From the fight against climate change to dwindling budgets for research, the US scientific community fears the worst under Donald Trump, seen by many as the most hostile to science of any American president in history.

Trump will be &quot;the first anti-science president we have ever had,&quot; warned Michael Lubell, director of public affairs for the American Physical Society in Washington, in the British journal Nature. &quot;The consequences are going to be very, very severe.&quot;

Meanwhile, the vice president-elect, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, is an ultraconservative and a creationist who has rejected Charles Darwin&#39;s theory of evolution, the foundation of modern biology.

&quot;There&#39;s a fear that the scientific infrastructure in the US is going to be on its knees,&quot; said Robin Bell, a geophysicist at Columbia University and incoming president-elect of the American Geophysical Union. &quot;Everything from funding to being able to attract the global leaders we need to do basic science research.&quot;

A key worry is how the New York billionaire declared climate change to be &quot;hoax&quot; orchestrated by the Chinese, and vowed to withdraw from the Paris climate accord.&nbsp;

&quot;If Trump makes good on his campaign promises and pulls out of the Paris Treaty, it is difficult to see a path forward to keeping warming below dangerous levels,&quot; said Michael Mann, director of the Earth System Science Center (ESSC) at Pennsylvania State University.

&nbsp;

Lost decade

The United States is the second largest emitter of greenhouse gases after China. For John Abraham, professor of engineering at University of St&nbsp;Thomas in Minnesota, the election of Trump &quot;has cost us at least a decade&quot; in the fight against global warming.

&quot;I study ocean warming and energy balances of the Earth,&quot; he told AFP.&nbsp;&quot;The data is staring us right in the face. We could not afford this election result.&quot;

&quot;The only way we can avoid serious climate change is to rapidly implement Obama&#39;s work,&quot; he added.

Early in October, nearly 400 scientists, including 30 Nobel laureates, wrote an open letter, criticising Trump&#39;s proposed plans to abandon global climate deals.

&quot;A &#39;Parexit&#39; would send a clear signal to the rest of the world: &#39;The United States does not care about the global problems of human-caused climate change,&#39;&quot; they wrote. &quot;The consequences of opting out of the global community would be severe and long-lasting -- for our planet&#39;s climate and for the international credibility of the United States.&quot;

&nbsp;

Trump &#39;uninformed&#39;

&quot;Clearly he is uninformed on many things,&quot; said Rush Holt, director of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world&#39;s largest general scientific society and the publisher of the journal Science.

He raised concern about Trump&#39;s choice of leading climate skeptic Myron Ebell to head the transition of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the agency through which President Barack Obama set many of his tougher regulations on pollution from power plants and automobiles.&nbsp;

However Holt, a former lawmaker himself, cautioned that when it comes to Trump, &quot;it&#39;s not really clear what he thinks about climate change,&quot; he told AFP, noting that Trump has often made contradictory statements. For instance, Trump applied for permits to build a sea wall protecting one of his golf courses in Ireland, citing the dangers of sea level rise.

&quot;It may well be that if it&#39;s presented to him as a matter of dollars and cents then he would think about it differently than if it is presented as a matter of domestic politics or international politics.&quot;

Perhaps the realm of space exploration,&nbsp;long a bipartisan source of pride among Americans,&nbsp;is the only area of science where Trump&#39;s support has been clear. Answering a question from ScienceDebate.org, Trump said space exploration will promote interest in science education and bring jobs and investment to the country.

&quot;Observation from space and exploring beyond our own space neighbourhood should be priorities,&quot; he said.

(AFP)

Trump declared climate change to be a 'hoax' orchestrated by China, and vowed to pull out from the legally-binding Paris climate accord

From the fight against climate change to dwindling budgets for research, the US scientific community fears the worst under Donald Trump, seen by many as the most hostile to science of any American president in history. Trump will be "the first anti-science president we have ever had," warned Michael Lubell, director of public affairs for the American Physical Society in Washington, in the British journal Nature. "The consequences are going to be very, very severe." Meanwhile, the vice president-elect, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, is an ultraconservative and a creationist who has rejected Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, the foundation of modern biology. "There's a fear that the scientific infrastructure in the US is going to be on its knees," said Robin Bell, a geophysicist at Columbia University and incoming president-elect of the American Geophysical Union. "Everything from funding to being able to attract the global leaders we need to do basic science research." A key worry is how the New York billionaire declared climate change to be "hoax" orchestrated by the Chinese, and vowed to withdraw from the Paris climate accord. "If Trump makes good on his campaign promises and pulls out of the Paris Treaty, it is difficult to see a path forward to keeping warming below dangerous levels," said Michael Mann, director of the Earth System Science Center (ESSC) at Pennsylvania State University. Lost decade The United States is the second largest emitter of greenhouse gases after China. For John Abraham, professor of engineering at University of St Thomas in Minnesota, the election of Trump "has cost us at least a decade" in the fight against global warming. "I study ocean warming and energy balances of the Earth," he told AFP. "The data is staring us right in the face. We could not afford this election result." "The only way we can avoid serious climate change is to rapidly implement Obama's work," he added. Early in October, nearly 400 scientists, including 30 Nobel laureates, wrote an open letter, criticising Trump's proposed plans to abandon global climate deals. "A 'Parexit' would send a clear signal to the rest of the world: 'The United States does not care about the global problems of human-caused climate change,'" they wrote. "The consequences of opting out of the global community would be severe and long-lasting -- for our planet's climate and for the international credibility of the United States." Trump 'uninformed' "Clearly he is uninformed on many things," said Rush Holt, director of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world's largest general scientific society and the publisher of the journal Science. He raised concern about Trump's choice of leading climate skeptic Myron Ebell to head the transition of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the agency through which President Barack Obama set many of his tougher regulations on pollution from power plants and automobiles. However Holt, a former lawmaker himself, cautioned that when it comes to Trump, "it's not really clear what he thinks about climate change," he told AFP, noting that Trump has often made contradictory statements. For instance, Trump applied for permits to build a sea wall protecting one of his golf courses in Ireland, citing the dangers of sea level rise. "It may well be that if it's presented to him as a matter of dollars and cents then he would think about it differently than if it is presented as a matter of domestic politics or international politics." Perhaps the realm of space exploration, long a bipartisan source of pride among Americans, is the only area of science where Trump's support has been clear. Answering a question from ScienceDebate.org, Trump said space exploration will promote interest in science education and bring jobs and investment to the country. "Observation from space and exploring beyond our own space neighbourhood should be priorities," he said. (AFP)

Trump presidency has American scientists scared

After two winters without snow, Kabul residents are anxiously scouring the hills for the first flakes, wary that the depletion of this major source of water further fuels instability in war-ravaged Afghanistan.

Historically speaking, a snowless year is highly unusual for this ancient capital, built 1,500 metres (5,000 feet) above sea-level in the foothills of the Hindu Kush. &quot;Kabul can be without gold, but not without snow&quot;, according to a local proverb. But as the world gets warmer, that is changing.

&quot;Countrywide, in the last decade nearly every year has seen either flooding or drought,&quot; Mohammad Salim, an expert at the United Nations Development Programs agency said. &quot;And if the current trends continue, droughts will become the new normal.&quot;&nbsp;

The mountainous land-locked country was classed in 2012 as among the most vulnerable to climate change, a worldwide problem that is the subject of a UN conference in Marrakesh this week. And it is here that the knock-on effects of global warming will be keenly felt.

Around 80 per cent of Afghanistan&#39;s economy is based on agriculture. Afghan farmers depend on reliable, year-round sources of surface water from melting snow on mountains to irrigate their crops and water their livestock. But only ten per cent of the country&#39;s land is still farmable because of the impact of recent climate-related disasters, Salim says.

That increasingly leaves rural folk in a desperate situation, says Kazim Hamayun, the deputy director of Afghanistan&#39;s National Environment Protection Agency (NEPA).

&quot;If they lose their jobs due to drought, they will join the militancy&quot; of the Taliban, he said.

&nbsp;

Hit and run 

&quot;Being a landlocked country, besides terrorism, climate change is a big challenge for Afghanistan.&quot;

&quot;Snow has decreased dramatically and the landscape is not made to absorb rain water. Droughts and land degradation can contribute to terrorism. It disrupts the social order,&quot; Hamayun&nbsp;added.

The Taliban&#39;s insurgency, which they have waged since being ousted from power in 2001 by a US-led coalition, has lately expanded to multiple provinces and beyond the traditional &quot;season&quot; that begins with the spring melt and ends with the first heavy falls of snow.

Last year, the fighting continued into winter as less snow made it easy for insurgents to remain mobile and conduct hit-and-run attacks in northern and central Afghanistan.

Consecutive droughts have plagued Afghanistan since the mid 1990s, hitting farmers in central provinces such as Bamiyan, where the water that drains from the Hindu Kush range is running low. &nbsp;

&quot;When I was child, I remember it was impossible to travel in winter in Bamiyan due to heavy snow. People could only travel on the roads by donkeys. But for the last three years the roads are open, the wells are dry and that is a huge problem,&quot; said Sayed Daoud Mosavi, Afghanistan&#39;s Director of Agriculture Projects.

He added people had stopped cultivating potatoes, one of the main crops in Bamiyan, in at least two districts due to lack of water.

&nbsp;

Record year

After two successive record-breaking years, 2016 is shaping up to be the hottest ever. According to Famine Early Warning Systems, a US-funded organisation that provides analysis on drought and food insecurity, there is a likelihood for &quot;average to below-average precipitation across much of Afghanistan&quot; during the wet season that began in October and lasts till May. &nbsp;

Shakir Majeedi, the deputy planning director for the ministry of agriculture and livestock, said the country was getting less snowfall each year due to climate change, making life difficult for some farmers.

&quot;The changes (in the climate) have made a lot of farmers food-insecure. It is too soon to predict this year&#39;s weather, but we hope to have enough snow and rain,&quot; he said.

