Record Heat Waves in Europe Increase Heat-Related Deaths by 30%, Study Shows.

Scorching weather has baked Europe in more days of “extreme heat stress” than its scientists have ever seen.

According to the EU’s Earth-watching service Copernicus and the World Meteorological Organization, Heat-trapping pollutants that clog the atmosphere helped push temperatures in Europe last year to the highest or second-highest levels ever recorded.

Europeans are suffering from unprecedented heat during the day and are stressed by uncomfortable warmth at night. The joint State of the Climate report from the two organisations found that the death rate from hot weather has risen 30% in Europe in two decades. Read More

News Credit: The Guardian

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Economists Urge More Aid to Avert Climate Disaster, Target IMF and World Bank

Governments of wealthy nations are being urged by civil society experts and economists to commit significantly more funds to overseas aid, specifically through the World Bank, to mitigate the worst impacts of the climate crisis. The International Development Association fund, a World Bank branch that provides loans and grants to poorer countries, currently holds approximately $93 billion (£75 billion).

However, economic experts suggest that this amount needs to be nearly tripled by 2030. This week, during the World Bank’s annual spring meetings in Washington DC, government representatives are expected to discuss new aid commitments. Both the World Bank and its global counterparts, along with the International Monetary Fund, face considerable pressure to demonstrate their capacity to lead the global shift towards a low-carbon economy. Read More

News Credit: The Guardian

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Global Incomes to Fall by 20% by 2050 Due to Climate Crisis, Study Shows

Average incomes are projected to decrease by nearly a fifth by 2046 due to the climate crisis, according to a comprehensive study recently published in the journal Nature. This study forecasts that rising temperatures, increased rainfall, and more frequent and severe extreme weather events will lead to $38 trillion (£30 trillion) in annual damages by mid-century.

The study highlights that this economic toll, significantly higher than previous estimates, is already inevitable due to substantial past emissions from the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. The cost of these damages is estimated to be six times greater than the expense of limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius. Read More

News Credit: The Guardian

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Ghost Roads Signal Imminent Deforestation in Asia-Pacific Rainforests, Study Finds

Researchers at James Cook University in Australia have uncovered a vast network of undocumented “ghost roads” penetrating untouched rainforests in the Asia-Pacific region, leading to significant deforestation.

Using Google Earth to analyze tropical forests on the islands of Borneo, Sumatra, and New Guinea, the team documented approximately 1.37 million kilometres (850,000 miles) of roads—three to seven times the amount officially recorded in road databases. These ghost roads, which include bulldozed tracks through natural rainforest and informal roads on palm oil plantations, are strong indicators of imminent rainforest destruction, according to the study published in the journal Nature. The researchers described these roads as “among the gravest of all direct threats to tropical forests.” Read More

News Credit: The Guardian

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Strasbourg Court’s Climate Ruling May Influence Global Policies

A landmark decision by the European Court of Human Rights has significant implications, potentially paving the way for numerous global legal challenges, according to experts. The Strasbourg-based court found that Switzerland violated the human rights of over 2,000 elderly women by failing to adequately reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. The plaintiffs argued that their increased vulnerability to heatwaves infringed upon their rights to privacy and family life.

This ruling marks the first instance of the court interpreting the European Convention on Human Rights, addressing a climate change-related issue. Despite its groundbreaking nature, the decision has faced criticism. The Swiss People’s Party, for example, decried the court’s overreach and suggested that Switzerland should exit the Council of Europe. Similar sentiments echoed in the UK, with Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho expressing concerns on social media about the implications of such judicial decisions on national security and policy-making, emphasizing that elected officials should lead on climate policy. Read More

News Credit: The Guardian

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Climate Milestone: Heat-Trapping Gases Hit Record Highs in 2023

US scientists have confirmed that the levels of the three most important heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere reached new record highs again last year, underlining the escalating challenge posed by the climate crisis.

