UN climate talks appear to be in trouble as they head into extra time. Fault lines have re-appeared between different negotiating blocs, with one delegate describing a new draft text as “totally unacceptable”. Alden Meyer, from the Union of Concerned Scientists said the situation in Madrid was unprecedented since climate negotiations began in 1991. Negotiators […]
Media playback is unsupported on your device The deepest point on continental Earth has been identified in East Antarctica, under Denman Glacier. This ice-filled canyon reaches 3.5km (11,500ft) below sea level. Only in the ocean are the valleys deeper still. The discovery is illustrated in a new map of the White Continent that reveals the […]
Delegates from developing countries have reacted angrily to what they see as attempts to block progress at the COP25 meeting in Madrid. One negotiator told the BBC that the talks had failed to find agreement on a range of issues because of the blocking actions of some large emitters. Carlos Fuller from Belize said that […]
UN negotiators meeting in Madrid have been accused of “playing politics” while the climate crisis grows. The talks – now in their final week – are bogged down in technical details as key countries seek to delay efforts to increase their pledges, observers say. Ministers are due to arrive in the Spanish capital this week […]
Climate change and nutrient pollution are driving the oxygen from our oceans, and threatening many species of fish. That’s the conclusion of the biggest study of its kind, undertaken by conservation group IUCN. While nutrient run-off has been known for decades, researchers say that climate change is making the lack of oxygen worse. Around 700 […]
In January 2018, a falling meteorite created a bright fireball that arced over the outskirts of Detroit, Michigan, followed by loud sonic booms. The visitor not only dropped a slew of meteorites over the snow-covered ground, it also provided information about its extra-terrestrial source. Although tens of thousands of meteorites have been recovered by humans, […]
The elm tree can return to the British countryside, given a helping hand, according to a new report. More than 20 million trees died during the 1960s and 1970s from Dutch elm disease. In the aftermath, the elm was largely forgotten, except among a handful of enthusiasts who have been breeding elite elms that can […]
Political leaders and climate diplomats are meeting in Madrid for two weeks of talks amid a growing sense of crisis. According to UN Secretary General António Guterres, “the point of no return is no longer over the horizon”. Meanwhile, Save the Children says that climate shocks have left millions in Africa facing hunger. The charity […]
Media playback is unsupported on your device A team of British scientists has arrived in the Antarctic to try to find the continent’s “missing meteorites”. The group, from the University of Manchester, will spend six weeks scouring a remote region for lumps of iron that have fallen from the sky. These pieces of metal represent […]
Smoke from burning forests in the Amazon can intensify glacier melt, researchers say, fuelling concern about a water crisis in South America. The team found evidence that snow and ice was being “darkened”, accelerating the melt rate, threatening supplies. Melting tropical glaciers provide water for millions of people in the region. Scientists modelled the movement […]