Tag: climate change

Is it better to be small or large when the climate changes?

Large animals need a lot of space, and that is not always an advantage.

Climate experts: Reduced U.S. climate commitment could influence Europe

The U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement could lead to weaker global efforts to cut emissions, which may influnece European countries, according to two climate experts.

Winter is becoming shorter: "Animals don't fully understand what's happening"

When winter gets shorter, animals can become confused.

How climate change is already affecting the Barents Sea

There is significant variation, but the trend is moving towards a more Atlantic climate.

New study: The northern Barents Sea could be seven degrees warmer in 2050

The Barents Sea is heading toward an ice-free future, researchers report.

Arctic sea-ice monitoring: from the Vikings to satellite observations

SHARE YOUR SCIENCE: The first Arctic sea-ice observations were documented by the Vikings, and later followed by the first polar explorers and sailors. Today, the IceBird programme is part of an international monitoring series, documenting the Arctic ice cover as it undergoes rapid changes due to climate warming.

What is happening to the Arctic sea ice in winter?

SHARE YOUR SCIENCE: The loss of summer Arctic sea ice has become the «canary in the coalmine» of climate change. Sea ice is also declining during the dark, cold winter, but more ice was observed this winter than in the previous 10 years. A new PhD thesis helps to understand why.

Is this the bear of the future?

Climate changes are forcing polar bears and brown bears together.

When ice becomes as thick as this, it could linger for months

The roads and sidewalks in Norway are covered with an extremely thick layer of ice. Why does this layer form, and what does it take for it to melt?

Is Norway a climate laggard compared to Sweden and Denmark?

Norway has only managed to cut about five per cent of its greenhouse gas emissions since 1990. Its neighbouring countries have cut more. Why is that?

Over a million seeds are stored behind locked doors on Svalbard

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is the largest in the world.

Snow chaos in Norway: Climate scientist expects more such incidents in the future

There are increasingly more episodes of intense precipitation in Norway. The chaos of snow that hit the capital Oslo this week is just a taste of what Norwegians have in store, according to a climate researcher.

What you need to know about the climate summit in Dubai

The negotiations over the next few weeks will determine how we are going to handle climate change going forward.

World Soil Day emphasizes the increasing need to integrate soil and water research and management

OPINION: Extreme dry and wet events has caused many challenges to both food production and water protection. This calls for the increase of integrated soil and water research to address the national and global challenges in food security and environmental sustainability.

The ice in Antarctica has not yet reached a tipping point

But there are big differences between different parts of Antarctica.

How much heat can the Greenland ice sheet really handle?

Even if the tipping point is passed, the ice can still grow back. But that does not necessarily help much in practice, a researcher points out.

Heading into a climate that humanity has never experienced before

Temperatures are still exceptionally high in the world's oceans after several months with record heat levels globally.

Glacial archaeologist on melting ice in the mountains: "It’s absolutely extreme"

The dramatic backdrop to spectacular archaeological finds in the Norwegian mountains is that the ice is melting, rapidly. This year's glacial archaeological season in the mountains is now underway.

Much of the ski tourism in Europe could disappear

For the first time, climate researchers have calculated the effect of climate change on snow in all of Europe's major ski slopes.

What can we learn from a Swedish fashion brand to innovate for a sustainable future?

SHARE YOUR SCIENCE: How can we ensure that innovation leads us to a better future and not a dystopian one?

Heatwaves in the ocean alarm climate researchers

Strong temperature spikes in the ocean and massive loss of sea ice in Antarctica concern scientists. Will the climate change faster than anticipated?

Will we be able to pick blueberries in the lowlands in the future?

Blueberries are being monitored year by year. Researchers in several countries are observing how a warmer climate affects the berries.

It's remarkably cheap to capture CO2 in large construction projects

A new study shows that the construction of a large bridge only needs to be one per cent more expensive to ensure half of the greenhouse gas emissions are reduced.

Here's how you can make air travel a little better for the climate

Is it not an option to cut out air travel this year? Then there are a few things you can do to reduce emissions, according to a researcher.

Can't we just stop travelling by air for business?

We’re encouraged to fly less. But what if your company keeps sending you on trips?

Why overconsumption must be understood as a societal challenge

OPINION: Norwegians are world champions in consumption, but most of us feel our levels of consumption are completely normal. This is one of the reasons why sustainability transformations cannot be left to the consumers alone.

