Wildfire is the single greatest terrestrial disturbance agent on Earth. Satellite data suggest that in an average year, wildfires burn a total area of around 3.5 million km2, an area around 15 times larger than the UK. While some of these fires are purposefully controlled or are manageable, and can have benefits for ecosystems and livelihoods, other fires burn uncontrollably, with sometimes devastating consequences for safety, livelihoods, wildlife and climate.
Spreading like wildfire; the double-threat of changing landscapes and climate
Salt marshes or sea walls? Preventing coastal flooding in the UK
Nick Reynard, Lizzie Ellison and Amy Wilson, Research Postgraduates on the Science and Solutions for a Changing Planet DTP, consider…
COP25 – the world must wake up to environmental inequality
People protesting in Santiago with colourful flags and political slogan. Credit: Carolina Cuadros Karina Corada Perez, Research Postgraduate at Imperial’s Centre for…
Climate change: Teaching our unknowable future
Grantham Institute Lecturer Dr Joeri Rogelj says when it comes to climate change education, ‘stories about the future’ help people…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…