The world is getting hotter by the day and it is all our fault. If left unchecked, climate change is going to threaten every aspect of our lives.&nbsp; 
 
The current aim is to control temperature rise within 1.5 degree celsius. But the world is already about 1.2 C warmer than it was at the end of the 19th century. Its effects are already being felt across the world.&nbsp; 
 
This year alone, countries in Europe, the US and India have all recorded extreme rainfall, leading to heavy flooding and loss of lives.&nbsp; 
 
Countries in West Asia, Africa and North America have experienced extreme heatwaves.&nbsp;

There were 47,057 wildfires in the United States from January 2021 to October this year.&nbsp; 
 
But the good news is that the world is finally paying attention. Countries around the world are taking steps to cut carbon emissions, with the likes of the European Union and China aiming to reach net zero emissions by the middle of this century.&nbsp; 
 
But while governments are responsible for taking steps to implement environment friendly policy, you and I also have the power to implement changes in our daily lives that, in the long run, will help.&nbsp;

Here are the things that we can do: 
 
Shop wisely&nbsp; 
 
Before you even step out to shop, make sure you have a reusable shopping bag, made from natural material like jute. Always choose reusable over single use. This way, not only will you have less trash to deal with, but so will the environment.&nbsp; 
 
Avoid using plastic as much as possible. This includes your plastic bags, bottles, cups, straws, plates, fruit and vegetable packaging. It is a difficult material to decompose, so it sticks around the environment for ages, harming wildlife and marine life in the process.&nbsp; 
 
<img alt="bottles" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3e837112-ca1c-45fb-86fd-77c8452f42bb" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%283%29_121.jpg" /> 
 
Employees sort bottles in a plastic recycling factory near Nairobi, Kenya. (Reuters Photo) 
 
Shopping second hand is another way to help out. It takes 700 gallons of water to grow enough cotton to make just one plain T-shirt. Choose to shop at a thrift or vintage shop. Repurpose old cloths. This also applies to other consumer goods like toys, shoes, appliances, furniture, cars and more. Upcycling is a great way to turn trash to treasure.&nbsp; 
 
Watch what you eat&nbsp; 
 
Food production is a major driver of wildlife extinction. It is also a major contributor of greenhouse gas emissions and is responsible for 60% of biodiversity loss. Farming animals for meat and dairy requires large quantities of water and feed. Producing meat also creates more carbon dioxide than vegetables, grains and legumes. Shifting to a plant-based diet will not only help the environment but also your food expenditure.&nbsp; 
Travel responsibly&nbsp; 
 
One of the most efficient ways of lowering your impact on the environment is to reduce carbon footprint caused by travel. Walk, cycle or use the public transport whenever you need to travel anywhere. Take fewer flights. Shift to using an electric car if possible.&nbsp;

Conserve natural resources

We are taught in school that the earth has limited natural resources. Recycling goes a long way in reducing waste that could end up in a landfill. Conserve water and electricity. Use energy efficient bulbs, insulate your home better, buy energy star- certified appliances if you need to upgrade your appliances. You can use your purchasing power for good. What better way to use your hard-earned money than to protect the planet?&nbsp;

Use your voice&nbsp;

It is up to our generation to save our planet. Speaking up is one of the most powerful things you can do. Not only to politicians, brands and businesses but also to people around you who might not know better. Use your voice not only to advocate, but also to educate. Social media is an effective way to amplify your message and reach a wider audience. Even creating awareness in your own family and friends can lead to positive outcomes.&nbsp;

Now it may not be possible for one individual to do all the things listed. A lot of it also depends on socio-economic factors and the country you live in. But I hope you'll agree &nbsp;that doing even a little goes a long way if everyone does it.&nbsp;

The world is getting hotter by the day and it is all our fault. If left unchecked, climate change is going to threaten every aspect of our lives. The current aim is to control temperature rise within 1.

The world is getting hotter by the day and it is all our fault. If left unchecked, climate change is going to threaten every aspect of our lives. The current aim is to control temperature rise within 1.5 degree celsius. But the world is already about 1.2 C warmer than it was at the end of the 19th century. Its effects are already being felt across the world. This year alone, countries in Europe, the US and India have all recorded extreme rainfall, leading to heavy flooding and loss of lives. Countries in West Asia, Africa and North America have experienced extreme heatwaves. There were 47,057 wildfires in the United States from January 2021 to October this year. But the good news is that the world is finally paying attention. Countries around the world are taking steps to cut carbon emissions, with the likes of the European Union and China aiming to reach net zero emissions by the middle of this century. But while governments are responsible for taking steps to implement environment friendly policy, you and I also have the power to implement changes in our daily lives that, in the long run, will help. Here are the things that we can do: Shop wisely Before you even step out to shop, make sure you have a reusable shopping bag, made from natural material like jute. Always choose reusable over single use. This way, not only will you have less trash to deal with, but so will the environment. Avoid using plastic as much as possible. This includes your plastic bags, bottles, cups, straws, plates, fruit and vegetable packaging. It is a difficult material to decompose, so it sticks around the environment for ages, harming wildlife and marine life in the process. Employees sort bottles in a plastic recycling factory near Nairobi, Kenya. (Reuters Photo) Shopping second hand is another way to help out. It takes 700 gallons of water to grow enough cotton to make just one plain T-shirt. Choose to shop at a thrift or vintage shop. Repurpose old cloths. This also applies to other consumer goods like toys, shoes, appliances, furniture, cars and more. Upcycling is a great way to turn trash to treasure. Watch what you eat Food production is a major driver of wildlife extinction. It is also a major contributor of greenhouse gas emissions and is responsible for 60% of biodiversity loss. Farming animals for meat and dairy requires large quantities of water and feed. Producing meat also creates more carbon dioxide than vegetables, grains and legumes. Shifting to a plant-based diet will not only help the environment but also your food expenditure. Travel responsibly One of the most efficient ways of lowering your impact on the environment is to reduce carbon footprint caused by travel. Walk, cycle or use the public transport whenever you need to travel anywhere. Take fewer flights. Shift to using an electric car if possible. Conserve natural resources We are taught in school that the earth has limited natural resources. Recycling goes a long way in reducing waste that could end up in a landfill. Conserve water and electricity. Use energy efficient bulbs, insulate your home better, buy energy star- certified appliances if you need to upgrade your appliances. You can use your purchasing power for good. What better way to use your hard-earned money than to protect the planet? Use your voice It is up to our generation to save our planet. Speaking up is one of the most powerful things you can do. Not only to politicians, brands and businesses but also to people around you who might not know better. Use your voice not only to advocate, but also to educate. Social media is an effective way to amplify your message and reach a wider audience. Even creating awareness in your own family and friends can lead to positive outcomes. Now it may not be possible for one individual to do all the things listed. A lot of it also depends on socio-economic factors and the country you live in. But I hope you'll agree that doing even a little goes a long way if everyone does it.

Fighting climate change. What can you do to help?

We are bombarded with news of global warming each day. We know how the ice caps are melting thereby raising sea levels and affecting local habitat. But a positive news has come from the Pacific Arctic. Scientists have reported cooling for the first time in this region.

This has translated to more retention of ice and return of polar bears.

The merry news has been reported by Sputnik that has quoted a scientist.

"Primarily, we can talk about temperature drop in Chukotka and Alaska, because there, no walruses were this year on the spots [at the shore] that they were occupying for the past 20 years… This is not anomaly, but a return to normalcy. The anomaly was during the past 20 years, during the warming. Now the ice is not that heavy as it was 40 years ago, for example, but close to it. I am happy for walruses and bears, as all of them got a respite," said Anatoly Kochnev as quoted by Sputnik. Kochnev is a researcher at Beringia national park and an expert in sea mammals.

He said that the ice in coastal waters did not melt even in summer. This led to return of walruses.

When there is no ice, polar bears cannot hunt for seals. Retention of ice has meant that seals reappeared and polar bear got their preferred food, Polar bears prefer to hunt seals than walruses. However, if ice recedes, polar bears are forced to hunt for seals.

Polar bear is an endangered animal and cooling of Pacific Arctic region is surely is good sign.

We are bombarded with news of global warming each day. We know how the ice caps are melting thereby raising sea levels and affecting local habitat. But a positive news has come from the Pacific Arctic.

We are bombarded with news of global warming each day. We know how the ice caps are melting thereby raising sea levels and affecting local habitat. But a positive news has come from the Pacific Arctic. Scientists have reported cooling for the first time in this region. This has translated to more retention of ice and return of polar bears. The merry news has been reported by Sputnik that has quoted a scientist. "Primarily, we can talk about temperature drop in Chukotka and Alaska, because there, no walruses were this year on the spots [at the shore] that they were occupying for the past 20 years… This is not anomaly, but a return to normalcy. The anomaly was during the past 20 years, during the warming. Now the ice is not that heavy as it was 40 years ago, for example, but close to it. I am happy for walruses and bears, as all of them got a respite," said Anatoly Kochnev as quoted by Sputnik. Kochnev is a researcher at Beringia national park and an expert in sea mammals. He said that the ice in coastal waters did not melt even in summer. This led to return of walruses. When there is no ice, polar bears cannot hunt for seals. Retention of ice has meant that seals reappeared and polar bear got their preferred food, Polar bears prefer to hunt seals than walruses. However, if ice recedes, polar bears are forced to hunt for seals. Polar bear is an endangered animal and cooling of Pacific Arctic region is surely is good sign.

Polar bears return to Pacific Arctic for first time in 20 years

Climate change is an “emerging threat” to the stability of the U.S. financial system, top federal regulators warned in a report Thursday, setting the stage for the Biden administration to take more aggressive regulatory action to prevent climate change from upending global markets and the economy.

The report, produced by the Financial Stability Oversight Council, is the clearest expression of alarm to date about the risks that rising temperatures and seas pose to the economy and could herald sweeping changes to the kinds of investments made by banks and other financial institutions.

It was released as President Joe Biden and senior administration officials prepare to attend the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, where the United States will try to demonstrate to the world that it is serious about addressing the climate threat. Biden’s climate agenda has stalled in Congress, leaving financial regulation as one of the few areas he can point to as evidence of his commitment on warming.

The Biden administration also released a series of reports Thursday on the threat that climate change poses to national security, saying it increases the risks of conflict within and between countries and could potentially displace tens of millions of people around the world.

The report by the Financial Stability Oversight Council, which is led by the Treasury secretary and includes leaders from the major financial regulatory agencies, portrayed the financial threat of climate change in stark terms. Higher temperatures are leading to more natural disasters, such as hurricanes, wildfires and floods. These, in turn, are resulting in damaged property, lost income and disruptions to business activity that threaten to alter how assets, such as real estate, are valued.

At the same time, the move away from fossil fuels could cause a sudden drop in the price of stocks and other assets tied to oil, gas, coal and other energy companies, or sectors that rely on them such as carmakers and heavy manufacturing. Such a shift could hurt the stock market, retirement savings and other parts of the financial sector.

“The financial sector may experience credit and markets risks associated with loss of income, defaults and changes in the value of assets,” the report said, adding that liquidity and legal risks are also concerns.

The council warned that low-income communities and people of color were disproportionately at risk from climate change because they lacked the resources to protect their properties and weather a loss of income. This dynamic threatens to exacerbate income inequality in the United States.

The report made a series of broad recommendations; however, it avoided the type of policy prescriptions that environmental groups and progressive Democrats have been demanding from the Biden administration. For instance, it did not recommend that banks be subjected to tougher rules such as assessing their ability to withstand climate-related losses, new capital requirements or curbs on extending financing to fossil fuel companies.

Nor did it include specific timelines or other milestones that it wants financial regulatory agencies to meet.

The report did recommend the formation of a financial risk committee, more rigorous analysis of the effects of climate change on the insurance industry and greater coordination with climate experts to better understand the economic and financial effect of the emerging threat.

The council did say it supports work that the Securities and Exchange Commission is doing to develop rules that could require companies to disclose how climate change risks could affect their operations or earnings. It added that regulators should review whether to require banks to report more information about their climate-related risks. The council includes the leaders of the SEC, the Federal Reserve and other banking regulators.

The Biden administration has previously said climate change is an existential crisis, but large portions of its climate agenda remain stalled in Congress. Environmental groups have argued that the Biden administration is not acting quickly or ambitiously enough after four years during which the Trump administration dismissed the threat of climate change and rolled back environmental safeguards.

