The United Kingdom is going to try something new to beat the ill effects of climate change. Carbon dioxide, one of the key heating agents on Earth, will be sucked out of the air across the country. Scientists intend to use trees, rock chips, charcoal and peat in the groundbreaking trials which could change mitigation modules across the world.

The project was funded by UK Research and Innovation and intends to cover gaps caused by previous failures in limiting CO2 emissions. The goal is to reach net zero levels by 2050 in a bid to halt climate change. This is one of the largest trials of its kind in the world and will look at ways to do this effectively across 100 hectares (247 acres) of land.

As part of this, peatlands that have degraded will be re-wetted and replanted in the Pennines and west Wales, The Guardian reported. In addition, CO2 absorbing rock chips will be tested across farms in mid-Wakes, Devon, and Hertfordshire.

Biochar, a special type of charcoal will be put to use as well. It will be buried at multiple sewage disposal sites, former mining sites as well as railway embankments. In addition, the trials will attempt to ascertain ways to use trees to capture carbon across the United Kingdom.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/science/meet-climate-changes-latest-offering-to-earth-zombie-wildfires-386102" hreflang="en">Meet climate change's latest offering to Earth - 'Zombie wildfires'</a>

During the final trial, scientists will study the potential of energy crops like miscanthus and willow at a commercial scale for the first time.

Professor Cameron Hepburn, from the University of Oxford who is leading the trials told The Guardian that the trials are “pretty much world leading”. Hepburn added how nobody wanted to suck out CO2 from the world’s atmosphere but “that’s where we are”, claiming that climate action has been delayed for too long.

Even then, he emphasised how CO2 removal is not an effective substitute to cutting down emissions and that cutting down on fossil fuel burning remains key to tackling climate change.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/climate-change-is-killing-worlds-oldest-animal-cave-painting-in-sulawesi-386069" hreflang="en">Climate change is killing world's oldest animal cave painting in Sulawesi</a>

The United Kingdom is going to try something new to beat the ill effects of climate change. Carbon dioxide, one of the key heating agents on Earth, will be sucked out of the air across the country.

The United Kingdom is going to try something new to beat the ill effects of climate change. Carbon dioxide, one of the key heating agents on Earth, will be sucked out of the air across the country. Scientists intend to use trees, rock chips, charcoal and peat in the groundbreaking trials which could change mitigation modules across the world. The project was funded by UK Research and Innovation and intends to cover gaps caused by previous failures in limiting CO2 emissions. The goal is to reach net zero levels by 2050 in a bid to halt climate change. This is one of the largest trials of its kind in the world and will look at ways to do this effectively across 100 hectares (247 acres) of land. As part of this, peatlands that have degraded will be re-wetted and replanted in the Pennines and west Wales, The Guardian reported. In addition, CO2 absorbing rock chips will be tested across farms in mid-Wakes, Devon, and Hertfordshire. Biochar, a special type of charcoal will be put to use as well. It will be buried at multiple sewage disposal sites, former mining sites as well as railway embankments. In addition, the trials will attempt to ascertain ways to use trees to capture carbon across the United Kingdom. Also read: Meet climate change's latest offering to Earth - 'Zombie wildfires' During the final trial, scientists will study the potential of energy crops like miscanthus and willow at a commercial scale for the first time. Professor Cameron Hepburn, from the University of Oxford who is leading the trials told The Guardian that the trials are “pretty much world leading”. Hepburn added how nobody wanted to suck out CO2 from the world’s atmosphere but “that’s where we are”, claiming that climate action has been delayed for too long. Even then, he emphasised how CO2 removal is not an effective substitute to cutting down emissions and that cutting down on fossil fuel burning remains key to tackling climate change. Also read: Climate change is killing world's oldest animal cave painting in Sulawesi

UK will 'suck out' carbon dioxide from air to fight climate change

Tesla owner and billionaire entrepreneur, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a>, has announced a prize of $100 million to any investor who is able to find a solution to battle global warming.

Musk has urged people to come ahead with ideas on fighting global warming by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and ocean.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/nasa-and-spacex-launch-a-new-four-astronaut-team-to-international-space-station-379500" hreflang="en">NASA and SpaceX launch a new four-astronaut team to International Space Station</a>

"Right now we've only got one planet," he said. "Even a 0.1 percent chance of disaster – why run that risk? That's crazy!"

The SpaceX owner has given a period of four years for investors to come up with successful ideas to win the prize money. The "largest incentive prize in history" will last till Earth Day, 2025.

ALso read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tesla-issues-rare-apology-after-coming-under-pressure-over-disgruntled-customers-viral-video-379180" hreflang="en">Tesla issues rare apology after coming under pressure over disgruntled customer's viral video</a>

"Both cost and scalability need to be addressed. Is it going to be enough carbon to matter, and can we afford it as a civilisation? Those are two things that matter," Musk said in a video message.

As per calculations made by experts, removing carbon can cost more than $300 per metric tonne as the world emits nearly 50 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide in a year.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/two-dead-as-tesla-car-believed-to-be-driverless-crashes-in-texas-378510" hreflang="en">Two dead as Tesla car believed to be driverless crashes in Texas</a>

"I think this is one of those things that is going to take a while to figure out what the right solution is," he said. "And especially to figure out what the best economics are for CO2 removal."

Organisers will go through the initial guidelines and churn out a list of rules by May. Till then one of the important things the contenders should remember is that they are required to have a plan to sustain the technology for at least the next 100 years.

Tesla owner and billionaire entrepreneur, Elon Musk, has announced a prize of $100 million to any investor who is able to find a solution to battle global warming.

Tesla owner and billionaire entrepreneur, Elon Musk, has announced a prize of $100 million to any investor who is able to find a solution to battle global warming. Musk has urged people to come ahead with ideas on fighting global warming by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and ocean. Also read | NASA and SpaceX launch a new four-astronaut team to International Space Station "Right now we've only got one planet," he said. "Even a 0.1 percent chance of disaster – why run that risk? That's crazy!" The SpaceX owner has given a period of four years for investors to come up with successful ideas to win the prize money. The "largest incentive prize in history" will last till Earth Day, 2025. ALso read | Tesla issues rare apology after coming under pressure over disgruntled customer's viral video "Both cost and scalability need to be addressed. Is it going to be enough carbon to matter, and can we afford it as a civilisation? Those are two things that matter," Musk said in a video message. As per calculations made by experts, removing carbon can cost more than $300 per metric tonne as the world emits nearly 50 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide in a year. Also read | Two dead as Tesla car believed to be driverless crashes in Texas "I think this is one of those things that is going to take a while to figure out what the right solution is," he said. "And especially to figure out what the best economics are for CO2 removal." Organisers will go through the initial guidelines and churn out a list of rules by May. Till then one of the important things the contenders should remember is that they are required to have a plan to sustain the technology for at least the next 100 years.

Elon Musk announces $100 million prize money to fight global warming

CO2 emissions responsible for climate change are expected to increase in 2021, marking the second-biggest surge in history. The International Energy Agency (IEA) in its annual Global Energy Review said that CO2 levels are set to increase by almost five per cent in 2021 to 33 billion tonnes.

In effect, this would reverse the decline seen last year when lockdowns were imposed across the globe to stop the spread of COVID-19, which continues to infect people even now.

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Even then, the IEA said that the levels of CO2 emissions will remain below 2019 levels. But the energy demand across the globe is set to surpass 2019 levels. Both coal and gas are expected to rise above pre-pandemic feels.

"Global carbon emissions are set to jump by 1.5 billion tonnes this year –- driven by the resurgence of coal use in the power sector,"&nbsp; IEA's Executive Director, Fatih Birol, was quoted as saying in a statement by news agency AFP.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/uk-to-vow-78-reduction-in-emissions-by-2035-new-report-claims-378803" hreflang="en">UK to vow 78% reduction in emissions by 2035, new report claims</a>

The IEA has predicted a 4.5 per cent jump in coal demand, which will surpass levels from 2019 and could near 2014 levels, which were at an all-time high.&nbsp;

The major rise in coal demand comes from Asia, primarily China. But the US and Europe are also going to witness surges.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/china-needs-to-halve-power-sector-emissions-by-2030-to-meet-climate-goals-study-377669" hreflang="en">China needs to halve power sector emissions by 2030 to meet climate goals: Study</a>

The Leaders Summit on Climate will be hosted by US President Joe Biden on Thursday and Friday. Nations will meet to pledge action before the UN Climate Change Conference takes place in Glasgow in November.

(With inputs from agencies)

CO2 emissions responsible for climate change are expected to increase in 2021, marking the second-biggest surge in history. The International Energy Agency (IEA) in its annual Global Energy Review said that CO2 levels are set to increase by almost five per cent in 2021 to 33 billion tonnes.

