Heavy rainfall has triggered floods in different parts of the world including the US and China. The climate crisis continues to affect the worldwide population.

Record rainfall triggers floods in different parts of the world

When some 200 scientists convened by the United Nations all but demanded on Monday that the nations immediately band together to cut emissions, they portrayed it as a brief window to avert the most catastrophic impacts of climate change.

But as their call ricocheted around the planet, it only underscored the challenge ahead: getting the world’s biggest polluters and its most vulnerable countries to cooperate against a grave global threat.

In unequivocal terms, the new UN&nbsp;report said that the world has been so slow to cut emissions, it was certain to miss one of its basic goals to limit warming. It said atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide had not been this high in at least 2 million years, and the past decade is likely the hottest the planet has been in 125,000 years. And in unusually direct terms, it said that human activity — burning oil, gas and coal — was squarely to blame.

The report prompted outrage among some of the world’s most vulnerable countries, whose leaders demanded that rich, industrialized powers immediately reduce their planet-warming pollution, compensate poor countries for the damage caused and help fund their preparations for a perilous future.

“What science is now saying is actually happening in front of our eyes,” said Malik Amin Aslam, special assistant on climate change to the prime minister of Pakistan, where temperatures exceeded 122 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius) last year. “It’s like a hammer hitting us on the head every day.”

Tensions over the report’s findings are likely to course through negotiations taking place ahead of a major U.N. climate conference set for November in Glasgow.

The report concluded that essentially all of the rise in global average temperatures since the 19th century has been driven by humans burning fossil fuels, clearing forests and loading the atmosphere with greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane that trap heat.

Environmental groups said those findings will bolster international legal strategies to try to hold fossil fuel companies and governments accountable. The report may prove particularly valuable because, unlike previous reports, it focuses extensively on regional effects of climate change. That may allow environmental groups to fashion stronger, more specific legal arguments.

“It’s like a turbocharge” for some of the legal strategies that Greenpeace and other organizations have been pursuing in courts for years, said Jennifer Morgan, the executive director of Greenpeace International. Earlier this year, Greenpeace successfully sued Royal Dutch Shell in a Dutch court using evidence from an earlier U.N. report.

“I just expect the pace and the scale of the calls for action, whether they be in the courtrooms or on the streets or in the committee hearing rooms, to be clearer louder, bigger than ever before,” Morgan said.

Hours after the report was published, demonstrations were being planned for later this month in London and other cities.

The report shows that if emissions of greenhouse gases continue at the same levels or are only slightly reduced, the outcome will be continued warming and worsening effects for at least the rest of the century. But if governments make immediate, drastic cuts in emissions, they can stabilize the climate at about 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming compared to preindustrial levels.

The Earth has already warmed by about 1.1 degrees Celsius.

Despite the jolt the report sent through world capitals, it was clear that some of the biggest polluters, including China and the United States, were unlikely to make the kind of immediate pivot away from fossil fuels that scientists say is needed to hold the rise in global average temperatures to 1.5 or even 2 degrees Celsius, the higher limit set by the 2015 Paris climate accord, an agreement among nations to fight global warming. Nearly every nation that signed the accord is far off track to meet its commitment.

At this point, every fraction of a degree of warming would bring ever more destructive floods, deadlier heat waves and worsening droughts as well as accelerating sea-level rise that could threaten the existence of some island nations, the report said.

The United States, which historically has pumped more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than any other country, in April pledged to roughly halve its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. While that is an ambitious goal, it is slightly below the target enshrined in law by the European Union and significantly below that of Britain.

John Kerry, President Joe Biden’s climate envoy, said the U.N. report showed that “we need all countries to take the bold steps required” to limit global warming to relatively safe levels. Unmentioned was the fact that current U.S. laws and regulations are insufficient to meet its own climate goals.

China, the world’s biggest current producer of greenhouse gases, is still increasing its emissions from power plants, transportation and industry. It plans to hit peak emissions by 2030 before starting to cut back until it no longer produces a net increase of carbon dioxide by 2060.

The Chinese government didn’t respond to the U.N. findings. But in a recent talk, the country’s top climate negotiator, Xie Zhenhua, objected to proposals to set new goals to cut global emissions beyond the level agreed upon by nations in 2015 as part of the Paris climate accord.

“As we’ve already achieved this consensus, there’s no need to ignite fresh controversy now over this goal,” Xie told an event organized by a Hong Kong foundation, adding, “Our issue now is taking action and stepping up.”

And in India, where emissions per capita are a fraction of those of wealthy nations yet growing at a rapid pace, the government said the U.N. findings point to the need for industrialized nations to do more. India also has been resistant to new language demanding all nations take stronger action to hold global temperatures to a 1.5 degree Celsius increase, arguing wealthy countries have not yet made good on their own targets.

“Developed countries have usurped far more than their fair share of the global carbon budget,” Bhupender Yadav, India’s environment minister, said in a statement. The report “vindicates India’s position that historical cumulative emissions are the source of the climate crisis that the world faces today,” he said.

Referring to the report as “a code red for humanity,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres renewed his call for an end to the construction of new coal-burning plants as well as an end to fossil fuel subsidies by governments. “This report must sound a death knell for coal and fossil fuels, before they destroy our planet,” he said in a statement.

The American Petroleum Institute, which represents major oil and natural gas producers in the United States, said in a statement that “reducing methane emissions and addressing the risks of climate change are top priorities for our industry.” It added that the industry has already made gains but said, “we have more work to do.”

A representative from Shell declined to comment; Exxon Mobil did not respond to a request for comment.

For the most vulnerable countries, the report may have given new life to a fight that they have waged with mixed success in recent years to persuade wealthy nations to pay for the climate-change-related damages they are suffering.

“What’s happening in the science affects us immediately,” said Tina Stege, a climate envoy for the Republic of the Marshall Islands, a nation of coral atolls in the Pacific Ocean, much of which is only about 6 feet above sea level. Wealthier polluting countries need to step up their assistance “not just to protect our future generations, but current generations,” she said.

Vulnerable island nations said they require financial assistance for relocation efforts, early warning systems and other critical steps to adapt to a changing climate.

Wealthy nations agreed in 2009 to deliver $100 billion annually by 2020 in public and private finance to help developing countries adapt to climate change and transition to clean, renewable energy like wind and solar. That promise hasn’t been met. At the same time, poor countries have sought money to address the climate-fueled disasters happening now.

“People are suffering and somebody needs to pay for this,” said Saleemul Huq, director of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development at the Independent University, Bangladesh. Noting that Germany’s Cabinet recently approved $472 million to help its citizens recover from recent devastating floods, he questioned why nations could not find money for disasters being suffered by the countries that did the least to cause climate change.

Sveinung Rotevatn, Norway’s minister of climate and the environment, sidestepped the issue of whether wealthy nations would agree to pay compensation to vulnerable countries. Europe and the United States have resisted calls for climate compensation to poor nations.

“It remains of vital importance that the limited funding should be directed at saving lives, adapting to climate change and also to mitigation efforts,” Rotevatn said.

Mohamed Adow, the director of Power Shift Africa, a climate think tank based in Nairobi, said the U.N. report predicts a dire future that some are already experiencing. “Those of us who live in Africa have been aware of the urgency of the climate crisis for many years,” he said. “Lives and livelihoods have been shattered. It was time, Adow added, “for us to act on the scientific words.”

When some 200 scientists convened by the United Nations all but demanded on Monday that the nations immediately band together to cut emissions, they portrayed it as a brief window to avert the most catastrophic impacts of climate change.

When some 200 scientists convened by the United Nations all but demanded on Monday that the nations immediately band together to cut emissions, they portrayed it as a brief window to avert the most catastrophic impacts of climate change. But as their call ricocheted around the planet, it only underscored the challenge ahead: getting the world’s biggest polluters and its most vulnerable countries to cooperate against a grave global threat. In unequivocal terms, the new UN report said that the world has been so slow to cut emissions, it was certain to miss one of its basic goals to limit warming. It said atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide had not been this high in at least 2 million years, and the past decade is likely the hottest the planet has been in 125,000 years. And in unusually direct terms, it said that human activity — burning oil, gas and coal — was squarely to blame. The report prompted outrage among some of the world’s most vulnerable countries, whose leaders demanded that rich, industrialized powers immediately reduce their planet-warming pollution, compensate poor countries for the damage caused and help fund their preparations for a perilous future. “What science is now saying is actually happening in front of our eyes,” said Malik Amin Aslam, special assistant on climate change to the prime minister of Pakistan, where temperatures exceeded 122 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius) last year. “It’s like a hammer hitting us on the head every day.” Tensions over the report’s findings are likely to course through negotiations taking place ahead of a major U.N. climate conference set for November in Glasgow. The report concluded that essentially all of the rise in global average temperatures since the 19th century has been driven by humans burning fossil fuels, clearing forests and loading the atmosphere with greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane that trap heat. Environmental groups said those findings will bolster international legal strategies to try to hold fossil fuel companies and governments accountable. The report may prove particularly valuable because, unlike previous reports, it focuses extensively on regional effects of climate change. That may allow environmental groups to fashion stronger, more specific legal arguments. “It’s like a turbocharge” for some of the legal strategies that Greenpeace and other organizations have been pursuing in courts for years, said Jennifer Morgan, the executive director of Greenpeace International. Earlier this year, Greenpeace successfully sued Royal Dutch Shell in a Dutch court using evidence from an earlier U.N. report. “I just expect the pace and the scale of the calls for action, whether they be in the courtrooms or on the streets or in the committee hearing rooms, to be clearer louder, bigger than ever before,” Morgan said. Hours after the report was published, demonstrations were being planned for later this month in London and other cities. The report shows that if emissions of greenhouse gases continue at the same levels or are only slightly reduced, the outcome will be continued warming and worsening effects for at least the rest of the century. But if governments make immediate, drastic cuts in emissions, they can stabilize the climate at about 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming compared to preindustrial levels. The Earth has already warmed by about 1.1 degrees Celsius. Despite the jolt the report sent through world capitals, it was clear that some of the biggest polluters, including China and the United States, were unlikely to make the kind of immediate pivot away from fossil fuels that scientists say is needed to hold the rise in global average temperatures to 1.5 or even 2 degrees Celsius, the higher limit set by the 2015 Paris climate accord, an agreement among nations to fight global warming. Nearly every nation that signed the accord is far off track to meet its commitment. At this point, every fraction of a degree of warming would bring ever more destructive floods, deadlier heat waves and worsening droughts as well as accelerating sea-level rise that could threaten the existence of some island nations, the report said. The United States, which historically has pumped more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than any other country, in April pledged to roughly halve its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. While that is an ambitious goal, it is slightly below the target enshrined in law by the European Union and significantly below that of Britain. John Kerry, President Joe Biden’s climate envoy, said the U.N. report showed that “we need all countries to take the bold steps required” to limit global warming to relatively safe levels. Unmentioned was the fact that current U.S. laws and regulations are insufficient to meet its own climate goals. China, the world’s biggest current producer of greenhouse gases, is still increasing its emissions from power plants, transportation and industry. It plans to hit peak emissions by 2030 before starting to cut back until it no longer produces a net increase of carbon dioxide by 2060. The Chinese government didn’t respond to the U.N. findings. But in a recent talk, the country’s top climate negotiator, Xie Zhenhua, objected to proposals to set new goals to cut global emissions beyond the level agreed upon by nations in 2015 as part of the Paris climate accord. “As we’ve already achieved this consensus, there’s no need to ignite fresh controversy now over this goal,” Xie told an event organized by a Hong Kong foundation, adding, “Our issue now is taking action and stepping up.” And in India, where emissions per capita are a fraction of those of wealthy nations yet growing at a rapid pace, the government said the U.N. findings point to the need for industrialized nations to do more. India also has been resistant to new language demanding all nations take stronger action to hold global temperatures to a 1.5 degree Celsius increase, arguing wealthy countries have not yet made good on their own targets. “Developed countries have usurped far more than their fair share of the global carbon budget,” Bhupender Yadav, India’s environment minister, said in a statement. The report “vindicates India’s position that historical cumulative emissions are the source of the climate crisis that the world faces today,” he said. Referring to the report as “a code red for humanity,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres renewed his call for an end to the construction of new coal-burning plants as well as an end to fossil fuel subsidies by governments. “This report must sound a death knell for coal and fossil fuels, before they destroy our planet,” he said in a statement. The American Petroleum Institute, which represents major oil and natural gas producers in the United States, said in a statement that “reducing methane emissions and addressing the risks of climate change are top priorities for our industry.” It added that the industry has already made gains but said, “we have more work to do.” A representative from Shell declined to comment; Exxon Mobil did not respond to a request for comment. For the most vulnerable countries, the report may have given new life to a fight that they have waged with mixed success in recent years to persuade wealthy nations to pay for the climate-change-related damages they are suffering. “What’s happening in the science affects us immediately,” said Tina Stege, a climate envoy for the Republic of the Marshall Islands, a nation of coral atolls in the Pacific Ocean, much of which is only about 6 feet above sea level. Wealthier polluting countries need to step up their assistance “not just to protect our future generations, but current generations,” she said. Vulnerable island nations said they require financial assistance for relocation efforts, early warning systems and other critical steps to adapt to a changing climate. Wealthy nations agreed in 2009 to deliver $100 billion annually by 2020 in public and private finance to help developing countries adapt to climate change and transition to clean, renewable energy like wind and solar. That promise hasn’t been met. At the same time, poor countries have sought money to address the climate-fueled disasters happening now. “People are suffering and somebody needs to pay for this,” said Saleemul Huq, director of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development at the Independent University, Bangladesh. Noting that Germany’s Cabinet recently approved $472 million to help its citizens recover from recent devastating floods, he questioned why nations could not find money for disasters being suffered by the countries that did the least to cause climate change. Sveinung Rotevatn, Norway’s minister of climate and the environment, sidestepped the issue of whether wealthy nations would agree to pay compensation to vulnerable countries. Europe and the United States have resisted calls for climate compensation to poor nations. “It remains of vital importance that the limited funding should be directed at saving lives, adapting to climate change and also to mitigation efforts,” Rotevatn said. Mohamed Adow, the director of Power Shift Africa, a climate think tank based in Nairobi, said the U.N. report predicts a dire future that some are already experiencing. “Those of us who live in Africa have been aware of the urgency of the climate crisis for many years,” he said. “Lives and livelihoods have been shattered. It was time, Adow added, “for us to act on the scientific words.”

