The world’s vegetation has a remarkable ability to absorb carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the air and store it as biomass. In doing so, plants slow down climate change since the CO₂ they take up does not contribute to global warming. But what will happen under more advanced climate change? How will vegetation respond to projected Read more
A 12-month run that’s delivered record-breaking deluges and dramatic marine heatwaves has proven New Zealand’s warmest period since observations began more than 150 years ago. That’s according to a prominent climate scientist’s analysis, as global agencies report that 2023 looks likely to go down as the planet’s hottest in recorded history. In assessing the local Read more
The construction of a Catholic religious centre in Saint-Pierre-de-Colombier, Ardèche, France, has caused controversy. Earlier this week, nuns from the missionary group formed a human chain around a digger to prevent the activists from chaining themselves to it. However, the clash turned physical when an unnamed nun from the Notre Dame Missionary Family sprinted across Read more
Caritas says Pacific nations’ voices should be heard at COP28 – the 2028 United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP). The conference aims to agree on goals and negotiate agreements in the fight against climate change. The Caritas submission In preparation for this year’s event, COP28 in Dubai, Caritas Aotearoa-New Zealand made a Read more
In a world where climate change is impacting many, religious leaders say it’s a moral problem they have a stake in. It’s not just a problem for the science community. Religious leaders are concerned. They’re asking what religion’s future might look like in a world with a vastly changing climate. Some think it could mean Read more
Aotearoa New Zealand “punches above its weight” in sport, science and international affairs. We also excel at something less praiseworthy: producing excessive emissions which damage the environment. However, Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand is gloomy about the country’s response to climate change and in its latest ‘advocacy newsletter,’ and pricks at New Zealanders’ consciences. It points Read more
Climate change is not a crisis, according to many US religious groups and individuals. A new Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) survey found beliefs on climate change severity haven’t changed much among religious groups over the past decade. The June 2023 “One Home One Future” survey is the latest multifaith effort aiming to engage congregations Read more
Climate change deniers and politicians are called to note that the World’s responses to climate change have not been adequate. According to Pope Francis, nations are using climate change responses merely as a ploy to distract attention, and it’s time to get serious. The comments come in a stern warning in Laudate Deum, issued by Read more
Kiwis are putting the brakes on bike purchases, according to Newsroom. The decline in bicycle sales could spell trouble for New Zealand’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions and may further put into question the substantial investment in cycle lanes by the Central Government and local councils. The challenges facing New Zealand’s bicycle market were laid Read more
The recent Women’s Football World Cup, with its acting-out of the Enlightenment values of liberty, equality and fraternity, was a delightful patch of blue sky among more ominous dark clouds. The fires and floods in the Northern Hemisphere have emphasised the threat of climate change to people’s lives throughout the world. They foreshadow the future. Read more