Nature
Climate change will force new species onto endangered list
Up to 83% of birds, 66% of amphibians and 70% of corals are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change says the International Union for Conservation of Nature
UN moves closer to establishing drought reduction targets
Influential panel of experts call for world leaders to adopt goals to combat desertification, land degradation and drought
Desert offers clue to species’ climate survival
Research into one of world’s oldest and driest deserts finds species have evolved to cope with the changes
Climate adaptation planning ‘could have prevented’ Uttarakhand deaths
Local expert tells RTCC lives could have been saved if government had enforced rules banning construction of buildings on flood plans
Indonesian government blamed for Singapore smog
Greenpeace South Asia says with half the forest clearance fires inside a protected area, responsibility lies at the feet of government
Costa Rica sacks climate advisor for criticising China oil loan
Government asked Monica Araya to leave climate change team after publicly criticising a $1bn deal with China to finance a new oil refinery, a move Araya says could lead to oil exploration in Costa Rica
Climate change a factor in UK’s unusual weather – Met Office
Workshop concludes with unusual seasons pinned on newly discovered cycle in ocean temperatures, climate change and a number of other factors
Lake Chad’s receding waters linked to European air pollution
After decades of blaming locals, scientists say pollution from Europe and North America responsible for shrinking lake
Trade fears blocking progress on REDD+ at UN climate talks
Global Canopy Programme’s Christina MacFarquhar and Matt Leggett argue climate and trade negotiators must work together to ensure rainforest protection
UN drought chief: ‘famine dehumanizes us, but it is not a fate’
Writing for RTCC on Desertification Day 2013, UNCCD Executive Secretary Luc Gnacadja says it’s time to address this increasingly serious issue
Climate change threatens future of ‘safe species’ – IUCN
Work by 100 scientists over five years reveal that more than half the species studied are in danger because of a warming planet
Climate change could mean once a century floods every 10 years
New study finds some parts of the world will face frequent catastrophic floods by 2100 while other regions could get less hazardous
EU must switch flood tactics to cope in climate change era
Current focus on flood defence instead of prevention is inadequate according to flood resilience expert
Canada tar sands threatening biodiversity of Arctic circle wilderness
Mackenzie River Basin at great risk from climate change and a catastrophic oil spill according to a panel of nine Canadian, American and British scientists
Africa needs GM crops to cope with climate change – expert
Scientific advisor to the African Union says GM has already been “invaluable”
Huge Indonesia forest project could unlock funding for REDD+
Leading UNEP official tells RTCC 64,000-hectare forest carbon scheme valuable lessons for the future and could encourage investors
Rate of ocean warming greater than previous estimates – study
Report in Geophysical Research Letters suggests oceans are absorbing far more heat than previously realised
Plant growth increases due to rise in carbon dioxide levels – study
Australian scientists report CO2 fertilization effect has led to new foliage growth in arid regions of planet
Comment: A healthy planet is a precondition for development
Conservation International’s Fred Boltz explains why looking after our natural resources is a precondition for development
Understanding local weather key to coping with climate change
Leading climate scientist highlights the importance of regional data in understanding and reacting to the effects of global climate change