Europe promised to lead the world on climate change. It lectured developing nations for relying on coal. Now the same Europe is conveniently buying coal and restarting coal-fired power plants. What happened to its climate goals? Can it still preach others? Palki Sharma exposes Europe's hypocrisy.

Gravitas Plus: Europe's hypocrisy on fossil fuels

There is an urgent need to cut greenhouse gas emissions in order to avoid global warming and create a society without fossil fuels. The solution is emission-free electrification 3 scientists received the 2019 Nobel Prize for their work on lithium-ion batteries.

Fossil fuels will have to end. Are batteries the new 'oil'?

The War in Ukraine has had a ripple effect as Russia holds its fossil fuel supplies as a political weapon. Western countries are seeking alternatives with a barrage of sanctions.

Sanctions of Russian oil & gas prompts burning of fossil fuel

Solar power is slowly becoming a major source of clean energy around the world and with more and more countries trying to move away from fossil fuels, it has become a major field of study for scientists in search for better alternative sources. However, as the name suggests, the energy is dependent almost completely on the availability of sunlight in any region. However, a new technology can change that as it will make the production of solar power possible even at night.

A group of researchers at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia was able to generate power using the technology which can be seen in night-vision goggles.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/black-lives-matter-paid-4-million-to-people-close-to-co-founder-patrisse-cullors-report-480700">BLM paid $4 million to people close to co-founder Patrisse Cullors - Report</a>

The process, described as “heat radiated as infrared light by a semiconductor device called a thermoradiative diode”, produced a small amount of energy but the researchers believe it can be modified to create more in the future by using existing photovoltaics technology.

"Photovoltaics, the direct conversion of sunlight into electricity, is an artificial process that humans have developed in order to convert the solar energy into power," says Phoebe Pearce.

"In that sense, the thermoradiative process is similar; we are diverting energy flowing in the infrared from a warm Earth into the cold Universe," the physicist from the University added.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nasa-has-identified-something-weird-happening-to-the-universe-480678" hreflang="en">NASA has identified 'something weird' happening to the universe</a>

“We have made an unambiguous demonstration of electrical power from a thermoradiative diode."

While solar energy currently is produced by harnessing the sunlight, the new technology will use the energy that the earth absorbs during the day and radiates back into space during night.

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Solar power is slowly becoming a major source of clean energy around the world and with more and more countries trying to move away from fossil fuels, it has become a major field of study for scientists in search for better alternative sources.

Solar power is slowly becoming a major source of clean energy around the world and with more and more countries trying to move away from fossil fuels, it has become a major field of study for scientists in search for better alternative sources. However, as the name suggests, the energy is dependent almost completely on the availability of sunlight in any region. However, a new technology can change that as it will make the production of solar power possible even at night. A group of researchers at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia was able to generate power using the technology which can be seen in night-vision goggles. Also read | BLM paid $4 million to people close to co-founder Patrisse Cullors - Report The process, described as “heat radiated as infrared light by a semiconductor device called a thermoradiative diode”, produced a small amount of energy but the researchers believe it can be modified to create more in the future by using existing photovoltaics technology. "Photovoltaics, the direct conversion of sunlight into electricity, is an artificial process that humans have developed in order to convert the solar energy into power," says Phoebe Pearce. "In that sense, the thermoradiative process is similar; we are diverting energy flowing in the infrared from a warm Earth into the cold Universe," the physicist from the University added. Also read | NASA has identified 'something weird' happening to the universe “We have made an unambiguous demonstration of electrical power from a thermoradiative diode." While solar energy currently is produced by harnessing the sunlight, the new technology will use the energy that the earth absorbs during the day and radiates back into space during night. WATCH WION LIVE HERE - You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

New technology can generate solar energy even at night by 'catching' earth’s heat

Climate change has been threatening the existence of life on Earth for quite some time. Be it the rise is sea level or regular occurrence of natural calamities, the issue has been causing numerous problems. &nbsp;&nbsp;

It is high time to realise that the problem is real and needs immediate attention. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Although several summits have been held till now by world leaders to find a solution, it is important to act before it's too late. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/not-withholding-gas-supplies-to-europe-says-russia-440160" hreflang="en">Not withholding gas supplies to Europe, says Russia</a>

A UN report has already warned that if world fails to change, it will face catastrophic temperature rises of at least 2.7C. It may unleash a spate of natural horrors. &nbsp; &nbsp;

According to the report, there is a need to limit global temperature rises to 1.5C. In order to actually achieve this goal, it is important to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. &nbsp;&nbsp;

But the million-dollar question is that can we make it possible. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Currently, numerous vehicles, power plants and businesses use fossil fuels in one or the other forms. Several crucial things run on it and it is also connected to livelihood of numerous people. &nbsp;

It has also become a crucial part of several lives across the world. So, it may not be an easy task to just stop its use overnight. &nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-advances-in-nuclear-power-with-worlds-first-small-modular-nuclear-reactor-439228" hreflang="en">China advances in nuclear power with world's first small modular nuclear reactor</a>

Not just this, several countries get major part of their revenues from the sale of oil. If it gets stopped, there will be a huge humanitarian crisis. &nbsp;

Alternate ways of fuel, such as solar energy, nuclear energy, wind energy, etc are yet to get this popular and will take numerous years to give immense competition to the fossil fuels. &nbsp; &nbsp;

And as numerous processes, vehicles and plants are linked to fossil fuels, it will also be an ardent task to phase it out soon. &nbsp;

Although it may be difficult to shun its use but the survival of human race depends on it. So, let’s see how the world solves this riddle.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Climate change has been threatening the existence of life on Earth for quite some time. Be it the rise is sea level or regular occurrence of natural calamities, the issue has been causing numerous problems.

Climate change has been threatening the existence of life on Earth for quite some time. Be it the rise is sea level or regular occurrence of natural calamities, the issue has been causing numerous problems. It is high time to realise that the problem is real and needs immediate attention. Although several summits have been held till now by world leaders to find a solution, it is important to act before it's too late. Also Read: Not withholding gas supplies to Europe, says Russia A UN report has already warned that if world fails to change, it will face catastrophic temperature rises of at least 2.7C. It may unleash a spate of natural horrors. According to the report, there is a need to limit global temperature rises to 1.5C. In order to actually achieve this goal, it is important to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. But the million-dollar question is that can we make it possible. Currently, numerous vehicles, power plants and businesses use fossil fuels in one or the other forms. Several crucial things run on it and it is also connected to livelihood of numerous people. It has also become a crucial part of several lives across the world. So, it may not be an easy task to just stop its use overnight. Also Read | China advances in nuclear power with world's first small modular nuclear reactor Not just this, several countries get major part of their revenues from the sale of oil. If it gets stopped, there will be a huge humanitarian crisis. Alternate ways of fuel, such as solar energy, nuclear energy, wind energy, etc are yet to get this popular and will take numerous years to give immense competition to the fossil fuels. And as numerous processes, vehicles and plants are linked to fossil fuels, it will also be an ardent task to phase it out soon. Although it may be difficult to shun its use but the survival of human race depends on it. So, let’s see how the world solves this riddle.

