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We evolved on a Cool Earth...
in every sense of that phrase.
in every sense of that phrase.
Climate change: Researchers begin discussions on vital report
A two-week virtual negotiation begins on the most critical climate change report since 2013.
26 July 2021, 12:31am
Road planners able to ignore climate change, campaigners claim
Government guidelines mean road planners can effectively ignore climate change, campaigners say.
23 July 2021, 12:47am
Climate change: US pushes China to make faster carbon cuts
US climate envoy John Kerry says help from China is needed to avoid a dangerous rise in heat.
20 July 2021, 4:28pm
Ros Atkins on… the North America heat waves
Ros Atkins explains the link between climate change and recent heat waves in the US and Canada.
17 July 2021, 12:00am
Climate change: 'No more excuses' at COP26 climate summit - poor nations
More than 100 developing countries set out key demands ahead of the climate summit in Glasgow.
15 July 2021, 8:41am
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Fraught G20 meeting on new climate targets highlights divisions - Financial Times
Climate change: Researchers begin discussions on vital report - BBC News
Climate change: Researchers begin discussions on vital report BBC News
26 July 2021, 12:31am
Extreme weather takes climate change models 'off the scale' - Financial Times
Extreme weather takes climate change models 'off the scale' Financial Times
24 July 2021, 5:31am
What growing avocados in Sicily tells us about climate change and the future of food - Financial Times
What growing avocados in Sicily tells us about climate change and the future of food Financial Times
25 July 2021, 5:00am
Unmasked: the 138 'polluters' at key climate talks - The Ferret
Unmasked: the 138 'polluters' at key climate talks The Ferret
25 July 2021, 10:50am
Beware summer! As climate crisis deepens, attitudes to season shift - The Guardian
Beware summer! As climate crisis deepens, attitudes to season shift The Guardian
24 July 2021, 2:57pm
Climate change: Israel to cut 85% of emissions by mid-century - BBC News
Climate change: Israel to cut 85% of emissions by mid-century BBC News
25 July 2021, 8:17pm
The West is burning. Climate change is making it worse. - Vox.com
The West is burning. Climate change is making it worse. Vox.com
25 July 2021, 9:26pm
Boy, 11, begins 200-mile walk to Westminster to encourage government to tackle climate change - iNews
Boy, 11, begins 200-mile walk to Westminster to encourage government to tackle climate change iNews
25 July 2021, 9:13pm
Alok Sharma brings 51 countries together for critical climate discussions ahead of COP26 - GOV.UK
Alok Sharma brings 51 countries together for critical climate discussions ahead of COP26 GOV.UK
25 July 2021, 12:16am
Billionaire space cowboys could become heroes by focusing on the climate crisis - The Guardian
Billionaire space cowboys could become heroes by focusing on the climate crisis The Guardian
25 July 2021, 7:00am
Athens appoints chief heat officer to combat climate crisis - The Guardian
Athens appoints chief heat officer to combat climate crisis The Guardian
23 July 2021, 5:00pm
How data could save Earth from climate change - The Guardian
How data could save Earth from climate change The Guardian
18 July 2021, 1:00pm
How Climate Change Is Responsible For More Extreme Weather Events Worldwide - NPR
How Climate Change Is Responsible For More Extreme Weather Events Worldwide NPR
25 July 2021, 12:42pm
The cost of cooling: how air conditioning is heating up the world - The Guardian
The cost of cooling: how air conditioning is heating up the world The Guardian
25 July 2021, 5:54pm
Climate change: Study highlights 10 countries most at risk - Medical News Today
Climate change: Study highlights 10 countries most at risk Medical News Today
22 July 2021, 5:14pm
Roses out, olives in: the new English garden in a time of climate crisis - The Guardian
Roses out, olives in: the new English garden in a time of climate crisis The Guardian
25 July 2021, 9:00am
John Kerry: world leaders must step up to avoid worst impacts of climate crisis - The Guardian
John Kerry: world leaders must step up to avoid worst impacts of climate crisis The Guardian
20 July 2021, 7:37pm
Hitting global climate target could create 8m energy jobs, study says - The Guardian
Hitting global climate target could create 8m energy jobs, study says The Guardian
23 July 2021, 4:45pm
Met police ‘tried to recruit ex-officer to spy on climate change activists’ - The Guardian
Met police ‘tried to recruit ex-officer to spy on climate change activists’ The Guardian
25 July 2021, 4:37am
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Climate change threatens Louisiana’s future, but the state is taking bold action to increase its resilience