Some environmental groups have suggested that the recommendations were scaled back because Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who chairs the council, was seeking a consensus document that would be acceptable to all members. Two members — Jerome Powell from the Fed and Jelena McWilliams from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. — were appointed to lead their agencies by former President Donald Trump. McWilliams was the lone member of the council who abstained from voting to endorse the report Thursday.

Yellen, who will travel to Glasgow for the U.N. conference next month, hailed the significance of the report at the council’s meeting Thursday.

“It’s a critical first step forward in addressing the threat of climate change, and it will by no means be the end of this work,” Yellen said.

Ben Cushing, manager of the Sierra Club’s Fossil-Free Finance campaign, said the report was a step in the right direction but that it needed to be more bold. He said Wall Street firms were contributing to the climate crisis and that regulators must rein them in.

“Secretary Yellen’s report lays out preliminary steps to make the financial industry more transparent and accountable for their growing climate risks, but it’s also a missed opportunity to recommend actions that actually reduce climate risk and limit Wall Street’s toxic investments in the fossil fuels that are driving the crisis,” Cushing said.

The next step is for the various financial regulators to act on the warnings in the report, said Steven M. Rothstein, managing director of the Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets, which works with investors to address climate risks.

“Banks, insurance and fossil fuel companies should be on notice,” Rothstein said. “Each agency must now provide specific timelines when they plan to put in place measures to protect the safety and soundness of our financial system, our institutions, our savings and our communities.”

Climate change is an “emerging threat” to the stability of the U.S. financial system, top federal regulators warned in a report Thursday, setting the stage for the Biden administration to take more aggressive regulatory action to prevent climate change from upending global markets and the economy.

Climate change is an “emerging threat” to the stability of the U.S. financial system, top federal regulators warned in a report Thursday, setting the stage for the Biden administration to take more aggressive regulatory action to prevent climate change from upending global markets and the economy. The report, produced by the Financial Stability Oversight Council, is the clearest expression of alarm to date about the risks that rising temperatures and seas pose to the economy and could herald sweeping changes to the kinds of investments made by banks and other financial institutions. It was released as President Joe Biden and senior administration officials prepare to attend the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, where the United States will try to demonstrate to the world that it is serious about addressing the climate threat. Biden’s climate agenda has stalled in Congress, leaving financial regulation as one of the few areas he can point to as evidence of his commitment on warming. The Biden administration also released a series of reports Thursday on the threat that climate change poses to national security, saying it increases the risks of conflict within and between countries and could potentially displace tens of millions of people around the world. The report by the Financial Stability Oversight Council, which is led by the Treasury secretary and includes leaders from the major financial regulatory agencies, portrayed the financial threat of climate change in stark terms. Higher temperatures are leading to more natural disasters, such as hurricanes, wildfires and floods. These, in turn, are resulting in damaged property, lost income and disruptions to business activity that threaten to alter how assets, such as real estate, are valued. At the same time, the move away from fossil fuels could cause a sudden drop in the price of stocks and other assets tied to oil, gas, coal and other energy companies, or sectors that rely on them such as carmakers and heavy manufacturing. Such a shift could hurt the stock market, retirement savings and other parts of the financial sector. “The financial sector may experience credit and markets risks associated with loss of income, defaults and changes in the value of assets,” the report said, adding that liquidity and legal risks are also concerns. The council warned that low-income communities and people of color were disproportionately at risk from climate change because they lacked the resources to protect their properties and weather a loss of income. This dynamic threatens to exacerbate income inequality in the United States. The report made a series of broad recommendations; however, it avoided the type of policy prescriptions that environmental groups and progressive Democrats have been demanding from the Biden administration. For instance, it did not recommend that banks be subjected to tougher rules such as assessing their ability to withstand climate-related losses, new capital requirements or curbs on extending financing to fossil fuel companies. Nor did it include specific timelines or other milestones that it wants financial regulatory agencies to meet. The report did recommend the formation of a financial risk committee, more rigorous analysis of the effects of climate change on the insurance industry and greater coordination with climate experts to better understand the economic and financial effect of the emerging threat. The council did say it supports work that the Securities and Exchange Commission is doing to develop rules that could require companies to disclose how climate change risks could affect their operations or earnings. It added that regulators should review whether to require banks to report more information about their climate-related risks. The council includes the leaders of the SEC, the Federal Reserve and other banking regulators. The Biden administration has previously said climate change is an existential crisis, but large portions of its climate agenda remain stalled in Congress. Environmental groups have argued that the Biden administration is not acting quickly or ambitiously enough after four years during which the Trump administration dismissed the threat of climate change and rolled back environmental safeguards. Some environmental groups have suggested that the recommendations were scaled back because Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who chairs the council, was seeking a consensus document that would be acceptable to all members. Two members — Jerome Powell from the Fed and Jelena McWilliams from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. — were appointed to lead their agencies by former President Donald Trump. McWilliams was the lone member of the council who abstained from voting to endorse the report Thursday. Yellen, who will travel to Glasgow for the U.N. conference next month, hailed the significance of the report at the council’s meeting Thursday. “It’s a critical first step forward in addressing the threat of climate change, and it will by no means be the end of this work,” Yellen said. Ben Cushing, manager of the Sierra Club’s Fossil-Free Finance campaign, said the report was a step in the right direction but that it needed to be more bold. He said Wall Street firms were contributing to the climate crisis and that regulators must rein them in. “Secretary Yellen’s report lays out preliminary steps to make the financial industry more transparent and accountable for their growing climate risks, but it’s also a missed opportunity to recommend actions that actually reduce climate risk and limit Wall Street’s toxic investments in the fossil fuels that are driving the crisis,” Cushing said. The next step is for the various financial regulators to act on the warnings in the report, said Steven M. Rothstein, managing director of the Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets, which works with investors to address climate risks. “Banks, insurance and fossil fuel companies should be on notice,” Rothstein said. “Each agency must now provide specific timelines when they plan to put in place measures to protect the safety and soundness of our financial system, our institutions, our savings and our communities.”

US warns climate poses ‘emerging threat’ to financial system

Scientists say global warming can damage our kidneys. We wouldn't know until it's too late, and our kidneys are in their end-stage. Palki Sharma brings you a report.

Gravitas: Can climate change damage our kidneys?

Experts have warned that the Maldives might disappear in the next 100 years, its existence is threatened by rising sea levels.

Maldives might end in 2100, government urges rich nations to meet emissions target

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, said Reuters quoting India's Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav. The climate summit is expected to boost efforts for steeper emissions cut tp tackle global warming.

Amid uncertainty over Chinese President Xi Jinping's presence in the summit, the attendance of PM Modi is seen as critical.&nbsp;

India is world's third-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases. China has more emissions than India.

Both nations, which have not yet come forward with stronger pledges to cut emissions, known as nationally determined contributions or NDCs, face pressure to do so at the conference.

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"The prime minister is going to Glasgow," Indian Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said in an interview, adding that the country was doing more than its bit in tackling climate change.

"India's NDCs are quite ambitious," Yadav told Reuters. "We are doing more than our fair share. Our NDCs are more progressive than major polluters."

The country is on track to increase green energy capacity to 450 GW by 2030, he said. It has installed more than 100 GW of renewable energy, which accounts for more than 25% of overall capacity.

Growing public pressure for action on climate change has spurred promises by countries and companies worldwide to contribute to the effort, which will be reviewed and amended at Glasgow.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/president-putin-wont-attend-cop26-climate-summit-at-glasgow-kremlin-422349">President Putin won't attend COP26 climate summit at Glasgow: Kremlin</a>

Energy-hungry India has not yet committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, considered a vital goal in limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Its cabinet, chaired by Modi, will decide the position to be taken at COP26, most probably within a week, a spokesperson of the environment ministry said.

Government sources have told Reuters that India was unlikely to bind itself to a goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, as tougher deadlines would hit demand growth projected to outstrip that of any other nation over the next two decades.

Last month, India's chief economic adviser K.V. Subramanian said rich nations needed to commit much more than $100 billion to help poor countries fight climate change, due to their high historical share of emissions.

"Even today, India's per capita greenhouse emission is one-third of the world average," Yadav, the minister, said.

About 120 countries have submitted revised NDCs, but there is a lack of consistency with no common timeframe for meeting pledges.

(With inputs from agencies)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, said Reuters quoting India's Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav. The climate summit is expected to boost efforts for steeper emissions cut tp tackle global warming.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, said Reuters quoting India's Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav. The climate summit is expected to boost efforts for steeper emissions cut tp tackle global warming. Amid uncertainty over Chinese President Xi Jinping's presence in the summit, the attendance of PM Modi is seen as critical. India is world's third-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases. China has more emissions than India. Both nations, which have not yet come forward with stronger pledges to cut emissions, known as nationally determined contributions or NDCs, face pressure to do so at the conference. × "The prime minister is going to Glasgow," Indian Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said in an interview, adding that the country was doing more than its bit in tackling climate change. "India's NDCs are quite ambitious," Yadav told Reuters. "We are doing more than our fair share. Our NDCs are more progressive than major polluters." The country is on track to increase green energy capacity to 450 GW by 2030, he said. It has installed more than 100 GW of renewable energy, which accounts for more than 25% of overall capacity. Growing public pressure for action on climate change has spurred promises by countries and companies worldwide to contribute to the effort, which will be reviewed and amended at Glasgow. Also Read | President Putin won't attend COP26 climate summit at Glasgow: Kremlin Energy-hungry India has not yet committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, considered a vital goal in limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Its cabinet, chaired by Modi, will decide the position to be taken at COP26, most probably within a week, a spokesperson of the environment ministry said. Government sources have told Reuters that India was unlikely to bind itself to a goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, as tougher deadlines would hit demand growth projected to outstrip that of any other nation over the next two decades. Last month, India's chief economic adviser K.V. Subramanian said rich nations needed to commit much more than $100 billion to help poor countries fight climate change, due to their high historical share of emissions. "Even today, India's per capita greenhouse emission is one-third of the world average," Yadav, the minister, said. About 120 countries have submitted revised NDCs, but there is a lack of consistency with no common timeframe for meeting pledges. (With inputs from agencies)

PM Modi to attend COP26 climate summit in Glasgow: Report

Turkmenistan's methane emissions are becoming a significant concern for the rest of the planet.

Methane, which is colourless and odourless, is the most abundant component of natural gas and may leak in massive quantities from energy plants whose management does not care to stop it.

That does not appear to be the case in the huge, sparsely inhabited nation.

Turkmenistan accounted for 31 of the 50 most severe methane emissions at onshore oil and gas activities studied by monitoring firm Kayrros SAS during 2019.&nbsp;

While shorter-lived and less common than carbon dioxide, methane is far more effective at trapping heat, making its short-term global warming impact more than 80 times higher.

Human activities account for around 60% of global methane emissions, with agriculture, waste disposal, and fossil fuel production accounting for the majority.

According to the Environmental Defense Fund, human-caused methane is responsible for at least 25% of today's global warming.

Stopping such emissions, according to the United Nations Environmental Programme's latest Global Methane Assessment, is the best option for quickly slowing global warming.

Methane-hunting satellites have made a number of other worrying finds in the last year.

Among them: despite the pandemic, methane emissions from Russian oil and gas activities increased by 32% in 2020.

Satellites also detected significant emissions from a dump in Bangladesh, a natural gas field in Canada, and coal mines in the US Appalachian Basin.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Turkmenistan's methane emissions are becoming a significant concern for the rest of the planet. Methane, which is colourless and odourless, is the most abundant component of natural gas and may leak in massive quantities from energy plants whose management does not care to stop it.

