Extreme weather in the UK – will it become the norm?
Will storms like Eunice and Franklin become our normal weather? Emma M Ford writes about the impact of climate change on extreme weather events in the UK.
Our Earth: a hot topic
Unpacking and addressing our environmental crisis
Continue reading
Small but smart: the fascinating world of plankton
By Albini Dania From the food we eat to the air we breathe, plankton help maintain and produce life on Earth. What is plankton? The word ‘plankton’ derives from the Greek “planktos” (πλαγχτος), which in turn comes from the Greek verb “plazo” (πλαζω) meaning to “drift” or “wander” and is used to describe tiny plants…
The Paris Climate Agreement, explained
Fatima Arif The Paris Climate Agreement [1] is a document which lays out a set of international climate goals. These aims include limiting global warming to under 1.5°C in order to prevent the worst effects of climate change[2]. The document also focuses on minimising the damage to people’s livelihoods, by preparing and adapting for climate…
Antarctic temperature record: A warning for the future?
Brazilian scientists have recorded the highest-ever Antarctic temperature. At midday on 9 February, air temperature at the Marambio research base hit 20.75ᵒC. This is the first time that a temperature exceeding 20ᵒC has been recorded anywhere within the Antarctic climate zone – the area further than 60 degrees south of the equator. Marambio is located…
But what about Methane?
Feature Image Credit Tom Toles at the Washington Post by Louis Claxton Originally published on ‘the Oxford Student’ website. Since the target to limit global temperature rise to 2°C was set in the 2015 Paris Climate agreement, those in politics have focused their attention on the notorious and vilified CO2. But what about Methane?…
A small solution to a big problem? The launch of Ocean Cleanup
by Louis Claxton Over the past few years ocean plastic pollution has made its way into mainstream media and has even earnt the attention of politicians1. Thanks in part to Blue Planet II, the British public was made aware of just how large a problem plastic pollution is for the world’s aquatic life. Now,…
The Paris Agreement, is it all Empty Promises and False Hope?
For most, March 2015 and September 2016 may have faded from memory. However as someone who studies the climate, these months stand out. March 2015 was the first month for at least 800,000 years that global average CO2 concentration remained above 400ppm. Moreover, in September 2016, the usual minimum for monthly CO2 levels, the concentration…