As if melting ice in Polar bears' Arctic habitat was not enough, Norwegian scientists have found that organic pollutants such as pesticide residues are disrupting their thyroid and endocrine systems, adding a further threat to the species' survival.
Polar bears at risk from pollution as well as warmth Tim Radford | 24th April 2015 News Toxics Pollution Ecology Oceans Waste Arctic Mammals polar-bears-cut.jpg As if melting ice in Polar bears' …
The increase in meat and dairy consumption is set to cause huge increases in greenhouse gases, reports Tim Radford. A shift to less animal-based diets would cut greenhouse gases, conserve forests and grasslands - and make us all healthier, with reduced obesity, diabetes and associated conditions.
Thanks to meat, farming emissions set for 80% rise Tim Radford | 1st December 2014 News Food Farming Climate Change Health meat-happy-pig-cut.jpg The increase in meat and dairy consumption is set to …
Despite massive clearance of carbon-rich forests for palm oil, cattle ranching, soybeans and other cash crops, writes Tim Radford, a new study finds that the net volume of carbon stored in trees is increasing thanks to their growing numbers on grasslands, on abandoned farmland, and in China.
Flourishing savanna woodlands mean forests are still absorbing carbon Tim Radford | 18th May 2015 News Forests Climate Change woodland-australia-cut.jpg Despite massive clearance of carbon-rich …
The first ever global life-cycle assessment of clean energy sources shows that a renewable system could supply the world's entire electricity needs by mid-century, writes Tim Radford.
Renewables can supply 100% of world's power by 2050 Tim Radford | 15th October 2014 News Energy Renewables Science Mining hydropower_site_at_holbuvatnet_sunndal_2013-cut.jpg The first ever global …
Scientists in the US have established that chemicals used in fracking to extract gas and oil could represent health and environmental hazards, writes Tim Radford. Among the greatest hazards: biocides and corrosion inhibitors.
Health alert - fracking’s chemical cocktails Tim Radford | 21st August 2014 News Fracking Fossil Fuels Toxics USA fracking-well-cut.jpg Scientists in the US have established that chemicals used in …
Global food production may need to double over the next century to feed a growing world population, writes Tim Radford - just as yields crops in major crop-growing areas fall due to higher temperatures. But there is another way: to build sustainability into our food production and consumption.
Climate food crunch demands sustainable food system Tim Radford | 27th September 2016 News Food Farming Climate Change Population farm-sa-cut.jpg Global food production may need to double over the …
New research warns that rising temperatures will reduce the mountain snow in 97 major river basins worldwide, writes Tim Radford - cutting summer water supply to 2 billion people in lowland areas who depend on the meltwaters.
Global warming reduces snows that water 2 billion people Tim Radford | 24th November 2015 News Water Climate Change Science mountain-snow-cut.jpg New research warns that rising temperatures will …
As temperatures rise in the Southern Ocean, warmer currents are eroding the Antarctic ice sheet from below, writes Tim Radford - causing the melting rate to treble in two decades to 83 billion tonnes a year.
Antarctica: warming ocean trebles glacial melt Tim Radford | 17th December 2014 News Antarctica Oceans Climate Change Cryosphere Climate Change antarctic_sea_ice-amundsen_sea-cut.jpg As temperatures …
Scientists are calling for the urgent protection of ecologically valuable roadless areas, writes Tim Radford, as a new global map shows that roads lead to loss of biodiversity and damage to ecosystems by fragmenting habitat and providing access to exploiters.
New map shows way to reducing roads' destruction of nature Tim Radford | 18th January 2017 News Forests Roads Transport Conservation roadless_areas_map-cut.jpg Scientists are calling for the urgent …
The world's smart money is piling into renewable energy, solar power in particular, write Tim Radford & Oliver Tickell, as renewables pull away from fossil fuels in terms of both investment and new generation capacity added each year.
Investors pile in as renewables rise to record level Tim Radford Oliver Tickell | 16th April 2015 News Renewables Solar Science USA ivanhaw-solar-cut.jpg The world's smart money is piling into …
New analysis of the vast body of research shows 97% of climate scientists agree that human activities are fuelling climate change, writes Tim Radford. But thanks to aggressive attempts to convince us otherwise, only 12% of people in the US are aware of this high level of agreement.