Turkmenistan's methane emissions are becoming a significant concern for the rest of the planet. Methane, which is colourless and odourless, is the most abundant component of natural gas and may leak in massive quantities from energy plants whose management does not care to stop it. That does not appear to be the case in the huge, sparsely inhabited nation. Turkmenistan accounted for 31 of the 50 most severe methane emissions at onshore oil and gas activities studied by monitoring firm Kayrros SAS during 2019. While shorter-lived and less common than carbon dioxide, methane is far more effective at trapping heat, making its short-term global warming impact more than 80 times higher. Human activities account for around 60% of global methane emissions, with agriculture, waste disposal, and fossil fuel production accounting for the majority. According to the Environmental Defense Fund, human-caused methane is responsible for at least 25% of today's global warming. Stopping such emissions, according to the United Nations Environmental Programme's latest Global Methane Assessment, is the best option for quickly slowing global warming. Methane-hunting satellites have made a number of other worrying finds in the last year. Among them: despite the pandemic, methane emissions from Russian oil and gas activities increased by 32% in 2020. Satellites also detected significant emissions from a dump in Bangladesh, a natural gas field in Canada, and coal mines in the US Appalachian Basin. (With inputs from agencies)

Turkmenistan: One of the world’s worst emitters of planet-warming methane

A report by the UN's Environment Program found that nations are planning to produce more than double the amount of coal, oil, and gas consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Merely ten days ahead of a climate summit that is being hailed as the key to the viability of the Paris Agreement temperature goals, the UNEP says that government plans for fossil fuel production this decade were "dangerously out of sync" with the needed emissions cuts.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/majority-of-fossil-fuels-should-remain-in-ground-to-fight-climate-change-crisis-411955">Majority of fossil fuels should 'remain in ground' to fight climate change crisis</a>

According to the UN, in order to limit warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, emissions must fall nearly 50 per cent by 2030 and to net-zero by mid-century.

However, the Production Gap report found that fossil fuel production would probably increase until at least 2040.

The report indicated that government plans are for about 240 per cent more coal, 57 per cent more oil and 71 per cent more natural gas production by 2030 than what the 1.5C target allows.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/climate-report-must-be-death-knell-for-fossil-fuels-un-chief-404307">Climate report must be 'death knell' for fossil fuels: UN chief</a>

This decade, development plans would produce 110 per cent more fossil fuels than consistent to limiting global warming to 1.5C and 45 per cent more than necessary to limit global warming to 2C.

"The research is clear: global coal, oil and gas production must start declining immediately and steeply to be consistent with limiting long-term warming to 1.5C," said Ploy Achakulwisut, a lead report author from the Stockholm Environment Institute.

"However, governments continue to plan for and support levels of fossil fuel production that are vastly in excess of what we can safely burn."

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>

Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, countries committed to cutting emissions by sweeping amounts to limit warming to between 1.5C and 2C. Additionally, every five years, each signatory is required to submit plans called National Determined Contributions, or NDCs, to reduce its emissions.

Watch |&nbsp;Scientists call for 'Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty'

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The UN said in an assessment last month that, "if" countries' latest NDCs are fulfilled, Earth will still be facing a "catastrophic" 2.7C of warming by 2100.

1.1C of warming has already increased the frequency of droughts, flooding, and storms, which are exacerbated by rising sea levels.

(With inputs from agencies)

A report by the UN's Environment Program found that nations are planning to produce more than double the amount of coal, oil, and gas consistent with limiting global warming to 1.

A report by the UN's Environment Program found that nations are planning to produce more than double the amount of coal, oil, and gas consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Merely ten days ahead of a climate summit that is being hailed as the key to the viability of the Paris Agreement temperature goals, the UNEP says that government plans for fossil fuel production this decade were "dangerously out of sync" with the needed emissions cuts. Also read | Majority of fossil fuels should 'remain in ground' to fight climate change crisis According to the UN, in order to limit warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, emissions must fall nearly 50 per cent by 2030 and to net-zero by mid-century. However, the Production Gap report found that fossil fuel production would probably increase until at least 2040. The report indicated that government plans are for about 240 per cent more coal, 57 per cent more oil and 71 per cent more natural gas production by 2030 than what the 1.5C target allows. Also read | Climate report must be 'death knell' for fossil fuels: UN chief This decade, development plans would produce 110 per cent more fossil fuels than consistent to limiting global warming to 1.5C and 45 per cent more than necessary to limit global warming to 2C. "The research is clear: global coal, oil and gas production must start declining immediately and steeply to be consistent with limiting long-term warming to 1.5C," said Ploy Achakulwisut, a lead report author from the Stockholm Environment Institute. "However, governments continue to plan for and support levels of fossil fuel production that are vastly in excess of what we can safely burn." Also read | Upcoming UN climate report presents 'starkest warning yet' Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, countries committed to cutting emissions by sweeping amounts to limit warming to between 1.5C and 2C. Additionally, every five years, each signatory is required to submit plans called National Determined Contributions, or NDCs, to reduce its emissions. Watch | Scientists call for 'Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty' The UN said in an assessment last month that, "if" countries' latest NDCs are fulfilled, Earth will still be facing a "catastrophic" 2.7C of warming by 2100. 1.1C of warming has already increased the frequency of droughts, flooding, and storms, which are exacerbated by rising sea levels. (With inputs from agencies)

Planned fossil fuel production 'dangerously out of sync' with needed emissions cuts: UN

Climate change will cause many of Africa's rare glaciers to disappear within the next two decades, a new report warns. This comes amid sweeping predictions of extreme suffering for the continent that contributes least to global warming, yet suffers the most.

This report by the World Meteorological Organisation and other agencies, released just ahead of the UN climate conference starting Oct. 31, provides a grim reminder.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/cop26-queen-finds-world-leaders-irritating-because-they-only-talk-and-dont-act-420982" hreflang="en">COP26: Queen finds world leaders 'irritating' because they only 'talk' and don't 'act'</a>

Despite the 54 African&nbsp;countries being responsible for less than 4 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, Africa's 1.3 billion people are extremely vulnerable, as the continent continues to warm at a faster rate than the world average.

According to the new report, the shrinking glaciers of Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Kenya, and the Rwenzori Mountains in Uganda are symbolic of the rapid and widespread changes to come.

The report goes on to say that&nbsp;Africa's current retreat rates are higher than the global average, and if this pattern continues, the continent will suffer total deglaciation by the mid-2040s.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/climate-change-could-sink-small-states-says-commonwealth-chief-420623" hreflang="en">Climate change could sink small states, says Commonwealth chief</a>

WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas spoke at the report launch on Tuesday and said that Massive displacement, hunger and increasing climate shocks such as droughts and flooding are in the future, yet the lack of climate data in parts of Africa "is having a major impact" on disaster warnings for millions of people.

Leonel Correia Sacko with the African Union Commission writes in the report,&nbsp;“Not only are physical conditions getting worse, but also the number of people being affected is increasing.”

Sacko adds that up to 118 million extremely poor people; those living on less than $1.90 a day, will be exposed to drought, floods, and extreme heat by 2030 if proper measures are not taken.

Watch |&nbsp;Climate crisis hits South Africa's Cape Town

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/climate-crisis-hits-south-africas-cape-town-412585/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Even though the African continent faces significant threats, African voices are underrepresented at global climate meetings and among those who write the most important scientific assessments of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

The amount of African contributions to IPCC reports is extremely low, according to a multi-country research project called Future Climate for Africa.

UN reports that famine-like conditions have already been created by climate change on Madagascar, an island nation in the Indian Ocean.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/madagascar-prays-for-rain-as-un-warns-of-climate-change-famine-420184" hreflang="en">Madagascar prays for rain as U.N. warns of 'climate change famine'</a>

The costs ahead are enormous. The report estimates that the cost of climate adaptation for sub-Saharan Africa will be between $30 and $50 billion each year over the next decade or about two to three per cent of GDP.

“The cost of adapting to climate change in Africa will rise to $50 billion per year by 2050, even assuming the international efforts to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius.”

Climate change will cause many of Africa's rare glaciers to disappear within the next two decades, a new report warns. This comes amid sweeping predictions of extreme suffering for the continent that contributes least to global warming, yet suffers the most.

Climate change will cause many of Africa's rare glaciers to disappear within the next two decades, a new report warns. This comes amid sweeping predictions of extreme suffering for the continent that contributes least to global warming, yet suffers the most. This report by the World Meteorological Organisation and other agencies, released just ahead of the UN climate conference starting Oct. 31, provides a grim reminder. Also read | COP26: Queen finds world leaders 'irritating' because they only 'talk' and don't 'act' Despite the 54 African countries being responsible for less than 4 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, Africa's 1.3 billion people are extremely vulnerable, as the continent continues to warm at a faster rate than the world average. According to the new report, the shrinking glaciers of Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Kenya, and the Rwenzori Mountains in Uganda are symbolic of the rapid and widespread changes to come. The report goes on to say that Africa's current retreat rates are higher than the global average, and if this pattern continues, the continent will suffer total deglaciation by the mid-2040s. Also read | Climate change could sink small states, says Commonwealth chief WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas spoke at the report launch on Tuesday and said that Massive displacement, hunger and increasing climate shocks such as droughts and flooding are in the future, yet the lack of climate data in parts of Africa "is having a major impact" on disaster warnings for millions of people. Leonel Correia Sacko with the African Union Commission writes in the report, “Not only are physical conditions getting worse, but also the number of people being affected is increasing.” Sacko adds that up to 118 million extremely poor people; those living on less than $1.90 a day, will be exposed to drought, floods, and extreme heat by 2030 if proper measures are not taken. Watch | Climate crisis hits South Africa's Cape Town Even though the African continent faces significant threats, African voices are underrepresented at global climate meetings and among those who write the most important scientific assessments of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The amount of African contributions to IPCC reports is extremely low, according to a multi-country research project called Future Climate for Africa. UN reports that famine-like conditions have already been created by climate change on Madagascar, an island nation in the Indian Ocean. Also read | Madagascar prays for rain as U.N. warns of 'climate change famine' The costs ahead are enormous. The report estimates that the cost of climate adaptation for sub-Saharan Africa will be between $30 and $50 billion each year over the next decade or about two to three per cent of GDP. “The cost of adapting to climate change in Africa will rise to $50 billion per year by 2050, even assuming the international efforts to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius.”

Africa: The continent with low emissions and high suffering, risks losing rare glaciers to global warming

Some of the world's smallest countries could "disappear" without action at an upcoming UN summit to contain&nbsp;climate&nbsp;change, the secretary general of the Commonwealth warned in a Wednesday interview.

"The threat to the 42 small states in existential," Baroness Patricia Scotland told AFP. "People say that as if it does not mean what it says -- namely these small states will disappear."

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The Dominica-born lawyer and former British government minister, who leads the Commonwealth association of former countries of the British empire, was speaking during a visit to Rome that included talks with Pope Francis.

She said some of the Commonwealth's smallest members, like the low-lying Pacific islands of Tuvalu and Nauru, were "looking for new places to go" because "the sea level rises are so dangerous now".

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/in-a-bid-to-combat-climate-impact-cut-carbon-footprint-germany-unveils-synthetic-kerosene-plant-418471" hreflang="en">In a bid to combat climate impact, cut carbon footprint, Germany unveils synthetic kerosene plant</a>

She also decried the devastating impact of more frequent hurricanes, including in her native country.&nbsp;

"Dominica usually looks like a Garden of Eden," she said. But after 2017's Hurricane Maria "even the bark of trees had been stripped, there was not one green leaf left. It was like Armageddon".&nbsp;

UN&nbsp;climate&nbsp;talks in the Scottish city of Glasgow from October 31 to November 12 are aimed at securing a global deal on decarbonising world economies and charting humanity's path away from catastrophic global warming.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/alaskas-famous-fish-salmon-getting-smaller-due-to-climate-change-study-417842" hreflang="en">Alaska's famous fish, Salmon, getting smaller due to climate change: Study</a>

Scotland insisted that humanity had "no choice" but to act, noting that poor nations exposed to&nbsp;climate&nbsp;change&nbsp;also need extensive debt and vaccine relief. &nbsp;

"We are all in the same storm, but we're definitely not all in the same boat," she said.

The Commonwealth brings together 54 countries and 2.6 billion people, and the baroness is its first female leader.

Her term was supposed to end in 2020, but a summit to decide whether to reappoint her or replace her has been postponed twice due to the coronavirus pandemic.&nbsp;

"I certainly have so much work still to do that I would very much expect to still be in my position, but it is a matter for member states to decide," she said.

Some of the world's smallest countries could "disappear" without action at an upcoming UN summit to contain climate change, the secretary general of the Commonwealth warned in a Wednesday interview.