Climate change is a ‘hammer hitting us on the head,’ developing nations say

Hundreds of firefighters battled Thursday to contain new flare-ups in wildfire-ravaged areas of Greece, where summer infernos have caused what the prime minister described as the country's "greatest ecological disaster in decades".

However, rain overnight in some areas and falling temperatures appeared to have eased the situation after two weeks of devastating blazes, and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said "we can be more optimistic today" than previous days.

Greece's most severe heatwave in decades has fanned blazes that have destroyed more than 100,000 hectares of forests and farmland, the country's worst wildfire damage since 2007, the European Forest Fire Information System said Thursday.

The fires have left three dead, hundreds homeless, forced thousands to flee, and caused economic and environmental devastation.

Greece is just one of a number of countries in the Mediterranean region that have been hit by a savage fire season which authorities have blamed on climate change.

Mitsotakis on Thursday described the "mega fires" as Greece's "greatest ecological disaster in decades".

"Climate crisis is here... and it tells us that everything must change," he told reporters, pointing to other devastating fires in Turkey, Italy and Algeria.

The prime minister said firefighters, volunteers and locals had saved "countless" homes and businesses, but dozens of properties had been lost nonetheless.

Mitsotakis said that 150 homes have been lost in greater Athens over the last week, while the count is ongoing on the island of Evia, which accounts for more than half of the area burned nationwide.

'Can't take it anymore'

A fire service official told AFP on Thursday that "the fire fronts are still active" on Evia and in the Arcadia region of the Peloponnese peninsula and "fires are constantly flaring up" in both areas.

In the north of Evia, where hundreds have been evacuated by boat, 858 firefighters including reinforcements from Ukraine, Romania and Serbia, were battling the flames.

And there was fresh concern in Athens after a new fire broke out on Thursday morning in the industrial zone of Aspropyrgos, 20 kilometres (12 miles) northwest of the capital.

At the height of the fires in early August, the flames had reached the gates of Athens, filling the sky of the city of four million inhabitants with grey smoke.

But after weeks of punishing temperatures often well over 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), a lower 33 degrees Celsius was forecast for Thursday.

The falling temperatures and overnight rain in Evia, the Peloponnese and central Greece had helped improve the situation, said Stathis Koulis, the mayor of Gortynia.

The village of Gortynia in a mountainous area of Arcadia 200 kilometres (120 miles) west of Athens has become the primary focus in the Peloponnese, with deep ravines posing a challenge to firefighters.

Twenty villages have been evacuated in the area over the past few days and 680 firefighters, including more than a hundred sent to help from France, and five water-dropping aircraft have been relentlessly battling the flames.

"I can't take it anymore," said farmer Kostis Angelou as he wandered between the corpses of his goats, all 372 of them burnt by a fire that devoured forests on Evia.

The 44-year-old managed to survive by spending hours under an irrigation water pipe, surrounded by flames.

"A saint saved me," he said.

Climate 'code red'

The latest extreme weather events come after a "code red" report from the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was published on Monday warning that the world is warming far faster than previously feared.

The Mediterranean has been singled out as a "climate change hotspot", with increasing temperatures and aridity lengthening fire seasons and doubling the areas potential burnt, according to draft IPCC assessment seen exclusively by AFP.

Algeria announced three days of national mourning starting Thursday for the 69 dead killed in blazes there.

Five have died in fires in Italy, where what is believed to be a new European record of 48.8 degrees Celsius (119.8 Fahrenheit) was registered in Sicily on Wednesday -- beating the previous high recorded in Greece in 1977.

Eight people were killed in fires in Turkey's south earlier in the month, while in the north the death count rose to five on Thursday from flash floods that have swept across several Black Sea regions.

Hundreds of firefighters battled Thursday to contain new flare-ups in wildfire-ravaged areas of Greece, where summer infernos have caused what the prime minister described as the country's "greatest ecological disaster in decades".

Hundreds of firefighters battled Thursday to contain new flare-ups in wildfire-ravaged areas of Greece, where summer infernos have caused what the prime minister described as the country's "greatest ecological disaster in decades". However, rain overnight in some areas and falling temperatures appeared to have eased the situation after two weeks of devastating blazes, and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said "we can be more optimistic today" than previous days. Greece's most severe heatwave in decades has fanned blazes that have destroyed more than 100,000 hectares of forests and farmland, the country's worst wildfire damage since 2007, the European Forest Fire Information System said Thursday. The fires have left three dead, hundreds homeless, forced thousands to flee, and caused economic and environmental devastation. Greece is just one of a number of countries in the Mediterranean region that have been hit by a savage fire season which authorities have blamed on climate change. Mitsotakis on Thursday described the "mega fires" as Greece's "greatest ecological disaster in decades". "Climate crisis is here... and it tells us that everything must change," he told reporters, pointing to other devastating fires in Turkey, Italy and Algeria. The prime minister said firefighters, volunteers and locals had saved "countless" homes and businesses, but dozens of properties had been lost nonetheless. Mitsotakis said that 150 homes have been lost in greater Athens over the last week, while the count is ongoing on the island of Evia, which accounts for more than half of the area burned nationwide. 'Can't take it anymore' A fire service official told AFP on Thursday that "the fire fronts are still active" on Evia and in the Arcadia region of the Peloponnese peninsula and "fires are constantly flaring up" in both areas. In the north of Evia, where hundreds have been evacuated by boat, 858 firefighters including reinforcements from Ukraine, Romania and Serbia, were battling the flames. And there was fresh concern in Athens after a new fire broke out on Thursday morning in the industrial zone of Aspropyrgos, 20 kilometres (12 miles) northwest of the capital. At the height of the fires in early August, the flames had reached the gates of Athens, filling the sky of the city of four million inhabitants with grey smoke. But after weeks of punishing temperatures often well over 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), a lower 33 degrees Celsius was forecast for Thursday. The falling temperatures and overnight rain in Evia, the Peloponnese and central Greece had helped improve the situation, said Stathis Koulis, the mayor of Gortynia. The village of Gortynia in a mountainous area of Arcadia 200 kilometres (120 miles) west of Athens has become the primary focus in the Peloponnese, with deep ravines posing a challenge to firefighters. Twenty villages have been evacuated in the area over the past few days and 680 firefighters, including more than a hundred sent to help from France, and five water-dropping aircraft have been relentlessly battling the flames. "I can't take it anymore," said farmer Kostis Angelou as he wandered between the corpses of his goats, all 372 of them burnt by a fire that devoured forests on Evia. The 44-year-old managed to survive by spending hours under an irrigation water pipe, surrounded by flames. "A saint saved me," he said. Climate 'code red' The latest extreme weather events come after a "code red" report from the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was published on Monday warning that the world is warming far faster than previously feared. The Mediterranean has been singled out as a "climate change hotspot", with increasing temperatures and aridity lengthening fire seasons and doubling the areas potential burnt, according to draft IPCC assessment seen exclusively by AFP. Algeria announced three days of national mourning starting Thursday for the 69 dead killed in blazes there. Five have died in fires in Italy, where what is believed to be a new European record of 48.8 degrees Celsius (119.8 Fahrenheit) was registered in Sicily on Wednesday -- beating the previous high recorded in Greece in 1977. Eight people were killed in fires in Turkey's south earlier in the month, while in the north the death count rose to five on Thursday from flash floods that have swept across several Black Sea regions.

Over 100,000 hectares burned as Greece faces ‘ecological disaster’ from wildfires

In the wake of wildfires in numerous countries, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: "devastating flames" had damaged many people's lives in recent weeks.&nbsp;

"If we continue business as usual, the risks posed by climate change could dwarf those of any single disease. We will end the COVID-19 pandemic, but there's no vaccine for the climate crisis," he tweeted.

According to the WHO, "Over 90% of people breathe unhealthy levels of Air Pollution, largely resulting from burning fossil fuels driving Climate Change. Ending the burning of fossil fuels drastically reduces pollution &amp; offers immediate benefits for society &amp; the economy."

"20% of the world's carbon emissions are from transportation. Each of us can help reduce the emissions by walking Person walking‍ and cycling ‍more for your health and the health of the planet. The value of health gains from reducing carbon emissions would be approximately double the global cost of implementing carbon mitigation measures," WHO report said. 
&nbsp;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ClimateChange?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ClimateChange</a> puts the 🌏🌍🌎 at risk from 
 
🔸air pollution 
🔸disease 
🔸extreme weather 
🔸forced displacement 
🔸food insecurity 
🔸pressures on mental health 
 
Around 1⃣3⃣ million people die each year due to environmental factors. <a href="https://t.co/UXzW1qHXbu">pic.twitter.com/UXzW1qHXbu</a>
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) <a href="https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1424742689170407425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
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(With inputs from agencies)

In the wake of wildfires in numerous countries, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: "devastating flames" had damaged many people's lives in recent weeks.

In the wake of wildfires in numerous countries, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: "devastating flames" had damaged many people's lives in recent weeks. "If we continue business as usual, the risks posed by climate change could dwarf those of any single disease. We will end the COVID-19 pandemic, but there's no vaccine for the climate crisis," he tweeted. According to the WHO, "Over 90% of people breathe unhealthy levels of Air Pollution, largely resulting from burning fossil fuels driving Climate Change. Ending the burning of fossil fuels drastically reduces pollution & offers immediate benefits for society & the economy." "20% of the world's carbon emissions are from transportation. Each of us can help reduce the emissions by walking Person walking‍ and cycling ‍more for your health and the health of the planet. The value of health gains from reducing carbon emissions would be approximately double the global cost of implementing carbon mitigation measures," WHO report said. #ClimateChange puts the 🌏🌍🌎 at risk from 🔸air pollution 🔸disease 🔸extreme weather 🔸forced displacement 🔸food insecurity 🔸pressures on mental health Around 1⃣3⃣ million people die each year due to environmental factors. pic.twitter.com/UXzW1qHXbu — World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) August 9, 2021 × (With inputs from agencies)

There's no vaccine for climate crisis: WHO chief on wildfires in several countries

Climate change was the day's top headline, but for years it was buried in page 10. So what changed today? The IPCC published what's being called a 'red code for humanity'. Palki Sharma tells you all about it.

Gravitas: IPCC sounds alarm on climate change

The United Nations' intergovernmental panel on climate change panel has projected the global temperatures to shoot up over the next 20 years. The report has delivered the starkest warning yet about the deepening climate emergency.

UN's landmark climate report delivers starkest warning on climate change

A UN’s climate panel delivered their starkest warning yet about the deepening climate emergency, with some of the changes already set in motion thought to be “irreversible” for centuries to come.

UN unveils landmark report on climate change

Climate 'mysteries' are still puzzling the&nbsp;world's leading&nbsp;scientists the most despite making progress.

Heatwaves are&nbsp;one of the ''major mysteries'' science&nbsp;still has to unravel&nbsp;even as researchers are able to pinpoint with increasing accuracy exactly how human fossil fuel pollution is warming the planet and altering the climate

This&nbsp;particularly includes the tendency of current models to underestimate the intensity of these bursts of deadly, searing temperature.&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-climate-change-super-charges-wildfires-399570/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

According to climatologist Robert Vautard, ''Today we have better climate projection models, and longer observations with a much clearer signal of climate change.''

Vautard is one of the authors of an upcoming assessment by the United Nations' panel of climate experts.&nbsp;

The assessment, the first part of a trio of reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), will be released on August 9 at the end of meetings starting Monday.

It focuses on the&nbsp;science&nbsp;underpinning our understanding of things like temperature increases, rising ocean levels and extreme weather events.&nbsp;

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/many-leaders-slept-on-climate-crisis-will-they-act-on-what-they-feel-on-their-skins-now-398704" hreflang="en">Many leaders slept on climate crisis. Will they act on what they feel on their skins now?</a>

This has progressed considerably since the last assessment in 2014, but so has climate change itself, with effects being felt ever more forcefully across the planet.&nbsp;

Scientists now have a greater understanding of the mechanisms behind "extreme phenomena, which now occur almost every week around the world", said Vautard, adding that this helps better quantify how these events will play out in the future.

In almost real time, researchers can pinpoint the role of climate change in a given disaster, something they were unable to do at all until very recently.

Now, so-called "attribution"&nbsp;science&nbsp;means we can say how probable an extreme weather event would have been had the climate not been changing at all.&nbsp;

For example, within days of the extraordinary "heat dome" that scorched the western United States and Canada at the end of June, scientists from the World Weather Attribution calculated that the heatwave would have been "almost impossible" without warming.&nbsp;

Despite these advances, Vautard said "major mysteries remain".&nbsp;

Scientists are still unsure what part clouds play "in the energy balance of the planet" and their influence on the climate's sensitivity to greenhouse gases, he said.&nbsp;

But it is "phenomenal temperatures", like those recorded in June in Canada or in Europe in 2019, that preoccupy the climatologist.&nbsp;

"What worries me the most are the heat waves" and the "thousands of deaths" they cause, said Vautard, who is director of France's Pierre-Simon Laplace Institute, a climate research and teaching centre.&nbsp;

With rainfall, scientists have a physical law that says water vapour increases by seven percent for every degree of warming, he said, with intense precipitation increasing by about the same amount.&nbsp;

But extreme heat is harder to predict.&nbsp;

"We know that heatwaves are more frequent, but we also know that our models underestimate the increasing intensity of these heatwaves, particularly in Europe, by a factor of two," he said.

Climate models have come a long way, even since 2014, but there is still room for improvement to reduce these uncertainties.&nbsp;

"Before we had models that represented the major phenomena in the atmosphere, in the oceans," said Vautard.&nbsp;

Today the models divide the planet's surface into grids, with each square around 10 kilometres (six miles).&nbsp;

But even now he said the "resolution of the models is not sufficient" for very localised phenomena.&nbsp;

The next generation of models should be able to add even more detail, going down to an area of about a kilometre.&nbsp;

That would give researchers a much better understanding of "small scale" events, like tornadoes, hail or storm systems that bring intense rain like those seen in parts of the Mediterranean in 2020.

