Page 41 - Climate Change

Climate change likely impacted human populations 5,500 years ago: Study

Human populations in Europe fluctuated with changing climates between 5,500 and 3,500 years ago, according to a study. The research, published in the journal PLOS ONE, examined Central European regions rich in archaeological remains and geologic sources of climate data. The researchers from Kiel University, Germany, used these resources to identify correlations between human population trends and climate change. The three areas examined were the Circumharz region of central Germany, the Czech Republic/Lower Austria region, and the Northern Alpine Foreland of southern Germany. "Between 5,500 and 3,500 years ago, climate was a major factor in population development in the regions around the Harz Mountains, in the northern Alpine foreland and in the region of what is now the Czech Republic and Austria," the authors of the study said. "However, not only the population size, but also the social structures changed with climate fluctuations," they said. The team compiled over 3,400 publ

Over half of Earth's vital signs at record extremes, shows research

A global team of scientists has shown in a new study that 20 of the Earth's 35 vital signs have "worsened beyond anything humans have seen, to the point that life on Earth is imperilled". The 20 signs, such as the Arctic sea-ice levels, ice mass loss in Antarctica and Greenland, sea level rise and surface temperature anomaly, are at record extremes, the team of researchers, including those from the US, the UK, Brazil and Bangladesh, said. The study, published in the journal BioScience, also established pertinent statistics regarding temperatures and greenhouse gas emissions. For example, 2023 has already witnessed 38 days with global average temperatures more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, the researchers said in their study. Further, the highest average Earth surface temperature ever recorded was in July, and there was reason to believe it was the highest surface temperature the planet has seen in the last 1,00,000 years, they said. "Life on our planet is .

CBAM should consider where country is going, not just where it is: Stern

For emerging markets and developing economies outside China, the total flow of climate-related investment should be $2.4 trillion, said Stern

Nestle, Volvo among 130 firms urging COP28 agreement to ditch fossil fuels

"To decarbonise the global energy system, we need to ramp up clean energy as fast as we phase out the use and production of fossil fuels," they wrote

Statsguru: Sikkim floods turn the attention back on extreme weather events

About 100 instances of floods were reported during 2000-09 in India and 74 during 2010-19, according to EM-DAT, a database on international disasters

Climate change may push up to 158.3 mn more women, girls into poverty: Rpt

''Investments in a comprehensive SDG stimulus package would help to mitigate this effect, reducing the number of women falling into extreme poverty from 158.3 million to 43.3 million"

India's interests at stake as world trade talks take a green turn

Country has raised objections to European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism

Here's why Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was arrested in London

Greta Thunberg's latest arrest adds to a series of trouble the 20-year-old activist is facing with the law. Here is everything you need to know about Thunberg's activism, critique, and arrests

India sets up inter-ministerial group for climate negotiations strategy

India has set up an inter-ministerial group to develop a "well thought-out view" on important matters to be discussed during global climate negotiations, according to sources. Constituted in August, the inter-ministerial group on climate change comprises members from all the ministries and departments concerned, including the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Ministry of Power, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, and the Department of Economic Affairs, a source told PTI. The group will hold discussions mainly on five issues -- mitigation, adaptation, loss and damage, climate finance and Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Five sub-groups, one for each topic, have been formed to hold detailed discussions. Each sub-group has five to six officials at the joint secretary level, the sources said. Mitigation means reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and adaptation refers to the process of adjusting to the effects of climate change. Loss and damage refer to the imp

In Brazil's Amazon, rivers fall to record low levels during drought

The Negro River, the Amazon's second largest tributary, on Monday reached its lowest level since official measurements began near Manaus 121 years ago. The record confirms that this part of the world's largest rainforest is suffering its worst drought, just a little over two years after its most significant flooding. In the morning, the water level in the city's port went as low as 13.5 metres (44.3 feet), down from 30.02 metres (98.5 feet) registered in June 2021 its highest level on record. The Negro River drains about 10% of the Amazon basin and is the world's sixth largest by water volume. Madeira River, another main tributary of the Amazon, has also recorded historically low levels, causing the halt of the Santo Antonio hydroelectric dam, Brazil's fourth largest. Throughout Brazil's Amazon, low river levels have left hundreds of riverine communities isolated and struggling to get access to drinkable water. The drought also has disrupted commercial navigation that supplies ...

Aerosols heating up Himalayan climate, accelerates glacier's retreat: Study

Aerosols are heating up the Himalayan climate and contributing significantly to the accelerated retreat of the glaciers and changes in the precipitation patterns over the Hindu Kush-Himalaya-Tibetan Plateau (HKHTP) region, researchers said. Aerosols alone account for more than half of the total warming of the region's lower atmosphere, with the remainder coming from greenhouse gases, the researchers from the Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, and Helmholtz Centre Potsdam and the University of Leipzig, Germany found in a joint study. According to the study, aerosols will likely remain a key factor driving climate change over the region. The researchers observed the concentrations of aerosols and the the amount of heat absorbed (radiative forcing) across several locations in the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP), the Himalayan foothills and the Tibetan Plateau. These are "relatively poorly studied regions with several sensitive ecosystems of global importance, as well as highly vulnera

India to push developed nations to become 'carbon negative' before 2050

India, which is resisting calls to commit to a deadline for phasing out its own use of coal and other fossil fuels, is set to make its proposal at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai later this year

