Posts in category: Rising Tides- Cautionary Tales

In 2022, Europe was approximately 2.3 °C above the pre-industrial (1850-1900) average used as a baseline for the Paris Agreement on climate change. But, in a sign of hope for the future, renewable energy generated more electricity than polluting fossil fuels for the first time in 2022. Wind and solar power generated 22.3% of European Union (EU) electricity in 2022, overtaking fossil fuel (20%).

Europeclimatedevastation #climatechange #savetheplanet #reducefossilfuels #sustainablelifestyle

Torrential rain in India’s Himalayas triggered landslides over the weekend that have killed over 50 people, with the death toll expected to rise as more than 20 remain trapped or missing, officials said on Monday.

Unusually heavy rain and melting glaciers have brought deadly flash floods to the mountains of India and neighboring countries over the past year or two, with government officials increasingly blaming climate change.

Cloudbursts are defined as when more than 10 centimeters (3.9 inches) of rainfall occurs within 10 square kilometers (3.8 square miles) within an hour. They are a common occurrence in Himalayan regions, where they have the potential to cause intense flooding and landslides affecting thousands of people.

cloudburst #naturesfury #himalayandevastation #climatechange #sustainablelifestyle

Melting glaciers may be capable of shrinking much faster than scientists previously thought, according to a new study that adds to concerns about rapidly melting Antarctic ice, including the massive Thwaites Glacier, often called the “Doomsday Glacier” for its potential effect on sea-level rise.

The study, published in Nature, found that thousands of years ago, glaciers in Europe retreated by up to 2,000 feet a day — more than a quarter-mile — for short periods. That’s the fastest rate ever recorded and far faster than previous studies had suggested was possible.

meltingglaciers #climatedevastation #destruction #sustainablelifestyle

Wildfire smoke blanketed the San Francisco Bay Area on Wednesday, and the air was tinged with a campfire smell in some locations.

Morning, skies got clearer within a couple of days, but smoke still lingered in the North Bay and East Bay. The smoke is expected to fully clear out Thursday night into Friday morning as an “anomalously cold” early-season system dives into Northern California, the National Weather Service said.

That system will bring a chance of rain to far northern areas of the state Friday and through the weekend.

Multiple fires are burning in far Northern California, and many of them were started by lightning strikes. The largest is the Smith River Complex fire, which has torn through 83,000 acres at the California-Oregon border; it’s 7% contained.

wildfires #burningforests #climatedevastation #lossoflives #damagetoproperty #sustainablelifestyle

The glacier lake outburst that sent an unprecedented amount of water rushing towards Alaska’s capital, destroying homes, would not have happened without climate change, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.


An outburst flood from a meltwater lake on the Mendenhall Glacier, located about 12 miles north of Juneau, Alaska, sent record amounts of water into Mendenhall Lake and down the Mendenhall River between August 4 and August 6, according to NOAA.

Significant flooding was reported in areas along the river that have not seen flooding from these types of events in the past, the National Weather Service office in Juneau said. Floodwaters swept trees and buildings into the river as significant erosion occurred.

According to Rick Thoman, Alaska Climate Specialist at the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy, decades worth o erosion happened in one weekend, throwing life completely out of gear.

#alaskafloods #meltingglaciers #climatedevastation #erodingmountains #sustainablelifestyle

Many animals that get caught or entangled in ghost gear can die a slow and painful death through suffocation or exhaustion.

Ghost gear also damages valuable marine habitats, such as coral reefs and mangroves.

It is estimated that ghost gear makes up at least 10% of marine litter. This roughly translates to between 500,000 and 1 million tons of fishing gear abandoned in the ocean each year. Ghost gear impacts marine mammals, seabirds, sea turtles, and more, and is the type of debris that has proven to be the most lethal.

In Mexico’s Upper Gulf of California, for example, abandoned gillnets have contributed to driving the vaquita porpoise to the brink of extinction. WWF has removed over 62 tons of gillnetting in efforts to save the world’s smallest porpoise, but only around 10 individuals remain.

ghostgear #marinedevastation #plasticmenace #climatechange #adoptsustainability

Climate Change and one of its devastating impacts… FLOODS. There have been multiple negative impacts of floods and much recently, we have observed that the cars are being swept away in floods and have been recovered in damaged state completely. It is now up to us that we take care of our environment because the nature’s fury does not spare anyone. #climatedevastation #floods #restoreenvironment #propertyloss

Devastating and deadly flash flooding in India as the planet’s hydrological cycle is on overdrive. The climate crisis is driving displacement and making life harder for those already forced to flee. Entire populations are already suffering the impacts of climate change, but vulnerable people living in some of the most fragile and conflict-affected countries are often disproportionately affected.

New York has declared a State of Emergency as flash flooding wreaks havoc across New York City caused by torrential rain battering the northeastern US. The Mayor has advised the New Yorkers to stay home or shelter in place.

Brooklyn is particularly hard hit by rising water, with shocking videos showing streets and subways underwater. The MTA, the agency that runs the city’s transit system, reported widespread outages and delays.

A severe storm lodged over the city and parts of upstate New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, leading to widespread flood watches and warnings.

The New York area could see unprecedented rain, with between two and five inches falling in some areas since midnight.