Page 6 - Global Warming

Alaska's icefield melting speeds up, losing snow 5 times faster than 1980s

The melting of Alaska's Juneau icefield, home to more than 1,000 glaciers, is accelerating. The snow covered area is now shrinking 4.6 times faster than it was in the 1980s, according to a new study. Researchers meticulously tracked snow levels in the nearly 1,500-square mile icy expanse going back to 1948 with added data back to the 18th century. It slowly shriveled from its peak size at the end of the Little Ice Age around 1850, but then that melt rate sped up about 10 years ago, according to a study in Tuesday's Nature Communications. What's happening is that as the climate is changing, we're getting shorter winters and longer summers, study lead author Bethan Davies, a glaciologist at Newcastle University in England. We're having more melt, longer melt season. It's melting so fast that the flow of ice into water from now averages about 50,000 gallons every second, according to study co-author Mauri Pelto, a professor of environmental science at Nichols College in Massachusetts.

Climate leaders need better data amid sweltering heat across the world

It's clear that global warming is already having a malign effect on human health and livelihoods. We just need more clarity on how much

Two climate activists arrested after painting Stonehenge monument orange

Two climate protesters were arrested Wednesday for spraying orange paint on the ancient Stonehenge monument in southern England, police said. The latest act by Just Stop Oil was quickly condemned by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as a disgraceful act of vandalism. The incident came just a day before thousands are expected to gather at the 4,500-year-old stone circle to celebrate the summer solstice the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. English Heritage, which manages the site, said it was extremely upsetting and said curators were investigating the damage. Just Stop Oil said on the social media platform X that the paint was made of cornstarch and would dissolve in the rain. Wiltshire Police said the pair were arrested on suspicion of damaging one of the world's most famous prehistoric monuments and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Stonehenge was built on the flat lands of Salisbury Plain in stages starting 5,000 years ago, with the unique stone circle erected in the la

Global temperature may briefly cross 1.5 degree C threshold by 2028: UN

The 1.5 degree Celsius threshold refers to a key goal of the Paris Agreement adopted in 2015. The agreement aims to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels

Heatwave scare in India: 45 lives lost in past 36 hours, death toll hits 87

On Friday, India reported at least 40 suspected heat-related deaths, 25 of them were staff deployed on Lok Sabha elections duty in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar

Heatwave scare grows as Nagpur boils at 56 degrees C, all eyes on monsoon

The Nagpur Automatic Weather Station (AWS) recorded 56 degrees Celsius, while the AWS at the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Sonegaon also recorded 54 degrees Celsius

Delhi's 52.9 to Iran's 66 degrees C: Heatwave are breaking records globally

In July 2022, the United Kingdom surpassed 40 degrees Celsius for the first time. A small town in northwest China recorded 52 degrees Celsius last year, the highest ever for that country

Delhi's 52.9 to Iran's 66 degrees Celsius: Heatwaves are breaking records globally

In July 2022, the United Kingdom surpassed 40 degrees Celsius for the first time. A small town in northwest China recorded 52 degrees Celsius last year, the highest ever for that country

3D printing to water stewardship, firms step up for planet's health

Climate-friendly measures include apps that help employees track and reduce their carbon footprint

Urbanisation led to 60% more night-time warming in Indian cities: Report

Urbanization has led to nearly 60 per cent more night-time warming in over 140 prominent Indian cities compared to non-urban areas surrounding them, a new research from the Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar has found. According to the research, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Rajkot had the highest urban effect, while Delhi-NCR and Pune were found to be at the fourth and fifth position, respectively. Urbanisation is known to be responsible for the urban heat island (UHI) effect, in which the concrete and asphalt (used in constructing roads and pavements) surfaces store heat during the day and release it in the evening, thereby raising night-time temperatures. Over time, this heat further affects other aspects of climate, including rainfall and pollution, researchers said in the study published in the journal Nature Cities. The study sought to determine how much urbanisation and local climate change each contributed to raising night-time temperatures over the past two decades ...

Understanding heat waves: What are the causes, impact, and how to stay safe

A heat wave is an extended period of excessively hot weather that can have serious consequences for human health and the environment

Increasing turbulence: Why flights are facing more bumps in the sky

Fasten your seat belts: Experts believe that climate change is expected to make air travel bumpier than ever for air travellers. Learn about turbulence and safety precautions

One degree temperature rise could slash global GDP by 12%, warns new study

The study said that the new estimates are higher than previous ones due to the use of new datasets that more accurately reflect changes in global mean temperatures

India Greens Party's manifesto pitches for environment, social justice

The country's only 'green' party has fielded candidates for Lok Sabha polls from Delhi, Mumbai and Punjab

Rapid warming of Indian ocean could lead to catastrophic outcomes: Study

The Indian Ocean is expected to experience surface warming of 1.4 degrees Celsius to 3 degrees Celsius between 2020 and 2100, which will push it into a near-permanent heatwave state, intensify cyclones, affect the monsoon, and lead to a rise in sea levels, according to a new study. The study, led by Roxy Mathew Koll, a climate scientist at the Pune-based Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), showed that marine heatwaves (periods of abnormally high ocean temperatures) are projected to increase from 20 days per year (during 1970-2000) to 220-250 days per year, pushing the tropical Indian Ocean into a basin-wide near-permanent heatwave state by the end of the 21st century. Marine heatwaves cause habitat destruction due to coral bleaching, seagrass destruction, and loss of kelp forests, affecting the fisheries sector adversely. They also lead to the rapid intensification of cyclones. The rapid warming in the Indian Ocean is not limited to the surface. The heat content of the

Global warming of 3 degrees Celsius may result in 10% GDP loss: ETH study

Warming of the planet by 3 degrees Celsius may cost the world up to 10 per cent of its GDP, a new research has found. It also found that poorer, tropical countries could see the worst effects -- up to 17 per cent GDP loss. The study -- led by ETH Zurich, Switzerland, and published in the Nature Climate Change journal -- suggested that roughly half of the predicted global economic damage could be related to extreme heat, with heat waves being the most impactful among the extreme events analysed. "Impacts are more severe in the Global South and highest in Africa and the Middle East, where higher initial temperatures make countries particularly vulnerable to additional warming," the authors wrote. The researchers further found that the cost of climate change increased around the world after accounting for changes in rainfall and temperatures occurring within a short span at a location. "If we take into account that warmer years also come with changes in rainfall and temperature ...

Australia should prepare for 'megadroughts' lasting 20 years, shows study

The study showed that megadroughts of 20 years or more were a natural feature of the Australian hydroclimate

As fix for global warming, US scientists try 'sun blocking' to cool Earth

The scientists tested a technique that involves reflecting sunlight back into space in order to cool the Earth

Major EU climate protection plan shelved following farmer protests

A major European Union plan to fight climate change and better protect nature in the 27-nation bloc has been indefinitely postponed Monday, underscoring how farmers' protests sweeping the continent influence politics ahead of the June EU parliamentary elections. The member states were supposed to give final approval to the bill on Monday following months of proceedings through the EU's institutional maze. But what was supposed to be a mere rubber stamp has now been possibly shelved forever. "(The plan) is in a very difficult position at the moment and with the upcoming European elections, it won't be easy to get out of this position, said Dutch Climate Minister Rob Jetten. The Nature Restoration plan is a key part of the EU's European Green Deal that seeks to establish the world's most ambitious climate and biodiversity targets and make the bloc the global point of reference on all climate issues. The bill aims for Europe to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, ...

Climate change and desperate journeys

In any event, climate maps and projected patterns mainly "seed the imagination," as Lustgarten puts it, for what might transpire decades hence