Louisiana represents the paradox of a modern state shaped by a history of fossil fuel-supported development and structural racism that is now dealing with the climate-driven and social impacts of those choices. As it attempts to do so, it has become a center of climate adaptation and resilience practices, and more recently, climate mitigation efforts, […]
22 July 2021, 8:03pm
The EU has the power to bring transformational change to global shipping
This post was written by Panos Spiliotis, Global Climate Shipping Manager for EDF, and also appears on EDF Europe. The European Commission’s “Fit for 55” policy package opens a powerful new opportunity to decarbonise shipping—a sector with a growing share of global emissions (roughly 3%) that is not covered by any EU climate target. Released […]
20 July 2021, 4:13pm
New study: Four signs of a growing U.S. supply chain for zero-emissions trucks and buses
Transitioning to zero-emissions trucks and buses is necessary for both climate stability and to protect communities from air pollution. With nearly 23 million diesel-fueled medium and heavy duty trucks and buses operating on roads today in the U.S., moving to zero-emissions technology will result in significant investments in manufacturing, infrastructure, operations and maintenance training, research […]
20 July 2021, 2:36pm
What the SEC can do to protect investors, companies, and people from another Texas power crisis
This post was co-authored by David G. Victor of the Brookings Institution and EDF’s Stephanie H. Jones and Michael Panfil. It is also posted here. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is considering making important changes in disclosure requirements to reflect the growing recognition that climate change poses significant risks to the U.S. financial system. […]
18 June 2021, 6:53pm
The key to reaching Biden’s new climate goal: An enforceable clean electricity standard that slashes pollution
Editor’s note: This post was last updated June 29, 2021. At the Leaders Summit on Climate in April, President Biden pledged to go all-in to beat the climate crisis, setting an ambitious and credible target to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions 50-52% below 2005 levels by 2030. Now the administration and federal law makers must […]
10 June 2021, 9:08pm
Western Climate Initiative recovering from COVID-19, and the new climate kid in town
The results of the latest Western Climate Initiative cap-and-trade auction were released today and all current and future allowances sold. This generates substantial revenue for California’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund but could also indicate that greenhouse gas emissions are rebounding as the economy recovers from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. Auction quick takes: All […]
27 May 2021, 9:17pm
Governor Inslee is leading the race against climate change. Other governors should keep up.
This post was co-authored by Katelyn Roedner Sutter, Senior Manager, U.S. Climate at EDF Washington state just officially became the country’s frontrunner on climate action. On Monday, Governor Inslee signed a landmark cap-and-invest bill, called the Climate Commitment Act, which sets the most ambitious limit on climate pollution of any state in the nation. The […]
18 May 2021, 8:28pm
No pathway to reach the Paris Agreement’s 1.5˚C goal without the G20: UN chief
“The world urgently needs a clear and unambiguous commitment to the 1.5 degree goal of the Paris Agreement from all G20 nations”, António Guterres said on Sunday after the Group failed to agree on the wording of key climate change commitments during their recent Ministerial Meeting on Environment, Climate and Energy.
25 July 2021, 4:13pm
Water-related hazards dominate list of 10 most destructive disasters
Against the backdrop of a rapidly changing global climate, water-related hazards top the list of natural disasters with the highest human losses in the past 50 years, according to a new report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
23 July 2021, 1:10am
FROM THE FIELD: Cameroon’s displaced, get hooked on fish
Cameroonians who have been displaced by conflict and climate change in the north of the West African country are turning to aquaculture as an alternative source of income, thanks to support from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
18 July 2021, 5:05pm
Deadly flooding, heatwaves in Europe, highlight urgency of climate action
Heavy rainfall that has triggered deadly and catastrophic flooding in several western European countries, is just the latest indicator that all nations need to do more to hold back climate change-induced disasters, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Friday.
