Page 4 - Global Warming

Climate change led to 41 additional days of extreme heat in 2024: Report

The world experienced an average of 41 more days of extreme heat in 2024 due to climate change, a new report said on Friday. According to the European climate agency Copernicus, 2024 is set to end as the warmest year on record and the first year with a global average temperature 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. A yearly review report by two groups of climate scientists -- World Weather Attribution (WWA) and Climate Central -- said the world saw an average of 41 more days of dangerous heat in 2024. Small island developing states were hit the hardest, with their people experiencing over 130 additional hot days. The scientists identified 219 extreme weather events in 2024 and studied 29 of them. They found that climate change contributed to at least 3,700 deaths and displaced millions in 26 extreme weather events. "It is likely the total number of people killed in extreme weather events intensified by climate change this year is in the tens or hundreds of thousands,"

New York to charge fossil fuel firms for damage from climate change

Large fossil fuel companies would have to pay fees to help New York fight the effects of climate change under a bill signed by Governor Kathy Hochul. The new law requires companies responsible for substantial greenhouse gas emissions to pay into a state fund for infrastructure projects meant to repair or avoid future damage from climate change. Lawmakers approved the bill, signed on Thursday, earlier this year to force big oil and gas companies to contribute to the cost of repairs after extreme weather events and resiliency projects such as coastal wetland restoration and upgrades to roads, bridges and water drainage systems. The Climate Change Superfund Act is now law, and New York has fired a shot that will be heard round the world: the companies most responsible for the climate crisis will be held accountable," said state Senator Liz Krueger, a Democrat who sponsored the bill. The planet's largest climate polluters bear a unique responsibility for creating the climate crisis, a

Arctic faces drastic changes, 2024 report highlights worrying trends

The Arctic of today looks stunningly different from the Arctic of even one to two decades ago

IOC pact gives us access to 37K retailers, 13K LPG distributors: Maini

This partnership allows us to access IOC's 37,000 retail outlets and 13,000 LPG distributors, and they have a very strong brand presence, he says

2024 will be world's hottest year ever recorded, say EU scientists

C3S said data from January to November had confirmed 2024 is now certain to be the hottest year on record, and the first in which average global temperatures exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius

Best of BS Opinion: Reversing family planning, time to adapt and more

Here is the best of Business Standard's opinion pieces for today

Global warming and AI: Urgent need to curb AI's environmental impact

Global warming and artificial intelligence are rarely discussed together or even considered connected themes. But this is a mistake because they are linked closely

Climate change case to open at UN court as island nations fear rising seas

The top United Nations court will take up the largest case in its history on Monday, when it opens two weeks of hearings into what countries worldwide are legally required to do to combat climate change and help vulnerable nations fight its devastating impact. After years of lobbying by island nations who fear they could simply disappear under rising sea waters, the UN General Assembly asked the International Court of Justice last year for an opinion on the obligations of States in respect of climate change. We want the court to confirm that the conduct that has wrecked the climate is unlawful, Margaretha Wewerinke-Singh, who is leading the legal team for the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, told The Associated Press. In the decade up to 2023, sea levels have risen by a global average of around 4.3 centimeters (1.7 inches), with parts of the Pacific rising higher still. The world has also warmed 1.3 degrees Celsius (2.3 Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times because of the burning

Global warming result of unplanned, unscientific development: CM Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said that global warming is a challenge for the world and it is a result of unplanned and unscientific development by the man. "The world is concerned; every person who has even a little positive feeling about the environment and the living world and its bright future in the country is concerned (about the environment)," he said, at an event organised to distribute appointment letters to 701 forest guards selected by the Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Services Selection Commission. Global warming is a challenge for the whole world, but it has not come from anywhere else, he said, adding that it is a result of following the path of unplanned and unscientific development that man is facing it as a problem. "Somewhere there is excessive rain, and somewhere there is a 'heat wave'. Somewhere life is destroyed by floods, and somewhere people are yearning for a drop of water," Adityanath said. Congratulating the selected candidates, Yogi s

'India shaping global climate action while upholding own development plan'

India is playing a pivotal role in shaping global climate mechanisms while ensuring its own developmental priorities are upheld, Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav stated on Thursday, amidst the ongoing climate talks in Azerbaijan. Speaking at the 97th Annual General Meeting and Annual Convention of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) under the theme 'Our Actions for Viksit Bharat' here, the minister also highlighted India's active role in shaping these global climate mechanisms, alongside its efforts to ensure that domestic priorities remain central to its approach. "Our initiatives to promote carbon and green credits align with global climate goals, while safeguarding India's developmental objectives, he noted. Providing updates on the ongoing COP29 in Baku, the minister revealed that Article 6.4 will be fully implemented at the international level. In a landmark decision on the first day of the global climate talks in Baku, COP29 officially ...

