Source: Union on Concerned Scientists The Road to True Grid Resilience is Paved With Science and Community Voice Those of us who live in the central United States are all too familiar with extreme weather events and their implications for the electricity that powers our homes and businesses. Off the top of my head, I can think of several storms that cut the power to my home in Wisconsin, including a particularly severe form of thunderstorm called a derecho in June of 2022 .

Source: Union of Concerned Scientist Following a power outage during Hurricane Irma in 2017, I remember fumbling with my camping stove to cook instant oatmeal, squatting on the cold covered landing outside my apartment. The storm had already passed, but the disruption was just beginning. I fared comparatively well, losing power for roughly 24 hours (roughly 4 oatmeals, but who’s counting?) but the impact on the grid and community—with downed powerlines, short-term flooding,

Source: Tyndall Centre New data confirms that 2025 was the third-warmest year ever recorded, with scientists listing the rising concentration of greenhouse gases, driven by emissions, as the main cause of climate warming. 2025 is the third-warmest year on record in a series from 1850, following 2024 and 2023, according to new data released today. The three-year run of record warmest years saw 2025 conclude at 1.41±0.09°C above the 1850-1900 global average, according to the H

Biographical comedy-drama reminds us that everyone can make a difference By Alberto Sclaverano The 2000 movie Erin Brockovich  is based on a true story that happened in the early 1990s in California. An unemployed single mother with three children and a lot of money problems to care about, discovered one of greatest fraud against consumer’s rights and people’ health in recent US history. Brockovich brought to light what the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) did to the r

Source: Tyndall Centre A new study warns that climate change, sea-level rise and land subsidence will significantly worsen typhoon-driven flooding in Shanghai – highlighting the urgent need for stronger, layered defences in vulnerable delta cities. New research shows how the combination of extreme climate events, sea-level rise and land subsidence could create larger and deeper floods in coastal cities in future. The study focused on Shanghai, in China, which is threatened w

Source: Tyndall Centre Fossil fuel CO2 emissions hit record high in 2025 Global carbon emissions from fossil fuels are projected to rise by 1.1% in 2025 – reaching a record high, according to new research by the Global Carbon Project. The 2025 Global Carbon Budget projects 38.1 billion tonnes of fossil carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions this year. Decarbonisation of energy systems is progressing in many countries – but this is not enough to offset the growth in global energy dem

Source: Nepali Times Cryosphere loss has immediate consequences for water security, livelihoods, infrastructure, and climate justice The Himalaya is melting twice as fast as the global average, and this is accelerated by air pollution. Called black carbon, suspended particles emitted by industries, vehicle exhaust, or forest fires accelerate glacial retreat in High Asia. Dark matter makes the ice melt faster (as seen in Kapuche Lake in Kaski, pictured above). The snowline is

Source: Factum Is the 70% Renewable Pledge a Goal Too Far? Sri Lanka’s national commitment to generate 70% of its power from renewable sources by 2030 stands as one of the region’s most ambitious policy goals. It reflects both a necessary response to global climate obligations and a pragmatic strategy for national energy security, particularly given the acute vulnerability to global fuel price volatility exposed by recent economic crises. However, an analysis of the current s

Source: Nepali Times Cryosphere loss has immediate consequences for water security, livelihoods, infrastructure, and climate justice Belém’s lowland Amazon landscape stands in stark contrast to Himalayan peaks, yet the decisions adopted at COP30 will influence the future of mountain regions across the world. For the first time, mountains were anchored across several outcomes of the UN climate negotiations, including a dedicated dialogue to be held during the United Nations Fr

Source: Factum Why Sri Lanka Must Treat Adaptation as Urgently as Mitigation Sri Lanka’s climate strategy, historically weighted toward mitigation, can no longer afford to treat adaptation as secondary. For years, Sri Lanka’s climate narrative has centred on reducing national emissions, transitioning to renewable energy, improving energy efficiency, and aligning with global decarbonisation targets. However, the scale and speed of the destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah in No

