A leading United Nations climate expert has warned that extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and more severe as global temperatures continue to rise. Scientists say that climate change is accelerating the intensity of storms, floods, heatwaves, and other natural disasters across the world. The growing pattern suggests that extreme weather may no longer be an exception but the new normal. Experts are urging immediate global action to reduce emissions and strengthen climate resilience before impacts become irreversible and more widespread.

Extreme Weather Becoming The New Normal 

An ancient river landscape has been revealed due to global warming. It was preserved underneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet for millions of years.&nbsp;

A new study, published on Tuesday (Oct 24) in Nature Communications, has unveiled that the landscape is bigger than Belgium.&nbsp;

The study further states that the land space has remained untouched for potentially more than 34 million years.&nbsp;

However, the British and American researchers have warned that human-led global warming could threaten to expose it.&nbsp;

Stewart Jamieson, a glaciologist at the UK's Durham University and the lead author of the study, told news agency AFP: "It is an undiscovered landscape - no one's laid eyes on it."&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/supercomputer-simulations-unveils-new-mysteries-of-universe-651119">Scientists have created an 'identical twin' universe using the biggest supercomputer</a>&nbsp;

"What is exciting is that it's been hiding there in plain sight," Jamieson added. He said that the researchers had not used new data, only a new approach.&nbsp;

Jamieson said that the land underneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet is less well-known than the surface of Mars.&nbsp;

He said that the main way to "see" beneath it is by using the radio-echo-sounding technique, which means sending radio waves from overhead into the ice and analysing the echoes.&nbsp;

However,&nbsp;this comes with a challenge as doing this across the continent would pose a massive challenge as Antarctica is bigger than Europe.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/californias-supervolcano-shows-signs-of-activity-over-2000-earthquakes-rumble-beneath-valley-650724">California's supervolcano shows signs of activity, over 2,000 earthquakes rumble beneath valley</a>

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This graphic was published by&nbsp;Nature Communications.&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;Alaska Air pilot in aborted flight said he used 'magic' mushrooms, documents show

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Jamieson said that the researchers then used existing satellite images of the surface to "trace out the valleys and ridges" more than two kilometres below.&nbsp;

He added that the undulating ice surface is a "ghost image" that drapes gently over these spikier features.&nbsp;

An image emerged of a river-carved landscape of plunging valleys and sharply peaked hills when they combined with radio-echo-sounding data. It was similar to some currently on the Earth's surface.&nbsp;

Jamieson said that it was like looking out the window of a long-haul flight and seeing a mountainous region below. He said that the area was once home to trees, forests and probably animals, but then it got "frozen in time" after the ice came along.&nbsp;

The researchers are not sure when sunshine last touched this hidden world, but they assume that it has been at least 14 million years.&nbsp;

An ancient river landscape has been revealed due to global warming. It was preserved underneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet for millions of years. A new study, published on Tuesday (Oct 24) in Nature Communications, has unveiled that the landscape is bigger than Belgium.

An ancient river landscape has been revealed due to global warming. It was preserved underneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet for millions of years. A new study, published on Tuesday (Oct 24) in Nature Communications, has unveiled that the landscape is bigger than Belgium. The study further states that the land space has remained untouched for potentially more than 34 million years. However, the British and American researchers have warned that human-led global warming could threaten to expose it. Stewart Jamieson, a glaciologist at the UK's Durham University and the lead author of the study, told news agency AFP: "It is an undiscovered landscape - no one's laid eyes on it." Also read: Scientists have created an 'identical twin' universe using the biggest supercomputer "What is exciting is that it's been hiding there in plain sight," Jamieson added. He said that the researchers had not used new data, only a new approach. Jamieson said that the land underneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet is less well-known than the surface of Mars. He said that the main way to "see" beneath it is by using the radio-echo-sounding technique, which means sending radio waves from overhead into the ice and analysing the echoes. However, this comes with a challenge as doing this across the continent would pose a massive challenge as Antarctica is bigger than Europe. Also read: California's supervolcano shows signs of activity, over 2,000 earthquakes rumble beneath valley This graphic was published by Nature Communications. Watch: Alaska Air pilot in aborted flight said he used 'magic' mushrooms, documents show × Jamieson said that the researchers then used existing satellite images of the surface to "trace out the valleys and ridges" more than two kilometres below. He added that the undulating ice surface is a "ghost image" that drapes gently over these spikier features. An image emerged of a river-carved landscape of plunging valleys and sharply peaked hills when they combined with radio-echo-sounding data. It was similar to some currently on the Earth's surface. Jamieson said that it was like looking out the window of a long-haul flight and seeing a mountainous region below. He said that the area was once home to trees, forests and probably animals, but then it got "frozen in time" after the ice came along. The researchers are not sure when sunshine last touched this hidden world, but they assume that it has been at least 14 million years.

