By Simon Evans Machines that suck CO2 directly from the air could cut the cost of meeting global climate goals, a new study finds, but they would need as much as a quarter of global energy supplies in 2100. The research, published Monday in Nature Communications, is the first to explore the use of direct […]
By Daisy Dunne The UK could cut its emissions to “net-zero” within the next three decades by stepping up investment into technologies that can remove CO2 from the atmosphere, a report finds. However, such methods, which are known collectively as “negative emissions technologies” (NETs), would only be effective if paired with drastic efforts to cut […]
After a summer full of extreme weather headlines, The BBC is making a concerted effort to improve its coverage of climate change. In a “crib sheet” sent to BBC journalists via email last Thursday and obtained by Carbon Brief, the major news source provided reporters with a climate “editorial policy” and “position” and invited them […]
By Daisy Dunne The vast mangroves of the Amazon store twice as much carbon per hectare as the region’s tropical forests, new research shows. The relatively understudied ecosystem also stores 10 times more carbon than Amazon savannahs—a type of grassy plain with sparsely populated trees, according to the study. However, the wetlands face threats from […]
By Daisy Dunne Global warming could increase both the number and appetite of insect pests, new research finds, which could pose a serious threat to global crop production. The study finds that global warming of 2C above pre-industrial levels—which is the limit set by the Paris agreement—could cause pest-related yield losses from wheat, rice and […]
By Daisy Dunne Sharp declines in summer rainfall could be a “primary driver” of the record-breaking wildfires ripping across the western U.S., research shows. Using satellite data, the study finds that there have been “previously unnoted” declines in summer rainfall across close to a third of forests in the western U.S. over the past four […]
By Daisy Dunne Releasing aerosols into the atmosphere in order to limit the rise in global temperature would not stave off damage to crop yields, a new study suggests. Scientists have suggested that intentionally releasing aerosols into the atmosphere—a type of “solar geoengineering“—could help to limit global warming by reflecting away incoming sunlight in a […]
By Daisy Dunne Scientists studying the troposphere—the lowest level of the atmosphere—have found “powerful evidence” that climate change is altering seasonal temperatures. A study published in Science finds that climate change has caused an increase in the difference between summer and winter temperatures across North America and Eurasia over the past four decades. This could […]
By Simon Evans There could be as many as 36m electric vehicles (EVs) on UK roads by 2040, double the number expected just a year ago. That’s according to the latest National Grid Future Energy Scenarios, published today. Yet despite raising electricity demand, National Grid now said the rapid rise of EVs will help the […]