The global concentration of carbon dioxide, the most important and prevalent greenhouse gas emitted by human activity, rose to an average of 419 parts per million in the atmosphere in 2023, while methane, a powerful if shorter-lasting greenhouse gas, rose to an average of 1922 parts per billion. Levels of nitrous oxide, the third most significant human-caused warming emission, climbed slightly to 336 parts per billion.

Through the burning of fossil fuels, animal agriculture and deforestation, the world’s CO2 levels are now more than 50% higher than they were before the era of mass industrialization. Methane, which comes from sources including oil and gas drilling and livestock, has surged even more dramatically in recent years, Noaa said, and now has atmospheric concentrations 160% larger than in pre-industrial times. Read More

News Credit: The Guardian

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Antarctic Alert: Record Temperature Rise Signals Urgent Climate Crisis

On March 18, 2022, scientists at Concordia Research Station, situated on the East Antarctic Plateau, documented a historic meteorological event. The station recorded an unprecedented temperature surge, the largest ever at a meteorological centre on the planet. Instruments indicated that the temperature soared by 38.5°C above the average for that time of year, setting a new global record for temperature increase.

These events have raised fears that the Antarctic, once thought to be too cold to experience the early impacts of global warming, is now succumbing dramatically and rapidly to the swelling levels of greenhouse gases that humans continue to pump into the atmosphere.

These dangers were highlighted by a team of scientists led by Will Hobbs of the University of Tasmania in a paper that was published last week in the Journal of Climate. Read More

News Credit: The Guardian

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Entangled Realities: Marine Life and Plastic Pollution

The image is a striking visual analysis of the environmental issue of ocean plastic pollution and its impact on marine life. A creature called the sea turtle that relies on marine ecosystems for survival swims in close proximity to a floating plastic bag. The plastic’s translucent and ethereal appearance in the water can easily be mistaken for a jellyfish, a common food source for sea turtles. This misidentification can lead to ingestion, which is harmful and often fatal to the turtle, disrupting its digestive system and potentially leading to starvation.

The turtle’s orientation towards the bag suggests curiosity or the initial stages of interaction, indicative of the imminent danger posed by the plastic debris. The clear blue water surrounding the turtle emphasizes the natural beauty of the ocean environment, which starkly contrasts with the synthetic and out-of-place nature of the plastic bag.

There is a broader ecological crisis: plastic pollution, which poses a serious threat to marine biodiversity. It calls attention to the need for changes in waste management, increased public awareness, and the adoption of sustainable practices to prevent such materials from entering marine habitats. This serves as a powerful visual representation of the challenges faced by marine species and the urgency for environmental stewardship.

Unusual Patterns in Antarctic Sea Ice as Arctic Hits Subpar Winter Peak

Following an all-time low maximum in September 2023, Antarctic sea ice has been tracking at near-record-low extent for the past six months. Last month, it hit its 2024 minimum extent, tying with 2022 for the second-lowest Antarctic minimum in the 46-year satellite record.

Arctic sea ice has reached its maximum extent for the year, peaking at 15.01m square kilometres (km2) on 14 March. The provisional data from the NSIDC shows that this year’s Arctic winter peak, despite favourable winds that encouraged sea ice formation, was 640,000 km2 smaller than the 1981-2010 average maximum. Read More

News Credit: Carbon Brief

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Children Crave Nature: National Trust Advocates for Accessible Green Spaces

The National Trust’s survey, in collaboration with First News, unveils that over three-quarters of children are eager for more frequent encounters with nature. Despite this longing, 63% of parents report the challenge of visiting natural spaces more than once weekly, with lack of easy access being a significant hurdle.

The Trust urges the government to fulfil its commitment to making nature accessible within a 15-minute walk for all, a mandate supported by 80% of surveyed parents. This call aligns with Rishi Sunak’s January 2023 pledge to ensure that everyone is just a quarter-hour away from a green sanctuary, underscoring the movement to legislate this right to nature. Read More

News Credit: The Guardian

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