Environment

Researchers plan to use drones to monitor bridges and tunnels during intense weather events. Image credit - FADA CATEC

security | environment | transport

17 January 2019

Preparing for extreme weather

From high winds and heavy rainfall to droughts and plummeting temperatures, people in Europe have already begun to feel the effects of extreme weather. As we get used to this new reality, scientists are investigating how it will affect how we get around and whether our infrastructure can cope.

Increased maritime traffic raises the risks of oil spills in the Arctic. Image Credit - CC0 Public Domain

environment | transport

17 December 2018

How to protect the Arctic as melting ice opens new shipping routes

Early this year, the Eduard Toll set a record: laden with liquefied natural gas, the tanker was the first commercial vessel to cross the Arctic in winter without an icebreaker.

Better tracking of forest data will make the climate change reporting process easier for countries who want compensation for protecting their carbon stock. Image credit - lubasi, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

environment

13 December 2018

Drones and satellite imaging to make forest protection pay

Every year 7 million hectares of forest are cut down, chipping away at the 485 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) stored in trees around the world, but low-cost drones and new satellite imaging could soon protect these carbon stocks and help developing countries get paid for protecting their trees.

Muostakh Island is part of the East Siberian Arctic Shelf which is the most vulnerable part of the Arctic coastline when it comes to permafrost thaw. Image credit - Prof. Igor Semiletov.

environment

12 December 2018

Arctic permafrost might contain ‘sleeping giant’ of world’s carbon emissions

As temperatures rise in the Arctic, permafrost, or frozen ground, is thawing. As it does, greenhouse gases trapped within it are being released into the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide and methane, leading to previously underestimated problems with ocean acidification and potential mercury poisoning.

Prof. Damien Ernst says current emissions-cutting activities are not working and it's time to consider new strategies. Image credit - University of Liège

interview | energy | environment

11 December 2018

Governments at COP24 should focus on building a global electricity grid – Prof. Damien Ernst

Governments at the COP24 climate change conference in Katowice, Poland, which ends on 14 December, should tackle fossil-fuel reliance by building a global energy grid that connects renewable energy from all around the world - and the best place to start is with a giant wind farm in Greenland, says Professor Damien Ernst, an energy scientist from the University of Liège, Belgium.

Sea ice is affected by water temperature while Greenland responds to atmospheric temperature rises. Image credit - Dr Teodóra Pados

environment

10 December 2018

Why we may be able to save the Greenland ice sheet

Studies of ice melt in the Arctic suggest that the world may have a fighting chance of preventing huge sea level changes that would result from the dramatic collapse of the vast ice sheets that cover Greenland, but that more work is needed to understand the wider effects.

Chemical contaminants can end up in the Arctic and add to the pressure on ecosystems, according to Marianne Kroglund. Image credit - Annette Ekin

interview | environment

03 December 2018

The Arctic faces substantial changes even if we meet climate targets – Marianne Kroglund

Melting sea ice, plastic waste, biodiversity loss – the Arctic is facing unprecedented environmental pressure and will continue to change until 2050 even if we meet targets to limit global warming, according to Marianne Kroglund from the Arctic Council, an intergovernmental forum addressing the challenges faced by Arctic governments and indigenous peoples.

The EU should cut greenhouse gases by 80% compared to 1990 levels by 2050, according to the European Commission's low-carbon economy roadmap. Image Credit: Rachel Clarke, CC BY-NC 2.0

environment | energy | policy

28 November 2018

‘Internet of electricity’ and zero-carbon molecules will help decarbonise Europe – report

An ‘internet of electricity’, zero-carbon cities and turning European soils into carbon sinks are among a slew of ambitious ideas to decarbonise our society and slash greenhouse gas emissions proposed by environmental experts in a report published on 28 November.

Scientists at Hellisheidi geothermal power plant in Iceland have demonstrated a carbon capture and storage cycle at half the cost of previous estimates. Image Credit: Arni Saeberg, CarbFix

environment | energy | industry

27 November 2018

Storing CO2 underground can curb carbon emissions, but is it safe?

At first glance, it almost sounds crazy. Can we really take carbon dioxide emissions from an industrial plant and store them underground? To find out, research is currently taking place to test if such an idea is not only viable but safe, and prove that to the public.

Complex Earth observation data is being turned into real-time tools to help solve problems on the ground in Africa. Image credit - MERIS mosaic of Africa, May 2004 by ESA is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO

environment | policy | open to the world

22 November 2018

Europe’s eyes in the sky are helping to solve energy, land-use problems in Africa

Scientists have created a solar atlas of Egypt, revealing where the sun’s rays shine most brilliantly and where dust storms obstruct its light. And in Niger, forecasters are guiding pastoralists towards grazing areas and water sources – and away from conflict with sedentary farmers.