Humanitarian engineering projects often focus on bringing western technologies to non-industrialized societies. But environmental and cultural factors in these locations may be very different from conditions in the West, and the projects may not meet client needs if engineers do not fully understand the context in which they are operating.
Read moreExtreme high temperatures caused by CO2 emissions could lead to losses in labor productivity. The authors found that every trillion tons of CO2 emitted could cause global GDP losses of about half a percent. They add that we may already be seeing economic losses of as much as 2% of global GDP as a result of what we have already emitted.
Read moreScientists witnessing the destruction of the natural world must be supported and 'allowed to cry,' researchers say.
Read moreAn analysis of FEMA's 30-year-old property buyout program offers new insight into the growing debate on managed retreat — moving people and assets out of flood-prone areas.
Read moreResearchers recommend additional measures to protect and conserve one of the most iconic Antarctic species — the emperor penguin (Aptenodyptes forsteri).
Read moreA new study found that people who consume less are happier than those who engage in other pro-environmental consumer behaviors, like buying environmentally friendly products.
Read moreLocal conservation can boost the climate resilience of coastal ecosystems, species and cities and buy them time in their fight against sea-level rise, ocean acidification and warming temperatures, a study by scientists suggests. In all but extreme situations, these interventions significantly buffer the impacts of climate change and can buy sinking cities and bleaching corals time to adapt until the beneficial impacts of global emissions reductions kick in.
Read morePolluting emissions from Chinese thermal power plants declined significantly between 2014 and 2017, according to new research. The study analyzed data from 2014, when China introduced the ambitious Ultra-Low Emissions (ULE) Standards Policy for renovating coal-fired power stations to limit air pollutant emissions, to 2017.
Read moreGroundwater is the world's largest source of freshwater and it is of vital importance for food production. Increasing extraction of groundwater in recent decades has resulted in sinking water tables worldwide. A study by a hydrologist shows that almost 20 percent of the catchments areas where groundwater is pumped suffer from a flow that is too low to sustain freshwater ecosystems. This number is expected to increase to 50 percent by 2050.
Read moreTravellers are willing to pay a little more for flights if they know the extra money will be used to address carbon emissions, a new study has found.
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