Climate Change

 

Related articles, background features and opinions about this topic.

 

Global Warning

Heat waves, sinking cities, droughts and disappearing polar ice caps -- the effects of climate change are catastrophic. Despite the consequences, human activity continues to belch greenhouse gases while a rising tide of activists questions the science behind prevailing data.

Miracle in the Sahara: Oasis Sediments Archive Dramatic History

SPIEGEL ONLINE - May 21, 2013

A marvel of nature, the lakes of Ounianga in the Sahara Desert have lasted thousands of years and withstood dramatic climate change. Now, a German geologist has analyzed lakebed sediments to shed light on a spectacular chapter in human history. By Johann Grolle more... [ Comment ]

'Death By a Thousand Cuts': Coal Boom Could Destroy Great Barrier Reef

SPIEGEL ONLINE - May 21, 2013

Australia's Great Barrier Reef is rapidly losing its coral, to the point that UNESCO may soon place the natural wonder on its "in danger" list. Climate change is one culprit, but so is the country's booming extraction industry. Environmentalists warn that time is running out for the reef. By Samiha Shafy more... [ Comment ]

Leading or Following? Merkel Speaks with Two Tongues on Climate

SPIEGEL ONLINE - May 07, 2013

German Chancellor Angela Merkel demanded an international climate deal by 2015 on Monday. Yet at home, she has declined to push for badly needed fixes to Europe's ailing carbon cap-and-trade program. She is putting off the toughest decisions until after fall elections. By Joel Stonington more... [ Comment ]

Land O' Lakes: Melting Glaciers Transform Alpine Landscape

SPIEGEL ONLINE - April 26, 2013

Climate change is dramatically altering the Swiss Alps, where hundreds of bodies of water are being created by melting glaciers. Though the lakes can attract tourists and even generate electricity, local residents also fear catastrophic tidal waves. By Axel Bojanowski more... [ Comment ]

Failed Emissions Trading Reform: 'The End of a European Climate Policy'

SPIEGEL ONLINE - April 17, 2013

Europe's once celebrated cap-and-trade system to limit carbon emissions has languished. The economic crisis has caused the price of emissions licenses to plummet, and a recent remedy to the problem has been rejected by EU lawmakers. Climate policy expert Felix Matthes tells SPIEGEL ONLINE that an opportunity has been squandered. more...

CO2 Emissions: Can Europe Save Its Cap-and-Trade System?

SPIEGEL ONLINE - April 03, 2013

Europe's cap-and-trade system for reducing the release of greenhouse gases is broken, but not everybody wants to fix it. Industry has profited immensely from the plummeting prices of CO2 emissions certificates, and from lax checks on questionable environmental projects undertaken overseas. By Nils Klawitter more... [ Comment ]

Encumbered Lumber: Europe Seeks Hard Line on Illegal Logging

SPIEGEL ONLINE - March 07, 2013

Until recently, European companies could import illegally felled lumber with no fear of prosecution. New EU regulations are meant to take a tougher stance, but individual member states still write most of their own rules. Critics say Germany is falling short. By Jürgen Dahlkamp and Jörg Schmitt more... [ Comment ]

The Coal Monster: Pollution Forces Chinese Leaders to Act

SPIEGEL ONLINE - March 06, 2013

China's power plants and factories are spewing out toxic emissions and covering the country with smog and grime. For the new leadership, protecting the neglected environment has become a question of preserving its power. By Bernhard Zand more... [ Comment ]

Melting Permafrost: Scientists Warn of Dangers of Trapped Carbon

SPIEGEL ONLINE - February 22, 2013

Research published Thursday in the journal Science says that even slightly warmer temperatures could start melting permafrost, which in turn threatens to trigger the release of huge amounts of greenhouse gases trapped in ice. By Christoph Seidler more... [ Comment ]

Wake-Up Call: A Disastrous Week for Carbon Trading

SPIEGEL ONLINE - January 25, 2013

The European cap-and-trade system has slid into near meaninglessness as Germany bickers on the sidelines. Hopes that the election in Lower Saxony might resolve the high-level bickering were misguided. Now Europe's carbon market has hit a new low. By Joel Stonington more... [ Comment ]

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