Geographical

Official magazine of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)

Graeme Gourlay

Dubai freak rainstorm was far too big to be caused by cloud seeding

5 minutes

The Dubai downpour was a 'perfect storm', says scientist who worked on cloud seeding in the Gulf Some years ago, I found myself making my way up the narrow stairs of a Learjet on a sultry runway in a deserted airport near the South Africa-Mozambique border. The humidity was there to taste – the air thick with it. The weather radar was showing a fast-developing … [Read more...] about Dubai freak rainstorm was far too big to be caused by cloud seeding

Mums for Lungs wants wood-burning stoves outlawed

8 minutes

A campaigning group of mothers is calling for a ban on wood-burning stoves as evidence mounts on their threat to health It started as a group of mums shocked and concerned to discover they were living in the UK’s most polluted streets. Just five days into 2017, Brixton Road in Lambeth, London, had exceeded the legal limit for levels of toxic air pollutants for the entire … [Read more...] about Mums for Lungs wants wood-burning stoves outlawed

Himalayan glaciers are fighting back against global warming

3 minutes

Surprising research finds Himalayan glaciers might be slowing down the effects of climate change We often think of climate change as a monodirectional process; humans emit greenhouse gases, causing our planet’s temperature to rise, with the natural environment usually considered a passive player in the whole ordeal. But what if it wasn’t that simple? A recent paper in … [Read more...] about Himalayan glaciers are fighting back against global warming

Housing solutions: green communal living in Madrid

4 minutes

A committed group of activists got together to build a sustainable future for their families at the Las Carolinas Entrepatios project Finding affordable housing across the major cities of Europe is not easy. Even more difficult is finding energy-efficient buildings made from renewable materials. In Madrid’s southern suburbs17 families found a novel solution. The Las … [Read more...] about Housing solutions: green communal living in Madrid

Desertification: the world is losing healthy land at an astonishing rate

4 minutes

Data shows at least 100 million hectares of healthy land is lost each year to desertification, drought and land degradation. Can anything halt it? By Tom Howarth The UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has launched its new ‘Data Dashboard’, a combination of reported figures on land degradation from 126 countries around the world.  Haven’t heard of … [Read more...] about Desertification: the world is losing healthy land at an astonishing rate