The climate has changed. Now our cities must change too

In an article on the Deutsche Welle website, Sarah Steffen argues that climate adaptation is no longer optional: cities must redesign themselves for conditions that are already changing, while continuing to cut emissions. Western Europe has recorded its hottest-ever June and July, and extreme weather from drought to storms is here to stay. How can … Continue reading The climate has changed. Now our cities must change too →

The price of delay: how climate inaction fuels inflation

In an article on The Conversation website, Ryan M. Katz-Rosene, Associate Professor, School of Political Studies, with Cross-Appointment to Geography, Environment and Geomatics, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa and James Jackson, Lecturer and Research Fellow, School of Social Sciences, University of Manchester argue that today’s fossil-fuel price shocks are not simply geopolitical accidents. Their impact is … Continue reading The price of delay: how climate inaction fuels inflation →

The politics behind climate scepticism

Julia Vergin argues on the Deutsche Welle website that growing climate scepticism is driven less by scientific evidence or personal economics than by political identity, institutional trust, and social belonging. Some 98% of active climate scientists say climate change is happening, and is man-made. Nonetheless, a new study shows the number of climate-change sceptics in … Continue reading The politics behind climate scepticism →

Energy in Demand News, August 2-3, 2026

Frank Elderson, a member of the European Central Bank’s executive board, told the Guardian that the climate emergency and the breakdown of nature poses a dramatically growing risk to the global economy. He said it was clear the rising frequency of natural disasters linked to global heating poses a threat to financial stability. “Nature-related risks … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, August 2-3, 2026 →

When climate change makes Europe uninsurable

Marianne Gross, Giorgio Leali and Aude Le Gentil write on the Politico website to show how increasingly frequent and severe climate disasters are straining insurers, widening the protection gap and forcing governments to rethink who bears the financial risk. Climate change is turning parts of Europe into an insurance nightmare As wildfires menaced the outer suburbs … Continue reading When climate change makes Europe uninsurable →

The slow story behind fast disasters

Doug Specht, Reader in Cultural Geography and Communication, University of Westminster, in an article on The Conversation website, argues that while journalism excels at covering dramatic events such as wildfires, it often fails to explain the slower climate processes that make those events more frequent and severe. Wildfires: why media coverage doesn’t always make … Continue reading The slow story behind fast disasters →

Roads built for yesterday’s climate

Using Germany as an example, Tim Schauenberg writes on the Deutsche Welle website argues that infrastructure designed for yesterday's climate is no longer fit for tomorrow's temperatures. As the Autobahn buckles under heat waves, Germany is still paving roads for a past climate. Engineers know how to fix that — so what's the holdup? … Continue reading Roads built for yesterday’s climate →

Energy in Demand News, July 26-27, 2026

As this week’s Energy in Demand was being prepared, more than 280,000 people had been ordered to flee or lock down as huge wildfires swept Spain and France, prompting Madrid to declare a national emergency and the French authorities to order the total evacuation, by land and sea, of one of the country’s best-known holiday … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, July 26-27, 2026 →

A medieval heatwave, a modern warning

Alex Brown, Associate Professor of Medieval History, Durham University writes on The Conversation website about the lessons we should learn from the Medieval Warm Period. History shows societies are vulnerable to climate extremes, while today's warming is faster, global and human-driven. Drought, water shortages and crop failures: how does the medieval warm period compare … Continue reading A medieval heatwave, a modern warning →

Blog by Grace Waters: Why France’s nuclear plants are shutting down during peak summer demand

France relies on a highly nuclear-dependent grid because it provides the nation with predictability. Most of the country’s electricity comes from its reactor fleet, which represents a bet on carbon-free baseload power that’s paid off for decades. But that same fleet has a weak spot that heat waves keep exposing. Most reactors depend on river … Continue reading Blog by Grace Waters: Why France’s nuclear plants are shutting down during peak summer demand →