Nature
UN: Forest policy must focus on human benefits
NEWS: Governments must consider the billions of people depending on forests for food, energy and shelter, says FAO report
Fighting desertification will reduce the costs of climate change
COMMENT: We should ‘climate proof’ the land to prevent some of the tragedies of a warmer world, says UN desertification chief
El Niño means 2014 could be hottest year ever
NEWS: Weather phenomenon plus global warming is recipe for the hottest year on record, says climate scientist
Time for farming to be taken seriously at UN climate talks?
COMMENT: Agriculture is linked to 20% of greenhouse gas emissions, but it’s not receiving attention from governments
Global Environment Facility reveals WWF and IUCN alliance
NEWS: Developing countries set to benefit from new funds protecting biodiversity hotspots and monitoring climate change
Ecuador gives green light to oil drilling in Amazon’s Yasuni national park
ENVIRONMENT NETWORK: Companies could start extracting oil underneath key biodiversity reserve on Earth by 2016
‘No end in sight’ to California drought
NEWS: Falling water levels in US state more severe than any event since the late 1500s megadrought, say scientists
Central African tropical forests becoming browner – study
NEWS: Congo’s forests facing chronic water stress say scientists, potentially affecting native species
Congo deforestation could cause region to warm 3C by 2050
NEWS: Congo Basin will warm 50% faster due to deforestation in world’s second largest rain forest, says new research
UN forest protection plans could lead to land grabs – report
A future forest carbon market needs to ensure local communities have control over their lands, says report
Marshall Islands’ capital Majuro submerged by ‘King tides’
Evacuations start as sea pours into parts of town, highlighting acute dangers of rising sea levels in Pacific
John Kerry warns of ocean ‘dead zones’ from pollution and acidification
US Secretary of State follows up comments on climate action with call for more marine protection zones
Google data could stem surge in deforestation levels
A new Google-powered mapping tool uses terabytes of data to show where deforestation is happening in real time
Obama offers $100m to drought-hit Californian farmers
US president pledges over $100 million to help farmers who are suffering in historic Californian drought
Sochi Olympians warn climate change ‘threatens’ winter sports
Over 100 athletes competing in Sochi this fortnight have signed a letter highlighting importance of UN’s 2015 climate change treaty
Rising seas could swamp 5% of world’s population: report
Nightmare scenario would see 1 in 20 dealing with floods by 2100 unless world takes urgent action to cut CO2
Climate change killing penguins say scientists
Climate change is already killing baby penguins in Argentina, which are badly adapted to increasing rainfall
Swiss wildlife heads up the Alps to escape warming
Wildlife in Switzerland seeking relief from warming temperatures by moving further up the mountainsides is proving surprisingly mobile
London climate resilience tested as flood barrier rises 11th time in 11 days
Thames Barrier shuts for 11th time in 11 days as rains and high tides combine to threaten capital
UK suffers the stormiest December since 1969
Storms blast through the UK with renewed vigour, causing flooding and transport problems across the country