(AFP)

Recent climate-related disasters have left only 10% of the country farmable. When farmers lose their jobs, they join the Taliban

After two winters without snow, Kabul residents are anxiously scouring the hills for the first flakes, wary that the depletion of this major source of water further fuels instability in war-ravaged Afghanistan. Historically speaking, a snowless year is highly unusual for this ancient capital, built 1,500 metres (5,000 feet) above sea-level in the foothills of the Hindu Kush. "Kabul can be without gold, but not without snow", according to a local proverb. But as the world gets warmer, that is changing. "Countrywide, in the last decade nearly every year has seen either flooding or drought," Mohammad Salim, an expert at the United Nations Development Programs agency said. "And if the current trends continue, droughts will become the new normal." The mountainous land-locked country was classed in 2012 as among the most vulnerable to climate change, a worldwide problem that is the subject of a UN conference in Marrakesh this week. And it is here that the knock-on effects of global warming will be keenly felt. Around 80 per cent of Afghanistan's economy is based on agriculture. Afghan farmers depend on reliable, year-round sources of surface water from melting snow on mountains to irrigate their crops and water their livestock. But only ten per cent of the country's land is still farmable because of the impact of recent climate-related disasters, Salim says. That increasingly leaves rural folk in a desperate situation, says Kazim Hamayun, the deputy director of Afghanistan's National Environment Protection Agency (NEPA). "If they lose their jobs due to drought, they will join the militancy" of the Taliban, he said. Hit and run "Being a landlocked country, besides terrorism, climate change is a big challenge for Afghanistan." "Snow has decreased dramatically and the landscape is not made to absorb rain water. Droughts and land degradation can contribute to terrorism. It disrupts the social order," Hamayun added. The Taliban's insurgency, which they have waged since being ousted from power in 2001 by a US-led coalition, has lately expanded to multiple provinces and beyond the traditional "season" that begins with the spring melt and ends with the first heavy falls of snow. Last year, the fighting continued into winter as less snow made it easy for insurgents to remain mobile and conduct hit-and-run attacks in northern and central Afghanistan. Consecutive droughts have plagued Afghanistan since the mid 1990s, hitting farmers in central provinces such as Bamiyan, where the water that drains from the Hindu Kush range is running low. "When I was child, I remember it was impossible to travel in winter in Bamiyan due to heavy snow. People could only travel on the roads by donkeys. But for the last three years the roads are open, the wells are dry and that is a huge problem," said Sayed Daoud Mosavi, Afghanistan's Director of Agriculture Projects. He added people had stopped cultivating potatoes, one of the main crops in Bamiyan, in at least two districts due to lack of water. Record year After two successive record-breaking years, 2016 is shaping up to be the hottest ever. According to Famine Early Warning Systems, a US-funded organisation that provides analysis on drought and food insecurity, there is a likelihood for "average to below-average precipitation across much of Afghanistan" during the wet season that began in October and lasts till May. Shakir Majeedi, the deputy planning director for the ministry of agriculture and livestock, said the country was getting less snowfall each year due to climate change, making life difficult for some farmers. "The changes (in the climate) have made a lot of farmers food-insecure. It is too soon to predict this year's weather, but we hope to have enough snow and rain," he said. (AFP)

In Afghanistan, climate change fuels insurgency

A top delegation of Bangladesh led by Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina has flown to Marrakech in Morocco today to participate in the high level segments of the 22nd Conference of Parties.

Thirty-seven heads of states are expected to attend this year&rsquo;s COP22, which is deemed significant for the execution of the landmark Paris Agreement signed last year.

Bangladesh is part of the Least Developed Countries and as such is arguing for Loss and Damage finance to be agreed, Saleemul Huq, senior fellow at the International Institute of Environment and Development in London told WION. The member states are pushing for negotiations on the topic till the actual filing of the report.&nbsp;

On Suday, Bangladesh&rsquo;s foreign minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali told reporters that Dhaka would highlight &quot;the initiatives and measures undertaken by the government in tackling the menaces of climate change.&quot;

The COP22 is deemed a major event as the industrialised countries, including the United States and Russia, had failed to come to a consensus until the Paris Agreement. The member states refused to oblige to the targets stipulated at the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions by five per cent.

Last year in Paris however, all member states including the United States appeared to be happy with the outcome.

&quot;There is a new concept that Paris has brought, which is called INDC, Intended Nationally Determined Contribution. This means rather than anybody telling another country how they should reduce their carbon or greenhouse gas, each country say this is what I am going to do,&quot; said Atiq Rahman, renowned Bangladeshi climate scientist and executive director of Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies.

&quot;Bangladesh has already achieved that, we said we are going to reduce 5 per cent of our total greenhouse gas [by 2030], but if you can give us the finance we can reduce up to 15 per cent,&rdquo; he told WION.

The <a href="http://(http://www4.unfccc.int/ndcregistry/PublishedDocuments/Bangladesh%20First/INDC_2015_of_Bangladesh.pdf" target="_blank">INDC</a>&nbsp;issued by Bangladesh&rsquo;s ministry of environment and forests states: &quot;An unconditional contribution to reduce GHG emissions by 5 per cent from Business as Usual (BAU) levels by 2030 in the power, transport and industry sectors, based on existing resources.

Among its contributions Bangladesh also states: &quot;A conditional 15 per cent reduction in GHG emissions from BAU levels by 2030 in the power, transport, and industry sectors, subject to appropriate international support in the form of finance, investment, technology development and transfer, and capacity building.&quot;

The <a href="http://www.greenclimate.fund/-/climate-resilient-infrastructure-mainstreaming-in-bangladesh?inheritRedirect=true&amp;redirect=%2Fprojects%2Fbrowse-projects" target="_blank">Green Climate Fund</a> of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has raised $10.4 billion of which it has received 27 projects worth $1.2 billion. One of the projects worth $80 million belongs to Bangladesh.&nbsp;

Under the project titled &quot;Climate-resilient infrastructure mainstreaming in Bangladesh&quot; the country will construct 45 new cyclone shelters, renovate 20 existing cyclone shelters and develop infrastructure to safeguard people in the coastal belts.

The Paris Agreement is significant, as it will establish the rules of the game. &quot;Various committees will be formed. They will be working in tandem to decide how to do best mitigation,&quot; said Rahman.

&quot;Lastly the best technology would have to be used by all so that we don&rsquo;t have to produce as much greenhouse gas. So all those will have to be taken on board and this is what&#39;s going to happen step by step starting in Marrakech,&rdquo; Rahman told WION.

Experts tell WION that mitigation from the most polluting industrialised countries can reduce the burden of adaptation for developing countries like Bangladesh and make the world more sustainable.&nbsp;

They have also expressed concerns about the future of the Agreement in light of the remarks made by the US President-elect Donald Trump, who said that he finds climate change to a hoax perpetrated by China to take down the US manufacturing industries and threatened to quit the Paris Agreement.&nbsp;

A source who works with Trump&#39;s transition team for international energy and climate policy told Reuters on Tuesday, &quot;It was reckless for the Paris Agreement to enter into force before the election.&quot; Reuters has reported that Trump is seeking quick ways to withdraw the United States from a global accord to combat climate change.

(WION) 
&nbsp;

Least developed countries, including Bangladesh say mitigation from the most polluting industrialised countries will reduce burden on them

A top delegation of Bangladesh led by Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina has flown to Marrakech in Morocco today to participate in the high level segments of the 22nd Conference of Parties. Thirty-seven heads of states are expected to attend this year’s COP22, which is deemed significant for the execution of the landmark Paris Agreement signed last year. Bangladesh is part of the Least Developed Countries and as such is arguing for Loss and Damage finance to be agreed, Saleemul Huq, senior fellow at the International Institute of Environment and Development in London told WION. The member states are pushing for negotiations on the topic till the actual filing of the report. On Suday, Bangladesh’s foreign minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali told reporters that Dhaka would highlight "the initiatives and measures undertaken by the government in tackling the menaces of climate change." The COP22 is deemed a major event as the industrialised countries, including the United States and Russia, had failed to come to a consensus until the Paris Agreement. The member states refused to oblige to the targets stipulated at the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions by five per cent. Last year in Paris however, all member states including the United States appeared to be happy with the outcome. "There is a new concept that Paris has brought, which is called INDC, Intended Nationally Determined Contribution. This means rather than anybody telling another country how they should reduce their carbon or greenhouse gas, each country say this is what I am going to do," said Atiq Rahman, renowned Bangladeshi climate scientist and executive director of Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies. "Bangladesh has already achieved that, we said we are going to reduce 5 per cent of our total greenhouse gas [by 2030], but if you can give us the finance we can reduce up to 15 per cent,” he told WION. The INDC issued by Bangladesh’s ministry of environment and forests states: "An unconditional contribution to reduce GHG emissions by 5 per cent from Business as Usual (BAU) levels by 2030 in the power, transport and industry sectors, based on existing resources. Among its contributions Bangladesh also states: "A conditional 15 per cent reduction in GHG emissions from BAU levels by 2030 in the power, transport, and industry sectors, subject to appropriate international support in the form of finance, investment, technology development and transfer, and capacity building." The Green Climate Fund of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has raised $10.4 billion of which it has received 27 projects worth $1.2 billion. One of the projects worth $80 million belongs to Bangladesh. Under the project titled "Climate-resilient infrastructure mainstreaming in Bangladesh" the country will construct 45 new cyclone shelters, renovate 20 existing cyclone shelters and develop infrastructure to safeguard people in the coastal belts. The Paris Agreement is significant, as it will establish the rules of the game. "Various committees will be formed. They will be working in tandem to decide how to do best mitigation," said Rahman. "Lastly the best technology would have to be used by all so that we don’t have to produce as much greenhouse gas. So all those will have to be taken on board and this is what's going to happen step by step starting in Marrakech,” Rahman told WION. Experts tell WION that mitigation from the most polluting industrialised countries can reduce the burden of adaptation for developing countries like Bangladesh and make the world more sustainable. They have also expressed concerns about the future of the Agreement in light of the remarks made by the US President-elect Donald Trump, who said that he finds climate change to a hoax perpetrated by China to take down the US manufacturing industries and threatened to quit the Paris Agreement. A source who works with Trump's transition team for international energy and climate policy told Reuters on Tuesday, "It was reckless for the Paris Agreement to enter into force before the election." Reuters has reported that Trump is seeking quick ways to withdraw the United States from a global accord to combat climate change. (WION)

Bangladesh to negotiate Loss and Damage finance at COP22

The global accord to combat climate change agreed in Paris last year officially entered into force Friday, putting pressure on nearly 200 countries to start executing plans to slash their greenhouse gas emissions.

&quot;This is a moment to celebrate,&quot; said United Nations climate chief Patricia Espinosa. &quot;It is also a moment to look ahead with sobre assessment and renewed will over the task ahead.&quot;

The Paris Agreement seeks to wean the world economy off fossil fuels in the second half of the century, limiting the rise in average world temperatures to &quot;well below&quot; 2.0 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) above preindustrial times.

It takes effect as greenhouse gas emissions are projected by 2030 to exceed by 12 billion to 14 billion tonnes what is needed to keep global warming to the internationally agreed target, the United Nations said this week.

Representatives from nearly 200 countries on Monday will convene in Marrakesh, Morocco for two weeks to discuss the nuts and bolts of the Paris accord and the policies, technology and finance needed to ensure the Paris goals are achieved.

