Science & Technology Archives - The World from PRX

Teen climate activist Howey Ou is considered China’s Greta Thunberg, taking to the streets to speak out about climate change. But in a country where speaking up comes with big risks, Ou’s path is often a lonely one.

Saudi Arabia’s economy was built on oil. Now, faced with growing global pressure to replace fossil fuel with cleaner energy, the kingdom has announced plans to reach net-zero emissions by 2060.

At the COP26 summit on Monday, Brazil promised to fight climate change and committed to ending illegal deforestation by 2028. But many are wary of environmental promises from President Jair Bolsonaro as forest destruction spikes under his administration.

Vanessa Nakate, a young activist from Uganda, is an advocate for climate justice in neglected communities across the "global south," countries that are among the least responsible for causing climate change yet suffering the most from its effects.

North Atlantic right whales face a number of threats from climate change, vessel strikes, and entanglements in fishing gear, and scientists estimate that fewer than 400 remain. Now researchers have discovered that because of these stresses, the whales are smaller than they should be, which could be leading to fewer successful births.

More than 170 major companies have pledged to become carbon neutral by 2050, with many counting on carbon offsets and carbon trading programs to help them reach that goal. But critics say offsets are not nearly enough to address the danger to the planet from continually rising greenhouse gas emissions.

Here's what you need to know about the big UN climate summit in Glasgow.

African countries emit less than 3% of the world’s greenhouse gasses, but are feeling some of the biggest impacts from climate change. In West Africa, and across the continent, many citizens are already feeling the impact of climate change on a daily basis, with more frequent periods of drought and heavy rains threatening agricultural production.

This year, mushroom-hunting season is more anticipated than ever after last year’s strict quarantine measures kept most people in their own municipalities for the entire winter. The tradition is particularly strong in the northeast region of Catalonia.

Elephants have been pushed out of their natural habitat by encroaching farmland, deforestation and development. Last year was especially dry in the part of Yunnan Province where elephants usually live, making it harder for them to find the food they need in nature.