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NASA-ISRO Radar Mission to Provide Dynamic View of Forests, Wetlands
Tracking Elephants Across Namibia
NASA-Led Study Pinpoints Areas of New York City Sinking, Rising
Keeping Tabs on North Cascades Glaciers
Temperature rise may soon accelerate even more
Shrimp Farms of the Guayas Estuary
Tracking toward mass extinction
Mount Taranaki’s Ring of Forest
CO2 keeps accelerating
Social Media Network
Oppenheimer’s legacy – Portents of a nuclear war on a burning planet
The MADNESS of NUCLEAR and CLIMATE HORRORby Andrew GliksonThe 24-hour media news cycle clouds the minds of people, perpetrators and hapless victims alike, to the future dimension, whether that of future generations or of the natural world itself.During the 20-21ˢᵗ centuries, as mean global temperature keeps rising toward 4°C, a failed brain neuron or a damaged computer chip can trigger a nuclear catastrophe, while the 24-hour media…
Create ‘positive tipping points’ with climate mandates, governments urged
Requiring key sectors to switch to clean energy by specific times could trigger benevolent cascades, report claimsIn the terminology of the climate and ecological crises the phrase “tipping point” is loaded with dreadful implications.It evokes a climate breakdown supercharged by the mass escape of methane locked in Siberian permafrost, or the great currents of the oceans smothered by freshwater melting from the Greenland ice sheet, or…
‘Even the breeze was hot’: how incarcerated people survive extreme heat in prison
The Marshall Project and the Prison Journalism Project asked incarcerated reporters to document the impact of extreme heat on their facilities. Their stories reveal the brutal realityAfter a summer of record-breaking temperatures, scientists predict that 2024 could end up being the hottest year on record. For people in US prisons and jails – who often lack access to even the most basic cooling measures – conditions…
Keeping Tabs on North Cascades Glaciers
Scientists use satellites in orbit and boots on the ice to monitor glacial changes on the flanks of Mount Baker and elsewhere in Washington state. Read More…
Arctic sea ice under threat
The image below indicates that Arctic sea ice volume has meanwhile passed its annual maximum. Over the coming months, volume can be expected to decrease rapidly. The image also highlights that, over the past few months, Arctic sea ice volume has been the lowest on record for the time of year. The image below illustrates the decline of Arctic sea ice volume over the years. The…
Friday 29
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Michael Mann Wins $1 Million Verdict In Defamation Trial
“Michael Mann Wins $1 Million Verdict In Defamation Trial Victory over climate deniers sends a strong message in defense of climate science and scientists. By Diane Bernard and Adam M. LowensteinonFeb 8, 2024 @ 14:04 PST Professor Michael E. Mann’s lawyer called attacks on the scientist “vile.” Credit: Julian Meehan/Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) “In a victory for climate scientists, jurors in Michael Mann’s defamation case against Rand Simberg…
Technology helping solar farms counter growing hailstone threat
With storms becoming more frequent due to the climate crisis, insurers are forcing operators to respondOne of the least considered hazards of climate change is the increasing frequency of hailstorms and the size and the impact of the pieces of ice they produce. This, in turn, threatens one of the most promising solutions to the climate crisis: solar farms.In the last year, the number of hailstorms…
Bloomberg Is a Climate Leader. So Why Aren’t Activists Excited About a Run for President?
Michael Bloomberg has poured his time and hundreds of millions of dollars into projects aimed at getting the world ‘beyond carbon,’ but can he win the presidency? One of the Trump administration’s favorite environmental talking points is that the United States has reduced carbon emissions more than any other country. It’s not an achievement that Trump can take any credit for. But his latest potential challenger,…
April Puzzler
Update on May 21, 2024: This image shows a phytoplankton bloom in the Gulf of Oman. It was acquired on March 17, 2024, less than two months after the launch of NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) satellite. Congratulations to Dan Taylor for being the first to correctly identify the bloom and its location. Special mention goes to Robert Taylor for providing a detailed answer, and to…
How hot will it get?
Currently, the temperature in the Northern Hemisphere is higher than it was last year at this time of year, as illustrated by the image below, created with University of Maine content. The image shows that a temperature of 21.1°C was reached in the Northern Hemisphere on June 17, 2024. The question is: Will temperatures over the next few months exceed the high temperatures reached last year? El Niño…
NASA Analysis Finds Strong El Niño Could Bring Extra Floods This Winter
In Brief: Such high-tide flooding that inundates roads and buildings along the west coast of the Americas tends to be uncommon outside of El Niño years, but that could change by the 2030s. An analysis by NASA’s sea level change science team finds that if a strong El Niño develops this winter, cities along the western coasts of the Americas could see an increase in the…
Saturday 23
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New Report Finds Costs of Climate Change Impacts Often Underestimated
Climate economics researchers have often underestimated – sometimes badly underestimated – the costs of damages resulting from climate change. Those underestimates occur particularly in scenarios where Earth’s temperature warms beyond the Paris climate target of 1.5 to 2 degrees C (2.7 to 3.6 degrees F). That’s the conclusion of a new report written by a team of climate and Earth scientists and economists from the Earth…
Race is on to produce a super-coral to survive world’s warming seas
Widespread bleaching of reefs is devastating delicate ecosystemsIt is one of the least understood processes in nature. How do two very different species learn to live with each other and create a bond, known as symbiosis, which can give them a powerful evolutionary advantage?Coral reefs are the most spectacular manifestations of symbiosis – and understanding the mechanics of this mutual endeavour has become an urgent task…
May Puzzler
Update on June 4, 2024: This image shows greenhouses in eastern China. Congratulations to James Varghese for being the first to correctly identify the feature and its location. Read more about the area in “A Greenhouse Boom in China.” How to answer. You can use a few words or several paragraphs. You might simply tell us the location, or you can dig deeper and offer details about what satellite and…
Climate Choir Melbourne supporting Extinction Rebellion
Climate Choir Melbourne supporting Extinction Rebellion protestors at their sit down on the busiest intersection in Melbourne City, Australia. The police were very restrained. Are they in agreement with the protestors? They do have family of their own.
