Fred Pearce

Author and journalist

Fred Pearce is a freelance author and journalist based in the United Kingdom. He is environment consultant for New Scientist magazine and author of numerous books, including "Earth Then and Now: Potent Visual Evidence of Our Changing World" and "The Climate Files: The Battle for the Truth About Global Warming."

Phantom forests: Why ambitious tree planting projects are failing

October 24, 2022

by Fred Pearce

High-profile initiatives to plant millions of trees are being touted by governments around the world as major contributions to fighting climate change. But the reality on the ground can be sobering.
- Forestry
Why the rush to mine lithium could dry up the High Andes

October 6, 2022

by Fred Pearce

A mining boom in mountainous Argentina, Chile and Bolivia, home to half the world’s lithium reserves, could drain vital ecosystems and deprive Indigenous communities of water.
Collateral damage: The environmental cost of the Ukraine War

September 21, 2022

by Fred Pearce

From forests ignited by shelling to wrecked factories spewing pollution to precarious nuclear plants, the long-term impacts could be profound.
Why methane is a large and underestimated threat to climate goals

April 28, 2022

by Fred Pearce

Scientists say governments aren't factoring in the big short-term impact of rising methane emissions in meeting mid-century climate targets.
The climate is changing. How are central banks responding?

September 10, 2021

by Fred Pearce

From the Bank of England to the People’s Bank of China, monetary authorities of the world’s largest economies are gauging how climate change could rock the financial system.
- Finance & Investing
- Green Finance
A Tipping Point: Why ‘carbon-cycle feedbacks’ could drive temperatures even higher

June 10, 2020

by Fred Pearce

New research indicates that parts of the Amazon and other tropical forests are emitting more CO2 than they absorb. Some scientists are concerned about this development.
In store or online — what's the most environmentally friendly way to shop?

June 4, 2019

by Fred Pearce

Drones, robots, crowd-shipping and more offer new options for solving the sticky “last-mile” problem of bringing our purchases home.
- Retail
- Transportation & Mobility
The Paris conundrum: How do we actually know how much carbon is being emitted?

September 25, 2018

by Fred Pearce

Climate negotiators are considering rules for verifying commitments, but there currently is no reliably accurate way to measure total global emissions.
With China in the lead, new obstacles to climate progress are emerging

July 12, 2018

by Fred Pearce

It has become the de facto leader in international climate efforts. But is the world’s leading carbon emitter now pulling back?
Conventional shipping gets on deck for decarbonization

May 10, 2018

by Fred Pearce

International shipping produces as much CO2 as aircraft. Here’s what we can do about that.