&quot;The timetable is pressing because globally greenhouse gas emissions which drive climate change and its impacts are not yet falling &ndash; a fact which the Marrakesh meeting must have at the front of its concerns and collective resolve,&quot; said Espinosa.

World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said the milestone also serves as a reminder to rich countries that pledged to help developing countries combat climate change.

&quot;Donor countries made a strong commitment in Paris. And now we must turn those commitments into action,&quot; he said.

(Reuters)

The enforcement of the deal will put pressure on nearly 200 countries to start executing plans to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions

The global accord to combat climate change agreed in Paris last year officially entered into force Friday, putting pressure on nearly 200 countries to start executing plans to slash their greenhouse gas emissions. "This is a moment to celebrate," said United Nations climate chief Patricia Espinosa. "It is also a moment to look ahead with sobre assessment and renewed will over the task ahead." The Paris Agreement seeks to wean the world economy off fossil fuels in the second half of the century, limiting the rise in average world temperatures to "well below" 2.0 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) above preindustrial times. It takes effect as greenhouse gas emissions are projected by 2030 to exceed by 12 billion to 14 billion tonnes what is needed to keep global warming to the internationally agreed target, the United Nations said this week. Representatives from nearly 200 countries on Monday will convene in Marrakesh, Morocco for two weeks to discuss the nuts and bolts of the Paris accord and the policies, technology and finance needed to ensure the Paris goals are achieved. "The timetable is pressing because globally greenhouse gas emissions which drive climate change and its impacts are not yet falling – a fact which the Marrakesh meeting must have at the front of its concerns and collective resolve," said Espinosa. World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said the milestone also serves as a reminder to rich countries that pledged to help developing countries combat climate change. "Donor countries made a strong commitment in Paris. And now we must turn those commitments into action," he said. (Reuters)

Paris climate deal comes into force

Carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere had hit a new high last year at a record 400 parts per million, the United Nations said today.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Earlier, the United Nations World Meteorological Organization said, &nbsp;that the greenhouse gas had passed the 400 ppm threshold on certain months in specific locations but never on an annual global basis, international news agency AFP reported.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

In a shocking revelation,&nbsp;the WMO further warned that the annual average would stay above 400 ppm &quot;for many generations.&quot; It has &quot;surged again to new records in 2016&quot;, the organisation said.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The WMO has said that the El Nino phenomenon can be one of the reasons for spike in the carbon dioxide concentration levels.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

El Nino &quot;triggered droughts in tropical regions and reduced the capacity of &#39;sinks&#39; like forests, vegetation, and the oceans to absorb CO2,&quot; WMO said. The weather phenomenon that occurs every four to five years with a broadly warming effect.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Meanwhile, WMO head Petteri Taalas warned against complacency just because El Nino has subsided for now.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;The El Nino event has disappeared. Climate change has not,&quot; he was quoted as saying by AFP.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The report, which also monitors the concentration of another major greenhouse gas methane, had showed that its concentration had hit 1845 parts per billion (more than 256 per cent above pre-industrial levels). The agency estimates that about half of the carbon dioxide is absorbed by the atmosphere.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)&nbsp;

In a shocking revelation, the UN said that the annual average would stay above 400 ppm 'for many generations'

Carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere had hit a new high last year at a record 400 parts per million, the United Nations said today. Earlier, the United Nations World Meteorological Organization said, that the greenhouse gas had passed the 400 ppm threshold on certain months in specific locations but never on an annual global basis, international news agency AFP reported. In a shocking revelation, the WMO further warned that the annual average would stay above 400 ppm "for many generations." It has "surged again to new records in 2016", the organisation said. The WMO has said that the El Nino phenomenon can be one of the reasons for spike in the carbon dioxide concentration levels. El Nino "triggered droughts in tropical regions and reduced the capacity of 'sinks' like forests, vegetation, and the oceans to absorb CO2," WMO said. The weather phenomenon that occurs every four to five years with a broadly warming effect. Meanwhile, WMO head Petteri Taalas warned against complacency just because El Nino has subsided for now. "The El Nino event has disappeared. Climate change has not," he was quoted as saying by AFP. The report, which also monitors the concentration of another major greenhouse gas methane, had showed that its concentration had hit 1845 parts per billion (more than 256 per cent above pre-industrial levels). The agency estimates that about half of the carbon dioxide is absorbed by the atmosphere. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Carbon dioxide concentration in atmosphere hits new high, warns UN

The historic Paris climate pact dashed across the ratification finish line&nbsp;Wednesday&nbsp;to diplomatic cheers.

&quot;A turning point for the planet,&quot; said US President Barack Obama.

&quot;A defining moment for the global economy,&quot; enthused Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever and Chairman of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.&nbsp;

But the cold, hard reality of what is needed to fulfil the Paris Agreement&#39;s pledges will soon bite, experts warned.

Its accelerated entry into force was driven by many things, including the prospect of Republican Party candidate Donald Trump -- who has described global warming as a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese -- sitting in the White House.

The rapid, joint ratification by China and the United States also set an example hard to ignore.

But the main impetus for locking in the deal was clearly the growing sense of urgency about the looming threat of climate change.

&quot;Time is absolutely of the essence,&quot; said Jennifer Morgan, Executive Director of Greenpeace International. &quot;The question is not &#39;whether&#39;, it is &#39;how fast&#39;.&quot;

Almost daily, global warming red flags are popping up.

Every month so far this year has set a temperature record, and 2016 is on track to supplant 2015 as the hottest year ever registered.

Scientists have recently forecast that average global temperatures -- already one degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) above the pre-industrial era benchmark -- could sail past 1.5 C (2.7 F) within a decade, and 2.0 C (3.6 F) by mid-century.

A maelstrom of superstorms fuelled by rising seas, deadly floods, and drought prompted the world&#39;s nations to lower the threshold for dangerous warming in the Paris pact to &quot;well below&quot; 2.0 C.

Reaching that target will require a breakneck, wholesale shift across the globe away from fossil fuels towards clean sources of energy.

Even that will not be enough: we will have to learn how to suck carbon out of the air, say scientists.

North star&nbsp;

The Paris accord&#39;s early validation comes just in time to take centre stage at high-level UN talks in Marrakesh next month tasked with translating its planet-saving vision into policy.

It could also accelerate the process. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

&quot;This shifts the focus to implementation and strengthening the commitments under the agreement,&quot; said Alden Meyer, a veteran climate analyst at the Washington-based Union for Concerned Scientists.

Countries have informally set a 2018 target for hammering out more than 100 concrete rules and procedures embedded in the climate pact -- some of them highly contentious.&nbsp;

Originally, the agreement left open a four-year window for that process.

&quot;Many details need to be ironed out before implementation can begin,&quot; said Harjeet Singh, head of climate change for ActionAid.

They include rules for reporting and verification of emissions cuts, how to disburse hundreds of billions of dollars to climate-vulnerable developing nations, and the establishment of new market mechanisms. &nbsp;

Even more important, 2018 is shaping up to be a crucial &quot;political moment&quot; when countries will feel pressure to revise and deepen voluntary pledges for slashing carbon pollution.

At their current level, these so-called &quot;nationally determined contributions&quot; -- which don&#39;t kick in until 2020 -- fall woefully short of the target, and would result in an unlivable 3.0 C (5.4 F) planet by century&#39;s end.

Bolstered by a special report from the UN&#39;s climate science panel, to be completed by mid-2018, the world&#39;s major greenhouse gas emitters will also be expected to deliver detailed national plans, or &quot;pathways&quot;, for economic transformation through 2050.

&quot;If you are going to achieve the objectives in Paris, you need a north star that gives you the direction of travel,&quot; said Meyer, adding that the United States, Germany and Canada have taken the lead on this.&nbsp;

That north star will likewise be a visible to corporations and business leaders, who realise that they ignore it at their peril.

The new treaty &quot;sends an unmistakable signal to business and investors that the global transition to a low-carbon economy is urgent, inevitable, and accelerating faster than we ever believed possible,&quot; Unilever&#39;s Polman said in a statement.

(AFP)

US President Barack Obama said it was 'a turning point for the planet'

The historic Paris climate pact dashed across the ratification finish line Wednesday to diplomatic cheers. "A turning point for the planet," said US President Barack Obama. "A defining moment for the global economy," enthused Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever and Chairman of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. But the cold, hard reality of what is needed to fulfil the Paris Agreement's pledges will soon bite, experts warned. Its accelerated entry into force was driven by many things, including the prospect of Republican Party candidate Donald Trump -- who has described global warming as a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese -- sitting in the White House. The rapid, joint ratification by China and the United States also set an example hard to ignore. But the main impetus for locking in the deal was clearly the growing sense of urgency about the looming threat of climate change. "Time is absolutely of the essence," said Jennifer Morgan, Executive Director of Greenpeace International. "The question is not 'whether', it is 'how fast'." Almost daily, global warming red flags are popping up. Every month so far this year has set a temperature record, and 2016 is on track to supplant 2015 as the hottest year ever registered. Scientists have recently forecast that average global temperatures -- already one degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) above the pre-industrial era benchmark -- could sail past 1.5 C (2.7 F) within a decade, and 2.0 C (3.6 F) by mid-century. A maelstrom of superstorms fuelled by rising seas, deadly floods, and drought prompted the world's nations to lower the threshold for dangerous warming in the Paris pact to "well below" 2.0 C. Reaching that target will require a breakneck, wholesale shift across the globe away from fossil fuels towards clean sources of energy. Even that will not be enough: we will have to learn how to suck carbon out of the air, say scientists. North star The Paris accord's early validation comes just in time to take centre stage at high-level UN talks in Marrakesh next month tasked with translating its planet-saving vision into policy. It could also accelerate the process. "This shifts the focus to implementation and strengthening the commitments under the agreement," said Alden Meyer, a veteran climate analyst at the Washington-based Union for Concerned Scientists. Countries have informally set a 2018 target for hammering out more than 100 concrete rules and procedures embedded in the climate pact -- some of them highly contentious. Originally, the agreement left open a four-year window for that process. "Many details need to be ironed out before implementation can begin," said Harjeet Singh, head of climate change for ActionAid. They include rules for reporting and verification of emissions cuts, how to disburse hundreds of billions of dollars to climate-vulnerable developing nations, and the establishment of new market mechanisms. Even more important, 2018 is shaping up to be a crucial "political moment" when countries will feel pressure to revise and deepen voluntary pledges for slashing carbon pollution. At their current level, these so-called "nationally determined contributions" -- which don't kick in until 2020 -- fall woefully short of the target, and would result in an unlivable 3.0 C (5.4 F) planet by century's end. Bolstered by a special report from the UN's climate science panel, to be completed by mid-2018, the world's major greenhouse gas emitters will also be expected to deliver detailed national plans, or "pathways", for economic transformation through 2050. "If you are going to achieve the objectives in Paris, you need a north star that gives you the direction of travel," said Meyer, adding that the United States, Germany and Canada have taken the lead on this. That north star will likewise be a visible to corporations and business leaders, who realise that they ignore it at their peril. The new treaty "sends an unmistakable signal to business and investors that the global transition to a low-carbon economy is urgent, inevitable, and accelerating faster than we ever believed possible," Unilever's Polman said in a statement. (AFP)

Paris climate pact ratified in race against clock

Oscar-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio is due to meet President Barack Obama today at a festival on the White House lawn to discuss climate change before the screening of the actor&#39;s new documentary on global warming.