By Alberto Sclaverano “Dramedy” about extreme environmental activism helps us to reflect on what it really means to fight for social justice The 2018 Icelandic-Ukrainian film Woman at War  ( Kona fer í stríð ), made by Icelandic actor and director Benedikt Erlingsson, who also co-wrote and co-produced the movie, is an interesting exercise in mixing comedy, musical, and drama, in order to deliver a social message.  After having premiered in the Critics’ Week section at the 201

By Alberto Sclaverano  Film review A modern reboot of the 1980s exploitation cult film, has a strong ecological message In the fictionalized town of St. Roma’s Village, single janitor Winston Gooze (played by Game of Thrones  star Peter Dinklage) works for the corrupt pharmaceutical company BTH (Body Talk Healthstyle) owned by evil businessman Bob Garbinger (Kevin Bacon). During the years, BTH has polluted the environment, poisoned the water and the woods around St. Roma’s, a

By Alberto Sclaverano  A 1970’s sci-fi classic says a lot about the climate crisis even today Douglas Trumbull's directorial debut, the 1972 science fiction film Silent Running , is now regarded as a small classic, or even a “hidden gem”, from the early 1970s American cinema. What makes it unique is the central role played by the ecological and environment-related themes in the plot. The sci-fi adventure denounces humans’ reckless behavior against the environment, and it for

The University Agency for Environmental News and Communication Bringing together universities from around the world Belém, Brazil – November 12, 2025, 9:30 a.m. Italian Pavilion “Made of Future” – PV-A08, Blue Zone Event proposed by IULM University with IPS Academy / CitiPlat AIUNCA, the International University Agency for Environmental News and Communication, will be officially presented at COP30 within the international spaces dedicated to innovation, sustainability, and in

Source: Pajhwok An efficient way to water large areas with less water Experts and experienced farmers say the drip irrigation system should be promoted to irrigate large areas with minimal water, and they urge the government and aid agencies to raise public awareness in this regard and provide farmers with the necessary support. The climatic conditions of land are rapidly changing; in some areas, with rising temperatures causing droughts. While in others they lead to severe s

Source: Pajhwok Acute drought in parts of Afghanistan has psychologically impacted farmers who face serious economic hardships; with some even forced to leave their areas. They are urging the government and the international community for help. Experts say the government and the international community must provide necessary assistance to affected farmers, distribute drought-resistant crop seeds, and lift sanctions on Afghanistan so that the Afghan government can access finan

Source: Union of Concerned Scientists Nations will soon be gathering in Belém, Brazil for the annual UN climate “conference of the parties”— COP30 —against a backdrop of incredibly challenging geopolitical and climate realities. Grossly insufficient action from world leaders has already resulted in worsening climate extreme events and has put the crucial, science-informed goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels out of reach . As I write this, Jam

Source: Pajhwok Climate change has also adversely affected the health sector in Afghanistan and has led to an increase in some diseases. Analysts say that people should be made aware of this issue and the government and the international community should take necessary measures. The Earth’s climate is undergoing rapid transformation. Global warming causes droughts in some regions and triggers severe storms, heavy rainfall and floods in others. Glaciers are melting at alarming

Source: Union of Concerned Scientists Next week, COP30 —or the UN Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)—returns to my home country of Brazil, in Belém. The UNFCCC is the treaty adopted by most of the world’s countries in 1992 to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations and prevent dangerous human-induced interference with the climate system. Longer ago than I like to think about… I was actually in Brazil for the UN’s C

Source: Union of Concerned Scientists The US government’s move to enact the fossil fuel industry’s agenda by basing climate and energy policy on official disinformation could cause us to despair. As my colleague Carlos Martinez recently wrote, “99% of the peer-reviewed scientific literature substantiates… human-caused climate change and its impacts.” But apparently, we must keep fighting the same lies, misrepresentations, and mischaracterizations—straight out of the dis