CO2 emissions responsible for climate change are expected to increase in 2021, marking the second-biggest surge in history. The International Energy Agency (IEA) in its annual Global Energy Review said that CO2 levels are set to increase by almost five per cent in 2021 to 33 billion tonnes. In effect, this would reverse the decline seen last year when lockdowns were imposed across the globe to stop the spread of COVID-19, which continues to infect people even now. Even then, the IEA said that the levels of CO2 emissions will remain below 2019 levels. But the energy demand across the globe is set to surpass 2019 levels. Both coal and gas are expected to rise above pre-pandemic feels. "Global carbon emissions are set to jump by 1.5 billion tonnes this year –- driven by the resurgence of coal use in the power sector," IEA's Executive Director, Fatih Birol, was quoted as saying in a statement by news agency AFP. Also read: UK to vow 78% reduction in emissions by 2035, new report claims The IEA has predicted a 4.5 per cent jump in coal demand, which will surpass levels from 2019 and could near 2014 levels, which were at an all-time high. The major rise in coal demand comes from Asia, primarily China. But the US and Europe are also going to witness surges. Also read: China needs to halve power sector emissions by 2030 to meet climate goals: Study The Leaders Summit on Climate will be hosted by US President Joe Biden on Thursday and Friday. Nations will meet to pledge action before the UN Climate Change Conference takes place in Glasgow in November. (With inputs from agencies)

CO2 emissions to witness second-biggest surge ever, warns UN agency ahead of global climate summit

If you thought there was a huge positive impact of the coronavirus lockdowns on climate, scientists have bad news for you. As per the latest measurements, concentrations of carbon dioxide have hit record highs during the pandemic.

According to the latest measurements at Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii, the global levels of carbon dioxide increased alarmingly and are nearly 50 per cent above what they were when the Industrial Revolution started in the UK.

Setting a new record high, the atmospheric concentrations of the greenhouse gas in March was nearly 417.14 parts per million (ppm), as per data released by Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego.

Not just this, the UK’s Met Office has also predicted that the monthly concentrations of carbon dioxide are set to hit the peak in 2021 at nearly 419.5 ppm, increasing from 417.10 ppm in May 2020.

The authorities have also warned that this year’s average level forecast can be around 416.3 ppm, while 2020’s average was 413.94 ppm.

An increase in the concentrations of carbon dioxide has been majorly caused by human activity such as deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels. While the lockdown in 2020 may have helped a tad, it was not enough to put a stop to the substantial effect of the buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

“Emissions may have been reduced but we are still emitting lots of carbon dioxide, and so its atmospheric concentration is bound to go up – and will continue to do so until we get to somewhere near net-zero emissions,” Prof Martin Siegert, of the Grantham Institute, Imperial College London told The Guardian.

“Our path to net zero is obvious, challenging and necessary – and we must get on with the transition urgently.

If you thought there was a huge positive impact of the coronavirus lockdowns on climate, scientists have bad news for you. As per the latest measurements, concentrations of carbon dioxide have hit record highs during the pandemic.

If you thought there was a huge positive impact of the coronavirus lockdowns on climate, scientists have bad news for you. As per the latest measurements, concentrations of carbon dioxide have hit record highs during the pandemic. According to the latest measurements at Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii, the global levels of carbon dioxide increased alarmingly and are nearly 50 per cent above what they were when the Industrial Revolution started in the UK. Setting a new record high, the atmospheric concentrations of the greenhouse gas in March was nearly 417.14 parts per million (ppm), as per data released by Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego. Not just this, the UK’s Met Office has also predicted that the monthly concentrations of carbon dioxide are set to hit the peak in 2021 at nearly 419.5 ppm, increasing from 417.10 ppm in May 2020. The authorities have also warned that this year’s average level forecast can be around 416.3 ppm, while 2020’s average was 413.94 ppm. An increase in the concentrations of carbon dioxide has been majorly caused by human activity such as deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels. While the lockdown in 2020 may have helped a tad, it was not enough to put a stop to the substantial effect of the buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. “Emissions may have been reduced but we are still emitting lots of carbon dioxide, and so its atmospheric concentration is bound to go up – and will continue to do so until we get to somewhere near net-zero emissions,” Prof Martin Siegert, of the Grantham Institute, Imperial College London told The Guardian. “Our path to net zero is obvious, challenging and necessary – and we must get on with the transition urgently.

Carbon dioxide levels reach record high despite lockdown in 2020

United Nations in its report released last week said that pledges made by nations to cut Carbon dioxide emissions are just a fraction of effort required to effectively tackle the problem of climate change. UN said that the nations were "far away" from their target.

United Nations noted that even if the assessed pledges were fulfiled by the countries, global emissions would reduce just by 1 per cent by 2030 as compared to the levels in 2010. As per scientists, about 45 per cent of reduction is needed.

Countries'&nbsp;pledges to cut CO2 emissions form&nbsp;important component of the Paris Climate Agreement.

Excessive Carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere creates problem. CO2 traps heat and prevents it from getting reflected from Earth back to space. Excess CO2 traps heat that is more than necessary and thus contributes to climate change and global warming.&nbsp;

UN's latest assessment of emissions covers pledges of &nbsp;75 of the 197 signatories to the Paris accord. The list does not include countries that have major contribution to global emissions. These countries are yet to submit their pledges to the UN.

United Nations in its report released last week said that pledges made by nations to cut Carbon dioxide emissions are just a fraction of effort required to effectively tackle the problem of climate change.

United Nations in its report released last week said that pledges made by nations to cut Carbon dioxide emissions are just a fraction of effort required to effectively tackle the problem of climate change. UN said that the nations were "far away" from their target. United Nations noted that even if the assessed pledges were fulfiled by the countries, global emissions would reduce just by 1 per cent by 2030 as compared to the levels in 2010. As per scientists, about 45 per cent of reduction is needed. Countries' pledges to cut CO2 emissions form important component of the Paris Climate Agreement. Excessive Carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere creates problem. CO2 traps heat and prevents it from getting reflected from Earth back to space. Excess CO2 traps heat that is more than necessary and thus contributes to climate change and global warming. UN's latest assessment of emissions covers pledges of 75 of the 197 signatories to the Paris accord. The list does not include countries that have major contribution to global emissions. These countries are yet to submit their pledges to the UN.

Nations' pledges to cut CO2 emissionsfar away' from target, says UN

In Pics: Global efforts not enough to tackle climate change, says UN

Amid rising coronavirus cases and an ongoing series of protest against the new security law, France has finally heard some good news in this year.&nbsp;

The European country has, surprisingly, overachieved its target for reducing carbon emissions in 2019.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/paris-20-firefighters-accused-of-raping-minor-for-2-years-france-rallies-in-support-of-victim-361967" hreflang="en">Paris: 20 firefighters accused of raping minor for 2 years; France rallies in support of victim</a>

France's Environment Minister Barbara Pompili told a local newspaper that France has met its climate commitments. This announcement came a few days after a court rapped the state for not fulfilling the climate targets.

"In 2019, France kept its climate commitments and that's excellent news," the minister told the local media house.

The carbon emissions fell by 1.7 per cent that year, whereas the set target was that of 1.5 per cent.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-variant-of-coronavirus-expected-to-bring-another-wave-in-france-experts-361982" hreflang="en">UK variant of coronavirus expected to bring another wave in France: Experts</a>

This statement has also come after the national emissions inventory agency CITEPA had estimated that France produced nearly 437 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2019.&nbsp;

However, the environment ministry has claimed that CITEPA has now revised the estimate to 441 million tonnes, bringing a fall of 1.7 per cent.

This news has come as a good motivation for the country that aims to become carbon neutral by 2050.&nbsp;

While this announcement has fetched some appreciation from locals, there are still some campaigners who believe and accuse the government of not following its own roadmap to becoming carbon neutral.

The environment minister has, however, shown hope and confidence in the government's set roadmap to achieve the aim. "We still have a long way to go but we are on track to respect our commitments. Our efforts are paying off," she said.

Amid rising coronavirus cases and an ongoing series of protest against the new security law, France has finally heard some good news in this year. The European country has, surprisingly, overachieved its target for reducing carbon emissions in 2019.

Amid rising coronavirus cases and an ongoing series of protest against the new security law, France has finally heard some good news in this year. The European country has, surprisingly, overachieved its target for reducing carbon emissions in 2019. Also read| Paris: 20 firefighters accused of raping minor for 2 years; France rallies in support of victim France's Environment Minister Barbara Pompili told a local newspaper that France has met its climate commitments. This announcement came a few days after a court rapped the state for not fulfilling the climate targets. "In 2019, France kept its climate commitments and that's excellent news," the minister told the local media house. The carbon emissions fell by 1.7 per cent that year, whereas the set target was that of 1.5 per cent. Also read| UK variant of coronavirus expected to bring another wave in France: Experts This statement has also come after the national emissions inventory agency CITEPA had estimated that France produced nearly 437 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2019. However, the environment ministry has claimed that CITEPA has now revised the estimate to 441 million tonnes, bringing a fall of 1.7 per cent. This news has come as a good motivation for the country that aims to become carbon neutral by 2050. While this announcement has fetched some appreciation from locals, there are still some campaigners who believe and accuse the government of not following its own roadmap to becoming carbon neutral. The environment minister has, however, shown hope and confidence in the government's set roadmap to achieve the aim. "We still have a long way to go but we are on track to respect our commitments. Our efforts are paying off," she said.

France overachieved CO2 reduction targets: Environment minister

Imagine a technology that could stop excess carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere and reduce the rate of climate change. Watch report.

