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Paris Agreement target won't protect polar ice sheets, scientists warn
a year ago
- Sea levels could rise by 8 to 12 inches per decade in some regions within the lifetime of today’s youngest generations.
- Limiting warming to 2.7°F (1.5°C) may not prevent a worst-case polar ice sheet meltdown.
- A safer long-term climate target might be closer to 1.8°F (1°C) of warming.
- Recent studies suggest stricter temperature limits are needed to maintain a safe climate.
- Early climate research warned against exceeding 1°C of warming or 350 ppm CO2.
- Earth’s average temperature has frequently breached the 1.5°C Paris target in recent years.
- Atmospheric CO2 has reached 430 ppm, a 50% increase over pre-industrial levels.
Ice Theft in Antarctica
a year ago
- Glaciers are retreating globally and engaging in 'ice piracy,' where one glacier steals ice from another.
- Researchers observed unprecedented ice piracy among Antarctic glaciers using satellite data, with Kohler East stealing ice from Kohler West over fewer than 18 years.
- Kohler West slowed by 10% between 2005 and 2022 due to ice theft by the faster-moving Kohler East.
- This phenomenon was previously thought to occur over centuries or millennia, but new data shows it happening much faster.
- Understanding these dynamics helps predict future glacier behavior and its impact on sea level rise as the climate warms.
Seal found nearly 30 miles from the ocean
a year ago
- A Southern American fur seal was found 30 miles inland in Torres del Paine National Park, Chile, far from its usual coastal habitat.
- The juvenile seal was healthy and later safely transported back to the ocean by authorities.
- Experts suggest the seal may have traveled inland via river systems, following fish or favorable currents.
- While such behavior is rare, fur seals are known to explore rivers and rest on land between swims.
- The incident has raised concerns about climate change potentially altering wildlife behavior and ecosystems.
- Authorities plan to monitor these changes closely in the park's management updates.
The satellite that will 'weigh' 1.5T trees
a year ago
- The European Space Agency (ESA) launched a satellite to measure carbon stored in the world's 1.5 trillion trees.
- The satellite, nicknamed 'space brolly,' uses P-band radar to penetrate forest canopies and analyze woody material.
- This technology will help scientists accurately assess carbon storage in major rainforests like the Amazon, Congo, and Indonesia.
- Current methods involve measuring individual trees, which is challenging and inconsistent.
- The satellite will produce annual maps over five years, tracking carbon storage and deforestation impacts.
- Unlike other satellites, Biomass can penetrate clouds, providing consistent data in tropical regions.
- The mission is a collaborative effort involving scientists from Europe and the US.
- The satellite's deployment includes a large 12-meter antenna, requiring precise unfolding in space.
- First results are expected within six months, with long-term data aiding climate change research.
Why ChatGPT is unlikely to solve climate change
a year ago
- AI leaders like Sam Altman, Dario Amodei, and Eric Schmidt argue that AI will help solve climate change, but critics say this is speculative and misleading.
- Generative AI technologies, such as large-language models, are driving increased greenhouse gas emissions due to their high energy demands.
- Data centers running AI models account for a growing share of global energy use, projected to double by 2030.
- AI's energy consumption is leading to delays in decommissioning coal plants and plans for new natural-gas plants.
- Some forms of AI, like machine learning, are already used in climate modeling and energy optimization, but these are distinct from energy-intensive generative AI.
- Critics argue that generative AI, like ChatGPT, is prone to errors and lacks the capability to make meaningful scientific advances.
- AI advocates claim that future 'superintelligence' will surpass human capabilities, but skeptics question how non-sentient AI can achieve this.
- The debate highlights the tension between AI's potential benefits and its current environmental costs.
Neolithic 'sun stones' sacrificed in Denmark revives sun after volcanic eruption
a year ago
- Neolithic communities on Bornholm buried engraved 'sun stones' around 4,900 years ago to counter climate changes caused by a volcanic eruption.
- The eruption around 2900 BCE released sulfur, blocking sunlight, lowering temperatures, and causing crop failures, threatening early farmers.
- Over 600 sun stones, made of shale with sun-related motifs, were found in Vasagård, accompanied by animal bones, pottery, and flint tools.
- Dr. Rune Iversen suggests these sacrifices aimed to restore sunlight and ensure agricultural prosperity.
- Ice cores and sediment layers confirm the volcanic eruption's timing and its impact on climate, including reduced sunlight.
