All Environment
- Harnessing rainwater for later use: Ancient solution to modern extremes
As water extremes swing from flood to drought, sometimes in the same place, an ancient system of rainwater storage holds a promising solution to both.
- Oxford prepares for electric car future. Britons may be cool to the cost.
Voters in the United Kingdom support a net-zero future. But when it comes to paying for electric car zones, their green enthusiasm changes.
- The tales trees tell – from history to climate change
As COP26 made clear, action is needed to address climate change. But those actions must be well-informed, and tree rings can help with that.
- When climate change stops being policy and starts getting personal
For many, climate change has remained a dry, policy-driven subject. But for Monitor correspondent Shafi Musaddique, it is a deeply personal matter.
- COP26 scorecard: Summit leaves the heavy lifting for later
The COP26 climate summit ended with less to show than organizers had hoped, but some governments and businesses launched their own green initiatives.
- First LookCOP26 deal: Nations agree on phasing coal ‘down’ but not ‘out’
Ahead of the COP26 talks in Glasgow, the United Nations set three criteria for success. None were achieved. But, said U.N. Sec.-Gen. Antonio Guterres, “we have some building blocks for progress.”
- Russia changes its tune on climate change. What’s behind the shift?
Russia seems to be getting serious about climate change. But the Kremlin’s shift in thought may need to go further to prepare for the future.
- First LookIn Mexico, locals invest in mangroves to help cool the planet
Mangroves only grow on less than 1% of the Earth’s land, but experts agree they are critical to fighting climate change due to their ability to sequester large amounts of carbon. In places like Mexico, where mangroves continue to deteriorate, locals work to save them.
- On climate, a fraught Plan B: Carbon capture helps, but not enough
At COP26, “nature-based” and engineered ways of capturing carbon have generated interest. But do they distract from what must be done on emissions?
- Why COP26 stakes are so high for India’s women
Women in rural India, facing hardship due to recent floods, exemplify the challenge of how to help the world’s poorest people adapt to climate change.
- First LookAs sea ice melts, will the Arctic become a different place?
In the Arctic, ice sheets and glaciers are shrinking, wildfires have broken out, and even a region called the Last Ice Area shows unexpected melting. As the Arctic continues to warm, a summer without sea ice could spell out danger for countries around the world.
- Germany cuts carbon emissions. Not fast enough, young generation says.
Germany envisions a green future, yet still burns lots of coal. Now a young generation wants to see goals matched by actions.
- Data on a warming planet: What’s at stake in global climate summit
Do we really need to be hearing so much about climate change and a “COP26 meeting”? Here’s a chart-based briefing on why it matters.
- The ExplainerMethane gets its due: Climate pledge puts focus on super pollutants
World leaders are turning their attention to super pollutants – the most potent greenhouse gases – in the latest efforts to slow global warming.
- The ExplainerEurope plans border tax on carbon. Will others join the club?
The COP26 climate summit is about voluntary steps, not mandates and penalties. But Europe is poised to add some tough love on the side. Will it help?
- FocusMuch of Africa still lacks electricity. The carbon ethics are thorny.
The moral trade-offs involved in curbing climate change look very different in a Senegal village with no electricity.
- Saving the Amazon, one wood-carved spoon at a time
In an Amazon village that was once a hub for illegal logging, residents learn new ways to make a living from the forest that reward conservation.
- First LookIn 'historic action,' Biden pledges 30% methane reduction
Methane is a highly potent pollutant responsible for a third of current warming from human activities. On Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden announced his COP26 plan to reduce methane emissions at a standard even stricter than under the Obama administration.
- First LookAt COP26, over 100 countries pledge to keep trees rooted
Hailed as the first major step toward change in the U.N. climate conference, more than 100 nations pledged to end deforestation by the next decade. Trees are important for absorbing and storing carbon dioxide, serving as one of the world’s major carbon sinks.
- Will China’s energy crisis dampen its effort to cut emissions?
China will play a key role in whether the world can curb global warming. But recent power shortages reveal challenges ahead.