Nature
Arctic Ocean acidifiying at ‘unprecedented levels’ as sea ice melts
Melting sea ice exposes Arctic Ocean to atmospheric CO2, acidifying water and damaging ecosystems
Peru’s cloud forests could be wiped out by 2100
Fragile nature of one of the world’s most biodiverse ecosystems means it could be obliterated by climate change, study suggests
Mongolian Steppe munched into desert by goats and sheep
Forget coal plants and gas flaring: hungry goats are the latest threat to climate, say scientists studying the cause of degraded land in the Mongolian Steppe
Scientists confirm Clean Air Act ‘restored ecosystems’ in USA
Despite intense criticism from businesses and power companies, scientists reveal the USA’s Clean Air Act did work
Australia’s 2010-2011 floods caused sea levels to ‘drop 7mm’
Rain fell in such colossal quantities during the Australian floods in 2010 and 2011 that the world’s sea levels actually dropped by as much as 7mm
Antarctic glaciers sensitive to climate change, research shows
Research suggests enormous East Antarctic ice sheet advances and retreats with climate change more than scientists had realised
Dung beetles reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cow pats
By drying out the dung, the beetles increase the availability of oxygen and reduce the amount of methane in the pats
Comment: COP19 must discuss losses caused by climate change
COP 19 attendees should fund research on financial and human losses from climate change related disasters
Planet Earth’s natural resources in ‘overdraft’ warn campaigners
By 20 August 2013, humanity had exhausted the earth’s bank natural resources for the year – and the date is getting earlier and earlier
Anger and frustration as Ecuador’s Yasuni dreams die
President Correa blamed funding shortfall for initiative’s failure, but wider problems with Yasuni persist
Heat waves to quadruple by 2040, regardless of emissions cuts
Existing climate change means extreme heat waves will rise by four times by 2040, whether or not emissions are cut
Greenland melt linked to warmth from earth’s core
Greenland’s icesheet is melting, at the surface and at its base, but this may be the normal warmth of an active rocky planet
Rainforest picnic: how to stop eating the Amazon this summer
Andrew Mitchell from the Global Canopy Programme explains how everything we eat and wear is linked to the world’s great rainforests
Himalaya glacial melt set to peak by 2070
Water levels in Ganges and Indus rivers unlikely to drop over next 100 years says new study of Himalayan and the Tibetan plateau glaciers
Geoengineering ‘parasols’ could protect world’s coral reefs
The world’s coral reefs are under threat. Some scientists say doses of cloud brightening could provide a solution to the problem.
Loss of algae and plankton threatens Arctic food chain
Rapid thawing of Arctic sea ice is affecting virtually every species of Arctic wildlife, a new study reveals
Pakistan monsoon crisis exacerbated by flood plains violations
Construction of housing, agriculture and mega dams have reduced the country’s ability to cope with intense monsoonal rains
Congo’s rainforests and mountain gorillas face oil exploration threat
Virunga National Park, a UNESCO site that is home to critically endangered mountain gorillas faces exploitation by British oil company Soco International
Warming oceans drive marine life towards poles
Marine species are advancing towards the poles at an alarming rate, according to a report which will form a part of the next IPCC Assessment
New map charts spread of Indonesia’s forest fires
A new mapping resource from CIFOR shows the source of forest fires in Indonesia – and reveals the largest companies aren’t (wholly) to blame