Clearing Gaza of almost 40m tonnes of war rubble will take years, says UN 16/7/2024

A fleet of more than one hundred lorries would take 15 years to clear Gaza of almost 40m tonnes of rubble in an operation costing between $500m (£394m) and $600m, a UN assessment has found. ...more

South Africa's Ramaphosa urges green energy to avoid carbon border tax 16/7/2024

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa warned other developing nations on Monday that future carbon taxes proposed by rich countries would damage their economies unless they act swiftly to ditch fossil fuels in favour of green energy. ...more

Nations gather to negotiate deep sea mining code as opposition mounts 16/7/2024

The United Nations' International Seabed Authority (ISA) will meet on Monday to consider new rules allowing firms to extract minerals from the ocean floor, despite mounting concerns about the economic and environmental risks. ...more

Modern hurricanes are rewriting the rules of extreme storms 16/7/2024

The behaviour of the world's most powerful storms is evolving. To adapt to more destructive hurricanes, we need to know how they're changing. ...more

Lost area of Welsh rainforest to be returned to ancient glory 16/7/2024

A lost piece of Celtic rainforest in the far south-west of Wales is to be restored to its ancient glory, weaving around standing stones and an abandoned, tumbling-down farmhouse with a waterwheel. ...more

Saudi Arabia launches carbon capture and utilization challenge at UN forum 15/7/2024

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Economy and Planning (MEP) and Ministry of Energy (MoEnergy), in collaboration with UpLink, announced on Thursday the launch of the Carbon Capture and Utilization Challenge, aiming to seek innovative solutions that accelerate the circular carbon economy. ...more

Calima, Scirocco, Simoom: UN vows to tackle deadly Sahara sand storms with decade of action 15/7/2024

Sand and dust storms are well known as extreme weather events. They threaten health and economies from central Africa to Europe and all the way to northern China. ...more

EU to push at COP29 for followup on deal to curb fossil fuels 15/7/2024

The European Union will pressure other countries at this year’s COP29 climate summit to follow through on their pledge to transition away from fossil fuels, a draft of the bloc’s negotiating position seen by Reuters showed. ...more

US renewables electricity output overtaking nuclear 15/7/2024

Combined electricity generation from solar and wind farms in the United States surpassed output from nuclear plants for the first time during the opening half of 2024, cementing renewable energy assets as the primary source of clean power in the country. ...more

Climate crisis has impact on insects’ colours and sex lives, study finds 15/7/2024

An ambush bug with a darker-coloured body is better at snagging a sexual partner than its brighter counterpart when it is chilly. Darker males can warm up more easily in the early mornings, and therefore get busy while everybody else is still warming up. ...more