NASA Flights Link Methane Plumes to Tundra Fires in Western Alaska
In Brief: Methane ‘hot spots’ in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta are more likely to be found where recent wildfires burned into the tundra, altering carbon emissions from the land. In Alaska’s largest river delta, tundra that has been scorched by wildfire is emitting more methane than the rest of the landscape long after the flames died, scientists have found. The potent greenhouse gas can originate from decomposing…
Untold Suffering Lies Ahead in Hotter World
Global heating could bring “untold suffering” for humans. It could also mean less fresh water and less rice, though tasting more of arsenic. In an unprecedented step, more than 11,000 scientists from 153 nations have united to warn the world that, without deep and lasting change, the climate emergency promises humankind unavoidable “untold suffering”. And as if to underline that message, a US research group has…
People rescued from rooftops as flooding hits northern Italy – video
Firefighters have been rescuing people stranded on their balconies and rooftops after Storm Boris triggered flooding and landslides in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna. Two people were reported missing in Traversara, a hamlet in Ravenna province, and about 1,000 people have been evacuated from their homes. Storm Boris has battered parts of Italy after causing havoc in eastern and central EuropeTwo missing and 1,000 evacuated…
Temperature rise in the Tropics (update 5)
The temperature in the Tropics (23.5°S-23.5°N, 0-360°E) reached a new record high on April 24, 2024 of 27°C (or 80.6°F). The image below shows the monthly temperature anomaly over the past few years through March 2024, when the anomaly reached a record high of 1.448°C (or 2.606°F). Note that the anomaly in the top image is calculated from 1979-2000 as a base, while anomalies in the above image…
More floods are coming to Britain, but you ought to know this: the system that should protect us is a scandal | George Monbiot
A network of public bodies are supposed to safeguard us from flooding. But, like old boys’ clubs, they are bastions of self-interestLabour’s first stage of government resembles a vast forensic excavation. As it works through the Conservatives’ midden of horrors, it discovers an ever greater legacy of underinvestment, neglect and corruption. However disappointing the new government’s compromises might be, we shouldn’t forget how overwhelming this task…
February Puzzler
Update on March 11, 2024: This image shows Spirit Lake, located in south-central Washington, on April 26, 2023. Congratulations to Ivan Kordač for being the first to correctly identify the lake. Special mention goes to David Sherrod, who pointed out the lake’s floating log raft and mentioned a recent debris flow in the region (which occurred several weeks after this image was acquired). Read more about…
Santiago at Night
Lights in Chile’s central city display an array of colors and densities, reflecting various land uses and differences between the region’s communes. Read More…
Temperature rise in the Tropics (update 3)
The temperature in the Tropics (23.5°S-23.5°N, 0-360°E) reached a new record high on April 20, 2024 of 26.913°C (or 80.44°F). The image below shows the monthly temperature anomaly over the past few years through March 2024, when the anomaly reached a record high of 1.448°C (or 2.606°F). Note that anomalies in the above image are calculated from 1951-1980 as a base. When calculated from a pre-industrial base, anomalies will…
Shrimp Farms of the Guayas Estuary
Large numbers of rectangular holding ponds lie amid mangrove forests in southern Ecuador. Read More…
Climate Tipping Points Are Closer Than We Think, Scientists Warn
From melting ice caps to dying forests and thawing permafrost, the risk of ‘abrupt and irreversible changes’ is much higher than thought just a few years ago. Humans are playing Russian roulette with Earth’s climate by ignoring the growing risk of tipping points that, if passed, could jolt the climate system into “a new, less habitable ‘hothouse’ climate state,” scientists are warning ahead of the annual…
Tragedy set to unfold in Tropics (update)
The temperature in the Tropics (23.5°S-23.5°N, 0-360°E) reached a new record high on March 13, 2024. The image below shows the situation over the years through March 13, 2024, when the average daily surface air temperature was 26.9°C and 1.4°C above 1979-2000 (black line is 2024).The previous record high temperature was reached on April 24, 2016, when it was 26.8°C, and 1°C above 1979-2000 (grey line…
Is This the Only Way to Curb Global Warming?
A new report from the United Nations environment program (Unep) finds that on current pledges, the world is heading for a 3.2 degree rise. Although G20 nations collectively account for 78 percent of all emissions, only five members have committed to a long-term emissions target. Of these, the UK and France are the only two to have passed legislation confirming their commitments in law. Germany, Italy…
Very high temperatures in Tropics
Temperatures in the Tropics (23.5°S-23.5°N, 0-360°E) have been very high in 2024 (see black line, image below), much higher than they were at this time of year in 2023 (orange line). The above image shows that on May 24, 2024, the temperature was 26.7°C (or 80.06°F), an anomaly of 1°C (or 1.8°F) compared to 1979-2000. The image below shows the average monthly temperature anomaly over the past few years through…
NASA-ISRO Radar Mission to Provide Dynamic View of Forests, Wetlands
In Brief: NISAR will help researchers explore how changes in Earth’s forest and wetland ecosystems are affecting the global carbon cycle and influencing climate change. Once it launches in early 2024, the NISAR radar satellite mission will offer detailed insights into two types of ecosystems – forests and wetlands – vital to naturally regulating the greenhouses gases in the atmosphere that are driving global climate change….
A Deluge for the Sahara
An extratropical storm system dropped torrential rains on parts of Morocco and Algeria. Read More…
California fire agency engineer arrested on suspicion of starting five wildfires
Cal Fire says Robert Hernandez ignited blazes while off duty in forest land in north of stateA California department of forestry and fire protection employee was arrested on Friday on suspicion of starting five brush fires in northern California in recent weeks, officials said.Robert Hernandez, 38, was arrested at the Howard forest fire station in Healdsburg, California, on suspicion of arson to forest land, the state…
IEA calls for next national climate plans to target coal phase-down
Governments should promise in their next round of climate plans, due by early next year, not to build any new coal-fired power stations and to shut down existing ones early, the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) has said. Speaking on Monday at an old London coal power plant-turned-shopping centre, IEA head Fatih Birol said he would be “very happy” to see new NDCs (Nationally…
A Winter Wanderer in the Weddell Sea
Under the cloak of darkness, Iceberg A-83 wiggled away from glue-like sea ice and drifted farther from the Brunt Ice Shelf—but not without sustaining some damage. Read More…
June Puzzler
Update on July 23, 2024: This false-color image shows a plume—likely an orographic cloud—streaming from near the summit of Antarctica’s Mount Siple. Colors in this image represent brightness temperature, which is useful for distinguishing the relative warmth (orange and pink) or coolness (purple and blue) of various features. Congratulations to Ivan Kordač for being the first to correctly identify the the image’s polar location. Read more about the…
July Puzzler
Update: This Landsat 8 image shows ship wakes and wind turbines in the Atlantic Ocean near Block Island, which flanks southern New England. Congratulations to Rafael and Jim Steinert for being the first to identify these features and the image’s location. Read more about the area in “A Piece of Rhode Island in the Atlantic.” Every month on Earth Matters, we offer a puzzling satellite image. The July…
No more sticking-plaster solutions: Britain’s green agenda is on solid ground | Joss Garman
Showing climate delivery can be done effectively and fairly would be an extraordinary climate legacy for Keir StarmerA well-intentioned but badly designed and poorly communicated energy policy from the German government, and more recent protests by farmers in France and the Netherlands, have knocked the confidence of European political leaders that environmental progress can be delivered in a way that works for people and enjoys democratic…
September Puzzler
Every month on Earth Matters, we offer a puzzling satellite image. The September 2024 puzzler is shown above. Your challenge is to use the comments section to tell us where it is, what we are looking at, and why it is interesting.How to answer. You can use a few words or several paragraphs. You might simply tell us the location, or you can dig deeper and offer details about…
Temperatures in the Tropics
The image below shows that temperatures in the Tropics (23.5°S-23.5°N, 0-360°E) were very high during the second half of April 2024, and these very high temperatures were sustained during the first part of May 2024. The temperature was 26.9°C (or 80.42°F) on May 11, 2024, an anomaly of 1.1°C (or 1.98°F) from 1979-2000. The image below shows the average monthly temperature anomaly over the past few years through April…
Is CMIP6 SSP585 the worst-case scenario?