Warriors against climate change: Using nature to capture Carbon Dioxide

Barren and frozen Arctic region is bearing the brunt of climate change. Shedding its thick ice cover, some regions in the Arctic are witnessing a growth of green cover as warmer temperatures create a conducive environment for foliage to thrive.

Barren and frozen Arctic region is bearing the brunt of climate change. Shedding its thick ice cover, some regions in the Arctic are witnessing a growth of green cover as warmer temperatures create a conducive environment for foliage to thrive. The phenomenon, 'Arctic greening' is being studied by a host of experts to analyse how climate change spurs shift in temperatures, prompting vegetation in parts of the Arctic. With hotter than usual summers in the Arctic, the snow in the region is melting earlier, spurring the growth of plants and trees in areas that were once perennially infertile and frozen. Also read: Australian bushfires to fuel biggest annual rise in CO2 this year Experts, with the help of drones and satellites, are studying the change in vegetation pattern and greening nearly as huge as football fields. Changes in the green cover and vegetation affect the absorption and release of carbon in the atmosphere. While some places are spurring vegetation, like the Arctic, other regions are turning drier and experiencing droughts. The absorption of Co2 becomes difficult when regions become warmer and drier due to "a warmer tropical Pacific". In such a case, it becomes difficult for plants to grow which in turn hampers Co2 absorption. As a result, we see droughts and wildfires similar to that of Australia.

Climate change spurs greening in barren, frozen Arctic 

The meteorological office of the United Kingdom has predicted that the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere this year will rise to become the largest annual rise&nbsp;since 1958.&nbsp;

The report also stated that the impact of weather patterns on global ecosystems is also likely to go up by 10 per cent this year with the devastating Australian bushfires to account for about one-fifth of this rise.&nbsp;

The UK met report further explained how the uptake of carbon dioxide by land ecosystems is affected by "weather patterns linked to year-by-year swings in Pacific Ocean temperatures".&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/bushfires-can-ecosystems-recover-from-such-dramatic-losses-of-biodiversity-275472">Bushfires - Can ecosystems recover from such dramatic losses of biodiversity?</a>

Absorption of Co2&nbsp;becomes difficult when regions become warmer and drier due to "a warmer tropical Pacific". In such a case, it becomes difficult for plants to grow which in turn hampers Co2 absorption. As a result, we see droughts and wildfires similar to that of Australia's.&nbsp;

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"Along with other weather patterns and human-induced climate change, this has contributed to the recent hot, dry weather in Australia, which played a key role in the severity of the bushfires," the report explained.&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/making-sense-of-australias-bushfire-crisis-means-asking-hard-questions-and-listening-to-the-answers-272544">Making sense of Australia’s bushfire crisis means asking hard questions</a>

An unusually long bushfire season has scorched an area one-third the size of Germany in Australia. While over 25 people have lost lives in the deadly blazes since September, an estimated 1 billion animals have been killed.&nbsp;

(With inputs from Reuters)&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

The meteorological office of the United Kingdom has predicted that the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere this year will rise to become the largest annual rise since 1958.

The meteorological office of the United Kingdom has predicted that the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere this year will rise to become the largest annual rise since 1958. The report also stated that the impact of weather patterns on global ecosystems is also likely to go up by 10 per cent this year with the devastating Australian bushfires to account for about one-fifth of this rise. The UK met report further explained how the uptake of carbon dioxide by land ecosystems is affected by "weather patterns linked to year-by-year swings in Pacific Ocean temperatures". Also read: Bushfires - Can ecosystems recover from such dramatic losses of biodiversity? Absorption of Co2 becomes difficult when regions become warmer and drier due to "a warmer tropical Pacific". In such a case, it becomes difficult for plants to grow which in turn hampers Co2 absorption. As a result, we see droughts and wildfires similar to that of Australia's. × "Along with other weather patterns and human-induced climate change, this has contributed to the recent hot, dry weather in Australia, which played a key role in the severity of the bushfires," the report explained. Also read: Making sense of Australia’s bushfire crisis means asking hard questions An unusually long bushfire season has scorched an area one-third the size of Germany in Australia. While over 25 people have lost lives in the deadly blazes since September, an estimated 1 billion animals have been killed. (With inputs from Reuters)

Australian bushfires to fuel biggest annual rise in CO2 this year: UK Met office

Does offsetting carbon emissions count as going green?

Scientists in the United States have detected the highest levels of planet-warming carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere since records began, sounding new alarm over the relentless rise of man-made greenhouse gas emissions. The Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, which has tracked atmospheric CO2 levels since the late 1950s, on Saturday morning detected 415.26 parts per million (ppm). It was also the first time on record that the observatory measured a daily baseline above 415 ppm.

Atmospheric CO2 levels just hit a scary new milestone

Scientists in the United States have detected the highest levels of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/iceland-turns-carbon-dioxide-to-rock-to-clean-the-air-217059">planet-warming carbon dioxide</a> in Earth's atmosphere since records began, sounding the new alarm over the relentless rise of man-made greenhouse gas emissions.

The Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, which has tracked atmospheric CO2 levels since the late 1950s, on Saturday morning detected 415.26 parts per million (ppm).&nbsp;

It was also the first time on record that the observatory measured a daily baseline above 415 ppm.

The last time Earth's atmosphere contained this much CO2 was more than three million years ago when global sea levels were several metres higher and parts of Antarctica were blanketed in the forest.&nbsp;

"It shows that we are not on track with protecting the climate at all. The number keeps rising and it's getting higher year after year," Wolfgang Lucht, from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), told AFP. &nbsp;

"This number needs to stabilise."

But far from stabilising, levels of CO2 -- one of a trinity of greenhouse gases produced when fossil fuels are burnt -- are climbing ever more rapidly.

Ralph Keeling, director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography's CO2 Programme, said the trend would probably continue throughout 2019 -- likely to be an El Nino year in which temperatures rise due to warmer ocean currents.

"The average growth rate is remaining on the high end. The increase from last year will probably be around three parts per million whereas the recent average has been 2.5 ppm," he said.&nbsp;

"Likely we're seeing the effect of mild El Nino conditions on top of ongoing fossil fuel use."

'Increasing at increasing rate'&nbsp;

The 2015 Paris Agreement calls on humanity to block the rise in Earth's temperature at "well below" 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) compared to preindustrial levels, and 1.5C if possible.

The last four years were the four hottest on record and, in spite of the Paris deal and increasing public awareness of the problem, mankind continues to break its own emissions records, year on year.

Earth's average surface temperature has already increased 1.0C since pre-industrial times due to man-made emissions.

"All of human history has been in a colder climate than now," said Lucht.

"Every time an engine runs we emit CO2 and it has to go somewhere. It doesn't miraculously disappear, it stays in the atmosphere.

"Despite the Paris climate agreement, despite all the speeches and the protests -- we are not seeing that we are bending the curve yet," he added.

While there is some disagreement over what would constitute "safe" atmospheric CO2 levels, there is a broad consensus that 350 ppm -- a level surpassed in the late 1980s -- would stave off runaway global warming.

"350 ppm is a precautionary value because some of the consequences of being above 400 may still be evolving," Lucht said.

"But since we're not on track anyhow, any value that we can manage to stabilise it is a win."&nbsp;

The 415 ppm threshold was first surpassed earlier this month and has already risen further.

"I'm old enough to remember when passing 400ppm was a big deal," Gernot Wagner, a research associate at Harvard University, said on Twitter.&nbsp;

"Two years ago we hit 410ppm for the first time. By now, it's 415ppm. And oh, the increase is increasing at an increasing rate!"&nbsp;

Scientists in the United States have detected the highest levels of planet-warming carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere since records began, sounding the new alarm over the relentless rise of man-made greenhouse gas emissions.

Scientists in the United States have detected the highest levels of planet-warming carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere since records began, sounding the new alarm over the relentless rise of man-made greenhouse gas emissions. The Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, which has tracked atmospheric CO2 levels since the late 1950s, on Saturday morning detected 415.26 parts per million (ppm). It was also the first time on record that the observatory measured a daily baseline above 415 ppm. The last time Earth's atmosphere contained this much CO2 was more than three million years ago when global sea levels were several metres higher and parts of Antarctica were blanketed in the forest. "It shows that we are not on track with protecting the climate at all. The number keeps rising and it's getting higher year after year," Wolfgang Lucht, from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), told AFP. "This number needs to stabilise." But far from stabilising, levels of CO2 -- one of a trinity of greenhouse gases produced when fossil fuels are burnt -- are climbing ever more rapidly. Ralph Keeling, director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography's CO2 Programme, said the trend would probably continue throughout 2019 -- likely to be an El Nino year in which temperatures rise due to warmer ocean currents. "The average growth rate is remaining on the high end. The increase from last year will probably be around three parts per million whereas the recent average has been 2.5 ppm," he said. "Likely we're seeing the effect of mild El Nino conditions on top of ongoing fossil fuel use." 'Increasing at increasing rate' The 2015 Paris Agreement calls on humanity to block the rise in Earth's temperature at "well below" 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) compared to preindustrial levels, and 1.5C if possible. The last four years were the four hottest on record and, in spite of the Paris deal and increasing public awareness of the problem, mankind continues to break its own emissions records, year on year. Earth's average surface temperature has already increased 1.0C since pre-industrial times due to man-made emissions. "All of human history has been in a colder climate than now," said Lucht. "Every time an engine runs we emit CO2 and it has to go somewhere. It doesn't miraculously disappear, it stays in the atmosphere. "Despite the Paris climate agreement, despite all the speeches and the protests -- we are not seeing that we are bending the curve yet," he added. While there is some disagreement over what would constitute "safe" atmospheric CO2 levels, there is a broad consensus that 350 ppm -- a level surpassed in the late 1980s -- would stave off runaway global warming. "350 ppm is a precautionary value because some of the consequences of being above 400 may still be evolving," Lucht said. "But since we're not on track anyhow, any value that we can manage to stabilise it is a win." The 415 ppm threshold was first surpassed earlier this month and has already risen further. "I'm old enough to remember when passing 400ppm was a big deal," Gernot Wagner, a research associate at Harvard University, said on Twitter. "Two years ago we hit 410ppm for the first time. By now, it's 415ppm. And oh, the increase is increasing at an increasing rate!"

