Chronic ocean heating fuels ‘staggering’ loss of marine life, study finds

Fish levels fall by 7.2% with as little as 0.1C of warming per decade, northern hemisphere research shows

Accelerated coral reef collapse

The United States government is rolling back conservation policies in a way that demonstrably risks accelerating already at-risk coral reefs around its island territory Guam in the Pacific Ocean. Part of the issue is the way the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is defined. Researchers from the University of Tokyo, University of Guam, University of Technology Sydney and Cornell University strongly suggest broadening key species categories such that reefs are more generally protected. At present, overly specific terminology means anything outside key categories doesn't fall under the ESA and is therefore open to further human interference. 

What freezing plants in blocks of ice can tell us about the future of Svalbard’s plant communities

How will a warming Arctic affect plant growth on Svalbard? Researchers encased plant plots in a thick layer of ice during the winter and used little greenhouses to heat up those plots in the summer. The surprise? The plants that got the harshest treatment did just fine.

Scientists reveal our best- and worst-case scenarios for a warming Antarctica

Antarctica’s pale expanses of ice keep water locked up and reflect heat from the planet — but the climate crisis is putting these safeguards at increasing risk. Antarctica is warming much faster than the global average, which could destroy its ecosystems and put other parts of the planet at risk by driving sea level rise and damaging food chains. Scientists modelling possible climate crisis outcomes for the Antarctica Peninsula show just how high the stakes are if we don’t act now.

‘They pushed so many lies about recycling’: the fight to stop big oil pumping billions more into plastics

Plastic production has doubled over the last 20 years – and will likely double again. For author Beth Gardiner, metal water bottles and canvas tote bags are not the solution. So what is?

Record-breaking sediment core may help predict Antarctic ice loss

Beneath the ice of West Antarctica lie natural records of past climate variability, containing sediments deposited during warmer periods when the region was partly or entirely ice-free.  An international team co-led by a researcher from ETH Zurich and the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) has now retrieved the longest sediment core ever drilled from beneath an ice sheet, using a custom-designed drilling system.  The 228 metre-long core contains geological evidence and fossils of marine organisms that indicate a previously open, ice-free ocean. This archive provides new insights into how sensitive the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is to a warming climate. 

Coffee-growing countries becoming too hot to cultivate beans, analysis finds

Five countries responsible for 75% of world’s coffee supply record average of 57 extra days of coffee-harming heat a year

SWAIS2C - Record-breaking sediment core provides unprecedented evidence of West Antarctic Ice Sheet retreat

New EU rules to stop destruction of unsold clothes and shoes

The measures under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation will allow businesses to benefit from a more circular economy.