The image below, adapted from Climate Reanalyzer, shows the temperature in the year 2100, in a CMIP6 SSP585 scenario. The image shows how much the temperature will have risen in 2100, at 2 meters above the surface and compared to the period 1979-2000. The image below shows a progressive temperature rise reaching 4.589°C in 2100 compared to the same period, i.e. 1979-2000 and in a CMIP6…
Tracking toward mass extinction
by Andrew GliksonWhere “Two plus two equals five if the party says so” (George Orwell)and when drilling methane wells reduces global warming Having turned a blind eye to climate science, ignoring the evidence that extreme atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄) rise and ocean acidification have led to mass extinctions of species through time, humanity allows an exponential growth of carbon emissions to track toward a global…
UN report: Pollution From Planned Fossil Fuel Production Would Overshoot Paris Climate Goals
To protect the climate, most coal, oil, and natural gas must be left in the ground, a recent study reported. In the 2015 international Paris Climate Agreement, nearly every country agreed to try and limit global warming to no more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) and preferably closer to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial temperatures. Achieving these goals will require dramatic…
Did the climate experience a Regime Change in 2023?
The astonishing recent rise in temperatures makes one wonder whether a Regime Change did take place in 2023. The February 2024 temperature was 1.76°C above 1885-1915, potentially 2.75°C above pre-industrial (bright yellow inset right). The image was created by Sam Carana for Arctic-news.blogspot.com with an April 2024 data.giss.nasa.gov screenshot. The red line (6 months Lowess smoothing) highlights the Regime Change that may have occurred in 2023.Meanwhile, NASA…
‘A break from the heat’: Americans most affected by climate crisis head midwest
Unbearable heat and worsening storms prompt residents of states such as Florida to move elsewhereAs a Rust belt town of 65,000 people in eastern Indiana, Muncie may not be the most exciting place in the world. It doesn’t have beaches, year-round warm weather or much in the way of cosmopolitanism.But for Laura Rivas, a cybersecurity engineer formerly of North Miami Beach, Florida, Muncie is perfect. Continue…
Australia is a mess. Cop31 is a chance to redefine ourselves from climate laggard to global leader | Anna Cerneaz
Hosting the conference would help us overcome our colonial mentality and the fossil fuel lobby, both of which have held us back from tackling climate changeGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAs the world grapples with the climate crisis, Australia stands at a crossroads. Our bid to co-host the UN’s climate conference, Cop31, with Pacific nations is not just a diplomatic event;…
Retired priest speaks of ‘painful’ treatment by church over her climate protests
The Rev Sue Parfitt has lost right to conduct religious ceremonies after her arrest at a Just Stop Oil demonstrationAn 82-year-old retired priest has spoken of her pain at losing her right to conduct religious ceremonies because of her participation in Just Stop Oil protests.The Rev Sue Parfitt was arrested in May after allegedly causing damage to the glass around Magna Carta at the British Library…
‘It’s guerrilla warfare’: Brazil fire teams fight Amazon blazes – and the arsonists who start them
Firefighters and police in Rondônia battle fires intensified by both the climate crisis and a criminal assault on the rainforestThe occupants of the vinyl-coated military tents at this remote jungle camp in Brazil’s wild west compare the hellscape surrounding them to catastrophes old and new: the extinction of the dinosaurs, the bombardment of Gaza, the obliteration of Hiroshima during the second world war.“It’s as if a…
In Rural and Urban Communities Alike, Energy Costs Burden Low-Income Families
Weatherization programs can help. As the leaves turn and the temperature drops, many people worry about the cost of home heating. Ariel Drehobl of the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy says that for low-income families, it can cause stress around figuring out how to pay your bills and a tradeoff between keeping your heat on and being able to afford other necessities like food,…
North Atlantic heating up
Sea surface temperature at record high The image below, created with Climate Reanalyzer screenshots, shows that the sea surface temperature (SST 60°S – 60°N mean) was 21.2°C on April 24, 2024, reaching yet another record high. These record high sea surface temperatures are reached as long-term sea surface temperatures are falling and as El Niño is predicted to weaken, which is fueling fears that feedbacks are…
- Flood in Oman due to severe rains. Flooding in Arabian Peninsula …
YouTube”Both Oman and the UAE, which hosted last year’s COP28 UN climate talks, have previously warned that global warming is likely to lead to more flooding.Friederike Otto, a leader in the field of assessing the role of climate change on specific extreme weather events, said it was likely […]
- Carbon credit whistleblower says system still ‘failing’: RN Breakfast
Andrew Macintosh(ABC News: Alex McDonald) “The academic who blew the whistle on Australia’s carbon credit scheme – sparking an independent review – has released new research showing “damning results”. Professor Andrew Macintosh says the research confirms the scheme isn’t removing more […]
- Wood Pellet Giant Drax Targets California Forests: Excerpt
“Plans for two industrial pellet plants would increase carbon emissions and hurt the health of rural communities, campaigners warn. By Phoebe CookeonMar 4, 2024 @ 10:56 PST […]
- Michael Mann Wins $1 Million Verdict In Defamation Trial
“Michael Mann Wins $1 Million Verdict In Defamation Trial Victory over climate deniers sends a strong message in defense of climate science and scientists. By Diane Bernard and Adam M. LowensteinonFeb 8, […]
- Climate Choir Melbourne supporting Extinction Rebellion
Climate Choir Melbourne supporting Extinction Rebellion protestors at their sit down on the busiest intersection in Melbourne City, Australia. The police were very restrained. Are they in agreement with the protestors? They do have family of their own.
June Puzzler
Update on July 23, 2024: This false-color image shows a plume—likely an orographic cloud—streaming from near the summit of Antarctica’s Mount Siple. Colors in this image represent brightness temperature, which is useful for distinguishing the relative warmth (orange and pink) or coolness (purple and blue) of various features. Congratulations to Ivan Kordač for being the first to correctly identify the the image’s polar location. Read more about the…
Climate Tipping Points Are Closer Than We Think, Scientists Warn
From melting ice caps to dying forests and thawing permafrost, the risk of ‘abrupt and irreversible changes’ is much higher than thought just a few years ago. Humans are playing Russian roulette with Earth’s climate by ignoring the growing risk of tipping points that, if passed, could jolt the climate system into “a new, less habitable ‘hothouse’ climate state,” scientists are warning ahead of the annual…
CO2 keeps accelerating
The Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, reported a daily average carbon dioxide (CO₂) at Mauna Loa, Hawaii, of 428.63 parts per million (ppm) on April 26, 2024, as illustrated by the image below. This is the highest daily average on record at Mauna Loa, which is the more remarkable since the annual CO₂ maximum is typically reached in May, so even higher values are…
New Report Finds Costs of Climate Change Impacts Often Underestimated
Climate economics researchers have often underestimated – sometimes badly underestimated – the costs of damages resulting from climate change. Those underestimates occur particularly in scenarios where Earth’s temperature warms beyond the Paris climate target of 1.5 to 2 degrees C (2.7 to 3.6 degrees F). That’s the conclusion of a new report written by a team of climate and Earth scientists and economists from the Earth…
September Puzzler
Every month on Earth Matters, we offer a puzzling satellite image. The September 2024 puzzler is shown above. Your challenge is to use the comments section to tell us where it is, what we are looking at, and why it is interesting.How to answer. You can use a few words or several paragraphs. You might simply tell us the location, or you can dig deeper and offer details about…
Mount Taranaki’s Ring of Forest
The precise geometry of the protected area encompassing an iconic New Zealand volcano is unmistakable from space. Read More…
‘It’s guerrilla warfare’: Brazil fire teams fight Amazon blazes – and the arsonists who start them
Firefighters and police in Rondônia battle fires intensified by both the climate crisis and a criminal assault on the rainforestThe occupants of the vinyl-coated military tents at this remote jungle camp in Brazil’s wild west compare the hellscape surrounding them to catastrophes old and new: the extinction of the dinosaurs, the bombardment of Gaza, the obliteration of Hiroshima during the second world war.“It’s as if a…
Shrimp Farms of the Guayas Estuary
Large numbers of rectangular holding ponds lie amid mangrove forests in southern Ecuador. Read More…
Wood Pellet Giant Drax Targets California Forests: Excerpt
“Plans for two industrial pellet plants would increase carbon emissions and hurt the health of rural communities, campaigners warn. By Phoebe CookeonMar 4, 2024 @ 10:56 PST Series: Drax: The UK’s ‘Carbon Neutral’ Biomass Power Plant The wood pellets Drax produces are treated as “carbon neutral” under international accounting rules, based on an assumption that new-growth trees will capture the carbon lost by wood burnt for…
Technology helping solar farms counter growing hailstone threat
With storms becoming more frequent due to the climate crisis, insurers are forcing operators to respondOne of the least considered hazards of climate change is the increasing frequency of hailstorms and the size and the impact of the pieces of ice they produce. This, in turn, threatens one of the most promising solutions to the climate crisis: solar farms.In the last year, the number of hailstorms…
Bloomberg Is a Climate Leader. So Why Aren’t Activists Excited About a Run for President?
