Extreme Weather More Persuasive on Climate Change Than Scientists
AP poll shows that events like superstorm Sandy are succeeding with climate sceptics where scientists have been failing
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Liberals, Conservatives More Alike Than You Think
With media figureheads like Rush Limbaugh and Michael Moore representing the right and left, it’s no wonder conservatives and liberals seem worlds apart. But the two sides of the political spectrum are closer together than they believe, a new study reveals. Everyone, including political moderates, overestimates the gap between liberal and conservative morals, according to…
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‘Like Lesser Americans’: Atheists Face Discrimination, Persecution
Atheists and other religious skeptics suffer persecution or discrimination in many parts of the world and in at least seven countries can be executed if their beliefs become known, according to a new report. The study, from the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU), showed that “unbelievers” in Islamic countries face the most severe —…
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Five Degrees of Ruination: Scientists Forecast Dramatic Temp Increase
The planet must not be allowed to warm beyond 2 degrees Celsius, according to the official targets at the Climate Change Conference in Doha. But a new study shows the goal is far from realistic. Current human activity is set to increase the temperature by some 5 degrees, and the consequences will be dire, scientists…
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Doha Climate Gateway: The Reaction
Countries are working towards a new global agreement on climate change that would, unlike the Kyoto protocol, require cuts in greenhouse gas emissions from both developed and developing countries, to be signed in 2015 and come into force from 2020. At Doha, they cleared away some of the obstacles to the proposed new treaty, including…
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The Right Policies Can Fill the Gender Gap in Science
Across the world, many women drop out of — or never enter — work in the ‘knowledge society’, even after studying science and technology. Low enrollment rates for women in all but the life sciences, and high dropout rates after university (almost a third of women in science), result in not only the loss of…
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After Kyoto
On January 1, 2013, the world can go back to emitting greenhouse gases with abandon. The pollution-reduction commitments that nations made as part of the Kyoto Protocol will expire, leaving the planet without any international climate regulation and uncertain prospects for a future treaty. Nature explores the options for limiting — and living with —…
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Why Seeing Is Believing – Usually – When It Comes to Climate Change
Political leaders haven’t moved on global warming because they’re not feeling widespread public pressure to do so. And the public isn’t putting that pressure on their leaders in part because many people still don’t believe that climate change is a real, or all that dangerous. The vast, vast majority of climate scientists know that global…
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Showing Decision-Makers the Value of Science
A SciDev.Net survey reveals the challenges of applying research insights to policy and practice, and underscores that evidence is not enough.
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New Study Shows Global Warming Is Rapidly Melting Ice at Both Poles
This is not good news. A new international study—done by 47 experts using data from multiple satellites and aircraft—shows that the Earth is losing ice at an ever-increasing rate from both poles. We’ve known for years that the Arctic has been suffering massive ice loss, with the record low broken more than once in recent…