The Elephant
A resource for journalists, politicians, policy makers, activists and citizens interested in climate change and the environmental emergency
The ElephantA resource for journalists, politicians, policy makers, activists and citizens interested in climate change and the environmental emergency
Visit: bbc.com
UN food chief: Poorest areas have zero harvests left
2024-06-17 in BBCWorld Food Programme director Martin Frick warns land degradation will cause crop failures worldwide.
How South Africa's sardine run is changing
2024-06-08 in BBCSouth Africa's sardine run is a spectacle to behold as thousands of predators feast on sardine mega-shoals – but climate change and over fishing are putting it at risk.
Hurricanes, heatwaves and rising seas: The impacts of record ocean heat
2024-05-09 in BBCThe world's oceans may be warming faster than expected and the impacts will be felt from polar ice shelves to many of the world's coastal cities.
Climate change is fuelling the US insurance problem
2024-03-18 in BBCExtreme weather events are making it hard to insure homes in certain parts of the US. What happens when insurance companies simply stop insuring?
The 'spongy' cities of the future
2024-01-05 (or before) in BBCAs weather becomes more extremedue to climate change, cities need to become ‘spongier’. Auckland is leading the way, but for how long?
Amazon drought: 'We've never seen anything like this'
2023-12-27 (or before) in BBCThis year's heat and drought in the Amazon intensify worries that it is approaching a tipping point.
Tagged under: Amazon Rainforest | Drought | Tipping Points
'Firenado' sweeps through Australian outback
2023-12-18 (or before) in BBCThere was "absolutely nothing we could do but sit back and watch", the company who shared the video said.
Wildlife in 'catastrophic decline' due to human destruction, scientists warn
2023-12-09 (or before) in BBCConservation group WWF says global wildlife populations have shrunk by two-thirds since 1970.
Tagged under: Wildlife
Yorkshire Water makes record £1m charities donation over pollution
2023-11-30 in BBCYorkshire Water says it has made the voluntary payments following an incident in Harrogate in 2016.
Tuscany storm and floods ravage central Italy leaving six dead
2023-11-06 (or before) in BBCSix people are confirmed dead and several more are missing as winds and rain buffet parts of Italy.
Hurricane Otis: Mexico troops tackle looting in devastated Acapulco
2023-10-29 in BBCThousands of soldiers and police go into the Mexican resort city ravaged by a powerful hurricane.
Hurricane Otis smashes into Mexico coast
2023-10-25 in BBCA man says windows collapsed in his hotel as people sheltered from the storm's path.
Tagged under: Mexico | Collapse
Scottish farmers count the cost of Storm Babet floods
2023-10-23 in BBCNFU Scotland said crops are destroyed and the industry is trying to assess the extent of losses.
Second red warning expires as Storm Babet flooding continues
2023-10-20 in BBCThe UK endured more downpours on Saturday as communities across the country counted the cost of floods.
Can we take the 'forever' out of forever chemicals?
2023-10-19 in BBCNicknamed "forever chemicals", PFAS are ubiquitous. Now, scientists are looking to nature for ways to clean up the PFAS mess.
Tagged under: PFAS aka Forever Chemicals
Lynmouth swim race cancelled due to sewage release - BBC News
2023-09-02 (or before) in BBCOrganisers of an annual swim race in Devon cancel event due to fears of swimmers falling ill.
Anglian Water bills to rise to pay for infrastructure
2023-08-21 in BBCThe East of England is "seriously water-stressed" and its biggest water firm is working on upgrades.
Pioneering wind-powered cargo ship sets sail - BBC News
2023-08-21 (or before) in BBCInventors hope maiden voyage will help usher in new era of greener shipping.
Tagged under: Wind Power
The truth about heat pumps and the power needed to run them - BBC News
2023-08-20 (or before) in BBCClimate editor Justin Rowlatt on the challenge of how to warm the UK's homes - but not the planet.
Italy storms: North hit by hail and rain as Sicily burns - BBC News
2023-07-25 (or before) in BBCTorrential rain and hailstorms hit northern regions while wildfires "encircle" Sicily's Palermo.