Michael Bloomberg has poured his time and hundreds of millions of dollars into projects aimed at getting the world ‘beyond carbon,’ but can he win the presidency? One of the Trump administration’s favorite environmental talking points is that the United States has reduced carbon emissions more than any other country. It’s not an achievement that Trump can take any credit for. But his latest potential challenger,…
Create ‘positive tipping points’ with climate mandates, governments urged
Requiring key sectors to switch to clean energy by specific times could trigger benevolent cascades, report claimsIn the terminology of the climate and ecological crises the phrase “tipping point” is loaded with dreadful implications.It evokes a climate breakdown supercharged by the mass escape of methane locked in Siberian permafrost, or the great currents of the oceans smothered by freshwater melting from the Greenland ice sheet, or…
Santiago at Night
Lights in Chile’s central city display an array of colors and densities, reflecting various land uses and differences between the region’s communes. Read More…
Michael Mann Wins $1 Million Verdict In Defamation Trial
“Michael Mann Wins $1 Million Verdict In Defamation Trial Victory over climate deniers sends a strong message in defense of climate science and scientists. By Diane Bernard and Adam M. LowensteinonFeb 8, 2024 @ 14:04 PST Professor Michael E. Mann’s lawyer called attacks on the scientist “vile.” Credit: Julian Meehan/Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) “In a victory for climate scientists, jurors in Michael Mann’s defamation case against Rand Simberg…
Citizen Scientists Capture Brilliant Photos of the Aurora
On May 11, 2024, the day-night band of VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) on the Suomi NPP satellite spotted the aurora borealis over the United States during the strongest geomagnetic storm in over two decades. That same night, observers on the ground captured spectacular photographs of the dazzling light. The following photos represent just a handful of those shot by citizen scientists as part of NASA’s Aurorasaurus…
Atlantic ocean heat threatens to unleash methane eruptions
The image below shows that the monthly Atlantic surface temperature anomaly in February 2024 was 1.176°C when compared to a 1951-1980 base.[ click on images to enlarge ] The image below shows that the monthly Atlantic surface temperature anomaly in February 2024 was 1.435°C when compared to a 1901-2000 base. The difference illustrates the importance of selecting a base to calculate anomalies from. The anomaly indicates how much…
Temperature rise in the Tropics (update 3)
The temperature in the Tropics (23.5°S-23.5°N, 0-360°E) reached a new record high on April 20, 2024 of 26.913°C (or 80.44°F). The image below shows the monthly temperature anomaly over the past few years through March 2024, when the anomaly reached a record high of 1.448°C (or 2.606°F). Note that anomalies in the above image are calculated from 1951-1980 as a base. When calculated from a pre-industrial base, anomalies will…
Video: Our Local AFL footballers push for climate action.
Aug 18, 2022 OUR LOCAL presented by AFL Players For Climate Action, reconnects past & present AFL players with their junior clubs to talk about the importance of local footy and how renewable energy can help protect its future.AFL fans will be happy to see the massive percentage of AFL footballers pushing for greater climate action. See what they have done at their local clubs. CLICK HERE…
Jane Fonda rallies disaffected young US voters: ‘Do not sit this election out’
The Hollywood actor and activist backs Harris for president as she warns of climate emergency and talks Taylor SwiftYoung people’s understandable unhappiness with the Biden administration’s record on oil and gas drilling and the war in Gaza should not deter them from voting to block Donald Trump from again becoming president of the United States, the Hollywood actor and activist Jane Fonda has warned.“I understand why…
Climate Choir Melbourne supporting Extinction Rebellion
Climate Choir Melbourne supporting Extinction Rebellion protestors at their sit down on the busiest intersection in Melbourne City, Australia. The police were very restrained. Are they in agreement with the protestors? They do have family of their own.
People rescued from rooftops as flooding hits northern Italy – video
Firefighters have been rescuing people stranded on their balconies and rooftops after Storm Boris triggered flooding and landslides in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna. Two people were reported missing in Traversara, a hamlet in Ravenna province, and about 1,000 people have been evacuated from their homes. Storm Boris has battered parts of Italy after causing havoc in eastern and central EuropeTwo missing and 1,000 evacuated…
Very high temperatures in Tropics
Temperatures in the Tropics (23.5°S-23.5°N, 0-360°E) have been very high in 2024 (see black line, image below), much higher than they were at this time of year in 2023 (orange line). The above image shows that on May 24, 2024, the temperature was 26.7°C (or 80.06°F), an anomaly of 1°C (or 1.8°F) compared to 1979-2000. The image below shows the average monthly temperature anomaly over the past few years through…
North Atlantic heating up
Sea surface temperature at record high The image below, created with Climate Reanalyzer screenshots, shows that the sea surface temperature (SST 60°S – 60°N mean) was 21.2°C on April 24, 2024, reaching yet another record high. These record high sea surface temperatures are reached as long-term sea surface temperatures are falling and as El Niño is predicted to weaken, which is fueling fears that feedbacks are…
Tracking toward mass extinction
by Andrew GliksonWhere “Two plus two equals five if the party says so” (George Orwell)and when drilling methane wells reduces global warming Having turned a blind eye to climate science, ignoring the evidence that extreme atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄) rise and ocean acidification have led to mass extinctions of species through time, humanity allows an exponential growth of carbon emissions to track toward a global…
How hot will it get?
