For over ten years, scientists from a wide range of disciplines and institutions have been working together to define the framework of a “Safe Operating Space” on a planetary scale, characterized by physical limits that humanity would have to respect, otherwise conditions on Earth would become far less hospitable to human life. This framework has since been supplemented and updated in a number of publications.

Last year, the International Energy Agency (IEA) warned that any further expansion of fossil fuels must be halted. Since then, 24 of Europe’s largest banks have provided $33 billion in new financing to companies planning to increase their oil and gas production. These are the findings of a new report published on February 14 by ShareAction.

By an accident of geography and history, Romania is home to one of the world’s largest ancient forests. It’s been dubbed the Amazon of Europe, a comparison that’s both apt and worrying given the speed with which it’s disappearing like the Amazon. Some of the timber cut each season is legal, but most is not, and violence between the forestry industry and its opponents often breaks out.

The risks of a top-down, high-tech approach to halting climate change are becoming increasingly apparent. The supply of rare materials and the large amount of energy used to extract and process them generate significant emissions. So-called “low-tech” solutions don’t mean a return to medieval lifestyles, but do call for greater discernment in the choice of technologies – and consideration of their drawbacks.

Why aren’t we doing more to stop climate change when the prospect of its consequences is so alarming? We’ve all heard or even uttered the reasons for this apathy, such as “it’s so far in the future” or “I’m not going to make a difference” or “it’s too expensive”. Do these reasons really excuse us? Zoom in on some of the arguments most frequently used to justify inaction.

The ocean bears much of the burden of the climate crisis, biodiversity loss and pollution. These were the words spoken by UN Secretary-General António Guterres at the “One Ocean Summit” held in Brest from February 9 to 12. Overfishing, the greening of transport and plastic pollution were among the topics discussed.

In a study published in the journal of the US National Academy of Sciences (Pnas), dozens of scientists estimate the total number of species at around 73,300, 14% more than the 64,100 tree species already listed. Their estimates are based on a more comprehensive database and a more advanced statistical method than previous studies.

Nuclear power is now included in the ranking of economic activities with a favorable impact on the environment. The European Commission’s decision was eagerly awaited by the nuclear industry and France in particular, but it has also been widely criticized. In such a context, a cleaner nuclear alternative would be welcome.

Lake Annecy was used as a spillway for the sewage of the surrounding towns before it benefited from an ambitious clean-up policy carried out over 60 years ago, which led to its restoration. But the threats are numerous and require vigilance on the part of its defenders.

WWF isn’t the first charity to reassess its position on crypto-donations. In 2021, Greenpeace stopped accepting donations in bitcoins after seven years, followed by Friends of the Earth. Non-profit organizations Mozilla and Wikipedia have also reconsidered their crypto-currency donation strategies for climate change-related reasons.