Even on a global scale, some fundamental questions remain.&nbsp;

Perhaps one of the most ominous climate concepts to have become better understood in recent years is that of "tipping points".&nbsp;

These could be triggered for example by the melting of the ice caps or the decline of the Amazon rainforest, potentially swinging the climate system into dramatic and irreversible changes.&nbsp;

There are still "a lot of uncertainties and mysteries" about tipping points, Vautard said, including what level of temperature rise might set them off.&nbsp;

Currently, they are seen as low probability events, but he said that it is still crucial to know more about them given the "irreversible consequences on the scale of millennia" that they could cause.&nbsp;

Another crucial uncertainty is the state of the world's forests and oceans, which absorb about half of the CO2 emitted by humans.&nbsp;

"Will this carbon sink function continue to be effective or not?" Vautard said.

If they stop absorbing carbon,&nbsp;as has been found in areas of the Amazon, for example,&nbsp;then more C02 will accumulate in the atmosphere, raising temperatures even further.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"It is a concern," said Vautard.&nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Climate 'mysteries' are still puzzling the world's leading scientists the most despite making progress. Heatwaves are one of the ''major mysteries'' science still has to unravel even as researchers are able to pinpoint with increasing accuracy exactly how human fossil fuel pollution is warming the planet and altering the climate This particularly includes the tendency of current models to underestimate the intensity of these bursts of deadly, searing temperature.

Climate 'mysteries' are still puzzling the world's leading scientists the most despite making progress. Heatwaves are one of the ''major mysteries'' science still has to unravel even as researchers are able to pinpoint with increasing accuracy exactly how human fossil fuel pollution is warming the planet and altering the climate This particularly includes the tendency of current models to underestimate the intensity of these bursts of deadly, searing temperature. According to climatologist Robert Vautard, ''Today we have better climate projection models, and longer observations with a much clearer signal of climate change.'' Vautard is one of the authors of an upcoming assessment by the United Nations' panel of climate experts. The assessment, the first part of a trio of reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), will be released on August 9 at the end of meetings starting Monday. It focuses on the science underpinning our understanding of things like temperature increases, rising ocean levels and extreme weather events. Also read| Many leaders slept on climate crisis. Will they act on what they feel on their skins now? This has progressed considerably since the last assessment in 2014, but so has climate change itself, with effects being felt ever more forcefully across the planet. Scientists now have a greater understanding of the mechanisms behind "extreme phenomena, which now occur almost every week around the world", said Vautard, adding that this helps better quantify how these events will play out in the future. In almost real time, researchers can pinpoint the role of climate change in a given disaster, something they were unable to do at all until very recently. Now, so-called "attribution" science means we can say how probable an extreme weather event would have been had the climate not been changing at all. For example, within days of the extraordinary "heat dome" that scorched the western United States and Canada at the end of June, scientists from the World Weather Attribution calculated that the heatwave would have been "almost impossible" without warming. Despite these advances, Vautard said "major mysteries remain". Scientists are still unsure what part clouds play "in the energy balance of the planet" and their influence on the climate's sensitivity to greenhouse gases, he said. But it is "phenomenal temperatures", like those recorded in June in Canada or in Europe in 2019, that preoccupy the climatologist. "What worries me the most are the heat waves" and the "thousands of deaths" they cause, said Vautard, who is director of France's Pierre-Simon Laplace Institute, a climate research and teaching centre. With rainfall, scientists have a physical law that says water vapour increases by seven percent for every degree of warming, he said, with intense precipitation increasing by about the same amount. But extreme heat is harder to predict. "We know that heatwaves are more frequent, but we also know that our models underestimate the increasing intensity of these heatwaves, particularly in Europe, by a factor of two," he said. Climate models have come a long way, even since 2014, but there is still room for improvement to reduce these uncertainties. "Before we had models that represented the major phenomena in the atmosphere, in the oceans," said Vautard. Today the models divide the planet's surface into grids, with each square around 10 kilometres (six miles). But even now he said the "resolution of the models is not sufficient" for very localised phenomena. The next generation of models should be able to add even more detail, going down to an area of about a kilometre. That would give researchers a much better understanding of "small scale" events, like tornadoes, hail or storm systems that bring intense rain like those seen in parts of the Mediterranean in 2020. Even on a global scale, some fundamental questions remain. Perhaps one of the most ominous climate concepts to have become better understood in recent years is that of "tipping points". These could be triggered for example by the melting of the ice caps or the decline of the Amazon rainforest, potentially swinging the climate system into dramatic and irreversible changes. There are still "a lot of uncertainties and mysteries" about tipping points, Vautard said, including what level of temperature rise might set them off. Currently, they are seen as low probability events, but he said that it is still crucial to know more about them given the "irreversible consequences on the scale of millennia" that they could cause. Another crucial uncertainty is the state of the world's forests and oceans, which absorb about half of the CO2 emitted by humans. "Will this carbon sink function continue to be effective or not?" Vautard said. If they stop absorbing carbon, as has been found in areas of the Amazon, for example, then more C02 will accumulate in the atmosphere, raising temperatures even further. "It is a concern," said Vautard. (With inputs from agencies)

Why are climate 'mysteries' puzzling world's leading scientists?

Following a statement by&nbsp;American climate tsar John Kerry urging China to curb emissions,&nbsp;Beijing has warned the US that&nbsp;climate cooperation with Washington will be governed by overall Sino-US relations.&nbsp;&nbsp;

This comes amid the recent soaring tensions between the United States and China.&nbsp;

The Sino-US relationship has been strained in recent months as both sides traded barbs over Beijing's human rights record and the initial handling of the coronavirus outbreak.

The two sides have already agreed to work together on several issues, including climate change.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-china-find-common-ground-over-need-for-stronger-climate-commitments-378330">US, China find common ground over need for stronger climate commitments</a>&nbsp;

However, China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Zhao Lijian warned that deteriorating Sino-US relations could affect cooperation on environmental issues after Kerry called for Beijing to act more rapidly on climate challenges.

"I want to emphasise that the cooperation between China and the United States in specific fields is closely related to the overall health of Sino-US relations," said&nbsp; Zhao. He also added that the&nbsp;US should not "wantonly" jeopardise Chinese interests by meddling in China's internal affairs, while at the same time seeking China's understanding and support in bilateral and global relations.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/lavrov-kerry-meet-leaders-say-they-will-cooperate-on-climate-crisis-397738/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

As a way to break free from the world's current mutual suicide pact, Kerry called on Chinese officials to ensure that emissions peak before the 2020 deadline.

During a policy speech in London, he said that limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius was "essentially impossible" without "sufficient reduction by China".

Recently, after the US Senate voted to ban products made in the politically sensitive region of Xinjiang over claims of forced labour, Washington has irked Beijing by warning of business risks in Hong Kong due to Beijing's clampdown on freedoms.

(With inputs from agencies)

Following a statement by American climate tsar John Kerry urging China to curb emissions, Beijing has warned the US that climate cooperation with Washington will be governed by overall Sino-US relations.

Following a statement by American climate tsar John Kerry urging China to curb emissions, Beijing has warned the US that climate cooperation with Washington will be governed by overall Sino-US relations. This comes amid the recent soaring tensions between the United States and China. The Sino-US relationship has been strained in recent months as both sides traded barbs over Beijing's human rights record and the initial handling of the coronavirus outbreak. The two sides have already agreed to work together on several issues, including climate change. Also read | US, China find common ground over need for stronger climate commitments However, China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Zhao Lijian warned that deteriorating Sino-US relations could affect cooperation on environmental issues after Kerry called for Beijing to act more rapidly on climate challenges. "I want to emphasise that the cooperation between China and the United States in specific fields is closely related to the overall health of Sino-US relations," said Zhao. He also added that the US should not "wantonly" jeopardise Chinese interests by meddling in China's internal affairs, while at the same time seeking China's understanding and support in bilateral and global relations. As a way to break free from the world's current mutual suicide pact, Kerry called on Chinese officials to ensure that emissions peak before the 2020 deadline. During a policy speech in London, he said that limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius was "essentially impossible" without "sufficient reduction by China". Recently, after the US Senate voted to ban products made in the politically sensitive region of Xinjiang over claims of forced labour, Washington has irked Beijing by warning of business risks in Hong Kong due to Beijing's clampdown on freedoms. (With inputs from agencies)

Beijing warns US against meddling in internal affairs and links climate cooperation to relations

Hundreds of people went missing and more than 150&nbsp;died as unprecedented floods hit Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands this week.

The freak weather came just days after some parts of Europe witnessed yet another unusually hot summer.

Climate change is here, and it is here to stay.

And world leaders are doing catch-up, decades after scientists sounded the warning.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pics-fatal-flooding-in-western-germany-398443">In Pics | Fatal flooding in Western Germany</a>

This past week, European Union policymakers unveiled their most ambitious plan yet to tackle climate change, aiming to turn green goals into concrete action this decade, and in doing so lead the way for the world's other big economies.

While the bloc produces as much as 8 per cent of global emissions, it hopes its example will elicit ambitious action from other major economies when they meet in November in Glasgow for the next milestone UN climate conference.

However, poorer member states are wary of anything that will raise costs for the consumer, while regions that depend on coal-fired power plants and mines want guarantees of more support for a transformation that will cause dislocation and require mass retraining.

According to the UN's Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI), this year, Australia has ranked among the top three countries for exported greenhouse gas emissions per capita and among the top 10 nations for per capita fossil fuel use.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-australian-court-pulls-up-government-for-climate-change-387879/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

It ranked second-worst for carbon pricing scores, between first-ranking Chile and the United States. The ranking is based on four indicators: per capita emissions from fossil fuel combustion, per capita CO2 emissions embodied in imports, per capita CO2 emissions embodied in exports, and carbon pricing score.

And yet, the county is in denial.

Australia took a group of ambassadors snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef on Thursday in a last-minute lobbying effort to keep the World Heritage site off UNESCO's endangered list.

Why? To keep the revenues generated by it, because an 'endangered' listing would mean Australia not being able to milk the reef's tourism potential.&nbsp;

Aside from its inestimable natural, scientific and environmental value, the 2,300-kilometre-long (1,400-mile) reef was worth an estimated $4.8 billion a year in tourism revenue for the Australian economy before the coronavirus pandemic.

Australia should have seen it coming. There have been several so-called 'bleaching incidents' of the reef's corals, which are very ecologically sensitive. Several warnings had been issued in the past.

And there has been no dearth of warnings about the impacts of climate change on people and the planet.

Nearly nine in 10 leading global climate economists think climate change will deepen income inequality between rich and poor countries, with most calling for urgent action to cut planet-warming emissions.

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According to the World Bank, without the right policies to keep the poor safe from extreme weather and rising seas, climate change could drive over 100 million more people into poverty by 2030.

Scientists have warned that failure to curb the world’s still-growing emissions could lead to crises from food and water shortages to worsening weather disasters and sea-level rise.

The growing impacts of climate change have already pushed more than 18 million people to migrate within South Asian countries, but that could more than triple if global warming continues on its current path.

Nearly 63 million people could be forced from their homes by 2050 in the region as rising seas and rivers swallow villages, and drought-hit land no longer supports crops, said ActionAid International and Climate Action Network South Asia in a report.

Researchers believe Indian monsoons are likely to become stronger and more erratic if global warming continues unchecked, threatening farming and incomes across the region

Monsoon rains will likely increase by about 5 per cent&nbsp;for every degree Celsius of warming, found the study of more than 30 state-of-the-art climate models from around the world, published in the journal Earth System Dynamics.

What are countries doing about it, beyond token statements?

India is examining setting a target of net zero emissions by 2050, according to media reports. An earlier ambition of 2047, to coincide with 100 years of independence, is being discussed among senior officials in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office.

If India does end up setting a target of no later than 2050, it will trump China's promise of 2060 and match the ambition set out by new US President Joe Biden.

Governments face a struggle to inject momentum into efforts to curb global warming, dogged by lack of consensus, scepticism and disruptive protests demanding more action.

Policymakers are under pressure as more extreme weather events, such as record floods in Europe and wildfires in Australia, Canada and the US, are linked to climate change.

According to many scientists, Russia, especially its Siberian and Arctic regions, is among the countries most exposed to climate change.

Russia has set numerous records in recent years and in June 2020 registered 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit) in the town of Verkhoyansk, the highest temperature recorded above the Arctic circle since measurements began.

The rising mercury levels have contributed to devastating floods and forest fires that have affected Siberia with increasing regularity.

They are also contributing to the melting of permafrost, which covers about two-thirds of Russia's vast territory.

The share of fossil fuels in the world's total energy mix is as high as a decade ago, despite the falling cost of renewables and pressure on governments to act on climate change, a report by green energy policy network REN21 showed.

Meanwhile, oil companies are dragging their feet on fighting climate change and are confronting pushback from investors and courts on policy change.

Investor support for climate concerns could force oil and gas companies to rethink how fast they pivot to other forms of energy.

There is now a 40 per cent chance that global temperatures will temporarily reach 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels in the next five years and these odds are rising, as per a UN report.

This does not yet mean that the world would already be crossing the long-term warming 1.5-degree Celsius threshold set by the Paris Climate Accord, which scientists warn is the ceiling to avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change.&nbsp;

The Paris Accord target looks at temperature over a 30-year average, rather than a single year.

But it does underscore that "we are getting measurably and inexorably closer" to that threshold, according to World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Petteri Taalas.

The next decade will require bigger adjustments, with a long-term eye on 2050, seen by scientists as a deadline for the world to reach net-zero carbon emissions or risk climate change becoming catastrophic.

While leaders have ignored climate change for as long as they can, citizens are ensuring that they wake up now.

In a handful of countries, they are suing their governments for negligence.

Leaders have ignored climate crisis till it literally banged on their doors in the form of floods and fires.

Here is hoping that they will&nbsp;feel the pinch at least now, when it is so close to their own skins.

Hundreds of people went missing and more than 150 died as unprecedented floods hit Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands this week. The freak weather came just days after some parts of Europe witnessed yet another unusually hot summer.

