For parts of southern Europe, extreme heatwaves are now the rule, not the exception. New accurate and reliable weather prediction models could help regions better ‘anticipate, prepare for, respond to and recover from’ these increasingly extreme weather events. To paraphrase a popular song from the early 2000s, ‘it’s getting hot in here’ – especially in … Read more
Healthy soil is something most of us take for granted, but it is crucial for life. As one of our most vital resources, we depend upon it for the food we eat, the textiles we wear and the wood we use to build our homes. Soil also contains unimaginable numbers of fungi, bacteria and other … Read more
A rising number of businesses is making the case for nature-based solutions already, but it is time to progress from early movers to a broad movement, says Jean-Eric Paquet, the European Commission’s Director General for Research and Innovation. Nature’s back in business! Investing in nature-based solutions – using nature’s own resources to tackle environmental challenges … Read more
As natural climate archives, the deposits found in caves can play an important role in our ability to understand – and predict – climate change. Every family has those stories that are passed down from generation to generation. Some of them have to do with history, others about a particular individual. But many of them … Read more
While the jury is still out as to why the Neanderthal, an ancient ancestor of modern humans, became extinct about 40,000 years ago, it has long been assumed that it was because they possessed a low level of intelligence. Pioneering research is challenging this idea, uncovering evidence to suggest that our ancient cousins were in … Read more
As governments around the world turned to lockdowns and travel restrictions to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus, smugglers used social media to find new ways to connect with potential customers. Criminals can be resourceful and unrelenting in their efforts to find a way around obstacles. Wildlife traffickers are no exception. Today’s trade in … Read more