With the window closed on staying below 1.5°C, what happens now?

Umair Irfan writes on the National Observer that we’re not thinking enough about the world we are creating, given that we are certain to pass the 1.5 degrees C threshold. What are your views?   We’re passing a dangerous global warming threshold — but we can't give up For the last decade, global climate politics … Continue reading With the window closed on staying below 1.5°C, what happens now?

Heat, health and hope: Spain’s response to a warming climate

Amy Walker writes on the BBC News website about Spain’s way to address the impact of climate change on its population.   Spain to open network of climate shelters Spain is to set up a national network of climate shelters in public buildings to offer people refuge from intense heat before next summer, its prime … Continue reading Heat, health and hope: Spain’s response to a warming climate

Ecological myopia: why climate action keeps falling short

In an article on The  Conversation website, Tom Pegram, Associate Professor in Global Governance and Deputy Director of UCL Global Governance Institute, UCL and Simon Dalby, Professor Emeritus of Geography and Environmental Studies, Wilfrid Laurier University write about ecological myopia, treating climate change as one issue among many rather than as a sign of wider … Continue reading Ecological myopia: why climate action keeps falling short

The hidden health and climate costs of bottled water

In an article on The Conversation website, Muhammad Wakil Shahzad, Professor and Chair of Advanced Energy and Sustainability, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northumbria University, Newcastle discusses the concerns we should have with bottled water.   The hidden health risks of bottled water Growing mistrust of tap water has helped turn bottled water into a global … Continue reading The hidden health and climate costs of bottled water

Energy in Demand News, December 7-8, 2025

A World Meteorological Organization study finds that the Arab region is warming at twice the global average, reports the Financial Times. “The study found extreme events last year affected 3.8mn people and led to more than 300 deaths, mainly from heatwaves and floods. . . . The region covering 22 countries — stretching from the … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, December 7-8, 2025

Saving Germany’s Riesling: solar solutions for a changing climate

As viticulture suffers from the effects of climate change, German researchers are experimenting with technology that fosters growth while also harvesting electricity. Mathilda Jordanova-Duda discusses the experiments in an article on the Deutsche Welle website.   Solar energy protects German vineyards from climate change "VitiVoltaic" projects aim to make viticulture fit for climate change. The term … Continue reading Saving Germany’s Riesling: solar solutions for a changing climate

Reframing climate change as security policy: The water–fire challenge for Canada”

In an article on the Policy Magazine website, Thomas Axworthy, Public Policy Chair at Massey College in Canada discusses the country’s water-fire national security crisis. arguing that there is no room for backsliding. This is an important argument for more than Canada.   Fire, Water, and National Security: Why Canada Cannot Backslide In September of … Continue reading Reframing climate change as security policy: The water–fire challenge for Canada”

Climate change endangers public health: the evidence, the risks, and the policy failur

In an article on The Conversation website, Jonathan Levy, Professor and Chair, Department of Environmental Health, Boston University; Howard Frumkin, Professor Emeritus of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington; Jonathan Patz, Professor of Environmental Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison; and Vijay Limaye, Adjunct Associate Professor of Population Health Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, write about … Continue reading Climate change endangers public health: the evidence, the risks, and the policy failur

Energy in Demand News, November 30, 2025

There is a fascinating news item from New York., reported in a Financial Times newsletter this week. “New York City’s top finance official has urged three of the city’s biggest pension funds to drop BlackRock as a manager of more than $42bn, as the metropolis looks to use its weight in markets to tackle climate … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, November 30, 2025

John Kerry: No leader can ‘bend the laws of physics’ as US withdraws from climate leadership

Former US Secretary of State John Kerry joined Chatham House to reflect on the outcomes of COP30 and assess what they mean for the future of international climate cooperation. Drawing on his experience from the Rio Earth Summit to Paris and breakthrough COPs in Glasgow and Dubai  as US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, Mr … Continue reading John Kerry: No leader can ‘bend the laws of physics’ as US withdraws from climate leadership