Behind the scenes at the UNFCCC: Imperial students on internships ahead of COP24
Albertine Pegrum-Haram and Goodwin Gibbins, Research Postgraduates at Imperial College London, are more at home with chemistry and climate models than the politics of global cooperation. However, as part of an internship to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat, they joined a team dedicated to supporting the international climate change process – at a key moment for global climate negotiations. The UNFCCC … Continue reading Behind the scenes at the UNFCCC: Imperial students on internships ahead of COP24
3 key ingredients could combine at COP24 to deliver real action on climate change
As the 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP24 to the UNFCCC) gets underway in Katowice, Poland, Alyssa Gilbert, Director of Policy and Translation at the Grantham Institute who is leading the Imperial College London delegation at the summit, explains why she is rooting for its success more strongly than ever. Evidence is undeniable: we must act now, … Continue reading 3 key ingredients could combine at COP24 to deliver real action on climate change
Energy for life – The underestimated component for good healthcare provision
Muriel Hauser, visiting research postgraduate at the Grantham Institute, considers why electricity is so important for healthcare, and how improving access to energy can improve access to healthcare for all people. Have you ever worried that a blackout might occur when you’re in hospital? That an operation could be interrupted because of a power outage, or that it could be impossible to get an X-ray … Continue reading Energy for life – The underestimated component for good healthcare provision
London’s air crisis: How can we bring about change?
Following massive public concern about the quality of the air we breathe, the Grantham Institute hosted a discussion that explored the challenges of cleaning up air in London and ways to bring about meaningful change. Abbie Stone, Media, Events and Outreach Officer, shares some of the key discussion points: London’s air pollution has been described as a ‘crisis’ by its own residents, and despite efforts … Continue reading London’s air crisis: How can we bring about change?
6 things we learned from the authors of the 1.5°C Report
Following the Europe-wide launch of the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C at Imperial, chapter lead-authors Professor Myles Allen from the University of Oxford and Imperial’s Dr Joeri Rogelj, gave their personal take on the report at a joint event between Grantham Institute and the Royal Meteorological Society. So, what did we take away from this conversation about how to avoid the worst … Continue reading 6 things we learned from the authors of the 1.5°C Report
Pensions: Invest in our future, not the past
Dr Neil Jennings, Partnership Development Manager at the Grantham Institute, takes a look at the USS pensions scheme and considers how you can take more control of your pension investments. [Updated 10/09/2018] If you could choose where your pension was invested what would you go for? Tobacco companies maybe? I suspect not. But, if you have a USS pension (or potentially any other pension), that … Continue reading Pensions: Invest in our future, not the past
The pitfalls of hydroelectric power in drought-prone Africa
Alvaro Lara, former student on the MSc Climate Change, Management & Finance programme, considers Africa’s reliance on hydroelectric power, the impact of climate change on the water cycle and why current plans to invest in more hydroelectric projects may not be a route to energy security. For much of 2017, one of the world’s least-developed countries, Malawi in south-east Africa, experienced intermittent blackouts as a result of … Continue reading The pitfalls of hydroelectric power in drought-prone Africa
8 ways to cut your carbon footprint
Liam Flanagan, Research Postgraduate on the Science and Solutions for a Changing Planet DTP (SSCP DTP), lists his top 8 ways to cut your carbon footprint. Which has a bigger carbon footprint – the United States or Australia[1]? Eggs or cheese[2]? Drying your hands using paper towels or a Dyson Airblade dryer[3]? These are just the sorts of questions that make up ‘The Carbon Calculator’, a game … Continue reading 8 ways to cut your carbon footprint
Excessive heat, droughts and floods – how can ‘blue-green infrastructure’ help?
Kathryn Brown, Grantham Research Fellow and Head of Adaptation at the UK Committee on Climate Change, blogs on why we need to prepare for climate change impacts, and how bringing the natural world into our urban landscape can help us to do just this. The last few months have been fairly unprecedented in terms of weather across the UK. While some people have enjoyed basking … Continue reading Excessive heat, droughts and floods – how can ‘blue-green infrastructure’ help?
Summer temperatures 2018 – the ‘new normal’?
There can be no doubt that the summer of 2018 has been remarkable both in the UK and across the world. Following an appearance on BBC Newsnight, in which the presenter Emily Maitlis asked if current temperatures can be considered the ‘new normal’, Professor Stephen Belcher, Chief Scientist at the Met Office, and Professor Sir Brian Hoskins, Chair of the Grantham Institute, give their perspective … Continue reading Summer temperatures 2018 – the ‘new normal’?