16 July 2021, 3:55pm
EU urged to consider impact of new climate mechanism on developing countries
Although a new European Union (EU) climate initiative unveiled on Wednesday could change global trade patterns to favour countries where production is relatively carbon efficient, its value in mitigating climate change will likely be limited, the UN trade and development agency, UNCTAD, has warned.
14 July 2021, 6:28pm
UN body unveils new plan to end ecological destruction, ‘preserve and protect nature’
Equitably “redirecting, repurposing or eliminating incentives” that harm biodiversity by at least $500 billion per year is just one of the 21 ambitious targets of a new draft agreement released by a UN body in the lead up to the landmark November climate conference, COP26, in the United Kingdom.
13 July 2021, 4:59pm
Time running out for countries on climate crisis front line
The world’s running out of time to limit global temperature rise to below two degrees Celsius, a matter of life or death for climate vulnerable countries on the front line of the crisis, the UN Secretary General reiterated on Thursday.
8 July 2021, 7:44pm
The trillion dollar climate finance challenge (and opportunity)
It’s overwhelmingly accepted that climate change is a very significant threat to humanity and while there are countless solutions to tackling what has been described by the UN as the “existential threat” of our times, it is still not fully clear how these solutions will be paid for.
27 June 2021, 3:15am
On climate change frontline, indigenous provide pointers to save planet
Indigenous people living on the frontline of climate change could offer potentially ground-breaking insight into biodiversity protection and sustainability, but they urgently need help to withstand a growing number of threats to their way of life, the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) said on Friday.
25 June 2021, 8:19pm
Water-related disasters throw up complex challenges, threaten lives and jobs
The global climate crisis is “exacerbating and intensifying” water-related disasters, jeopardizing lives and livelihoods, the UN chief said on Friday at a major sustainable development symposium.
25 June 2021, 5:15pm
Small businesses unprepared for pandemic-sized climate shock ‘every decade’
Small businesses which make up more than half of the global workforce were 2.5 times more likely to go under than larger firms in the first months of COVID-19, the International Trade Centre (ITC) said on Wednesday, warning that the impact of climate change could cause pandemic-scale disruption “every decade”.
23 June 2021, 3:33pm
Sustainability solution or climate calamity? The dangers and promise of cryptocurrency technology
The negative environmental impact of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin has been widely covered in the press in recent weeks and months, and their volatility has also been flagged as a cause for concern. Nevertheless, the UN believes that blockchain, the technology lying behind these online currencies, could be of great benefit to those fighting the climate crisis, and help bring about a more sustainable global economy.
20 June 2021, 5:20am
UN chief: Desertification and drought destabilizing well-being of 3.2 billion people
Land degradation from climate change and the expansion of agriculture, cities and infrastructure “undermines the well-being of 3.2 billion people”, the UN chief said on Wednesday in his message for World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.
16 June 2021, 5:13pm
UN-backed report finds no G7-based stock exchange indices align with Paris climate goals
New research co-authored by the UN Global Compact revealed on Thursday that none of the G7 leading industrial nations’ main stock indices are aligned with global emissions targets set out in the Paris Agreement, thwarting efforts to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
10 June 2021, 10:09pm
First Person: Owner of first ‘vegan football club’ scoring sustainable goals
A football club in the west of England has been recognized by the United Nations for its leading role in setting goals to tackle climate change, from planning a low-carbon stadium, to selling only 100 per cent vegan food. Ahead of the kick-off of the delayed Euro 2020 football competition, owner and chairman, Dale Vince, told UN News that the club aims to be a beacon of sustainability in the sporting world
10 June 2021, 5:30am
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Hotter summers and wetter winters will bring new challenges and opportunities. The UK Climate Resilience programme, a collaboration between UKRI and the Met Office, brings a wide range of researchers to help in this effort.