This river landscape was 'frozen in time', hidden for millions of years, till global warming revealed it

There can be no sea ice left in the Arctic roughly a decade earlier than expected, warned scientists in another sign of the climate crisis accelerating faster than expected as pollution continues to heat the planet.

Journal Nature Communications published a new study on Tuesday which stated that Arctic sea ice is likely to completely disappear during the month of September in the 2030s.&nbsp;

The scientists stated that even if planet-heating pollution is significantly reduced, the sea ice in the Arctic may still disappear in summer by the 2050s.

The changes from 1979 to 2019 were analysed by the researchers, as they compared different satellite data and climate models to understand how Arctic sea ice was changing.

It was understood that sea ice was declining largely because of human-caused, planet-heating pollution, and Arctic sea ice melting trends were underestimated by the previous models.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/soviet-era-rocket-makes-re-entry-to-earth-near-the-arctic-564684">Soviet-era rocket launched in 1980 makes re-entry, falls in Arctic region of Russia</a>

“We were surprised to find that the ice-free Arctic will be there in summer irrespective of our effort at reducing emissions, which was not expected,” stated Seung-Ki Min, lead author of the study and professor at Pohang University of Science and Technology in South Korea, while speaking to CNN.

During the winter, Arctic ice builds up and then melts in the summer months, generally hitting its lowest levels in September, before the cycle starts again.

"Once Arctic summers become ice-free, the buildup of sea ice in the colder seasons will be much slower," Min stated.&nbsp;

With a ‘higher emissions pathway’, &nbsp;in which fossil fuels continue to be burned and levels of planet-warming pollution continue to increase, the study emphasises on complete loss of sea ice in the Arctic from August until as late as October before the 2080s, said Min.&nbsp;

<h2>Study in contrast with the UN’s report&nbsp;</h2>

The findings of the study are in contrast with the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s 2021 state-of-the-science report which stated that the Arctic would be “practically ice-free near mid-century under intermediate and high greenhouse gas emissions scenarios.”

Min said that the new study shows that ice-free Arctic can occur 10 years earlier than expected, regardless of emission scenarios.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;Arctic is warming quadruple times faster than the world, research tells

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Researcher with the Finnish Meteorological Institute and the 2022 study's lead author Mika Rantanen said that the study benefited from “novel and state-of-the-art methodology” for predicting when the Arctic will go ice-free.

“The methodology is very careful and brings a high degree of certainty in the attribution,” stated Rantanen, who was not a part of the study.&nbsp;

“The most striking result is not that the sea ice loss is attributed to greenhouse gas increases, which was already largely known, but that they project the ice-free Arctic earlier than previously thought by about a decade," he added.&nbsp;

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The ice-free conditions will impact Arctic indigenous communities as their hunting and traveling will be affected. Animals that depend on sea ice will feel the impact.&nbsp;“As Arctic warming is enhanced, permafrost will also melt earlier and many species, including polar bears, walruses and reindeer, will have trouble surviving,” added Min. 
 
 
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There can be no sea ice left in the Arctic roughly a decade earlier than expected, warned scientists in another sign of the climate crisis accelerating faster than expected as pollution continues to heat the planet.