415.26 parts per million: CO2 levels hit historic high

In the heart of Iceland's volcano country, 21st-century alchemists are transforming carbon dioxide into rock for eternity, cleaning the air of harmful emissions that cause global warming.

Iceland turns carbon dioxide to rock to clean the air

Country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) today said it is investing in new technologies to further reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per vehicle.

The company said it is also in the process of aligning with stringent EU norms for classification, labelling and packaging of chemical substances besides adopting VCI Packaging (Volatile Corrosion Inhibitors) guidelines for packaging materials.

"Maruti Suzuki is working systematically to reduce vehicle emissions and the impact of manufacturing on the environment... Going forward, we will continue our focus on investing in new technologies and further bring down CO2 emissions per vehicle," MSI Managing Director and CEO Kenichi Ayukawa said in a statement.

As part of company's efforts to use renewable source of energy, MSI plans to install a 5 MW solar power plant at its Gurgaon campus this fiscal, he added.

"At Manesar, our existing 1 MW solar power plant will be complemented by an additional 0.5 MW solar plant," Ayukawa said.

MSI said its Heartect platform helps to lower CO2 emissions between 6 to 8 per cent. Models like the Baleno, Ignis, Swift and Dzire have been built on the new platform.

It claimed to have reduced an estimated over 8.3 lakh tonnes of CO2 emission over the past decade through introduction of CNG, LPG and smart hybrid vehicles.&nbsp;

The company currently has over 50 per cent market share in the domestic passenger vehicle segment.

The company further said it has reduced water consumption per vehicle manufactured by 6 per cent as compared to the previous year at its manufacturing plants in 2017-18.&nbsp;

Besides, there is 1 per cent reduction in CO2 emission while manufacturing every vehicle over the past year, MSI claimed.

"The company will soon adopt international material data capturing system to study parameters like ASR (Automotive Shredder Residue), RRR (Reuse, Recycle and Recover) and substances of concern (like Pb, Hg, Cd, Cr) across all models so that prohibited substances can be identified and eliminated. This initiative will strengthen end of life system (ELV) for vehicles," MSI said.

For exports, the company will align with the European Union system of classification, labelling and packaging of chemical substances and adopt VCI Packaging (Volatile Corrosion Inhibitors) guidelines for packaging materials.

By aligning with EU norms the disclosures on components will be comprehensive, it said.

As part of company's efforts to use renewable source of energy, MSI plans to install a 5 MW solar power plant at its Gurgaon campus

Country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) today said it is investing in new technologies to further reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per vehicle. The company said it is also in the process of aligning with stringent EU norms for classification, labelling and packaging of chemical substances besides adopting VCI Packaging (Volatile Corrosion Inhibitors) guidelines for packaging materials. "Maruti Suzuki is working systematically to reduce vehicle emissions and the impact of manufacturing on the environment... Going forward, we will continue our focus on investing in new technologies and further bring down CO2 emissions per vehicle," MSI Managing Director and CEO Kenichi Ayukawa said in a statement. As part of company's efforts to use renewable source of energy, MSI plans to install a 5 MW solar power plant at its Gurgaon campus this fiscal, he added. "At Manesar, our existing 1 MW solar power plant will be complemented by an additional 0.5 MW solar plant," Ayukawa said. MSI said its Heartect platform helps to lower CO2 emissions between 6 to 8 per cent. Models like the Baleno, Ignis, Swift and Dzire have been built on the new platform. It claimed to have reduced an estimated over 8.3 lakh tonnes of CO2 emission over the past decade through introduction of CNG, LPG and smart hybrid vehicles. The company currently has over 50 per cent market share in the domestic passenger vehicle segment. The company further said it has reduced water consumption per vehicle manufactured by 6 per cent as compared to the previous year at its manufacturing plants in 2017-18. Besides, there is 1 per cent reduction in CO2 emission while manufacturing every vehicle over the past year, MSI claimed. "The company will soon adopt international material data capturing system to study parameters like ASR (Automotive Shredder Residue), RRR (Reuse, Recycle and Recover) and substances of concern (like Pb, Hg, Cd, Cr) across all models so that prohibited substances can be identified and eliminated. This initiative will strengthen end of life system (ELV) for vehicles," MSI said. For exports, the company will align with the European Union system of classification, labelling and packaging of chemical substances and adopt VCI Packaging (Volatile Corrosion Inhibitors) guidelines for packaging materials. By aligning with EU norms the disclosures on components will be comprehensive, it said.

Maruti 'investing' in new technologies to bring down CO2 emissions

By&nbsp;Ruben Meerman*,&nbsp;Andrew Brown**

The world is obsessed with fad diets and weight loss, yet few of us know how a kilogram of fat actually vanishes off the scales.

Even the 150 doctors, dietitians and personal trainers we surveyed shared this surprising gap in their health literacy. The most common misconception by far, was that fat is converted to energy. The problem with this theory is that it violates the law of conservation of matter, which all chemical reactions obey.

Some respondents thought fat turns into muscle, which is impossible, and others assumed it escapes via the colon. Only three of our respondents gave the right answer, which means 98% of the health professionals in our survey could not explain how weight loss works.

So if not energy, muscles or the loo, where does fat go?&nbsp;

The enlightening facts about fat metabolism

The correct answer is that fat is converted to carbon dioxide and water. You exhale the carbon dioxide and the water mixes into your circulation until it&rsquo;s lost as urine or sweat.

If you lose 10kg of fat, precisely 8.4kg comes out through your lungs and the remaining 1.6kg turns into water. In other words, nearly all the weight we lose is exhaled.

This surprises just about everyone, but actually, almost everything we eat comes back out via the lungs. Every carbohydrate you digest and nearly all the fats are converted to carbon dioxide and water. The same goes for alcohol.

Protein shares the same fate, except for the small part that turns into urea and other solids, which you excrete as urine.

The only thing in food that makes it to your colon undigested and intact is dietary fibre (think corn). Everything else you swallow is absorbed into your bloodstream and organs and, after that, it&rsquo;s not going anywhere until you&rsquo;ve vaporised it.&nbsp;

Kilograms in versus kilograms out

We all learn that &ldquo;energy in equals energy out&rdquo; in high school. But energy is a notoriously confusing concept, even among health professionals and scientists who study obesity.

The reason we gain or lose weight is much less mysterious if we keep track of all the kilograms, too, not just those enigmatic kilojoules or calories.

According to the latest government figures, Australians consume 3.5kg of food and beverages every day. Of that, 415 grams is solid macronutrients, 23 grams is fibre and the remaining 3kg is water.

What&rsquo;s not reported is that we inhale more than 600 grams worth of oxygen, too, and this figure is equally important for your waistline.&nbsp;

If you put 3.5kg of food and water into your body, plus 600 grams of oxygen, then 4.1kg of stuff needs to come back out, or you&rsquo;ll gain weight. If you&rsquo;re hoping to shed some weight, more than 4.1kg will have to go. So how do you make this happen?

The 415 grams of carbohydrates, fats, protein and alcohol most Australians eat every day will produce exactly 740 grams of carbon dioxide plus 280 grams of water (about one cup) and about 35 grams of urea and other solids excreted as urine.

An average 75kg person&rsquo;s resting metabolic rate (the rate at which the body uses energy when the person isn&rsquo;t moving) produces about 590 grams of carbon dioxide per day. No pill or potion you can buy will increase that figure, despite the bold claims you might have heard.

The good news is that you exhale 200 grams of carbon dioxide while you&rsquo;re fast asleep every night, so you&rsquo;ve already breathed out a quarter of your daily target before you even step out of bed.&nbsp;

Eat less, exhale more

So if fat turns into carbon dioxide, could simply breathing more make you lose weight? Unfortunately not. Huffing and puffing more than you need to is called hyperventilation and will only make you dizzy, or possibly faint. The only way you can consciously increase the amount of carbon dioxide your body is producing is by moving your muscles.