Abrupt, 'irreversible' drop in global freshwater levels, Nasa study claims

Recent data from Nasa satellites have revealed that Earth's surface has lost freshwater abruptly since 2015. This major drop coincides with a 2014 to 2016 period of El Niño warming

Need to mitigate risks linked with glacial lakes: Principal secy Mishra

P K Mishra, principal secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday stressed the need for mitigating risks associated with glacial lakes to ensure a safer future for communities. Mishra asserted that through the tri-focal lens of assessment, monitoring and mitigation, India has made substantial progress in this area. He made the remarks at the 4th Workshop of the Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction (CoDRR) on Strategies for GLOF (Glacial Lake Outburst Flood) Risk Reduction here. Complimenting the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Department of Water Resources for organising the workshop, he focused on international perspectives and experiences, pertinently India's experiences, gaps and challenges in mitigating the risks and related aspects. Mishra said the discussions on Sikkim glacial lake outburst flood disaster has brought to focus the enormity of the challenge. Indeed, the South Lhonak GLOF was a wake-up call for all of us, he said. Mishra undersc

Delhi witness unusually high temp in Nov, mercury likely to drop from 17th

Delhi is experiencing unusually high temperatures this November with specific weather conditions that usually trigger the onset of winter not aligning yet though weather officials predict a dip in mercury starting November 17. Despite entering mid-November, both daytime and nighttime temperatures in Delhi remain far above seasonal norms. As of the second week of the month, daily highs continue to hover above 30C, while nighttime temperatures are between 16 and 18 degrees Celsius -- a stark contrast to previous years when they would typically drop to between 10 and 15 degrees Celsius by now. According to data from 2011 to 2023, November temperatures have typically decreased with daytime highs ranging between 25 and 28 degrees Celsius and nighttime lows between 10 and 15 degrees Celsius. This year, however, daytime temperatures have not fallen below 30 degrees Celsius, with the lowest recorded so far at 31 degrees Celsius. In contrast, on November 11, 2023, the daytime temperature ..

World already on cusp of 1.5 degree celsius temp rise, finds new research

The UK-based scientists behind the new approach, who published it Monday in the journal Nature Geoscience, say it simplifies the tracking of climate change and is easier to use

Multilateral banks crucial to financing fight against global warming

As climate change leads to a seemingly endless stream of weather disasters around the world, countries are struggling to adapt to the new reality. Preparing to better withstand hurricanes, floods, heat waves, droughts and wildfires will take hundreds of billions of dollars. And then there is confronting the root cause of climate changethe burning of fossil fuels like coal, gasoline and oilby transitioning to clean energies like wind and solar. That will take trillions of dollars. Enter climate finance, a general term that means different things to different people but boils down to: paying for projects to adapt to and combat the cause of climate change. Financing related to climate change is especially important for developing countries, which don't have the same resources or access to credit that rich countries do. International mega banks, funded by taxpayer dollars, are the biggest, fastest-growing source of climate finance for the developing world. Called multilateral developme

Himalayan glacial lakes expand by 10.81% from 2011 to 2024, reveals report

Glacial lakes and other water bodies across the Himalayan region saw a 10.81 per cent increase in area from 2011 to 2024 due to climate change, signalling a heightened risk of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), according to a government report. The Central Water Commission's (CWC) report, which was accessed by PTI, states that with a 33.7 per cent expansion of the surface area, the lakes in India experienced an even more substantial rise. "The total inventory area of glacial lakes within India was 1,962 hectares during the year 2011 which has increased to 2,623 hectares during the year 2024 (September). There is a 33.7 per cent increase in area," the report said. It also identified 67 lakes in India that witnessed an over 40 per cent increase in surface area, placing them in the high-risk category for potential GLOFs. Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh showed the most notable expansions, signalling a heightened risk of GLOFs and the need for ...

India sees hottest October in 124 yrs; November won't be much different

Minimum temperatures for October reached unprecedented levels, the highest since the IMD began keeping records in 1901

Delhi records hottest October since 1951 amid rising pollution levels

The CPCB data shows significant pollution levels, especially after Diwali celebrations, raising concerns about air quality and potential health impacts nationwide

Climate change drives sleep loss as temperatures increase at night

Eighth annual Lancet Countdown on health and climate change report, authored by 122 global experts, found that high temperatures, drought and heavy rainfall are increasingly impacting people's health

Harsh weather curbs global wheat output, fuels sudden price surge

Some farmers in exporting nations, such as Australia and Canada, are holding back sales in anticipation that prices will climb even higher