The science stories that shaped 2019
From the first image of a black hole to a detailed survey of sea ice in the Arctic, scientists pick the breakthrough moments that defined the year
Was 2019 the year people finally started to listen to climate scientists on global heating? The previous year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) had laid out the monumental challenge of limiting warming to 1.5C. Global CO2 emissions would need to halve within 12 years, and reach zero around 2050. But emissions are still rising, while UN summits make tiny steps towards agreeing how to reduce them. The “emissions gap” between target and reality grows ever wider – and becomes ever harder to close.