Reacting to reports that the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as host of the COP28 climate meeting which begins in Dubai in November, has defined a narrow list of talking points for its officials around climate issues and is aiming to avoid discussion of human rights abuses in the country, Marta Schaaf, Amnesty International’s Director of...
A recent study published in the journal Nature found that gold and mineral mining in and near rivers across the tropics is degrading waterways in 49 countries. The paper explains that river mining often involves intensive excavation, which results in deforestation and increased erosion. Much of the excavated material is released to rivers, disrupting aquatic life in ecosystems nearby and...
Breathing in polluted air is so harmful, it can actually have a greater impact on humans lifespan than smoking, according to just-released data. The latest report by Air Quality Life Index (AQLI), published on Aug. 29, analysed how fine particulate matter (PM2.5) lingering in the air, such as smoke and dust, has a profound impact on...
On a Tuesday in August, Luke Iseman drove two hours east of Oakland in drought-stricken California to a remote spot where he launched a handful of balloons filled with sulphur dioxide and helium high into the sky. From there, he used GPS to try to track the balloons as they rose into the stratosphere,the layer...
A company established by a Dubai sheikh is finalizing agreements with African nations to manage vast tracts of their forests and sell the carbon credits. Critics are concerned the deals will not benefit Africans and will just help foreign governments perpetuate high emissions. A prominent sheikh in the oil-rich Gulf state hosting this year’s UN...
As the annual COP climate summit approaches in Dubai next month, one prominent figure conspicuously absent from past conferences may decide to attend COP28 – Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, there are good reasons why the ICC suspect feels comfortable enough to potentially skirt international justice and visit the UAE. Some context – in March,...
Some of Europe’s favourite wines could be wiped out by climate change, experts have warned. Climate change could wipe out Prosecco and other popular European wines, new research has warned. Prosecco – a sparkling white wine produced in Italy’s mountainside vineyards – is one of the continent’s most beloved drinks. But grape yields are dwindling, devastated by a...
According to a recent study published in Nature, coastal marshlands and coral reef islands may not expand quickly enough to counteract the accelerating sea level rise due to climate change. Conducted by a global team of researchers, including one from Tulane University, the study emphasizes the critical importance of limiting global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit),...
Russians are the top buyers of properties from Dubai’s biggest developer, a sign that demand from investors seeking safe havens remains strong more than a year after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Emaar Properties PJSC didn’t provide the exact percentage of Russian buyers in a first-half investor presentation, but showed them as the largest segment of the...
The action taken by Madagascar’s young people towards problems connected to climate change shows they have a key role to play in the fight against the destruction of planet Earth. Climate change is one of the greatest global challenges facing our world right now. Extreme weather events are demonstrating the growing vulnerability of life on...