Collaboration to beat climate change
With climate change having a huge impact on the decisions and policies we make, collaboration is key – and at the forefront is the NERC and Met Office collaborative Joint Weather and Climate Research Programme.
Scientists are currently marooned onboard the icebreaker RV Polarstern due to the COVID-19 lockdown; we hear first hand how they are coping, what life is like on the ship, and what ongoing experiments can reveal about climate change in this fascinating region.
The Southern Ocean is one of the hardest places on Earth to carry out scientific research – but there is a growing realisation that in the era of climate change, we need to understand it better.
From rising sea level impact on coastal ecosystems to exciting new ways to reduce greenhouse emissions, marine scientist Dr Judith Wolf describes her research into the effect of climate change on the world’s oceans.
Soils are critical to the health of our planet and essential for human, animal and plant life – but are at risk from changes in climate and land use.
The Arctic is beautiful and awe-inspiring. It is also a vital element of the Earth's climate system, helping to regulate global temperatures.
Clouds study finds that low climate sensitivity is ‘extremely unlikely’
It is “very likely” that the way clouds change as the world warms will drive...
The post Clouds study finds that low climate sensitivity is ‘extremely unlikely’ appeared first on Carbon Brief.
Q&A: Will England’s National Food Strategy help tackle climate change?
Last week, part two of England’s National Food Strategy (NFS) was published, providing a broad...
The post Q&A: Will England’s National Food Strategy help tackle climate change? appeared first on Carbon Brief.
Q&A: How ‘Fit for 55’ reforms will help EU meet its climate goals
The European Commission has published proposals on how the European Union should reach its legally...
The post Q&A: How ‘Fit for 55’ reforms will help EU meet its climate goals appeared first on Carbon Brief.
Welcome to Carbon Brief’s China weekly digest. We handpick and explain the most important climate and...
The post China Briefing, 15 July 2021: Cross-border coal funders; Megacities’ GHG emissions; ETS to launch ‘tomorrow’ appeared first on Carbon Brief.
Welcome to Carbon Brief’s China weekly digest. We handpick and explain the most important climate and...
The post China Briefing, 8 July 2021: Xi invited to COP26; ‘Largest’ coal-chemical project suspended; New authority for climate roadmap appeared first on Carbon Brief.
Pacific north-west heatwave shows climate is heading into ‘uncharted territory’
The deadly heatwave that hit north-western US and Canada in late June would have been...
The post Pacific north-west heatwave shows climate is heading into ‘uncharted territory’ appeared first on Carbon Brief.
China Briefing, 1 July 2021: ETS launch delayed; Massive hydropower station; Coal prices to fall
Welcome to Carbon Brief’s China weekly digest. We handpick and explain the most important climate and...
The post China Briefing, 1 July 2021: ETS launch delayed; Massive hydropower station; Coal prices to fall appeared first on Carbon Brief.
Plans of four G20 states are threat to global climate pledge, warn scientists
‘Disastrous’ energy policies of China, Russia, Brazil and Australia could stoke 5C rise in temperatures if adopted by the rest of the world
A key group of leading G20 nations is committed to climate targets that would lead to disastrous global warming, scientists have warned. They say China, Russia, Brazil and Australia all have energy policies associated with 5C rises in atmospheric temperatures, a heating hike that would bring devastation to much of the planet.
The analysis, by the peer-reviewed group Paris Equity Check, raises serious worries about the prospects of key climate agreements being achieved at the Cop26 summit in Glasgow in three months. The conference – rated as one of the most important climate summits ever staged – will attempt to hammer out policies to hold global heating to 1.5C by agreeing on a global policy for ending net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050.
