The Southern Ocean, key to Earth's environmental system, is threatened by climate change. A new paper in Science by Dr Catarina Frazão Santos, Dr Lisa Wedding, and colleagues, details how climate-smart marine spatial planning can support Antarctic seascapes, with implications for the global ocean and human wellbeing.
News
Finntopia: what we can learn from the world's happiest country?
In the quest for the best of all societies, Professor Danny Dorling provides insights on his latest book, exploring what can be learnt from Europe's most equitable country and what's made it the world's happiest country for three years running.
NEWS
Meet Professor Michael Obersteiner, Director of the ECI
From September 2020 Michael Obersteiner will become Director of the Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford. Prof Obersteiner will assume 80% of the Directorship, working closely with Dr Friederike Otto, who will now step into the role of Associate Director, with oversight of ECI's communications and strategic research direction. Read on to learn about Michael's new role, research interests and hobbies - including plans to paraglide over the Farmoor reservoir.
NEWS
Warming Temperatures are Driving Arctic Greening
As Arctic summers warm, Earth's northern landscapes are changing. Using satellite images to track global tundra ecosystems over decades, a new collaborative study involving the University of Oxford and global institutions across the world, found the region has become greener, as warmer air and soil temperatures lead to increased plant growth.
NEWS
Bending the curve of biodiversity loss
A new report, published in Nature, identifies two key areas for action to stop global biodiversity loss and 'bend the curve' towards recovery by 2050 or earlier - without jeopardising the achievement of other Sustainable Development Goals. The study calls for bold conservation and restoration efforts, alongside a transformation of the global food system. It forms a core part of WWF's Living Planet Report 2020, and authors include Michael Obersteiner, Director of the ECI.
NEWS
Coronavirus: why aren't death rates rising with case numbers?
Danny Dorling uses government data from England and Wales to explain why coronavirus death rates remain low despite cases rising for two months in his latest article for The Conversation.
IN THE MEDIA
Rai Saad Khan wins prize for his undergraduate dissertation on Performative Statehood
Congratulations to recent graduate Rai Saad Khan (2020, Christ Church) who has been awarded the 2020 undergraduate dissertation prize by the Royal Geographical Society's Development Geographies Research Group for his paper titled, 'Lahore's Performative Statehoods: A study of the form and practices of statehood of the Walled City of Lahore Authority in Pakistan'.
NEWS
Only one in 10 utility firms prioritise renewable electricity
New research finds electric utility companies are undermining the global transition to net zero emissions. Only 10 percent of companies have prioritised renewable capacity and many of those continue to invest in fossil fuels as well. The study, led by Galina Alova, was published today in Nature Energy and covered by the Guardian, BBC, and others.
IN THE MEDIA
Climate change after COVID-19: Harder to defeat politically, easier to tackle economically
A column in VoxEU draws on a new research paper, 'Five Lessons from COVID-19 for Advancing Climate Change Mitigation' from a team including Franziska Funke, Linus Mattauch and Brian O'Callaghan at the ECI and Smith School. It argues that the current pandemic is an opportunity to understand where the real challenges lie for progression on climate action - in garnering political will and public support.
IN THE MEDIA
How COVID-19 Has Accelerated Interest In Environmental Issues
BusinessBecause explores how the coronavirus has changed attitudes, outlooks and policy. With comment from Aoife Brophy Haney, on how the crisis has triggered people to re-engage with their local environment in a different way than they did before - and provided a trial run for the business response to the climate crisis.
IN THE MEDIA
MSc student Ellen Kujawa announced as one of nine Science Policy Fellows on the National Academies' 2020 Gulf Research Program
Ellen Kujawa, a current student on the MSc in Water Science, Policy and Management programme, is one of nine recipients to be awarded a 2020 Science Policy Fellowship on the United States' National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Gulf Research Program, which seeks to benefit Gulf Coast communities and ecosystems.
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