Some of the world's smallest countries could "disappear" without action at an upcoming UN summit to contain climate change, the secretary general of the Commonwealth warned in a Wednesday interview. "The threat to the 42 small states in existential," Baroness Patricia Scotland told AFP. "People say that as if it does not mean what it says -- namely these small states will disappear." The Dominica-born lawyer and former British government minister, who leads the Commonwealth association of former countries of the British empire, was speaking during a visit to Rome that included talks with Pope Francis. She said some of the Commonwealth's smallest members, like the low-lying Pacific islands of Tuvalu and Nauru, were "looking for new places to go" because "the sea level rises are so dangerous now". Also read | In a bid to combat climate impact, cut carbon footprint, Germany unveils synthetic kerosene plant She also decried the devastating impact of more frequent hurricanes, including in her native country. "Dominica usually looks like a Garden of Eden," she said. But after 2017's Hurricane Maria "even the bark of trees had been stripped, there was not one green leaf left. It was like Armageddon". UN climate talks in the Scottish city of Glasgow from October 31 to November 12 are aimed at securing a global deal on decarbonising world economies and charting humanity's path away from catastrophic global warming. Also read | Alaska's famous fish, Salmon, getting smaller due to climate change: Study Scotland insisted that humanity had "no choice" but to act, noting that poor nations exposed to climate change also need extensive debt and vaccine relief. "We are all in the same storm, but we're definitely not all in the same boat," she said. The Commonwealth brings together 54 countries and 2.6 billion people, and the baroness is its first female leader. Her term was supposed to end in 2020, but a summit to decide whether to reappoint her or replace her has been postponed twice due to the coronavirus pandemic. "I certainly have so much work still to do that I would very much expect to still be in my position, but it is a matter for member states to decide," she said.

Climate change could sink small states, says Commonwealth chief

Madagascar prays for rain as U.N. warns of 'climate change famine'

Bangladesh has been urged to build a stronger health system to deal with an increase in climate-sensitive diseases. The impact of changing weather patterns due to climate change on public health is a crucial concern for vulnerable countries.

A recent World Bank study, titled 'Climate Afflictions Report' finds that changes in climatic conditions have caused an increase in cases of respiratory, waterborne, and mosquito-borne diseases in Bangladesh.

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-hospitals-run-out-of-beds-on-dengue-surge-419622">Pakistan hospitals run out of beds on dengue surge</a>

The study predicts that as climate change continues, Bangladesh will witness more physical health issues. According to it, the most vulnerable will be children and the elderly, as well as those living in large cities such as Dhaka and Chittagong.

According to Mercy Tembon, the World Bank's country director for Bangladesh and Bhutan: "Bangladesh has remarkably tackled climate change challenges, despite being among the most vulnerable countries. It has built resilience against natural disasters and introduced homegrown solutions to improve agricultural productivity.

"With more evidence showing a pronounced impact of climate change on physical and mental health, Bangladesh needs to build on its success in adaptations to ensure a stronger health system that averts outbreaks of emerging climate-sensitive diseases."

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eco-anxiety-fear-of-environmental-damage-affecting-mental-health-of-people-418987">‘Eco-anxiety’: Fear of environmental damage affecting mental health of people</a>

Data shows that, over the past 40 years, Bangladesh's temperature has risen by 0.5 degrees Celsius, with the summer getting hotter and longer, the winter getting warmer, and the monsoon season extending from February to October.

According to the report, Bangladesh's temperature will rise by 1.4 degrees Celsius by 2050.

The report claims that erratic weather conditions were key to the outbreak of dengue in Dhaka city in 2019. At the time, 77 per cent of the country's total number of dengue-related deaths occurred there.

The city recorded more than three times the average amount of rainfall in February and high temperatures and humidity between March and July of that year.

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/cop26-must-address-unprecedented-climate-crisis-pope-francis-warns-418150">COP26 must address 'unprecedented' climate crisis, Pope Francis warns</a>

Compared to the monsoon, the likelihood of contracting an infectious disease is about 20 percentage points lower in the dry season, said the report.

With rising temperatures and humidity, the risk of respiratory illness increases as well.

As per the World Bank report, for every degree Celsius climb in temperature, people are more likely to suffer from respiratory illnesses by 5.7 percentage points, while every per cent rise in humidity amounts to 1.5 percentage points more chances of catching a respiratory infection.

Watch | Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina addresses UNGA; climate change, equitable vaccine distribution top focus

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/bangladesh-pm-sheikh-hasina-addresses-unga-climate-change-equitable-vaccine-distribution-top-focus-415741/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"Going forward, by ensuring stronger data collection, Bangladesh can better track the evolution of climate-sensitive diseases," said Iffat Mahmud, World Bank senior operations officer and co-author of the report.

"Particularly by recording accurate weather data at local levels and linking it with health data, it will be possible to predict potential disease outbreaks and to establish a climate-based dengue early warning system," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)

Bangladesh has been urged to build a stronger health system to deal with an increase in climate-sensitive diseases. The impact of changing weather patterns due to climate change on public health is a crucial concern for vulnerable countries.

Bangladesh has been urged to build a stronger health system to deal with an increase in climate-sensitive diseases. The impact of changing weather patterns due to climate change on public health is a crucial concern for vulnerable countries. A recent World Bank study, titled 'Climate Afflictions Report' finds that changes in climatic conditions have caused an increase in cases of respiratory, waterborne, and mosquito-borne diseases in Bangladesh. Also read | Pakistan hospitals run out of beds on dengue surge The study predicts that as climate change continues, Bangladesh will witness more physical health issues. According to it, the most vulnerable will be children and the elderly, as well as those living in large cities such as Dhaka and Chittagong. According to Mercy Tembon, the World Bank's country director for Bangladesh and Bhutan: "Bangladesh has remarkably tackled climate change challenges, despite being among the most vulnerable countries. It has built resilience against natural disasters and introduced homegrown solutions to improve agricultural productivity. "With more evidence showing a pronounced impact of climate change on physical and mental health, Bangladesh needs to build on its success in adaptations to ensure a stronger health system that averts outbreaks of emerging climate-sensitive diseases." Also read | ‘Eco-anxiety’: Fear of environmental damage affecting mental health of people Data shows that, over the past 40 years, Bangladesh's temperature has risen by 0.5 degrees Celsius, with the summer getting hotter and longer, the winter getting warmer, and the monsoon season extending from February to October. According to the report, Bangladesh's temperature will rise by 1.4 degrees Celsius by 2050. The report claims that erratic weather conditions were key to the outbreak of dengue in Dhaka city in 2019. At the time, 77 per cent of the country's total number of dengue-related deaths occurred there. The city recorded more than three times the average amount of rainfall in February and high temperatures and humidity between March and July of that year. Also read | COP26 must address 'unprecedented' climate crisis, Pope Francis warns Compared to the monsoon, the likelihood of contracting an infectious disease is about 20 percentage points lower in the dry season, said the report. With rising temperatures and humidity, the risk of respiratory illness increases as well. As per the World Bank report, for every degree Celsius climb in temperature, people are more likely to suffer from respiratory illnesses by 5.7 percentage points, while every per cent rise in humidity amounts to 1.5 percentage points more chances of catching a respiratory infection. Watch | Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina addresses UNGA; climate change, equitable vaccine distribution top focus "Going forward, by ensuring stronger data collection, Bangladesh can better track the evolution of climate-sensitive diseases," said Iffat Mahmud, World Bank senior operations officer and co-author of the report. "Particularly by recording accurate weather data at local levels and linking it with health data, it will be possible to predict potential disease outbreaks and to establish a climate-based dengue early warning system," he said. (With inputs from agencies)

World Bank report urges Bangladesh to build stronger health system for tackling climate-sensitive diseases

On Monday, German officials unveiled what they claimed would be the world's first commercial synthetic kerosene plant in a bid to reduce the climate impact of flying.

Located near Germany's northwest border with the Netherlands, the facility in Werlte will produce hydrogen using water and electricity from nearby wind farms. With the addition of carbon dioxide, hydrogen is converted into crude, which is then refined into jet fuel.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hydrogen-needs-12-tn-for-zero-emissions-goal-iea-418145">Hydrogen needs $1.2 tn for zero emissions goal: IEA</a>

About 2.5% of global carbon dioxide emissions, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, come from the aviation industry. In spite of the trend to electrify other forms of transportation, making large, battery-powered planes remains an extremely daunting task.

According to experts, using e-fuels to replace fossil fuels without requiring substantial modifications to aircraft could be a solution to the problem.

As synthetic kerosene releases no more CO2 into the atmosphere during combustion than it has removed during production, this fuel can be described as carbon-neutral.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/climate-change-is-a-hammer-hitting-us-on-the-head-developing-nations-say-405011">Climate change is a ‘hammer hitting us on the head,’ developing nations say</a>

As of early next year, this new plant will be capable of producing only a small quantity of eight barrels per day. Comparatively, in 2019, commercial airlines around the world consumed almost 2.3 billion barrels of kerosene.&nbsp;

While the amount of oil it can produce would only be enough to fill one small passenger plane once every three weeks.&nbsp;

The organisations behind the project say their goal is to help demonstrate that the process can be technologically feasible and, with enough demand, once scaled up, it can also prove to be economically viable.

Watch |&nbsp;Global warming kills 14% of Coral reefs

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/global-warming-kills-14-of-coral-reefs-418423/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Atmosfair, a German non-profit group is this project's leader. The group offers companies and individuals means to neutralize carbon emissions. Germany's national carrier Lufthansa will be the first to use the synthetic kerosene or e-fuel, produced at this plant, which was built with engineering giant Siemens' help.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

On Monday, German officials unveiled what they claimed would be the world's first commercial synthetic kerosene plant in a bid to reduce the climate impact of flying.

On Monday, German officials unveiled what they claimed would be the world's first commercial synthetic kerosene plant in a bid to reduce the climate impact of flying. Located near Germany's northwest border with the Netherlands, the facility in Werlte will produce hydrogen using water and electricity from nearby wind farms. With the addition of carbon dioxide, hydrogen is converted into crude, which is then refined into jet fuel. Also read | Hydrogen needs $1.2 tn for zero emissions goal: IEA About 2.5% of global carbon dioxide emissions, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, come from the aviation industry. In spite of the trend to electrify other forms of transportation, making large, battery-powered planes remains an extremely daunting task. According to experts, using e-fuels to replace fossil fuels without requiring substantial modifications to aircraft could be a solution to the problem. As synthetic kerosene releases no more CO2 into the atmosphere during combustion than it has removed during production, this fuel can be described as carbon-neutral. Also read | Climate change is a ‘hammer hitting us on the head,’ developing nations say As of early next year, this new plant will be capable of producing only a small quantity of eight barrels per day. Comparatively, in 2019, commercial airlines around the world consumed almost 2.3 billion barrels of kerosene. While the amount of oil it can produce would only be enough to fill one small passenger plane once every three weeks. The organisations behind the project say their goal is to help demonstrate that the process can be technologically feasible and, with enough demand, once scaled up, it can also prove to be economically viable. Watch | Global warming kills 14% of Coral reefs Atmosfair, a German non-profit group is this project's leader. The group offers companies and individuals means to neutralize carbon emissions. Germany's national carrier Lufthansa will be the first to use the synthetic kerosene or e-fuel, produced at this plant, which was built with engineering giant Siemens' help. (With inputs from agencies)

In a bid to combat climate impact, cut carbon footprint, Germany unveils synthetic kerosene plant

Global warming helped wipe out 14 percent of the world’s coral reefs between 2009 and 2018, the largest-ever survey of coral health has found, warning that more of the vibrant underwater ecosystems were likely to die if oceans warm further. Watch this report for more details.

Global warming kills 14% of Coral reefs

According to a recent research on the world's seas and climate change, Arctic ice levels have hit historic lows.

Between 1979 and 2020, the average amount of sea ice extent in the Arctic, defined as the region of ocean with at least some ice, dropped by a surface area nearly equivalent to Greenland.

The findings were published last week in the Journal of Operational Oceanography in the fifth edition of the Copernicus Ocean State Report.

Over 120 scientific specialists from more than 30 European universities contributed to this year's study.

The yearly publication provides a detailed overview of the status of the world's seas.&nbsp;

The study discusses some significant changes and trends in the world's seas.

From January 1993 to May 2020, for example, sea levels rose at an average of 3.1 mm each year.

The Baltic Sea, which increased at a pace of 4.5 mm per year, was the most affected.

Ocean temperatures rose by an average of 0.015 degrees Celsius each year throughout the same time period.

The Black Sea was at the top of the list, with an annual temperature increase of 0.071 degrees Celsius.

