GlaMBIE has entered the research scene during a critical time: continued funding for crucial glacier monitoring technologies is uncertain, and the magnitude of global glacier decline in the 21st century has been historically unprecedented-reinforcing glaciers as clear indicators of ongoing anthropogenic climate change. Glacier monitoring is essential for tracking glacier mass changes over time, and GlaMBIE's assessment is important to ensuring the continuity of this data, especially when many glacier monitoring technologies are expected to be suspended or decommissioned due to U.S funding cuts.
Now scientists at the University of East Anglia have found that some genes related to heat stress, ageing and metabolism are behaving differently in polar bears living in south-east Greenland, suggesting they may be adjusting to warmer conditions. The researchers analysed blood samples taken from polar bears in two regions of Greenland and compared jumping genes: small, mobile pieces of the genome that can influence how other genes work. Scientists looked at the genes in relation to temperatures in the two regions and at the associated changes in gene expression.
Bailenson is the founder of Stanford's Virtual Human Interaction Lab, a research center studying the psychological and behavioral impacts of virtual and augmented reality, the latter of which overlays digital images onto the real world. He's worked on experiments aimed at increasing people's focus on climate change for more than a decade, having found some success. His team discovered that when people put on a VR headset and cut down a tree, feeling the vibration of the chainsaw, they use less paper afterward.
The climate crisis supercharged the deadly storms that killed more than 1,750 people in Asia by making downpours more intense and flooding worse, scientists have reported. Monsoon rains often bring some flooding but the scientists were clear: this was not normal. In Sri Lanka, some floods reached the second floor of buildings, while in Sumatra, in Indonesia, the floods were worsened by the destruction of forests, which in the past slowed rainwater running off hillsides.
Since 2021, at least 6 million policy holders across the country have seen rate hikes to their property insurance policies, according to a new report from environmental advocacy group Climate Power. Insurers have also canceled at least 1.4 million policies in that time. One big reason is the worsening climate crisis, which is driving more and more instances of extreme weather. Inflation, labor shortages, and supply chain issues are also factors, as they drive up the costs to rebuild a home.
A coalition of more than 230 environmental groups has demanded a national moratorium on new data centers in the US, the latest salvo in a growing backlash to a booming artificial intelligence industry that has been blamed for escalating electricity bills and worsening the climate crisis. The green groups, including Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Food & Water Watch and dozens of local organizations, have urged members of Congress
The spots gave it away. Just like a human fingerprint, the rosette pattern on each jaguar is unique so researchers knew they had a new animal on their hands after reviewing images captured by a remote camera in southern Arizona. The University of Arizona Wild Cat Research and Conservation Center says it's the fifth big cat over the last 15 years to be spotted in the area after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
But there is hope, too, as the authors point to effective changes and policies that are contributing to slower warming of the planet: "The future is still being written. Through choices in policy, investment, education, and care for one another and the Earth, we can still create a turning point. It begins by embracing our shared humanity and recognizing the profound interconnectedness of all life on the planet."
The book is a history of carbon dioxide's complicated and vital role in shaping life on Earth, told across many millions of years. It is only during the very last bit of that span when humans had the chance to start messing around with everything, and while we talked about that part, a lot of this first segment was spent with Drew and I asking Peter very basic questions about carbon dioxide, and him giving very interesting and detailed answers.
King tides return to Southern California coastlines Thursday and Friday, reaching heights 1 to 2 feet higher than normal ocean swells. The National Weather Service warns of hazardous swimming conditions, powerful rip currents and waves up to 7.8 feet in some areas through Saturday. Scientists and coastal planners are using these extreme tides to study future sea level rise and identify vulnerable communities for infrastructure planning.
The agency previously estimated that the higher standards set in 2024 would collectively save Americans $23 billion in fuel costs over the years, or about $600 for each passenger car and light truck owner over the lifetime of their vehicle. The rules were expected to cut down gasoline use by 70 billion gallons through 2050. That would avoid 710 million metric tons of planet-heating carbon dioxide pollution, equivalent to taking more than 165.6 million gas-guzzling passenger vehicles off the road for a year.