Weekend Special: Will the world reduce its dependence on fossil fuels?

The electric vehicles have become quite popular as people look for environment friendly alternatives and now some firms are planning to cars that are run on fossil fuels into vehicles that are run by batteries. Have a look at this report.

Electric car industry eyes expansion as people look for environment friendly alternatives

Leaders of the Group of 20 major economies sit down for a second day of talks on Sunday faced with the difficult task of bridging their differences on how to combat global warming ahead of a crucial United Nations summit on climate change.

The first day of the Rome summit - the leaders&nbsp;first face-to-face gathering since the start of the Covid pandemic - focused mainly on health and the economy, while climate and the environment is front and centre of Sunday's agenda.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/g20-leaders-agree-on-historic-corporate-tax-deal-425387">G20 leaders agree on historic corporate tax deal</a>

Climate scientists and activists are likely to be disappointed unless late breakthroughs are made, with drafts of the G20's final communique showing little progress in terms of new commitments to curb pollution.

The G20 bloc, which includes Brazil, China, India, Germany and the United States, accounts for an estimated 80 per cent of the global greenhouse gas emissions which scientists say must be steeply reduced to avoid climate catastrophe.

For that reason, this weekend's gathering is seen as an important stepping stone to the UN's "COP26" climate summit attended by almost 200 countries, in Glasgow, Scotland, where most of the G20 leaders will fly directly from Rome.

"The latest reports are disappointing, with little sense of urgency in the face of an existential emergency," said Oscar Soria of the activist network Avaaz. "There is no more time for vague wish-lists, we need concrete commitments and action."

A fifth draft of the G20's final statement seen by Reuters on Saturday did not toughen the language on climate action compared with previous versions, and in some key areas, such as the need to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, it softened it.

This mid-century target date is a goal that United Nations experts say is needed to cap global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius, seen as the limit to avoid a dramatic acceleration of extreme events such as droughts, storms and floods.

UN&nbsp;experts say even if current national plans to curb emissions are fully implemented, the world is headed for global warming of 2.7C.

The planet's largest carbon emitter China, is aiming for net zero in 2060, while other major polluters such as India and Russia have also not committed to the mid-century deadline.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/g20-summit-kicks-off-in-rome-with-focus-on-climate-covid-and-economy-425330">G20 Summit kicks off in Rome with focus on climate, COVID and economy</a>

G20 energy and environment ministers who met in Naples in July failed to reach agreement on setting a date to phase out fossil fuel subsidies and end coal power,&nbsp;asking the leaders to find a resolution at this weekend's summit.

Based on the latest draft, they have made little progress, pledging to "do our utmost" to stop building new coal power plants before the end of the 2030s and saying they will phase out fossil fuel subsidies "over the medium term."

On the other hand, they do pledge to halt financing of overseas coal-fired power generation by the end of this year.

Some developing countries are reluctant to commit to steep emission cuts until rich nations make good on a pledge made 12 years ago to provide $100 billion per year from 2020 to help them tackle the effects of global warming.

That promise has still not been kept, contributing to the "mistrust" which UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Friday was blighting progress in climate negotiations.

Leaders of the Group of 20 major economies sit down for a second day of talks on Sunday faced with the difficult task of bridging their differences on how to combat global warming ahead of a crucial United Nations summit on climate change.

Leaders of the Group of 20 major economies sit down for a second day of talks on Sunday faced with the difficult task of bridging their differences on how to combat global warming ahead of a crucial United Nations summit on climate change. The first day of the Rome summit - the leaders first face-to-face gathering since the start of the Covid pandemic - focused mainly on health and the economy, while climate and the environment is front and centre of Sunday's agenda. Also Read | G20 leaders agree on historic corporate tax deal Climate scientists and activists are likely to be disappointed unless late breakthroughs are made, with drafts of the G20's final communique showing little progress in terms of new commitments to curb pollution. The G20 bloc, which includes Brazil, China, India, Germany and the United States, accounts for an estimated 80 per cent of the global greenhouse gas emissions which scientists say must be steeply reduced to avoid climate catastrophe. For that reason, this weekend's gathering is seen as an important stepping stone to the UN's "COP26" climate summit attended by almost 200 countries, in Glasgow, Scotland, where most of the G20 leaders will fly directly from Rome. "The latest reports are disappointing, with little sense of urgency in the face of an existential emergency," said Oscar Soria of the activist network Avaaz. "There is no more time for vague wish-lists, we need concrete commitments and action." A fifth draft of the G20's final statement seen by Reuters on Saturday did not toughen the language on climate action compared with previous versions, and in some key areas, such as the need to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, it softened it. This mid-century target date is a goal that United Nations experts say is needed to cap global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius, seen as the limit to avoid a dramatic acceleration of extreme events such as droughts, storms and floods. UN experts say even if current national plans to curb emissions are fully implemented, the world is headed for global warming of 2.7C. The planet's largest carbon emitter China, is aiming for net zero in 2060, while other major polluters such as India and Russia have also not committed to the mid-century deadline. Also Read | G20 Summit kicks off in Rome with focus on climate, COVID and economy G20 energy and environment ministers who met in Naples in July failed to reach agreement on setting a date to phase out fossil fuel subsidies and end coal power, asking the leaders to find a resolution at this weekend's summit. Based on the latest draft, they have made little progress, pledging to "do our utmost" to stop building new coal power plants before the end of the 2030s and saying they will phase out fossil fuel subsidies "over the medium term." On the other hand, they do pledge to halt financing of overseas coal-fired power generation by the end of this year. Some developing countries are reluctant to commit to steep emission cuts until rich nations make good on a pledge made 12 years ago to provide $100 billion per year from 2020 to help them tackle the effects of global warming. That promise has still not been kept, contributing to the "mistrust" which UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Friday was blighting progress in climate negotiations.

G20 leaders face tough climate talks on second day of summit

If the world wants to control the ongoing climate crisis, the vast majority of fossil fuel reserves owned by developed countries and companies should remain in the ground, an analysis has claimed.

A group of researchers have described the climate change situation to be "absolutely desperate" and have said that 90 per cent of coal and 60 per cent of oil and gas reserves could not be extracted if there is even some chance of keeping global heating below 1.5 C.

This research has highlighted the gap between the reality of the situation and the goals set by world leaders in the Paris Agreement.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/as-earth-warms-up-animals-are-shape-shifting-to-survive-better-study-411890" hreflang="en">As Earth warms up, animals are 'shape-shifting' to survive better: Study</a>

"The (analysis) implies that many operational and planned fossil fuel projects (are) unviable,"&nbsp;the scientists said.

