UN flags 127 major climate-warming methane plumes this year
Dubai, United Arab EmiratesReuters A United Nations-led effort to use space satellites to detect methane leaks from fossil fuel infrastructure has alerted governments to 127 major methane plumes across four continents since its launch at the start of this year. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, with 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide […]
Nord Stream rupture may mark biggest single methane release ever recorded – UN
Reuters The ruptures on the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline system under the Baltic Sea have led to what is likely the biggest single release of climate-damaging methane ever recorded, the United Nations Environment Programme said on Friday. A huge plume of highly concentrated methane, a greenhouse gas far more potent but shorter-lived than carbon […]
Explainer – As climate change wreaks havoc globally, IPCC report flags ways to adapt
Barcelona, SpainThomson Reuters Foundation From Madagascar, where hunger is surging after a recent storm destroyed drought-withered crops, to Brazil’s historic mountain town of Petropolis, hit by a deluge that has caused about 200 deaths, the impacts of wilder weather are being felt worldwide. Worse is to come, faster than expected, even if efforts to curb […]
World can’t recycle its way out of plastic crisis – experts
SingaporeReuters Recycling will not be able to contain a runaway global plastic waste crisis, experts said on Friday as they called on companies to reduce plastic production and shift more products into reusable and refillable packaging. Moving away from single-use plastics and towards systems that allow for it to be reused are among the solutions […]
UN warns world set for 2.7 degrees Celsius rise on today’s emissions pledges
London, UKReuters Current commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions put the planet on track for an average 2.7 degrees Celsius temperature rise this century, a United Nations report said on Tuesday, in another stark warning ahead of crunch climate talks. Governments will be in the spotlight at the COP26 conference next week to meet a […]
Governments urged to use COVID-19 stimulus to adapt to climate threats
Barcelona, SpainThomson Reuters Foundation Spending to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic will determine whether countries are better able to adapt to more extreme weather and rising seas as the planet warms – a challenge they have failed to meet so far, top UN officials said this week. In the fifth edition of its Adaptation Gap Report, […]
Wow!: Polyester from pollution? Fashion’s next generation goes green
THIN LEI WIN, writing for Thomson Reuters Foundation, reports on how European start-ups are working to transform the fashion industry…
Pandemic piles pressure on world’s shrinking forests
Rome, ItalyThomson Reuters Foundation Forests face an increased risk of being cut down and degraded as a result of the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, a senior UN official said on Friday. For millions of poor people who have lost casual work in cities and are returning to their homes in rural areas, “the […]
Five trees or a latte? Coastal communities seek crowdfunding for mangroves
Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaThomson Reuters Foundation Would you forgo a cup of coffee to plant mangroves aimed at helping coastal communities fend off climate change? A Singapore-based online platform is counting on crowdsourcing donations for projects to add a billion mangrove trees by 2025. The Global Mangrove Trust plans to launch an app and website in the next […]
Asia’s rapid urbanisation, deforestation linked to deadly viruses
Bangkok, ThailandThomson Reuters Foundation The rapid pace of deforestation, urbanisation and road building are major factors in the spread of infectious diseases across Asia, including the coronavirus, health and environment experts said on Wednesday. Worldwide, more than 119,000 people have been infected by the COVID-19 coronavirus, which emerged from China late last year, and more […]