Geographical

Official magazine of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)

Marco Magrini

Born in Florence, Italy, Marco claims to be a descendant of Giovanni Villani, a chronicler of medieval times. He has been writing on newspapers since the age of 20, mostly about science and technology, with a focus on energy and (un)sustainability. He has been covering the United Nations conferences on climate change since COP11 in Montreal, in 2006. His semi-serious book ’The Brain: A User's Manual' (published by Short Books) has been translated into ten languages and it is probably the most intelligent thing he has ever produced in life. Apart from authoring Geographical’s monthly ClimateWatch column, of course.

Tropical ocean with school of little fish in underwater. Ocean background

How warming oceans could trigger a Super El Niño and weaken Atlantic currents

Jun 1, 2026
For decades, the oceans have absorbed the heat of human-made climate change. Now, that stored energy may be returning with compound interest
Desalination plant in Dubai

How desalination became the Gulf’s greatest vulnerability

May 7, 2026
Examine the water dependency of Gulf states and how desalination is vital for their habitability and future.
A panoramic view of red planet. Mars

Why living on Mars may be far harder than Elon Musk suggests

Apr 7, 2026

A lunar base might be feasible; a Mars city is another matter. However, the pressing task is terrestrial: keep Earth…

Batteries in a row

A paradigm shift in the world of batteries

Mar 17, 2026
For years, battery technology felt like a constraint rather than a solution. A string of recent innovations suggests that assumption may now be badly out of date
AI concept

Can AI stop us learning to think?

Feb 5, 2026
Artificial intelligence promises to expand our intellectual reach, but we risk weakening the brain’s hard-won capacity to learn and think, Marco Magrini argues
Will emissions ever fall?

Will emissions ever fall?

Jan 7, 2026
Technology is pushing us towards peak emissions faster than politics ever could. But what follows may be a years-long stagnation, not the swift decline the climate needs
Antarctica ice melting

What is possible for our climate future?

Dec 2, 2025

When Delhi’s smog lifted during lockdown, residents saw the Himalaya for the first time in decades. That fleeting clarity offered…

Prince William at COP30

Why COP30 Fell Short of the Collective Effort the World Needs

Nov 23, 2025
Explore COP30 and the call for collective action to implement climate commitments for a sustainable future.
Can COP30 pivot from decades of pledges to climate action?

Can COP30 pivot from decades of pledges to climate action?

Nov 10, 2025
Brazil's President has called this meeting the 'implementation COP,' but Marco Magrini argues success depends on closing the finance gap
China solar power

China’s green revolution reshapes global power

Nov 3, 2025
While the US retreats from climate leadership, China is investing billions in renewables and expanding its influence abroad
Earth from space

Why is our planet so important?

Aug 19, 2025
If the Earth is the sole outpost of awareness in the cosmos, our stewardship isn’t optional – it’s essential
The rush for rare earth elements

The rush for rare earth elements

Jun 3, 2025
Rare earths are the world’s most in-demand elements. Marco Magrini reports on the battle for their future — and ours
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