DiCaprio will meet with Obama and scientist Katharine Hayhoe, an atmospheric science professor at Texas Tech University.

The festival, inspired by the South by Southwest model, held annually in Austin, Texas, will be a blend of new technologies, movies and music.

The meeting will take place as a part of the festival.

Almost a decade now since his first documentary about climate challenge, entitled &quot;The 11th Hour&quot;, the actor and producer is now promoting &quot;Before The Flood&quot; in which Obama and Pope Francis make a brief appearance.&nbsp;

Two years ago, DiCaprio was designated a UN messenger of peace, with a special focus on climate change.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

The actor is a UN messenger of peace, with a special focus on climate change

Oscar-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio is due to meet President Barack Obama today at a festival on the White House lawn to discuss climate change before the screening of the actor's new documentary on global warming. DiCaprio will meet with Obama and scientist Katharine Hayhoe, an atmospheric science professor at Texas Tech University. The festival, inspired by the South by Southwest model, held annually in Austin, Texas, will be a blend of new technologies, movies and music. The meeting will take place as a part of the festival. Almost a decade now since his first documentary about climate challenge, entitled "The 11th Hour", the actor and producer is now promoting "Before The Flood" in which Obama and Pope Francis make a brief appearance. Two years ago, DiCaprio was designated a UN messenger of peace, with a special focus on climate change. (WION with inputs from AFP)

DiCaprio, Obama to meet, talk climate change

Global warming is on track to breach a 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) threshold by 2050 unless governments double their efforts to limit greenhouse gas emissions, seven of the world&#39;s top scientists warned&nbsp;on Thursday.

&nbsp;

&quot;Climate change is happening now, and much faster than anticipated,&quot; Sir Robert Watson, former head of the UN&#39;s Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC), the body charged with distilling climate science for policy makers, was quoted as saying by AFP news agency.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Due to climate change, devastating weather-related events&nbsp;including floods, drought, more intense storms, heat waves and wildfires, have doubled in number since 1990, a report put together by the seven scientists states says, the international news agency reports.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;Without additional efforts by all major emitters (of greenhouse gases), the 2C target could be reached even sooner,&quot; Watson said during a teleconference.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&ldquo;The INDC&rsquo;s (Intended Nationally Determined Contributions is a term used under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions) are totally inadequate to meet the 2-degree Celsius goal,&rdquo; he was quoted as saying in the media reports.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&ldquo;Governments must double and redouble their pledges,&rdquo; he said, adding that it&rsquo;s almost certain that the average global temperature will surpass the aspirational 1.5 degree goal as soon as 2030.

&nbsp;

The report, prepared on behalf the Universal Ecological Fund, an Argentine-based NGO and was co-authored by scientists from Austria, Argentina, Brazil, Italy, the United Kingdom and the US, also says that pledges made under the Paris climate agreement are inadequate.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Inked by 195 nations in December, the Paris Agreement set an even more ambitious target, vowing to cap warming at &quot;well under&quot; 2C, and even 1.5C if possible. &nbsp;The deal may enter into force by the end of year.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;I think the 1.5 degree pathway is clearly not achievable. We&#39;ll pass it probably in the early 2030s,&quot; Watson observed&nbsp;adding there is a dire need to cut down the greenhouse gas emissions.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The co-authors of the report include Carlo Carraro, scientific director of the Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei in Italy, and vice-chair of one of three IPCC working groups, Nebojsa Nakicenovic, deputy director of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Vienna and lead author the IPCC working group III.

&nbsp;

2015 was the hottest year on record, and 2016 is shaping up to be even warmer, US and European government scientists have forecast, according to AFP.

&nbsp;

Global warming is projected to cause more heatwaves, droughts, downpours and rising sea levels, Reuters observes.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Average world temperatures this year are set for record highs, about 1C above pre-industrial times.

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP, Reuters)&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Reuters)&nbsp;

Global?warming?is projected to cause more heatwaves, droughts, downpours and rising sea levels

Global warming is on track to breach a 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) threshold by 2050 unless governments double their efforts to limit greenhouse gas emissions, seven of the world's top scientists warned on Thursday. "Climate change is happening now, and much faster than anticipated," Sir Robert Watson, former head of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC), the body charged with distilling climate science for policy makers, was quoted as saying by AFP news agency. Due to climate change, devastating weather-related events including floods, drought, more intense storms, heat waves and wildfires, have doubled in number since 1990, a report put together by the seven scientists states says, the international news agency reports. "Without additional efforts by all major emitters (of greenhouse gases), the 2C target could be reached even sooner," Watson said during a teleconference. “The INDC’s (Intended Nationally Determined Contributions is a term used under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions) are totally inadequate to meet the 2-degree Celsius goal,” he was quoted as saying in the media reports. “Governments must double and redouble their pledges,” he said, adding that it’s almost certain that the average global temperature will surpass the aspirational 1.5 degree goal as soon as 2030. The report, prepared on behalf the Universal Ecological Fund, an Argentine-based NGO and was co-authored by scientists from Austria, Argentina, Brazil, Italy, the United Kingdom and the US, also says that pledges made under the Paris climate agreement are inadequate. Inked by 195 nations in December, the Paris Agreement set an even more ambitious target, vowing to cap warming at "well under" 2C, and even 1.5C if possible. The deal may enter into force by the end of year. "I think the 1.5 degree pathway is clearly not achievable. We'll pass it probably in the early 2030s," Watson observed adding there is a dire need to cut down the greenhouse gas emissions. The co-authors of the report include Carlo Carraro, scientific director of the Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei in Italy, and vice-chair of one of three IPCC working groups, Nebojsa Nakicenovic, deputy director of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Vienna and lead author the IPCC working group III. 2015 was the hottest year on record, and 2016 is shaping up to be even warmer, US and European government scientists have forecast, according to AFP. Global warming is projected to cause more heatwaves, droughts, downpours and rising sea levels, Reuters observes. Average world temperatures this year are set for record highs, about 1C above pre-industrial times. (WION with inputs from AFP, Reuters) (Reuters)

Global warming set to breach 2C limit by 2050, scientists warn

India will ratify the Paris climate change agreement on October 2, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced today. The ratification will mean speedy&nbsp;implementation of measures at the international level to control global warming. 
 
&quot;There is one work left in the CoP21 (Conference of Parties). Ratification is yet to be done and India too is yet to do it. Today on the birth anniversary of Deen Dayal Upadhyay, I announce that India will ratify the decisions on October 2, the birth anniversary of mahatma Gandhi,&quot; the Indian Prime Minister said while addressing the Bhartiya Janta Party&#39;s National Council meet in the southern Indian state of Kerala. 
 
He said that he had chosen October 2 for this because it is the birth anniversary of freedo, fighter M K Gandhi, also known as the father of the nation, whose life &quot;is an example of minimum carbon footprint&quot;. 
 
At the Paris climate meet in December last year, more than 190 nations had agreed on setting goals to control global warming and funnelling money to poor countries facing climate catastrophe. 
 
The pact will come into effect once it is ratified by at least 55 countries that account for 55 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. 
 
Modi said that the threat due to global warming was large to many coastal countries and cities. 
 
The US and China are among countries that have already ratified the agreement. 
 
India had been seeking more time to complete the process as it feared an impact on its developmental projects. 
 
(WION with inputs from PTI)

The pact will come into force after it is ratified by at least 55 countries that account for 55 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions

India will ratify the Paris climate change agreement on October 2, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced today. The ratification will mean speedy implementation of measures at the international level to control global warming. "There is one work left in the CoP21 (Conference of Parties). Ratification is yet to be done and India too is yet to do it. Today on the birth anniversary of Deen Dayal Upadhyay, I announce that India will ratify the decisions on October 2, the birth anniversary of mahatma Gandhi," the Indian Prime Minister said while addressing the Bhartiya Janta Party's National Council meet in the southern Indian state of Kerala. He said that he had chosen October 2 for this because it is the birth anniversary of freedo, fighter M K Gandhi, also known as the father of the nation, whose life "is an example of minimum carbon footprint". At the Paris climate meet in December last year, more than 190 nations had agreed on setting goals to control global warming and funnelling money to poor countries facing climate catastrophe. The pact will come into effect once it is ratified by at least 55 countries that account for 55 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Modi said that the threat due to global warming was large to many coastal countries and cities. The US and China are among countries that have already ratified the agreement. India had been seeking more time to complete the process as it feared an impact on its developmental projects. (WION with inputs from PTI)

India to ratify Paris Climate Change agreement on Oct 2

Nine people from the Black Lives Matter movement &#39;erected a tripod and locked themselves together&#39; on the London city airport runway today, causing flights to be diverted for six hours. 
 
All nine have now been removed and taken into police custody, the London Metropolitan police said in a statement on their <a href="http://news.met.police.uk/news/protest-at-london-city-airport-184011?hootPostID=dd97130572b297d990bf4c61a3bdb17f" target="_blank">website</a>. 
 
Officers were alerted at 5.40 am (local time) to a number of protesters at London City airport, the statement said. 
 
The Twitter page of Black Lives Matter claimed responsibility and posted a video showing the protesters locked together on the runway, next to a sign. 
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Black people are the first to die not the first to fly. This is why London City Airport has been <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/shutdown?src=hash">#shutdown</a> <a href="https://t.co/HWvwNirerX">pic.twitter.com/HWvwNirerX</a>
&mdash; #BlackLivesMatterUK (@ukblm) <a href="https://twitter.com/ukblm/status/773106177509036032">September 6, 2016</a></blockquote>
 
 
They tweeted they were protesting UK&#39;s environmental impact on black people. Another tweet called for &#39;white people to take responsibility&#39;. 
 
