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2024 Year in Review: Climate and the Environment

To recap 2024, NewsForKids.net is taking a look back at some of the most interesting stories we’ve covered this year.
Today we’re looking at some of this year’s big stories related to climate and the environment.

Britain Closes Its Last Coal Power Plant

Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station, from the east, with a train of coal being unloaded as it passes at walking pace through the building at middle right.
The United Kingdom said goodbye to coal-powered electricity on Monday when the last coal-fired power plant in the country closed down. The closing of the Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station marks the end of a 142-year history of coal-powered electricity in Great Britain.


WWF Reports Massive Drop in Wildlife Numbers

The Living Planet Index (LPI) tracks the best efforts of scientists to count wildlife populations around the world. This year's LPI says that, on average, wildlife populations dropped by 73% in the 50 years from 1970 to 2020 (red line in graph above). That's a huge and worrying drop.
A new report from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) says that the sizes of animal populations around the world have dropped by an average of 73% since 1970. The WWF says that humans are the main cause of these drops, and that we must act quickly to protect Earth’s plants and animals.


Ancient Log Shows Burying Wood Can Store Carbon

This ancient red cedar log is 3,775 years old. Researchers say that the clay soil helped preserve this log in such good shape.
In 2013, a group of researchers wanted to see if they could keep wood from breaking down by burying it underground. They thought it might help keep carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. As they started to dig, they discovered a 3,775-year-old log that proved their idea was a good one.


COP29: Countries Finally Reach $300 Billion Agreement

Sign for the United Nations climate meeting, COP29.
Early Sunday morning, nearly 200 countries from around the world reached an agreement to help poorer countries deal with the climate crisis. The agreement came at COP29, a United Nations climate meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan. Many people think the deal doesn’t do enough to help poorer countries.


COF-999: A Special New Material for Capturing Carbon

A vial of COF-999, which is yellow, with UC Berkeley’s landmark campanile in the background.
Scientists in California have created a new material that can remove large amounts of carbon dioxide from the air. The fluffy yellow powder works faster than other materials and can be used over and over again. The new material could play an important part in the fight against climate change.

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