The Arctic Ocean's warming is believed to be responsible for approximately 4% of global ocean warming.&nbsp;

In November 2019, Venice, Italy, saw four consecutive record flooding occurrences, as well as higher-than-average wave heights in the southern Mediterranean Sea, according to the study.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

According to a recent research on the world's seas and climate change, Arctic ice levels have hit historic lows. Between 1979 and 2020, the average amount of sea ice extent in the Arctic, defined as the region of ocean with at least some ice, dropped by a surface area nearly equivalent to Greenland.

According to a recent research on the world's seas and climate change, Arctic ice levels have hit historic lows. Between 1979 and 2020, the average amount of sea ice extent in the Arctic, defined as the region of ocean with at least some ice, dropped by a surface area nearly equivalent to Greenland. The findings were published last week in the Journal of Operational Oceanography in the fifth edition of the Copernicus Ocean State Report. Over 120 scientific specialists from more than 30 European universities contributed to this year's study. The yearly publication provides a detailed overview of the status of the world's seas. The study discusses some significant changes and trends in the world's seas. From January 1993 to May 2020, for example, sea levels rose at an average of 3.1 mm each year. The Baltic Sea, which increased at a pace of 4.5 mm per year, was the most affected. Ocean temperatures rose by an average of 0.015 degrees Celsius each year throughout the same time period. The Black Sea was at the top of the list, with an annual temperature increase of 0.071 degrees Celsius. The Arctic Ocean's warming is believed to be responsible for approximately 4% of global ocean warming. In November 2019, Venice, Italy, saw four consecutive record flooding occurrences, as well as higher-than-average wave heights in the southern Mediterranean Sea, according to the study. (With inputs from agencies)

Global warming: Arctic ice at a record low and sea levels rising

According to reports, the South Pole recorded extraordinarily cold temperatures this year between April and September reporting&nbsp;-61.1 centigrade which was the coldest ever recorded.

The previous coldest temperature was -60.6 centigrades in 1976, informed Stefano Di Battista who has closely watched and published research on Antarctic temperatures.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
1/1 Extraordinary coreless winter (April - September) at South Pole Station. The average as been -61.1 °C the coldest ever recoded. This value set -2.2 °C on the reference 1981-2010 and -2.5 °C on 1991-2020. Previous record -60.6 °C in 1976 <a href="https://t.co/m8uWF5mt0c">pic.twitter.com/m8uWF5mt0c</a>
— Stefano Di Battista (@pinturicchio_60) <a href="https://twitter.com/pinturicchio_60/status/1443907726359339032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Battista said the average of all the four months between June to September the temperature had broken -60 °C. It has reportedly happened just thrice earlier, according to Battista in the winters of 1971, 1975 and 1978.

The development comes amid reports of global warming across the world as countries struggle to limit emissions and &nbsp;phase-out of coal-fired power generation.

EU's Earth monitoring service had said recently that wildfires in the Mediterranean, North America and Siberia had caused record levels of CO2 emissions this year. There have been record levels of heatwaves and droughts also&nbsp;this year.

In a startling revelation, the EU's earth centre said the Arctic Circle released 66 million tonnes of CO2 from June through August even as major fires hit northeastern Siberia in June.

Record temperatures were also witnessed in western US and British Columbia in Canada with the mercury hitting nearly &nbsp;50 degrees Celsius. Major fires had also hit Spain and Portugal in August.

Turkey also recorded major fires including Greece, Tunisia, Albania, North Macedonia and Greece.

(With inputs from Agencies)

According to reports, the South Pole recorded extraordinarily cold temperatures this year between April and September reporting -61.1 centigrade which was the coldest ever recorded.

According to reports, the South Pole recorded extraordinarily cold temperatures this year between April and September reporting -61.1 centigrade which was the coldest ever recorded. The previous coldest temperature was -60.6 centigrades in 1976, informed Stefano Di Battista who has closely watched and published research on Antarctic temperatures. 1/1 Extraordinary coreless winter (April - September) at South Pole Station. The average as been -61.1 °C the coldest ever recoded. This value set -2.2 °C on the reference 1981-2010 and -2.5 °C on 1991-2020. Previous record -60.6 °C in 1976 pic.twitter.com/m8uWF5mt0c — Stefano Di Battista (@pinturicchio_60) October 1, 2021 × Battista said the average of all the four months between June to September the temperature had broken -60 °C. It has reportedly happened just thrice earlier, according to Battista in the winters of 1971, 1975 and 1978. The development comes amid reports of global warming across the world as countries struggle to limit emissions and phase-out of coal-fired power generation. EU's Earth monitoring service had said recently that wildfires in the Mediterranean, North America and Siberia had caused record levels of CO2 emissions this year. There have been record levels of heatwaves and droughts also this year. In a startling revelation, the EU's earth centre said the Arctic Circle released 66 million tonnes of CO2 from June through August even as major fires hit northeastern Siberia in June. Record temperatures were also witnessed in western US and British Columbia in Canada with the mercury hitting nearly 50 degrees Celsius. Major fires had also hit Spain and Portugal in August. Turkey also recorded major fires including Greece, Tunisia, Albania, North Macedonia and Greece. (With inputs from Agencies)

South Pole records most severe cold season: Report

Climate activist Greta Thunberg had some strong but sceptical words as she denounced long unending climate negotiations over decades 'blah, blah, blah'. She was speaking at climate talks in Italy.

"Thirty years of blah, blah, blah," Thunberg told the opening session of a Youth4Climate event on Tuesday.

Thousands of young activists have gathered in Milan this week from about 190 countries. They are due to engage with policymakers to hammer out prosposals for solutions to climate issues.

"So-called leaders have cherry picked young people to meetings like this to pretend they are listening to us, but they are not listening," Thunberg said.

"There is no planet B ... Change is not only possible but necessary, but not if we go on like we have until today."

In August, United Nations released a report that has exacerbated fears that climate change is worsening. The report has said that the situation was dangerously close to spiralling out of control.

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The youth activists, who fought to get climate change to the top of the global agenda years after leaders at the 1992 Rio Summit in Brazil pledged to tackle environmental problems, are being challenged to help come up with the solutions ahead of the COP26 United Nations summit in November.

Their proposals will be vetted by climate and energy ministers gathering at the same venue for their pre-COP26 meeting, and some will find their way to the Glasgow summit.

The meetings come as soaring energy prices on world markets stoke fears of a popular backlash against climate reform.

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The UN COP26 conference aims to secure more ambitious climate action from the nearly 200 countries who signed the 2015 Paris Agreement and agreed to try to limit human-caused global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

"Young people need to start getting involved in the actual negotiations," said Rose Kobusinge, a youth delegate from Uganda. "We want 1.5 (degrees) and we won’t go beyond that."

(With inputs from agencies)

Climate activist Greta Thunberg had some strong but sceptical words as she denounced long unending climate negotiations over decades 'blah, blah, blah'. She was speaking at climate talks in Italy.

Climate activist Greta Thunberg had some strong but sceptical words as she denounced long unending climate negotiations over decades 'blah, blah, blah'. She was speaking at climate talks in Italy. "Thirty years of blah, blah, blah," Thunberg told the opening session of a Youth4Climate event on Tuesday. Thousands of young activists have gathered in Milan this week from about 190 countries. They are due to engage with policymakers to hammer out prosposals for solutions to climate issues. "So-called leaders have cherry picked young people to meetings like this to pretend they are listening to us, but they are not listening," Thunberg said. "There is no planet B ... Change is not only possible but necessary, but not if we go on like we have until today." In August, United Nations released a report that has exacerbated fears that climate change is worsening. The report has said that the situation was dangerously close to spiralling out of control. Also Read | Global climate strike: Thousands rally across the world demanding urgent action The youth activists, who fought to get climate change to the top of the global agenda years after leaders at the 1992 Rio Summit in Brazil pledged to tackle environmental problems, are being challenged to help come up with the solutions ahead of the COP26 United Nations summit in November. Their proposals will be vetted by climate and energy ministers gathering at the same venue for their pre-COP26 meeting, and some will find their way to the Glasgow summit. The meetings come as soaring energy prices on world markets stoke fears of a popular backlash against climate reform. Also Read | In run up to Cop26 summit, Glasgow records hottest summer The UN COP26 conference aims to secure more ambitious climate action from the nearly 200 countries who signed the 2015 Paris Agreement and agreed to try to limit human-caused global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. "Young people need to start getting involved in the actual negotiations," said Rose Kobusinge, a youth delegate from Uganda. "We want 1.5 (degrees) and we won’t go beyond that." (With inputs from agencies)

Thirty years of 'blah blah blah': Greta Thunberg slams climate talks bureaucracy

In 2020, a new and rather unusually large hole in the ozone layer was formed over the Arctic now, scientists have finally established the possible reason behind it. The analysis proposed that the large hole in the ozone layer was likely caused by the record-high sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the North Pacific.&nbsp;

Scientists from the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, School of Physics at Peking University, led by Prof. Yongyun Hu plugged satellite data into a series of simulations and found that the record Arctic ozone loss was associated with the extremely cold and persistent stratospheric polar vortex over February to April.&nbsp;

The extremely cold vortex was a result of "anomalously weak planetary wave activity" as the analysis, which is published in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, revealed that the weak wave activity can be traced to anomalously warm SSTs in the North Pacific.&nbsp;

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It is known that the Arctic stratospheric vortex is typically too warm for polar stratospheric clouds to form, which are a key ingredient in severe ozone depletion processes but still polar meteorologists reported a record-breaking Arctic "ozone hole" during spring 2020 that piqued researchers to investigate about it.&nbsp;

"The record-high North Pacific sea surface temperatures during February and March 2020 led to a large reduction of wavenumber-1 wave activity by modifying the Aleutian low," Prof. Hu explained.&nbsp;

"The reduction of planetary wave activity caused the extremely cold and persistent stratospheric polar vortex between February and April 2020 which provided the necessary conditions for severe ozone loss," Hu added.&nbsp;

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"The formation of the record Arctic ozone loss in spring 2020 indicates that present-day ozone depleting substances are still sufficient to cause severe springtime ozone depletion in the Arctic stratosphere," said Prof. Hu.&nbsp;

"These results suggest that severe ozone loss is likely to occur in the near future as long as North Pacific warm SST anomalies or other dynamical processes are sufficiently strong," Prof. Hu added.&nbsp;

In 2020, a new and rather unusually large hole in the ozone layer was formed over the Arctic now, scientists have finally established the possible reason behind it.

In 2020, a new and rather unusually large hole in the ozone layer was formed over the Arctic now, scientists have finally established the possible reason behind it. The analysis proposed that the large hole in the ozone layer was likely caused by the record-high sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the North Pacific. Scientists from the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, School of Physics at Peking University, led by Prof. Yongyun Hu plugged satellite data into a series of simulations and found that the record Arctic ozone loss was associated with the extremely cold and persistent stratospheric polar vortex over February to April. The extremely cold vortex was a result of "anomalously weak planetary wave activity" as the analysis, which is published in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, revealed that the weak wave activity can be traced to anomalously warm SSTs in the North Pacific. ALSO READ | Cracks on ISS a 'serious issue', says former NASA astronaut It is known that the Arctic stratospheric vortex is typically too warm for polar stratospheric clouds to form, which are a key ingredient in severe ozone depletion processes but still polar meteorologists reported a record-breaking Arctic "ozone hole" during spring 2020 that piqued researchers to investigate about it. "The record-high North Pacific sea surface temperatures during February and March 2020 led to a large reduction of wavenumber-1 wave activity by modifying the Aleutian low," Prof. Hu explained. "The reduction of planetary wave activity caused the extremely cold and persistent stratospheric polar vortex between February and April 2020 which provided the necessary conditions for severe ozone loss," Hu added. ALSO READ | At ISS, Sun rises and sets every 45 minutes, NASA tells why "The formation of the record Arctic ozone loss in spring 2020 indicates that present-day ozone depleting substances are still sufficient to cause severe springtime ozone depletion in the Arctic stratosphere," said Prof. Hu. "These results suggest that severe ozone loss is likely to occur in the near future as long as North Pacific warm SST anomalies or other dynamical processes are sufficiently strong," Prof. Hu added.

What caused massive Arctic ozone hole in 2020? This study has some answers

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has warned that a failure to cut global emissions is setting the world on a “catastrophic” path to 2.7 degrees Celsius heating. Watch this video for more details.

