Mail & Guardian
Mail & Guardian
Patrick Galey

Creator

Patrick Galey

Global science and environment correspondent for AFP.

Carbon pollution: Ocean surface climates — its surface temperature, acidity and mineral concentration — are being changed by increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide. (Alexis Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
CLIMATE

Ocean climate changes a threat to sea life

The world’s seas have absorbed about a third of all carbon pollution produced since the Industrial Revolution

  • Patrick Galey
3 min read
The harsh reality is that emissions have risen on average 1.5% annually over the last decade (Wahdi Setiawan/Reuters)
CLIMATE CHANGE

Slash emissions now or miss 1.5°C goal, UN warns

The UNEP said that global emissions need to fall by 7.6%, each year, every year until 2030 to limit global temperature rises to 1.5°C

  • Patrick Galey
  • Marlowe Hood
4 min read
More than 200 astronomers from 18 countries were involved in the study, which used radio astronomy to look at a segment of sky over the northern hemisphere. (Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters)

New universe map unearths 300 000 more galaxies

The known universe just got a lot bigger

  • Patrick Galey
3 min read
Trails as long 3km are created when leaf-cutter ants native to South and Central America’s forests forage for food and building materials. (Cyril Ruoso/Biosphoto)
ACADEMIC RESEARCH

Smart ants cut the needless chatter

A new study suggests they build super-highways without having to communicate with each other

  • Patrick Galey
3 min read
Bangui in the Central African Republic, Liberia’s capital Monrovia and the Congolese city of Mbuji-Mayi are three most at-risk cities. (Joe Penney/Reuters)
BANGUI

Two thirds of African cities face ‘extreme climate risk’

Eight African cities featured in the 2018 Climate Vulnerability Index

  • Patrick Galey
3 min read
The Amazon is retreating to the tune of 52 000 square kilometres — equivalent to the area of Costa Rica — each year. (Bruno Kelly/Reuters)
AMAZON

Fears for Amazon after Bolsonaro wins Brazil presidency

Bolsonaro, who won 55% of the vote in a run-off on Sunday, issued a series of campaign pledges that left many fearing for the future of the Amazon

  • Patrick Galey
4 min read
Donna Strickland, an associate professor at the University of Waterloo, is photographed in her lab following a news conference, after winning the Nobel Prize for Physics. (Peter Power/Reuters)
DONNA STRICKLAND

Women scientists still ‘undervalued’ despite twin Nobel wins

Canadian scientist Donna Strickland became just the third woman in history to win the Nobel Physics Prize

  • Patrick Galey
4 min read
Environmental activists protest in front of the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok, Thailand. (Reuters)
AGREEMENT

Nations round on US, allies as UN climate talks wrap up

Talks foundered over the key issue of how efforts to limit climate change are funded and how contributions are reported.

  • Patrick Galey
4 min read