There can be no sea ice left in the Arctic roughly a decade earlier than expected, warned scientists in another sign of the climate crisis accelerating faster than expected as pollution continues to heat the planet. Journal Nature Communications published a new study on Tuesday which stated that Arctic sea ice is likely to completely disappear during the month of September in the 2030s. The scientists stated that even if planet-heating pollution is significantly reduced, the sea ice in the Arctic may still disappear in summer by the 2050s. The changes from 1979 to 2019 were analysed by the researchers, as they compared different satellite data and climate models to understand how Arctic sea ice was changing. It was understood that sea ice was declining largely because of human-caused, planet-heating pollution, and Arctic sea ice melting trends were underestimated by the previous models. ALSO READ | Soviet-era rocket launched in 1980 makes re-entry, falls in Arctic region of Russia “We were surprised to find that the ice-free Arctic will be there in summer irrespective of our effort at reducing emissions, which was not expected,” stated Seung-Ki Min, lead author of the study and professor at Pohang University of Science and Technology in South Korea, while speaking to CNN. During the winter, Arctic ice builds up and then melts in the summer months, generally hitting its lowest levels in September, before the cycle starts again. "Once Arctic summers become ice-free, the buildup of sea ice in the colder seasons will be much slower," Min stated. With a ‘higher emissions pathway’, in which fossil fuels continue to be burned and levels of planet-warming pollution continue to increase, the study emphasises on complete loss of sea ice in the Arctic from August until as late as October before the 2080s, said Min. Study in contrast with the UN’s report The findings of the study are in contrast with the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s 2021 state-of-the-science report which stated that the Arctic would be “practically ice-free near mid-century under intermediate and high greenhouse gas emissions scenarios.” Min said that the new study shows that ice-free Arctic can occur 10 years earlier than expected, regardless of emission scenarios. WATCH | Arctic is warming quadruple times faster than the world, research tells Researcher with the Finnish Meteorological Institute and the 2022 study's lead author Mika Rantanen said that the study benefited from “novel and state-of-the-art methodology” for predicting when the Arctic will go ice-free. “The methodology is very careful and brings a high degree of certainty in the attribution,” stated Rantanen, who was not a part of the study. “The most striking result is not that the sea ice loss is attributed to greenhouse gas increases, which was already largely known, but that they project the ice-free Arctic earlier than previously thought by about a decade," he added. The ice-free conditions will impact Arctic indigenous communities as their hunting and traveling will be affected. Animals that depend on sea ice will feel the impact. “As Arctic warming is enhanced, permafrost will also melt earlier and many species, including polar bears, walruses and reindeer, will have trouble surviving,” added Min. 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.

Arctic could be ice-free in summer by 2030s. Previous models underestimated trends, say experts

