Future Earth

Landscape with mountains. Ramallah, Palestine

Land and climate change: a close connection

Land is a critical resource. It is under pressure from human activities and climate change, but it is also part of the solution. According to the IPCC, keeping global warming below 2°C can be possible only by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from all sectors, including land and food. The way we use land impacts climate change and, in turn, climate change deeply affects our land.

El Niño is here and its effects will be no child’s play

El Niño has officially arrived and with it sensationalist headlines about temperature thresholds, extreme weather and destruction. “However, it is important to remember that climate change isn’t a strictly linear process and El Niño simply highlights the ups and downs in what is a generally warming trend dictated by climate change,” says CMCC researcher Leone Cavicchia, as he explains what ENSO is, how it impacts local and global weather, and what to expect now that it has arrived.

IPCC press release: Urgent climate action can secure a liveable future for all

Official press release by the IPCC on the publication of the Synthesis Report – AR6 —-
There are multiple, feasible and effective options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to human-caused climate change, and they are available now, said scientists in the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report released March 20.

Ocean waves (1878-1940) vintage Japanese woodcut prints by Uehara Konen

“A historic moment for the ocean” – international reactions to the new High Seas Treaty

Top ranking representatives of international institutions, opinion leaders, diplomats, scientists and civil society: from emotional reactions to pragmatic comments, the international community hails the Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBJN) treaty. After almost two decades of negotiations, a two-week-long conference, more than 48 hours of talks, international efforts led to an agreement for the conservation and protection of ocean areas that fall beyond national borders.

Don’t spell it out: Reading about the planet we are heading towards

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.

Carbon: A matter of budget – Ep.05

A trip among satellites, robots and bottles. One that oscillates between the heights of the atmosphere and the surface of the sea. We ride on carbon dioxide molecules to understand how relevant the word budget can be in delivering a future where a climate neutrality  takes shape.
An attainable horizon as long as we follow a simple little rule:
“Don’t look at what they say. Look at what we’re doing”.

The climate backstage at UNFCCC conferences – Ep.04

Behind the scenes of the climate negotiations, where the whole world sits around the same table. We discover the swing of frustration and excitement underlying the process that brings to globally awaited treaties. It is a plot of interminable sessions, under the danger of a deadlock that is always around the corner, behind a comma or a single concept.
Scientists, delegates and a journalist unveil how a climate agreement takes shape in the halls and the corridors of an International Climate Conference.

COP27 Youth and Future Generations Day

November 10 at the COP27 will be centred around youth and their role in addressing the climate crisis to ensure that their voices are not left unheard. This stand-alone day will shine a light on both their potential as catalysts for change and the climate change impacts that will largely affect them. Young people are key multipliers of climate information and action and, hence, a precious stakeholder at the negotiating table.

COP27 Solutions Day

Solutions will be the theme of the day on November 17 at COP27. From holistic to sectorial, solutions to the climate crisis range from global to local and differ in scale. This day will foster and facilitate the ongoing exchange between policymakers, businesses and innovators. Experiences, awareness and viability will be at the centre of the dialogue to imagine a more sustainable future.

Follow the Water – Ep.03

The blood vessel of Egypt meets China: the world’s plumber-in-chief. A journey which starts with the Neolithic revolution, passes through the “hydraulic century” and carries us into the future.
By following the history of water, we delve into the roots of human civilization, crossing paths with science, technology, politics, and the stories of people and places.

The sound of ice – Ep.02

Listen to the numbers. From an ice-breaker in the Arctic to the keyboard of a piano, scientific indicators become music and gestures, a narrative made of science and digital art. An experimental tale of the emotions at the heart of research. This is how Judy Twedt creates data-driven soundtracks from sea ice.