- The period saw upheaval in Northern Europe, with plague infections and the decline of the Funnel Beaker culture.
- Vasagård's alignment with solstices highlights its role as a sun worship center, similar to Stonehenge.
Alpine village is largely destroyed when a Swiss glacier collapses
a year ago
- A massive rock and ice glacier collapse in Switzerland destroyed nearly 90% of the Alpine village of Blatten.
- A 64-year-old man is reported missing, and search and rescue operations are ongoing using drones with thermal cameras.
- The landslide buried the nearby Lonza River bed, raising concerns about potential dammed water flows and worsening conditions.
- About 300 people and livestock were evacuated earlier due to fears of the glacier's collapse, which contained 1.5 million cubic meters of ice.
- Swiss glaciologists attribute the accelerated glacier retreat to global warming, with Switzerland losing 4% of its glacier volume in 2023.
- This incident follows previous evacuations in Swiss villages like Brienz due to similar geological threats.
The Swiss village wiped off the map by a glacier
a year ago
- The village of Blatten was destroyed by a massive landslide from the Nesthorn mountain, despite prior evacuations.
- Scientists had been monitoring the unstable rock and glacier, but the scale of the disaster was unexpected.
- The event is linked to global warming, which is causing permafrost thaw and glacier shrinkage, destabilizing mountains.
- Blatten's destruction highlights the increasing unpredictability of alpine hazards due to rapid climate change.
- Switzerland's glaciers, crucial for freshwater supply, are melting at an accelerated rate, with many at risk of disappearing by the end of the century.
- The disaster has raised concerns about the safety of living in high mountain regions and the future of alpine communities.
- Residents of Blatten lost everything, and the event has prompted national reflection on climate change and mountain safety.
How the little-known 'dark roof' lobby may be making US cities hotter
a year ago
- Tennessee repealed its reflective roof requirement for commercial buildings, citing consumer choice, despite concerns over increased energy costs and heat-related illnesses.
- Industry lobbying, led by manufacturers of dark roofing materials, has successfully rolled back cool-roof regulations in multiple states, including Tennessee, Denver, and at the national level.
- Scientific evidence supports light-colored roofs for reducing urban temperatures, energy use, and heat-related deaths, but industry groups dispute these findings.
- Baltimore passed a cool-roof ordinance in 2023 despite opposition from industry groups arguing against its effectiveness in colder climates.
- Homeowners like Owen Henry in Baltimore and Brian Spear in Arizona have experienced significant benefits from installing reflective roofs, including lower energy bills and cooler indoor temperatures.
- Industry lobbyists have successfully influenced policy changes, including weakening Denver's cool-roof ordinance and preventing stricter national standards.
Unionize or Die
a year ago
- Tech workers are urged to unionize to protect their economic interests and counter industry-wide layoffs and AI-driven job replacements.
- The article highlights the existential threat of climate change, emphasizing that tech workers must act now to mitigate catastrophic outcomes.
- Capitalism is critiqued for exacerbating climate change and healthcare crises, with the rich prioritizing profit over human lives.
- Organized labor is presented as the only effective solution to counter corporate power, with examples of successful strikes and union actions.
- A step-by-step guide is provided for tech workers to organize unions, including building solidarity, understanding legal rights, and preparing for a general strike in 2028.
- The call to action includes joining forums like unitelabor.dev and leveraging collective power to demand systemic changes.
Estate of woman who died in 2021 heat dome sues Big Oil for wrongful death
a year ago
- First-of-its-kind lawsuit filed against major oil companies for a climate change-related death.
- Juliana Leon died from hyperthermia during the 2021 Pacific Northwest heat dome, an event linked to human-caused climate change.
- Lawsuit alleges oil companies knew about climate risks but concealed them, delaying cleaner energy transitions.
- Defendants include ExxonMobil, BP, Chevron, Shell, ConocoPhillips, and Phillips 66.
- Case seeks damages and a public education campaign to rectify misinformation.
- Climate accountability advocates see the lawsuit as a potential model for future cases.
- Legal experts suggest Big Oil could face criminal prosecution for climate-related deaths.
- Lawsuit could set important precedents for climate liability, despite expected legal challenges.
Climate.gov will stop publishing new content on July 1
a year ago
- Climate.gov, a widely used federal website for climate information, will stop updating content on July 1, 2025.
