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The second-hottest year recorded at Earth’s surface was the hottest in its oceans

Among scientists who work on climate change, perhaps the most anticipated information each year is how much the Earth has warmed. That information can only come from the oceans, because almost all heat is stored there. If you want to understand global warming, you need to first understand ocean warming.

This isn’t to say other measurements are not also important. For instance, measurements of the air temperature just above the Earth are really important. We live in this air; it affects us directly. A great commentary on 2017 air temperatures is provided by my colleague Dana Nuccitelli. Another measurement that is important is sea level rise; so too is ocean acidification. We could go on and on identifying the markers of climate change. But in terms of understanding how fast the Earth is warming, the key is the oceans.

In the face of nuclear weapons and climate change, scientists moved the clock forward, putting much of the blame on the Trump administration

The risk to global civilisation is as high today as it has ever been in the face of twin threats, nuclear weapons and climate change, a group of leading scientists has announced, putting a significant share of the blame on the Trump administration.

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moved its symbolic Doomsday Clock forward 30 seconds, to two minutes to midnight, in a reflection of how the scientists view the dangers facing the world. The only other time the clock was set so close to catastrophe in its 71-year history was in 1953, after the US and the Soviet Union detonated their first thermonuclear bombs.

Glasgow to Edinburgh route among those affected as Met Office forecasts winds of up to 90mph

The Edinburgh to Glasgow railway line and five others in Scotland have been affected by landslides and flooding, leading to delays and cancellations.

Landslides took place on Wednesday along two commuter lines, including the main route between Glasgow Queen Street and Edinburgh, plus Glasgow Central to Carlisle and the Newcastle line via Dumfries.

Public and private sector funds must increasingly pool resources to finance larger global sustainability and climate change projects, a new study shows

Tackling climate change and achieving the world’s sustainable development goals will require publicly funded and private sector banks and institutions to be far more willing to join forces to provide “blended” finance to projects, according to a new study.

Blended finance is the term given to the use of public or philanthropic capital to spur private sector investment in projects aimed at achieving the sustainable development goals. Already, this market is worth about $50bn globally, but experts said on Tuesday this sum could double within the next three to four years.