Arctic sea ice retreat is well observed by satellites and new technology. So why do we still need scientists working on the ice?

SHARE YOUR SCIENCE: Sea ice is an essential part of Earth’s climate and ocean systems, and in the Arctic the ice decreases year by year.

The last Ice Age excavated bedrock equivalent to 500 times Mount Everest

Researchers have calculated how much volume the last Ice Age eroded in Norway and northern Europe.

Is there any hope of reaching the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change?

OPINION: Believing that we can achieve the Paris Agreement is not naïve, idealistic, or utopian, according to professor Karen O'Brien.

Very few actually have climate anxiety

The term is often used by journalists and researchers. But a new study suggests that climate anxiety is not very widespread.

Gas leaks in the Baltic Sea: An observatory in southern Norway has recorded an extreme increase in the amount of methane in the air

“We have never seen anything like it,” says researcher from the Norwegian Institute for Air Research.

Record-hot summer in Svalbard

This year's summer in Svalbard is the hottest ever recorded. The previous record from 2020 only lasted two years.

The Arctic is heating up much faster than expected

Temperatures in the Arctic have risen almost four times faster than on the rest of the planet, according to a new study. Svalbard is warming up even faster.

Climate expert: Norwegians do not understand how dangerous these heat waves are

The heat waves that have occurred in recent summers create extremely dangerous conditions that are difficult for Norwegians to understand, according to climate researcher Tore Furevik.

EU-study: One in four Norwegians do not believe that climate change is caused by humans

While eight in ten Italians believe that climate change is caused by humans, only six in ten Norwegians believe the same, according to a new study.

Climate change: One year of warm currents fundamentally changed Spitsbergen’s sea ice coverage

OPINION: When meteorologists report fine weather on Svalbard, it's the air temperature they talk about. But when it comes to global warming, ocean temperature is the big joker.

This is how climate change is impacting our nature right now

“This is a very strong signal to take better care of nature,” says one researcher.

Ancient remains from reindeer hunting and a forgotten trail in the Norwegian mountains found by glacial archaeologists

Melting ice has laid bare arrowheads, traces from reindeer hunting and a mountain trail in one of the many sites that the Secrets of the Ice-team continuously monitor for finds.

Norwegian glaciers are shrinking all over the country

A new mapping of the country’s glaciers finds that they have shrunk by 14 per cent.

Deadly heat and extreme rainfall: This is what the world will be like if the temperature rises by 3 degrees, according to researchers

“It is very likely that we will reach three degrees. I consider 1.5 and 2 degrees to be almost unattainable. Now the question is how close to three we will get,” says one Norwegian researcher.

Could Isaac Newton show us the way into the Green Shift?

Climate change, loss of biodiversity, and degraded ecosystems: we're in trouble and something needs to be done. We need to change, and we know what to do. But we probably need some help on how to proceed. Maybe we can be inspired by Isaac Newton’s three laws?

Here’s what the latest climate models say about what will happen to Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets

More warming doesn’t necessarily mean that meltwater from Antarctica will contribute to even more sea level rise in 2100, but there’s still a great deal of uncertainty about the future.

What kind of climate measures work in villages and towns?

What works in the city doesn’t always work in a village. Or vice versa. But are some climate measures suitable for both environments?

Healthcare workers are raising the alarm: We need zero-carbon healthcare

OPINION: Last year, England launched a zero-carbon health system strategy, inspiring a global movement. With an election on the horizon, it is time for Norway to decide whether we are in or out.

Is it possible to live a climate-friendly life?

Seen in a global context, Norwegian emissions are small. Is there any point in expensive, demanding measures? Researcher Torvald Tangeland responds.

Reduced Norwegian oil exports will reduce global emissions according to researchers

Other countries will not follow suit and produce enough oil to close the gap, the researchers say. Some Norwegian politicians and the oil industry however beg to differ.

Older people are less worried about climate change than before the pandemic

Are we more concerned about coronavirus than the climate?

The pandemic has given young people faith that something can be done about climate change

Seven out of ten young Norwegians aged 18-30 respond that their belief that something can be done about climate change has increased since the pandemic.

Now researchers know what’s underneath Jostedalsbreen, the largest glacier in continental Europe

Jostedalsbreen represents perhaps the largest unknown area in the region. Recently, geologists have mapped the glacier using georadar.

Is train transport the most environmentally friendly way to move goods?

Transporting goods by train instead of trucks can result in big cuts in CO2 emissions.