&quot;7/10 of the countries most affected by climate change are in sub-Saharan Africa,&quot; said another tweet. 
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The UK is the biggest per-capita contributor to temperature change &amp; among the least vulnerable to its affects. <a href="https://t.co/Bb5SmKWyt6">pic.twitter.com/Bb5SmKWyt6</a>
&mdash; #BlackLivesMatterUK (@ukblm) <a href="https://twitter.com/ukblm/status/773053025720078336">September 6, 2016</a></blockquote>
&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
There&#39;s a need for white people to take responsibility in a society that privileges them through racism and anti-black racism in particular
&mdash; #BlackLivesMatterUK (@ukblm) <a href="https://twitter.com/ukblm/status/773125488130789380">September 6, 2016</a></blockquote>
 
 
London City Airport apologised for the disruption in a tweet and advised passengers to check with their airlines for flight information. 
 
The nine people were arrested for aggravated trespass, being unlawfully airside and breaching London City Airport bylaws. All the protesters who had chained themselves together on the runway were white, The Guardian reported a spokeswoman for Black Lives Matter UK as saying. 
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
Today&#39;s protest is an example of white allyship under black leadership
&mdash; #BlackLivesMatterUK (@ukblm) <a href="https://twitter.com/ukblm/status/773125811503267840">September 6, 2016</a></blockquote>
 
All flights due to land at the airport were diverted to Southend and Gatwick airports, near London. The airport&#39;s sole runway is surrounded by water, but it was reported that the protesters were able to either swim or use a dinghy to cross the wharf, raising questions about security, AFP reported. 
 
(WION with inputs from AFP)

They were protesting UK's environmental impact on black people. All nine have been arrested for aggravated trespass

Nine people from the Black Lives Matter movement 'erected a tripod and locked themselves together' on the London city airport runway today, causing flights to be diverted for six hours. All nine have now been removed and taken into police custody, the London Metropolitan police said in a statement on their website. Officers were alerted at 5.40 am (local time) to a number of protesters at London City airport, the statement said. The Twitter page of Black Lives Matter claimed responsibility and posted a video showing the protesters locked together on the runway, next to a sign. Black people are the first to die not the first to fly. This is why London City Airport has been #shutdown pic.twitter.com/HWvwNirerX — #BlackLivesMatterUK (@ukblm) September 6, 2016 They tweeted they were protesting UK's environmental impact on black people. Another tweet called for 'white people to take responsibility'. "7/10 of the countries most affected by climate change are in sub-Saharan Africa," said another tweet. The UK is the biggest per-capita contributor to temperature change & among the least vulnerable to its affects. pic.twitter.com/Bb5SmKWyt6 — #BlackLivesMatterUK (@ukblm) September 6, 2016 There's a need for white people to take responsibility in a society that privileges them through racism and anti-black racism in particular — #BlackLivesMatterUK (@ukblm) September 6, 2016 London City Airport apologised for the disruption in a tweet and advised passengers to check with their airlines for flight information. The nine people were arrested for aggravated trespass, being unlawfully airside and breaching London City Airport bylaws. All the protesters who had chained themselves together on the runway were white, The Guardian reported a spokeswoman for Black Lives Matter UK as saying. Today's protest is an example of white allyship under black leadership — #BlackLivesMatterUK (@ukblm) September 6, 2016 All flights due to land at the airport were diverted to Southend and Gatwick airports, near London. The airport's sole runway is surrounded by water, but it was reported that the protesters were able to either swim or use a dinghy to cross the wharf, raising questions about security, AFP reported. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Black Lives Matter protesters shut London airport for 6 hours

Researchers have developed a new system to map the world&#39;s &quot;biomes&quot;, large-scale vegetation formations, that may help track the effect of climate change on Earth&#39;s ecosystems. 
 
The system uses satellite observations of the timing and intensity of vegetation activity and how this relates to temperature and soil moisture to classify the world&#39;s vegetation into 24 biome types. 
 
Several other global biome maps exist, but the researchers&#39; goal was to produce one that is not reliant on expert opinion or correlations between vegetation and climate. 
 
Professor Steven Higgins from the University of Otago in New Zealand and colleagues used their new classification scheme to examine change in biomes over time and found that 13 per cent of the Earth&#39;s land surface changed its biome state over the last three decades. 
 
&quot;This suggests that substantial shifts in the character of the Earth&#39;s surface are under way. Examples include swathes of Nambia and north-central Australia transitioning into drier biome categories and large expanses of cold limited systems shifting to more productive categories,&quot; said Higgins. 
 
Higgins said while global change is the likely driver of the biome shifts detected, the study did not attempt to establish such causal links. 
 
&quot;Future studies could use this system to monitor biome change and attribute the causes of the change.&nbsp;Our system provides an objective way to classify the land surface, which is important not only for monitoring change but also for comparing the behaviour of ecosystems in different parts of the world.&nbsp;These comparisons are essential for understanding the drivers of ecosystem dynamics and how ecosystems might respond to change,&quot; said Higgins. 
 
The research was published in the journal Global Change Biology. 
 
(PTI)

Professor Steven Higgins found that 13 per cent of the Earth's land surface changed its biome state over the last three decades

Researchers have developed a new system to map the world's "biomes", large-scale vegetation formations, that may help track the effect of climate change on Earth's ecosystems. The system uses satellite observations of the timing and intensity of vegetation activity and how this relates to temperature and soil moisture to classify the world's vegetation into 24 biome types. Several other global biome maps exist, but the researchers' goal was to produce one that is not reliant on expert opinion or correlations between vegetation and climate. Professor Steven Higgins from the University of Otago in New Zealand and colleagues used their new classification scheme to examine change in biomes over time and found that 13 per cent of the Earth's land surface changed its biome state over the last three decades. "This suggests that substantial shifts in the character of the Earth's surface are under way. Examples include swathes of Nambia and north-central Australia transitioning into drier biome categories and large expanses of cold limited systems shifting to more productive categories," said Higgins. Higgins said while global change is the likely driver of the biome shifts detected, the study did not attempt to establish such causal links. "Future studies could use this system to monitor biome change and attribute the causes of the change. Our system provides an objective way to classify the land surface, which is important not only for monitoring change but also for comparing the behaviour of ecosystems in different parts of the world. These comparisons are essential for understanding the drivers of ecosystem dynamics and how ecosystems might respond to change," said Higgins. The research was published in the journal Global Change Biology. (PTI)

New biome map may help track effect of climate change on our ecosystem

UN&nbsp;Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Argentina and other large&nbsp;nations&nbsp;to&nbsp;ratify&nbsp;the&nbsp;Paris&nbsp;climate&nbsp;accord&nbsp;at a Buenos Aires conference on Monday, and Argentina&#39;s foreign minister said she hoped the country would do so by the end of the year. 
 
In December 2015, some 195 countries reached an agreement in&nbsp;Paris&nbsp;that obligates states to take concrete measures to curb emissions that contribute to&nbsp;climate&nbsp;change. But the pact will not go into force&nbsp;until it is ratified by 55 countries representing 55 per cent of global greenhouse emissions. 
 
As of now, only 22 countries have done so, many of them small, vulnerable island&nbsp;nations&nbsp;that account for a negligible percentage of emissions. 
 
Ban urged China and the&nbsp;United States, the world&#39;s top two greenhouse gas emitters, to&nbsp;ratify the deal, and also pushed Argentina, Latin America&#39;s third&nbsp;largest economy, to do the same. 
 
&quot;When we add up the two countries&nbsp;greenhouse gas emissions, it comes to almost 40 per cent&quot; of global emissions, Ban said of the&nbsp;United States and China. 
 
&quot;So 55 per cent may not be difficult to achieve, and I urge Argentina to&nbsp;ratify&nbsp;as soon as possible.&quot; 
 
In response, Argentina&#39;s foreign minister, Susana Malcorra, who is running to replace Ban as UN&nbsp;secretary-general, said the&nbsp;accord&nbsp;has already been approved by one chamber of Congress and she hopes Argentina will have it ratified by the next major UN&nbsp;climate&nbsp;summit in December. 
 
At the event in Buenos Aires, Ban also thanked Argentina for a recent commitment to take in 3,000 refugees from various war-torn locations. 
 
&quot;This kind of solidarity, sign of humanity, should be emulated by many people around the world,&quot; Ban said. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Paris accord that obligates states to take concrete measures to curb emissions will not go in force unless ratified by 55 nations

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Argentina and other large nations to ratify the Paris climate accord at a Buenos Aires conference on Monday, and Argentina's foreign minister said she hoped the country would do so by the end of the year. In December 2015, some 195 countries reached an agreement in Paris that obligates states to take concrete measures to curb emissions that contribute to climate change. But the pact will not go into force until it is ratified by 55 countries representing 55 per cent of global greenhouse emissions. As of now, only 22 countries have done so, many of them small, vulnerable island nations that account for a negligible percentage of emissions. Ban urged China and the United States, the world's top two greenhouse gas emitters, to ratify the deal, and also pushed Argentina, Latin America's third largest economy, to do the same. "When we add up the two countries greenhouse gas emissions, it comes to almost 40 per cent" of global emissions, Ban said of the United States and China. "So 55 per cent may not be difficult to achieve, and I urge Argentina to ratify as soon as possible." In response, Argentina's foreign minister, Susana Malcorra, who is running to replace Ban as UN secretary-general, said the accord has already been approved by one chamber of Congress and she hopes Argentina will have it ratified by the next major UN climate summit in December. At the event in Buenos Aires, Ban also thanked Argentina for a recent commitment to take in 3,000 refugees from various war-torn locations. "This kind of solidarity, sign of humanity, should be emulated by many people around the world," Ban said. (Reuters)

UN chief presses large nations to ratify Paris climate accord at earliest

A hurricane packing 130 kilometer (80 mile) per hour winds and heavy rain made landfall in Central America near Belize&#39;s capital, where officials warned of likely flooding and damage to homes today. 
 
Hurricane Earl swept in from the Caribbean to strike just south of Belize City, population 60,000, around midnight Wednesday (0600 GMT Thursday), according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).&nbsp; 
 
Along the way, it had gathered strength and dumped rain on northern Honduras as it brushed past at sea.&nbsp; 
 
The hurricane&#39;s heavy rains &quot;could cause flash floods and mudslides especially over higher terrain,&quot; Belize&#39;s National Emergency Management Organization said in a bulletin just before it arrived. 
 
&quot;For coastal areas, there is also a risk for flooding, especially in low-lying areas.&quot; 
 
Nearby Guatemala, Honduras and southern Mexico also issued alerts. 
 