Tagged under: Wildfires
How self-deception allows people to lie
2023-07-24 (or before) in BBCSelf-deception can fool us into believing our own lies – and even make us more convincing.
Leicester study investigates pollution effect on bees - BBC News
2023-07-14 (or before) in BBCDr Hannah Sampson says air pollution's impact on bees could have a knock on effect for humans.
Tagged under: Bees
Scottish government scraps marine conservation plan - BBC News
2023-06-29 (or before) in BBCThe proposals would have restricted fishing and other human activities in some coastal areas.
Tagged under: Fish
Did Hyman Minsky find the secret behind financial crashes? - BBC News
2023-06-28 (or before) in BBCThe US economist Hyman Minsky grew up during the Great Depression, which shaped his views as he sought to explain how it had happened and how a repeat could be prevented.
Canada wildfire season is now the worst on record - BBC News
2023-06-28 (or before) in BBCThe wildfires have also produced record levels of carbon emissions, with the smoke reaching Europe.
Tagged under: Sea Level | Wildfires
What is the windfall tax on oil and gas companies and how much do they pay? - BBC News
2023-05-26 (or before) in BBCCritics want the windfall tax to be extended after BP and Shell reported record profits in 2022.
Glass or plastic: which is better for the environment?
2023-04-28 in BBCFor centuries we have used glass to store food, beverages, chemicals and cosmetics. But is it time to find a more sustainable alternative?
Tagged under: Plastic | Recycling
Coal mine: Councillors advised to reject bid to keep Ffos-y-Fran open - BBC News
2023-04-20 (or before) in BBCPlanning permission for the mine expired in 2022, but the operators applied for an extension.
Firewood theft: The forests where trees are going missing
2023-03-02 (or before) in BBCIn many countries, poachers are stealing trees from forests in the middle of the night – and the problem may be getting worse.
Tagged under: Trees
Are we on the road to civilisation collapse?
2023-02-17 (or before) in BBCStudying the demise of historic civilisations can tell us about the risk we face today, says collapse expert Luke Kemp. Worryingly, the signs are worsening.
Tagged under: Collapse
Do people yet to be born have climate change rights?
2023-02-17 (or before) in BBCThere are some who believe we should be taking future generations more into account in how we act on climate today.
Tagged under: Climate Change
Shell reports highest profits in 115 years - BBC News
2023-02-05 (or before) in BBCCritics call for higher taxes on energy firms as Shell reports a record $39.9bn of profit.
Tagged under: Shell
COP27: BP chief listed as delegate for Mauritania - BBC News
2022-11-19 (or before) in BBCChief executive of leading oil company is registered for COP27 as a delegate from poor African nation.
Tagged under: COP27 | BP | Africa
How your phone battery creates striking alien landscapes
2022-11-12 (or before) in BBCThere's a global hunt for lithium to power our phones and electric vehicles. BBC Future explores the distinctive terrain where the stuff is mined.
Tagged under: Lithium | Batteries
How many people can Earth handle?
2022-11-06 (or before) in BBCThis year, the human population on Earth is expected to reach eight billion. To mark the occasion, BBC Future takes a look at one of the most controversial issues of our time.
Climate change: UN warns key warming threshold slipping from sight - BBC News
2022-10-27 (or before) in BBCThe past 12 months have been a "wasted year" on climate change says the UN Environment Programme.
Tagged under: Climate Change
Sewage hits dozens of beaches in England and Wales after heavy rain - BBC News
2022-08-17 (or before) in BBCCharity issues warning after water firms discharge untreated sewage to avoid potential flooding.
Drought hits Germany's Rhine River: 'We have 30cm of water left' - BBC News
2022-08-13 (or before) in BBCThe Rhine is a key shipping route for Germany and Europe - so what happens if it's too shallow to use?
Tagged under: Drought | Germany | Rivers
Megafire rips through swathes of land near Bordeaux
2022-08-13 (or before) in BBCFirefighters continue to try to extinguish the wildfire raging through the Gironde region.
Tagged under: Wildfires
Climate change: 'Fifty-fifty chance' of breaching 1.5C warming limit - BBC News
2022-05-19 (or before) in BBCScientists say there's now a strong chance that the world will warm by more than 1.5C by 2026.
