When Cardinal John Ribat of Papua New Guinea was young, he and his neighbors noticed that their well water tasted of salt. Crops also failed as the soil became salty. Papua New Guinea consists of a large island in the Pacific Ocean surrounded by smaller islands and atolls.
Losing undisturbed tropical forests is more devastating for the planet than previously thought, according to new research published in the journal Science Advances.
Researchers at the University of Bayreuth have calculated for the first time how climate change is likely to affect the earth's conservation areas by 2070.
Nearly three years ago, I broke with conventional wisdom to note that there was ample reason to have hope for coral reefs despite the very obvious threats associated with global climate change, including both warming and acidification.
Having a cocaine habit is bad for your health – and for the planet’s too, as it turns out that the growing use of the drug is also contributing to global warming.
The ocean is a dominant feature of our plant, covering 70 percent of its surface and driving its climate and biosphere. The ocean sustains life on earth and yet is in peril from climate change. However, while much of recent attention is focused on the problems that the ocean faces, the ocean is also a source of potential solutions and innovation. This report explores how the ocean, its coastal regions and economic activities can provide opportunities in the fight against climate change.
The ocean is on the front lines of the battle against climate change. It already has absorbed 93 percent of the heat trapped by human-generated carbon dioxide (CO2 ) emissions. It absorbs 25-30 percent of annual CO2 emissions that would otherwise remain in the atmosphere and increase global warming. It has become a victim of climate change, putting everyone at risk. The ocean is getting warmer and becoming more acidic—a direct result of the extra CO2 being dissolved into it.
It’s tempting to think that our forests would be fine if we could simply stop trees being felled or burnt. But forests – particularly tropical ones – are more than just trees. They’re also the animals that skulk and swoop among them.
When it comes to saving the planet, one whale is worth thousands of trees.
Since 2015 the Australian government has committed more than $1.5bn of taxpayer funds to climate change projects that plant or protect native habitat. Over a slightly longer period it has also spent nearly $62m on a policy to plant 20 million trees promised under Tony Abbott.