But here&rsquo;s some more good news. Simply standing up and getting dressed more than doubles your metabolic rate. In other words, if you simply tried on all your outfits for 24 hours, you&rsquo;d exhale more than 1,200 grams of carbon dioxide.

More realistically, going for a walk triples your metabolic rate, and so will cooking, vacuuming and sweeping.

Metabolising 100 grams of fat consumes 290 grams of oxygen and produces 280 grams of carbon dioxide plus 110 grams of water. The food you eat can&rsquo;t change these figures.

Therefore, to lose 100 grams of fat, you have to exhale 280 grams of carbon dioxide on top of what you&rsquo;ll produce by vaporising all your food, no matter what it is.

Any diet that supplies less &ldquo;fuel&rdquo; than you burn will do the trick, but with so many misconceptions about how weight loss works, few of us know why.

&nbsp;

*Ruben Meerman is an assistant scientist, UNSW 
**Andrew Brown is a Professor and Head, School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The fat is converted to carbon dioxide and water. You exhale the carbon dioxide and the water mixes into your circulation until it’s lost as urine or sweat.

By Ruben Meerman*, Andrew Brown** The world is obsessed with fad diets and weight loss, yet few of us know how a kilogram of fat actually vanishes off the scales. Even the 150 doctors, dietitians and personal trainers we surveyed shared this surprising gap in their health literacy. The most common misconception by far, was that fat is converted to energy. The problem with this theory is that it violates the law of conservation of matter, which all chemical reactions obey. Some respondents thought fat turns into muscle, which is impossible, and others assumed it escapes via the colon. Only three of our respondents gave the right answer, which means 98% of the health professionals in our survey could not explain how weight loss works. So if not energy, muscles or the loo, where does fat go? The enlightening facts about fat metabolism The correct answer is that fat is converted to carbon dioxide and water. You exhale the carbon dioxide and the water mixes into your circulation until it’s lost as urine or sweat. If you lose 10kg of fat, precisely 8.4kg comes out through your lungs and the remaining 1.6kg turns into water. In other words, nearly all the weight we lose is exhaled. This surprises just about everyone, but actually, almost everything we eat comes back out via the lungs. Every carbohydrate you digest and nearly all the fats are converted to carbon dioxide and water. The same goes for alcohol. Protein shares the same fate, except for the small part that turns into urea and other solids, which you excrete as urine. The only thing in food that makes it to your colon undigested and intact is dietary fibre (think corn). Everything else you swallow is absorbed into your bloodstream and organs and, after that, it’s not going anywhere until you’ve vaporised it. Kilograms in versus kilograms out We all learn that “energy in equals energy out” in high school. But energy is a notoriously confusing concept, even among health professionals and scientists who study obesity. The reason we gain or lose weight is much less mysterious if we keep track of all the kilograms, too, not just those enigmatic kilojoules or calories. According to the latest government figures, Australians consume 3.5kg of food and beverages every day. Of that, 415 grams is solid macronutrients, 23 grams is fibre and the remaining 3kg is water. What’s not reported is that we inhale more than 600 grams worth of oxygen, too, and this figure is equally important for your waistline. If you put 3.5kg of food and water into your body, plus 600 grams of oxygen, then 4.1kg of stuff needs to come back out, or you’ll gain weight. If you’re hoping to shed some weight, more than 4.1kg will have to go. So how do you make this happen? The 415 grams of carbohydrates, fats, protein and alcohol most Australians eat every day will produce exactly 740 grams of carbon dioxide plus 280 grams of water (about one cup) and about 35 grams of urea and other solids excreted as urine. An average 75kg person’s resting metabolic rate (the rate at which the body uses energy when the person isn’t moving) produces about 590 grams of carbon dioxide per day. No pill or potion you can buy will increase that figure, despite the bold claims you might have heard. The good news is that you exhale 200 grams of carbon dioxide while you’re fast asleep every night, so you’ve already breathed out a quarter of your daily target before you even step out of bed. Eat less, exhale more So if fat turns into carbon dioxide, could simply breathing more make you lose weight? Unfortunately not. Huffing and puffing more than you need to is called hyperventilation and will only make you dizzy, or possibly faint. The only way you can consciously increase the amount of carbon dioxide your body is producing is by moving your muscles. But here’s some more good news. Simply standing up and getting dressed more than doubles your metabolic rate. In other words, if you simply tried on all your outfits for 24 hours, you’d exhale more than 1,200 grams of carbon dioxide. More realistically, going for a walk triples your metabolic rate, and so will cooking, vacuuming and sweeping. Metabolising 100 grams of fat consumes 290 grams of oxygen and produces 280 grams of carbon dioxide plus 110 grams of water. The food you eat can’t change these figures. Therefore, to lose 100 grams of fat, you have to exhale 280 grams of carbon dioxide on top of what you’ll produce by vaporising all your food, no matter what it is. Any diet that supplies less “fuel” than you burn will do the trick, but with so many misconceptions about how weight loss works, few of us know why. *Ruben Meerman is an assistant scientist, UNSW **Andrew Brown is a Professor and Head, School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: When we lose weight, where does it go?

As climate change drives up temperatures, Earth comes ever closer to dangerous &#39;tipping points&#39; that could accelerate global warming beyond our capacity to reign it in, scientists warned at UN talks in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/climate-change-imperils-one-in-four-natural-heritage-sites-report-24124">Bonn</a> Monday.

&quot;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/if-asia-leads-on-climate-the-world-will-follow-24082">Climate change</a> is here. It is dangerous. And it is about to get much worse,&quot;&nbsp;said Johan Rockstrom, executive director of the Stockholm Resilience Centre.

&quot;In the last two years, evidence has accumulated that we are now on a collision course with tipping points in the Earth system.&quot;

Think of someone leaning back on two legs of a chair, suggested Sybren Drijfhout, a professor at the University of Southampton.

&quot;The tipping point is when you&#39;re exactly in between two states,&quot; he said. &quot;A tiny perturbation&quot; - a gentle shove - &quot;will make the system tip over.&quot;

In relation to climate change, these invisible thresholds are a point-of-no-return beyond which lies a world that could fall rapidly and seriously out of balance.

Some <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/world-carbon-emissions-on-the-rise-again-study-24098">scientists</a>, for example, have concluded that the planet&#39;s surface has already warmed enough - 1.1 degrees Celsius (2.0 degrees Fahrenheit) on average - in the last 150 years to lock in the disintegration of the West Antarctic ice sheet, which holds enough frozen water to lift global oceans by six or seven metres.&nbsp;

It may take 1,000 years, but -&nbsp;if they are right -&nbsp;the ice sheet will melt no matter how quickly humanity draws down <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-government-files-plea-in-ngt-seeking-changes-in-its-previous-directions-24100">the greenhouse gases</a> that continue to drive global warming.

Other scientists say that threshold is higher, perhaps 1.5 C&nbsp; or 2.0 C. But all agree that there is a point of no return.

Rockstrom and other scientists identified a dozen tipping points - keyed to different temperature triggers - in a briefing paper presented at the 196-nation, 12-day UN talks, which run through Friday.

The danger, if they kick in, is that change could become abrupt and irreversible, at least on a timescale measured in thousands, or tens of thousands, of years.

An increase of 1-3 C could provoke the loss of Arctic summer sea ice; irreversible melting of parts of the Greenland Ice Sheet; loss of many warm-water coral reefs; and the disappearance of many mountain glaciers.&nbsp;

Earth getting in the act&nbsp;

A temperature rise of 3-5 C would likely turn large swathes of the Amazon rainforest into savanna; slow down the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a deep-sea current which regulates weather on both sides of the northern Atlantic; and affect the intensity and frequency of El Ninos.&nbsp;

On the plus side, it could also green the Sahel region of northern Africa.

If the thermometer goes up beyond 5 C - unlikely but not impossible - the world would see the melting of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, lifting seas tens of metres; and the loss of Arctic winter sea ice.

It would also melt the permafrost, which traps at least nearly twice as much carbon as is contained in the atmosphere.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Right now, the scientists point out, humanity is having a very hard time dealing with the amount of CO2 and methane - the two most important greenhouse gases -- we have already released.

If Earth itself gets into the act, that task could quickly become overwhelming.

&quot;It is important to remind everyone of the very reasons why tens of thousands of people are meeting in Bonn,&quot; said Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, and co-author of the briefing.

&quot;It is because of the unprecedented risk to humanity due to global warming, as revealed by science.&quot;

This hard reality, he added, may force us to reconsider the &quot;culture of short-term convenience and consumption&quot; that has emerged since the middle of the 20th century.

