“2021 was one of the hottest years on record, and it could also be the coldest we’ll ever see again…
“The fact 2021 was among the world’s hottest years despite these cooling forces shows [ back-to-back La Niña events] just how strong the long-term warming trend is. Indeed, 2021 may well be the coldest year we’ll ever experience again.”
https://phys.org/news/2022-01-hottest-years-coldest.html
“‘The treeline is out of control’: how the climate crisis is turning the Arctic green.
“As the planet warms, the Arctic treeline is accelerating towards the pole, turning the white landscape to green. The trees used to creep forward a few centimetres every year; now they are leaping north at a rate of 40 to 50 metres a year.”
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2022/jan/20/norway-arctic-circle-trees-sami-reindeer-global-heating
“For flowering plants in the Arctic, cold temperatures don’t mean death. But warmer temperatures might…
“Arctic plants are sensitive, relying on specific temperature cues for flowering. And as climate change intensifies, warming temperatures could upend this delicate balance, impacting species survival in this unique environment.”
https://daily.jstor.org/how-does-the-warming-arctic-impact-plants/
“Greenland Could Melt for Millennia If Warming Stopped Today…
“The warming that humans cause today may have ripple effects far into the future, scientists warned in a study yesterday that finds the vast Greenland ice sheet could continue melting for centuries after greenhouse gases are stabilized.”
“The Gulf of St. Lawrence continues to warm up and 2021 saw several heat records broken, according to an annual summary of oceanographic conditions compiled by Fisheries and Oceans Canada researcher Peter Galbraith…
““We’re heading slowly toward winters where the absence of ice will be the norm” on the gulf, Galbraith said Tuesday.”
https://montrealgazette.com/news/quebec/record-temperatures-recorded-in-the-gulf-of-st-lawrence
“Bubbles of methane rising from seafloor in Puget Sound…
“A University of Washington team has discovered a source much closer to home: 349 plumes of methane gas bubbling up from the seafloor in Puget Sound, which holds more water than any other U.S. estuary.”
https://phys.org/news/2022-01-methane-seafloor-puget.html
“Wealthy homeowners in the Santa Monica Mountains community [of Las Virgenes, California] will face consequences if they’re found to be wasting water…
“Water is becoming a precious commodity in Southern California. The reservoir run by the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, contains a six-month supply for the district’s 75,000 customers.”
https://abc7.com/homeowners-wasting-water-las-virgenes-municipal-district-restrict-flow/11489548/
“A winter storm will hit Texas — bringing back memories of last year’s power grid failure…
“Temperatures in wide swaths of Texas are forecast to nosedive in the coming days, triggering concerns about the state’s natural gas supply as well as memories of last year’s power grid failure that led to widespread outages and hundreds of deaths.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/01/19/texas-winter-storm-power/
“Peru demands compensation for disastrous oil spill caused by Tonga volcano…
“Peru has demanded compensation from the Spanish oil giant Repsol after freak waves from a volcanic eruption near Tonga caused an oil spill described as the worst ecological disaster to hit the South American country in recent history.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/19/peru-spain-repsol-disastrous-oil-spill
“The current South American heat wave is unprecedented in the Continent.
“Some areas have recorded consecutive Minimum temperatures above 30C [86F]. Formosa AP in Argentina today had an overnight Min of 31.7C ,if it holds it will equal the highest minimum temperature ever in Argentina.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1483518973111062531
“The recent extreme heatwave affecting South America has caused a record number of forest, peri-urban and urban fires across Paraguay.
“The frequency and gravity of the fires, along with the very high number of COVID-19 cases, prompted the national authorities to consider the activation of the state of emergency in the whole country.”
“More than 400,000 chickens die from heat wave and temperatures above 44°C /111.2F [Uruguay]…
“The data were released by the Southern Association of Poultry Producers (Apas) of the country. The losses represent between 10% and 20% of the national production, the president of the institution, Joaquim Fernández said…”
“Heat wave and excessive rainfall: Brazil is not prepared for climate change…
“The extreme heat witnessed in southern Brazil, as well as the torrential rains that devastated several cities in Bahia and Minas Gerais in the last month are consequences of climate change that are becoming more frequent.”
