Europe’s heatwave smashed records this summer, but such extreme heat could be the continent’s ‘new normal’ by 2035 – and occur up to 10 times more often globally by 2100.
This week on Landscape News, find out why scientists are risking arrest to draw attention to the climate crisis, and discover some of the latest techno-fixes, from edible wind turbines to hydrogen-powered trains.
On 15 September, join us at the GLF Africa 2022 Digital Conference to discover how Africa can safeguard itself against the global food and climate crises through the power and wisdom of local communities. Tickets are free for all African residents.
And as summer draws to a close in the northern hemisphere, here’s our pick of our best long reads to relax, to take action, to discover, to be in-the-know and to learn something new.
If you’re in New York, swing by the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum to see a mobile app that helps African farmers restore land. It was proudly developed by one of our partners and is one display in an exhibition about peace.
On the GLF Live podcast, we’re exploring the overlap between the climate and racial justice movements. Next up is our recent live stream about the relationship between narratives, Africa and power.
A third of Pakistan is under water, affecting over 33 million people and killing more than 1,100. Rich countries have a responsibility to send help, says the country’s planning minister.
Elsewhere, floods have claimed more than 180 lives in Afghanistan and at least 40 in India. Europe is experiencing its worst drought in 500 years, and China is bracing for floods after its worst heatwave on record.
Globally, floods and other water-related disasters could cost some USD 5.6 trillion by 2050, and sea levels are set to rise by at least 27 centimeters due to the melting of Greenland’s ice cap.
It’s time for scientists to engage in civil disobedience against the climate crisis, argue a group of climate experts.
The last member of an isolated Amazonian group has died, more than 25 years after the rest of his people were massacred by cattle ranchers.
Ukrainian grain has arrived in Africa for the first time since the Russian invasion. The wheat shipment is bound for drought-hit Ethiopia, where around 20 million people need food aid.
In California, water rights and civil rights are one and the same for these Indigenous nations, who are taking the fight to the state government.
Can booze help plants survive drought? Ethanol can keep them going for up to two weeks without water, scientists in Japan have found.
Around 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are littered each year. Here’s what happens when they end up in our water.
Last year, forest fires wiped out an area the size of Portugal – nearly double that of 20 years ago. The climate crisis is killing bumblebees, too, by waking them up early from hibernation.
What’s the quietest place on Earth? Take a break and tune into some natural ambiance here.
Would you eat gummy bears made from… wind turbines? Researchers are developing plant-based turbine blades that can be recycled into chewy candies at the end of their lifespan.
India’s motorcyclists may not have to grapple with toxic air for much longer: this new anti-smog helmet features a built-in air purifier to keep riders healthy.
The world’s first hydrogen-powered trains have entered service in Germany – but are they really as climate-friendly as they seem?
As energy bills soar across Europe, locals on the Italian island of Sardinia are embracing a more self-sufficient solution: community energy.
European countries channeled billions into Russia’s oil and gas industry before its invasion of Ukraine (but after its annexation of Crimea). Today, Russia is burning off the gas that it can’t sell.
Germany’s three-month experiment with EUR 9 train tickets saved around 1.8 million tons of carbon emissions. California will ban the sale of gasoline-powered cars by 2035.
And for the fifth time, countries have failed to agree to protect the world’s oceans and marine life by 2030.
The Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) is the world’s largest knowledge-led platform on integrated land use, dedicated to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and Paris Climate Agreement. The Forum takes a holistic approach to create sustainable landscapes that are productive, prosperous, equitable and resilient and considers five cohesive themes of food and livelihoods, landscape restoration, rights, finance and measuring progress. It is led by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), in collaboration with its co-founders UNEP and the World Bank and Charter Members. Charter members: CIAT, CIFOR-ICRAF, CIRAD, Climate Focus, Conservation International, Crop Trust, Ecoagriculture Partners, The European Forest Institute, Evergreen Agriculture, FAO, FSC, GEF, GIZ, ICIMOD, IFOAM - Organics International, The International Livestock Research Institute, INBAR, IPMG, IUFRO, Rainforest Alliance, Rare, Rights and Resources Initiative, SAN, TMG-Think Tank for Sustainability, UNCCD, UNEP, Wageningen Centre for Development Innovation part of Wageningen Research, World Farmer Organization, World Bank Group, World Resources Institute, WWF International, Youth in Landscapes Initiative (YIL)