Tagged under: Climate Change
Australia election: How climate is making Australia more unliveable - BBC News
2022-05-19 (or before) in BBCClimate-driven disasters are converging with key financial decisions like never before, experts say.
Biodiversity loss risks 'ecological meltdown' - scientists - BBC News
2022-02-13 (or before) in BBCThe UK has an average of only 53% of its biodiversity left, well below the global average, study shows.
Why climate change is inherently racist
2022-01-29 (or before) in BBCClimate change divides along racial lines. Could tackling it help address longstanding injustices?
Tagged under: Climate Change
Climate change: Fossil fuel production set to soar over next decade - BBC News
2021-10-22 (or before) in BBCGovernment plans to extract coal, oil and gas are incompatible with safe temperatures, says the UN.
Tagged under: Coal | Climate Change
Climate change: Science failed to predict flood and heat intensity - BBC News
2021-10-19 (or before) in BBCScientists want a super-computer powerful enough to accurately project the most damaging extremes.
Tagged under: Extreme Weather | Predictions | Climate Change
Faster pace of climate change is 'scary', former chief scientist says - BBC News
2021-10-19 (or before) in BBCThe UK should advance its climate targets by 10 years, says the UK’s former chief scientist.
Tagged under: Climate Change
The harm from worrying about climate change
2021-10-18 (or before) in BBCClimate anxiety is affecting more people as climate change progresses. But there is a solution that can help ease the worry and slow climate breakdown at once, writes Christine Ro.
Tagged under: Climate Change | Climate Anxiety and Grief
Climate change: Voices from global south muted by climate science - BBC News
2021-10-09 (or before) in BBCClimate academics from some of the regions worst hit by warming are struggling to be published.
Tagged under: Climate Change
Climate reporting reaches melting point - BBC News
2021-09-21 (or before) in BBCA trip to a melting glacier will shape how the BBC's new climate editor reports on climate change.
Tagged under: Climate Change
Madagascar on the brink of climate change-induced famine - BBC News
2021-09-06 (or before) in BBCThe country is on the brink of experiencing the world's first "climate change famine", the UN says.
Tagged under: Climate Change | Africa | Famine | Madagascar
River pollution in Wales: Swimmers warned over sewage - BBC News
2021-08-09 (or before) in BBCWaterways have become increasingly popular places to swim, especially with pools closed in lockdown.
Tagged under: Rivers
UK already undergoing disruptive climate change - BBC News
2021-07-30 (or before) in BBCLast year was the third warmest, fifth wettest and eighth sunniest on record in the UK, scientists warn.
Tagged under: Climate Change
India monsoon: Rescuers search for survivors after heavy rains - BBC News
2021-07-25 (or before) in BBCHeavy rains have battered India's western coast, leaving dozens dead and prompting mass evacuations.
Tagged under: India
Road planners able to ignore climate change, campaigners claim - BBC News
2021-07-23 (or before) in BBCGovernment guidelines mean road planners can effectively ignore climate change, campaigners say.
Tagged under: Climate Change
Why North America's killer heat scares me - BBC News
2021-07-07 (or before) in BBCIt's not the new record temperatures that concern the BBC's Roger Harrabin - it's the way they were smashed.
US environmental agency releases climate report delayed by Trump - BBC News
2021-06-04 (or before) in BBCClimate change-related environmental disasters have grown more common, according to the EPA.
Tagged under: Donald Trump | Climate Change
Climate change: Carbon emission promises 'put Earth on red alert' - BBC News
2021-02-26 (or before) in BBCNations' current carbon-cutting plans will not keep global temperature rise below 1.5C, the UN says.
Tagged under: Climate Change
Climate change: Don't raid home insulation scheme, MPs urge ministers - BBC News
2021-02-17 (or before) in BBCThe government hopes to claw back money from a £1.5bn fund to promote home insulation.
Tagged under: Climate Change | Insulation
Shell in Nigeria: Polluted communities 'can sue in English courts' - BBC News
2021-02-14 (or before) in BBCThe UK Supreme Court's ruling is a victory for communities severely hit by pollution in the Niger Delta.
