Damian Carrington

Microplastic pollution is reducing the ability of staple crops to photosynthesize, potentially increasing the number of people at risk of starvation by 400 million in the next two decades, researchers say.Damian Carrington reports for The Guardian.In short:Microplastics damage plant photosynthesis, ...

Damian Carrington Environment editor · 6-min read

Floods, heatwaves and supercharged hurricanes occurred in hottest climate human society has ever experienced

The devastating impacts of the climate crisis reached new heights in 2024, with scores of unprecedented heatwaves, floods and storms across the globe, according to the UN's World Meteorological Organization.

The world experienced 151 record-breaking extreme weather events in 2024, the hottest year ever recorded, displacing hundreds of thousands and causing widespread destruction.Damian Carrington reports for The Guardian.In short:The United Nations World Meteorological Organization documented 151 extrem...

Action urgently needed to save the conditions under which markets – and civilisation itself – can operate, says senior Allianz figure

A top executive at Allianz says the climate crisis is pushing insurance and broader financial systems toward collapse as rising temperatures and extreme weather make entire regions uninsurable.Damian Carrington reports for The Guardian.In short:Allianz SE board member Günther Thallinger warned that ...

Hotter seas supercharge storms and destroy critical ecosystems such as kelp forests and coral reefs

The climate crisis has significantly intensified marine heatwaves, which are now more frequent, last longer, and are destroying ecosystems from coral reefs to kelp forests.Damian Carrington reports for The Guardian.In short:Ocean heatwaves have nearly tripled in length since the 1980s, with half of ...

Researchers say urgent action needed to inform people about risks of heatwave temperatures and adapt homes