Experts have said that the new plans of fossil fuel industry make sense only if the leaders and countries believe that the oil, gas and coal production has already peaked and a decline of three per cent will now be commencing.

They also warned that countries who rely heavily on fossil fuel revenue, such as Saudi Arabia and Nigeria, are the ones who will be at greater risk.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/this-shark-toothed-dinosaur-gave-tough-competition-to-t-rex-411826" hreflang="en">This 'shark-toothed' dinosaur gave tough competition to T-Rex</a>

The analysis has stated that US, Russia and the former Soviet states will have to keep 97 per cent of coal reserves in the ground to make sure the temperature stays below 2.5 C, while China will have to keep 76 per cent in the ground.

Similarly, all Middle Eastern states should keep two-thirds oil reserves on ground and Canada should keep 83 per cent oil from tar sands should be left untouched.

"It is absolutely desperate," said Prof. Paul Ekins of University College London, and one of the research team. "We are nowhere near the Paris target in terms of the fossil fuels people are planning to produce."

(With inputs from agencies)

If the world wants to control the ongoing climate crisis, the vast majority of fossil fuel reserves owned by developed countries and companies should remain in the ground, an analysis has claimed.

If the world wants to control the ongoing climate crisis, the vast majority of fossil fuel reserves owned by developed countries and companies should remain in the ground, an analysis has claimed. A group of researchers have described the climate change situation to be "absolutely desperate" and have said that 90 per cent of coal and 60 per cent of oil and gas reserves could not be extracted if there is even some chance of keeping global heating below 1.5 C. This research has highlighted the gap between the reality of the situation and the goals set by world leaders in the Paris Agreement. Also read | As Earth warms up, animals are 'shape-shifting' to survive better: Study "The (analysis) implies that many operational and planned fossil fuel projects (are) unviable," the scientists said. Experts have said that the new plans of fossil fuel industry make sense only if the leaders and countries believe that the oil, gas and coal production has already peaked and a decline of three per cent will now be commencing. They also warned that countries who rely heavily on fossil fuel revenue, such as Saudi Arabia and Nigeria, are the ones who will be at greater risk. Also read | This 'shark-toothed' dinosaur gave tough competition to T-Rex The analysis has stated that US, Russia and the former Soviet states will have to keep 97 per cent of coal reserves in the ground to make sure the temperature stays below 2.5 C, while China will have to keep 76 per cent in the ground. Similarly, all Middle Eastern states should keep two-thirds oil reserves on ground and Canada should keep 83 per cent oil from tar sands should be left untouched. "It is absolutely desperate," said Prof. Paul Ekins of University College London, and one of the research team. "We are nowhere near the Paris target in terms of the fossil fuels people are planning to produce." (With inputs from agencies)

Majority of fossil fuels should 'remain in ground' to fight climate change crisis

A bombshell climate science report "must sound a death knell" for coal, oil and gas, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday, warning that fossil fuels were destroying the planet.

The Intergovernmental Panel on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/climate-change">Climate Change</a> concluded that the 1.5C temperature goal of the Paris Agreement would likely be breached around 2030 -- a decade earlier than it itself projected just three years ago.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/upcoming-un-climate-report-presents-starkest-warning-yet-403984" hreflang="en">Upcoming UN climate report presents 'starkest warning yet'</a>

Guterres called the IPCC's assessment -- the most detailed review of climate science ever conducted -- "code red for humanity".

"This report must sound a death knell for coal and fossil fuels, before they destroy our planet," he said in a statement.

"Countries should also end all new fossil fuel exploration and production, and shift fossil fuel subsidies into renewable energy."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eus-copernicus-sentinel-3-releases-satellite-images-of-mega-drought-from-climate-change-403330" hreflang="en">EU's Copernicus Sentinel-3 releases satellite images of 'mega-drought' from climate change</a>

In its first major scientific assessment since 2014, the IPCC said that Earth's average surface temperature is projected to hit 1.5 or 1.6 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels at around 2030, no matter what trajectory greenhouse gas emissions take in the meantime.

By mid-century, the 1.5C threshold will have been breached across the board, by a tenth of a degree along the most ambitious pathway, and by nearly a full degree at the opposite extreme.

'The alarm bells are deafening'&nbsp;

In his most frontal assault yet on the fossil fuel industry that powers the global economy, Guterres said: "immediate action" was needed to decarbonise the energy sector.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-to-set-target-of-half-of-us-car-sales-to-be-zero-emission-by-2030-white-house-403259" hreflang="en">Biden to set target of half of US car sales to be zero-emission by 2030: White House</a>

"The alarm bells are deafening, and the evidence is irrefutable: greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel burning and deforestation are choking our planet and putting billions of people at immediate risk," said Guterres.

The Portuguese diplomat said keeping the 1.5C temperature goal in play meant that no new coal plants could be built and that all energy derived from burning coal must come from renewable sources by 2040.

Atmospheric levels of planet-warming CO2 are currently at their highest in at least the last two million years, with methane and nitrous oxide levels at their highest since 800,000 years ago.

Despite a record drop in carbon pollution last year driven by pandemic restrictions, the IPCC found "no detectable decrease" in the rate of greenhouse gas accumulation.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/a-carbon-calculation-how-many-deaths-do-emissions-cause-401587" hreflang="en">A carbon calculation: How many deaths do emissions cause?</a>

Guterres called on world leaders to ensure the COP26 climate summit in November leads to ramped up emissions cuts and finance to countries already dealing with the fallout from global heating.&nbsp;

"If we combine forces now, we can avert climate catastrophe," he said.&nbsp;

"But, as today's report makes clear, there is no time for delay and no room for excuses."

A bombshell climate science report "must sound a death knell" for coal, oil and gas, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday, warning that fossil fuels were destroying the planet.

