Our cities are warming and urban greenery could help
Cities worldwide are warming by 0.5 °C on average per decade—29% faster than in rural areas—according to an article published online in Communications Earth & Environment. The findings suggest that climate change and urban expansion are accelera.....»»
The unintended consequences of brick-and-mortar"s decline
Lately, many big retail brands have been closing physical locations, in what has become known as the "retail apocalypse." Whether the stated reason is declining revenue, or concerns related to "shrinkage" and employee safety in some cities, the impac.....»»
Rental crisis in regional cities prompts rethinking of moves
James Cook University researchers say Cairns is a prime example of a regional city where the rental housing crisis is making people who have moved to the city rethink their choice—and they say city planners must act if regional areas want such peop.....»»
Declines in plant resilience threaten carbon storage in the Arctic
Rapid warming has impacted the northern ecosystem so significantly that scientists are concerned the region's vegetation is losing the ability to recover from climate shocks, suggests a new study......»»
Scientists track and analyze lofted embers that cause spot fires
In the chaos of a wildfire, heat, wind, flames and fuel interact to produce embers that are lofted into surrounding areas, starting new spot fires and spreading destruction and property loss in California's wildland-urban interface......»»
Researchers find dragonfly species with darker wings have evolved to withstand heat and attract partners
Temperature determines where species can live and if they are threatened by a warming climate. So, for a long time, biologists studied how heat tolerance affects survival. Yet, less is known about how thermal traits influence reproduction, which is d.....»»
Rapid analysis finds climate change’s fingerprint on Hurricane Helene
1.3° C of warming means rainfall like this may now be expected every 70 years. Hurricane Helene crossed the Gulf of Mexico at a time when sea surface temperatures were at rec.....»»
New tool provides knowledge on heat stress vulnerability in cities for more targeted adaptation
Heat-related deaths and diseases are a major concern in Europe amid increasing extended periods of extreme heat. A recent study proposes a novel way of quantifying and projecting future vulnerability to heat stress in different areas of a city, provi.....»»
The other greenhouse gases warming the planet
While carbon dioxide, or CO2, is the best known greenhouse gas, several others, including methane and nitrous oxide, are also driving global warming and altering the Earth's climate......»»
How future heat waves at sea could devastate UK marine ecosystems and fisheries
The oceans are warming at an alarming rate. 2023 shattered records across the world's oceans, and was the first time that ocean temperatures exceeded 1°C over pre-industrial levels. This led to the emergence of a series of marine heat wave events ac.....»»
Return-to-office mandates may not be the solution to downtown struggles that Canadian cities are banking on
In recent months, many Canadian employers in both the public and private sectors have implemented return-to-office mandates, requiring workers that transitioned to remote or hybrid work during the COVID-19 pandemic to work in-person again......»»
More consumption, more demand for resources, more waste: Why urban mining"s time has come
Pollution and waste, climate change and biodiversity loss are creating a triple planetary crisis. In response, UN Environment Program executive director Inger Andersen has called for waste to be redefined as a valuable resource instead of a problem......»»
Opinion: When even fringe festival venues exclude people with disability, cities need to act on access
It's about time city councils did more to make our cities accessible. I recently tried to buy tickets to two Sydney Fringe Festival events, only to be told by the box office that the venues were not wheelchair-accessible......»»
Study: Wildfires will make the land absorb much less carbon, even if warming is kept below 1.5°C
One of the aims of the Paris Agreement was to "pursue efforts" to keep global warming below 1.5°C, but even this ambitious target would not stop the land's ability to absorb carbon weakening as wildfires become fiercer and more frequent, according t.....»»
Wastewater bacteria can break down plastic for food, yielding new possibilities for cleaning up plastic waste
Researchers have long observed that a common family of environmental bacteria, Comamonadacae, grow on plastics littered throughout urban rivers and wastewater systems. But exactly what these Comamonas bacteria are doing has remained a mystery......»»
Climate change is causing algal blooms in Lake Superior for the first time in history
Lake Superior is known for its pristine waters, but a combination of nutrient additions from increasing human activity (including farming and development), warming temperatures and stormy conditions have resulted in more frequent blooms of potentiall.....»»
Supercharged storms: how climate change amplifies cyclones
From Hurricane Helene to Typhoon Yagi, powerful storms are battering the globe, and scientists warn that a warming planet is amplifying their destructive force to unprecedented levels......»»
As temperatures rise, researchers identify mechanisms behind plant response to warming
Microscopic pores on the surface of leaves called stomata help plants "breathe" by controlling how much water they lose due to evaporation. These stomatal pores also enable and control carbon dioxide intake for photosynthesis and growth......»»
One in three Harris County, Texas residents face victimization: Report
New research from Rice University's Kinder Institute for Urban Research finds that nearly 50% of Harris County residents said they have been a victim of a crime or legal incident at some point in their lifetime, and one in three individuals in the co.....»»
Arctic plant study suggests the rate of climate change threatens to exceed the adaptive capacity of species
A research group at the Finnish Museum of Natural History is investigating the adaptive potential of plant species amid a warming climate. Their recent study investigates the Siberian primrose, a plant species that occurs on the coasts of the Bothnia.....»»
Snakes in the city: Ten years of wildlife rescues reveal insights into human-reptile interactions
A new analysis of a decade-long collection of wildlife rescue records in NSW has delivered new insights into how humans and reptiles interact in urban environments......»»