- The site, operated by NOAA, had nearly one million monthly visitors and was a trusted source for climate data.
- All 10 staff members responsible for content creation and data visualization have been terminated.
- The layoffs are part of a broader purge of probationary employees across the government.
- Climate.gov provided timely information on weather patterns, droughts, and extreme weather events to help public planning.
- Former program manager Rebecca Lindsey believes the administration aims to suppress public discussion on climate change.
- The Trump administration has previously dismantled other climate-related programs, including the National Climate Assessment team.
- While the site remains accessible, its content will become outdated without updates.
Scientists want to test a solar umbrella that could help fight climate change
a year ago
- Scientists are testing a solar umbrella to reduce Earth's heat from the sun.
- A small sunshade will be tested at the L1 Lagrange Point as a precursor to a larger mission.
- A 12U CubeSat with a 144-meter solar sail will demonstrate the system's effectiveness.
- Space sails could help propel spacecraft and maintain position using sunlight.
- The goal is to limit direct sunlight on Earth to reduce atmospheric heat.
- The mission costs $10 million and relies on autonomous tech due to communication delays.
- Success could lead to scaling up the process, but more missions may be needed.
- Details of the plan have been published in Acta Astronautica.
UK temps of 45C (113F) may be possible in current climate, Met Office says
a year ago
- The UK has a 50/50 chance of experiencing 40C temperatures again within the next 12 years due to climate change.
- Temperatures of 45C or higher may be possible in the current climate, with heatwaves lasting a month or more.
- The first recorded 40C temperature in the UK occurred in 2022, peaking at 40.3C in Lincolnshire.
- Extreme heat in 2022 led to major incidents, including fires, transport disruptions, and over 3,000 heat-related deaths in England.
- The risk of 40C temperatures has increased more than 20 times since the 1960s and nearly tripled since 2000.
- Temperatures up to 46.6C are plausible in the UK under current climate conditions.
- Heatwaves could result in up to two-thirds of summer days exceeding 28C in southeast England, with continuous heatwaves lasting over a month.
- Consecutive days above 35C are also possible, emphasizing the need for preparedness against extreme heat impacts.
Three years left to limit warming to 1.5C, leading scientists warn
a year ago
- The Earth could breach the 1.5C warming limit in as little as three years at current CO2 emission levels.
- Nearly 200 countries agreed in 2015 to limit global temperature rises to 1.5C to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
- Continued burning of fossil fuels and deforestation have put the 1.5C goal in peril.
- The 'carbon budget' for a 50% chance of staying below 1.5C has shrunk to 130 billion tonnes by 2025.
- Current CO2 emissions of about 40 billion tonnes per year could exhaust the carbon budget in roughly three years.
- Human-caused warming reached 1.36C above pre-industrial levels in 2023, with a current warming rate of 0.27C per decade.
- The planet is on track to reach 1.5C of warming by around 2030 if emissions remain high.
- The rate of heating in the Earth's climate system has more than doubled since the 1970s and 1980s.
- About 90% of excess heat is absorbed by oceans, leading to higher sea levels and disruption to marine life.
- The rate of global sea-level rise has doubled since the 1990s, increasing flooding risks for coastal populations.
- Rapid and stringent emissions cuts are crucial to mitigate further warming and its impacts.
- Every fraction of warming avoided reduces harm, particularly for vulnerable populations.
Taking the wind out of dangerous cyclones
10 months ago
- Aerosols can weaken cyclones in their early stages, preventing full development.
- Climate change is making cyclones more dangerous, necessitating innovative solutions.
- Different sizes of aerosols have varied impacts on cyclone formation.
- Coarse aerosols dampen vortex acceleration, while fine or ultrafine aerosols initially boost but later weaken cyclones more.
- Dispersing aerosols requires several aircraft over a few hours.
- Computer simulations are currently used, with real-world testing considered for cyclones that won't hit land.
- Australia could lead in cyclone intervention, with Western Australia's coastline as a potential testing ground.
- Collaboration with Silicon Valley start-up Aeolus aims to weaken cyclones before they threaten communities.
- Cyclone intervention is seen as a long-term solution to increasing insurance premiums and uninsurable properties due to climate change.
Ancient Africa's Climate Was Unexpectedly Rainy, Muddying Story of Early Humans
10 months ago
- New research challenges the belief that Northern Africa experienced a dry spell between 3.5 million and 2.5 million years ago, suggesting stable rainfall instead.