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned that the world is already only a few tenths of a degree away from the global target of limiting warming to 1.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned that the world is already only a few tenths of a degree away from the global target of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. In its latest report on climate change, released on Monday (March 20), the IPCC said that there are multiple, feasible and effective options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to human-caused climate change. "This Synthesis Report underscores the urgency of taking more ambitious action and shows that if we act now, we can still secure a liveable sustainable future for all," the report said. Back in 2018, the IPCC highlighted the unprecedented scale of the challenge needed to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. But five years later, this challenge has even become greater because of a continued increase in greenhouse gas emissions. If left unchecked, climate change will undo a lot of the progress made over the past years in development. So what is climate change, what are its consequences and what are the solutions? What is climate change? According to the United Nations (UN), climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. The UN says that these shifts may be natural, such as through variations in the solar cycle. Climate change can affect our health, ability to grow food, housing, safety and work. "Some of us are already more vulnerable to climate impacts, such as people living in small island nations and other developing countries," the UN says. "Conditions like sea-level rise and saltwater intrusion have advanced to the point where whole communities have had to relocate, and protracted droughts are putting people at risk of famine. In the future, the number of “climate refugees” is expected to rise," it adds. What are the consequences? The UN says that the consequences of climate change include intense droughts, water scarcity, severe fires, rising sea levels, melting polar ice, catastrophic storms and declining biodiversity. What happens if climate change is left unchecked? If left unchecked, climate change can undo a lot of the progress made over the past years in development. It can also exacerbate threats such as food and water scarcity, which can lead to conflict. The UN says that doing nothing will end up costing a lot more than if actions are taken now that will lead to more jobs, greater prosperity, and better lives for all while reducing greenhouse emissions and building climate resilience. Is climate change affecting people's lives? Yes, people's lives are being affected by climate change. Severe weather and rising sea levels are affecting people and their properties in developed and developing countries. The UN points out that climate change is especially affecting the poor and vulnerable, as well as marginalised groups like women, children and the elderly. What are the solutions? Climate change can be addressed, but the efforts have to be ramped up. The UN says that countries must transform their energy, industries, transport, food, agriculture and forestry systems to ensure that rise in global temperatures can be limited to well below two degrees, perhaps even 1.5. "We also need to anticipate, adapt and become resilient to the current and future impacts of climate change," the UN says. It points out that many climate change solutions can deliver economic benefits while improving lives, and protecting the environment. The UN also says that switching energy systems from fossil fuels to renewables like solar or wind will reduce the emissions driving climate change. Switching energy systems from fossil fuels to renewables like solar or wind will reduce the emissions driving climate change. "But we have to start right now. While a growing coalition of countries is committing to net zero emissions by 2050, about half of emissions cuts must be in place by 2030 to keep warming below 1.5°C. Fossil fuel production must decline by roughly 6 per cent per year between 2020 and 2030." The importance of keeping warming below 1.5ºCelsius In several UN reports, thousands of scientists and government reviewers have agreed that limiting global temperature rise to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius would help avoid the worst climate impacts and maintain a livable climate. Yet policies which are currently in place point to a 2.8°C temperature rise by the end of the century. The Synthesis report on Monday said that if temperatures are to be kept to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, deep, rapid, and sustained greenhouse gas emissions reductions will be needed in all sectors this decade. Emissions need to go down and be cut by almost half by 2030, if this goal has any chance of being achieved. On Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the report as a “how-to guide to defuse the climate time bomb.” Guterres proposed to the G20 a "Climate Solidarity Pact,” where big emitters would make extra efforts to cut emissions, and wealthier countries would mobilise financial and technical resources to support emerging economies in a common effort to ensure that global temperatures do not rise by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. (With inputs from agencies) 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.

Explained: What is climate change? What are its consequences? | A lowdown

Scotland has banned use of desflurane, an anaesthetic which poses a tremendous threat to the environment. In doing so, Scotland has become first country in the world to take such a step. According to UK's National Health Service (NHS), desflurane has a global warming potential 2500 times than that of carbon dioxide. Desflurane is commonly used to put a patient to sleep before a surgery.

Scottish ban on desflurane would cut emissions equal to powering 1700 homes a year.

Many hospitals in other parts of UK have started cutting down use of desflurane. BBC reported that 40 hospital trusts in England and a number of hospitals in Wales have stopped using desflurane.

NHS England is planning to introduce a ban on use of desflurane. Once in place, it would cut emissions equal to powering 11,000 homes every year.

It is expected that other countries, including those in Europe would impose ban on the use of desflurane.

"I realised in 2017 that the amount of desflurane we used in a typical day's work as an anaesthetist resulted in emissions equivalent to me driving 670 miles that day," said Dr Kenneth Barker, anaesthetist and clinical lead for Scotland's national green theatres programme.

"I decided to stop using it straight away and many fellow anaesthetists have got on board," he was quoted as saying&nbsp;by the BBC.

"When you are faced with something as obvious as this and with the significance it has to the environment - I am very glad we have got to this stage."

(With inputs from agencies)

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Scotland has banned use of desflurane, an anaesthetic which poses a tremendous threat to the environment. In doing so, Scotland has become first country in the world to take such a step.