Currently, the temperature in the Northern Hemisphere is higher than it was last year at this time of year, as illustrated by the image below, created with University of Maine content. The image shows that a temperature of 21.1°C was reached in the Northern Hemisphere on June 17, 2024. The question is: Will temperatures over the next few months exceed the high temperatures reached last year? El Niño…
Arctic Sea Ice Alert
[ click on images to enlarge ]Temperatures remain high, as illustrated by the above image, adapted from Copernicus. Meanwhile, El Niño is no longer prevalent. Instead, La Niña conditions are expected to be dominant soon, as illustrated by the NOAA ENSO update on the right. There are fears that self-amplifying feedbacks have taken over as the dominant drivers of the temperature rise, as discussed in earlier posts such…
Delaware’s Tidal Wetlands
Water inundates the marshes along Delaware Bay, which provide protection against flooding and erosion, as well as habitat for migrating birds. Read More…
No more sticking-plaster solutions: Britain’s green agenda is on solid ground | Joss Garman
Showing climate delivery can be done effectively and fairly would be an extraordinary climate legacy for Keir StarmerA well-intentioned but badly designed and poorly communicated energy policy from the German government, and more recent protests by farmers in France and the Netherlands, have knocked the confidence of European political leaders that environmental progress can be delivered in a way that works for people and enjoys democratic…
Temperature rise in the Tropics (update 4)
The temperature in the Tropics (23.5°S-23.5°N, 0-360°E) reached a new record high on April 23, 2024 of 26.925°C (or 80.47°F). The image below shows the monthly temperature anomaly over the past few years through March 2024, when the anomaly reached a record high of 1.448°C (or 2.606°F). Note that anomalies in the above image are calculated from 1951-1980 as a base. When calculated from a pre-industrial base, anomalies will…
Wildfires ravaging northern Portugal – in pictures
Since last week, wildfires have been raging in central and northern Portugal. At least seven people have died and 50 have been injured. More than 5,000 firefighters have been mobilised to battle the blazes Continue reading…
Have feedbacks taken over?
For about one year now, global temperature anomalies have been extremely high, as illustrated by the image below, created with a screenshot from Copernicus, showing an anomaly from 1991-2020 of 0.86°C on June 1, 2024. What could be behind these persistently high temperatures? Many causes such as El Niño and sunspots have been discussed in earlier posts. How much do emissions contribute to these high temperatures?Despite pledges…
March Puzzler
Update on April 23, 2024: This image shows Sortebræ, a large surge-type glacier in eastern Greenland, on September 6, 1986. Congratulations to Steward Redwood for being the first to correctly identify the glacier. Read more about the glacier and see how it has retreated in recent decades in our Image of the Day story. Every month on Earth Matters, we offer a puzzling satellite image. The March 2024…
IEA calls for next national climate plans to target coal phase-down
Governments should promise in their next round of climate plans, due by early next year, not to build any new coal-fired power stations and to shut down existing ones early, the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) has said. Speaking on Monday at an old London coal power plant-turned-shopping centre, IEA head Fatih Birol said he would be “very happy” to see new NDCs (Nationally…
Oppenheimer’s legacy – Portents of a nuclear war on a burning planet
The MADNESS of NUCLEAR and CLIMATE HORRORby Andrew GliksonThe 24-hour media news cycle clouds the minds of people, perpetrators and hapless victims alike, to the future dimension, whether that of future generations or of the natural world itself.During the 20-21ˢᵗ centuries, as mean global temperature keeps rising toward 4°C, a failed brain neuron or a damaged computer chip can trigger a nuclear catastrophe, while the 24-hour media…
Tragedy set to unfold in Tropics (update)
The temperature in the Tropics (23.5°S-23.5°N, 0-360°E) reached a new record high on March 13, 2024. The image below shows the situation over the years through March 13, 2024, when the average daily surface air temperature was 26.9°C and 1.4°C above 1979-2000 (black line is 2024).The previous record high temperature was reached on April 24, 2016, when it was 26.8°C, and 1°C above 1979-2000 (grey line…
Eclipse Challenge: Clouds and Our Solar-Powered Earth
Energy from the Sun warms our planet, and changes in sunlight can also cause changes in temperature, clouds, and wind. Clouds are ever changing and give you clues and information on what is happening in the atmosphere. Clouds can tell you if air is moving vertically (or upward) when you see cumulus type clouds growing in the distance. Clouds can also tell you which direction the…
Australia is a mess. Cop31 is a chance to redefine ourselves from climate laggard to global leader | Anna Cerneaz
Hosting the conference would help us overcome our colonial mentality and the fossil fuel lobby, both of which have held us back from tackling climate changeGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAs the world grapples with the climate crisis, Australia stands at a crossroads. Our bid to co-host the UN’s climate conference, Cop31, with Pacific nations is not just a diplomatic event;…
Retired priest speaks of ‘painful’ treatment by church over her climate protests
The Rev Sue Parfitt has lost right to conduct religious ceremonies after her arrest at a Just Stop Oil demonstrationAn 82-year-old retired priest has spoken of her pain at losing her right to conduct religious ceremonies because of her participation in Just Stop Oil protests.The Rev Sue Parfitt was arrested in May after allegedly causing damage to the glass around Magna Carta at the British Library…
Despite dilution, officials say new nature law can restore EU carbon sinks
A razor-thin vote in favour of the EU’s nature restoration law on Monday has salvaged the bloc’s ability to restore its carbon sinks and reach its net zero goal, top officials told Climate Home. The regulation, which tasks the EU’s 27 member states with reviving their land and water habitats and planting billions of trees, was narrowly passed by EU environment ministers. The controversial law only…
More floods are coming to Britain, but you ought to know this: the system that should protect us is a scandal | George Monbiot
A network of public bodies are supposed to safeguard us from flooding. But, like old boys’ clubs, they are bastions of self-interestLabour’s first stage of government resembles a vast forensic excavation. As it works through the Conservatives’ midden of horrors, it discovers an ever greater legacy of underinvestment, neglect and corruption. However disappointing the new government’s compromises might be, we shouldn’t forget how overwhelming this task…
People must understand: we in Malawi are paying for the climate crisis with our lives | Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda
From flooding to drought, extreme weather is devastating our communities. It is time for the world’s heaviest emitters to help mitigate the impacts of climatic breakdown on the countries most affectedMillions of people in my country, Malawi, face unprecedented existential crises driven by climate breakdown. The frequency of extreme weather events and the massive impact they have on communities have left government officials like me with…
NASA-Led Study Pinpoints Areas of New York City Sinking, Rising
In Brief: Scientists using space-based radar found that land in New York City is sinking at varying rates from human and natural factors. A few spots are rising. Parts of the New York City metropolitan area are sinking and rising at different rates due to factors ranging from land-use practices to long-lost glaciers, scientists have found. While the elevation changes seem small – fractions of inches…
Friday 29
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The Korean Peninsula at Night
Images of nighttime lights reveal patterns in population and urban development. Read More…
Temperatures in the Tropics
The image below shows that temperatures in the Tropics (23.5°S-23.5°N, 0-360°E) were very high during the second half of April 2024, and these very high temperatures were sustained during the first part of May 2024. The temperature was 26.9°C (or 80.42°F) on May 11, 2024, an anomaly of 1.1°C (or 1.98°F) from 1979-2000. The image below shows the average monthly temperature anomaly over the past few years through April…
Coalition’s nuclear plan will lead to ‘massive’ electricity shortages and risk blackouts, new analysis warns
Energy minister Chris Bowen says Peter Dutton must explain what happens to national grid over next decade if opposition stops building renewablesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Coalition’s proposal to cap large-scale renewable energy and eventually build nuclear power plants would lead to “massive” electricity supply shortages risking blackouts, according to analysis released…
NASA Analysis Finds Strong El Niño Could Bring Extra Floods This Winter
In Brief: Such high-tide flooding that inundates roads and buildings along the west coast of the Americas tends to be uncommon outside of El Niño years, but that could change by the 2030s. An analysis by NASA’s sea level change science team finds that if a strong El Niño develops this winter, cities along the western coasts of the Americas could see an increase in the…
Race is on to produce a super-coral to survive world’s warming seas
Widespread bleaching of reefs is devastating delicate ecosystemsIt is one of the least understood processes in nature. How do two very different species learn to live with each other and create a bond, known as symbiosis, which can give them a powerful evolutionary advantage?Coral reefs are the most spectacular manifestations of symbiosis – and understanding the mechanics of this mutual endeavour has become an urgent task…
Untold Suffering Lies Ahead in Hotter World
Global heating could bring “untold suffering” for humans. It could also mean less fresh water and less rice, though tasting more of arsenic. In an unprecedented step, more than 11,000 scientists from 153 nations have united to warn the world that, without deep and lasting change, the climate emergency promises humankind unavoidable “untold suffering”. And as if to underline that message, a US research group has…
Temperature rise in the Tropics (update 5)
The temperature in the Tropics (23.5°S-23.5°N, 0-360°E) reached a new record high on April 24, 2024 of 27°C (or 80.6°F). The image below shows the monthly temperature anomaly over the past few years through March 2024, when the anomaly reached a record high of 1.448°C (or 2.606°F). Note that the anomaly in the top image is calculated from 1979-2000 as a base, while anomalies in the above image…
- Europe’s Plan to Achieve Net-Zero Emissions in a Complex World
At Columbia Climate School’s Signature Speaker Series, Hans Bruyninckx, former executive director of the European Environmental Agency, discussed the European Green Deal.