Hundreds of people went missing and more than 150 died as unprecedented floods hit Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands this week. The freak weather came just days after some parts of Europe witnessed yet another unusually hot summer. Climate change is here, and it is here to stay. And world leaders are doing catch-up, decades after scientists sounded the warning. In Pics | Fatal flooding in Western Germany This past week, European Union policymakers unveiled their most ambitious plan yet to tackle climate change, aiming to turn green goals into concrete action this decade, and in doing so lead the way for the world's other big economies. While the bloc produces as much as 8 per cent of global emissions, it hopes its example will elicit ambitious action from other major economies when they meet in November in Glasgow for the next milestone UN climate conference. However, poorer member states are wary of anything that will raise costs for the consumer, while regions that depend on coal-fired power plants and mines want guarantees of more support for a transformation that will cause dislocation and require mass retraining. According to the UN's Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI), this year, Australia has ranked among the top three countries for exported greenhouse gas emissions per capita and among the top 10 nations for per capita fossil fuel use. It ranked second-worst for carbon pricing scores, between first-ranking Chile and the United States. The ranking is based on four indicators: per capita emissions from fossil fuel combustion, per capita CO2 emissions embodied in imports, per capita CO2 emissions embodied in exports, and carbon pricing score. And yet, the county is in denial. Australia took a group of ambassadors snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef on Thursday in a last-minute lobbying effort to keep the World Heritage site off UNESCO's endangered list. Why? To keep the revenues generated by it, because an 'endangered' listing would mean Australia not being able to milk the reef's tourism potential. Aside from its inestimable natural, scientific and environmental value, the 2,300-kilometre-long (1,400-mile) reef was worth an estimated $4.8 billion a year in tourism revenue for the Australian economy before the coronavirus pandemic. Australia should have seen it coming. There have been several so-called 'bleaching incidents' of the reef's corals, which are very ecologically sensitive. Several warnings had been issued in the past. And there has been no dearth of warnings about the impacts of climate change on people and the planet. Nearly nine in 10 leading global climate economists think climate change will deepen income inequality between rich and poor countries, with most calling for urgent action to cut planet-warming emissions. View this post on Instagram A post shared by UN Climate Change (@unclimatechange) According to the World Bank, without the right policies to keep the poor safe from extreme weather and rising seas, climate change could drive over 100 million more people into poverty by 2030. Scientists have warned that failure to curb the world’s still-growing emissions could lead to crises from food and water shortages to worsening weather disasters and sea-level rise. The growing impacts of climate change have already pushed more than 18 million people to migrate within South Asian countries, but that could more than triple if global warming continues on its current path. Nearly 63 million people could be forced from their homes by 2050 in the region as rising seas and rivers swallow villages, and drought-hit land no longer supports crops, said ActionAid International and Climate Action Network South Asia in a report. Researchers believe Indian monsoons are likely to become stronger and more erratic if global warming continues unchecked, threatening farming and incomes across the region Monsoon rains will likely increase by about 5 per cent for every degree Celsius of warming, found the study of more than 30 state-of-the-art climate models from around the world, published in the journal Earth System Dynamics. What are countries doing about it, beyond token statements? India is examining setting a target of net zero emissions by 2050, according to media reports. An earlier ambition of 2047, to coincide with 100 years of independence, is being discussed among senior officials in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office. If India does end up setting a target of no later than 2050, it will trump China's promise of 2060 and match the ambition set out by new US President Joe Biden. Governments face a struggle to inject momentum into efforts to curb global warming, dogged by lack of consensus, scepticism and disruptive protests demanding more action. Policymakers are under pressure as more extreme weather events, such as record floods in Europe and wildfires in Australia, Canada and the US, are linked to climate change. According to many scientists, Russia, especially its Siberian and Arctic regions, is among the countries most exposed to climate change. Russia has set numerous records in recent years and in June 2020 registered 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit) in the town of Verkhoyansk, the highest temperature recorded above the Arctic circle since measurements began. The rising mercury levels have contributed to devastating floods and forest fires that have affected Siberia with increasing regularity. They are also contributing to the melting of permafrost, which covers about two-thirds of Russia's vast territory. The share of fossil fuels in the world's total energy mix is as high as a decade ago, despite the falling cost of renewables and pressure on governments to act on climate change, a report by green energy policy network REN21 showed. Meanwhile, oil companies are dragging their feet on fighting climate change and are confronting pushback from investors and courts on policy change. Investor support for climate concerns could force oil and gas companies to rethink how fast they pivot to other forms of energy. There is now a 40 per cent chance that global temperatures will temporarily reach 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels in the next five years and these odds are rising, as per a UN report. This does not yet mean that the world would already be crossing the long-term warming 1.5-degree Celsius threshold set by the Paris Climate Accord, which scientists warn is the ceiling to avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change. The Paris Accord target looks at temperature over a 30-year average, rather than a single year. But it does underscore that "we are getting measurably and inexorably closer" to that threshold, according to World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Petteri Taalas. The next decade will require bigger adjustments, with a long-term eye on 2050, seen by scientists as a deadline for the world to reach net-zero carbon emissions or risk climate change becoming catastrophic. While leaders have ignored climate change for as long as they can, citizens are ensuring that they wake up now. In a handful of countries, they are suing their governments for negligence. Leaders have ignored climate crisis till it literally banged on their doors in the form of floods and fires. Here is hoping that they will feel the pinch at least now, when it is so close to their own skins.

Many leaders slept on climate crisis. Will they act on what they feel on their skins now?

According to a new study, parts of the Amazon rainforest are now releasing more carbon dioxide than they absorb, disrupting an important balancing act that signals a worsening of the climate crisis.

Amazon rainforest emitting more CO2 than it absorbs in some parts

US climate envoy John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met in Moscow to discuss climate change. The two leaders said they will cooperate on the issues of common concern despite strangulations.

Lavrov-Kerry Meet: Leaders say they will cooperate on climate crisis

Scientists at the United Nations have recorded the hottest ever temperature reading in Antarctica. The world meteorological organisation announced on Thursday that the new record for the maximum temperature for the southernmost continent is 18.3 degrees Celsius or 64.9 degrees Fahrenheit.

Climate Crisis: Antartica logs highest temperature on record

Some environmental solutions are win-win, helping to rein in global warming and protecting biodiversity, too. But others address one crisis at the expense of the other. Growing trees on grasslands, for example, can destroy the plant and animal life of a rich ecosystem, even if the new trees ultimately suck up carbon.

What to do?

Unless the world stops treating climate change and biodiversity collapse as separate issues, neither problem can be addressed effectively, according to a report issued Thursday by researchers from two leading international scientific panels.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/poland-faces-first-citizen-lawsuits-over-climate-change-390695">Poland faces first citizen lawsuits over climate change</a>

“These two topics are more deeply intertwined than originally thought,” said Hans-Otto Pörtner, co-chair of the scientific steering committee that produced the report. They are also inextricably tied to human well-being. But global policies usually target one or the other, leading to unintended consequences.

“If you look at just one single angle, you miss a lot of things,” said Yunne-Jai Shin, a marine biologist with the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development and a co-author of the report. “Every action counts.”

How We Got Here

For years, one set of scientists and policymakers has studied and tried to tackle the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/climate-change">climate crisis</a>, warning the world of the dangers from greenhouse gases that have been building up in the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution. The lead culprit: burning fossil fuels.

Another group has studied and tried to tackle the biodiversity crisis, raising alarms about extinctions and ecosystem collapse. The lead culprits: habitat loss because of agriculture and, at sea, overfishing.

The two groups have operated largely in their own silos. But their subjects are connected by something elemental, literally: carbon itself.

The same element that makes up soot and heat-trapping carbon dioxide and methane is also a fundamental building block of the natural world. It helps form the very tissue of plants and animals on earth. It is stored in forests, wetlands, grasslands and on the ocean floor. In fact, land and water ecosystems are already stashing away half of the human-generated emissions.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/archaeologists-fear-climate-change-slowly-erasing-worlds-oldest-cave-painting-in-indonesia-390674/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Another connection between climate and biodiversity: People have created emergencies on both fronts by using the planet’s resources in unsustainable ways.

For the last couple of decades, the climate crisis has largely overshadowed the biodiversity crisis, perhaps because its threat seemed more dire. But the balance may be shifting. Scientists warn that declines in biodiversity can lead to ecosystem collapse, threatening humanity’s food and water supply.

“Climate change of 4 or 5 degrees is just such an existential threat to people, it’s hard to imagine,” said Paul Leadley, one of the authors and an ecologist at Paris-Saclay University.

And, he continued, “if we lose a really large fraction of species on earth, that’s an existential threat.”

What Is Not Working

Businesses and countries have increasingly looked to nature as a way to offset their emissions, for example, by planting trees to absorb carbon. But the science is clear: Nature cannot store enough carbon to let us keep on spewing greenhouse gases at our current rates.

“A clear first priority is emissions reductions, emissions reductions and emissions reductions,”&nbsp;Pörtner said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/heres-an-idea-to-reverse-climate-change-alter-the-orbit-of-the-moon-390689">Here's an idea to reverse climate change: Alter the orbit of the Moon</a>

Just last month, the world’s leading energy agency declared that if the world wants to avoid the worst impacts of global warming, nations would need to stop approving new coal, oil and gas projects immediately.

To make matters worse, some measures being used or proposed to address climate change could devastate biodiversity.

“Some people are out there selling this message that if we cover the whole planet with trees, that will solve the climate problem,” Leadley said. “That’s a mistaken message on many levels.”

In Brazil, parts of the Cerrado, a biodiverse savanna that stores large amounts of carbon, have been planted with monocultures of eucalyptus and pine in an attempt to meet a global reforestation goal. The result, researchers have written separately, is an “impending ecological disaster” because they destroy the native ecosystem and the livelihoods of local communities, including Indigenous people.

Europe once hoped to lead the world in biofuels until realizing they led to deforestation and increased food prices. Another kind of bioenergy, wood pellets, is currently booming in the southeastern United States, despite concerns about pollution and biodiversity loss.

Climate interventions tend to hurt biodiversity more than the other way round, and some trade-offs must occur, the authors wrote. Solar farms, for example, eat up wildlife habitat, a particular concern for places with threatened species. But, critically, they generate clean energy.

The report highlights ways to mitigate the damage to biodiversity, for example, by grazing livestock around them, improving carbon soil stocks and avoiding intact habitat. Pollinator gardens on solar farms can help nurture insects and birds. While wind farms can hurt migrating birds, the authors note that modern turbines cause much less damage.

The Solutions

By protecting and restoring nature, the report said, we can safeguard biodiversity, help limit warming, improve human well-being and even find protection from the consequences of climate change, like intensified flooding and storms.

In the Casamance region of Senegal, for example, local communities restored mangroves and adopted sustainable fishing measures, improving their catch, bringing back dolphins and 20 species of fish, storing carbon and protecting their coastline, said Pamela McElwee, an environmental anthropologist at Rutgers University who was one of the authors.

“Mangroves are a really special type of ecosystem,” she said, “in that they do it all for humans.”

While mangroves are themselves vulnerable to climate change, McElwee said they appear less threatened than once thought, because restoration efforts are working.

In the Hindu Kush mountains of South Asia, a project has conserved an area about the size of Belgium, restoring high-altitude forests and rangelands and protecting threatened snow leopards and musk deer, the report says while keeping carbon out of the atmosphere. The 1.3 million people who live there, straddling Nepal, India and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, have seen enhanced household incomes through tourism and sustainable farming.

Urban areas, too, can do their part with native trees, green spaces and coastal ecosystems, the researchers said.

The report was the first collaboration between the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.

John Holdren, an environmental scientist at Harvard University and a former White House science adviser who was not involved in the report, called it “a must-read for our time.”

Some environmental solutions are win-win, helping to rein in global warming and protecting biodiversity, too. But others address one crisis at the expense of the other.

Some environmental solutions are win-win, helping to rein in global warming and protecting biodiversity, too. But others address one crisis at the expense of the other. Growing trees on grasslands, for example, can destroy the plant and animal life of a rich ecosystem, even if the new trees ultimately suck up carbon. What to do? Unless the world stops treating climate change and biodiversity collapse as separate issues, neither problem can be addressed effectively, according to a report issued Thursday by researchers from two leading international scientific panels. Also read | Poland faces first citizen lawsuits over climate change “These two topics are more deeply intertwined than originally thought,” said Hans-Otto Pörtner, co-chair of the scientific steering committee that produced the report. They are also inextricably tied to human well-being. But global policies usually target one or the other, leading to unintended consequences. “If you look at just one single angle, you miss a lot of things,” said Yunne-Jai Shin, a marine biologist with the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development and a co-author of the report. “Every action counts.” How We Got Here For years, one set of scientists and policymakers has studied and tried to tackle the climate crisis, warning the world of the dangers from greenhouse gases that have been building up in the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution. The lead culprit: burning fossil fuels. Another group has studied and tried to tackle the biodiversity crisis, raising alarms about extinctions and ecosystem collapse. The lead culprits: habitat loss because of agriculture and, at sea, overfishing. The two groups have operated largely in their own silos. But their subjects are connected by something elemental, literally: carbon itself. The same element that makes up soot and heat-trapping carbon dioxide and methane is also a fundamental building block of the natural world. It helps form the very tissue of plants and animals on earth. It is stored in forests, wetlands, grasslands and on the ocean floor. In fact, land and water ecosystems are already stashing away half of the human-generated emissions. Another connection between climate and biodiversity: People have created emergencies on both fronts by using the planet’s resources in unsustainable ways. For the last couple of decades, the climate crisis has largely overshadowed the biodiversity crisis, perhaps because its threat seemed more dire. But the balance may be shifting. Scientists warn that declines in biodiversity can lead to ecosystem collapse, threatening humanity’s food and water supply. “Climate change of 4 or 5 degrees is just such an existential threat to people, it’s hard to imagine,” said Paul Leadley, one of the authors and an ecologist at Paris-Saclay University. And, he continued, “if we lose a really large fraction of species on earth, that’s an existential threat.” What Is Not Working Businesses and countries have increasingly looked to nature as a way to offset their emissions, for example, by planting trees to absorb carbon. But the science is clear: Nature cannot store enough carbon to let us keep on spewing greenhouse gases at our current rates. “A clear first priority is emissions reductions, emissions reductions and emissions reductions,” Pörtner said. Also read | Here's an idea to reverse climate change: Alter the orbit of the Moon Just last month, the world’s leading energy agency declared that if the world wants to avoid the worst impacts of global warming, nations would need to stop approving new coal, oil and gas projects immediately. To make matters worse, some measures being used or proposed to address climate change could devastate biodiversity. “Some people are out there selling this message that if we cover the whole planet with trees, that will solve the climate problem,” Leadley said. “That’s a mistaken message on many levels.” In Brazil, parts of the Cerrado, a biodiverse savanna that stores large amounts of carbon, have been planted with monocultures of eucalyptus and pine in an attempt to meet a global reforestation goal. The result, researchers have written separately, is an “impending ecological disaster” because they destroy the native ecosystem and the livelihoods of local communities, including Indigenous people. Europe once hoped to lead the world in biofuels until realizing they led to deforestation and increased food prices. Another kind of bioenergy, wood pellets, is currently booming in the southeastern United States, despite concerns about pollution and biodiversity loss. Climate interventions tend to hurt biodiversity more than the other way round, and some trade-offs must occur, the authors wrote. Solar farms, for example, eat up wildlife habitat, a particular concern for places with threatened species. But, critically, they generate clean energy. The report highlights ways to mitigate the damage to biodiversity, for example, by grazing livestock around them, improving carbon soil stocks and avoiding intact habitat. Pollinator gardens on solar farms can help nurture insects and birds. While wind farms can hurt migrating birds, the authors note that modern turbines cause much less damage. The Solutions By protecting and restoring nature, the report said, we can safeguard biodiversity, help limit warming, improve human well-being and even find protection from the consequences of climate change, like intensified flooding and storms. In the Casamance region of Senegal, for example, local communities restored mangroves and adopted sustainable fishing measures, improving their catch, bringing back dolphins and 20 species of fish, storing carbon and protecting their coastline, said Pamela McElwee, an environmental anthropologist at Rutgers University who was one of the authors. “Mangroves are a really special type of ecosystem,” she said, “in that they do it all for humans.” While mangroves are themselves vulnerable to climate change, McElwee said they appear less threatened than once thought, because restoration efforts are working. In the Hindu Kush mountains of South Asia, a project has conserved an area about the size of Belgium, restoring high-altitude forests and rangelands and protecting threatened snow leopards and musk deer, the report says while keeping carbon out of the atmosphere. The 1.3 million people who live there, straddling Nepal, India and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, have seen enhanced household incomes through tourism and sustainable farming. Urban areas, too, can do their part with native trees, green spaces and coastal ecosystems, the researchers said. The report was the first collaboration between the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. John Holdren, an environmental scientist at Harvard University and a former White House science adviser who was not involved in the report, called it “a must-read for our time.”