Airports in the area were closed. Earl was expected to weaken as it continued west from Belize City, farther inland, toward northern Guatemala and southeastern Mexico. 
 
The Mexican authorities took no chances, evacuating 300 families living close to a river along the border with Belize in the southeastern state of Quinta Roo for fear of flooding. 
 
More than 750 shelters were readied in the state in preparation for expected high winds and fierce gusts. 
 
Other southern Mexican states likely to be affected were Campeche, Tabasco and Yucatan. 
 
In the northern Guatemala town of Puerto Barrios, a military commander, Colonel Nelson Tun, told AFP that &quot;patrols in vulnerable areas&quot; were being carried out. 
 
&quot;We have identified high areas to where the population can evacuate before possible flooding,&quot; he said. 
 
Guatemala in particular is prone to rainy season flooding and mudslides that often prove fatal. 
 
Guatemala&#39;s population, at 16 million, is much bigger than the 330,000 in Belize, Central America&#39;s only English speaking country. 
 
Guatemala&#39;s president, Jimmy Morales, late Wednesday offered Belize humanitarian aid and shelters along the border if needed. 
 
That gesture was significant after months of tensions between the two countries following a shooting death of a Guatemalan boy by a Belizean border patrol in April. 
 
The fifth named tropical storm of the 2016 season, Earl strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane on Wednesday, according to the NHC. 
 
Winds initially measured at 120 kilometers per hour picked up just before landfall. 
 
Category 1, the lowest of five grades on the hurricane scale, is described as having dangerous winds of between 119 and 153 kilometers per hour that can rip off roofs, bring down trees and cause extensive damage to power lines. 
 
Belizean public and private sector workers were permitted to go to their homes Wednesday to secure property. 
 
Officials warned that people living on the ground floor &quot;will experience flooding&quot; and some older wooden buildings would likely be destroyed. 
 
The authorities have opened 29 shelters. 
 
(AFP)

Earl was expected to weaken as it continued west from Belize City toward northern Guatemala and southeastern Mexico

A hurricane packing 130 kilometer (80 mile) per hour winds and heavy rain made landfall in Central America near Belize's capital, where officials warned of likely flooding and damage to homes today. Hurricane Earl swept in from the Caribbean to strike just south of Belize City, population 60,000, around midnight Wednesday (0600 GMT Thursday), according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC). Along the way, it had gathered strength and dumped rain on northern Honduras as it brushed past at sea. The hurricane's heavy rains "could cause flash floods and mudslides especially over higher terrain," Belize's National Emergency Management Organization said in a bulletin just before it arrived. "For coastal areas, there is also a risk for flooding, especially in low-lying areas." Nearby Guatemala, Honduras and southern Mexico also issued alerts. Airports in the area were closed. Earl was expected to weaken as it continued west from Belize City, farther inland, toward northern Guatemala and southeastern Mexico. The Mexican authorities took no chances, evacuating 300 families living close to a river along the border with Belize in the southeastern state of Quinta Roo for fear of flooding. More than 750 shelters were readied in the state in preparation for expected high winds and fierce gusts. Other southern Mexican states likely to be affected were Campeche, Tabasco and Yucatan. In the northern Guatemala town of Puerto Barrios, a military commander, Colonel Nelson Tun, told AFP that "patrols in vulnerable areas" were being carried out. "We have identified high areas to where the population can evacuate before possible flooding," he said. Guatemala in particular is prone to rainy season flooding and mudslides that often prove fatal. Guatemala's population, at 16 million, is much bigger than the 330,000 in Belize, Central America's only English speaking country. Guatemala's president, Jimmy Morales, late Wednesday offered Belize humanitarian aid and shelters along the border if needed. That gesture was significant after months of tensions between the two countries following a shooting death of a Guatemalan boy by a Belizean border patrol in April. The fifth named tropical storm of the 2016 season, Earl strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane on Wednesday, according to the NHC. Winds initially measured at 120 kilometers per hour picked up just before landfall. Category 1, the lowest of five grades on the hurricane scale, is described as having dangerous winds of between 119 and 153 kilometers per hour that can rip off roofs, bring down trees and cause extensive damage to power lines. Belizean public and private sector workers were permitted to go to their homes Wednesday to secure property. Officials warned that people living on the ground floor "will experience flooding" and some older wooden buildings would likely be destroyed. The authorities have opened 29 shelters. (AFP)

Hurricane Earl hits Belize near capital, prompting flooding fears

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

Chinese shipping giant COSCO plans to send three cargo ships through the Arctic Ocean this summer, according to a statement, as the company expands services on a route global warming is making more viable. 
 
The &quot;Northeast Passage&quot; -- an Arctic itinerary north of Russia -- is icebound for much of the year, but climate change is making it more accessible, potentially shrinking journey times to Europe, and China sees the opportunity to reshape global trade flows. 
 
COSCO&#39;s Yong Sheng merchant ship set off from the Chinese port city of Tianjin on Saturday for a voyage through the &quot;Northeast Passage&quot; bound for Britain with a mixed cargo, the company said in a statement over the weekend. 
 
It has made two previous trips on the route in the past three years, but two more COSCO ships, the Tian Xi and Xiang Yun Kou, are scheduled to navigate the Northeast Passage next month, according to the company statement. 
 
The shipping giant -- which has grown through the merger with another company, China Shipping Group -- said it aims to &quot;normalise&quot; services on the route. 
 
China&#39;s Maritime Safety Administration in May published a Chinese language guide including nautical charts and descriptions of ice conditions for another Arctic shipping route, the Northwest Passage, which runs north of Canada. 
 
Canada regards the Northwest Passage as part of its internal waters, while some other countries consider it an international strait. 
 
China does not border the Arctic and has no territorial claim to any of it, but it has joined the Arctic Council as an observer. 
 
Analysts say China recognises the area&#39;s potential for scientific research and its strategic value. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

COSCO, the shipping giant, is trying to normalise services on Northeast Passage that has been made more accessible due to climate change

Chinese shipping giant COSCO plans to send three cargo ships through the Arctic Ocean this summer, according to a statement, as the company expands services on a route global warming is making more viable. The "Northeast Passage" -- an Arctic itinerary north of Russia -- is icebound for much of the year, but climate change is making it more accessible, potentially shrinking journey times to Europe, and China sees the opportunity to reshape global trade flows. COSCO's Yong Sheng merchant ship set off from the Chinese port city of Tianjin on Saturday for a voyage through the "Northeast Passage" bound for Britain with a mixed cargo, the company said in a statement over the weekend. It has made two previous trips on the route in the past three years, but two more COSCO ships, the Tian Xi and Xiang Yun Kou, are scheduled to navigate the Northeast Passage next month, according to the company statement. The shipping giant -- which has grown through the merger with another company, China Shipping Group -- said it aims to "normalise" services on the route. China's Maritime Safety Administration in May published a Chinese language guide including nautical charts and descriptions of ice conditions for another Arctic shipping route, the Northwest Passage, which runs north of Canada. Canada regards the Northwest Passage as part of its internal waters, while some other countries consider it an international strait. China does not border the Arctic and has no territorial claim to any of it, but it has joined the Arctic Council as an observer. Analysts say China recognises the area's potential for scientific research and its strategic value. (AFP)

Chinese shipping giant to sail 3 more vessels through Arctic

The boss of German auto giant Volkswagen, on Wednesday, issued an apology to angry shareholders over the emissions cheating scandal that has plunged the group into an unprecedented crisis. 
 
Facing an annual general meeting for the first time since the scandal erupted in September, Matthias Mueller said: &quot;On behalf of the Volkswagen Group and everyone who works here, I apologise to you shareholders for your trust in Volkswagen being betrayed. 
 
&quot;This misconduct goes against everything that Volkswagen stands for,&quot; he added nine months after the start of the &quot;Dieselgate&quot; affair, when it emerged VW had installed emissions-cheating software into 11 million diesel engines worldwide. 
 
Volkswagen is still far from drawing a line under the scandal, with the costs of the affair still incalculable, while it remains unclear if VW&#39;s own internal investigation will pinpoint the major culprits behind the scam. 
 
The auto giant, which owns 12 brands ranging from Volkswagen and Porsche to Audi and SEAT, still faces a myriad of regulatory fines and lawsuits from customers and shareholders. 
 
Shareholders are expected to use the annual general meeting in the northern city of Hanover to let off steam at the way management has handled the affair. 
 
Two days ahead of the meeting, prosecutors provided more fodder to the irate shareholders when they said they were investigating former VW boss Martin Winterkorn for having allegedly manipulated the market by holding back information about emissions cheating at the car giant. 
 
A second former member of the board was also under probe, prosecutors said, without giving the individual&#39;s name, but a Volkswagen spokesman told AFP that the suspect was Herbert Diess -- who is in charge of the VW brand. 
 
Listed companies are required to disclose information that could affect market prices immediately. 
 
But VW complied with its disclosure obligation only on September 22, 2015, prosecutors said, four days after US regulators went public that they were charging the company for emissions cheating. 
 
Crisis has opened doors 
 
The allegations struck at the heart of shareholders&#39; misgivings, as they have since early on in the scandal also accused management of dragging their feet in informing them about the scam, which led to a stunning 40-percent drop in the company&#39;s share price last autumn. 
 
The stock has since recovered somewhat, but is still 26 per cent below the levels before the scandal broke last September, and the company&#39;s finances also remain weak. 
 
After it was forced to set aside 16 billion Euros ($18 billion) in provisions to cover the costs of the affair so far, it sank to a net loss of 1.6 billion Euros, its first loss in two decades. 
 
Giving an update of the company&#39;s internal investigation into the affair, chairman Hans Dieter Poetsch said some 550 interviews had been carried out by the US consultants charged with the probe, Jones Day. 
 
Nevertheless, a number of shareholder lobby groups are demanding special enquiries into who should be held responsible for the affair, arguing that Jones Day is not sufficiently independent. 
 
Seeking to reassure shareholders of management&#39;s commitment to regain their trust, Mueller said the crisis could eventually prove to be &quot;beneficial&quot;. 
 
&quot;The crisis has also opened doors. It forced us to strengthen and speed up overdue changes, and to set new priorities. To turn this crisis into an opportunity has been my goal from the beginning,&quot; he said. 
 
Mueller hinted in a newspaper interview on Tuesday that the car giant could abandon diesel engine technology in the wake of the scandal. 
 
&quot;We have to ask ourselves whether... we want to spend more money on the further development of diesel,&quot; Mueller told the business daily Handelsblatt, promising that VW would take a &quot;fundamental&quot; look at the issue. 
 
