Brown algae are important players in the global carbon cycle by fixing large amounts of carbon dioxide and thus extracting this greenhouse gas from the atmosphere. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology found that only highly specialized bacteria can carry out the degradation with the help of more than hundred enzymes.

Germans have difficulty gauging the negative impact of weather conditions such as ground frost, heat, or UV radiation. This is one of the key results of a representative survey conducted by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, published in Weather, Climate, and Society.

From collapsing supply chains to power grabs by populist leaders, the coronavirus pandemic has revealed how a crisis can swiftly ramp up wider security risks – a clear warning as climate change looms large, security experts warned.

From building cemeteries away from human settlements to erecting fences around graves, South Africa is drawing up plans to protect the country’s water supply from contamination if mass coronavirus burials become a necessity.

The European Commission said it planned to increase organic farming and cut agricultural chemical use to protect the environment, proposals welcomed by green groups but which farmers said would make them less flexible.

China may struggle to meet its climate pledges this year as it turns to heavy industry and carbon-intensive projects to shore up its coronavirus-stricken economy, government researchers and analysts say.

European Union plans for an environmentally-friendly economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic will target building renovation, renewable energy and clean hydrogen fuel, according to a draft document.

Surface transport accounts for the largest share of the daily 17 megatons less CO2, followed by the production of goods and services and power generation.

A new weather forecasting system in Africa allows meteorologists to track approaching storms in real time, potentially saving lives from climate-related disasters, scientists said.

Lufthansa and ETH Zurich will develop innovative processes that make it possible to extract CO2 from the atmosphere and convert it into a synthesis gas that can be used to produce jet fuel.