Scotland has banned use of desflurane, an anaesthetic which poses a tremendous threat to the environment. In doing so, Scotland has become first country in the world to take such a step. According to UK's National Health Service (NHS), desflurane has a global warming potential 2500 times than that of carbon dioxide. Desflurane is commonly used to put a patient to sleep before a surgery. Scottish ban on desflurane would cut emissions equal to powering 1700 homes a year. Many hospitals in other parts of UK have started cutting down use of desflurane. BBC reported that 40 hospital trusts in England and a number of hospitals in Wales have stopped using desflurane. NHS England is planning to introduce a ban on use of desflurane. Once in place, it would cut emissions equal to powering 11,000 homes every year. It is expected that other countries, including those in Europe would impose ban on the use of desflurane. "I realised in 2017 that the amount of desflurane we used in a typical day's work as an anaesthetist resulted in emissions equivalent to me driving 670 miles that day," said Dr Kenneth Barker, anaesthetist and clinical lead for Scotland's national green theatres programme. "I decided to stop using it straight away and many fellow anaesthetists have got on board," he was quoted as saying by the BBC. "When you are faced with something as obvious as this and with the significance it has to the environment - I am very glad we have got to this stage." (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Scotland first to ban anaesthetic agent having global warming potential

Due to the fear that global warming is making coffee plantations less productive and causing deforestation, researchers are working on developing sustainable coffee in a lab.<o:p></o:p>

A team of researchers from a Finnish technical research institute VTT&nbsp;are trying to develop coffee in a petri dish, instead of growing it in plantations.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/drinking-coffee-reduces-risk-of-contracting-coronavirus-study-397490">Drinking coffee reduces risk of contracting coronavirus: Study</a></o:p>

The idea of carrying out this discovery came as experts believe that the coffee grown in petri dishes can help avoid several environmental pitfalls that are related to mass production of the drink.<o:p></o:p>

"Coffee is of course a problematic product," Heiko Rischer&nbsp;told news agency AFP. "There is the transport issue, the fossil fuel use... so it totally makes sense to look for alternatives."<o:p></o:p>

As per the experts, coffee plantations are becoming less productive due to global warming. So, the planters are now turning their attention towards chopping off more forests to make more readily available land. This is bringing a catastrophic negative effect on the Earth.

<o:p>Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/study-finds-that-pets-are-at-risk-of-covid-infection-from-their-owners-not-the-other-way-around-397250">Study finds that pets are at risk of covid infection from their owners, not the other way around</a></o:p>

So, in order to remove the negative effects, the scientists are now looking for alternatives to growing coffee in traditional way. "There is the transport issue, the fossil fuel use... so it totally makes sense to look for alternatives," Rischer said.<o:p></o:p>

Scientists have developed coffee from petri dish and the experts are aiming to duplicate, if not make it better, the taste of the plantation-grown coffee. For now, sensory analysts have been set up with the task of trying the newly-developed coffee.<o:p></o:p>

However, these experts are only allowed to taste and spit the coffee, and not swallow it. "Compared to regular coffee, the cellular coffee is less bitter," research scientist Heikki Aisala told AFP. "But that being said, we really have to admit that we are not professional coffee roasters and a lot of the flavour generation actually happens in the roasting process."<o:p></o:p>

Due to the fear that global warming is making coffee plantations less productive and causing deforestation, researchers are working on developing sustainable coffee in a lab.