- How Climate Change Impacts Affect Renewable Energy
Because renewable energy sources depend on the environment, both the supply of and demand for renewables are affected by climate impacts such as high heat, drought, altered precipitation patterns, flooding, extreme weather and wildfires.
- Columbia Climate School Announces New Dual Degree with the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation
By integrating climate expertise with architecture and urban design, the MS in Climate and the MS in Architecture and Urban Design program equips students with the tools to build sustainable and climate-responsive communities.
- ‘Doomsday’ Antarctic Glacier Melting Faster Than Expected, Fueling Calls for Geoengineering
With the fate of the Thwaites Glacier still uncertain, some experts are pushing for geoengineering and more intense climate action.
- Twelve Years After Sandy, Have We Gotten Better at Preparing for Disaster?
Jeffrey Schlegelmilch, the director of Columbia’s National Center for Disaster Preparedness, reflects on applying lessons from Hurricane Sandy to more recent disasters.
- Dinosaurs Thrived After Ice, Not Fire, Says a New Study of Ancient Volcanism
The leading hypothesis for a mass extinction that cleared the way for dinosaurs to dominate the Earth has long been excessive heat. A new study says the opposite.
Tragedy set to unfold in Tropics (update)
The temperature in the Tropics (23.5°S-23.5°N, 0-360°E) reached a new record high on March 13, 2024. The image below shows the situation over the years through March 13, 2024, when the average daily surface air temperature was 26.9°C and 1.4°C above 1979-2000 (black line is 2024).The previous record high temperature was reached on April 24, 2016, when it was 26.8°C, and 1°C above 1979-2000 (grey line…
February Puzzler
Update on March 11, 2024: This image shows Spirit Lake, located in south-central Washington, on April 26, 2023. Congratulations to Ivan Kordač for being the first to correctly identify the lake. Special mention goes to David Sherrod, who pointed out the lake’s floating log raft and mentioned a recent debris flow in the region (which occurred several weeks after this image was acquired). Read more about…
CO2 keeps accelerating
The Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, reported a daily average carbon dioxide (CO₂) at Mauna Loa, Hawaii, of 428.63 parts per million (ppm) on April 26, 2024, as illustrated by the image below. This is the highest daily average on record at Mauna Loa, which is the more remarkable since the annual CO₂ maximum is typically reached in May, so even higher values are…
Well done humans!!!!
Congratulations humanity! For the first time in recorded history we have breached 2C above preindustrial levels! (Glacecakes Tumblr)
A Deluge for the Sahara
An extratropical storm system dropped torrential rains on parts of Morocco and Algeria. Read More…
Despite dilution, officials say new nature law can restore EU carbon sinks
A razor-thin vote in favour of the EU’s nature restoration law on Monday has salvaged the bloc’s ability to restore its carbon sinks and reach its net zero goal, top officials told Climate Home. The regulation, which tasks the EU’s 27 member states with reviving their land and water habitats and planting billions of trees, was narrowly passed by EU environment ministers. The controversial law only…
NASA-Led Study Pinpoints Areas of New York City Sinking, Rising
In Brief: Scientists using space-based radar found that land in New York City is sinking at varying rates from human and natural factors. A few spots are rising. Parts of the New York City metropolitan area are sinking and rising at different rates due to factors ranging from land-use practices to long-lost glaciers, scientists have found. While the elevation changes seem small – fractions of inches…
Confronting Florida’s Coral Collapse
After a brutally hot summer in 2023 that caused widespread bleaching and coral death, summer 2024 was more favorable for the state’s vulnerable reefs. Read More…
I’ve studied geopolitics all my life: climate breakdown is a bigger threat than China and Russia | Anatol Lieven
‘Risk’ analyses largely ignore the dangers of the climate crisis. Unless we wake up to them, they will soon outweigh all others The Irish sea captain who in 1751 discovered the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (Amoc) – closely connected with, though not identical to, the Gulf Stream – found a practical use for it: he used the frigid deeper water to cool his wine.That may seem…
Jane Fonda rallies disaffected young US voters: ‘Do not sit this election out’
The Hollywood actor and activist backs Harris for president as she warns of climate emergency and talks Taylor SwiftYoung people’s understandable unhappiness with the Biden administration’s record on oil and gas drilling and the war in Gaza should not deter them from voting to block Donald Trump from again becoming president of the United States, the Hollywood actor and activist Jane Fonda has warned.“I understand why…
Eclipse Challenge: Clouds and Our Solar-Powered Earth
Energy from the Sun warms our planet, and changes in sunlight can also cause changes in temperature, clouds, and wind. Clouds are ever changing and give you clues and information on what is happening in the atmosphere. Clouds can tell you if air is moving vertically (or upward) when you see cumulus type clouds growing in the distance. Clouds can also tell you which direction the…
Friday 29
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NASA Analysis Finds Strong El Niño Could Bring Extra Floods This Winter
In Brief: Such high-tide flooding that inundates roads and buildings along the west coast of the Americas tends to be uncommon outside of El Niño years, but that could change by the 2030s. An analysis by NASA’s sea level change science team finds that if a strong El Niño develops this winter, cities along the western coasts of the Americas could see an increase in the…
Mount Taranaki’s Ring of Forest
The precise geometry of the protected area encompassing an iconic New Zealand volcano is unmistakable from space. Read More…
North Atlantic heating up
Sea surface temperature at record high The image below, created with Climate Reanalyzer screenshots, shows that the sea surface temperature (SST 60°S – 60°N mean) was 21.2°C on April 24, 2024, reaching yet another record high. These record high sea surface temperatures are reached as long-term sea surface temperatures are falling and as El Niño is predicted to weaken, which is fueling fears that feedbacks are…
In Rural and Urban Communities Alike, Energy Costs Burden Low-Income Families
Weatherization programs can help. As the leaves turn and the temperature drops, many people worry about the cost of home heating. Ariel Drehobl of the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy says that for low-income families, it can cause stress around figuring out how to pay your bills and a tradeoff between keeping your heat on and being able to afford other necessities like food,…
‘A break from the heat’: Americans most affected by climate crisis head midwest
Unbearable heat and worsening storms prompt residents of states such as Florida to move elsewhereAs a Rust belt town of 65,000 people in eastern Indiana, Muncie may not be the most exciting place in the world. It doesn’t have beaches, year-round warm weather or much in the way of cosmopolitanism.But for Laura Rivas, a cybersecurity engineer formerly of North Miami Beach, Florida, Muncie is perfect. Continue…
Oppenheimer’s legacy – Portents of a nuclear war on a burning planet
The MADNESS of NUCLEAR and CLIMATE HORRORby Andrew GliksonThe 24-hour media news cycle clouds the minds of people, perpetrators and hapless victims alike, to the future dimension, whether that of future generations or of the natural world itself.During the 20-21ˢᵗ centuries, as mean global temperature keeps rising toward 4°C, a failed brain neuron or a damaged computer chip can trigger a nuclear catastrophe, while the 24-hour media…
