Laura Pereira, University of the Witwatersrand New research has found that the world has reached the first of many Earth system tipping points. These will cause catastrophic harm unless humanity takes urgent action. A tipping point is a moment in the Earth’s climate system where even small changes can lead to significant, often
Ph. Meltwater runs across the Greenland ice sheet in rivers. The ice sheet is already losing mass and could soon reach a tipping point. Maria-José Viñas/NASA Alexandra A Phillips, University of California, Santa Barbara As the planet warms, it risks crossing catastrophic tipping points: thresholds where Earth systems, such as ice sheets and
Piers Forster, University of Leeds and Debbie Rosen, University of Leeds Bad climate news is everywhere. Africa is being hit particularly hard by climate change and extreme weather, impacting lives and livelihoods. We are living in a world that is warming at the fastest rate since records began. Yet, governments have been slow
ph. The Great Barrier Reef stretches for 1,429 miles just off Australia’s northeastern coast. Auscape/Universal Images Group via Getty Image Noam Vogt-Vincent, University of Hawaii Tropical reefs might look like inanimate rock, but these colorful seascapes are built by tiny jellyfish-like animals called corals. While adult corals build solid structures that are firmly
In an industrial quarter outside Buenos Aires, a hummingbird hovers over a vibrant bed of plants and flowers. Two years ago, the area was a stretch of grey streets and factory units. Today, EU-funded researchers are bringing nature to urban Argentina, in a collaboration between European and Latin American cities. The pavements of
As a young engineering student contemplating the direction of his doctoral research, Jaka Tušek knew he wanted to push the boundaries of science. “I wanted to work on breakthroughs, tackle something new that hasn’t been done before.” Today, the Slovenian researcher is on the cusp of the first major breakthrough in cooling technologies
An international team of researchers is developing a model of Mars’s evolution that could unlock some of its long-held secrets, including whether it once harboured life. François Forget, a space scientist from the Pierre Simon Laplace Institute in France, is the man looking for those answers. He is not a time traveller, but
Ph. UladzimirZuyeu/Shutterstock Viktoriia Ivannikova, Dublin City University Some long-haul flights connecting Europe and Asia are emitting 40% more CO₂ since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, my new study shows. The spike is largely due to airspace closures above conflict zones which are forcing airlines to seek alternative routes, significantly increasing
Ph. IRENA/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND Isabela del Alcázar, IE University If I had to sum up COP29 in a single word, it would be entropy. Borrowed from thermodynamics, this concept describes the delicate balance between order and disorder, a principle that governs both natural and human systems. An ecosystem, much like the climate negotiations,
ph. French President Macron welcomes US Vice President Kamala Harris for a meeting at Elysee Palace In Paris, in November, 2021. Jo Bouroch/Shutterstock Waya Quiviger, IE University Many pundits are claiming that the 2024 contest will be the most important US election since 1860. Most Europeans would also agree. At stake is not