Due to the fear that global warming is making coffee plantations less productive and causing deforestation, researchers are working on developing sustainable coffee in a lab. A team of researchers from a Finnish technical research institute VTT are trying to develop coffee in a petri dish, instead of growing it in plantations. Also read | Drinking coffee reduces risk of contracting coronavirus: Study The idea of carrying out this discovery came as experts believe that the coffee grown in petri dishes can help avoid several environmental pitfalls that are related to mass production of the drink. "Coffee is of course a problematic product," Heiko Rischer told news agency AFP. "There is the transport issue, the fossil fuel use... so it totally makes sense to look for alternatives." As per the experts, coffee plantations are becoming less productive due to global warming. So, the planters are now turning their attention towards chopping off more forests to make more readily available land. This is bringing a catastrophic negative effect on the Earth. Also read | Study finds that pets are at risk of covid infection from their owners, not the other way around So, in order to remove the negative effects, the scientists are now looking for alternatives to growing coffee in traditional way. "There is the transport issue, the fossil fuel use... so it totally makes sense to look for alternatives," Rischer said. Scientists have developed coffee from petri dish and the experts are aiming to duplicate, if not make it better, the taste of the plantation-grown coffee. For now, sensory analysts have been set up with the task of trying the newly-developed coffee. However, these experts are only allowed to taste and spit the coffee, and not swallow it. "Compared to regular coffee, the cellular coffee is less bitter," research scientist Heikki Aisala told AFP. "But that being said, we really have to admit that we are not professional coffee roasters and a lot of the flavour generation actually happens in the roasting process."

Straight from petri dish? Scientists create lab-grown coffee to avoid 'environmental pitfalls'

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.

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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

According to a study, the South Pole has been heating up three times the global rate.

Scientists had earlier believed that the South Pole was immune to warming due to its cold temperature but a new study in Nature revealed&nbsp;that "the South Pole has experienced a record-high statistically significant warming of 0.61 ± 0.34 °C per decade".

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/scientists-prepare-a-map-of-antarctica-turning-green-due-to-climate-change-300122">Also Read: Scientists prepare a map of Antarctica turning green due to climate change</a>

Researchers in the United States, New Zealand and Britain while analysing weather data of the past 60 years concluded that the South Pole was experiencing "accelerated warming".

The research showed that the region had undergone warming of more than 1.83 C since 1989 worrying nature experts. The study found that warm ocean temperatures had over the decades lowered atmospheric pressure over the Weddell Sea in the southern Atlantic leading to the incease in the flow of warm air directly over the South Pole.

The researchers attributed the change in climate at the South Pole to the phenomenon known as the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO) when the cycle lasts for about 15-30 years oscillating between "positive" and "negative" state.

Nature said: "These results underscore the intimate linkage of interior Antarctic climate to tropical variability," while adding,"this study shows that atmospheric internal variability can induce extreme regional climate change over the Antarctic interior, which has masked anthropogenic warming signal there during the twenty-first century."

According to a study, the South Pole has been heating up three times the global rate. Scientists had earlier believed that the South Pole was immune to warming due to its cold temperature but a new study in Nature revealed that "the South Pole has experienced a record-high statistically significant warming of 0.

According to a study, the South Pole has been heating up three times the global rate. Scientists had earlier believed that the South Pole was immune to warming due to its cold temperature but a new study in Nature revealed that "the South Pole has experienced a record-high statistically significant warming of 0.61 ± 0.34 °C per decade". Also Read: Scientists prepare a map of Antarctica turning green due to climate change Researchers in the United States, New Zealand and Britain while analysing weather data of the past 60 years concluded that the South Pole was experiencing "accelerated warming". The research showed that the region had undergone warming of more than 1.83 C since 1989 worrying nature experts. The study found that warm ocean temperatures had over the decades lowered atmospheric pressure over the Weddell Sea in the southern Atlantic leading to the incease in the flow of warm air directly over the South Pole. The researchers attributed the change in climate at the South Pole to the phenomenon known as the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO) when the cycle lasts for about 15-30 years oscillating between "positive" and "negative" state. Nature said: "These results underscore the intimate linkage of interior Antarctic climate to tropical variability," while adding,"this study shows that atmospheric internal variability can induce extreme regional climate change over the Antarctic interior, which has masked anthropogenic warming signal there during the twenty-first century."