Record-breaking heat is now routine. The devastating heatwave that wracked southwestern Europe in 2003 and claimed more than 70,000 lives produced temperatures not experienced in the region since the sixteenth century. Subsequent summers have extended this trend. In 2024, the continent recorded its hottest summer on record. In urban environments, where most of the world's population lives, the problem is especially acute. "If you build a city, inevitably it will be hotter," says Edward Ng, an architect at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Of the 34 planetary vital signs scientists track, 22 are at record levels in 2025. The year 2024 was the hottest on record, likely warmer than any period in 125,000 years, according to the report. More concerning is that warming is accelerating. Reduced aerosol emissions-typically a public health benefit-have paradoxically removed particles that were masking warming. Combined with changes in cloud behavior and declining planetary reflectivity, Earth is now absorbing more solar energy than most models predicted.
Earlier this fall, a flock of birds descended upon New York City, flying through the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens. The arrival of these birds, however, isn't literal. They came to the city in the form of murals, thanks to the National Audubon Society's Mural Project. Since its launch more than 10 years ago, the project has produced 142 total murals around New York, with the goal of centering the birds most vulnerable to extinction from climate change.
A polar vortex happens when air in the Arctic is destabilized, often by intruding warming air currents, and moves extreme cold air southward. The type of polar vortex this current system could become is known as a "sudden stratospheric warming" event - if it indeed comes to pass, this would be the earliest instance of it happening during a winter season on record.
The Vail Ski Resort in Colorado was ranked the most resilient mountain in the world, according to research from global real estate service company Savills. That's thanks to its five-month-long season, high elevation, and consistent snow. In fact, the mountain is the largest ski resort in Colorado with more than 5,300 skiable acres and with a base altitude of 8,120 feet, it receives more than 350 inches of snowfall on average each year, according to the resort.
The embeds below are from TikTok, but if you're not a fan, here's all the links to find Streetsblog videos: And if you can't get enough Streetsblog videos, Streetsblog NYC has a Monday: TikTok ChannelThursday: and Friday: Streetfilms is archived on YouTube.
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground.
I began by trying to discover whether or not a widespread belief was true. In doing so, I tripped across something even bigger: an index of the world's indifference. I already knew that by burning fossil fuels, gorging on meat and dairy, and failing to make even simple changes, the rich world imposes a massive burden of disaster, displacement and death on people whose responsibility for the climate crisis is minimal.
In 1995, when the first conference of the parties (Cop) of the UN's climate change convention met in Berlin, the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration was approximately 360.67 parts per million. The then German chancellor, Helmut Kohl, gave a passionate speech about how greenhouse gases must be reduced to save the planet from overheating. There was a relatively unknown East German woman, the environment minister, Angela Merkel, chairing the conference. She was red hot at keeping order.
Papua New Guinea has voiced frustration after Australia ditched a bid to co-host next year's UN climate talks with its Pacific island neighbours. We are all not happy. And disappointed it's ended up like this, foreign minister Justin Tkatchenko told Agence France-Presse after Australia ceded hosting rights to Turkey. Australia had been pushing to host Cop31 next year alongside south Pacific nations which are increasingly threatened by rising seas and climate-fuelled disasters.
If tropical cyclone Fina crosses the Northern Territory coast on Friday, it could equal the earliest cyclone to make landfall in Australia. Fina, a category one cyclone about 370km north-east of Darwin, was moving east and expected to intensify to category two before turning south on Thursday. The latest Bureau of Meteorology update (issued at 10.30am local time on Wednesday) anticipated the cyclone would reach the NT coast for potential impact on Friday or Saturday.
"One in three people live in great vulnerability because of these climate changes," Leo said. "To them, climate change is not a distant threat, and to ignore these people is to deny our shared humanity."
Monty Don has shared dramatic photos of his Herefordshire garden underwater after a storm dumped a month's worth of rain in just 24 hours. The presenter of Gardeners' World reflected on life on a flood plain and the challenges of extreme weather. Despite the disruption, he emphasised gratitude that the flooding affected only his garden and fields, not homes or businesses.