As climate change drives up temperatures, Earth comes ever closer to dangerous 'tipping points' that could accelerate global warming beyond our capacity to reign it in, scientists warned at UN talks in Bonn Monday

As climate change drives up temperatures, Earth comes ever closer to dangerous 'tipping points' that could accelerate global warming beyond our capacity to reign it in, scientists warned at UN talks in Bonn Monday. "Climate change is here. It is dangerous. And it is about to get much worse," said Johan Rockstrom, executive director of the Stockholm Resilience Centre. "In the last two years, evidence has accumulated that we are now on a collision course with tipping points in the Earth system." Think of someone leaning back on two legs of a chair, suggested Sybren Drijfhout, a professor at the University of Southampton. "The tipping point is when you're exactly in between two states," he said. "A tiny perturbation" - a gentle shove - "will make the system tip over." In relation to climate change, these invisible thresholds are a point-of-no-return beyond which lies a world that could fall rapidly and seriously out of balance. Some scientists, for example, have concluded that the planet's surface has already warmed enough - 1.1 degrees Celsius (2.0 degrees Fahrenheit) on average - in the last 150 years to lock in the disintegration of the West Antarctic ice sheet, which holds enough frozen water to lift global oceans by six or seven metres. It may take 1,000 years, but - if they are right - the ice sheet will melt no matter how quickly humanity draws down the greenhouse gases that continue to drive global warming. Other scientists say that threshold is higher, perhaps 1.5 C or 2.0 C. But all agree that there is a point of no return. Rockstrom and other scientists identified a dozen tipping points - keyed to different temperature triggers - in a briefing paper presented at the 196-nation, 12-day UN talks, which run through Friday. The danger, if they kick in, is that change could become abrupt and irreversible, at least on a timescale measured in thousands, or tens of thousands, of years. An increase of 1-3 C could provoke the loss of Arctic summer sea ice; irreversible melting of parts of the Greenland Ice Sheet; loss of many warm-water coral reefs; and the disappearance of many mountain glaciers. Earth getting in the act A temperature rise of 3-5 C would likely turn large swathes of the Amazon rainforest into savanna; slow down the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a deep-sea current which regulates weather on both sides of the northern Atlantic; and affect the intensity and frequency of El Ninos. On the plus side, it could also green the Sahel region of northern Africa. If the thermometer goes up beyond 5 C - unlikely but not impossible - the world would see the melting of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, lifting seas tens of metres; and the loss of Arctic winter sea ice. It would also melt the permafrost, which traps at least nearly twice as much carbon as is contained in the atmosphere. Right now, the scientists point out, humanity is having a very hard time dealing with the amount of CO2 and methane - the two most important greenhouse gases -- we have already released. If Earth itself gets into the act, that task could quickly become overwhelming. "It is important to remind everyone of the very reasons why tens of thousands of people are meeting in Bonn," said Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, and co-author of the briefing. "It is because of the unprecedented risk to humanity due to global warming, as revealed by science." This hard reality, he added, may force us to reconsider the "culture of short-term convenience and consumption" that has emerged since the middle of the 20th century.

Climate change pushing Earth towards 'tipping point': Report

The carbon dioxide emissions that drive global warming, flat since 2014, are set to rise two percent this year, dashing hopes they had peaked, scientists reported at UN climate talks Monday.

&quot;This is very disappointing,&quot; said Corinne Le Quere, director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at the University of East Anglia and lead author of a major study detailing the findings.&nbsp;

&quot;With global CO2 emissions from human activities estimated at 41 billion tonnes for 2017, time is running out on our ability to keep warming below two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), let alone 1.5 C.&quot;

The 196-nation Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, calls for capping global warming at 2 C below pre-industrial levels.

With the planet out of kilter after only one degree of warming -- enough to amplify deadly heatwaves, droughts, and superstorms -- the treaty also vows to explore the feasibility of holding the line at 1.5 C.

Earth is overheating due to the burning of oil, gas and especially coal to power the global economy. Deforestation also plays a critical role.

&quot;The news that emissions are rising after a three-year hiatus is a giant leap backward for humankind,&quot; said Amy Luers, a climate policy advisor to Barack Obama and executive director of Future Earth, which co-sponsored the research.

This year&#39;s climate summit is presided by Fiji, one of the dozens of small island nations whose very existence is threatened by rising seas engorged by warmer water and melt-off from ice sheets on Greenland and Antarctica.

Thousands of diplomats in Bonn are negotiating the &quot;rulebook&quot; for the Paris pact, which goes into effect in 2020.

To stay below the 2 C threshold, greenhouse gas emissions should peak and begin to curve downward by 2020, earlier research has shown.

Stalled CO2 emissions from 2014 through 2016 -- due to better energy efficiency, a boom in renewables, and reduced coal use in China -- raised expectations that the world had turned the corner.

Those hopes were premature.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&quot;As each year ticks by, the chances of avoiding 2 C of warming continue to diminish,&quot; said co-author Glen Peters, research director at Center for International Climate Research in Oslo, Norway.

&quot;Given that 2 C is extremely unlikely based on current progress, then 1.5 C is a distant dream,&quot; he told AFP.

The study fingered China as the single largest cause of resurgent fossil fuel emissions in 2017, with the country&#39;s coal, oil and natural gas use up three, five and 12 percent, respectively.

Earth outside the safe zone&nbsp;

China alone accounts for nearly 30 percent of global carbon pollution.

Emissions from India -- the world&#39;s fourth largest emitter after the United States and the European Union -- are projected to grow by two percent, down from a 6.7-percent increase the year before.

2017 CO2 emissions in the United States will drop by only 0.4 percent, compared to 1.2 percent annually over the previous decade.

For the first time in five years, US coal use is projected to rise.&nbsp;

&quot;Human-induced warming has accelerated over the past few years despite the slowdown in carbon dioxide emissions because of other drivers of climate change, notably methane,&quot; said Myles Allen, a professor at the University of Oxford, commenting on the findings.

The Paris Agreement rests on voluntary carbon-cutting pledges from virtually every country in the world.

But even if fulfilled, those promissory notes are not enough to keep Earth in the safe zone, and would still see global temperatures rise a devastating 3 C (5.6 F) by the end of the century.

&quot;Global commitments made in Paris to reduce emissions are still not being matched by actions,&quot; said Peters.

The bottom line, say experts, is that the global economy is not shifting quickly enough from fossil fuels to low- or zero-carbon energy.&nbsp;

Solar and wind energy have grown 14 percent annually since 2012, but still only account for a tiny fraction -- less than four percent -- of global energy consumption.

The transition from dirty to clean energy has been slowed by oil, gas and coal subsidies that topped $320 million dollars (270 million euros) in 2015, according to the International Energy Agency.

Oceans and forests combined absorbed over half of the CO2 emissions from human activity, with the rest staying in the atmosphere, the study showed.&nbsp;

&quot;We would expect that the carbon sinks will eventually weaken as temperatures continue to rise, but how much and how fast is an active area of research,&quot; said Peters.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), meanwhile, released a report Monday showing that climate change now imperils one in four natural World Heritage sites, including coral reefs, glaciers, and wetlands -- nearly double the number from just three years ago.

Thousands of diplomats in Bonn are negotiating the "rulebook" for the Paris pact, which goes into effect in 2020

The carbon dioxide emissions that drive global warming, flat since 2014, are set to rise two percent this year, dashing hopes they had peaked, scientists reported at UN climate talks Monday. "This is very disappointing," said Corinne Le Quere, director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at the University of East Anglia and lead author of a major study detailing the findings. "With global CO2 emissions from human activities estimated at 41 billion tonnes for 2017, time is running out on our ability to keep warming below two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), let alone 1.5 C." The 196-nation Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, calls for capping global warming at 2 C below pre-industrial levels. With the planet out of kilter after only one degree of warming -- enough to amplify deadly heatwaves, droughts, and superstorms -- the treaty also vows to explore the feasibility of holding the line at 1.5 C. Earth is overheating due to the burning of oil, gas and especially coal to power the global economy. Deforestation also plays a critical role. "The news that emissions are rising after a three-year hiatus is a giant leap backward for humankind," said Amy Luers, a climate policy advisor to Barack Obama and executive director of Future Earth, which co-sponsored the research. This year's climate summit is presided by Fiji, one of the dozens of small island nations whose very existence is threatened by rising seas engorged by warmer water and melt-off from ice sheets on Greenland and Antarctica. Thousands of diplomats in Bonn are negotiating the "rulebook" for the Paris pact, which goes into effect in 2020. To stay below the 2 C threshold, greenhouse gas emissions should peak and begin to curve downward by 2020, earlier research has shown. Stalled CO2 emissions from 2014 through 2016 -- due to better energy efficiency, a boom in renewables, and reduced coal use in China -- raised expectations that the world had turned the corner. Those hopes were premature. "As each year ticks by, the chances of avoiding 2 C of warming continue to diminish," said co-author Glen Peters, research director at Center for International Climate Research in Oslo, Norway. "Given that 2 C is extremely unlikely based on current progress, then 1.5 C is a distant dream," he told AFP. The study fingered China as the single largest cause of resurgent fossil fuel emissions in 2017, with the country's coal, oil and natural gas use up three, five and 12 percent, respectively. Earth outside the safe zone China alone accounts for nearly 30 percent of global carbon pollution. Emissions from India -- the world's fourth largest emitter after the United States and the European Union -- are projected to grow by two percent, down from a 6.7-percent increase the year before. 2017 CO2 emissions in the United States will drop by only 0.4 percent, compared to 1.2 percent annually over the previous decade. For the first time in five years, US coal use is projected to rise. "Human-induced warming has accelerated over the past few years despite the slowdown in carbon dioxide emissions because of other drivers of climate change, notably methane," said Myles Allen, a professor at the University of Oxford, commenting on the findings. The Paris Agreement rests on voluntary carbon-cutting pledges from virtually every country in the world. But even if fulfilled, those promissory notes are not enough to keep Earth in the safe zone, and would still see global temperatures rise a devastating 3 C (5.6 F) by the end of the century. "Global commitments made in Paris to reduce emissions are still not being matched by actions," said Peters. The bottom line, say experts, is that the global economy is not shifting quickly enough from fossil fuels to low- or zero-carbon energy. Solar and wind energy have grown 14 percent annually since 2012, but still only account for a tiny fraction -- less than four percent -- of global energy consumption. The transition from dirty to clean energy has been slowed by oil, gas and coal subsidies that topped $320 million dollars (270 million euros) in 2015, according to the International Energy Agency. Oceans and forests combined absorbed over half of the CO2 emissions from human activity, with the rest staying in the atmosphere, the study showed. "We would expect that the carbon sinks will eventually weaken as temperatures continue to rise, but how much and how fast is an active area of research," said Peters. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), meanwhile, released a report Monday showing that climate change now imperils one in four natural World Heritage sites, including coral reefs, glaciers, and wetlands -- nearly double the number from just three years ago.