The move appeared to be in line with the group&#39;s plans to reposition itself as a leading player in environmentally sustainable modes of transport, with more than 30 all-electric models to be unveiled by 2025. 
 
Regardless of any doubts, small shareholders may have over VW&#39;s path forward, the power they wield remains limited. 
 
They hold just 11 per cent of the voting rights in VW, while the founding families Porsche and Piech hold 52 per cent, the regional state of Lower Saxony 20 per cent and the state of Qatar 17 per cent. 
 
Speaking for Qatar, Hessa Al Jaber said she believes that VW&#39;s management &quot;genuinely wants to turn the company around.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

The auto giant, which owns 12 brands ranging from Volkswagen and Porsche to Audi and SEAT, faces a myriad of regulatory fines and lawsuits

The boss of German auto giant Volkswagen, on Wednesday, issued an apology to angry shareholders over the emissions cheating scandal that has plunged the group into an unprecedented crisis. Facing an annual general meeting for the first time since the scandal erupted in September, Matthias Mueller said: "On behalf of the Volkswagen Group and everyone who works here, I apologise to you shareholders for your trust in Volkswagen being betrayed. "This misconduct goes against everything that Volkswagen stands for," he added nine months after the start of the "Dieselgate" affair, when it emerged VW had installed emissions-cheating software into 11 million diesel engines worldwide. Volkswagen is still far from drawing a line under the scandal, with the costs of the affair still incalculable, while it remains unclear if VW's own internal investigation will pinpoint the major culprits behind the scam. The auto giant, which owns 12 brands ranging from Volkswagen and Porsche to Audi and SEAT, still faces a myriad of regulatory fines and lawsuits from customers and shareholders. Shareholders are expected to use the annual general meeting in the northern city of Hanover to let off steam at the way management has handled the affair. Two days ahead of the meeting, prosecutors provided more fodder to the irate shareholders when they said they were investigating former VW boss Martin Winterkorn for having allegedly manipulated the market by holding back information about emissions cheating at the car giant. A second former member of the board was also under probe, prosecutors said, without giving the individual's name, but a Volkswagen spokesman told AFP that the suspect was Herbert Diess -- who is in charge of the VW brand. Listed companies are required to disclose information that could affect market prices immediately. But VW complied with its disclosure obligation only on September 22, 2015, prosecutors said, four days after US regulators went public that they were charging the company for emissions cheating. Crisis has opened doors The allegations struck at the heart of shareholders' misgivings, as they have since early on in the scandal also accused management of dragging their feet in informing them about the scam, which led to a stunning 40-percent drop in the company's share price last autumn. The stock has since recovered somewhat, but is still 26 per cent below the levels before the scandal broke last September, and the company's finances also remain weak. After it was forced to set aside 16 billion Euros ($18 billion) in provisions to cover the costs of the affair so far, it sank to a net loss of 1.6 billion Euros, its first loss in two decades. Giving an update of the company's internal investigation into the affair, chairman Hans Dieter Poetsch said some 550 interviews had been carried out by the US consultants charged with the probe, Jones Day. Nevertheless, a number of shareholder lobby groups are demanding special enquiries into who should be held responsible for the affair, arguing that Jones Day is not sufficiently independent. Seeking to reassure shareholders of management's commitment to regain their trust, Mueller said the crisis could eventually prove to be "beneficial". "The crisis has also opened doors. It forced us to strengthen and speed up overdue changes, and to set new priorities. To turn this crisis into an opportunity has been my goal from the beginning," he said. Mueller hinted in a newspaper interview on Tuesday that the car giant could abandon diesel engine technology in the wake of the scandal. "We have to ask ourselves whether... we want to spend more money on the further development of diesel," Mueller told the business daily Handelsblatt, promising that VW would take a "fundamental" look at the issue. The move appeared to be in line with the group's plans to reposition itself as a leading player in environmentally sustainable modes of transport, with more than 30 all-electric models to be unveiled by 2025. Regardless of any doubts, small shareholders may have over VW's path forward, the power they wield remains limited. They hold just 11 per cent of the voting rights in VW, while the founding families Porsche and Piech hold 52 per cent, the regional state of Lower Saxony 20 per cent and the state of Qatar 17 per cent. Speaking for Qatar, Hessa Al Jaber said she believes that VW's management "genuinely wants to turn the company around." (AFP)

VW chief apologises to shareholders for emissions scandal

Faced with a risk of losing more than a million visitors a year, Australia&#39;s Great Barrier Reef is experiencing severe coral bleaching that could eventually result in loss of huge sums in lost tourism.&nbsp; 
 
The World Heritage-listed reef which teems with marine life experienced an unprecedented bleaching earlier this year that saw much of it whiten and almost a quarter of corals die, a survey higlighted on Tuesday.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The reef tourism areas are at risk of losing over one million visitors per year,&quot; a discussion paper from the independent think-tank , The Australia Institute said. It added that Aus$1 billion (US$747 million) of potential revenue could be lost if those visitors do not travel to the tropical reef region. 
 
&#39;Loss of tourism translates into loss of jobs&#39;&nbsp; 
Some 10,000 jobs in Queensland state were also at risk from a drop in tourism, a major industry in the area, the survey has added. 
 
The report said last year, about 3.5 million tourists, mostly Australians, visited areas along the reef. &quot;Continued bleaching could not only impact the reef&#39;s status as Australia&#39;s premier international tourist destination, but also impact Australia&#39;s identity as an international tourist destination,&quot; it said. 
 
The 2,300-kilometre (1,429-mile) long reef, the world&#39;s biggest coral ecosystem, is suffering from its worst bleaching in recorded history due to warming sea temperatures.&nbsp; 
 
The institute surveyed thousands of Australians and others from of the major tourism markets of China, the United States and Britain. 
 
More than a third of Australians said they were more likely to travel to another part of the country if the bleaching continued. 
 
In terms of foreign tourists, more than half Chinese respondents, and about a third of American and British participants said they were more likely to visit somewhere other than Australia if the reef&#39;s deterioration persisted. 
 
&lsquo;Tourism and coal mining industry at odds&rsquo;&nbsp; 
Bleaching occurs when abnormal environmental conditions, such as warmer sea temperatures, cause corals to expel tiny photosynthetic algae, draining them of their colour. 
 
The reef is also under pressure from farming run-off, development and the coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish. 
 
The report concluded that two of Queensland&#39;s industries -- tourism and coal mining -- were directly at odds with each other. 
 
&quot;Without serious action on climate change and real resources allocated to the reef&#39;s health, the tourism industry seems certain to lose its most precious asset,&quot; it said. 
(AFP)

The 2,300-kilometre long reef, the world's biggest coral ecosystem, is suffering from its worst bleaching in recorded history

Faced with a risk of losing more than a million visitors a year, Australia's Great Barrier Reef is experiencing severe coral bleaching that could eventually result in loss of huge sums in lost tourism. The World Heritage-listed reef which teems with marine life experienced an unprecedented bleaching earlier this year that saw much of it whiten and almost a quarter of corals die, a survey higlighted on Tuesday. "The reef tourism areas are at risk of losing over one million visitors per year," a discussion paper from the independent think-tank , The Australia Institute said. It added that Aus$1 billion (US$747 million) of potential revenue could be lost if those visitors do not travel to the tropical reef region. 'Loss of tourism translates into loss of jobs' Some 10,000 jobs in Queensland state were also at risk from a drop in tourism, a major industry in the area, the survey has added. The report said last year, about 3.5 million tourists, mostly Australians, visited areas along the reef. "Continued bleaching could not only impact the reef's status as Australia's premier international tourist destination, but also impact Australia's identity as an international tourist destination," it said. The 2,300-kilometre (1,429-mile) long reef, the world's biggest coral ecosystem, is suffering from its worst bleaching in recorded history due to warming sea temperatures. The institute surveyed thousands of Australians and others from of the major tourism markets of China, the United States and Britain. More than a third of Australians said they were more likely to travel to another part of the country if the bleaching continued. In terms of foreign tourists, more than half Chinese respondents, and about a third of American and British participants said they were more likely to visit somewhere other than Australia if the reef's deterioration persisted. ‘Tourism and coal mining industry at odds’ Bleaching occurs when abnormal environmental conditions, such as warmer sea temperatures, cause corals to expel tiny photosynthetic algae, draining them of their colour. The reef is also under pressure from farming run-off, development and the coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish. The report concluded that two of Queensland's industries -- tourism and coal mining -- were directly at odds with each other. "Without serious action on climate change and real resources allocated to the reef's health, the tourism industry seems certain to lose its most precious asset," it said. (AFP)

Australia's Great Barrier Reef at risk of losing million tourists annually: Report

President Francois Hollande today signed a bill formally ratifying the Paris climate agreement reached last December by nearly 200 countries to limit global warming. 
 
Hungary is the only other European country to have already ratified the accord and aims to keep global temperatures from rising more than two degrees Celsius. 
 
Hollande urged other European nations to ratify the accord by year-end, saying 17 states that have done so already were not the largest carbon emitters, but were the worst affected by natural disasters attributed to rising temperatures. 
 
Led by France in December, some 195 countries reached the agreement, which was then signed by 175 nations in New York in April. 
 
The agreement will become binding when 55 countries, representing 55 per cent of emissions of greenhouse gases, ratify it. 
 
China and the United States, the world&#39;s top producers of greenhouse gas emissions, have pledged to formally adopt the agreement by the end of the year, raising the prospect of its being enforced much faster than anticipated. 
(Reuters)

175 countries signed the agreement on April 22, but only 17 countries ratified it

President Francois Hollande today signed a bill formally ratifying the Paris climate agreement reached last December by nearly 200 countries to limit global warming. Hungary is the only other European country to have already ratified the accord and aims to keep global temperatures from rising more than two degrees Celsius. Hollande urged other European nations to ratify the accord by year-end, saying 17 states that have done so already were not the largest carbon emitters, but were the worst affected by natural disasters attributed to rising temperatures. Led by France in December, some 195 countries reached the agreement, which was then signed by 175 nations in New York in April. The agreement will become binding when 55 countries, representing 55 per cent of emissions of greenhouse gases, ratify it. China and the United States, the world's top producers of greenhouse gas emissions, have pledged to formally adopt the agreement by the end of the year, raising the prospect of its being enforced much faster than anticipated. (Reuters)

France ratifies Paris Agreement on climate change

Melting ice in Antarctica puts as many as 30 million people in Bangladesh at risk of losing their homes over the coming century, according to a new documentary focused on the human cost of climate change. 
 
The film &quot;Thirty Million&quot; made its premiere this week at the United Nations, where British filmmaker Daniel Price said the danger of the seas rising a full metre by 2100 was a worst case scenario, but needs to be taken seriously. 
 
