Climate - Geographical Magazine

Buried machinery in a barn lot in Dallas, South Dakota in 1936

Climate

Return of the dustbowl: why the Great Plains are in trouble

Jan 12, 2021

Written by Jacob Dykes

The Great Plains of the USA are once again getting dustier, highlighting the complicated nature of environmental policies

Climate

The EU announces plans to build Destination Earth, a digital twin of our planet

Jan 04, 2021

Written by Jacob Dykes

Attempts to build a digital twin of the Earth could lead to the democratisation of climate and environmental data

Climate

Microplastics at the summit of Everest underscore humanity’s growing influence in the Hindu Kush Himalaya

Nov 27, 2020

Written by Jacob Dykes

Researchers have identified the extent of microplastic contamination throughout the Everest region. Their expedition charts the extent of environmental change and pollution in one of the world’s most sensitive and remote places

Climate

New methods of measuring storms result in the discovery of vast 'megaflashes'

Sep 17, 2020

Written by Jacob Dykes

Advances in space-based lightning mapping have allowed scientists to measure flash extent and duration over broader ranges. The development has led to the discovery of 'megaflashes' – vast electrical surges that discharge over long distances and durations

Climate

Engineering the climate: the controversial science that could cool our atmosphere

Aug 06, 2020

Written by Katie Burton

Katie Burton explores the practicalities and ethics of geoengineering, the controversial science that could quickly cool the atmosphere. Is it the last ditch climate solution that nobody wants? Or are appetites for geoengineering solutions growing with our warming climate?

Tree planting schemes are the most popular and straightforward carbon offset projects – but how effective are they?

Climate

Dossier: carbon offsetting

Jul 24, 2020

Written by Mark Rowe

The IPCC embraced the notion of carbon offset schemes in the landmark Paris Agreement, but projects have faced criticism that they lack effectiveness and transparency. Mark Rowe investigates the world of carbon offsetting to determine the role it really plays…

July 11, 2020: At Jiujiang on the Yangtze River citizens came to view the floods

Climate

As China and UK fall out, millions are displaced in devastating China floods

Jul 20, 2020

Written by Katie Burton

Millions have been displaced due to severe floods in central and southern China

Climate

Geo explainer: carbon emissions

Jul 15, 2020

Written by Geographical

A handy gathering of facts about carbon emissions with graphs by Our World in Data

Conceptual image showing ozone-depleting chemicals moving from the equator to the poles. The chemicals become trapped by the winds of the polar vortex, a ring of fast moving air that circles the South Pole [NASA]

Climate

Geo explainer: What is the ozone layer and what’s happening to it?

Jun 03, 2020

Written by Geographical

Concerns about the ozone hole have diminished as levels of ozone-depleting man-made chemicals have fallen – but research is still ongoing

Climate

Climatewatch – contribution of melting polar ice to sea level rise could be vastly underestimated

Jun 01, 2020

Written by Marco Magrini

The contribution of melting polar ice to sea level rise could be vastly underestimated, says Marco Magrini

Climate

Coronavirus: measures taken now could ensure a greener life after lockdown

May 01, 2020

Written by Lottie Watters

With Milan announcing an ambitious new plan to reduce air pollution after lockdown, environmentalists are hoping that the crisis could trigger a green new start

The photo that launched a movement: Earthrise, taken by Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders

Climate

Earth Day 2020: reflecting on the movement’s 50th birthday, and an interview with Denis Hayes

Apr 22, 2020

Written by Nic Davies

Today marks the 50th birthday of Earth Day. Founded in the USA by Denis Hayes, it became a global initiative in 1990 when it extended its activities to 141 countries. Today it’s claimed to reach an estimated one billion people…

Climate

COP26 delay: opportunity or disaster?

Apr 07, 2020

Written by Marco Magrini

Marco Magrini analyses the implications of the COP26 delay

Climate

Coronavirus: the real impact on the climate

Apr 01, 2020

Written by Matt Maynard

Covid-19 has forced us to reduce destructive atmospheric behaviours and has reminded us that we are at the mercy of nature. Matt Maynard looks into the effect that viral-mitigation is having on global emissions, and asks whether current material and emotional…

Climate

No oil, no coal, no future? Preparing for a ‘just transition’

Mar 20, 2020

Written by Katie Burton

It is supposed to ease the transfer of workers in high-carbon industries and environment-destroying jobs into cleaner, greener alternatives, without destroying their livelihoods in the process. But if the so-called ‘Just Transition’ holds all the answers, why aren’t governments around…

Climate

Carbon con: does capturing carbon from power stations really work?

Mar 11, 2020

Written by Katie Burton

Capturing carbon from power stations and other high-carbon processes is often described as a vital part of the overall strategy to control CO2 emissions – but does it really work?