Global 2 per cent rise in CO2 'giant leap backwards for humankind'

The world must sharply curb greenhouse gas emissions and suck billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide from the air if today&#39;s youth are to be spared climate cataclysm, a top scientist has warned.

&quot;This reality is being ignored by governments around the world,&quot; said James Hansen, who famously announced to the US Congress 30 years ago that global warming was underway.

&quot;To say that we are &#39;moving in the right direction&#39; just isn&#39;t good enough anymore,&quot; he said in an interview.

Head of NASA&#39;s Goddard Institute for Space Studies until 2013, Hansen and his 18-year-old granddaughter&nbsp;who is suing the US government for contributing to the problem&nbsp;delivered that message this week at UN climate negotiations in Bonn.

Thousands of diplomats at the 12-day, 196-nation talks are haggling over the fine print of a &quot;user&#39;s manual&quot; for a treaty that will go into effect in 2020.

Inked in the French capital in 2015, the Paris Agreement calls for capping global warming at two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit).&nbsp;

With the planet out of kilter after only one degree of warming&nbsp;enough to amplify deadly heatwaves, superstorms, and droughts-the treaty also vows to explore the feasibility of holding the line at 1.5 C.&nbsp;

&quot;That is a good impulse because if we go to 2 C, it is guaranteed that we will lose our shorelines and coastal cities,&quot; said Hansen.&nbsp;

&quot;The only question is how fast.&quot;

Earth&#39;s surface temperature, the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, and sea levels have all changed in lock-step over hundreds of millions of years, he pointed out.

In 2016, the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide the main greenhouse gas&nbsp;tipped over 403 parts per million (ppm), 40 per cent above the pre-industrial average and the highest level in at least 800,000 years, the UN&#39;s weather agency reported this week.&nbsp;

&#39;Proven prescient&#39;&nbsp;

Even under optimistic scenarios, that number is projected to rise for decades.&nbsp;

What&#39;s the limit for a climate-safe world?

The UN&#39;s science advisory body, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), has said we can &quot;likely&quot; stay under the 2 C threshold if CO2 levels don&#39;t exceed 450 ppm by 2100.

For Hansen, that&#39;s a recipe for disaster.

Meltwater from the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets could add metres to sea levels by 2100, he has calculated.

&quot;The last time in Earth&#39;s history that CO2 concentrations were at 450 ppm, sea level was 25 metres (80 feet) higher,&quot; he noted.

When writer and environmentalist Bill McKibben decided a decade ago to launch a campaign to fight global warming, he asked the world&#39;s best known climate scientist what he should call it.

&quot;He had in mind the name &#39;450.org&#39;,&quot; Hansen recalled.&nbsp;

By coincidence, Hansen was about to publish a major study that concluded the ceiling for CO2 levels should be 350 ppm, at most.&nbsp;

Thus was born 350.org, probably the largest grassroots climate action organisation in the world.

&quot;Hansen does make a compelling case that many climate change impacts are occurring sooner and with greater magnitude than we expected,&quot; said Michael Mann, director of the Earth System Science Center at Pennsylvania State University.

&quot;Jim&#39;s past predictions have proven prescient and we do indeed ignore him at our peril.&quot;

&quot;Hansen&#39;s contributions to the basic science of climate change are fundamental to our current understanding -- no one has contributed more,&quot; said Michael Oppenheimer, a professor of geosciences and international affairs at Princeton University.

&nbsp;Climate negligence&nbsp;

Even if humanity succeeds in bending down the curve of greenhouse emissions far sooner than currently seems imaginable, it would not be fast enough to bring CO2 levels back to 350 ppm by century&#39;s end, according to Hansen.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

&quot;You would have to extract 150 billion tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere,&quot; more than 10 times the amount we emit each year, he said.

The technology to do that does not currently exist.At 76, Hansen is thinking a lot about and what kind of world young people will be inheriting.&nbsp;

So is his granddaughter, Sophie Kivlehan, a first year university student in the United States.&nbsp;

Along with 20 of her peers, Kivlehan has sued the US federal government for what might best be called climate negligence.&nbsp;

&quot;When the US Constitution says &#39;We the People,&#39; that means young people too,&quot; she said in an interview.&nbsp;

&quot;We have constitutional rights, and those rights are being violated.&quot;

The case is currently wending its way through the federal court system, and could one day wind up before the Supreme Court, one of the lawyers representing the plaintiffs told AFP.

Government attempts to have the case thrown out have failed.

Despite his grim predictions, Hansen has not thrown his hands up in despair. He continues, for example, to campaign for a direct tax on fossil fuels as the only realistic way to achieve the necessary cuts.

The world must sharply curb greenhouse gas emissions and suck billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide from the air if today's youth are to be spared climate cataclysm, the scientist warned

The world must sharply curb greenhouse gas emissions and suck billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide from the air if today's youth are to be spared climate cataclysm, a top scientist has warned. "This reality is being ignored by governments around the world," said James Hansen, who famously announced to the US Congress 30 years ago that global warming was underway. "To say that we are 'moving in the right direction' just isn't good enough anymore," he said in an interview. Head of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies until 2013, Hansen and his 18-year-old granddaughter who is suing the US government for contributing to the problem delivered that message this week at UN climate negotiations in Bonn. Thousands of diplomats at the 12-day, 196-nation talks are haggling over the fine print of a "user's manual" for a treaty that will go into effect in 2020. Inked in the French capital in 2015, the Paris Agreement calls for capping global warming at two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit). With the planet out of kilter after only one degree of warming enough to amplify deadly heatwaves, superstorms, and droughts-the treaty also vows to explore the feasibility of holding the line at 1.5 C. "That is a good impulse because if we go to 2 C, it is guaranteed that we will lose our shorelines and coastal cities," said Hansen. "The only question is how fast." Earth's surface temperature, the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, and sea levels have all changed in lock-step over hundreds of millions of years, he pointed out. In 2016, the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide the main greenhouse gas tipped over 403 parts per million (ppm), 40 per cent above the pre-industrial average and the highest level in at least 800,000 years, the UN's weather agency reported this week. 'Proven prescient' Even under optimistic scenarios, that number is projected to rise for decades. What's the limit for a climate-safe world? The UN's science advisory body, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), has said we can "likely" stay under the 2 C threshold if CO2 levels don't exceed 450 ppm by 2100. For Hansen, that's a recipe for disaster. Meltwater from the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets could add metres to sea levels by 2100, he has calculated. "The last time in Earth's history that CO2 concentrations were at 450 ppm, sea level was 25 metres (80 feet) higher," he noted. When writer and environmentalist Bill McKibben decided a decade ago to launch a campaign to fight global warming, he asked the world's best known climate scientist what he should call it. "He had in mind the name '450.org'," Hansen recalled. By coincidence, Hansen was about to publish a major study that concluded the ceiling for CO2 levels should be 350 ppm, at most. Thus was born 350.org, probably the largest grassroots climate action organisation in the world. "Hansen does make a compelling case that many climate change impacts are occurring sooner and with greater magnitude than we expected," said Michael Mann, director of the Earth System Science Center at Pennsylvania State University. "Jim's past predictions have proven prescient and we do indeed ignore him at our peril." "Hansen's contributions to the basic science of climate change are fundamental to our current understanding -- no one has contributed more," said Michael Oppenheimer, a professor of geosciences and international affairs at Princeton University. Climate negligence Even if humanity succeeds in bending down the curve of greenhouse emissions far sooner than currently seems imaginable, it would not be fast enough to bring CO2 levels back to 350 ppm by century's end, according to Hansen. "You would have to extract 150 billion tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere," more than 10 times the amount we emit each year, he said. The technology to do that does not currently exist.At 76, Hansen is thinking a lot about and what kind of world young people will be inheriting. So is his granddaughter, Sophie Kivlehan, a first year university student in the United States. Along with 20 of her peers, Kivlehan has sued the US federal government for what might best be called climate negligence. "When the US Constitution says 'We the People,' that means young people too," she said in an interview. "We have constitutional rights, and those rights are being violated." The case is currently wending its way through the federal court system, and could one day wind up before the Supreme Court, one of the lawyers representing the plaintiffs told AFP. Government attempts to have the case thrown out have failed. Despite his grim predictions, Hansen has not thrown his hands up in despair. He continues, for example, to campaign for a direct tax on fossil fuels as the only realistic way to achieve the necessary cuts.