- The study analyzed leaf waxes in ocean sediment cores, revealing no significant drying trends during the Plio-Pleistocene transition.
- Previous studies relied on dust deposits to argue for aridification, but the new findings suggest dust may relate to wind patterns rather than rainfall changes.
- The research questions the idea that drier conditions drove hominin evolution, such as the emergence of the Homo genus.
- The findings could inform future climate predictions, as CO2 levels during the transition were similar to today's but decreasing, unlike current trends.
- The study highlights the need to determine when Africa shifted to drier conditions and what factors influenced ancient human evolution.
Shifts in diatom and dinoflagellate biomass in the North Atlantic over 6 decades
10 months ago
- Diatom and dinoflagellate biomass in the North Atlantic has decreased by up to 2% per year from 1960–2017, except in eastern and western shelf regions.
- There has been a 1–2% annual increase in diatom biomass relative to total diatom and dinoflagellate biomass across most of the North Atlantic, except in the Arctic province.
- The study contradicts the common assumption that gradual ocean warming leads to a decadal-scale shift from diatoms to dinoflagellates.
- Phytoplankton communities in the North Atlantic show strong seasonal cycles, with diatom blooms peaking in spring and dinoflagellate blooms in late summer.
- The research highlights regional variability in phytoplankton responses to climate change, emphasizing the need for community-wide and evolutionary considerations in climate predictions.
Extreme heat is causing roads to buckle in multiple states
10 months ago
- Extreme heat and humidity across the eastern U.S. are causing roads to buckle, affecting nearly 150 million people.
- Road buckling incidents are more common on concrete roads than asphalt roads due to expansion under high temperatures.
- Concrete roads expand in heat, and if joints can't accommodate the expansion, the concrete panels push against each other, causing breaks.
- Human-caused climate change is making heat waves more intense and longer-lasting, increasing the likelihood of road buckling.
- States not accustomed to extreme heat may have roads less prepared for such conditions, leading to more buckling incidents.
- Safety tips include reporting excessive road cracking to local agencies and being cautious of debris from chipping concrete.
Earth is trapping much more heat than climate models forecast
10 months ago
- Measuring climate change can be done by tracking Earth's energy budget, which is now out of balance.
- The energy imbalance has more than doubled over the last 20 years, reaching about 1.3 W/m² recently.
- This imbalance suggests climate change might accelerate, with potential for more severe impacts.
- Earth's energy budget works like a bank account, with incoming solar energy and outgoing heat.
- Greenhouse gases trap more heat, with 90% of excess heat absorbed by oceans.
- Average global temperatures have risen 1.3-1.5°C due to this energy imbalance.
- Scientists track the energy budget via satellite radiometers and ocean temperature readings.
- Climate models underestimated the rapid growth of the energy imbalance.
- Changes in cloud cover may be a significant factor in the accelerating imbalance.
- The findings imply more intense climate impacts like heatwaves, droughts, and marine heatwaves.
- Some models with higher climate sensitivity align better with real-world data, predicting worse long-term warming.
- Continued satellite monitoring is crucial, but funding cuts in the U.S. threaten this capability.
- The solution remains reducing fossil fuel use and deforestation to restore balance.

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#climate change

Paris Agreement target won't protect polar ice sheets, scientists warn

Ice Theft in Antarctica

Seal found nearly 30 miles from the ocean

The satellite that will 'weigh' 1.5T trees

Why ChatGPT is unlikely to solve climate change

Neolithic 'sun stones' sacrificed in Denmark revives sun after volcanic eruption

Alpine village is largely destroyed when a Swiss glacier collapses

The Swiss village wiped off the map by a glacier

How the little-known 'dark roof' lobby may be making US cities hotter

Unionize or Die

Estate of woman who died in 2021 heat dome sues Big Oil for wrongful death

Climate.gov will stop publishing new content on July 1

Scientists want to test a solar umbrella that could help fight climate change

UK temps of 45C (113F) may be possible in current climate, Met Office says

Three years left to limit warming to 1.5C, leading scientists warn

Taking the wind out of dangerous cyclones

Ancient Africa's Climate Was Unexpectedly Rainy, Muddying Story of Early Humans

Shifts in diatom and dinoflagellate biomass in the North Atlantic over 6 decades

Extreme heat is causing roads to buckle in multiple states

Earth is trapping much more heat than climate models forecast