Our response to climate change is missing something big, scientists say

Joe Biden kick-started leaders summit on climate crisis. 40 world leaders including Narendra Modi, Presidents of Russia & China joined. Each leader pledged their part of 'climate action' on the summit which coincides with Earth Day 2021. Here's a roundup from day 1.

World leaders address climate crisis in a virtual summit

Just like the rest of us, World leaders had to deal with the challenges of a virtual meet. The live-streamed Global Climate Summit started with a Glitch, followed by more glitches. Echoes, random beeps, overlapping speeches & requests to unmute reverberated at the Summit. Watch

Tech fails hit Global Climate Summit 2021

Environmental champion Greta Thunberg assailed powerful politicians on Thursday for "ignoring" climate change, as she demanded an end to fossil fuel subsidies and implored the current generation of leaders to take the crisis more seriously.

Speaking as world leaders gathered at a climate summit hosted by US President Joe Biden, 18-year-old Thunberg warned that powerful interests and lawmakers were contributing to the "destruction" of living conditions around the globe.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/no-nation-can-solve-this-crisis-on-their-own-says-biden-as-he-opens-virtual-climate-summit-379286">'No nation can solve this crisis on their own': Biden opens climate summit</a>

"How long do you honestly believe people in power like you will get away with it?" the Swedish activist said via videolink in a biting rebuke to a US House panel.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
⚠️This is an emergency alert for the general public⚠️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MindTheGap?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MindTheGap</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LeadersClimateSummit?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LeadersClimateSummit</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EarthDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EarthDay</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NoMoreEmptySummits?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NoMoreEmptySummits</a> <a href="https://t.co/e1z1A783I2">pic.twitter.com/e1z1A783I2</a>
— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) <a href="https://twitter.com/GretaThunberg/status/1385165197350952961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2021</a></blockquote>
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"How long do you think you can continue ignoring the climate crisis, the global aspect of equity and historic emissions without being held accountable?" she asked.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/dalai-lama-100-other-nobel-laureates-urge-stop-on-fossil-fuel-expansion-379310" hreflang="en">Dalai Lama, 100 other Nobel laureates urge stop on fossil fuel expansion</a>

"You get away with it now, but sooner or later people are going to realise what you have been doing all this time."

Thunberg, the world's foremost young climate activist, has addressed members of the US Congress before, at a hearing in 2019.

But Thursday's remarks coincided with Biden's Earth Day Climate Summit, in which he committed to aggressive new goals for reducing emissions.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-pm-modi-calls-for-lifestyle-change-to-battle-climate-crisis-379292" hreflang="en">Indian PM Modi calls for 'lifestyle' change to battle climate crisis</a>

As leaders like China's President Xi Jinping, Narendra Modi of India and Russia's Vladimir Putin expressed commitments to reduce emissions, Thunberg said global action was still far short of where it should be.

"It is the year 2021. The fact we are still having this discussion and even more that we are still subsidising fossil fuels directly or indirectly using taxpayer money is a disgrace," she said.

"It is proof that we have not understood the climate emergency at all."

She also directly accused the current generation of politicians of "giving up without even trying. Well I'm here to tell you that unlike you, my generation will not give up without a fight."

Thunberg in particular criticized the continued use of fossil fuel subsidies, which in the United States have been on the books for over 100 years, even though Washington committed in 2009 to bringing them to an end.

Congressman Ro Khanna, who chairs the environmental subcommittee to which Thunberg testified, said he and other House Democrats support ending the billions of dollars in subsidies in the next infrastructure package under consideration in Congress.

"What it's going to do is stop having taxpaying subsidies go to pay lobbyists and rich executives," he said.&nbsp;

Environmental champion Greta Thunberg assailed powerful politicians on Thursday for "ignoring" climate change, as she demanded an end to fossil fuel subsidies and implored the current generation of leaders to take the crisis more seriously.

Environmental champion Greta Thunberg assailed powerful politicians on Thursday for "ignoring" climate change, as she demanded an end to fossil fuel subsidies and implored the current generation of leaders to take the crisis more seriously. Speaking as world leaders gathered at a climate summit hosted by US President Joe Biden, 18-year-old Thunberg warned that powerful interests and lawmakers were contributing to the "destruction" of living conditions around the globe. Also read | 'No nation can solve this crisis on their own': Biden opens climate summit "How long do you honestly believe people in power like you will get away with it?" the Swedish activist said via videolink in a biting rebuke to a US House panel. ⚠️This is an emergency alert for the general public⚠️#MindTheGap#LeadersClimateSummit#EarthDay#NoMoreEmptySummits pic.twitter.com/e1z1A783I2 — Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) April 22, 2021 × "How long do you think you can continue ignoring the climate crisis, the global aspect of equity and historic emissions without being held accountable?" she asked. Also read | Dalai Lama, 100 other Nobel laureates urge stop on fossil fuel expansion "You get away with it now, but sooner or later people are going to realise what you have been doing all this time." Thunberg, the world's foremost young climate activist, has addressed members of the US Congress before, at a hearing in 2019. But Thursday's remarks coincided with Biden's Earth Day Climate Summit, in which he committed to aggressive new goals for reducing emissions. Also read | Indian PM Modi calls for 'lifestyle' change to battle climate crisis As leaders like China's President Xi Jinping, Narendra Modi of India and Russia's Vladimir Putin expressed commitments to reduce emissions, Thunberg said global action was still far short of where it should be. "It is the year 2021. The fact we are still having this discussion and even more that we are still subsidising fossil fuels directly or indirectly using taxpayer money is a disgrace," she said. "It is proof that we have not understood the climate emergency at all." She also directly accused the current generation of politicians of "giving up without even trying. Well I'm here to tell you that unlike you, my generation will not give up without a fight." Thunberg in particular criticized the continued use of fossil fuel subsidies, which in the United States have been on the books for over 100 years, even though Washington committed in 2009 to bringing them to an end. Congressman Ro Khanna, who chairs the environmental subcommittee to which Thunberg testified, said he and other House Democrats support ending the billions of dollars in subsidies in the next infrastructure package under consideration in Congress. "What it's going to do is stop having taxpaying subsidies go to pay lobbyists and rich executives," he said.

Greta Thunberg blasts politicians for 'ignoring' climate crisis

India is a critical part of the solution to the climate crisis and an important partner in this fight, a top American lawmaker has said.

House Science Space, and Technology Committee Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson in a tweet on Thursday welcomed the visit of Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry to India. ''I am so pleased that Kerry visited India to discuss how to tackle the climate crisis,'' she said.

'As one of the world's largest economies and a global leader in science and innovation, India is a critical part of the solution and an important partner in this fight,' Johnson added.

India is a critical part of the solution to the climate crisis and an important partner in this fight, a top American lawmaker has said. House Science Space, and Technology Committee Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson in a tweet on Thursday welcomed the visit of Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry to India.

India is a critical part of the solution to the climate crisis and an important partner in this fight, a top American lawmaker has said. House Science Space, and Technology Committee Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson in a tweet on Thursday welcomed the visit of Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry to India. ''I am so pleased that Kerry visited India to discuss how to tackle the climate crisis,'' she said. 'As one of the world's largest economies and a global leader in science and innovation, India is a critical part of the solution and an important partner in this fight,' Johnson added.

India is critical part of solution to climate crisis: US Congresswoman

Ahead of Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry's New Delhi visit, the US has said that India is a "critical part of the solution to the climate crisis". Kerry will arrive in New Delhi on Monday (April 5) for a 4-day visit. During his visit, Kerry will call on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also hold talks with India's Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar.

"In New Delhi, Special Presidential Envoy Kerry will meet with representatives of the Indian government, private sector, and non-governmental organizations," said a spokesperson at the US Embassy in New Delhi.

"As one of the world’s largest economies and a global leader in science and innovation, India is a critical part of the solution to the climate crisis. &nbsp;We see India as an important partner on future clean energy research, development, and deployment, not least because of their successful domestic agenda in this area," the spokesperson added further.

John Kerry's visit comes ahead of US President Joe Biden's Climate Summit from April 22nd to 23rd, and the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in November. India has been invited to the Climate Summit that will take place virtually later this month. This will be 2nd time that Indian PM Modi, and US President Biden will be together at a virtual summit. They were last together at last month's Quad meeting.

"A key focus for our Administration is supporting and encouraging India’s decarbonization efforts through clean, zero, and low-carbon investment, and supporting India in mitigating its fossil energy use,” said US Embassy spokesperson.

During his India visit, Kerry will also meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Petroleum &amp; Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan 
&nbsp;

Ahead of Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry's New Delhi visit, the US has said that India is a "critical part of the solution to the climate crisis".

Ahead of Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry's New Delhi visit, the US has said that India is a "critical part of the solution to the climate crisis". Kerry will arrive in New Delhi on Monday (April 5) for a 4-day visit. During his visit, Kerry will call on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also hold talks with India's Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar. "In New Delhi, Special Presidential Envoy Kerry will meet with representatives of the Indian government, private sector, and non-governmental organizations," said a spokesperson at the US Embassy in New Delhi. "As one of the world’s largest economies and a global leader in science and innovation, India is a critical part of the solution to the climate crisis. We see India as an important partner on future clean energy research, development, and deployment, not least because of their successful domestic agenda in this area," the spokesperson added further. John Kerry's visit comes ahead of US President Joe Biden's Climate Summit from April 22nd to 23rd, and the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in November. India has been invited to the Climate Summit that will take place virtually later this month. This will be 2nd time that Indian PM Modi, and US President Biden will be together at a virtual summit. They were last together at last month's Quad meeting. "A key focus for our Administration is supporting and encouraging India’s decarbonization efforts through clean, zero, and low-carbon investment, and supporting India in mitigating its fossil energy use,” said US Embassy spokesperson. During his India visit, Kerry will also meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Petroleum & Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan

India critical in solving climate crisis, says US ahead of Kerry's visit

Facing severe drought as it enters its hottest season, Thailand has launched groundwater extraction operations in its most arid regions to tap sources deep beneath the soil.

Thailand taps groundwater resources as it enters hottest season

Climate change has wrought major changes to ocean stability faster than previously thought, according to a study published Wednesday, raising alarms over its role as a global thermostat and the marine life it supports.&nbsp;

The research published in the journal Nature looked at 50 years of data and followed the way in which surface water "decouples" from the deeper ocean.

Climate change has disrupted ocean mixing, a process that helps store away most of the world's excess heat and a significant proportion of CO2.

Water on the surface is warmer,&nbsp;and therefore less dense,&nbsp;than the water below, a contrast that is intensified by climate change.&nbsp;

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-natural-sounds-and-landscapes-boost-health-markers-lower-stress-372557" hreflang="en">Natural sounds and landscapes, boost health markers, lower stress</a>

Global warming is also causing massive amounts of fresh water to flush into the seas from melting ice sheets and glaciers, lowering the salinity of the upper layer and further reducing its density.&nbsp;

This increasing contrast between the density of the ocean layers makes mixing harder, so oxygen, heat and carbon are all less able to penetrate to the deep seas. &nbsp;

"Similar to a layer of water on top of oil, the surface waters in contact with the atmosphere mix less efficiently with the underlying ocean," said lead author Jean-Baptiste Sallee of Sorbonne University and France's CNRS national scientific research centre.&nbsp;

He said while scientists were aware that this process was under way, "we here show that this change has occurred at a rate much quicker than previously thought: more than six times quicker." &nbsp;&nbsp;

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/melting-glaciers-are-contributing-to-earthquakes-in-alaska-research-finds-372046">Melting glaciers are contributing to earthquakes in Alaska, research finds</a>

The report used global temperature and salinity observations obtained between 1970 and 2018, including those from electronically tracked marine mammals, with a focus on the summer months, which have more data.&nbsp;

It said that the barrier layer separating the ocean surface and the deep layers had strengthened world-wide,&nbsp;measured by the contrast in density, at a much larger rate than previously thought. &nbsp;

Researchers also found that, contrary to their expectations, winds strengthened by climate change had also acted to deepen the ocean surface layer by five to 10 metres per decade over the last half century.