Almost all climate scientists agree: climate change is real! Tim Radford | 19th April 2016 News Sciance Climate Change Media Politics US climate-scientist-cut.jpg New analysis of the vast body of …
Something scary is lurking in the melting Arctic permafrost, write Tim Radford & Oliver Tickell: 1,700 Gt of carbon. That's 53 years worth of current emissions, and if we let it melt the impact would cost the world $43 tn. Or act now, and we could preserve the Arctic ice for a seventh as much.
Mammoth Arctic carbon thaw would cost us $43 trillion Tim Radford | 23rd September 2015 News Arctic Climate Change Water Emissions Science mammoth-cut.jpg Something scary is lurking in the melting …
Scientists have found that the world's second greatest rainforest, the Congo, is losing its green, writes Tim Radford. As temperatures rise and rainfall reduces, the forest canopy is taking on a browner hue, and this could be an early signal of worse damage to come.
Congo rainforest 'browning' as temperatures rise Tim Radford | 30th April 2014 News Forests Africa Amazon Congo Water Climate Change Ecology congo-forest-tree.jpg Scientists have found that the …
Renewable energy sounds like the obvious solution for a power-hungry planet in a greenhouse world. But where will all the minerals come from?
Renewables - what about the minerals? Tim Radford | 31st October 2013 News Energy Renewable Energy Renewables Renewable energy sounds like the obvious solution for a power-hungry planet in a …
Scientists say interstate energy 'highways' offer a simple approach to delivering low-cost electricity to where it’s needed throughout the US, writes Tim Radford. The best part? It's using clean, renewable energy sources, and it can be achieved in the near future using only existing, mature technologies.
'Renewable energy highways' offer quick fix for US emissions Tim Radford | 2nd February 2016 News Solar Wind Renewables Energy US Greenhouse Gas Emissions wind farms Scientists say interstate energy …
Scientists have identified climate change as the direct cause of rising mortality among penguin chicks hatched in Argentina, as unseasonal storms hit a once arid coastal region.
Argentina: unseasonal storms imperil Magellanic penguins Tim Radford | 4th February 2014 News Birds South America Climate Change magellanic-penguins.png Scientists have identified climate change as …
As Europe and North America warm, bumblebees should be able to fly north to cooler climes, writes Tim Radford. But they're not: the bees' range is receding in the south, but staying put in the north, and scientists fear their shrinking habitat will put many species at risk of extinction.
Warming world traps bumblebees in 'climate vice' Tim Radford | 10th July 2015 News Climate Change Bees Insects Natural World. bombus-vancouver-cut.jpg As Europe and North America warm, bumblebees …
The same pattern of severe droughts that extinguished the Ancient Pueblo culture of the southwest US in the 13th century will come back with a vengeance later this century as climate warms and dries, writes Tim Radford. And it could have precisely the same effect on the region's modern-day residents.
Southwest USA faces long term 'megadroughts' this century Tim Radford Oliver Tickell | 17th February 2015 News Climate Change Water USA mesaverde_cliffpalace-cut.jpg The same pattern of severe …
Death threats, abuse and torrents of online hatred show how climate change scientists are demonised, writes Tim Radford, in a way without parallel in the history of science. It's all set out in a new book that explores both climate change denialism, and our inaction despite overwhelming evidence: 'Don't Even Think About It'.
Why isn't climate change sparking climate action? Tim Radford Climate News Network | 17th November 2014 Reviews Climate Change Society Media Politics gm-book-cover-cut.jpg Death threats, abuse and …
The fracking boom has caused massive vegetation loss over North America's rangelands, writes Tim Radford, as 3 million hectares have been occupied by oil and gas infrastructure and 34 billion cubic metres of water have been pumped from semi-arid ecosystems.
Future dustbowl? Fracking ravages Great Plains land and water Tim Radford | 4th May 2015 News Fossil Fuels Fracking Oil USA Water Ecology bakken-oil-cut.jpg The fracking boom has caused massive …