South Pole warming faster than rest of Earth: Study

“India will be the first major country to experience urbanisation after the Paris Agreement.” &nbsp;I was attending a panel called 'Urban Skylines of the Future'&nbsp;at the 2020 Jaipur Literature Festival when Professor Navroz K Dubash from India’s Centre for Policy Research made this statement.&nbsp;

The panel was hosted in response to a UN report that claimed that by 2050, 35 per cent of the world’s urban population growth will happen in Nigeria, China, and India, with India responsible for the greatest portion of that growth. &nbsp;

Earlier in the day, I attended a session, also featuring Professor Dubash, with journalist David Wallace-Wells, author of the 2017 landmark climate piece, 'The Uninhabitable Earth.'&nbsp;Last year, Wallace-Wells released a full book edition of the piece, which paints, in heavily researched, terrifying detail, the worst case (but certainly not impossible) scenario if humans do not act fast to slash our carbon emissions, protect biodiversity, and take the steps available to us to prevent runaway climate change. &nbsp;

These two sessions put into stark relief a question that I have been wrestling with since I first arrived and started working in India a few months ago - can a fast-growing country like India develop both quickly and sustainably? Or put more fundamentally: Are economic development and environmental sustainability even compatible? &nbsp;

Which brings me back to Professor Dubash’s statement—“India will be the first major country to experience urbanisation after the Paris Agreement.” Whether your source material is the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s landmark 2018 report (which gives us roughly a decade to make major changes if we are to avert the most serious consequences of climate change by limiting temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius), Wallace-Wells’ book (which shows us a near-future world with social and ecological collapse), or some other research-based publication, the urgency of climate change is clear. But as I’ve quickly learned - whether in conversations with peers and coworkers, through readings, or through the panels I attended—the fair question comes up about who bears the responsibility for solving the climate crisis? &nbsp;

We can look at the list of countries most responsible for the historical emissions that are largely responsible for the climate crisis—the top 10 being the US, China, Russia, Germany, UK, Japan, France, India, Canada, and Ukraine.&nbsp; 
 
Contrasting this to the 10 countries most impacted by climate change today—Japan, Philippines, Germany, Madagascar, India, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Rwanda, Canada, Fiji - we see some overlap, but generally, climate change can be perceived as a problem caused by the Global North that devastates the Global South. As these countries work to develop and urbanise, is it the responsibility of poorer, more vulnerable countries to solve a problem they didn’t create?

In fact, when we look to the behaviours of small island nations, we can see that they clearly recognise the existential threat that climate change poses to them, and have made major commitments when it comes to reducing their emissions, greening their infrastructure, and making sure they are designing for a resilient future. Their ability to change the global trajectory, however, is unfortunately limited, unless the most major polluters step up and change their ways. &nbsp;

But this is where India has a particularly interesting role to play: It holds the unfortunate distinction of being both one of the world’s fastest-growing and most major polluters, and one of the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. In fact, during Wallace-Wells and Dubash’s panel, one of the panellists shared the fact that India will bear a disproportionate burden of the world’s climate impact because of its population density, geography, and inequality.

To me, in this sobering position, there is an exciting possibility for India. Unlike many countries which have largely completed their urbanisation, India has the opportunity to create a blueprint for what it looks like for a massive country to urbanise in an era where carbon neutrality is imperative. India has to find ways of tackling climate risks - extreme heat waves, drought, air pollution, floods and other natural disasters while addressing major urbanisation realities like transportation, energy, construction, supply chain management, and sanitation.

If India is able to innovate its way into a low to no carbon future, imagine the precedent it could set for other countries—big and small, high and low polluting—all across the world. While climate change will, over time, impact all of the top 10 polluters on the list, India must address the problem with an even greater sense of urgency given the impact its already having on its population (just look at 2019’s flooding, heatwaves, delayed monsoon, and more). Beyond solving a problem for its own people, India could help safeguard the futures for other countries as well - stepping into an even greater international leadership role. &nbsp;

(A previous version of this article was <a href="https://aif.org/urbanization-after-paris-part-1/">originally published </a>by the American India Foundation)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

“India will be the first major country to experience urbanisation after the Paris Agreement.” I was attending a panel called 'Urban Skylines of the Future' at the 2020 Jaipur Literature Festival when Professor Navroz K Dubash from India’s Centre for Policy Research made this statement.