A bombshell climate science report "must sound a death knell" for coal, oil and gas, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday, warning that fossil fuels were destroying the planet. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded that the 1.5C temperature goal of the Paris Agreement would likely be breached around 2030 -- a decade earlier than it itself projected just three years ago. Also read | Upcoming UN climate report presents 'starkest warning yet' Guterres called the IPCC's assessment -- the most detailed review of climate science ever conducted -- "code red for humanity". "This report must sound a death knell for coal and fossil fuels, before they destroy our planet," he said in a statement. "Countries should also end all new fossil fuel exploration and production, and shift fossil fuel subsidies into renewable energy." Also read | EU's Copernicus Sentinel-3 releases satellite images of 'mega-drought' from climate change In its first major scientific assessment since 2014, the IPCC said that Earth's average surface temperature is projected to hit 1.5 or 1.6 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels at around 2030, no matter what trajectory greenhouse gas emissions take in the meantime. By mid-century, the 1.5C threshold will have been breached across the board, by a tenth of a degree along the most ambitious pathway, and by nearly a full degree at the opposite extreme. 'The alarm bells are deafening' In his most frontal assault yet on the fossil fuel industry that powers the global economy, Guterres said: "immediate action" was needed to decarbonise the energy sector. Also read | Biden to set target of half of US car sales to be zero-emission by 2030: White House "The alarm bells are deafening, and the evidence is irrefutable: greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel burning and deforestation are choking our planet and putting billions of people at immediate risk," said Guterres. The Portuguese diplomat said keeping the 1.5C temperature goal in play meant that no new coal plants could be built and that all energy derived from burning coal must come from renewable sources by 2040. Atmospheric levels of planet-warming CO2 are currently at their highest in at least the last two million years, with methane and nitrous oxide levels at their highest since 800,000 years ago. Despite a record drop in carbon pollution last year driven by pandemic restrictions, the IPCC found "no detectable decrease" in the rate of greenhouse gas accumulation. Also read | A carbon calculation: How many deaths do emissions cause? Guterres called on world leaders to ensure the COP26 climate summit in November leads to ramped up emissions cuts and finance to countries already dealing with the fallout from global heating. "If we combine forces now, we can avert climate catastrophe," he said. "But, as today's report makes clear, there is no time for delay and no room for excuses."

Climate report must be 'death knell' for fossil fuels: UN chief

Paleontologists call it the Permian-Triassic mass extinction, but it has another name: “the Great Dying.” It happened about 252 million years ago, and, over the course of just tens of thousands of years, 96% of all life in the oceans and, perhaps, roughly 70% of all land life vanished forever.

The smoking gun was ancient volcanism in what is today Siberia, where volcanoes disgorged enough magma and lava over about a million years to cover an amount of land equivalent to a third or even half of the surface area of the United States.

But volcanism on its own didn’t cause the extinction. The Great Dying was fueled, two separate teams of scientists report in two recent papers, by extensive oil and coal deposits that the Siberian magma blazed through, leading to combustion that released greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/greenlands-largest-glaciers-likely-to-melt-faster-than-feared-study-343852" hreflang="en">Greenland's largest glaciers likely to melt faster than feared: Study</a>

“There was lots of oil, coal and carbonates formed before the extinction underground near the Siberian volcanism,” said Kunio Kaiho, a geochemist at Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan, and lead author of one of the studies, published this month in Geology, which presented evidence for the burning of ancient fossil fuels by magma. “We discovered two volcanic combustion events coinciding with the end-Permian land extinction and marine extinction.”

The findings solidify the Great Dying as one of the best examples that we have from Earth’s history of what a changing climate can do to life on our planet.

Kaiho and his team retrieved samples from rock deposits in south China and northern Italy that formed around the time of the extinction, and they detected spikes of a molecule called coronene. That substance, Kaiho explained, is produced only when fossil fuels combust at extremely high temperatures — like those you might find in magma.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/chemicals-found-in-daily-use-products-could-decrease-covid-19-vaccines-effectiveness-reports-343850" hreflang="en">Chemicals found in daily-use products could decrease COVID-19 vaccine's effectiveness: Reports</a>

One potential issue with coronene, says Henrik Svenson, a geologist at the University of Oslo who was not involved in the work, is that it forms only at temperatures exceeding 2,100 degrees Fahrenheit, and to reach such temperatures, the fossil fuels would have had to be enveloped inside the magma, not just sitting next to it.

But the team’s findings are backed up by a Nature Geoscience study published last month that presents chemical evidence for the acidification of the oceans after the fossil fuel combustion and greenhouse gas release.

As the planet warmed, the oceans absorbed more and more carbon dioxide. This caused waters to acidify to the point that organisms like corals would have dissolved, explained Hana Jurikova, a biogeochemist at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland who led the study. Jurikova and her team discovered spikes of the element boron — a proxy for acidity levels — in fossil brachiopod shells found in rocks in Italy that stretch across the extinction boundary.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/coronavirus-mutations-appearing-in-siberia-russian-scientists-343820" hreflang="en">Coronavirus mutations appearing in Siberia: Russian scientists</a>

“For the first time, we’re able to explain what caused the extinction,” Jurikova said. “If you just increase the temperature, organisms often find a way to cope. But the problem is if you really change temperature and acidification, and maybe nutrients, that’s when your organisms will not be able to adapt.” Today, with sea-surface temperatures on the rise, the oceans are acidifying, and some shelled animals are already showing signs of their shells dissolving.

Svenson thinks the next step for geologists is field work in Siberia to get a handle on whether ancient magma interacted with the fossil fuel deposits as the new studies imply.

“A lot of this we simply do not know,” Svenson said.

While you may be tempted to draw an analogy between the Great Dying and today’s warming climate, there are significant differences. For one, the greenhouse gases emitted during the Permian-Triassic events were far greater than anything humans have produced. Also, the volcanoes released carbon dioxide 252 million years ago at a rate much slower than humans emit it today.

“The amount of carbon released to the atmosphere per year from the Siberian traps, it was still 14 times lower than the rate we have at the moment,” Jurikova said. “So, the amount of carbon we’re burning per year at the moment is much higher than during the largest extinction. I mean, that’s incredible, right?”

Paleontologists call it the Permian-Triassic mass extinction, but it has another name: “the Great Dying.” It happened about 252 million years ago, and, over the course of just tens of thousands of years, 96% of all life in the oceans and, perhaps, roughly 70% of all land life vanished forever.

