Record-wet and record-dry months increased in regions worldwide: climate change drives rainfall extremes
More and more rainfall extremes are observed in regions around the globe – triggering both wet and dry records, a new study shows.
Conflict of interest policy and caution on gene drives at UN biodiversity talks
Climate change and biodiversity losses loom large on the list of global environmental concerns. While the international media attention is squarely focused on the UN process for tackling climate…
Winter weather extremes in the US and Europe
Giant airstreams in the stratosphere bring record-cold temperatures and frigid winds to to the Northeast of the United States. The so-called "polar vortex" are often drivers for such winter weather…
Extreme weather will likely become more frequent due to stalling of giant waves in the atmosphere
Computer simulations predict a strong increase of events in which the undulations of the jet stream in the atmosphere stop moving along and grow very large. This can favor more frequent extreme…
IPCC report on 1.5°C: Unprecedented transformation needed to reach climate targets
Limiting global warming to 1.5° Celsius would require rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society, says a new detailed assessment by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate…
Short-term policies can bring long-term targets in reach
To make climate policy more stringent, a smart sequencing of measures is a promising option. An international team of researchers now proposes a framework for doing so using policy sequencing –…
Summer weather is stalling
Nice sunny days can grow into heat waves – and wildfires: summer weather is stalling. Be it heavy downpours or super-hot spells, summer weather becomes more persistent in North America, Europe and…
Formation of coal almost turned earth into a snowball
While burning coal today causes Earth to overheat, about 300 million years ago the formation of that same coal brought our planet close to global glaciation.
Share of green electricity in the electricity mix is rising
In October 2017, the green electricity share reached a new record high. Never before has more green electricity been generated in Germany in one month.
The farmer from Ankorabe in Madagascar
For many, Madagascar is a distant place. We want to introduce you to the village of Ankorabe, from which many families work with us.