UN warns nations over climate plans

As the world continues to be battered by the effects of climate change investment is growing into new solutions like capturing and storing carbon - one of the main contributors to global warming. Iceland is now the home of Orca, the world's first and largest direct air capture and storage plant which is aiming to remove 4000 tonnes of carbon from the air each year.

Can carbon capture help solve global warming?

The use of animal meat causes twice the pollution compared to the production of&nbsp;plant-based food, with the global production of food accounting for a third of all planet-heating gases emitted by human activity, according to a new&nbsp;study.

According to research published in ‘Nature Food’, 35 per cent of all global greenhouse gas emissions are caused due to food production, “of which 57 per cent corresponds to the production of animal-based food,” including livestock feed.

“The global population has quadrupled over the last century,” the study notes. “Demographic growth and associated economic growth have increased global food demand and caused dietary changes, such as eating more animal-based products. The United Nations projects that food production from plants and animals will need to increase 70 per cent by 2050, compared to 2009, to meet increasing food demand.”

“Increased food production may accelerate land-use changes (LUCs) for agriculture, resulting in greater greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, reduced carbon sequestration, and further climate change,” the study states.

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According to the study, The use of cows, pigs and other animals for food, as well as livestock feed, is responsible for 57% of all food production emissions, with 29% coming from the cultivation of plant-based foods,&nbsp;the research found.

Beef alone accounts for 25% of all food-based greenhouse gas emissions, followed by cow’s milk, pork, and chicken.

The rest comes from other uses of land, such as cotton or rubber. Among plant-based foods, rice production is responsible for 12% of food-based emissions.

The publication states that the provision of adequate grazing land and food for livestock fuels deforestation, while the animals also produce tremendous quantities of methane, a greenhouse gas found to be up to&nbsp;87 times more potent&nbsp;than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period.

“The emissions are at the higher end of what we expected, it was a little bit of a surprise,” Atul Jain, a climate scientist at the University of Illinois and co-author of the paper, published in Nature Food,&nbsp;told the Guardian.

“This study shows the entire cycle of the food production system, and policymakers may want to use the results to think about how to control greenhouse gas emissions,” he added.

(With inputs from agencies)

The use of animal meat causes twice the pollution compared to the production of plant-based food, with the global production of food accounting for a third of all planet-heating gases emitted by human activity, according to a new study.

The use of animal meat causes twice the pollution compared to the production of plant-based food, with the global production of food accounting for a third of all planet-heating gases emitted by human activity, according to a new study. According to research published in ‘Nature Food’, 35 per cent of all global greenhouse gas emissions are caused due to food production, “of which 57 per cent corresponds to the production of animal-based food,” including livestock feed. “The global population has quadrupled over the last century,” the study notes. “Demographic growth and associated economic growth have increased global food demand and caused dietary changes, such as eating more animal-based products. The United Nations projects that food production from plants and animals will need to increase 70 per cent by 2050, compared to 2009, to meet increasing food demand.” “Increased food production may accelerate land-use changes (LUCs) for agriculture, resulting in greater greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, reduced carbon sequestration, and further climate change,” the study states. Also read | Plastic pollution is booming from coronavirus and will get worse after the pandemic According to the study, The use of cows, pigs and other animals for food, as well as livestock feed, is responsible for 57% of all food production emissions, with 29% coming from the cultivation of plant-based foods, the research found. Beef alone accounts for 25% of all food-based greenhouse gas emissions, followed by cow’s milk, pork, and chicken. The rest comes from other uses of land, such as cotton or rubber. Among plant-based foods, rice production is responsible for 12% of food-based emissions. The publication states that the provision of adequate grazing land and food for livestock fuels deforestation, while the animals also produce tremendous quantities of methane, a greenhouse gas found to be up to 87 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. “The emissions are at the higher end of what we expected, it was a little bit of a surprise,” Atul Jain, a climate scientist at the University of Illinois and co-author of the paper, published in Nature Food, told the Guardian. “This study shows the entire cycle of the food production system, and policymakers may want to use the results to think about how to control greenhouse gas emissions,” he added. (With inputs from agencies)

Meat alone accounts for nearly 60% of greenhouse gases from food production, claims study

Rain poured on the highest point of the Greenland ice sheet for the first time in recorded history in August.

It didn't even make the news.

However, rain in a country known for its severe cold foreshadows a future that would alter global coastlines and submerge entire towns.&nbsp;

The US Snow and Ice Data Center stated that rain was seen for many hours on August 14 at a measurement site more than 3,000 metres (9,800 feet) above the sheet.

"This is an extreme event as it may never have happened before. This is probably a sign of global warming.," Martin Stendel, a researcher at the Danish Meteorological Institute, said.

Only nine times in the past 2,000 years have temperatures at the pinnacle of the sheet reached above freezing. Three of those incidents have occurred in the last ten years, although there was no rain on the prior two occasions, in 2012 and 2019, he said.&nbsp;

Temperatures must be above or just below zero degrees Celsius for the rain to fall, indicating the danger that rising temperatures pose to the world's second-largest ice sheet, behind Antarctica.&nbsp;

Outside of Antarctica, the Greenland ice sheet has four times the amount of ice as all other glaciers and ice fields combined.

Greenland, the world's largest island, is more than 36,000 times the size of Manhattan and is covered in ice that is thousands of feet thick in many areas.

The ice sheet disintegrates as carbon dioxide and methane collect in our atmosphere, causing our planet to heat (the last six years have been the warmest on record).

In the last decade, Greenland has lost more ice than it did in the previous century.&nbsp;

In a paper published two years ago in Nature, a respected scientific publication, a group of climate scientists estimated that if Greenland continues to melt, tens of millions of people might face annual floods and displacement by 2030 – less than nine years from now.

By the end of the century, when Antarctica, which has far more ice than Greenland, begins a phase of catastrophic melting, the number of people at risk of flooding might have risen to about half a billion.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Rain poured on the highest point of the Greenland ice sheet for the first time in recorded history in August. It didn't even make the news. However, rain in a country known for its severe cold foreshadows a future that would alter global coastlines and submerge entire towns.

Rain poured on the highest point of the Greenland ice sheet for the first time in recorded history in August. It didn't even make the news. However, rain in a country known for its severe cold foreshadows a future that would alter global coastlines and submerge entire towns. The US Snow and Ice Data Center stated that rain was seen for many hours on August 14 at a measurement site more than 3,000 metres (9,800 feet) above the sheet. "This is an extreme event as it may never have happened before. This is probably a sign of global warming.," Martin Stendel, a researcher at the Danish Meteorological Institute, said. Only nine times in the past 2,000 years have temperatures at the pinnacle of the sheet reached above freezing. Three of those incidents have occurred in the last ten years, although there was no rain on the prior two occasions, in 2012 and 2019, he said. Temperatures must be above or just below zero degrees Celsius for the rain to fall, indicating the danger that rising temperatures pose to the world's second-largest ice sheet, behind Antarctica. Outside of Antarctica, the Greenland ice sheet has four times the amount of ice as all other glaciers and ice fields combined. Greenland, the world's largest island, is more than 36,000 times the size of Manhattan and is covered in ice that is thousands of feet thick in many areas. The ice sheet disintegrates as carbon dioxide and methane collect in our atmosphere, causing our planet to heat (the last six years have been the warmest on record). In the last decade, Greenland has lost more ice than it did in the previous century. In a paper published two years ago in Nature, a respected scientific publication, a group of climate scientists estimated that if Greenland continues to melt, tens of millions of people might face annual floods and displacement by 2030 – less than nine years from now. By the end of the century, when Antarctica, which has far more ice than Greenland, begins a phase of catastrophic melting, the number of people at risk of flooding might have risen to about half a billion. (With inputs from agencies)

Experts warn first-ever rain in Greenland ice sheet shows risks of climate change

World's largest plant that sucks carbon dioxide directly from air and deposits it deep underground to be mineralised started operating in Iceland on Wednesday, said the company behind the technology.

Swiss start-up Climeworks AG has partnered with Iceland's Carbfix to develop a plant that absorbs up to 4,000 tons of CO2 per year. Climeworks AG specialises in capturing carbon dioxide directly from the air while Carbfix is a carbon storage firm.&nbsp;

4000 tons of carbon is equivalent to annual emissions from about 790 cars

Last year, global CO2-emissions totalled 31.5 billion tonnes, according to the International Energy Agency.

Extracting carbon dioxide directly from atmosphere is viewed by scientists to be a technology vital to limit global warming.

The Orca plant, a reference to the Icelandic word for energy, consists of eight large containers similar in looks to those used in the shipping industry, which employ high-tech filters and fans to extract carbon dioxide.

The isolated carbon is then mixed with water and pumped deep underground, where it slowly turns into rock. Both technologies are powered by renewable energy sourced from a nearby geothermal power plant.

Direct air capture is still a fledgling and costly technology, but developers hope to drive down prices by scaling up as more companies and consumers look to reduce their carbon footprint.

There are currently 15 direct air capture plants operating worldwide, capturing more than 9,000 tonnes of CO2 per year, according to the IEA.

US&nbsp;oil firm Occidental is currently developing the largest direct-air-capture facility, to pull 1 million tonnes per year of carbon dioxide from the open air near some of its Texas oilfields.

Climeworks, which recently signed a 10-year carbon removal purchase agreement with major insurance firm Swiss Re (SRENH.S), also offers a subscription service, which allows consumers to pay for carbon removal through monthly payments.

(With inputs from agencies)

World's largest plant that sucks carbon dioxide directly from air and deposits it deep underground to be mineralised started operating in Iceland on Wednesday, said the company behind the technology.

World's largest plant that sucks carbon dioxide directly from air and deposits it deep underground to be mineralised started operating in Iceland on Wednesday, said the company behind the technology. Swiss start-up Climeworks AG has partnered with Iceland's Carbfix to develop a plant that absorbs up to 4,000 tons of CO2 per year. Climeworks AG specialises in capturing carbon dioxide directly from the air while Carbfix is a carbon storage firm. 4000 tons of carbon is equivalent to annual emissions from about 790 cars Last year, global CO2-emissions totalled 31.5 billion tonnes, according to the International Energy Agency. Extracting carbon dioxide directly from atmosphere is viewed by scientists to be a technology vital to limit global warming. The Orca plant, a reference to the Icelandic word for energy, consists of eight large containers similar in looks to those used in the shipping industry, which employ high-tech filters and fans to extract carbon dioxide. The isolated carbon is then mixed with water and pumped deep underground, where it slowly turns into rock. Both technologies are powered by renewable energy sourced from a nearby geothermal power plant. Direct air capture is still a fledgling and costly technology, but developers hope to drive down prices by scaling up as more companies and consumers look to reduce their carbon footprint. There are currently 15 direct air capture plants operating worldwide, capturing more than 9,000 tonnes of CO2 per year, according to the IEA. US oil firm Occidental is currently developing the largest direct-air-capture facility, to pull 1 million tonnes per year of carbon dioxide from the open air near some of its Texas oilfields. Climeworks, which recently signed a 10-year carbon removal purchase agreement with major insurance firm Swiss Re (SRENH.S), also offers a subscription service, which allows consumers to pay for carbon removal through monthly payments. (With inputs from agencies)

World's largest carbon dioxide capturing plant starts in Iceland

Whether it's about new climate or new workplace, adapting to changing circumstances proves to be an important trait for survival. Animals and even plants in the wild show examples of modifying their behaviour and even biology as conditions change. All this pieces together the puzzle of evolution nicely.

A study has revealed that some animals are 'shape shifting' and various parts of their bodies are transforming to better adapt global warming. Some of them are developing bigger tails. Others are developing different beaks and ears in order to survive in the changing conditions. Researchers have found that bigger body parts are developing so that these animals could lose body heat more effectively.

Climate change is heaping "a whole lot of pressure" on animals, said Sara Ryding of Deakin University in Australia, who led the study, in a press release.

"It's high time we recognised that animals also have to adapt to these changes, but this is occurring over a far shorter timescale than would have occurred through most of evolutionary time," she said.

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The study has been published in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution. The study reviewed previous research "where climatic warming is a potential hidden explanatory variable for the occurrence of shape-shifting" and found trends particularly noticeable in birds.