Tagged under: Shell | Nigeria | Africa
Sir David Attenborough warns of climate 'crisis moment' - BBC News
2021-01-10 (or before) in BBCWe're at a pivotal point in efforts to tackle climate change, the naturalist and broadcaster warns.
Tagged under: Climate Change | David Attenborough
Climate change: The massive CO2 emitter you may not know about - BBC News
2020-12-28 (or before) in BBCCement is the source of about 8% of the world's carbon dioxide emissions. How can this be changed?
Tagged under: Climate Change
Sydney records hottest November night on record - BBC News
2020-11-29 (or before) in BBCAustralia, where it is still officially spring, is already seeing soaring heat in several states.
UK energy plant to use liquid air - BBC News
2020-11-07 (or before) in BBCThe 50MW facility near Manchester hopes to store enough power for roughly 50,000 homes.
Climate change: Greenland's ice faces melting 'death sentence' - BBC News
2020-11-04 (or before) in BBCThe massive ice sheet covering Greenland may have melted by a record amount this year, scientists say.
Tagged under: Climate Change | Ice Melting
US election 2020: What the results will mean for climate change - BBC News
2020-10-19 (or before) in BBCWho next occupies the White House could be decisive in the battle to limit global warming.
Tagged under: Climate Change
Has the world started to take climate change fight seriously? - BBC News
2020-10-04 (or before) in BBCA surprise announcement at the UN General Assembly has transformed the politics of cutting carbon.
Tagged under: Climate Change
Images reveal Iceland's glacier melt - BBC News
2020-09-21 (or before) in BBCA photography project has highlighted the extent of ice loss from Iceland’s largest glaciers.
Why soil is disappearing from farms
2020-09-01 (or before) in BBCThe soil beneath our feet is something we take for granted – but we are running out.
Tagged under: Farming
Is the hydrogen tech 'revolution' hope or hype? - BBC News
2020-07-01 (or before) in BBCCan hydrogen - a relatively clean source of fuel - help power the economy of the future?
Tagged under: Hydrogen
Who is really to blame for climate change?
2020-06-24 (or before) in BBCWe know that climate change is caused by human activity, but pinning down exactly who is responsible is trickier than it might seem.
Tagged under: Climate Change
Climate change: Planting new forests 'can do more harm than good' - BBC News
2020-06-24 (or before) in BBCLarge-scale tree planting to fight climate change may backfire, two new studies have found.
Tagged under: Climate Change | Trees
Wareham Forest fire flare-ups continue to spread after six days - BBC News
2020-05-24 (or before) in BBCFire crews say 45mph winds are proving a "huge risk" to the fire which has been burning for six days.
Tagged under: Trees
Brazil's Amazon: Surge in deforestation as military prepares to deploy - BBC News
2020-05-10 (or before) in BBCThe military is preparing to deploy to the region to try to stop illegal logging and mining.
Tagged under: Deforestation | Amazon Rainforest | Brazil
Greenland and Antarctica ice loss accelerating - BBC News
2020-03-12 (or before) in BBCThe Earth's great ice sheets are losing mass six times faster today than they were in the 1990s.
Tagged under: Antarctic
Carbon emissions: Scale of UK fossil fuel support 'staggering' - BBC News
2020-01-27 (or before) in BBCThe government is funding oil and gas projects abroad, despite a commitment to cut carbon emissions.
Where does recycling and rubbish from the UK go? - BBC News
2020-01-25 (or before) in BBCAs Boris Johnson says we have to cut our use of plastic, where does our recycling and rubbish go?
Nicola Sturgeon: Wellbeing as important as economic growth - BBC News
2020-01-24 (or before) in BBCIn a speech later, Ms Sturgeon will say Scotland is creating an economy where "collective wellbeing" is as fundamental as GDP.
Tagged under: GDP | Economic Growth
New UK housing 'dominated by roads' - BBC News
2020-01-22 (or before) in BBCRoads are dominating new housing developments, a report says, despite more people wanting to drive less.
Tagged under: Housing
Sweden sees rare fall in air passengers, as flight-shaming takes off - BBC News
2020-01-11 (or before) in BBCPassengers flying via Swedish airports fell 4% in 2019, airport operators Swedavia say.