Paleontologists call it the Permian-Triassic mass extinction, but it has another name: “the Great Dying.” It happened about 252 million years ago, and, over the course of just tens of thousands of years, 96% of all life in the oceans and, perhaps, roughly 70% of all land life vanished forever. The smoking gun was ancient volcanism in what is today Siberia, where volcanoes disgorged enough magma and lava over about a million years to cover an amount of land equivalent to a third or even half of the surface area of the United States. But volcanism on its own didn’t cause the extinction. The Great Dying was fueled, two separate teams of scientists report in two recent papers, by extensive oil and coal deposits that the Siberian magma blazed through, leading to combustion that released greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane. Also read| Greenland's largest glaciers likely to melt faster than feared: Study “There was lots of oil, coal and carbonates formed before the extinction underground near the Siberian volcanism,” said Kunio Kaiho, a geochemist at Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan, and lead author of one of the studies, published this month in Geology, which presented evidence for the burning of ancient fossil fuels by magma. “We discovered two volcanic combustion events coinciding with the end-Permian land extinction and marine extinction.” The findings solidify the Great Dying as one of the best examples that we have from Earth’s history of what a changing climate can do to life on our planet. Kaiho and his team retrieved samples from rock deposits in south China and northern Italy that formed around the time of the extinction, and they detected spikes of a molecule called coronene. That substance, Kaiho explained, is produced only when fossil fuels combust at extremely high temperatures — like those you might find in magma. Also read| Chemicals found in daily-use products could decrease COVID-19 vaccine's effectiveness: Reports One potential issue with coronene, says Henrik Svenson, a geologist at the University of Oslo who was not involved in the work, is that it forms only at temperatures exceeding 2,100 degrees Fahrenheit, and to reach such temperatures, the fossil fuels would have had to be enveloped inside the magma, not just sitting next to it. But the team’s findings are backed up by a Nature Geoscience study published last month that presents chemical evidence for the acidification of the oceans after the fossil fuel combustion and greenhouse gas release. As the planet warmed, the oceans absorbed more and more carbon dioxide. This caused waters to acidify to the point that organisms like corals would have dissolved, explained Hana Jurikova, a biogeochemist at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland who led the study. Jurikova and her team discovered spikes of the element boron — a proxy for acidity levels — in fossil brachiopod shells found in rocks in Italy that stretch across the extinction boundary. Also read| Coronavirus mutations appearing in Siberia: Russian scientists “For the first time, we’re able to explain what caused the extinction,” Jurikova said. “If you just increase the temperature, organisms often find a way to cope. But the problem is if you really change temperature and acidification, and maybe nutrients, that’s when your organisms will not be able to adapt.” Today, with sea-surface temperatures on the rise, the oceans are acidifying, and some shelled animals are already showing signs of their shells dissolving. Svenson thinks the next step for geologists is field work in Siberia to get a handle on whether ancient magma interacted with the fossil fuel deposits as the new studies imply. “A lot of this we simply do not know,” Svenson said. While you may be tempted to draw an analogy between the Great Dying and today’s warming climate, there are significant differences. For one, the greenhouse gases emitted during the Permian-Triassic events were far greater than anything humans have produced. Also, the volcanoes released carbon dioxide 252 million years ago at a rate much slower than humans emit it today. “The amount of carbon released to the atmosphere per year from the Siberian traps, it was still 14 times lower than the rate we have at the moment,” Jurikova said. “So, the amount of carbon we’re burning per year at the moment is much higher than during the largest extinction. I mean, that’s incredible, right?”

Burning fossil fuels helped drive Earth’s most massive extinction

Australia has approved two major new fossil fuel projects that proponents in the climate change-vulnerable nation say will create badly needed jobs despite growing concerns over emissions.

Authorities in New South Wales state on Wednesday announced conditional approval for a Aus$3.6 billion (US$2.6 billion) coal seam gas development that has generated widespread local opposition.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she was "relieved" that an independent commission had given energy firm Santos the green light to proceed, adding that gas was a "central part of our energy security into the future".

The project is a keystone of conservative Prime Minister Scott Morrison's plan for a "gas-fired recovery" of the coronavirus-hit economy, as Australia grapples with its first recession in almost 30 years and a million job losses.

Up to 850 wells would be drilled on 1,000 hectares of a 95,000-hectare site, Santos said, with the potential to supply half the gas needs for the country's most populous state.

Conservationists have raised fears over the impact on vast tracts of forest and farmland near Narrabri, northwest of Sydney, as well as Morrison's doubling down on carbon-emitting fuels.

"With this approval, we risk becoming a fossil fuel pariah as the world transitions to renewable energies and countries strengthen their commitment to climate action," Greens parliamentarian Cate Faehrmann said.

Approval of the gas project came a day after Queensland's government gave a final go ahead for the state's third-largest coal mine, which officials say is expected to have an 80-year lifespan and employ 1,000 workers once operational.

The sprawling project, which will provide steel-producing metallurgical coal, has proved less contentious due to lower expected emissions than nearby thermal coal operations, but is nevertheless set to raze a swathe of koala habitat.

"Clearing those forests pushes this species closer to extinction," Australian Conservation Foundation's Gavan McFadzean told public broadcaster ABC.

Resource-rich Australia has recently emerged as one of the world's largest exporters of fossil fuels, behind only Russia and Saudi Arabia by some estimates.

The new projects come despite calls for the coronavirus crisis to spur a "green recovery" and just months after Australia emerged from the most severe bushfire season in recorded history.

Almost 90 percent of Australians believe that climate change is a critical or important threat, according to a recent poll by Sydney's Lowy Institute.

Drought and water shortages -- worsened by climate change -- are seen as the top threat facing the country, above even the pandemic and the global econo

Australia has approved two major new fossil fuel projects that proponents in the climate change-vulnerable nation say will create badly needed jobs despite growing concerns over emissions.

Australia has approved two major new fossil fuel projects that proponents in the climate change-vulnerable nation say will create badly needed jobs despite growing concerns over emissions. Authorities in New South Wales state on Wednesday announced conditional approval for a Aus$3.6 billion (US$2.6 billion) coal seam gas development that has generated widespread local opposition. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she was "relieved" that an independent commission had given energy firm Santos the green light to proceed, adding that gas was a "central part of our energy security into the future". The project is a keystone of conservative Prime Minister Scott Morrison's plan for a "gas-fired recovery" of the coronavirus-hit economy, as Australia grapples with its first recession in almost 30 years and a million job losses. Up to 850 wells would be drilled on 1,000 hectares of a 95,000-hectare site, Santos said, with the potential to supply half the gas needs for the country's most populous state. Conservationists have raised fears over the impact on vast tracts of forest and farmland near Narrabri, northwest of Sydney, as well as Morrison's doubling down on carbon-emitting fuels. "With this approval, we risk becoming a fossil fuel pariah as the world transitions to renewable energies and countries strengthen their commitment to climate action," Greens parliamentarian Cate Faehrmann said. Approval of the gas project came a day after Queensland's government gave a final go ahead for the state's third-largest coal mine, which officials say is expected to have an 80-year lifespan and employ 1,000 workers once operational. The sprawling project, which will provide steel-producing metallurgical coal, has proved less contentious due to lower expected emissions than nearby thermal coal operations, but is nevertheless set to raze a swathe of koala habitat. "Clearing those forests pushes this species closer to extinction," Australian Conservation Foundation's Gavan McFadzean told public broadcaster ABC. Resource-rich Australia has recently emerged as one of the world's largest exporters of fossil fuels, behind only Russia and Saudi Arabia by some estimates. The new projects come despite calls for the coronavirus crisis to spur a "green recovery" and just months after Australia emerged from the most severe bushfire season in recorded history. Almost 90 percent of Australians believe that climate change is a critical or important threat, according to a recent poll by Sydney's Lowy Institute. Drought and water shortages -- worsened by climate change -- are seen as the top threat facing the country, above even the pandemic and the global econo

Australia approves major new fossil fuel projects

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-east-asia/latest-south-east-asia-news-reward-offered-by-indonesia-to-whoever-can-remove-a-tire-stuck-on-a-crocodiles-neck-277740">Indonesia </a>needs to sign a new renewable energy contract in the next three years to counter its massive demographic shift, according to a report in 'Indonesia&nbsp;Clean Energy Outlook'.