&quot;If the sea level is rising by one metre, the map of Bangladesh will be changed,&quot; said Hasan Mahmud, a member of the Bangladesh Parliament, interviewed in the 34-minute film. 
 
Rising waters on the nation&#39;s low-lying coast along the Indian Ocean&#39;s Bay of Bengal could displace some 30 million people, according to studies. 
 
A 2012 report by Unnayan Onneshan, a Bangladesh think-tank, said the sea level rise hitting one metre by 2100 would affect 25,000 square kilometres, or 18 per cent of the country&#39;s total land, and displace an estimated 31.5 million people. 
 
Asked on film where so many people might go, one university professor replied: &quot;I don&#39;t know&quot;. 
 
The film, which uses aerial shots of lush forests and sleepy rivers to illustrate the South Asian country&#39;s beauty, can be seen online at http://thirtymillionfilm.org. 
 
Estimates of global sea levels rising by roughly a metre by 2100 come from the UN&#39;s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 
(Reuters)

Movie looks at how rising sea levels may force over 30 million to leave their homes, and where they'll go is unclear

Melting ice in Antarctica puts as many as 30 million people in Bangladesh at risk of losing their homes over the coming century, according to a new documentary focused on the human cost of climate change. The film "Thirty Million" made its premiere this week at the United Nations, where British filmmaker Daniel Price said the danger of the seas rising a full metre by 2100 was a worst case scenario, but needs to be taken seriously. "If the sea level is rising by one metre, the map of Bangladesh will be changed," said Hasan Mahmud, a member of the Bangladesh Parliament, interviewed in the 34-minute film. Rising waters on the nation's low-lying coast along the Indian Ocean's Bay of Bengal could displace some 30 million people, according to studies. A 2012 report by Unnayan Onneshan, a Bangladesh think-tank, said the sea level rise hitting one metre by 2100 would affect 25,000 square kilometres, or 18 per cent of the country's total land, and displace an estimated 31.5 million people. Asked on film where so many people might go, one university professor replied: "I don't know". The film, which uses aerial shots of lush forests and sleepy rivers to illustrate the South Asian country's beauty, can be seen online at http://thirtymillionfilm.org. Estimates of global sea levels rising by roughly a metre by 2100 come from the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (Reuters)

Documentary film links melting glaciers to land loss threatening to displace millions in Bangladesh

British scientists&nbsp;have developed a model that can predict outbreaks of zoonotic diseases &ndash; those such as Ebola and Zika that jump from animals to humans &ndash; based on changes in climate.

Describing their model as &quot;a major improvement in our understanding of the spread of diseases from animals to people&quot;, the researchers said it could help governments prepare for and respond to disease outbreaks, and to factor in their risk when making policies that might affect the environment.

&quot;Our model can help decision-makers assess the likely impact (on zoonotic disease) of any interventions or change in national or international government policies, such as the conversion of grasslands to agricultural lands,&quot; said Kate Jones, a professor who co-led the study at University College London&#39;s genetics, evolution and environment department.

The model also has the potential to look at the impact of global change on many diseases at once, Jones said.

Around 60 to 75 per cent of emerging infectious diseases are so-called &quot;zoonotic events&quot;, where animal diseases jump into people. Bats in particular are known to carry many zoonotic viruses.

The Ebola and Zika viruses, now well known, both originated in wild animals, as did many others including Rift Valley fever and Lassa fever that affect thousands already and are predicted to spread with changing environmental factors.

Jones&#39; team used the locations of 408 known Lassa fever outbreaks in West Africa between 1967 and 2012 and the changes in land use and crop yields, temperature and rainfall, behaviour and access to health care.

They also identified the sub-species of the multimammate rat that transmits Lassa virus to humans, to map its location against ecological factors.

The model was then developed using this information along with forecasts of climate change, future population density and land-use change.

&quot;Our approach successfully predicts outbreaks of individual diseases by pairing the changes in the host&#39;s distribution as the environment changes with the mechanics of how that disease spreads from animals to people,&quot; said David Redding, who co-led the study.

&quot;It allows us to calculate how often people are likely to come into contact with disease-carrying animals and their risk of the virus spilling over.&quot;

The team tested their new model using Lassa fever, a disease that is endemic across West Africa and is caused by a virus passing to people from rats. Like Ebola, Lassa causes haemorrhagic fever and can be fatal.

The study, published in the journal Methods in Ecology and Evolution, tested the model with Lassa and found the number of infected people will double to 406,000 by 2070 from some 195,000 due to climate change and a growing human population.

Researchers say it will majorly improve our understanding of how disease spreads from animals to people

British scientists have developed a model that can predict outbreaks of zoonotic diseases – those such as Ebola and Zika that jump from animals to humans – based on changes in climate. Describing their model as "a major improvement in our understanding of the spread of diseases from animals to people", the researchers said it could help governments prepare for and respond to disease outbreaks, and to factor in their risk when making policies that might affect the environment. "Our model can help decision-makers assess the likely impact (on zoonotic disease) of any interventions or change in national or international government policies, such as the conversion of grasslands to agricultural lands," said Kate Jones, a professor who co-led the study at University College London's genetics, evolution and environment department. The model also has the potential to look at the impact of global change on many diseases at once, Jones said. Around 60 to 75 per cent of emerging infectious diseases are so-called "zoonotic events", where animal diseases jump into people. Bats in particular are known to carry many zoonotic viruses. The Ebola and Zika viruses, now well known, both originated in wild animals, as did many others including Rift Valley fever and Lassa fever that affect thousands already and are predicted to spread with changing environmental factors. Jones' team used the locations of 408 known Lassa fever outbreaks in West Africa between 1967 and 2012 and the changes in land use and crop yields, temperature and rainfall, behaviour and access to health care. They also identified the sub-species of the multimammate rat that transmits Lassa virus to humans, to map its location against ecological factors. The model was then developed using this information along with forecasts of climate change, future population density and land-use change. "Our approach successfully predicts outbreaks of individual diseases by pairing the changes in the host's distribution as the environment changes with the mechanics of how that disease spreads from animals to people," said David Redding, who co-led the study. "It allows us to calculate how often people are likely to come into contact with disease-carrying animals and their risk of the virus spilling over." The team tested their new model using Lassa fever, a disease that is endemic across West Africa and is caused by a virus passing to people from rats. Like Ebola, Lassa causes haemorrhagic fever and can be fatal. The study, published in the journal Methods in Ecology and Evolution, tested the model with Lassa and found the number of infected people will double to 406,000 by 2070 from some 195,000 due to climate change and a growing human population.

Scientists' new model uses climate change to predict outbreaks of diseases

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended Congressional Reception jointly hosted by Foreign Relations Committees and India Caucus in Washington DC on Wednesday. 
 
Addressing the gathering, Modi called for India-US collaboration to solve issues like global warming and climate change. 
 
&quot;Be it global problems like climate change, global warming, poverty or heath concerns, we can together find solutions for the world. We must use our skills, our intelligence, our resources and commit ourselves to move forward. I think my journey this time, my two-day visit to the United States has only reinforced this commitment,&quot; said Modi. 
 
Earlier in the day, Modi became the fifth Indian to address the joint session of US Congress. 
 
Modi called for a closer security relationship between his country and the United States as he stressed on the importance of warming ties between the two countries. 
 
He dedicated much of the speech to the importance of fighting militancy, thanking Congress for US support after a Pakistan-based military group&#39;s rampage in Mumbai killed 166 people in 2008. 
 
He leavened the speech to lawmakers, the first such address by an international leader since Pope Francis&#39; in September, with jokes about Congress&#39; bitter partisan divide and yoga. But Modi used it to make serious points about India&#39;s neighbour and arch-rival Pakistan and regional concerns about Chinese expansionism. 
 
In a 45-minute speech interrupted by cheers and at least eight standing ovations, the 65-year-old Indian leader said deeper US-Indian security cooperation should isolate anyone who harbours, supports or sponsors terrorists. 
 
Modi is on the US leg of an international tour. On Tuesday, he met with President Barack Obama at the White House, where the two leaders said India has agreed to work toward joining the Paris Agreement on climate change this year and discussed security and cyber-security issues. 
 
The visit, two years after Modi became prime minister, capped an improving relationship between New Delhi and the United States. Before he was elected, Modi was barred from even entering the country because of concerns about his handling of 2002 riots that killed at least 1,000 people, mostly Muslims. 
 
After the Congressional reception, Modi left for a day-long visit to Mexico. He will arrive in New Delhi this Friday.

Modi said that US and India should deepen their security cooperation and isolate anyone who harbours, supports or sponsors terrorists

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended Congressional Reception jointly hosted by Foreign Relations Committees and India Caucus in Washington DC on Wednesday. Addressing the gathering, Modi called for India-US collaboration to solve issues like global warming and climate change. "Be it global problems like climate change, global warming, poverty or heath concerns, we can together find solutions for the world. We must use our skills, our intelligence, our resources and commit ourselves to move forward. I think my journey this time, my two-day visit to the United States has only reinforced this commitment," said Modi. Earlier in the day, Modi became the fifth Indian to address the joint session of US Congress. Modi called for a closer security relationship between his country and the United States as he stressed on the importance of warming ties between the two countries. He dedicated much of the speech to the importance of fighting militancy, thanking Congress for US support after a Pakistan-based military group's rampage in Mumbai killed 166 people in 2008. He leavened the speech to lawmakers, the first such address by an international leader since Pope Francis' in September, with jokes about Congress' bitter partisan divide and yoga. But Modi used it to make serious points about India's neighbour and arch-rival Pakistan and regional concerns about Chinese expansionism. In a 45-minute speech interrupted by cheers and at least eight standing ovations, the 65-year-old Indian leader said deeper US-Indian security cooperation should isolate anyone who harbours, supports or sponsors terrorists. Modi is on the US leg of an international tour. On Tuesday, he met with President Barack Obama at the White House, where the two leaders said India has agreed to work toward joining the Paris Agreement on climate change this year and discussed security and cyber-security issues. The visit, two years after Modi became prime minister, capped an improving relationship between New Delhi and the United States. Before he was elected, Modi was barred from even entering the country because of concerns about his handling of 2002 riots that killed at least 1,000 people, mostly Muslims. After the Congressional reception, Modi left for a day-long visit to Mexico. He will arrive in New Delhi this Friday.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends Congressional Reception in Washington DC

climate-change

Climate Change, News on Climate Change, stories on Climate Change, articles on Climate Change, Climate Change stories at Wion, Climate Change news, Climate Change latest news