IEA calls for next national climate plans to target coal phase-down
Governments should promise in their next round of climate plans, due by early next year, not to build any new coal-fired power stations and to shut down existing ones early, the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) has said. Speaking on Monday at an old London coal power plant-turned-shopping centre, IEA head Fatih Birol said he would be “very happy” to see new NDCs (Nationally…
Wednesday 27
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Temperature rise in the Tropics (update 5)
The temperature in the Tropics (23.5°S-23.5°N, 0-360°E) reached a new record high on April 24, 2024 of 27°C (or 80.6°F). The image below shows the monthly temperature anomaly over the past few years through March 2024, when the anomaly reached a record high of 1.448°C (or 2.606°F). Note that the anomaly in the top image is calculated from 1979-2000 as a base, while anomalies in the above image…
Untold Suffering Lies Ahead in Hotter World
Global heating could bring “untold suffering” for humans. It could also mean less fresh water and less rice, though tasting more of arsenic. In an unprecedented step, more than 11,000 scientists from 153 nations have united to warn the world that, without deep and lasting change, the climate emergency promises humankind unavoidable “untold suffering”. And as if to underline that message, a US research group has…
Very high temperatures in Tropics
Temperatures in the Tropics (23.5°S-23.5°N, 0-360°E) have been very high in 2024 (see black line, image below), much higher than they were at this time of year in 2023 (orange line). The above image shows that on May 24, 2024, the temperature was 26.7°C (or 80.06°F), an anomaly of 1°C (or 1.8°F) compared to 1979-2000. The image below shows the average monthly temperature anomaly over the past few years through…
New Report Finds Costs of Climate Change Impacts Often Underestimated
Climate economics researchers have often underestimated – sometimes badly underestimated – the costs of damages resulting from climate change. Those underestimates occur particularly in scenarios where Earth’s temperature warms beyond the Paris climate target of 1.5 to 2 degrees C (2.7 to 3.6 degrees F). That’s the conclusion of a new report written by a team of climate and Earth scientists and economists from the Earth…
Coalition’s nuclear plan will lead to ‘massive’ electricity shortages and risk blackouts, new analysis warns
Energy minister Chris Bowen says Peter Dutton must explain what happens to national grid over next decade if opposition stops building renewablesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Coalition’s proposal to cap large-scale renewable energy and eventually build nuclear power plants would lead to “massive” electricity supply shortages risking blackouts, according to analysis released…
Race is on to produce a super-coral to survive world’s warming seas
Widespread bleaching of reefs is devastating delicate ecosystemsIt is one of the least understood processes in nature. How do two very different species learn to live with each other and create a bond, known as symbiosis, which can give them a powerful evolutionary advantage?Coral reefs are the most spectacular manifestations of symbiosis – and understanding the mechanics of this mutual endeavour has become an urgent task…
Delaware’s Tidal Wetlands
Water inundates the marshes along Delaware Bay, which provide protection against flooding and erosion, as well as habitat for migrating birds. Read More…
Wood Pellet Giant Drax Targets California Forests: Excerpt
“Plans for two industrial pellet plants would increase carbon emissions and hurt the health of rural communities, campaigners warn. By Phoebe CookeonMar 4, 2024 @ 10:56 PST Series: Drax: The UK’s ‘Carbon Neutral’ Biomass Power Plant The wood pellets Drax produces are treated as “carbon neutral” under international accounting rules, based on an assumption that new-growth trees will capture the carbon lost by wood burnt for…
Temperatures in the Tropics
The image below shows that temperatures in the Tropics (23.5°S-23.5°N, 0-360°E) were very high during the second half of April 2024, and these very high temperatures were sustained during the first part of May 2024. The temperature was 26.9°C (or 80.42°F) on May 11, 2024, an anomaly of 1.1°C (or 1.98°F) from 1979-2000. The image below shows the average monthly temperature anomaly over the past few years through April…
The Korean Peninsula at Night
Images of nighttime lights reveal patterns in population and urban development. Read More…
Did the climate experience a Regime Change in 2023?
The astonishing recent rise in temperatures makes one wonder whether a Regime Change did take place in 2023. The February 2024 temperature was 1.76°C above 1885-1915, potentially 2.75°C above pre-industrial (bright yellow inset right). The image was created by Sam Carana for Arctic-news.blogspot.com with an April 2024 data.giss.nasa.gov screenshot. The red line (6 months Lowess smoothing) highlights the Regime Change that may have occurred in 2023.Meanwhile, NASA…
Video: Our Local AFL footballers push for climate action.
Aug 18, 2022 OUR LOCAL presented by AFL Players For Climate Action, reconnects past & present AFL players with their junior clubs to talk about the importance of local footy and how renewable energy can help protect its future.AFL fans will be happy to see the massive percentage of AFL footballers pushing for greater climate action. See what they have done at their local clubs. CLICK HERE…
Michael Mann Wins $1 Million Verdict In Defamation Trial
“Michael Mann Wins $1 Million Verdict In Defamation Trial Victory over climate deniers sends a strong message in defense of climate science and scientists. By Diane Bernard and Adam M. LowensteinonFeb 8, 2024 @ 14:04 PST Professor Michael E. Mann’s lawyer called attacks on the scientist “vile.” Credit: Julian Meehan/Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) “In a victory for climate scientists, jurors in Michael Mann’s defamation case against Rand Simberg…
Retired priest speaks of ‘painful’ treatment by church over her climate protests
The Rev Sue Parfitt has lost right to conduct religious ceremonies after her arrest at a Just Stop Oil demonstrationAn 82-year-old retired priest has spoken of her pain at losing her right to conduct religious ceremonies because of her participation in Just Stop Oil protests.The Rev Sue Parfitt was arrested in May after allegedly causing damage to the glass around Magna Carta at the British Library…
UN report: Pollution From Planned Fossil Fuel Production Would Overshoot Paris Climate Goals
To protect the climate, most coal, oil, and natural gas must be left in the ground, a recent study reported. In the 2015 international Paris Climate Agreement, nearly every country agreed to try and limit global warming to no more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) and preferably closer to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial temperatures. Achieving these goals will require dramatic…
No more sticking-plaster solutions: Britain’s green agenda is on solid ground | Joss Garman
Showing climate delivery can be done effectively and fairly would be an extraordinary climate legacy for Keir StarmerA well-intentioned but badly designed and poorly communicated energy policy from the German government, and more recent protests by farmers in France and the Netherlands, have knocked the confidence of European political leaders that environmental progress can be delivered in a way that works for people and enjoys democratic…
CO2 rise is accelerating
On March 15, 2024, the daily average carbon dioxide (CO₂) at Mauna Loa, Hawaii, was 427.93 parts per million (ppm), as illustrated by the image below, adapted from NOAA. This is the highest daily in situ average in the NOAA record at Mauna Loa, which is the more remarkable since the annual CO₂ maximum is typically reached in May, so even higher values are likely to…
Bloomberg Is a Climate Leader. So Why Aren’t Activists Excited About a Run for President?