The country&nbsp;is Southeast Asia's largest economy and democracy and is rapidly&nbsp;approaching a demographic shift in the next ten years.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-east-asia/latest-south-east-asia-news-reward-offered-by-indonesia-to-whoever-can-remove-a-tire-stuck-on-a-crocodiles-neck-277740">Reward offered by Indonesia to whoever can remove a tire stuck on a crocodile's neck</a>

Experts claim that Asia's next clean energy battle will not be in India or China but in Indonesia.&nbsp;In a decade, almost half of its population will enter the workforce and 7 out of 10 people will be working by 2030, the report said. 
&nbsp; 
The country's conventional poverty rate has declined and it is experiencing enormous urban migration.&nbsp;

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pics-indonesias-mt-sinabung-erupts-696#mt-sinabung-spews-massive-smoke-117135">Indonesia's Mt Sinabung erupts</a>

Although the situation is similar to that of other countries in Southeast Asia, it has not negotiated a new renewable energy contract in three years. &nbsp;

According to the report, it will become the largest contributor to the region's ballooning energy demand over a short period of time due to rapid growth and will soon&nbsp;join both India and China as a global hotspot for power needs.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/indonesia-to-increase-imports-from-india-amid-new-delhi-malaysia-spat-report-276398">Indonesia to increase imports from India amid New Delhi-Malaysia spat</a>

Indonesia's&nbsp;electricity needs are reportedly set to almost double in the next 10 years. Without immediate measures, it can offset the region's positive growth due to its heavy reliance on fossil fuels, the report claimed.

However, Indonesia expects to put an end to stalled clean energy growth in March.

According to sources, a ministry regulation has been&nbsp;aiming to attract investment in the sphere of renewable energy.&nbsp;Malaysia and Vietnam have supported Indonesia in its endeavour.

Indonesian President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/indonesia-presidential-election-prabowo-subianto-vs-joko-widodo-209329">Joko Widodo</a> implied in a speech last year that reducing coal will become a national policy.

However, to meet the goal of 23 per cent renewables from 12 per cent in its energy mix by 2025 it will need to cancel coal projects which already exist in the construction pipeline.&nbsp;

Indonesia needs to sign a new renewable energy contract in the next three years to counter its massive demographic shift, according to a report in 'Indonesia Clean Energy Outlook'.

Indonesia needs to sign a new renewable energy contract in the next three years to counter its massive demographic shift, according to a report in 'Indonesia Clean Energy Outlook'. The country is Southeast Asia's largest economy and democracy and is rapidly approaching a demographic shift in the next ten years. Also read: Reward offered by Indonesia to whoever can remove a tire stuck on a crocodile's neck Experts claim that Asia's next clean energy battle will not be in India or China but in Indonesia. In a decade, almost half of its population will enter the workforce and 7 out of 10 people will be working by 2030, the report said. The country's conventional poverty rate has declined and it is experiencing enormous urban migration. Also see: Indonesia's Mt Sinabung erupts Although the situation is similar to that of other countries in Southeast Asia, it has not negotiated a new renewable energy contract in three years. According to the report, it will become the largest contributor to the region's ballooning energy demand over a short period of time due to rapid growth and will soon join both India and China as a global hotspot for power needs. Also read: Indonesia to increase imports from India amid New Delhi-Malaysia spat Indonesia's electricity needs are reportedly set to almost double in the next 10 years. Without immediate measures, it can offset the region's positive growth due to its heavy reliance on fossil fuels, the report claimed. However, Indonesia expects to put an end to stalled clean energy growth in March. According to sources, a ministry regulation has been aiming to attract investment in the sphere of renewable energy. Malaysia and Vietnam have supported Indonesia in its endeavour. Indonesian President Joko Widodo implied in a speech last year that reducing coal will become a national policy. However, to meet the goal of 23 per cent renewables from 12 per cent in its energy mix by 2025 it will need to cancel coal projects which already exist in the construction pipeline.

To combat Asia's energy battle, Indonesia needs to sign new renewable energy contract: Report

A small group of protesters representing Brazilian indigenous tribes staged a protest on Sunday (December 8) in front of the headquarters of Spanish energy company, Repsol, calling for an end to oil drilling and exploration off the coast of Brazil.

Indigenous climate activists stage protest against fossil fuels

On the main shopping street in the tropical north Australian city of Townsville, dotted with "For Lease" signs, Chrissa Alexion is adamant a planned $4 billion coal mine should be shelved because of its contribution to climate change.

"It's madness," she told Reuters, on holiday from the Queensland state capital. "Jobs are really important but... where I come from in Brisbane, no one wants the mine to go ahead."

Some 380 km (235 miles) into the remote Outback, Ben Houlihan, who runs the pub in Einasleigh (population 37), is in favour of the Carmichael mine in the undeveloped Galilee basin, proposed by India's Adani Enterprises.

"We need the jobs and the royalties... They're playing a political game with people's livelihoods," he said.

The mine has become a lightning rod for voters ahead of next month's general election, dividing the country as well as Australia's major political parties - the conservative Liberal-National coalition government and the opposition Labor Party.

Both Labour and the Coalition constituents on either side of the issue of climate change, which has rocketed up the agenda after a summer of debilitating drought, devastating bushfires and a once-in-a-hundred-year flood.

While opinion polls point to a victory for Labor, the acrimonious debate over coal and climate has driven some voters towards a growing number of independent candidates.

"I think this is going to be a tight race," said Michael McMillan, strategy director for Townsville Enterprise Ltd, a group promoting investment in the biggest town in north Queensland.

"I think what we've seen play out in relation to the Adani mine will have an influence through the election process. Every job counts. When you have potential parties opposed to mining, that will be considered come polling day."

Queensland is set to be a major battleground in the election, with nearly half its seats on a knife's edge. Labour won Townsville's seat at the last election by just 37 votes.

Unemployment in the city, a stepping off point for the Great Barrier Reef, is at 10 per cent and youth unemployment is running at more than 20 per cent.

"We're beginning to join the dots between activity like mining and burning coal and the impacts on climate," said Peter Jones, a social work lecturer leading a Stop Adani campaign in Townsville, which was ravaged by floods in February.

"Jobs shouldn't be coming at the expense of the environment."

MAJOR PARTIES UNDER FIRE

Far to the south, in the cities of Sydney and Melbourne, the ruling conservative Coalition is under fire for failing to do enough to curb carbon emissions.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison famously brandished a lump of coal, Australia's second largest export earner, in parliament when he was treasurer, taunting the opposition over its renewable energy push.

