Efficient, resilient and future proof or wasteful, energy intensive and prohibitively expensive? To some the future of food production lies in indoor vertical farms, where food is grown locally and in controlled environments that are resilient to the fast changing outside world. Others are not buying into the hype.
If the winters disappear can we engineer them or do we need to start looking into alternative approaches? As more and more evidence piles up against the demise of the ski industry as we know it, mountain communities and researchers start to explore new heights.
They are distinguished scientists who have written (and still do) the history of many disciplines or are teachers whose dedication and encouragement is a reference point for many scientists today. These are stories of women in science. Beyond the barriers of gender inequality that still affect the world of scientific research, there are success stories of women who, pursuing their ambitions and nurturing their talents, make a difference for science, society and people. These stories can shorten the path to inclusion by inspiring other Women and Girls in Science. As the world is about to celebrate them with an International Day on February 11, we share some of such amazing stories.
For some, they are a threat. For others, an opportunity. Chatbots based on artificial intelligence hold centre stage in the international debate. In the meantime, top scientific journals announced new editorial policies that ban or curtail researchers from using them to write scientific papers.
In our polycrisis era, the year 2023 will be decisive for the finance-nature-climate nexus. Three key upshots for net-zero law based on how policymakers (as recently Ursula von der Leyen in Davos) call financial institutions to mobilize behind future-proof pathways.
Diverse crises spanning over three different timeframes. They are interconnected and put us in the middle of a shift in power. This is the time to adapt ourselves to a “new order”, but this is also a period of crucial opportunity for moving forward. Insights from the Global Risks Report 2023.
The news is record-breaking temperature. Media coverage swings from talk of “astonishing luck”, to alarm and concern from those who look at the bigger picture, identifying heatwave’s impacts on health, ecosystems and the economy. The point is: are we able to connect the dots between the energy crisis, climate change and increasing extreme events? From the New York Times to the Washington Post, from the Guardian to the most influential scientists on social media, a review of the temperature anomalies affecting Europe and beyond.
Are we going beyond the limit of adaptation and crossing irreversible tipping points? What do we know about the triple planetary crisis, the social costs of climate extremes, vulnerability and the myth of endless adaptation? A list of the ten new insights in climate science puts together advancements, challenges and solutions to shape future strategies and activities.
Cutting-edge research to improve our understanding of climate change and its impact on our socioeconomic systems: from CMCC scientists, ten issues at the forefront of the climate-neutral world.
New demanding challenges in the agreement that was signed a few days before Christmas, the most advanced climate legislation in the world. The renewed tools and ambitions affect politically sensitive sectors and plan to support the most vulnerable citizens and enterprises to contribute to the transition. All the details on the political agreement the Council and the European Parliament reached.
A mixture of utopias, dystopias, crystal-clear realism and factual reporting: if you don’t find the word ‘climate’ in some titles, you will meet it between the pages, as one of the characters shaping the future. This is Foresight’s selection of books and articles – some recent, some old – to look at the world through the lens of climate change and understand the planet we are heading towards.
Global leaders agreed to halt biodiversity loss by protecting 30% of the world’s land and ocean by 2030. Leaders from environmental organizations around the world react to the deal, highlighting its merits and the potential issues that come with it. From “a watershed moment” to “we don’t need people to tell us what to do”, the consensus is that governments need to treat the Kuming-Montreal Biodiversity framework “as a floor, not a ceiling”.