The Australian parrot, for example, had shown an average 4-10 percent increase in the size of its bill since 1871 and the authors said this positively correlated with the summer temperature each year.&nbsp;

Other birds, like North American dark-eyed juncos, thrushes and Galapagos finches also saw bill size increases. 
Meanwhile, the wings of the great roundleaf bat grew, the European rabbit developed bigger ears, while the tails and legs of masked shrews were found to be larger. &nbsp;

"Shape-shifting does not mean that animals are coping with climate change and that all is 'fine'," said Ryding.&nbsp;

"It just means they are evolving to survive it -- but we're not sure what the other ecological consequences of these changes are, or indeed that all species are capable of changing and surviving."

(With inputs from agencies)

Whether it's about new climate or new workplace, adapting to changing circumstances proves to be an important trait for survival. Animals and even plants in the wild show examples of modifying their behaviour and even biology as conditions change.

Whether it's about new climate or new workplace, adapting to changing circumstances proves to be an important trait for survival. Animals and even plants in the wild show examples of modifying their behaviour and even biology as conditions change. All this pieces together the puzzle of evolution nicely. A study has revealed that some animals are 'shape shifting' and various parts of their bodies are transforming to better adapt global warming. Some of them are developing bigger tails. Others are developing different beaks and ears in order to survive in the changing conditions. Researchers have found that bigger body parts are developing so that these animals could lose body heat more effectively. Climate change is heaping "a whole lot of pressure" on animals, said Sara Ryding of Deakin University in Australia, who led the study, in a press release. "It's high time we recognised that animals also have to adapt to these changes, but this is occurring over a far shorter timescale than would have occurred through most of evolutionary time," she said. Also Read: This 'shark-toothed' dinosaur gave tough competition to T-Rex The study has been published in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution. The study reviewed previous research "where climatic warming is a potential hidden explanatory variable for the occurrence of shape-shifting" and found trends particularly noticeable in birds. The Australian parrot, for example, had shown an average 4-10 percent increase in the size of its bill since 1871 and the authors said this positively correlated with the summer temperature each year. Other birds, like North American dark-eyed juncos, thrushes and Galapagos finches also saw bill size increases. Meanwhile, the wings of the great roundleaf bat grew, the European rabbit developed bigger ears, while the tails and legs of masked shrews were found to be larger. "Shape-shifting does not mean that animals are coping with climate change and that all is 'fine'," said Ryding. "It just means they are evolving to survive it -- but we're not sure what the other ecological consequences of these changes are, or indeed that all species are capable of changing and surviving." (With inputs from agencies)

As Earth warms up, animals are 'shape-shifting' to survive better: Study

Global warming is already affecting people's health so much that emergency action on climate change cannot be put on hold while the world deals with the Covid-19 pandemic, medical journals across the globe warned on Monday.

"Health is already being harmed by global temperature increases and the destruction of the natural world," read an editorial published in more than 220 leading journals ahead of the Cop26 climate summit in November.

Since the pre-industrial era, temperatures have risen around 1.1 degrees Celsius (34 degrees Fahrenheit).

The editorial, written by the editors-in-chief of over a dozen journals including the Lancet, the East African Medical Journal, Brazil's Revista de Saude Publica and the International Nursing Review, said this had caused a plethora of health problems.

"In the past 20 years, heat-related mortality among people older than 65 years has increased by more than 50 percent," it read.

"Higher temperatures have brought increased dehydration and renal function loss, dermatological malignancies, tropical infections, adverse mental health outcomes, pregnancy complications, allergies, and cardiovascular and pulmonary morbidity and mortality."

It also pointed to the decline in agricultural production, "hampering efforts to reduce undernutrition." 
These effects, which hit those most vulnerable like minorities, children and poorer communities hardest, are just the beginning, it warned.

As things stand, global warming could reach +1.5C on pre-industrial levels around 2030, according to the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

And that, along with the continued loss of biodiversity, "risk catastrophic harm to health that will be impossible to reverse," the editorial warned.

"Despite the world's necessary preoccupation with Covid-19, we cannot wait for the pandemic to pass to rapidly reduce emissions."

In a statement ahead of the publication of the editorial, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: "The risks posed by climate change could dwarf those of any single disease."

"The Covid-19 pandemic will end, but there is no vaccine for the climate crisis.

"Every action taken to limit emissions and warming brings us closer to a healthier and safer future."

The editorial pointed out that many governments met the threat of Covid-19 with "unprecedented funding" and called for "a similar emergency response" to the environmental crisis, highlighting the benefits.

"Better air quality alone would realise health benefits that easily offset the global costs of emissions reductions," it read.

The authors also said "governments must make fundamental changes to how our societies and economies are organised and how we live."

Global warming is already affecting people's health so much that emergency action on climate change cannot be put on hold while the world deals with the Covid-19 pandemic, medical journals across the globe warned on Monday.

Global warming is already affecting people's health so much that emergency action on climate change cannot be put on hold while the world deals with the Covid-19 pandemic, medical journals across the globe warned on Monday. "Health is already being harmed by global temperature increases and the destruction of the natural world," read an editorial published in more than 220 leading journals ahead of the Cop26 climate summit in November. Since the pre-industrial era, temperatures have risen around 1.1 degrees Celsius (34 degrees Fahrenheit). The editorial, written by the editors-in-chief of over a dozen journals including the Lancet, the East African Medical Journal, Brazil's Revista de Saude Publica and the International Nursing Review, said this had caused a plethora of health problems. "In the past 20 years, heat-related mortality among people older than 65 years has increased by more than 50 percent," it read. "Higher temperatures have brought increased dehydration and renal function loss, dermatological malignancies, tropical infections, adverse mental health outcomes, pregnancy complications, allergies, and cardiovascular and pulmonary morbidity and mortality." It also pointed to the decline in agricultural production, "hampering efforts to reduce undernutrition." These effects, which hit those most vulnerable like minorities, children and poorer communities hardest, are just the beginning, it warned. As things stand, global warming could reach +1.5C on pre-industrial levels around 2030, according to the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. And that, along with the continued loss of biodiversity, "risk catastrophic harm to health that will be impossible to reverse," the editorial warned. "Despite the world's necessary preoccupation with Covid-19, we cannot wait for the pandemic to pass to rapidly reduce emissions." In a statement ahead of the publication of the editorial, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: "The risks posed by climate change could dwarf those of any single disease." "The Covid-19 pandemic will end, but there is no vaccine for the climate crisis. "Every action taken to limit emissions and warming brings us closer to a healthier and safer future." The editorial pointed out that many governments met the threat of Covid-19 with "unprecedented funding" and called for "a similar emergency response" to the environmental crisis, highlighting the benefits. "Better air quality alone would realise health benefits that easily offset the global costs of emissions reductions," it read. The authors also said "governments must make fundamental changes to how our societies and economies are organised and how we live."

Climate action cannot wait for pandemic to end, medical journals warn

A new study has revealed that changes in the Arctic are contributing to the extreme winter weather in parts of the United States.

The study, published in the journal Science shows Arctic Circle is melting due to climate change which has disturbed the circular pattern of winds called the Polar Vortex.

This triggered a series of events that caused snowfall in Texas during February which usually experiences sweltering heat.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-heres-what-climate-change-is-doing-to-us-401602/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

According to Dr. Judah Cohen, director of AER’s seasonal forecasts and lead author of the study, ''Last winter, the harsh cold waves across Texas heated the debate over whether climate change could contribute to the more severe winter weather, but the physical relationship between climate change and Texas.''

“The integration of both observational analysis and computer model experiments is a special strength of this study and greatly enhances confidence in the results,'' as per Mathew Barlow, a professor of environmental, earth, and atmospheric sciences at UMass Lowell, co-author of this study.

The Arctic region has experienced the largest impact of climate change on Earth over the last three decades.

Scientists have expressed concern over warming in the region and its implications for the rest of the planet.

Satellite observations have shown that there has been an increase in such events since 1979.

A new study has revealed that changes in the Arctic are contributing to the extreme winter weather in parts of the United States. The study, published in the journal Science shows Arctic Circle is melting due to climate change which has disturbed the circular pattern of winds called the Polar Vortex.

A new study has revealed that changes in the Arctic are contributing to the extreme winter weather in parts of the United States. The study, published in the journal Science shows Arctic Circle is melting due to climate change which has disturbed the circular pattern of winds called the Polar Vortex. This triggered a series of events that caused snowfall in Texas during February which usually experiences sweltering heat. According to Dr. Judah Cohen, director of AER’s seasonal forecasts and lead author of the study, ''Last winter, the harsh cold waves across Texas heated the debate over whether climate change could contribute to the more severe winter weather, but the physical relationship between climate change and Texas.'' “The integration of both observational analysis and computer model experiments is a special strength of this study and greatly enhances confidence in the results,'' as per Mathew Barlow, a professor of environmental, earth, and atmospheric sciences at UMass Lowell, co-author of this study. The Arctic region has experienced the largest impact of climate change on Earth over the last three decades. Scientists have expressed concern over warming in the region and its implications for the rest of the planet. Satellite observations have shown that there has been an increase in such events since 1979.

Climate change: US extreme weather conditions associated to Arctic warming

As it prepares to host United Nations' Cop26 climate summit, Glasgow has experienced hottest summer on record, as per the Met Office. In the month of August, Scotland also recorded the highest temperature in the UK.

This broke England's 20 year run for having the hottest day in the UK. This time around, rainfall in Scotland was 62 per cent of its usual average making it a drier than usual summer.

Global Warming is a key issue that will certainly be addressed in the Cop26 summit in Glasgow. Global warming has led to extreme weather patterns in recent years including 2021 so far. Summer this year in the UK was among the hottest 10 ever recorded.

Across the world, the effects of global warming were seen. Record breaking heatwave in northwestern North America, heavy floods in Germany and China bear testimony to that.

As it prepares to host United Nations' Cop26 climate summit, Glasgow has experienced hottest summer on record, as per the Met Office. In the month of August, Scotland also recorded the highest temperature in the UK.

As it prepares to host United Nations' Cop26 climate summit, Glasgow has experienced hottest summer on record, as per the Met Office. In the month of August, Scotland also recorded the highest temperature in the UK. This broke England's 20 year run for having the hottest day in the UK. This time around, rainfall in Scotland was 62 per cent of its usual average making it a drier than usual summer. Global Warming is a key issue that will certainly be addressed in the Cop26 summit in Glasgow. Global warming has led to extreme weather patterns in recent years including 2021 so far. Summer this year in the UK was among the hottest 10 ever recorded. Across the world, the effects of global warming were seen. Record breaking heatwave in northwestern North America, heavy floods in Germany and China bear testimony to that.

In run up to Cop26 summit, Glasgow records hottest summer

Following an exceptionally warm summer, the iconic ice of the Canadian Rockies is melting at a rate that has never been seen before.

As observed by scientists, during the hot spell in early July and late June the glacier was experiencing 2/3 of ice melt per week.

Hydrologist and director of Global Water Futures Dr John Pomeroy say that it is harrowing to observe that the iconic sight was virtually unrecognizable from what was one&nbsp;or two years ago.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/worlds-northernmost-island-discovered-off-coast-of-greenland-by-scientists-409007" hreflang="en">‘World’s northernmost island’ discovered off coast of Greenland by scientists</a>

According to him, the glacier could lose up to seven metres of ice if this rate of melt continues, which would be the most drastic downward melt ever recorded for the glacier.

During the early 1900s, Banff National Park's famous Peyto Glacier stretched three and a half kilometres farther than it does today;&nbsp;stretching down the valley resting near the turquoise water of Peyto Lake.&nbsp;

Pomeroy said he was astonished and horrified by the glacial tongue's retreat of 200 metres over the past year, 10 times faster than the 50-year retreat. According to him&nbsp;widespread wildfires and record heat domes this season contributed to faster glacial melting.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/study-says-ocean-surface-climates-may-disappear-by-2100-408799" hreflang="en">Study says ocean surface climates may disappear by 2100</a>

Peyto Glacier forms the headwaters of the North Saskatchewan River and with its snowpack and ice melt, it maintains stream flows in the Prairie provinces.

Scientists are concerned about the downstream effects of the decline of this crucial source of water.

This year, the rivers and streams that aren't fed by glacial melt are experiencing some of the lowest flows ever recorded. By contrast, the flow of streams that are fed by the glacier has been above average this summer.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/four-dead-multiple-injured-in-sweltering-aftermath-of-hurricane-ida-409820" hreflang="en">Four dead, multiple injured in sweltering aftermath of Hurricane Ida</a>

In the Rocky Mountain national parks alone, 300 glaciers disappeared between 1920 and 2005, according to Sanford.

