelessly exploring innovative strategies to mitigate the impacts of climate change. Among these approaches, a groundbreaking concept put forth by astronomer István Szapudi from the University of Hawaiʻi Institute for Astronomy proposes a solar shield combined with a tethered asteroid as a potential game-changer. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, his paper, "Solar radiation management with a tethered sun shield," outlines a visionary plan that could potentially revolutionize climate change mitigation efforts.