By Talia Treble – Mangrove Forests, as coastal ecosystems, store vast amounts of carbon whilst providing resources and protection for communities stricken by the impacts of climate change [1]. With the importance of storing ‘blue carbon’ [2] becoming increasingly recognised, the destruction of these environments is fast becoming a global environmental challenge. Blue Carbon Blue…
The Himalayas have been nicknamed the ‘third pole’ [1] as the region is home to the largest number of glaciers outside of the polar regions, but Himalayan glaciers are facing pressure from climate change. Himalayan climate is rising faster than the Northern Hemisphere average [1], causing the large volumes of ice found in the Himalayan…
By J. Critchley – Food production causes over a quarter of the worlds greenhouse gas emissions [1]. It’s estimated that by 2050 there will be another 2 billion people on earth which will require 70% more food [2], meaning greenhouse gas emissions are only going to increase [3]. So, it’s becoming ever more important to…
By Jess Griffiths – New research published in Ecosystems has found that areas of mangrove deforestation in Madagascar has lost 20% of carbon stored in the upper 1m of soil and 45% of total carbon accumulated in the past century [1], far more than previously thought. The CO2 emitted contributes to human-caused climate change, transforming…
By Eleanor Dann – A potential threat to the recovery of the ozone hole has been discovered[1]. There is evidence to suggest new emissions of the chemical CFC-11, which may be due to an unreported production[2] and has the potential to delay the recovery of the ozone hole. This article explores the potential impact of…
By Anthea Phalosa – Coral reefs are a major source of attraction in the tropics, in places like Indonesia or Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. However, these biodiversity hotspots are facing a threat ultimately linked to human activity [1]. Anthropogenic activity such as the increasing use of fossil fuels have contributed to global scale warming…
By Tom Ide – As the effects of climate change are becoming increasingly prevalent, it’s now clear that these effects are not evenly distributed, and that climate change is very much a social issue as well as an environmental issue – with indigenous people among the first to face the direct consequences [1]. Nowhere…
By Lucy Dewhurst – Degraded soils, higher temperatures and reduced water availability. Just a few factors that crop growth could be affected by in years to come as the environment takes on more strain [1]. Potentially reducing agricultural crop productivity in a planet already struggling to feed its population. Currently, over 800 million people go…
by Laura Spacey – 33 years after the Montreal Protocol was finalised, there is now clear evidence to show that it is having a significant impact on the ozone layer. A recent report, published in Nature, has shown that the tables have turned and that ozone levels over Antarctica have risen by 8% per year…
by Amelia Jones – The biosphere, where all life on Earth is, faces such extreme stress that the UN warns we have 12 years before catastrophic consequences [1]. Environmental degradation is inevitable in a capitalist-driven world, therefore, it’s futile to tackle climate action, a major UN Sustainable Development Goal [2], without systemic change. Despite this, ethical…