The Liberals last year lost the long-held seat of former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull to an independent who campaigned strongly on climate policies.

Another ex-prime minister, Tony Abbott, also faces an independent looking to oust him from a seat he has held for 25 years, while Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is battling not one but two independents, both pushing for urgent climate action.

Labor, the traditional workers' party, has its own issues.

It is being torn between its allegiance to the mining union and losing votes to the Greens.

"Tell me what my workers are going to do that pays the same wages and conditions and offers for their family?," trade union spokesman Stephen Smyth, a third generation coal miner, of the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) told Reuters.

Uphill battle

The Carmichael mine, led by Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, has been on the drawing board for nearly a decade, delayed by a long string of legal action from green groups and now held up by regulations under the federal Coalition government and state Labor government.

"We just need the state government to stop shifting the goalposts and get behind us," Adani Mining Chief Executive Lucas Dow said.

"What we are focused on is jobs for people here and in central Queensland. We are tremendously excited and our resolve has hardened if anything," he told Reuters.

But the longer the delay, the more difficult the task for Adani. Worried about a backlash from customers and investors, all of Australia's major banks have declined to fund the project, which has been whittled down to a sixth of its original size.

Both Labor and the Coalition have said the mine needs to stack up on its economic merits and have declined to offer government support.

Last month, one of Australia's top insurers said it would not back any new thermal coal mines, and a judge ruled another coal mine could not go ahead, partly due to emissions targets under the Paris climate agreement.

Meanwhile, Australian coal prices have slumped to $70 from $120 a tonne over the past seven months, raising further questions about whether the project can turn a profit.

This week, Australia's environment minister gave the green light to Adani's groundwater management plan but said the mine still needed nine more approvals.

The lack of support from the capital could trigger a protest vote by those who feel Canberra's decisions do not take their needs into account, said McMillan of Townsville Enterprise.

"We are seeing ourselves again in a two-speed economy. It’s Melbourne and Sydney, and the rest of Australia. And I think you’re going to see that come into play in this next general election."

On the main shopping street in the tropical north Australian city of Townsville, dotted with "For Lease" signs, Chrissa Alexion is adamant a planned $4 billion coal mine should be shelved because of its contribution to climate change.

On the main shopping street in the tropical north Australian city of Townsville, dotted with "For Lease" signs, Chrissa Alexion is adamant a planned $4 billion coal mine should be shelved because of its contribution to climate change. "It's madness," she told Reuters, on holiday from the Queensland state capital. "Jobs are really important but... where I come from in Brisbane, no one wants the mine to go ahead." Some 380 km (235 miles) into the remote Outback, Ben Houlihan, who runs the pub in Einasleigh (population 37), is in favour of the Carmichael mine in the undeveloped Galilee basin, proposed by India's Adani Enterprises. "We need the jobs and the royalties... They're playing a political game with people's livelihoods," he said. The mine has become a lightning rod for voters ahead of next month's general election, dividing the country as well as Australia's major political parties - the conservative Liberal-National coalition government and the opposition Labor Party. Both Labour and the Coalition constituents on either side of the issue of climate change, which has rocketed up the agenda after a summer of debilitating drought, devastating bushfires and a once-in-a-hundred-year flood. While opinion polls point to a victory for Labor, the acrimonious debate over coal and climate has driven some voters towards a growing number of independent candidates. "I think this is going to be a tight race," said Michael McMillan, strategy director for Townsville Enterprise Ltd, a group promoting investment in the biggest town in north Queensland. "I think what we've seen play out in relation to the Adani mine will have an influence through the election process. Every job counts. When you have potential parties opposed to mining, that will be considered come polling day." Queensland is set to be a major battleground in the election, with nearly half its seats on a knife's edge. Labour won Townsville's seat at the last election by just 37 votes. Unemployment in the city, a stepping off point for the Great Barrier Reef, is at 10 per cent and youth unemployment is running at more than 20 per cent. "We're beginning to join the dots between activity like mining and burning coal and the impacts on climate," said Peter Jones, a social work lecturer leading a Stop Adani campaign in Townsville, which was ravaged by floods in February. "Jobs shouldn't be coming at the expense of the environment." MAJOR PARTIES UNDER FIRE Far to the south, in the cities of Sydney and Melbourne, the ruling conservative Coalition is under fire for failing to do enough to curb carbon emissions. Prime Minister Scott Morrison famously brandished a lump of coal, Australia's second largest export earner, in parliament when he was treasurer, taunting the opposition over its renewable energy push. The Liberals last year lost the long-held seat of former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull to an independent who campaigned strongly on climate policies. Another ex-prime minister, Tony Abbott, also faces an independent looking to oust him from a seat he has held for 25 years, while Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is battling not one but two independents, both pushing for urgent climate action. Labor, the traditional workers' party, has its own issues. It is being torn between its allegiance to the mining union and losing votes to the Greens. "Tell me what my workers are going to do that pays the same wages and conditions and offers for their family?," trade union spokesman Stephen Smyth, a third generation coal miner, of the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) told Reuters. Uphill battle The Carmichael mine, led by Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, has been on the drawing board for nearly a decade, delayed by a long string of legal action from green groups and now held up by regulations under the federal Coalition government and state Labor government. "We just need the state government to stop shifting the goalposts and get behind us," Adani Mining Chief Executive Lucas Dow said. "What we are focused on is jobs for people here and in central Queensland. We are tremendously excited and our resolve has hardened if anything," he told Reuters. But the longer the delay, the more difficult the task for Adani. Worried about a backlash from customers and investors, all of Australia's major banks have declined to fund the project, which has been whittled down to a sixth of its original size. Both Labor and the Coalition have said the mine needs to stack up on its economic merits and have declined to offer government support. Last month, one of Australia's top insurers said it would not back any new thermal coal mines, and a judge ruled another coal mine could not go ahead, partly due to emissions targets under the Paris climate agreement. Meanwhile, Australian coal prices have slumped to $70 from $120 a tonne over the past seven months, raising further questions about whether the project can turn a profit. This week, Australia's environment minister gave the green light to Adani's groundwater management plan but said the mine still needed nine more approvals. The lack of support from the capital could trigger a protest vote by those who feel Canberra's decisions do not take their needs into account, said McMillan of Townsville Enterprise. "We are seeing ourselves again in a two-speed economy. It’s Melbourne and Sydney, and the rest of Australia. And I think you’re going to see that come into play in this next general election."

Adani-owned coal mine a flashpoint for Australian election

Democrats on Thursday laid out a "Green New Deal" that would eliminate US greenhouse gas emissions within a decade, an effort to make <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/to-defeat-obesity-hunger-climate-change-govts-must-curb-influence-of-big-corporations-lancet-193275">climate change</a> a central issue in the 2020 presidential race.