A significant number of marine animals live in this surface layer, with a food web that is reliant on phytoplankton.&nbsp;

But as the winds increase, the phytoplankton are churned deeper, away from the light that helps them grow, potentially disrupting the broader food web.

These are "not small changes that only some experts care about," Sallee told said

"They represent a fundamental change in the underlying structure of our oceans. Way more pronounced than what we thought until now."

'Profound and troubling'

The oceans play a crucial role in mitigating the effects of climate change by absorbing around a quarter of man-made CO2 and soaking up more than 90 percent of the heat generated by greenhouse gases, according to the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC).

"But by stabilising, the ocean's role to buffer climate change is made harder as it is made more difficult for the ocean to absorb these vast amounts of heat and carbon," Sallee said.&nbsp;

Scientists are increasingly sounding the alarm over the potential implications of warming on our oceans.&nbsp;

In 2019, research published in the US Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences calculated that climate change would empty the ocean of nearly a fifth of all living creatures, measured by mass, by the end of the century.

Climate scientist Michael Mann warned in September that findings from a study he co-authored in Nature Climate Change -- which suggested global ocean stratification had increased by 5.3 percent from 1960 to 2018 -- had "profound and troubling" implications.&nbsp;

These included potentially more intense hurricanes driven by warming ocean surfaces.&nbsp;

And in February, research in Nature Geoscience found that the northern extension of the Gulf stream,&nbsp;the vast, heat carrying ocean current that influences weather in Europe and sea levels in the US,&nbsp;was its weakest in over a thousand years, likely because of climate change.

They said increased rainfall and melting of the Greenland ice sheet have increased the freshwater in the upper ocean, disrupting the normal cycle that carries warm, salty surface water northwards from the equator and sends low-salinity deep water back southwards.&nbsp;

Climate change has wrought major changes to ocean stability faster than previously thought, according to a study published Wednesday, raising alarms over its role as a global thermostat and the marine life it supports.

Climate change has wrought major changes to ocean stability faster than previously thought, according to a study published Wednesday, raising alarms over its role as a global thermostat and the marine life it supports. The research published in the journal Nature looked at 50 years of data and followed the way in which surface water "decouples" from the deeper ocean. Climate change has disrupted ocean mixing, a process that helps store away most of the world's excess heat and a significant proportion of CO2. Water on the surface is warmer, and therefore less dense, than the water below, a contrast that is intensified by climate change. Also read| Natural sounds and landscapes, boost health markers, lower stress Global warming is also causing massive amounts of fresh water to flush into the seas from melting ice sheets and glaciers, lowering the salinity of the upper layer and further reducing its density. This increasing contrast between the density of the ocean layers makes mixing harder, so oxygen, heat and carbon are all less able to penetrate to the deep seas. "Similar to a layer of water on top of oil, the surface waters in contact with the atmosphere mix less efficiently with the underlying ocean," said lead author Jean-Baptiste Sallee of Sorbonne University and France's CNRS national scientific research centre. He said while scientists were aware that this process was under way, "we here show that this change has occurred at a rate much quicker than previously thought: more than six times quicker." Also read| Melting glaciers are contributing to earthquakes in Alaska, research finds The report used global temperature and salinity observations obtained between 1970 and 2018, including those from electronically tracked marine mammals, with a focus on the summer months, which have more data. It said that the barrier layer separating the ocean surface and the deep layers had strengthened world-wide, measured by the contrast in density, at a much larger rate than previously thought. Researchers also found that, contrary to their expectations, winds strengthened by climate change had also acted to deepen the ocean surface layer by five to 10 metres per decade over the last half century. A significant number of marine animals live in this surface layer, with a food web that is reliant on phytoplankton. But as the winds increase, the phytoplankton are churned deeper, away from the light that helps them grow, potentially disrupting the broader food web. These are "not small changes that only some experts care about," Sallee told said "They represent a fundamental change in the underlying structure of our oceans. Way more pronounced than what we thought until now." 'Profound and troubling' The oceans play a crucial role in mitigating the effects of climate change by absorbing around a quarter of man-made CO2 and soaking up more than 90 percent of the heat generated by greenhouse gases, according to the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC). "But by stabilising, the ocean's role to buffer climate change is made harder as it is made more difficult for the ocean to absorb these vast amounts of heat and carbon," Sallee said. Scientists are increasingly sounding the alarm over the potential implications of warming on our oceans. In 2019, research published in the US Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences calculated that climate change would empty the ocean of nearly a fifth of all living creatures, measured by mass, by the end of the century. Climate scientist Michael Mann warned in September that findings from a study he co-authored in Nature Climate Change -- which suggested global ocean stratification had increased by 5.3 percent from 1960 to 2018 -- had "profound and troubling" implications. These included potentially more intense hurricanes driven by warming ocean surfaces. And in February, research in Nature Geoscience found that the northern extension of the Gulf stream, the vast, heat carrying ocean current that influences weather in Europe and sea levels in the US, was its weakest in over a thousand years, likely because of climate change. They said increased rainfall and melting of the Greenland ice sheet have increased the freshwater in the upper ocean, disrupting the normal cycle that carries warm, salty surface water northwards from the equator and sends low-salinity deep water back southwards.

Global warming fundamentally altering structure of world's oceans

More than 10 million&nbsp;people have been displaced in the last six months due to&nbsp;climate&nbsp;change-induced events such as flooding and droughts, the majority of them in Asia, according to a recent report.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said about 2.3 million others were displaced by conflict in the same period, indicating the vast majority of internal displacements are now triggered by climate change.

Though the figures cover only a six-month period from September 2020 to February 2021, they highlight an accelerating global trend of climate-related displacement, said Helen Brunt, Asia Pacific Migration and Displacement Coordinator for the IFRC.

"Things are getting worse as climate change aggravates existing factors like poverty, conflict, and political instability," Brunt said. "The compounded impact makes recovery longer and more difficult: people barely have time to recover and they're slammed with another disaster."

Some 60 per cent&nbsp;of climate-IDPs (internally displaced persons) in the last six months were in Asia, according to IFRC's report.

McKinsey and&nbsp;Co consulting firm has said that Asia "stands out as being more exposed to physical climate risks than other parts of the world in the absence of adaptation and mitigation".

Statistics from the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center (IDMC) show that on average 22.7 million people are displaced every year. The figure includes displacements caused by geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, but the vast majority are displaced by weather-related events.

Globally, 17.2 million people were displaced in 2018 and 24.9 million in 2019. Full-year figures are not yet available for 2020, but IDMC's mid-year report showed there were 9.8 million displacements because of natural disasters in the first half of last year.

More than 1 billion people are expected to face forced migration by 2050 due to conflict and ecological factors, a report by the Institute for Economics and Peace found last year.&nbsp;

More than 10 million people have been displaced in the last six months due to climate change-induced events such as flooding and droughts, the majority of them in Asia, according to a recent report.

More than 10 million people have been displaced in the last six months due to climate change-induced events such as flooding and droughts, the majority of them in Asia, according to a recent report. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said about 2.3 million others were displaced by conflict in the same period, indicating the vast majority of internal displacements are now triggered by climate change. Though the figures cover only a six-month period from September 2020 to February 2021, they highlight an accelerating global trend of climate-related displacement, said Helen Brunt, Asia Pacific Migration and Displacement Coordinator for the IFRC. "Things are getting worse as climate change aggravates existing factors like poverty, conflict, and political instability," Brunt said. "The compounded impact makes recovery longer and more difficult: people barely have time to recover and they're slammed with another disaster." Some 60 per cent of climate-IDPs (internally displaced persons) in the last six months were in Asia, according to IFRC's report. McKinsey and Co consulting firm has said that Asia "stands out as being more exposed to physical climate risks than other parts of the world in the absence of adaptation and mitigation". Statistics from the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center (IDMC) show that on average 22.7 million people are displaced every year. The figure includes displacements caused by geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, but the vast majority are displaced by weather-related events. Globally, 17.2 million people were displaced in 2018 and 24.9 million in 2019. Full-year figures are not yet available for 2020, but IDMC's mid-year report showed there were 9.8 million displacements because of natural disasters in the first half of last year. More than 1 billion people are expected to face forced migration by 2050 due to conflict and ecological factors, a report by the Institute for Economics and Peace found last year.

More than 10 million displaced by climate disasters in last six months: Report

A new study reveals that at least 1,500 heatwave deaths that occurred in the United Kingdom can be attributed to climate change and the crises triggered by it. The research posits a "very broad estimate" of deaths caused by heatwaves in the UK which took place in 2003 and 2018.

The study found that the heatwave which struck the UK in 2003 caused 2,234 deaths. Out of these, at least 1,117 were caused by climate change, which was caused by human actions in the first place. In addition, the 2018 heatwave, whereby temperatures broke records in cities like Glasgow,&nbsp;Belfast and caused around 863 deaths. Out of these, 432 were caused by climate change.

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But the study's lead author - Ben Clarke, who is a PhD student at the University of Oxford's Environmental Change Institute told The Independent that more work is required to refine the estimates. He said that researchers were able to calculate the possibility of more heatwaves simply based on climate change which was caused by human beings.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/climate-change-may-have-contributed-to-emergence-of-coronavirus-in-china-study-361841" hreflang="en">Climate change may have contributed to emergence of coronavirus in China: Study</a>

Their claims found backing from previous estimates of excess deaths that took place during the heatwaves. This technique of ascertaining how climate change, which is caused largely by human beings could affect the damage done by extreme weather events like floods, heatwaves, and storms, and is known as ''event attribution''.

The intensity of the UK's 2003 heatwave went up twice owing to climate change caused by human beings. In addition, the intensity of the 2018 heatwave increased by 30 per cent owing to climate change.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/countries-failing-to-fund-climate-change-adaptation-measures-says-united-nations-357335" hreflang="en">Countries failing to fund climate change adaptation measures, says United Nations</a>

The study was published in the journal titled Climate Risk Management and focuses on studies to ascertain the extent of deaths and damage caused by events that qualify as extreme weather. These can be attributed to climate change.

A new study reveals that at least 1,500 heatwave deaths that occurred in the United Kingdom can be attributed to climate change and the crises triggered by it. The research posits a "very broad estimate" of deaths caused by heatwaves in the UK which took place in 2003 and 2018.

A new study reveals that at least 1,500 heatwave deaths that occurred in the United Kingdom can be attributed to climate change and the crises triggered by it. The research posits a "very broad estimate" of deaths caused by heatwaves in the UK which took place in 2003 and 2018. The study found that the heatwave which struck the UK in 2003 caused 2,234 deaths. Out of these, at least 1,117 were caused by climate change, which was caused by human actions in the first place. In addition, the 2018 heatwave, whereby temperatures broke records in cities like Glasgow, Belfast and caused around 863 deaths. Out of these, 432 were caused by climate change. But the study's lead author - Ben Clarke, who is a PhD student at the University of Oxford's Environmental Change Institute told The Independent that more work is required to refine the estimates. He said that researchers were able to calculate the possibility of more heatwaves simply based on climate change which was caused by human beings. Also read: Climate change may have contributed to emergence of coronavirus in China: Study Their claims found backing from previous estimates of excess deaths that took place during the heatwaves. This technique of ascertaining how climate change, which is caused largely by human beings could affect the damage done by extreme weather events like floods, heatwaves, and storms, and is known as ''event attribution''. The intensity of the UK's 2003 heatwave went up twice owing to climate change caused by human beings. In addition, the intensity of the 2018 heatwave increased by 30 per cent owing to climate change. Also read: Countries failing to fund climate change adaptation measures, says United Nations The study was published in the journal titled Climate Risk Management and focuses on studies to ascertain the extent of deaths and damage caused by events that qualify as extreme weather. These can be attributed to climate change.

Climate change caused 1,500 deaths in UK during heatwaves, study claims

Table tennis sensation Anna Hursey is making waves for her&nbsp;environmental advocacy&nbsp;with the 14-year-old set to help US President Joe Biden in a bid to tackle the climate crisis. Hursey is all set to talk to Deputy Chief of Mission Yael Lempert to discuss participating in the "Earth Day" on April 22 while also&nbsp;talking about the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland later in 2021.&nbsp;&nbsp;

With Hursey's passion for&nbsp;climate change has caught the attention of many, the US Embassy had got in touch with her parents earlier this year, inviting the young table tennis sensation to work with US President Biden in his mission to fight the climate crisis.&nbsp;

"I was just at home, my parents just got a phone call and I was kind of like, what is this about? And they told me, but I was really excited," Hursey told CNN Sport.&nbsp;

Biden had signed an executive order, starting the 30-day process for the US to rejoin the Paris Agreement – an international accord to limit global warming – just after being sworn into office on January 20. Notably, the US had quit the agreement in 2020.&nbsp;

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"I feel so proud because President Biden can continue the great progress made by President Obama on the Paris agreement," said Hursey.&nbsp;

"I think President Biden is great, he clearly cares for people, not only for the US but for the world too. [His] new climate change agenda is very bold. To achieve zero emissions in America by 2050 is incredible."&nbsp;

At the age of 11, Hursey became the&nbsp;youngest&nbsp;ever to compete at the Commonwealth Games in 2018 but aims to win an Olympic medal. However, besides winning the coveted gold medal, Hursey's ambitions relay onto other aspects of the world.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"It means so much. I really want to win a medal in the Olympics," she said. "That would mean the world."&nbsp;

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"I think that loads of things are happening in the world, like earthquakes and hurricanes, and not everyone is taking notice of this. I think everyone should definitely take more notice and act upon it," she added.&nbsp;

"I think sportspeople have influence and many people play and watch sport and climate change is about caring for your family and friends. Everyone is affected by climate change and sport can definitely influence change.&nbsp;

"I would really just like to use my voice to tell people about climate change and hopefully they will take notice and act upon it."&nbsp;

Table tennis sensation Anna Hursey is making waves for her environmental advocacy with the 14-year-old set to help US President Joe Biden in a bid to tackle the climate crisis.