Michael Bloomberg has poured his time and hundreds of millions of dollars into projects aimed at getting the world ‘beyond carbon,’ but can he win the presidency? One of the Trump administration’s favorite environmental talking points is that the United States has reduced carbon emissions more than any other country. It’s not an achievement that Trump can take any credit for. But his latest potential challenger,…
April Puzzler
Update on May 21, 2024: This image shows a phytoplankton bloom in the Gulf of Oman. It was acquired on March 17, 2024, less than two months after the launch of NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) satellite. Congratulations to Dan Taylor for being the first to correctly identify the bloom and its location. Special mention goes to Robert Taylor for providing a detailed answer, and to…
Temperature rise may soon accelerate even more
The April 2024 temperature was 1.32°C higher than 1951-1980, as illustrated by the above image, created with NASA content. Local anomalies are as high as 6.2°C. The April 2024 temperature was 1.62°C higher than 1900-1930, as illustrated by the above image, created with NASA content. The red line highlights acceleration of the temperature rise (Lowess Smoothing). The image below, created with NOAA content, uses a LOESS filter (green line) to…
July Puzzler
Update: This Landsat 8 image shows ship wakes and wind turbines in the Atlantic Ocean near Block Island, which flanks southern New England. Congratulations to Rafael and Jim Steinert for being the first to identify these features and the image’s location. Read more about the area in “A Piece of Rhode Island in the Atlantic.” Every month on Earth Matters, we offer a puzzling satellite image. The July…
Have feedbacks taken over?
For about one year now, global temperature anomalies have been extremely high, as illustrated by the image below, created with a screenshot from Copernicus, showing an anomaly from 1991-2020 of 0.86°C on June 1, 2024. What could be behind these persistently high temperatures? Many causes such as El Niño and sunspots have been discussed in earlier posts. How much do emissions contribute to these high temperatures?Despite pledges…
Santiago at Night
Lights in Chile’s central city display an array of colors and densities, reflecting various land uses and differences between the region’s communes. Read More…
March Puzzler
Update on April 23, 2024: This image shows Sortebræ, a large surge-type glacier in eastern Greenland, on September 6, 1986. Congratulations to Steward Redwood for being the first to correctly identify the glacier. Read more about the glacier and see how it has retreated in recent decades in our Image of the Day story. Every month on Earth Matters, we offer a puzzling satellite image. The March 2024…
People rescued from rooftops as flooding hits northern Italy – video
Firefighters have been rescuing people stranded on their balconies and rooftops after Storm Boris triggered flooding and landslides in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna. Two people were reported missing in Traversara, a hamlet in Ravenna province, and about 1,000 people have been evacuated from their homes. Storm Boris has battered parts of Italy after causing havoc in eastern and central EuropeTwo missing and 1,000 evacuated…
September Puzzler
Every month on Earth Matters, we offer a puzzling satellite image. The September 2024 puzzler is shown above. Your challenge is to use the comments section to tell us where it is, what we are looking at, and why it is interesting.How to answer. You can use a few words or several paragraphs. You might simply tell us the location, or you can dig deeper and offer details about…
California fire agency engineer arrested on suspicion of starting five wildfires
Cal Fire says Robert Hernandez ignited blazes while off duty in forest land in north of stateA California department of forestry and fire protection employee was arrested on Friday on suspicion of starting five brush fires in northern California in recent weeks, officials said.Robert Hernandez, 38, was arrested at the Howard forest fire station in Healdsburg, California, on suspicion of arson to forest land, the state…
‘Even the breeze was hot’: how incarcerated people survive extreme heat in prison
The Marshall Project and the Prison Journalism Project asked incarcerated reporters to document the impact of extreme heat on their facilities. Their stories reveal the brutal realityAfter a summer of record-breaking temperatures, scientists predict that 2024 could end up being the hottest year on record. For people in US prisons and jails – who often lack access to even the most basic cooling measures – conditions…
Flood in Oman due to severe rains. Flooding in Arabian Peninsula …
YouTube”Both Oman and the UAE, which hosted last year’s COP28 UN climate talks, have previously warned that global warming is likely to lead to more flooding.Friederike Otto, a leader in the field of assessing the role of climate change on specific extreme weather events, said it was likely that global warming played a part in this week’s rain.”It is highly likely that the deadly and destructive…
August Puzzler
Update on August 23, 2024: This Landsat 8 image shows several golf courses north of Chicago. Congratulations to Jeff Pettett for being the first reader to identify the location and spot the golf courses. Read more about the area in “Golfing in Illinois.” Every month on Earth Matters, we offer a puzzling satellite image. The August 2024 puzzler is shown above. Your challenge is to use the comments…
What is Climate Change?
Climate change is one of the most pressing issues facing our planet today. It refers to significant changes in global temperatures and weather patterns over time. While climate change is a natural phenomenon, scientific evidence shows that human activities are currently driving an unprecedented rate of change.
Causes of Climate Change
The primary cause of recent climate change is the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere due to human activities. Key contributors include:
- Burning of Fossil Fuels: Coal, oil, and natural gas combustion for energy and transportation releases large quantities of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases.
- Deforestation: Trees absorb CO2, and cutting them down reduces the Earth’s capacity to sequester carbon.
- Agricultural Practices: Methane emissions from livestock and rice paddies, along with nitrous oxide from fertilizers, contribute to the greenhouse effect.
- Industrial Processes: Certain industrial activities release various greenhouse gases, including CO2, methane, and fluorinated gases.
Effects of Climate Change
The impacts of climate change are widespread and varied, affecting ecosystems, weather patterns, sea levels, and human societies. Key effects include:
- Rising Temperatures: Global temperatures have been steadily increasing, leading to more frequent and severe heatwaves.
- Melting Ice and Rising Sea Levels: Polar ice caps and glaciers are melting, contributing to rising sea levels, which threaten coastal communities.
- Extreme Weather Events: Increased frequency and intensity of hurricanes, droughts, floods, and other extreme weather events.
- Biodiversity Loss: Many species are struggling to adapt to changing conditions, leading to shifts in ecosystems and potential extinctions.
- Human Health Risks: Increased heat can lead to heat-related illnesses, while changing weather patterns can affect food and water supply, leading to malnutrition and waterborne diseases.
Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies
Addressing climate change requires both mitigation and adaptation strategies:
- Mitigation: Efforts to reduce or prevent the emission of greenhouse gases, including:
- Transitioning to renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and hydroelectric power.
- Enhancing energy efficiency in buildings, transportation, and industries.
- Promoting reforestation and sustainable land use practices.
- Adaptation: Adjusting to the changes that are already occurring, including:
- Developing resilient infrastructure to withstand extreme weather.
- Implementing water management practices to cope with variable water supplies.
- Protecting and restoring natural ecosystems to enhance their resilience.
Climate change is a complex and multifaceted issue that requires global cooperation and immediate action. By understanding its causes, effects, and the strategies available to address it, we can work towards a sustainable future for our planet. It is imperative for governments, businesses, and individuals to take proactive steps to mitigate climate change and adapt to its inevitable impacts.