The document, unveiled by rising political star Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Edward Markey, marks the first formal attempt by lawmakers to define potential legislation to create big government-led investments in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/world-on-course-to-miss-its-best-chance-of-preventing-runaway-climate-change-study-191884">clean energy</a> and infrastructure to transition the US economy away from fossil fuels.

The plan, which takes the form of a non-binding congressional resolution, outlines some of the most aggressive climate goals ever put forward by Democratic lawmakers and clashes dramatically with the Trump administration's efforts to advance domestic oil, gas and coal production by rolling back environmental protections.

The name, Green New Deal, references the New Deal of the 1930s that President Franklin Roosevelt implemented to aid Americans suffering in the Great Depression by embarking on huge government-led infrastructure projects.

"Today is the day that we choose to assert ourselves as a global leader in transitioning to 100 per cent renewable energy and charting that path,” Ocasio-Cortez told reporters.

The resolution so far has 64 House co-sponsors and nine Senate sponsors - four of whom are Democratic presidential hopefuls for 2020. Senators Kamala Harris, Kirsten Gillibrand, Corey Booker and Elizabeth Warren co-sponsored the resolution.

Ocasio-Cortez said she will immediately begin to work on legislation that would "fully flesh out the projects involved in the Green New Deal."

Republicans have been quick to criticise the initiative, waving off any kind of proposal as heavy-handed. The Trump administration does not believe action on climate change is necessary and is focussed on increasing production of oil, gas and coal on federal and private land.

"It’s a socialist manifesto that lays out a laundry list of government giveaways, including guaranteed food, housing, college, &amp; economic security even for those who refuse to work," Republican Senator John Barrasso, chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works committee, said on Twitter.

The non-binding resolution outlines several goals for the United States, including meeting 100 per cent of power demand from zero-emission energy sources like wind and solar within 10 years.

The plan also calls for new projects to modernize US transportation infrastructure, cut carbon emissions from the manufacturing and agricultural sectors, make buildings and homes more energy efficient and increase land preservation.

The plan is intended to address the latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which said global temperatures must be kept less than 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels to avoid the most severe impacts of a changing climate, the authors of the policy said.

The Green New Deal also aims to create an economic safety net for communities that will be affected by the impacts of climate change and the shift away from fossil fuel use, including through guarantees of healthcare, jobs, and jobs training. It was not clear how the programs would be funded.

"We... need to be sure that workers currently employed in fossil fuel industries have higher wages and better jobs available to them to be able to make this transition, and a federal jobs guarantee ensures that no worker is left behind," according to a summary of the plan.

The Green New Deal was put into the media spotlight by a youth coalition called the Sunrise Movement and Ocasio-Cortez, 29, the youngest woman to serve in Congress.

Members of the group have already put pressure on Democratic presidential hopefuls and plan to continue lobbying members of Congress next week to support the resolution.

Greg Carlock, a climate researcher with Data for Progress who helped author the Green New Deal, said lawmakers who seek middle ground policies on global warming risk losing youth support in future elections.

"They will not accept vague endorsements," he said.

Markey said on Thursday that despite its lofty goals, the Green New Deal has more political momentum than a carbon cap-and-trade legislation he introduced 10 years ago.

"The difference between 2009 and today is the movement that has now been built," he said. "This is going enter the 2020 election cycle as one of the top two or three issues for every candidate on both sides."

Democrats on Thursday laid out a "Green New Deal" that would eliminate US greenhouse gas emissions within a decade, an effort to make climate change a central issue in the 2020 presidential race.

Democrats on Thursday laid out a "Green New Deal" that would eliminate US greenhouse gas emissions within a decade, an effort to make climate change a central issue in the 2020 presidential race. The document, unveiled by rising political star Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Edward Markey, marks the first formal attempt by lawmakers to define potential legislation to create big government-led investments in clean energy and infrastructure to transition the US economy away from fossil fuels. The plan, which takes the form of a non-binding congressional resolution, outlines some of the most aggressive climate goals ever put forward by Democratic lawmakers and clashes dramatically with the Trump administration's efforts to advance domestic oil, gas and coal production by rolling back environmental protections. The name, Green New Deal, references the New Deal of the 1930s that President Franklin Roosevelt implemented to aid Americans suffering in the Great Depression by embarking on huge government-led infrastructure projects. "Today is the day that we choose to assert ourselves as a global leader in transitioning to 100 per cent renewable energy and charting that path,” Ocasio-Cortez told reporters. The resolution so far has 64 House co-sponsors and nine Senate sponsors - four of whom are Democratic presidential hopefuls for 2020. Senators Kamala Harris, Kirsten Gillibrand, Corey Booker and Elizabeth Warren co-sponsored the resolution. Ocasio-Cortez said she will immediately begin to work on legislation that would "fully flesh out the projects involved in the Green New Deal." Republicans have been quick to criticise the initiative, waving off any kind of proposal as heavy-handed. The Trump administration does not believe action on climate change is necessary and is focussed on increasing production of oil, gas and coal on federal and private land. "It’s a socialist manifesto that lays out a laundry list of government giveaways, including guaranteed food, housing, college, & economic security even for those who refuse to work," Republican Senator John Barrasso, chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works committee, said on Twitter. The non-binding resolution outlines several goals for the United States, including meeting 100 per cent of power demand from zero-emission energy sources like wind and solar within 10 years. The plan also calls for new projects to modernize US transportation infrastructure, cut carbon emissions from the manufacturing and agricultural sectors, make buildings and homes more energy efficient and increase land preservation. The plan is intended to address the latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which said global temperatures must be kept less than 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels to avoid the most severe impacts of a changing climate, the authors of the policy said. The Green New Deal also aims to create an economic safety net for communities that will be affected by the impacts of climate change and the shift away from fossil fuel use, including through guarantees of healthcare, jobs, and jobs training. It was not clear how the programs would be funded. "We... need to be sure that workers currently employed in fossil fuel industries have higher wages and better jobs available to them to be able to make this transition, and a federal jobs guarantee ensures that no worker is left behind," according to a summary of the plan. The Green New Deal was put into the media spotlight by a youth coalition called the Sunrise Movement and Ocasio-Cortez, 29, the youngest woman to serve in Congress. Members of the group have already put pressure on Democratic presidential hopefuls and plan to continue lobbying members of Congress next week to support the resolution. Greg Carlock, a climate researcher with Data for Progress who helped author the Green New Deal, said lawmakers who seek middle ground policies on global warming risk losing youth support in future elections. "They will not accept vague endorsements," he said. Markey said on Thursday that despite its lofty goals, the Green New Deal has more political momentum than a carbon cap-and-trade legislation he introduced 10 years ago. "The difference between 2009 and today is the movement that has now been built," he said. "This is going enter the 2020 election cycle as one of the top two or three issues for every candidate on both sides."

US democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduces 'Green New Deal' to end fossil fuel era

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