Pomeroy, who has been documenting Peyto&nbsp;for years, says that he never imagined that he would document the glacier's death; he believes it will not survive the next decade.

However, he adds, glaciers might re-grow in the future, provided that humans are able to get a hold on climate change.

Following an exceptionally warm summer, the iconic ice of the Canadian Rockies is melting at a rate that has never been seen before. As observed by scientists, during the hot spell in early July and late June the glacier was experiencing 2/3 of ice melt per week.

Following an exceptionally warm summer, the iconic ice of the Canadian Rockies is melting at a rate that has never been seen before. As observed by scientists, during the hot spell in early July and late June the glacier was experiencing 2/3 of ice melt per week. Hydrologist and director of Global Water Futures Dr John Pomeroy say that it is harrowing to observe that the iconic sight was virtually unrecognizable from what was one or two years ago. Also read | ‘World’s northernmost island’ discovered off coast of Greenland by scientists According to him, the glacier could lose up to seven metres of ice if this rate of melt continues, which would be the most drastic downward melt ever recorded for the glacier. During the early 1900s, Banff National Park's famous Peyto Glacier stretched three and a half kilometres farther than it does today; stretching down the valley resting near the turquoise water of Peyto Lake. Pomeroy said he was astonished and horrified by the glacial tongue's retreat of 200 metres over the past year, 10 times faster than the 50-year retreat. According to him widespread wildfires and record heat domes this season contributed to faster glacial melting. Also read | Study says ocean surface climates may disappear by 2100 Peyto Glacier forms the headwaters of the North Saskatchewan River and with its snowpack and ice melt, it maintains stream flows in the Prairie provinces. Scientists are concerned about the downstream effects of the decline of this crucial source of water. This year, the rivers and streams that aren't fed by glacial melt are experiencing some of the lowest flows ever recorded. By contrast, the flow of streams that are fed by the glacier has been above average this summer. Also read | Four dead, multiple injured in sweltering aftermath of Hurricane Ida In the Rocky Mountain national parks alone, 300 glaciers disappeared between 1920 and 2005, according to Sanford. Pomeroy, who has been documenting Peyto for years, says that he never imagined that he would document the glacier's death; he believes it will not survive the next decade. However, he adds, glaciers might re-grow in the future, provided that humans are able to get a hold on climate change.

Heatwave causes unprecedented glacial ice melt in Canadian Rocky Mountains

Up to 95 percent of Earth's ocean surface will have changed by the end of the century unless humanity reins in its carbon emissions, according to research published Thursday.&nbsp;

Ocean surface climates, defined by surface water temperature, acidity, and the concentration of the mineral aragonite,&nbsp;which many marine animals use to form bones and shell,&nbsp;support the vast majority of sea life.&nbsp;

The world's seas have absorbed around a third of all carbon pollution produced since the Industrial Revolution.

But with&nbsp;atmospheric CO2 levels increasing at a rate unprecedented in at least three million years, there are fears that ocean surface climates may become less hospitable to the species it hosts.&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-heres-what-climate-change-is-doing-to-us-401602/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

US-based researchers wanted to see what effect carbon pollution has already had on ocean surface since the mid-18th century. They also projected the impact of emissions through to 2100.

To do so, they modelled global ocean climates across three time periods: the early 19th century (1795-1834); the late 20th century (1965-2004); and the late 21st century (2065-2014).&nbsp;

They then ran the models through two emissions scenarios. The first, known as RCP4.5,&nbsp;envisions a peak in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 followed by a slow decrease across the rest of the century.

The second scenario, RCP8.5,&nbsp;is a "business as usual" approach, where emissions continue to rise throughout the next 80 years.

Writing in the journal Nature Scientific Reports, the researchers found that under the RCP4.5 scenario, 36 percent of the ocean surface conditions present throughout the 20th century are likely to disappear by 2100.

Under the high emissions scenario, that figure rises to 95 percent.&nbsp;

The team also found that while ocean surface climates showed little sign of change during the 20th century, by 2100, up to 82 percent of ocean surface may experience climates not seen in recent history.

These include seas that are hotter, more acidic and that contain fewer minerals vital for sea life to grow.

Lead study author Katie Lotterhos, from Northeastern University's Marine&nbsp;Science&nbsp;Center, said the ocean's changing composition due to carbon pollution would likely impact all surface species.

"Species that are narrowly adapted to a climate that is disappearing will have to adapt to different conditions," she told AFP.

"A climate in which the&nbsp;temperature and&nbsp;chemistry&nbsp;of the water is common today will be rare or absent in the future."

Diminishing options&nbsp;

While surface species have so far been able to move around in order to avoid anomalously warm or acidic areas of ocean, Thursday's study suggests that in the future their options may be limited due to near-uniform warming and acidification.

"Already, many marine species have shifted their ranges in response to warmer waters," said Lotterhos.&nbsp;

"The communities of species that are found in one area will continue to shift and change rapidly over the coming decades."

She said that governments needed to monitor future shifting habits in marine surface species.&nbsp;

But, ultimately, the world's oceans need the emissions driving their heating and acidification to cease.

"Without (emissions) mitigation,&nbsp;novel and disappearing climates in the sea surface will be widespread around the globe by 2100," said Lotterhos.

Up to 95 percent of Earth's ocean surface will have changed by the end of the century unless humanity reins in its carbon emissions, according to research published Thursday.

Up to 95 percent of Earth's ocean surface will have changed by the end of the century unless humanity reins in its carbon emissions, according to research published Thursday. Ocean surface climates, defined by surface water temperature, acidity, and the concentration of the mineral aragonite, which many marine animals use to form bones and shell, support the vast majority of sea life. The world's seas have absorbed around a third of all carbon pollution produced since the Industrial Revolution. But with atmospheric CO2 levels increasing at a rate unprecedented in at least three million years, there are fears that ocean surface climates may become less hospitable to the species it hosts. US-based researchers wanted to see what effect carbon pollution has already had on ocean surface since the mid-18th century. They also projected the impact of emissions through to 2100. To do so, they modelled global ocean climates across three time periods: the early 19th century (1795-1834); the late 20th century (1965-2004); and the late 21st century (2065-2014). They then ran the models through two emissions scenarios. The first, known as RCP4.5, envisions a peak in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 followed by a slow decrease across the rest of the century. The second scenario, RCP8.5, is a "business as usual" approach, where emissions continue to rise throughout the next 80 years. Writing in the journal Nature Scientific Reports, the researchers found that under the RCP4.5 scenario, 36 percent of the ocean surface conditions present throughout the 20th century are likely to disappear by 2100. Under the high emissions scenario, that figure rises to 95 percent. The team also found that while ocean surface climates showed little sign of change during the 20th century, by 2100, up to 82 percent of ocean surface may experience climates not seen in recent history. These include seas that are hotter, more acidic and that contain fewer minerals vital for sea life to grow. Lead study author Katie Lotterhos, from Northeastern University's Marine Science Center, said the ocean's changing composition due to carbon pollution would likely impact all surface species. "Species that are narrowly adapted to a climate that is disappearing will have to adapt to different conditions," she told AFP. "A climate in which the temperature and chemistry of the water is common today will be rare or absent in the future." Diminishing options While surface species have so far been able to move around in order to avoid anomalously warm or acidic areas of ocean, Thursday's study suggests that in the future their options may be limited due to near-uniform warming and acidification. "Already, many marine species have shifted their ranges in response to warmer waters," said Lotterhos. "The communities of species that are found in one area will continue to shift and change rapidly over the coming decades." She said that governments needed to monitor future shifting habits in marine surface species. But, ultimately, the world's oceans need the emissions driving their heating and acidification to cease. "Without (emissions) mitigation, novel and disappearing climates in the sea surface will be widespread around the globe by 2100," said Lotterhos.

Study says ocean surface climates may disappear by 2100

Troubled with rising temperatures, the calls for naming of the heatwaves are rising among the scientists in Greece. &nbsp;

The scientists of the country have begun discussing the need to name and rank heatwaves. They are better known for their invisibility.&nbsp;

The rampant wildfires, which are triggered by the heatwaves, have made the realities of the climate crisis come to fore.&nbsp;

The move could act as a preventative measure to enable policymakers and affected populations to get prepared for the 'silent killer’ heatwaves.&nbsp;

Since June, Greece has witnessed two bouts of extreme heat. Both were unusually prolonged and intense.&nbsp;

Last week, a new rise in temperatures saw Athens once again fall victim to fires as devastating blazes broke out north-west of the capital. &nbsp;

Dr Kostas Lagouvardos, research director, National Observatory, Athens told the Observer, “It is clear the extreme heat has been underestimated.”&nbsp;

It is essential that people are aware of the dangers posed by it. “We believe people will be more prepared to face an upcoming weather event when the event has a name. They’ll become more aware of the possible problems it could cause to their lives and to their properties … heatwaves cause a lot of deaths; they don’t make noise and they may not be visible but they’re a silent killer,” Lagouvardos said.&nbsp;

Troubled with rising temperatures, the calls for naming of the heatwaves are rising among the scientists in Greece. The scientists of the country have begun discussing the need to name and rank heatwaves.

Troubled with rising temperatures, the calls for naming of the heatwaves are rising among the scientists in Greece. The scientists of the country have begun discussing the need to name and rank heatwaves. They are better known for their invisibility. The rampant wildfires, which are triggered by the heatwaves, have made the realities of the climate crisis come to fore. The move could act as a preventative measure to enable policymakers and affected populations to get prepared for the 'silent killer’ heatwaves. Since June, Greece has witnessed two bouts of extreme heat. Both were unusually prolonged and intense. Last week, a new rise in temperatures saw Athens once again fall victim to fires as devastating blazes broke out north-west of the capital. Dr Kostas Lagouvardos, research director, National Observatory, Athens told the Observer, “It is clear the extreme heat has been underestimated.” It is essential that people are aware of the dangers posed by it. “We believe people will be more prepared to face an upcoming weather event when the event has a name. They’ll become more aware of the possible problems it could cause to their lives and to their properties … heatwaves cause a lot of deaths; they don’t make noise and they may not be visible but they’re a silent killer,” Lagouvardos said.

Greece scientists look to name heatwaves in line with storms

Global warming and the buzz around it is not new. But when we get constant reminders how it is affecting our planet, it becomes a scary thing. Nature itself sends these reminders our way. Sometimes they are in the form of tornados or melting ice caps.

Rain is generally a good thing. But when it rains where it usually should snow, alarm bells ring. At the summit of Greenland, it rained for the first time on record. The precipitation at the summit is usually in the form of snow. But thanks to global warming, another warning has come our way. The rain means that Greenland is warming up fast.

As per a report on CNN, temperature at the summit rose above the freezing point for just third time in the decade. The warm air fuelled the extreme rain event. This resulted in 7 billion tons of water falling in the form of rain. The report quotes a scientist as saying that this was "unprecedented"

A major United Nations climate report released earlier this month that Greenland's ice has been melting for the last two decades because of burning of fossil fuels.

A study published in the journal Cryosphere says that Earth has lost 28 trillion tonnes of ice since the mid-90s

Global warming and the buzz around it is not new. But when we get constant reminders how it is affecting our planet, it becomes a scary thing. Nature itself sends these reminders our way.

Global warming and the buzz around it is not new. But when we get constant reminders how it is affecting our planet, it becomes a scary thing. Nature itself sends these reminders our way. Sometimes they are in the form of tornados or melting ice caps. Rain is generally a good thing. But when it rains where it usually should snow, alarm bells ring. At the summit of Greenland, it rained for the first time on record. The precipitation at the summit is usually in the form of snow. But thanks to global warming, another warning has come our way. The rain means that Greenland is warming up fast. As per a report on CNN, temperature at the summit rose above the freezing point for just third time in the decade. The warm air fuelled the extreme rain event. This resulted in 7 billion tons of water falling in the form of rain. The report quotes a scientist as saying that this was "unprecedented" A major United Nations climate report released earlier this month that Greenland's ice has been melting for the last two decades because of burning of fossil fuels. A study published in the journal Cryosphere says that Earth has lost 28 trillion tonnes of ice since the mid-90s

It rains instead of snow on Greenland summit for first time ever

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