They course through many of the world’s biggest cities: miles of underground pipes built decades ago, ferrying steam or hot water to a network of buildings. Misty manhole covers on urban streets signal the presence of what’s known as district energy.

Widely used but rarely mentioned in conversations about how cities can slash climate-warming greenhouse gases while sustaining growth, district energy is attracting new interest. The United States alone has more than 700 of these subterranean systems, some dating back to the 1880s.

Government subsidies are fueling a boom in electric vehicles in China, driving hopes for the industry's global future as the world's biggest car market offers economies of scale that could make the technology mainstream.

Sales of electric cars, though still modest, have rocketed four-fold in a year -- thanks in part to lavish government handouts -- as Beijing looks to cut down on dangerous air pollution that shrouds urban areas.

Canada and South America’s breathtaking backdrops in “The Revenant” gave its award-winning star, Leonardo DiCaprio, a “terrifying” up close and personal look at climate change.

Record-breaking temperatures linked to climate change are the new normal for residents forced to endure their changing environment, the actor learned while filming the movie in locations that included Mexico, Argentina, British Columbia and Alberta.

The lake that Philip Tioko relies on for survival is a fine turquoise strip that seems to recede farther into the distance each day. His fishing village once hugged the shore, but now it is 800 feet away, and everything — food, water and employment — is drying up.

Tioko, 46, remembers when fish were abundant in Lake Turkana, the world’s largest desert lake, and there was enough rain for his livestock. “I used to have so many animals. The lake used to be full — life was good,” he said.

The international community has agreed on an ambitious agenda to curb climate change. Some 195 countries have decided to try and cut greenhouse gas emissions to a level that will limit the rise in average global temperatures to well below 2C. The question we now face is: how are we going to finance the changes needed to reach this goal? Quantitative easing – creating new money – might just be the answer.

How to finance 1.5C

Anslem Silva has fished for four decades from this popular harbor on Sri Lanka's west coast, but for five years now filling his boat has become increasingly difficult.

"We seem to be spending more and more time out at sea looking for catch. Where there were fish for decades, now there is very little. It is strange, but all of us have been noticing that," said the 54-year-old fisherman, who operates his own trawler on multi-day trips reaching 100 to 150 kilometers (60 to 90 miles) off the coast.

Norway wants other countries to leave their coal and oil in the ground to meet new global climate change targets, but its industry is planning to increase production of its own fossil fuels.

“We know that if we burn all the coal, oil and gas available, the Paris agreement cannot be fulfilled. Significant parts of the total fossil resources must remain, untouched,” said Karl Eirik Schjøtt-Pedersen, director of the Norwegian oil and gas association and a former minister of finance.

For thousands of years, humans have taken every precaution to avoid mosquitoes and the diseases they carry, from Malaria to Zika. But while techniques for fighting the insects have improved dramatically over time, scientists say long-term climate change could soon make protecting humans from mosquitoes much more difficult.

The link between climate change and mosquito-borne illness centers around how rising temperatures may expand the area in which mosquitoes can thrive. Most such illnesses can only be transmitted at temperatures between approximately 16°C (61°F) and 38°C (100°F), according to a World Health Organization report. Perhaps more significantly, the time it takes for mosquitoes to develop decreases significantly the closer temperatures are to around 30°C (86°F). The average global temperature is expected to rise by at least 2°C (3.6°F) by 2100 even if countries take dramatic action to limit their greenhouse gas emissions. In some areas, that shift will be much more dramatic.

Rubbish piled up on New Delhi's streets on Monday as refuse collectors vowed to push ahead with a nearly week-long strike, the latest crisis to hit the world's most polluted city.

Already reeling from dangerously high levels of toxic smog, the Indian capital is now grappling with uncollected garbage that has been mounting in parts of the city since January 27.

Ethiopia is struggling from its worst drought for 30 years with millions in dire need of life saving aid, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned Sunday.

At least 10.2 million people need food aid in Ethiopia, a figure the U.N. has warned could rise sharply, as "forecasts indicate that it could double within months" casting a fifth of the population into hunger.