“India will be the first major country to experience urbanisation after the Paris Agreement.”  I was attending a panel called 'Urban Skylines of the Future' at the 2020 Jaipur Literature Festival when Professor Navroz K Dubash from India’s Centre for Policy Research made this statement. The panel was hosted in response to a UN report that claimed that by 2050, 35 per cent of the world’s urban population growth will happen in Nigeria, China, and India, with India responsible for the greatest portion of that growth.  Earlier in the day, I attended a session, also featuring Professor Dubash, with journalist David Wallace-Wells, author of the 2017 landmark climate piece, 'The Uninhabitable Earth.' Last year, Wallace-Wells released a full book edition of the piece, which paints, in heavily researched, terrifying detail, the worst case (but certainly not impossible) scenario if humans do not act fast to slash our carbon emissions, protect biodiversity, and take the steps available to us to prevent runaway climate change.  These two sessions put into stark relief a question that I have been wrestling with since I first arrived and started working in India a few months ago - can a fast-growing country like India develop both quickly and sustainably? Or put more fundamentally: Are economic development and environmental sustainability even compatible?  Which brings me back to Professor Dubash’s statement—“India will be the first major country to experience urbanisation after the Paris Agreement.” Whether your source material is the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s landmark 2018 report (which gives us roughly a decade to make major changes if we are to avert the most serious consequences of climate change by limiting temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius), Wallace-Wells’ book (which shows us a near-future world with social and ecological collapse), or some other research-based publication, the urgency of climate change is clear. But as I’ve quickly learned - whether in conversations with peers and coworkers, through readings, or through the panels I attended—the fair question comes up about who bears the responsibility for solving the climate crisis?  We can look at the list of countries most responsible for the historical emissions that are largely responsible for the climate crisis—the top 10 being the US, China, Russia, Germany, UK, Japan, France, India, Canada, and Ukraine. Contrasting this to the 10 countries most impacted by climate change today—Japan, Philippines, Germany, Madagascar, India, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Rwanda, Canada, Fiji - we see some overlap, but generally, climate change can be perceived as a problem caused by the Global North that devastates the Global South. As these countries work to develop and urbanise, is it the responsibility of poorer, more vulnerable countries to solve a problem they didn’t create? In fact, when we look to the behaviours of small island nations, we can see that they clearly recognise the existential threat that climate change poses to them, and have made major commitments when it comes to reducing their emissions, greening their infrastructure, and making sure they are designing for a resilient future. Their ability to change the global trajectory, however, is unfortunately limited, unless the most major polluters step up and change their ways.  But this is where India has a particularly interesting role to play: It holds the unfortunate distinction of being both one of the world’s fastest-growing and most major polluters, and one of the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. In fact, during Wallace-Wells and Dubash’s panel, one of the panellists shared the fact that India will bear a disproportionate burden of the world’s climate impact because of its population density, geography, and inequality. To me, in this sobering position, there is an exciting possibility for India. Unlike many countries which have largely completed their urbanisation, India has the opportunity to create a blueprint for what it looks like for a massive country to urbanise in an era where carbon neutrality is imperative. India has to find ways of tackling climate risks - extreme heat waves, drought, air pollution, floods and other natural disasters while addressing major urbanisation realities like transportation, energy, construction, supply chain management, and sanitation. If India is able to innovate its way into a low to no carbon future, imagine the precedent it could set for other countries—big and small, high and low polluting—all across the world. While climate change will, over time, impact all of the top 10 polluters on the list, India must address the problem with an even greater sense of urgency given the impact its already having on its population (just look at 2019’s flooding, heatwaves, delayed monsoon, and more). Beyond solving a problem for its own people, India could help safeguard the futures for other countries as well - stepping into an even greater international leadership role.  (A previous version of this article was originally published by the American India Foundation) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Blog: India has to find ways of tackling climate risks

This year winter in France has so far remain mildest and this had a direct impact on key resorts which is situated in France. Tha lack of snow has forced resorts to shut down its key runs in midseason.