The "missing link" that triggered the ice ages

Melting icebergs from Antarctica are the key, according to a new study.

New report shows workers in the fossil fuels industry have a deep distrust of environmentalists

Distrust against environmentalists is widespread among those employed in oil- and gas-related businesses. There’s also a sense of bitterness against unions that are pushing for a more climate friendly industry.

Production of pet food for cats and dogs leaves a considerable carbon paw print

Producing dry kibble for our pets requires lots of farmland — equivalent to roughly twice the area of the United Kingdom. Replace animal remains used in the feed with insects, suggests one Norwegian researcher.

Record high levels of CO2 and methane in the atmosphere over Norway in 2019

For the 19th year in a row, record high levels of CO2 and methane were measured in the atmosphere over Norway, according to new numbers.

Climate change is a bigger field of research in Norway than in any other country

Even so, Norwegian researchers only account for two per cent of the world’s total research on climate change. This two per cent however has had a great impact on further research, according to a new report.

Historic amount of flooding in Europe during the last 30 years

Europe is now experiencing more frequent and greater floods compared to the last 500 years, according to a pan-European study that included Norway.

Norway needs coronavirus-style measures to start the green shift along the coast

OPINION: Norway’s coastal communities and ocean industries want stricter regulations and greater investment in becoming more sustainable. Governments around the world have acted swiftly to suppress the coronavirus – a similar coordinated effort would be an effective tool to combat the climate changes we are facing.

Now kids and teens in Norway have their own Climate House

How can scientists really know that the climate is changing? A visit to the new Climate House that has just opened in Oslo may help you understand it.

Learning from corona: Climate change, security and justice

Just as the coronavirus, climate change is an existential threat that requires urgent measures. So why are we not treating it with the same kind of urgency, asks GLOBUS researcher Thomas Diez.

Never before has so much rain been recorded in January in Norway

Had it not been for a cold day in Northern Norway at the very end of the month, this January would have also been the warmest ever recorded in Norway.

Most Norwegians think they have a responsibility to cut greenhouse gas emissions

But there is no consensus as to what should actually be done.

Shorter winters and much less snow in 30 years

There will most likely be only half as many days with good conditions for skiing in Norway in 30 years compared to today, researchers at the Norwegian Meteorological Institute predict.

Christmas gift trends: Less jewellery, and ethical gifts not gaining ground

Despite society’s increasing focus on the environment, the tradition of giving each other gifts for Christmas remains deeply embedded in our culture. It’s still rare to give ethical Christmas presents. Granted, jewellery is less likely to glitter under the Christmas tree, while food and drink have become more popular as gifts.

The strict EAT-diet is supposed to be good for the climate and good for our health. But how did researchers arrive at their recommendations?

The report lacks important information and the EAT dietary advice is based on uncertain models, researchers write in a new review. The EAT experts do not agree.

Heritage conservation and Climate Change: Introducing the Future of our past in the Norwegian context.

Transitions are changes in the way of do things, and to stimulate them it is necessary to expand our understanding of the world and its realities, so we can create new ways to relate to them. Although such proposals seem rather theoretical and abstract, this article will discuss how such transition is happening in the cultural heritage field.

Celebrity lifestyle increases global warming: New study flight-shames Bill Gates and Paris Hilton

While Greta Thunberg and the kids are out marching for climate change to be taken seriously, celebrities like Bill Gates and Paris Hilton continue flying like the world has no limits.

Norwegian universities tackle their carbon footprints from travel

You would think that universities would be leading the charge to cut back on carbon-intensive air travel. But some members of the Norwegian business community are far ahead of academics in dropping flights.

Exhaust gas is to blame: Ground-level ozone is damaging crops

Exhaust gas emissions have doubled the amount of ground-level ozone. Vegetation is being destroyed. Food production is decreasing. Researchers now fear that the damage is greatest in the Arctic regions.

What the world can learn from Brazilian coral reefs

Unlike Australia, coral reefs in Brazil haven’t seen any mass mortality events related to bleaching so far. Could Brazilian corals hold the key to more resilient reefs?

Time to wake up: Climate Change is already here

The serious warnings of the latest IPCC report lost the battle for media attention to Brexit, Trump, and the US mid-term elections. But it’s time to sit up and take notice. For small island states that face loss of sovereignty due to climate change, the clock is already ticking, warns climate researcher Adelle Thomas from the Bahamas.