Related: 100 days to Cop26: protesters urge Boris Johnson to take climate talks seriously
Continue reading...This year, the weather isn’t letting us carry on as normal | Emma Brockes
From New York to Germany and China, the uncanny reality of the climate crisis is impinging on more and more lives
In the depths of winter, at the pandemic’s height, an idea of this summer took hold. It would, we told ourselves, be the summer of outdoors, particularly for children, who had been shut inside on screens for too long. Travelling abroad might be out, but that was fine. If the past year had taught us anything, it was the value of small pleasures, closer to home. On freezing March days, I warmed myself with an image of July and August in Central Park. I would read and commune with nature while camp counsellors forced my kids to spend eight hours a day playing rounders.
As it turns out, this isn’t really happening. We’re almost halfway through the absurdly long school holidays – New York state schools let out in June and don’t go back until 13 September, a closure of almost 11 weeks – and for the first time, our summer schedule is being influenced less by cost, work or babysitting, than by something to which I’ve never given serious consideration: weather.
Emma Brockes is a Guardian columnist
Continue reading...Outrage as Italy faces multimillion pound damages to UK oil firm
Secretive tribunals allow fossil fuel companies to sue governments for passing laws to protect environment
Italy could be forced to pay millions of pounds in damages to a UK oil company after banning new drilling near its coast.
The case has sparked outrage at the secretive international tribunals at which fossil fuel companies can sue governments for passing laws to protect the environment – amid fears that such cases are slowing down action on the climate crisis. It is also fuelling concern that the UK is particularly exposed to the risk of oil firms suing to prevent green policies, potentially hampering climate action.
Related: UK faces legal action over North Sea oilfield exploration plans
Governments are acutely aware of the threat of litigation when developing policy
Related: Oil giant Shell set to appeal against ruling on carbon emissions
Continue reading...Roses out, olives in: the new English garden in a time of climate crisis
Oxford Botanic Garden is 400 years old, but the climate emergency is forcing a review of what seeds it sows for the future
It has survived for 400 years – the oldest of Britain’s botanical gardens, a haven of medicinal plants and ancient trees enjoyed through the centuries by famous names such as JRR Tolkien and Lewis Carroll. Yet after the Oxford Botanic Garden’s anniversary today things may look substantially different in future, due to the impact of the climate crisis on British weather.
“We have to consider very carefully what we plant for the future,” said Prof Simon Hiscock, the garden’s director. “Particularly so with trees, because you have to think of not just a few years but in some cases hundreds of years ahead.
Related: Growing pains: how the climate crisis is changing British gardens
Continue reading...The cost of cooling: how air conditioning is heating up the world
As temperatures rise, a new book delves into the environmental toll of America’s favorite way to cool off
The widespread reliance on air conditioning in the US is explored in Eric Dean Wilson’s book After Cooling: on Freon, Global Warming, and the Terrible Cost of Comfort. The book explores how air conditioning has become one of the most effective ways to cool off – and explains how harmful chemicals that make our lives comfortable also contribute to the climate crisis.
The modern refrigerant – gas in fridges, freezers and air conditioners – was first introduced in 1930s in the form of a chemical called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), better known as Freon. This chemical escaped into the air over time, ripping a hole in the ozone layer. In 1987, a global agreement was reached to ban the production of CFCs – although every year an ozone hole reappears over Antarctica in October.
Continue reading...Yep, it’s bleak, says expert who tested 1970s end-of-the-world prediction
A controversial MIT study from 1972 forecast the collapse of civilization – and Gaya Herrington is here to deliver the bad news
At a UN sustainability meeting several years ago, an economic policy officer came up to Gaya Herrington and introduced himself. Taking her name for a riff on James Lovelock’s earth-as-an-organism Gaia hypothesis, he remarked: “Gaya – that’s not a name, it’s responsibility.”
Herrington, a Dutch sustainability researcher and adviser to the Club of Rome, a Swiss thinktank, has made headlines in recent days after she authored a report that appeared to show a controversial 1970s study predicting the collapse of civilization was – apparently – right on time.