Table tennis sensation Anna Hursey is making waves for her environmental advocacy with the 14-year-old set to help US President Joe Biden in a bid to tackle the climate crisis. Hursey is all set to talk to Deputy Chief of Mission Yael Lempert to discuss participating in the "Earth Day" on April 22 while also talking about the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland later in 2021. With Hursey's passion for climate change has caught the attention of many, the US Embassy had got in touch with her parents earlier this year, inviting the young table tennis sensation to work with US President Biden in his mission to fight the climate crisis. "I was just at home, my parents just got a phone call and I was kind of like, what is this about? And they told me, but I was really excited," Hursey told CNN Sport. Biden had signed an executive order, starting the 30-day process for the US to rejoin the Paris Agreement – an international accord to limit global warming – just after being sworn into office on January 20. Notably, the US had quit the agreement in 2020. ALSO READ: Argentines bring legend Diego Maradona back to life with mosaics "I feel so proud because President Biden can continue the great progress made by President Obama on the Paris agreement," said Hursey. "I think President Biden is great, he clearly cares for people, not only for the US but for the world too. [His] new climate change agenda is very bold. To achieve zero emissions in America by 2050 is incredible." At the age of 11, Hursey became the youngest ever to compete at the Commonwealth Games in 2018 but aims to win an Olympic medal. However, besides winning the coveted gold medal, Hursey's ambitions relay onto other aspects of the world. "It means so much. I really want to win a medal in the Olympics," she said. "That would mean the world." ALSO READ: Golf star Tiger Woods transferred to Los Angeles hospital for further treatment "I think that loads of things are happening in the world, like earthquakes and hurricanes, and not everyone is taking notice of this. I think everyone should definitely take more notice and act upon it," she added. "I think sportspeople have influence and many people play and watch sport and climate change is about caring for your family and friends. Everyone is affected by climate change and sport can definitely influence change. "I would really just like to use my voice to tell people about climate change and hopefully they will take notice and act upon it."

Table tennis sensation Anna Hursey, 14, set to help US President Joe Biden fight climate crisis

Scientists at the University of Michigan have discovered a bacteria called ''Iron Man'' that they believe can help in protecting the environment, in the latest study.

The study published in the&nbsp;Frontiers in Microbiology shows that&nbsp;microbes are capable of an incredible feat that could help reclaim a valuable natural resource and soak up toxic pollutants.

The research led by&nbsp;Gemma Reguera,&nbsp;a professor in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics from Michigan State University, can open doors for the bacteria's application&nbsp;in recycling and remediation.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-discover-new-state-of-matter-liquid-glass-355332" hreflang="en">Scientists discover new state of matter: Liquid Glass</a>

The lesson is that we really need to think outside the box, especially in biology. We just know the tip of the iceberg. Microbes have been on earth for billions of years, and to think that they can't do something precludes us from so many ideas and applications," said Reguera.

Reguera's team works with bacteria found in soil and sediment known as Geobacter. In its latest project, the team investigated what happened to the bacteria when they encounter cobalt.

Cobalt is a valuable but increasingly scarce metal used in batteries for electric vehicles and alloys for spacecraft. It`s also highly toxic to livings things, including humans and bacteria. It&nbsp;kills a lot of microbes by penetrating&nbsp;their cells and wreaks havoc.

But the team suspected Geobacter might be able to escape that fate. These microbes are a hardy bunch. They can block uranium contaminants from getting into groundwater, and they can power themselves by pulling energy from minerals containing iron oxide. "They respire rust," Reguera said.

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In picture:&nbsp;This Geobacter cell, which looks a bit like a gray peanut in this microscope image, is speckled with a dark coating of cobalt minerals that would be toxic to many organisms. Credit: Hunter Dulay, MSU

Scientists know little about how microbes interact with cobalt in the environment, but many researchers, including one grant reviewer, believed that the toxic metal would be too much for the microbes.

But Reguera's team challenged that thinking and found Geobacter to be effective cobalt "miners," extracting the metal from rust without letting it penetrate their cells and kill them. Rather, the bacteria essentially coat themselves with the metal.

"They form cobalt nanoparticles on their surface. They metallize themselves and it`s like a shield that protects them," Reguera said. "It's like Iron Man when he puts on the suit."

The Spartan team included Kazem Kashefi, an assistant professor in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, and graduate students Hunter Dulay and Marcela Tabares, who are "two amazing and relatively junior investigators," Reguera said.

She sees this discovery as a proof-of-concept that opens the door to a number of exciting possibilities. For example, Geobacter could form the basis of new biotechnology built to reclaim and recycle cobalt from lithium-ion batteries, reducing the nation`s dependence on foreign cobalt mines.

It also invites researchers to study Geobacter as a means to soak up other toxic metals that were previously believed to be death sentences for the bacteria. Reguera is particularly interested in seeing if Geobacter could help clean up cadmium, a metal that`s found in industrial pollution that disproportionately affects America`s most disadvantaged communities.

"This is a reminder to be creative and not limited in the possibilities. Research is the freedom to explore, to search and search and search," Reguera said.

"We have textbook opinions about what microbes can and should do, but life is so diverse and colourful. There are other processes out there waiting to be discovered."&nbsp;

Scientists at the University of Michigan have discovered a bacteria called ''Iron Man'' that they believe can help in protecting the environment, in the latest study.

Scientists at the University of Michigan have discovered a bacteria called ''Iron Man'' that they believe can help in protecting the environment, in the latest study. The study published in the Frontiers in Microbiology shows that microbes are capable of an incredible feat that could help reclaim a valuable natural resource and soak up toxic pollutants. The research led by Gemma Reguera, a professor in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics from Michigan State University, can open doors for the bacteria's application in recycling and remediation. Also read: Scientists discover new state of matter: Liquid Glass The lesson is that we really need to think outside the box, especially in biology. We just know the tip of the iceberg. Microbes have been on earth for billions of years, and to think that they can't do something precludes us from so many ideas and applications," said Reguera. Reguera's team works with bacteria found in soil and sediment known as Geobacter. In its latest project, the team investigated what happened to the bacteria when they encounter cobalt. Cobalt is a valuable but increasingly scarce metal used in batteries for electric vehicles and alloys for spacecraft. It`s also highly toxic to livings things, including humans and bacteria. It kills a lot of microbes by penetrating their cells and wreaks havoc. But the team suspected Geobacter might be able to escape that fate. These microbes are a hardy bunch. They can block uranium contaminants from getting into groundwater, and they can power themselves by pulling energy from minerals containing iron oxide. "They respire rust," Reguera said. In picture: This Geobacter cell, which looks a bit like a gray peanut in this microscope image, is speckled with a dark coating of cobalt minerals that would be toxic to many organisms. Credit: Hunter Dulay, MSU Scientists know little about how microbes interact with cobalt in the environment, but many researchers, including one grant reviewer, believed that the toxic metal would be too much for the microbes. But Reguera's team challenged that thinking and found Geobacter to be effective cobalt "miners," extracting the metal from rust without letting it penetrate their cells and kill them. Rather, the bacteria essentially coat themselves with the metal. "They form cobalt nanoparticles on their surface. They metallize themselves and it`s like a shield that protects them," Reguera said. "It's like Iron Man when he puts on the suit." The Spartan team included Kazem Kashefi, an assistant professor in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, and graduate students Hunter Dulay and Marcela Tabares, who are "two amazing and relatively junior investigators," Reguera said. She sees this discovery as a proof-of-concept that opens the door to a number of exciting possibilities. For example, Geobacter could form the basis of new biotechnology built to reclaim and recycle cobalt from lithium-ion batteries, reducing the nation`s dependence on foreign cobalt mines. It also invites researchers to study Geobacter as a means to soak up other toxic metals that were previously believed to be death sentences for the bacteria. Reguera is particularly interested in seeing if Geobacter could help clean up cadmium, a metal that`s found in industrial pollution that disproportionately affects America`s most disadvantaged communities. "This is a reminder to be creative and not limited in the possibilities. Research is the freedom to explore, to search and search and search," Reguera said. "We have textbook opinions about what microbes can and should do, but life is so diverse and colourful. There are other processes out there waiting to be discovered."

Scientists believe bacteria called 'Iron Man' can help in protecting the environment

The global climate crisis could see more than 63 million people displaced from their homes within South Asian countries in the next 30 years, according to a new report.

According to a report by ActionAid International and Climate Action Network South Asia, if global warming continues on its current path then the rising seas levels and droughts will force a huge part South Asia population to migrate. 
 
The report released on Friday stated that ecological disasters drive mass migrations and greater armed conflict for this region. 
 
The projection does not include those who will be forced to flee sudden disasters such as floods and cyclones and so is likely an under-estimate, noted Harjeet Singh, global climate lead at ActionAid. 
 
He said the situation could become “catastrophic”. 
 
Many will head from rural areas to towns and cities in their own countries, in search of work, he said. 
 
There they often end up living in slum areas exposed to flooding and with very limited access to social services, doing precarious jobs such as rickshaw-pulling, construction or garment-making. 
 
“Policy makers in the Global North and the Global South are not yet waking up to this reality,” Singh told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. “They are not realising the scale of the problem, and how we are going to deal with (it).” 
 
He urged rich nations with high planet-warming emissions to redouble efforts to reduce their carbon pollution and provide more funding for South Asian countries to develop cleanly and adapt to conditions on a warming planet. 
 
If governments meet a globally agreed goal to limit warming to below 2 degrees Celsius, the number of people driven to move in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal could be cut almost by half by 2050, the report said. 
 
It builds on research published in 2018 by the World Bank, which said unchecked climate change could cause more than 140 million people to move within their countries’ borders by 2050 in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Latin America. 
 
The new report, which used an updated version of the same methodology, raises the original 2050 projection for South Asian migration by about half, adding in new data on sea level rise, as well as the effects of ecosystem losses and droughts. 
 
The new report also tracks expected migration on a finer scale.

(With inputs from agencies)

The global climate crisis could see more than 63 million people displaced from their homes within South Asian countries in the next 30 years, according to a new report.

The global climate crisis could see more than 63 million people displaced from their homes within South Asian countries in the next 30 years, according to a new report. According to a report by ActionAid International and Climate Action Network South Asia, if global warming continues on its current path then the rising seas levels and droughts will force a huge part South Asia population to migrate. The report released on Friday stated that ecological disasters drive mass migrations and greater armed conflict for this region. The projection does not include those who will be forced to flee sudden disasters such as floods and cyclones and so is likely an under-estimate, noted Harjeet Singh, global climate lead at ActionAid. He said the situation could become “catastrophic”. Many will head from rural areas to towns and cities in their own countries, in search of work, he said. There they often end up living in slum areas exposed to flooding and with very limited access to social services, doing precarious jobs such as rickshaw-pulling, construction or garment-making. “Policy makers in the Global North and the Global South are not yet waking up to this reality,” Singh told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. “They are not realising the scale of the problem, and how we are going to deal with (it).” He urged rich nations with high planet-warming emissions to redouble efforts to reduce their carbon pollution and provide more funding for South Asian countries to develop cleanly and adapt to conditions on a warming planet. If governments meet a globally agreed goal to limit warming to below 2 degrees Celsius, the number of people driven to move in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal could be cut almost by half by 2050, the report said. It builds on research published in 2018 by the World Bank, which said unchecked climate change could cause more than 140 million people to move within their countries’ borders by 2050 in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Latin America. The new report, which used an updated version of the same methodology, raises the original 2050 projection for South Asian migration by about half, adding in new data on sea level rise, as well as the effects of ecosystem losses and droughts. The new report also tracks expected migration on a finer scale. (With inputs from agencies)

Global warming could create 63 million migrants in South Asia by 2050

New research on the connection between climate change and winter drownings has found that reported drowning deaths are increasing exponentially in areas with warmer winters.

The study, published Wednesday in the journal PLoS One, looked at drownings in 10 countries in the Northern Hemisphere. The largest number of drownings occurred when air temperatures were just below the freezing point, between minus 5 degrees Celsius and 0 Celsius (between 23 degrees Fahrenheit and 32 Fahrenheit).

Some of the sharpest increases were in areas where Indigenous customs and livelihood require extended time on ice. Across the countries studied, children under the age of 9 and teenagers and adults between 15 and 39 were the most vulnerable to winter drowning accidents.

Sapna Sharma, an associate professor of biology at York University in Toronto and a lead author of the study, said people did not always realize how global warming is increasing the risks that come with winter traditions like skating, ice fishing and snowmobiling.

“I think there’s a disconnect between climate change and the local, everyday impacts,” Sharma said. “If you think about climate change in winter, you’re thinking about polar bears and ice sheets, but not about these activities that are just ingrained in our culture.”

Those ingrained habits can lead to a false sense of security, Sharma said.

“It might be minus 20 Celsius today and tomorrow and the weekend, but last week it was 15 Celsius,” she said. “Well, we might have forgotten as individuals that it was warm and sunny last week on a Tuesday, but the ice didn’t forget.”

The lack of sustained cold, which leads to more freeze-thaw events, is crucial. Each time ice thaws and refreezes, it gets a little weaker — and it can stay that way for the remainder of the cold season.

“Milder temperatures mean that the ice is not as thick, or not as solid as it would otherwise be,” said Robert McLeman, a professor of geography and environmental studies at Wilfrid Laurier University who was not involved in the study. “And so people are going out onto it and not realizing that the ice is rotten.”

The authors compared death records and temperature data in Canada, Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Finland, Russia, Sweden, Italy, Japan, and the northern United States. They analyzed about 4,000 total records over a span of 26 years, though the time period varied depending on the available data in each country.

The researchers found that more cold-weather drownings occur in spring when daily low temperatures increase too much to support stable ice structures. At the same time, those warmer temperatures make it more enjoyable to spend time outdoors, meaning more people are spending time on ice.

Northern Canada and Alaska have higher rates of drowning, even in very cold temperatures. Sharma said that is probably because people there simply spend more time on the ice. Indigenous communities close to the Arctic rely on waterways for food and transportation, which means more time on the ice in winter and an increased risk of drowning.

The coronavirus pandemic could also put more people at risk.

“If this winter is anything like this summer was,” Sharma said, “a lot of people spent time in cottage country in Ontario because we just can’t go anywhere.”

She said that ice with sitting water, slush, or holes in the surface was generally unsafe.

“Snow cover is when it gets tricky,” Sharma said. “People think there’s so much snow on the ice, the ice must be thick,” but snow can also act as insulation, melting the ice more quickly.

