Watch Global Temperatures Spiral Out of Control in New Climate Change Animation

Climate change is spiraling out of control, and that’s never been easier to see. A winding coil of global temperatures spanning 1880 to 2021 is practically a maelstrom of menace.   The animation is based on data from NASA’s GISS Surface Temperature Analysis and was designed by climate scientist Ed Hawkins, who is known for … Read more

Humanity Just Produced The Biggest Increase in Global CO2 Emissions Ever Recorded

Global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions rose by 6 percent in 2021 to a record 36.3 billion metric tons, their highest ever level, the International Energy Agency said Tuesday.   “The increase in global CO2 emissions of over 2 billion metric tons was the largest in history in absolute terms, more than offsetting the previous year’s … Read more

A Major UN Climate Change Report Was Just Approved by Nearly 200 Nations

Nearly 200 nations approved a major UN climate change report detailing the accelerating impacts of global warming on Sunday, at the end of a sometimes fraught two-week meeting overshadowed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.   The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) confirmed that debates had concluded over the report’s crucial “Summary for Policymakers”, a … Read more

The Lost City of Cahokia Was Mysteriously Abandoned, And We Still Don’t Know Why

For a couple of hundred years, Cahokia was the place to be in what is now the US state of Illinois. The bustling, vibrant city was at one time home to some 15,000 people, but by the end of the 14th century it was deserted – and researchers still aren’t sure why.   A study … Read more

Last 9 Years Are Now Among 10 Hottest Ever Recorded

The nine years spanning 2013-2021 all rank among the 10 hottest on record, according to an annual report a US agency released Thursday, the latest data underscoring the global climate crisis.   For 2021, the average temperature across global surfaces was 1.51 degrees Fahrenheit (0.84 degrees Celsius) above the 20th-century average, making the year the … Read more

Ocean Temperatures Just Smashed a New Record For The Sixth Year in a Row

Ocean temperatures the world over are building at a relentless rate as humans continue to alter the atmosphere around them. In 2021, according to a new summary of two international datasets, the wave of warmth in our oceans hit a new peak, eclipsing the influence of cooler regional episodes.   While last year’s ocean warming … Read more

COVID-19 Vaccines Saved Over 240,000 American Lives in Just 6 Months, Study Finds

COVID-19 vaccines saved nearly 241,000 lives in the United States and prevented more than 1 million virus-related hospitalizations in the first six months of the country’s inoculation program, according to a new research model.    A research letter, published Tuesday in the peer-reviewed medical journal JAMA Network Open, found coronavirus vaccinations also prevented more than 14 … Read more

A Hungry Badger Discovered a Roman-Era Treasure Trove, Archaeologists Say

A treasure trove of some 200 Roman-era coins was discovered in northwestern Spain thanks to the apparent efforts of a hungry badger hunting for food, archaeologists have said. Described as “an exceptional find”, the coins were discovered in April 2021 in La Cuesta cave in Bercio in the Asturias region, with details outlined in the … Read more

Success! The James Webb Space Telescope Has Launched

The world’s most powerful space telescope on Saturday blasted off into orbit, headed to an outpost 1.5 million kilometres (930,000 miles) from Earth, after several delays caused by technical hitches.   The James Webb Space Telescope, some three decades and billions of dollars in the making, left Earth enclosed in its Ariane 5 rocket from … Read more

Biggest science news of 2021: Weather records around the world weren’t just broken, they were smashed

Record-shattering fires, freezes and rainfall around the world made it all too clear that extreme weather is fast becoming the new normal Environment 15 December 2021 By Adam Vaughan A firefighter in California in August REUTERS/Fred Greaves DEADLY fires, floods and freezes struck around the world this year, as a report by the world’s top … Read more