Related: US set for punishing temperatures as huge ‘heat dome’ to settle over country
The key finding of my study is that we still have a choice to align with a scenario that does not end in collapse
Continue reading...The Observer view on tackling climate change | Observer editorial
We are losing the race to keep our planet cool
Reminders that our planet is wilting under the impact of human-driven climate change have been hard to avoid this month. Catastrophic floods have killed 160 in Germany while more than 50 died after massive inundations swept through the central Chinese province of Henan when a year’s worth of rain fell in three days last week. At the same time, forest fires have ripped through one of the world’s coldest places, Siberia, after unusually hot, dry weather gripped the region. Canada and the US have also been afflicted by conflagrations that have destroyed communities and vast areas of woodland. One blaze in the US state of Oregon has spread over an area 25 times the size of Manhattan and has raged out of control for weeks. Global warming, triggered by rising levels of greenhouse gases, has been implicated in every case.
Nor will things get better. Indeed, they can only get worse. Every year, factories, power plants and vehicles pump tens of billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere, trapping solar radiation that will further increase temperatures round the globe. Even if all greenhouse gas emissions were halted tomorrow the carbon dioxide already in our atmosphere will hang around for decades and continue to heat the planet, turning vegetation to tinder and allowing air to retain more moisture before releasing it with sudden and devastating consequences.
Continue reading...US set for punishing temperatures as huge ‘heat dome’ to settle over country
Heatwave to next week roast areas already gripped by severe drought, plunging reservoirs and wildfires
The most extensive heatwave of a scorching summer is set to descend upon much of America in the coming week, further roasting areas already gripped by severe drought, plunging reservoirs and wildfires.
Related: The Guardian view on the climate summit: 100 days to save the world | Editorial
Continue reading...Beware summer! As climate crisis deepens, attitudes to season shift
Season now has a health warning and people may lose associations of joy, relaxation and celebration
Beware summer! The season we used to anticipate as the lightest, brightest, balmiest time of the year now comes with a health warning.
For the first time in the UK, the Met Office issued an extreme heat advisory this week. The warning was very staid, very British, but a clear shift away from the ethos of Keep Calm and Carry On. The amber alert urged precautions against adverse health effects for vulnerable populations, pressure on water resources, potential power cuts and increased likelihood of transport delays. Given the temperatures were only a little over 30C for a few days, this might seem risible to people living in far hotter parts of the world, but it is part of a growing global conversation that is fundamentally challenging how we think about summer in a climate-disrupted world.
Related: World ‘must step up preparations for extreme heat’
Continue reading...‘The air is toxic’: how an idyllic California lake became a nightmare
The shrinking Salton Sea was once a tourist destination. Now it’s home to dangerous algal blooms, endless dust and noxious air
Just to be safe, Noemí Vázquez keeps inhalers in almost every room of her house. She stashes them in her kitchen cupboard, a couple in her purse, one in the bathroom, and, of course, by her bedside.
And then there’s the large, black Puma knapsack where she keeps her nebulizer, several inhalers, and the montelukast pills she takes to treat her wheezing. Her four-year-old granddaughter has her own asthma kit – a neon pink and purple Trolls-themed lunch box that holds a small, child-sized nebulizer and a few inhalers. “She’s smart! She knows: this is her bag,” Vázquez said.
Related: Severe drought threatens Hoover dam reservoir – and water for US west
Continue reading...If Scott Morrison is inclined to execute the pivot he’s spent months telegraphing – towards net zero by 2050 – a report out this week contains some helpful fodder
With 14 million people in lockdown and the news in Sydney going from bad to worse, and with Scott Morrison steadfastly avoiding an apology for moving too slowly on vaccinations until the moment the word sorry crossed his lips, all eyes were on the pandemic.
This was a week where any other interesting insights sank like a stone, so let’s clear some space for one of the lost insights.