Antarctica's ice shelves reduced by 40% in volume over 25 years: Study

As many as 71 of the 162 ice shelves surrounding Antarctica have reduced in volume over 25 years from 1997 to 2021, with a net release of 7.5 trillion metric tonnes of meltwater into the oceans, according to a study. The research, published in the journal Science Advances, found that almost all the ice shelves on the western side of Antarctica experienced ice loss. On the other hand, most of the ice shelves on the eastern side stayed the same or increased in volume. Over the 25 years, the scientists calculated almost 67 trillion metric tonnes of ice were exported to the ocean, which were offset by 59 trillion metric tonnes of ice being added to the ice shelves, giving a net loss of 7.5 trillion metric tonnes. "There is a mixed picture of ice-shelf deterioration, and this is to do with the ocean temperature and ocean currents around Antarctica," said Benjamin Davison, a research fellow at the University of Leeds, UK, who led the study. "The western half is exposed to warm water, whi

Sharp rise in companies' climate-related risk disclosure: G20 report

A new report from a G20 advisory body highlights significant growth in companies' disclosure of climate-related risks and opportunities between 2020 and 2022. The report, based on Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations, reveals a 26 per cent increase in companies disclosing their climate-related risks and opportunities, while oversight by company boards in this regard rose by 25 per cent. The Task Force assessed the current state and evolution of climate-related financial disclosures using artificial intelligence technology. It reviewed reports of more than 1,350 public companies over a three-year period fiscal years 2020, 2021 and 2022. Climate-related metrics disclosure led the way with over 70 per cent of companies disclosing the metrics they use. Reporting on greenhouse gas emissions and climate-related targets also showed considerable progress (both at 66 per cent), with a 24 per cent increase in companies reporting on their climate-related

India can become first country to industrialise without carbonising: Kant

With ideal weather conditions, India can redefine its growth model to become the first country in the world to industrialise without carbonising, G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant said on Thursday. Speaking at an event in the national capital, Kant also expressed confidence that the country, which has a young population, will grow at higher rates. According to him, the world is open to India and there is no reason why the country should not grow at higher rates. Highlighting the importance of going green, Kant said that otherwise countries will "neither be able to export to the markets and this is all going to happen before our eyes in the next 5 years." At the SHRM India Annual Conference 2023 here, he also said that India has ideal weather conditions and can go green to redefine its growth model "to become the first country in the world to industrialise without carbonising". During a discussion on his book 'Made in India: 75 Years of Business and Enterprise,' Kant said, India is the only

Global water resources in crisis, river conditions deviate from normal: WMO

More than 50 per cent of catchment areas globally witnessed deviations from normal river discharge conditions last year, posing a significant challenge in providing water to an increasingly vulnerable world grappling with climate change, according to a report by the World Meteorological Organisation. The report titled "WMO State of Global Water Resources 2022 Report" provides an independent and consistent global-scale quantitative assessment of water resources in large river basins in comparison to the long-term average for various variables like river discharge, groundwater, evaporation, soil moisture and inflow to reservoirs. It stated that the hydrological cycle was spinning out of balance as a result of climate change and human activities. The consequences of this imbalance are devastating, with droughts and extreme rainfall events wreaking havoc on both lives and economies. The melting of snow, ice, and glaciers intensifies flood risks and jeopardises long-term water security

Climate activist Greta Thunberg fined again for climate protest in Sweden

A Swedish court on Wednesday fined climate activist Greta Thunberg once again for disobeying police during an environmental protest in July in southern Sweden. The Malmo District Court ordered her to pay a 2,250 kroner ($206) fine. Thunberg, who already had been fined for a similar offence, took part in a July 24 environmental protest at an oil terminal in Malmo, where activists temporarily blocked access to the facility by sitting down and were removed by police. On Sept 15, she was charged with disobedience to law enforcement for refusing to obey police asking her to leave the scene. She then was dragged away by two uniformed officers. Thunberg, 20, has admitted to the facts but denied guilt, saying the fight against the fossil fuel industry was a form of self-defense due to the existential and global threat of the climate crisis. We have the science on our side and we have morality on our side. Nothing in the world can change that and so it is. I am ready to act based on the ..

Melting J&K glaciers threaten water supply, biodiversity, warns expert

Melting of glaciers in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh is going to impact the water availability in the Himalayan region with consequent adverse effect on the dependent livelihoods, a leading scientist has warned. Studies show that glaciers in the region have dwindled by 25 per cent in the last six decades, while 48 per cent of them could vanish by the century's end even with moderate climate change. Earth scientist and glaciology expert, Shakeel Ahmad Romshoo, voiced concerns, highlighting the significance of snow and glaciers for J&K and Ladakh. "We have about 18,000 glaciers, some of these glaciers are big like the Siachen glacier which in one dimension has a length of about 65 kms. The huge glaciers we have, about 500 to 600 metres thick, are huge resources in J&K and Ladakh," Romshoo told PTI. The scientist noted that under climate change and increasing temperatures, the glaciers in the region are melting. "The other thing that is happening in this region under the climate ...

Climate change may make India, Indus Valley too hot for up to 2.2 bn: Study

Climate change could expose up to 2.2 billion people in India's Indus Valley and Pakistan to many hours of heat that surpass human tolerance by the end of the century, according to new study. The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), found that if global temperatures increase by 1 degree Celsius (C) or more than current levels, each year billions of people will be exposed to heat and humidity so extreme they will be unable to naturally cool themselves. Researchers from the Penn State College of Health and Human Development, Purdue University College of Sciences and Purdue Institute for a Sustainable Future in the US found that warming of the planet beyond 1.5 C above preindustrial levels will be increasingly devastating for human health across the planet. Humans can only withstand certain combinations of heat and humidity before their bodies begin to experience heat-related health problems, such as heat stroke or heart attack. As ...

Climate change blamed as Europe's cities see heat waves in Autumn

London, which endured some cold and bleak weather during the summer, is forecast to reach at least 22C on three of the next five days, while Paris climbs to 26C on Tuesday