Climate target too low and progress too slow: Top Scientist

Scientists have found a way to convert carbon dioxide into a usable energy source with the help of sunlight, just like plants convert the greenhouse gas from the atmosphere into sugars that store energy.&nbsp;One of the chief challenges of sequestering carbon dioxide is that it is relatively chemically unreactive. 
 
&quot;On its own, it is quite difficult to convert carbon dioxide into something else,&quot; said Larry Curtiss, from the US Department of Energy&#39;s Argonne National Laboratory. 
 
Researchers used catalysts to convert carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide. Although carbon monoxide is also a greenhouse gas, it is much more reactive than carbon dioxide and scientists already have ways of converting carbon monoxide into usable fuel, such as methanol. 
 
&quot;Making fuel from carbon monoxide means traveling &#39;downhill&#39; energetically, while trying to create it directly from carbon dioxide means needing to go &#39;uphill,&#39;&quot; said Peter Zapol, from the Argonne National Laboratory.&nbsp;Although the reaction to transform carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide is different from anything found in nature, it requires the same basic inputs as photosynthesis. 
 
&quot;In photosynthesis, trees need energy from light, water and carbon dioxide in order to make their fuel; in our experiment, the ingredients are the same, but the product is different,&quot; said Curtiss. 
 
The setup for the reaction is sufficiently similar to nature that the research team was able to construct an &quot;artificial leaf&quot; that could complete the entire three-step reaction pathway. 
 
In the first step, incoming photons, packets of light, are converted to pairs of negatively-charged electrons and corresponding positively-charged &quot;holes&quot; that then separate from each other.&nbsp;Then, the holes react with water molecules, creating protons and oxygen molecules.&nbsp;Finally, the protons, electrons and carbon dioxide all react together to create carbon monoxide and water. 
 
&quot;We burn so many different kinds of hydrocarbons, like coal or oil or gasoline, that finding an economical way to make chemical fuels more reusable with the help of sunlight might have a big impact,&quot; Zapol said. 
 
The study also showed that the reaction occurs with minimal lost energy; the reaction is very efficient.&nbsp;&quot;The less efficient a reaction is, the higher the energy cost to recycle carbon dioxide, so having an efficient reaction is crucial,&quot; Zapol said. 
 
According to Curtiss, the tungsten diselenide catalyst is also quite durable, lasting for more than 100 hours, a high bar for catalysts to meet.&nbsp;The study appears in the journal Science.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI)

The researchers in their study also showed that the reaction occurs with minimal lost energy, and is very efficient

Scientists have found a way to convert carbon dioxide into a usable energy source with the help of sunlight, just like plants convert the greenhouse gas from the atmosphere into sugars that store energy. One of the chief challenges of sequestering carbon dioxide is that it is relatively chemically unreactive. "On its own, it is quite difficult to convert carbon dioxide into something else," said Larry Curtiss, from the US Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory. Researchers used catalysts to convert carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide. Although carbon monoxide is also a greenhouse gas, it is much more reactive than carbon dioxide and scientists already have ways of converting carbon monoxide into usable fuel, such as methanol. "Making fuel from carbon monoxide means traveling 'downhill' energetically, while trying to create it directly from carbon dioxide means needing to go 'uphill,'" said Peter Zapol, from the Argonne National Laboratory. Although the reaction to transform carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide is different from anything found in nature, it requires the same basic inputs as photosynthesis. "In photosynthesis, trees need energy from light, water and carbon dioxide in order to make their fuel; in our experiment, the ingredients are the same, but the product is different," said Curtiss. The setup for the reaction is sufficiently similar to nature that the research team was able to construct an "artificial leaf" that could complete the entire three-step reaction pathway. In the first step, incoming photons, packets of light, are converted to pairs of negatively-charged electrons and corresponding positively-charged "holes" that then separate from each other. Then, the holes react with water molecules, creating protons and oxygen molecules. Finally, the protons, electrons and carbon dioxide all react together to create carbon monoxide and water. "We burn so many different kinds of hydrocarbons, like coal or oil or gasoline, that finding an economical way to make chemical fuels more reusable with the help of sunlight might have a big impact," Zapol said. The study also showed that the reaction occurs with minimal lost energy; the reaction is very efficient. "The less efficient a reaction is, the higher the energy cost to recycle carbon dioxide, so having an efficient reaction is crucial," Zapol said. According to Curtiss, the tungsten diselenide catalyst is also quite durable, lasting for more than 100 hours, a high bar for catalysts to meet. The study appears in the journal Science. (PTI)

Scientists find new way to turn carbon dioxide into fuel

The world is on track for its hottest year on record and levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have reached new highs, further fuelling global warming, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said on Thursday. 
 
June marked the 14th straight month of record heat for land and oceans, the United Nations agency said. It called for speedy implementation of a pact reached last December to limit climate change by shifting from fossil fuels to green energy by 2100. 
 
The average temperature in the first six months of 2016 was 1.3&deg;Celsius (2.4&deg;Fahrenheit) warmer than the pre-industrial era in the late 19th Century, according to NASA. 
 
&quot;This underlines more starkly than ever the need to approve and implement the Paris Agreement on climate change, and to speed up the shift to low carbon economies and renewable energy,&quot; said WMO secretary-general Petteri Taalas. 
 
Under December&#39;s Paris Agreement, nearly 200 governments agreed to limit global warming to &quot;well below&quot; 2&deg;C (3.6&deg;F) above pre-industrial times, while &quot;pursuing efforts&quot; for a ceiling of just 1.5&deg;C. Temperatures are already nudging towards that lower limit. 
 
&quot;The heat has been especially pronounced in the Arctic, resulting in a very early onset of the annual melting of the Greenland ice sheet and Arctic sea ice,&quot; WMO said. 
 
David Carlson, director of the WMO&rsquo;s Climate Research Programme, told a news briefing: &quot;What we&rsquo;ve seen for the first 6 months of 2016 is really quite alarming.&quot; 
 
&quot;We would have thought it would take several years to warm up like this,&quot; he added. &quot;We don&#39;t have as much time as we thought.&quot; 
 
The northern hemisphere, including the state of Alaska in the United States, Canada and Russia, have posted unusually warm temperatures, he said. 
 
The last month with global temperatures below the 20th century average was December 1984. 
 
A strong El Nino weather event in the Pacific Ocean, a phenomenon associated with extreme droughts, storms and floods, &quot;has now disappeared&quot;, the WMO said in a statement. 
 
The El Nino event developed in 2015 and contributed to the record temperatures in the first half of 2016 before disappearing in May, WMO said. 
 
&quot;Climate change, caused by heat-trapping greenhouse gases, will not (disappear). This means we face more heatwaves, more extreme rainfall and potential for higher impact tropical cyclones,&quot; said Taalas. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

Rising levels of carbon dioxide could further fuel global warming, fears the World Meteorological Organisation

The world is on track for its hottest year on record and levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have reached new highs, further fuelling global warming, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said on Thursday. June marked the 14th straight month of record heat for land and oceans, the United Nations agency said. It called for speedy implementation of a pact reached last December to limit climate change by shifting from fossil fuels to green energy by 2100. The average temperature in the first six months of 2016 was 1.3°Celsius (2.4°Fahrenheit) warmer than the pre-industrial era in the late 19th Century, according to NASA. "This underlines more starkly than ever the need to approve and implement the Paris Agreement on climate change, and to speed up the shift to low carbon economies and renewable energy," said WMO secretary-general Petteri Taalas. Under December's Paris Agreement, nearly 200 governments agreed to limit global warming to "well below" 2°C (3.6°F) above pre-industrial times, while "pursuing efforts" for a ceiling of just 1.5°C. Temperatures are already nudging towards that lower limit. "The heat has been especially pronounced in the Arctic, resulting in a very early onset of the annual melting of the Greenland ice sheet and Arctic sea ice," WMO said. David Carlson, director of the WMO’s Climate Research Programme, told a news briefing: "What we’ve seen for the first 6 months of 2016 is really quite alarming." "We would have thought it would take several years to warm up like this," he added. "We don't have as much time as we thought." The northern hemisphere, including the state of Alaska in the United States, Canada and Russia, have posted unusually warm temperatures, he said. The last month with global temperatures below the 20th century average was December 1984. A strong El Nino weather event in the Pacific Ocean, a phenomenon associated with extreme droughts, storms and floods, "has now disappeared", the WMO said in a statement. The El Nino event developed in 2015 and contributed to the record temperatures in the first half of 2016 before disappearing in May, WMO said. "Climate change, caused by heat-trapping greenhouse gases, will not (disappear). This means we face more heatwaves, more extreme rainfall and potential for higher impact tropical cyclones," said Taalas. (Reuters)

Out of time? 2016 set to be hottest year yet

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