Related: NSW Covid outbreak: there are hints of what’s to come, and it doesn’t look good
Continue reading...The Guardian view on the climate summit: 100 days to save the world | Editorial
Floods, fires and droughts show the global urgency. But the prospects are not looking good for the COP26 conference
The global reality of the climate crisis could hardly be more stark. A common theme is clear, from western Germany, where about 200 people perished in floods, to Henan province in central China, where at least 50 have died and about 400,000 have been evacuated after overwhelming downpours, to western Canada and the US, where a blistering set of heatwaves has provided the tinder for wildfires on a growing scale, through to the Middle East, where drought threatens communities from Algeria to Yemen, triggering unrest and regional disputes. On this planet there is no hiding place.
A hundred days now remain before the nations gather in Glasgow at the United Nations Cop26 climate conference on 31 October. More than 190 world leaders are expected. The UK government calls the summit the world’s last best chance. That is true. Yet words are cheaper than actions and sustained effort, especially when Boris Johnson is involved, and the last best chance is at serious risk of being lost. As things currently stand, the governments of the world, the UK included, are heading to Glasgow without having made the ambitious strategic decisions and collective sacrifices that might enable Cop26 to mark a genuine turning point that is needed in the battle to contain and reverse global heating.
Continue reading...Xi Jinping should take the Zhengzhou floods as a warning from China’s history | Philip Ball
The country’s perilous waters have made or broken past leaders. The climate crisis will only make things worse
Thefootageof a torrent of muddy water engulfing the broad thoroughfares of Zhengzhou, China, may look like a scene from an apocalyptic sci-fi movie. But for China’s leaders, these images speak not only to a dystopian future but also to the struggles of the past – and to the issue of the Chinese Communist party’s mandate to rule.
Related: China floods: thousands trapped without fresh water as rain moves north
Philip Ball is a science writer. His books include The Water Kingdom: A Secret History of China
Continue reading...Athens appoints chief heat officer to combat climate crisis
Greek capital is first in Europe to create role, which will involve finding new ways to cool the city
Athens has appointed a chief heat officer to protect people from soaring temperatures and try to find ways to adapt the city to the heatwaves and extreme weather that are striking the capital more frequently as the result of the climate emergency.
The appointment, made on Friday by the mayor of Athens, Kostas Bakoyannis, is the first in Europe and believed to be only the second in the world, after Miami-Dade county in Florida appointed a chief heat officer earlier this year.
Continue reading...Hitting global climate target could create 8m energy jobs, study says
Researchers suggest net increase would mostly occur in renewables sector, with decline in fossil fuels
If some politicians are to be believed, taking sweeping action to meet the goals of the Paris climate agreement would be calamitous for jobs in the energy sector. But a study suggests that honouring the global climate target would, in fact, increase net jobs by about 8 million by 2050.
The study – in which researchers created a global dataset of the footprint of energy jobs in 50 countries including major fossil fuel-producing economies – found that currently an estimated 18 million people work in the energy industries, which is likely to increase to 26 million if climate targets are met.
Continue reading...‘Time is ticking out’: climate activists urge Johnson to take action 100 days before Cop26 – video
Protesters filled Parliament Square in London on Friday morning, calling on Boris Johnson to make the climate crisis his top priority, as the UK prepares to host UN talks that will determine whether the world tips into environmental catastrophe this decade. A giant alarm clock showed time running out, while protesters chanted that the prime minister and his chancellor, Rishi Sunak, are 'missing in action' on the climate crisis
From fossil fuels to carbon offsetting, the British government must practise what it preaches if it is to inspire others to step up
This summer alone has seen scorching heat domes smother parts of the US and Canada with record temperatures, and blistering heatwaves sweep across Pakistan. Torrential rain has caused devastating floods in China, as well as India, Germany, Belgium and Austria. And while fires are raging in Siberia, Madagascar is experiencing the world’s first famine caused solely by the climate crisis. Even here in the UK, the first extreme heat warnings were issued earlier this week.
New extreme-weather events linked to the climate crisis have become rolling news. Their destruction and death tolls are a daily reminder that the UK-hosted Cop26 this autumn isn’t just the most important climate conference ever held, but the most important international summit of all time.
Kate Blagojevic is Greenpeace UK’s head of climate
Continue reading...© {Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2021}