Jakarta floods: 'Not ordinary rain', say officials - BBC News
2020-01-02 (or before) in BBCAt least 21 people have died in the Indonesian capital amid record-breaking rainfall.
Tagged under: Extreme Rainfall | Indonesia
Will Indonesia's new capital just move the problem to the jungle? - BBC News
2020-01-02 (or before) in BBCActivists say moving the capital to Borneo threatens indigenous people and Kalimantan's rich wildlife.
Tagged under: Wildlife | Indonesia | Activism
Australia fires worsen as every state hits 40C - BBC News
2019-12-30 (or before) in BBCAs the bushfires continue, mammoth blazes in Victoria are generating their own lightning.
Tagged under: Bushfires
Climate change: Emissions edge up despite drop in coal - BBC News
2019-12-05 (or before) in BBCEmissions of CO2 have risen in 2019, say researchers, as oil and gas use continues to grow.
Tagged under: Coal | Climate Change
Russia's Taymyr plan: Arctic coal for India risks pollution - BBC News
2019-11-30 (or before) in BBCA huge wildlife haven is at risk as Russian coal ships exploit melting Arctic ice in Siberia.
Tagged under: India | Arctic | Coal | Wildlife | Ice Melting | Russia
Electric car future may depend on deep sea mining - BBC News
2019-11-14 (or before) in BBCDemand is soaring for the metal cobalt, an essential ingredient in batteries and abundant on the seabed.
Tagged under: Batteries | Cobalt
Climate change: ‘Clear and unequivocal’ emergency, say scientists - BBC News
2019-11-05 (or before) in BBCAround 11,000 scientists have endorsed research that says the world is facing a climate emergency.
Tagged under: Climate Change
Building wind farms 'could destroy Welsh landscape' - BBC News
2019-11-04 (or before) in BBCCampaigners accept the need for renewable energy, but are concerned about the impact on tourism.
Tagged under: Renewable Energy | Wind Power
General election 2019: Labour pledges billions for home energy upgrades - BBC News
2019-11-03 (or before) in BBCThe party says a huge programme to fund household energy-saving would reduce bills and create jobs.
Climate change: Oil industry argues for maximum production levels - BBC News
2019-10-19 (or before) in BBCEnvironmental campaigners say the industry needs to "get serious" about tackling climate change.
Tagged under: Climate Change
Central heating boilers 'put climate change goals at risk' - BBC News
2019-10-15 (or before) in BBCThe UK will not meet its climate change targets without a revolution in home heating, a think tank says.
Tagged under: Climate Change
Climate change: Marine heatwaves kill coral instantly - BBC News
2019-10-03 (or before) in BBCMarine heat waves, associated with climate change, cause the rapid death of corals, research reveals.
Tagged under: Coral Reefs | Heatwaves | Climate Change
Brazil worker who protected indigenous tribes killed in Amazon - BBC News
2019-09-11 (or before) in BBCReports say an official who protected land from farmers and loggers was shot twice in the head.
Tagged under: Farming | Amazon Rainforest | Brazil
How climate change will transform business and the workforce - BBC Future
2019-09-09 (or before) by in BBCOur planet is already feeling the effects of climate change, but it’s also poised to cause irreversible shifts in the ways we work, and the skills that employers need.
Tagged under: Climate Change
Climate change: 12 years to save the planet? Make that 18 months - BBC News
2019-07-24 (or before) in BBCThere's a growing consensus that the next year-and-a-half are key in the battle against rising temperatures.
Tagged under: Science | Global Warming | Climate Change
Report: US 2018 CO2 emissions saw biggest spike in years - BBC News
2019-01-08 (or before) in BBCFollowing three years of decline, US carbon emissions spiked in 2018, according to new research.
Have American newspapers given Donald Trump a gift? - BBC News
2018-08-18 (or before) in BBCThe joint effort by US newspapers against Donald Trump is likely to prove counter-productive.
Tagged under: Donald Trump
How Western civilisation could collapse
2017-04-18 in BBCSome possible precipitating factors are already in place. How the West reacts to them will determine the world’s future.
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