“We need to, as individuals adapt our decision-making,” she added, and focus on how changing winters affect rivers, lakes and streams. “It may not be as safe now as it was 30 years or 40 years ago.”

New research on the connection between climate change and winter drownings has found that reported drowning deaths are increasing exponentially in areas with warmer winters.

New research on the connection between climate change and winter drownings has found that reported drowning deaths are increasing exponentially in areas with warmer winters. The study, published Wednesday in the journal PLoS One, looked at drownings in 10 countries in the Northern Hemisphere. The largest number of drownings occurred when air temperatures were just below the freezing point, between minus 5 degrees Celsius and 0 Celsius (between 23 degrees Fahrenheit and 32 Fahrenheit). Some of the sharpest increases were in areas where Indigenous customs and livelihood require extended time on ice. Across the countries studied, children under the age of 9 and teenagers and adults between 15 and 39 were the most vulnerable to winter drowning accidents. Sapna Sharma, an associate professor of biology at York University in Toronto and a lead author of the study, said people did not always realize how global warming is increasing the risks that come with winter traditions like skating, ice fishing and snowmobiling. “I think there’s a disconnect between climate change and the local, everyday impacts,” Sharma said. “If you think about climate change in winter, you’re thinking about polar bears and ice sheets, but not about these activities that are just ingrained in our culture.” Those ingrained habits can lead to a false sense of security, Sharma said. “It might be minus 20 Celsius today and tomorrow and the weekend, but last week it was 15 Celsius,” she said. “Well, we might have forgotten as individuals that it was warm and sunny last week on a Tuesday, but the ice didn’t forget.” The lack of sustained cold, which leads to more freeze-thaw events, is crucial. Each time ice thaws and refreezes, it gets a little weaker — and it can stay that way for the remainder of the cold season. “Milder temperatures mean that the ice is not as thick, or not as solid as it would otherwise be,” said Robert McLeman, a professor of geography and environmental studies at Wilfrid Laurier University who was not involved in the study. “And so people are going out onto it and not realizing that the ice is rotten.” The authors compared death records and temperature data in Canada, Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Finland, Russia, Sweden, Italy, Japan, and the northern United States. They analyzed about 4,000 total records over a span of 26 years, though the time period varied depending on the available data in each country. The researchers found that more cold-weather drownings occur in spring when daily low temperatures increase too much to support stable ice structures. At the same time, those warmer temperatures make it more enjoyable to spend time outdoors, meaning more people are spending time on ice. Northern Canada and Alaska have higher rates of drowning, even in very cold temperatures. Sharma said that is probably because people there simply spend more time on the ice. Indigenous communities close to the Arctic rely on waterways for food and transportation, which means more time on the ice in winter and an increased risk of drowning. The coronavirus pandemic could also put more people at risk. “If this winter is anything like this summer was,” Sharma said, “a lot of people spent time in cottage country in Ontario because we just can’t go anywhere.” She said that ice with sitting water, slush, or holes in the surface was generally unsafe. “Snow cover is when it gets tricky,” Sharma said. “People think there’s so much snow on the ice, the ice must be thick,” but snow can also act as insulation, melting the ice more quickly. “We need to, as individuals adapt our decision-making,” she added, and focus on how changing winters affect rivers, lakes and streams. “It may not be as safe now as it was 30 years or 40 years ago.”

Climate change is making winter ice more dangerous

Millions of old and used cars exported from the European Union, Japan, and the United States to developing countries is&nbsp;fuelling air pollution,&nbsp;a UN report warns.

Around three million&nbsp;used&nbsp;vehicles are&nbsp;exported each year between 2015 and 2018 from these places&nbsp;with most going to low- and middle-income countries and more than half ending up in Africa, according to a report released Monday by the UN Environment Programme.

With the expansion of car ownership in developing countries expected to be a major source of emissions in the coming decades, the UNEP called for tightening the rules for exporting and importing old, polluting vehicles.&nbsp;

"Developed countries must stop exporting vehicles that fail environment and safety inspections and are no longer considered roadworthy in their own countries while importing countries should introduce stronger quality standards," said UNEP's executive director, Inger Andersen.&nbsp;

The agency cited an investigation by Dutch authorities in 2019 that found the average age of vehicles waiting to be exported was 18 years.

They also had more than 200,000 km (125,000 miles) on their odometers on average, and many were missing catalytic converters that reduce toxic gases from the exhaust.

UNEP said that two-thirds of the 146 countries it looked at had weak rules regarding the import of&nbsp;used&nbsp;vehicles, and some had no pollution standards.&nbsp;

Millions of old and used cars exported from the European Union, Japan, and the United States to developing countries is fuelling air pollution, a UN report warns.

Millions of old and used cars exported from the European Union, Japan, and the United States to developing countries is fuelling air pollution, a UN report warns. Around three million used vehicles are exported each year between 2015 and 2018 from these places with most going to low- and middle-income countries and more than half ending up in Africa, according to a report released Monday by the UN Environment Programme. With the expansion of car ownership in developing countries expected to be a major source of emissions in the coming decades, the UNEP called for tightening the rules for exporting and importing old, polluting vehicles. "Developed countries must stop exporting vehicles that fail environment and safety inspections and are no longer considered roadworthy in their own countries while importing countries should introduce stronger quality standards," said UNEP's executive director, Inger Andersen. The agency cited an investigation by Dutch authorities in 2019 that found the average age of vehicles waiting to be exported was 18 years. They also had more than 200,000 km (125,000 miles) on their odometers on average, and many were missing catalytic converters that reduce toxic gases from the exhaust. UNEP said that two-thirds of the 146 countries it looked at had weak rules regarding the import of used vehicles, and some had no pollution standards.

'Old and unsafe' cars fuelling air pollution in developing countries, report finds

People might be unaware that the savings in their bank accounts are being utilised for contribution towards climate crisis.

Major financial institutions regularly extend financing to fossil fuel companies and other polluting industries.

However, two former executives, Yan Swiderski and Jasper Judd, founders of the&nbsp;global returns project, are asking individuals to commit 0.25 per cent of their&nbsp;savings to combat global warming,&nbsp;with the goal of raising a regular annual total of $10 billion within the next decade.

Mixing investment with philanthropy, the global returns project aims to use a small percentage of people’s savings to help groups fighting climate change.

But, the question is, would you commit 0.25 per cent of your savings to save the planet for future generations?

Judd and Swiderski plan to partner with banks and other financial-services providers to show them the importance of offering clients an easy way to direct more of their savings and investments to help the environment.

“Funding not-for-profit climate solutions yields returns just like any other investment,” said Swiderski, who founded the investment firm Finisterre capital before deciding in 2014 to run an organic farm. “The returns are externalised and shared, but they are real, identifiable and global.”

The men said that all of the investors’ contributions will go to charities including Ashden, Clientearth, global canopy, rainforest trust, and trillion trees, which focus on a range of climate issues from preventing deforestation to enacting environmental policies and funding clean-energy innovations.

People might be unaware that the savings in their bank accounts are being utilised for contribution towards climate crisis. Major financial institutions regularly extend financing to fossil fuel companies and other polluting industries.

People might be unaware that the savings in their bank accounts are being utilised for contribution towards climate crisis. Major financial institutions regularly extend financing to fossil fuel companies and other polluting industries. However, two former executives, Yan Swiderski and Jasper Judd, founders of the global returns project, are asking individuals to commit 0.25 per cent of their savings to combat global warming, with the goal of raising a regular annual total of $10 billion within the next decade. Mixing investment with philanthropy, the global returns project aims to use a small percentage of people’s savings to help groups fighting climate change. But, the question is, would you commit 0.25 per cent of your savings to save the planet for future generations? Judd and Swiderski plan to partner with banks and other financial-services providers to show them the importance of offering clients an easy way to direct more of their savings and investments to help the environment. “Funding not-for-profit climate solutions yields returns just like any other investment,” said Swiderski, who founded the investment firm Finisterre capital before deciding in 2014 to run an organic farm. “The returns are externalised and shared, but they are real, identifiable and global.” The men said that all of the investors’ contributions will go to charities including Ashden, Clientearth, global canopy, rainforest trust, and trillion trees, which focus on a range of climate issues from preventing deforestation to enacting environmental policies and funding clean-energy innovations.

Would you give up 0.25% of your savings to help save the planet?

Approximately forty percent or two-fifths&nbsp;of the world's plants are at risk of extinction, scientists have warned.

Researchers say they are racing against time to name and describe new species, before they disappear.

Plants hold huge promise as medicines, fuels and foods, says a report by the royal botanic gardens, kew. These unknown species are a ''treasure chest'' of food, medicine and biofuels.&nbsp;

But opportunities are being lost to use plants and fungi to address global issues such as food security and climate change.

Over 4,000 species of plants and fungi belonging to the same group as onion, garlic, spinach, cassava and a sea holly were discovered in 2019.

While&nbsp;cassava can help in securing the staple crop eaten by 800 miliion people, the relatives of&nbsp;sea holly is anti-malarial and can treat inflammation.

The assessment of the state of the world's plants and fungi is based on research from more than 200 scientists in 42 countries.

The report was released on the eve of a united nations summit, which will press for action from world leaders to address biodiversity loss.

The scientists estimate that the extinction risk may be much higher than previously thought, with an estimated 140,000, or 39.4 per cent, of vascular plants estimated to be threatened with extinction, compared with 21 per cent&nbsp;in 2016.

The research found 723 plants used for medicine are at risk of extinction, with over-harvesting a problem in some parts of the world.

Approximately forty percent or two-fifths of the world's plants are at risk of extinction, scientists have warned. Researchers say they are racing against time to name and describe new species, before they disappear.

Approximately forty percent or two-fifths of the world's plants are at risk of extinction, scientists have warned. Researchers say they are racing against time to name and describe new species, before they disappear. Plants hold huge promise as medicines, fuels and foods, says a report by the royal botanic gardens, kew. These unknown species are a ''treasure chest'' of food, medicine and biofuels. But opportunities are being lost to use plants and fungi to address global issues such as food security and climate change. Over 4,000 species of plants and fungi belonging to the same group as onion, garlic, spinach, cassava and a sea holly were discovered in 2019. While cassava can help in securing the staple crop eaten by 800 miliion people, the relatives of sea holly is anti-malarial and can treat inflammation. The assessment of the state of the world's plants and fungi is based on research from more than 200 scientists in 42 countries. The report was released on the eve of a united nations summit, which will press for action from world leaders to address biodiversity loss. The scientists estimate that the extinction risk may be much higher than previously thought, with an estimated 140,000, or 39.4 per cent, of vascular plants estimated to be threatened with extinction, compared with 21 per cent in 2016. The research found 723 plants used for medicine are at risk of extinction, with over-harvesting a problem in some parts of the world.

40% of plant species facing risk of extinction: Report

An 8-year-old climate change activist from India, Licypriya Kangujam is trying to single-handedly save the planet before we reach a point of no return.

Kangujam told Reuters that she intends to embark on a solo mission to the moon when she’s older in a bid to find ways to save the Earth. "I will go to the moon and I will research how we can get the fresh air to breathe, and how we can get water, fresh water to drink, and food, how to grow the crops," she said.

Kangujam is one of the world’s youngest climate change activists. Reuters reported that she felt it was a cause worth taking up after witnessing the immense devastation and loss of life caused in Nepal when earthquakes struck the country in 2015. The quakes took lives of 9,000 people and reduced one million homes to rubble.

<h6><img alt="Licypriya Kangujam, 8, India's young climate activist, carrying a placard is stopped by a policewoman during a protest demanding to pass a climate change law outside the parliament in New Delhi, India, September 23, 2020" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ddbb54a3-89fb-4428-b5fb-b78c0da04527" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%281%29_154.jpg" />Licypriya Kangujam, 8, India's young climate activist, carrying a placard is stopped by a policewoman during a protest demanding to pass a climate change law outside the parliament in New Delhi, India, September 23, 2020 | Reuters</h6>

When she was only four, Kangujam, with the help of her father raised funds for the affected by the tragedy.

Now, she wants Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take notice of her cause. She wants lawmakers in the country to pass new legislation to cap carbon emissions. India is the world’s third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases.

"I am fighting to save our planet and our future," she said during a protest outside the Indian Parliament on September 23.

She bore a placard saying, “Child movement for climate, pass the climate change law."

Kangujam is a native of the Indian northeastern state of Manipur, which is home to much clearer air as opposed to the capital New Delhi, which makes global headlines every year for pollution during winters.

"I am worried about the health of the school children and small, small babies," Kangujam told Reuters.

”Our planet is dying soon”, she said.

An 8-year-old climate change activist from India, Licypriya Kangujam is trying to single-handedly save the planet before we reach a point of no return. Kangujam told Reuters that she intends to embark on a solo mission to the moon when she’s older in a bid to find ways to save the Earth.

An 8-year-old climate change activist from India, Licypriya Kangujam is trying to single-handedly save the planet before we reach a point of no return. Kangujam told Reuters that she intends to embark on a solo mission to the moon when she’s older in a bid to find ways to save the Earth. "I will go to the moon and I will research how we can get the fresh air to breathe, and how we can get water, fresh water to drink, and food, how to grow the crops," she said. Kangujam is one of the world’s youngest climate change activists. Reuters reported that she felt it was a cause worth taking up after witnessing the immense devastation and loss of life caused in Nepal when earthquakes struck the country in 2015. The quakes took lives of 9,000 people and reduced one million homes to rubble. Licypriya Kangujam, 8, India's young climate activist, carrying a placard is stopped by a policewoman during a protest demanding to pass a climate change law outside the parliament in New Delhi, India, September 23, 2020 | Reuters When she was only four, Kangujam, with the help of her father raised funds for the affected by the tragedy. Now, she wants Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take notice of her cause. She wants lawmakers in the country to pass new legislation to cap carbon emissions. India is the world’s third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases. "I am fighting to save our planet and our future," she said during a protest outside the Indian Parliament on September 23. She bore a placard saying, “Child movement for climate, pass the climate change law." Kangujam is a native of the Indian northeastern state of Manipur, which is home to much clearer air as opposed to the capital New Delhi, which makes global headlines every year for pollution during winters. "I am worried about the health of the school children and small, small babies," Kangujam told Reuters. ”Our planet is dying soon”, she said.

'Our planet is dying soon': Meet India's youngest climate change activist

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