Author: Grantham Institute

Climate change and environment institute at Imperial College London, one of the world's leading research universities.
Anti-fracking protesters with yellow signs saying "frack free Lancashire"
Energy, Mitigation, Policy

Fracking Q&A: The background, the ban and what’s coming next

Last weekend, the United Kingdom Government announced a moratorium on fracking, based on evidence from a report by the Oil & Gas Authority (OGA). In this Q&A, Imperial’s Karen Makuch, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Law, and Miriam Aczel, President’s Scholar at the Centre for Environmental Policy, consider what led to the ban, and what it might mean for the UK energy sector going forwards.   What … Continue reading Fracking Q&A: The background, the ban and what’s coming next

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Picture of the road A401 by Shepherd's Bush Green, flanked by tower blocks
Air Pollution, Health, Research

Painting over the cracks – a short-term fix for air pollution?

The Grantham Institute’s Dr Andreas Kafizas blogs on how light-activated paint and coatings can help tackle air pollution, and whether or not they are effective. Air pollution is a public health emergency. Imperial research shows that poor air quality in London leads to around 1,000 hospital admissions for asthma and serious lung conditions every year. For the UK as a whole, it is estimated that … Continue reading Painting over the cracks – a short-term fix for air pollution?

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Watercolour painting of krill bioluminescence. (c) Wikimedia commons
Earth systems, Research

9 things you need to know about krill and why they are essential to the health of the ocean

Watercolour painting of krill bioluminescence. (c) Wikimedia commons Imperial’s Dr Emma Cavan, lead author of a recent Nature Communications paper on the role of krill in influencing the environment, and the University of Tasmania’s Professor Steve Nicol, author of ‘The Curious Life of Krill’, blog on why krill are so much more than they seem. Krill – a crustacean that looks a bit like a … Continue reading 9 things you need to know about krill and why they are essential to the health of the ocean

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Extinction Rebellion protests at Oxford Circus. Lots of people with green XR flags.
Communicating climate change, Individual action on climate, Student blogs

Put your fate in your hands: Rebelling against extinction gave me hope for the future

Geraint Northwood, Research Postgraduate on the Science and Solutions for a Changing Planet DTP, blogs on his experience with Extinction Rebellion, and how it has turned his frustration to optimism for the future. The first I knew of Extinction Rebellion was when a sort of business card was handed to me at a climate strike in Westminster, which I pretty much ignored. It had the … Continue reading Put your fate in your hands: Rebelling against extinction gave me hope for the future

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Coal-fired Power station with steaming cooling tower and lonesome tree
CCS, IPCC, Mitigation, Student blogs

Reducing carbon emissions: don’t wait until tomorrow  

Neil Grant, Research Postgraduate on the Science and Solutions for a Changing Planet DTP, blogs on why avoiding a tonne of carbon dioxide today is not the same as removing a tonne of carbon dioxide tomorrow. In 2019, public concern about climate change increased dramatically, and pressure is growing on world leaders to take decisive action in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Experts are warning that, with the world significantly off-track to … Continue reading Reducing carbon emissions: don’t wait until tomorrow  

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A group of refugees leaving Hungary, walking down the road carrying their things
Impacts & adaptation, Research, Student blogs

Climate change is a security issue. How can we make sure climate security receives the attention it needs?  

Shirin Hakim and Miriam Aczel, who recently co-organised a Grantham Institute event about climate change, low-carbon transitions and security, reflect on why climate change is a security issue and the next steps for researchers and policymakers .   While climate change and security have traditionally been examined in isolation, climate is increasingly entering the policy arena as a national security issue. The impacts of global warming are far-reaching. Extreme weather like droughts and flooding … Continue reading Climate change is a security issue. How can we make sure climate security receives the attention it needs?  

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Crossroad signpost saying this way, that way, another way concept for lost, confusion or decisions
Communicating climate change, Individual action on climate

Pragmatic optimism, rather than complacency or despondency, is the best way to tackle the climate emergency

Dr Ajay Gambhir, Advanced Research Fellow at the Grantham Institute, considers the best mindset with which to approach the climate emergency. In the last month there have been two eye-catching opinion pieces on climate change by famous, influential, though notably non-expert, commentators. The first, by celebrity historian Niall Ferguson, weighs in on Greta Thunberg. He asserts that Greta is taking climate change far too seriously. … Continue reading Pragmatic optimism, rather than complacency or despondency, is the best way to tackle the climate emergency

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A portrait picture of a girl cropped so that it only shows half her face, and shown horizontally.
Impacts & adaptation, Individual action on climate

Feeling anxious about climate change? You’re not the only one

As global temperatures rise, so do the mental health implications. Dr Emma Lawrance, Mental Health Innovations Fellow at Imperial’s Institute of Global Health Innovation, blogs on why it’s time to take the mental health implications of climate change seriously.  Mental health crisis. Climate crisis. While both are familiar phrases to anyone reading the press these days, the links between climate change and mental health remain unobvious … Continue reading Feeling anxious about climate change? You’re not the only one

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Globe showing South America
Student blogs

How can Latin American countries shape a more sustainable future?

Following the third Symposium on Sustainable Development in Latin America, hosted by the Imperial College Latin American Society, organisers Ernesto Santibanez-Borda, Diego Moya and Moises Gomez-Soto reflect on why building local skills, environmental innovation and science diplomacy are key to achieving sustainable long-term growth in Latin America. Although Latin America holds only about eight per cent of the global population, it is home to a quarter of … Continue reading How can Latin American countries shape a more sustainable future?

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Carolina Schmidt, Minister of Environment, Chile and Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary, UNFCCC at the Host Country Agreement signing ceremony (c) UNclimatechange
Climate negotiations, COP 20, Policy

Have I got the Bonn blues? Time to look forwards to COP25 in Chile

Carolina Schmidt, Minister of Environment, Chile and Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary, UNFCCC at the Host Country Agreement signing ceremony (c) UNclimatechange Trish O’Beirne, student on the MSc in Environmental Technology, reflects on her experience at the UNFCCC’s Climate Change Conference in Bonn, and looks ahead to the forthcoming Conference of the Parties (COP25), in Chile. Having spent most of my academic career in the happy … Continue reading Have I got the Bonn blues? Time to look forwards to COP25 in Chile

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