Nature
Australia’s acute water shortages mapped
Projected Australian water shortages suggest governments of future will have to ration water between mining, agriculture and major cities.
Arctic spill would create inaccessible ‘oil sandwich’ in ice impossible to clean, says UK polar expert
A leading polar expert has told RTCC an offshore oil spill in the region would be almost impossible to clean up and could affect vast areas of the ocean
Photo of the week #30 – Deforestation and the Amazon’s blue-headed Parrot
The Amazon’s blue-headed Parrot is becoming increasingly vulnerable to deforestation across central and southern America.
Response to George Monbiot: The valuation of nature and ecosystem services is not privatization
The idea of placing a value on the environment to encourage its protection has become increasingly popular, but critics say it amounts to little more than the privatisation.
Russian government tells Greenpeace it will “balance economy and ecology” in the Arctic
Head of campaign group meets Russian Environment Minister to present its fears over arctic industrialisation.
Comment: Why it’s important we give the REDD mechanism a chance
REDD+ aims to deploy market forces to combat deforestation and land degradation. But is it working, and should we really put a price on trees and forests? Tara O’Shea from the Code REDD scheme argues it’s the best way forward.
Arctic could be ice-free in summer by end of the decade, according to European Space Agency
Images from polar satellite suggest sea ice in the Arctic could be disappearing at a rate 50% higher than previously predicted.
Photo of the week #29: The Galapagos islands’ unique position for monitoring climate change
The Galapagos Islands are home to some unusual inhabitants threatened by climate change but the isle’s unique placement to study global environmental change is less well known.
Photo of the week #28: Thailand’s famous and endangered water lilies
This week’s IUCN photo of the week is of a water lily, which relies heavily on clean water and healthy ecosystems to flourish
LANDSAT at 40: NASA’s Earth as Art gallery
40 years of the LANDSAT satellite celebrated in five iconic pictures. NASA’s prized satellite has been a key tool for climate scientists revealing deforestation patterns and the gradual disappearance of polar ice.
The price of climate change: How to temper volatile food prices
Severe weather variability has affected harvests around the world but the many of the tools to enhance food security are within our grasp.
RTCC Q&A: Why Shell’s Arctic adventure could have implications for us all
With Shell’s drilling rigs weeks away from entering the Arctic, RTCC takes a look at some of the potential implications of drilling in the region.
London Olympics art display breathes new life into importance of urban forestry
New art installation in London’s Russell Square highlights the important role of trees in keeping cities clean and free from pollution
Photo of the week #27: Jaguars under threat
This week’s photo of the week takes a look at the leopard species, which may not always be with us in a changing climate.
NASA reports “extreme melt” of Greenland ice sheet underway but climate change link unconfirmed
Indian/NASA collaboration reveals 97% of ice surface area has begun to melt, more than double the usual extent during summer. However, more data required to attribute melting to climate change.
Photo of the week #26 – The threat of climate change on seal pups
This week’s photo of the week focuses on the risks of climate change to the survival of the seal.
Climate change most significant threat to Antarctic ecosystems, say researchers
Article in Science maps the future threats to Antarctic ecosystems and finds global climate change a particular worry for the region’s conservation.
Photo of the Week #25: The plight of the butterfly
This week’s photo of the week from the IUCN shows the threats facing butterflies in the UK.
Five places to visit before they are gone forever
The world is changing rapidly due to human activities – we’ve chosen five places you must try and see before their unique qualities are lost forever
Pacific reefs heading towards regional collapse from climate change
New research warns climate change could be pushing coral reef systems in the Eastern Pacific towards a regional collapse like that witnessed 4000 years ago which took reefs 2500 years to recover from.