“In Africa, temperatures rise, but adaptation lags on West’s funding failure…
“For Africa, 2021 was the third-warmest year on record, tied with 2019. Even as the continent clocks record-breaking temperatures, adaptation efforts are failing to keep pace, marred by planning gaps and financing woes.”
“Western Cape residents [South Africa] have been warned of extreme heatwave conditions over the weekend when temperatures are expected to soar beyond 45°C [113F]…
“Meanwhile, in pretty much the rest of the country, South Africans are battling floods and severe thunderstorms.”
“Pretoria [South Africa] – The Tshwane Emergency Services is continuously monitoring flooding hot spots after heavy rain ravaged sections of the capital city on Wednesday, particularly Centurion.
“These areas include Hendrik Verwoerd Road, Rooihuiskraal Road, Uitsig Road, Nellmapius Drive and Panorama Road.”
“Counting cost of heavy rains [Zambia]…
““We do not understand what is happening this time around,” said Josias, visibly puzzled by the phenomenon. In the past years we would worry about the area receiving little rainfall, poor crop yields leading to hunger in most homes, but now hunger will be caused by too much rain…”
http://www.daily-mail.co.zm/counting-cost-of-heavy-rains/
“‘Rural women in Zimbabwe are in constant contact with climate change’…
“According to Shamiso Mupara, founder and executive director of Environmental Buddies Zimbabwe, climate change, droughts and food shortages are having a greater toll on women than men in rural Zimbabwe, as seen in the rise of forced marriages during the 1992 year of extreme drought.”
“Herders migrate to Uganda amid drought…
“Water shortage and a lack of pasture have forced a majority of livestock keepers in West Pokot to move to Uganda. The drought has affected 11 wards, with Agriculture County Executive Geoffrey Lipale saying if mitigation measures are not taken, the county will be at a worse crisis stage…”
“A car that swept away in a massive flood disaster in Turkey’s Black Sea region last summer has washed up on the shore 4 kilometers away from where it was parked five months ago…
“Floods following torrential rain claimed 82 lives, mostly in Kastamonu’s Bozkurt, one of the hardest-hit settlements along with the Ayancık district of neighboring Sinop province, during which waters reached a height of 4 meters.”
https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/car-swept-away-in-floods-found-5-months-later-170914
“Storm blankets Syrian tented camps in snow, at least one child dead…
“At least one child was killed in northern Syria this week when a storm blanketed tented camps in snow and brought freezing temperatures…
“…compounding the misery of thousands of people displaced by the Mediterranean country’s decade-long war.”
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2008491/middle-east
“Rare snow and hailstorms cover Saudi desert…
“Several recent snow and hailstorms in the region have transformed landscapes in and around Saudi Arabia, stirring excitement among locals and causing a sensation on social media… Al-Harbi told CNN that winter weather of such intensity in the Badr desert area was a rare phenomenon that had not occurred for years”
https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/saudi-arabia-snow/index.html
“After Months Of Drought, Heavy Rain And Snow Wreak Havoc In Iran…
“…Sistan-Baluchistan, Kerman, Fars and Hormozgan provinces — are the worst hit by heavy rains, with higher number of casualties and villages that are left without power and surrounded with water. Heavy snow, unprecedented in recent years, have choked off mountain passes. Some areas are blanketed with six feet of snow.”
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202201196241
“In the Sundarban [West Bengal] Climate Change Has an Unlikely Effect – on Child Trafficking…
“Climate change has taken an enormous toll on the rainforest in recent years. Cyclones, floods, river erosion and soil salinisation… have repeatedly uprooted families and decimated the incomes of residents who have traditionally relied heavily on agriculture and fishing for their livelihoods.”
https://science.thewire.in/environment/sundarban-delta-climate-change-child-trafficking/
“Buildings destroyed as floods hit Pekalongan, Indonesia January 19 2022… [Video]
“Heavy rain caused flash floods in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia on January 19th 2022. Heavy rain caused rivers to overflow, flooding thousands of homes, with some buildings destroyed by the force of the water.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TFYeo93gEc
“UN says Philippine typhoon destruction ‘badly underestimated’…
“The United Nations said destruction caused by Typhoon Rai in the Philippines had been “badly underestimated” in initial assessments, tripling the number of people “seriously affected” to nine million.”
“Rising ozone pollution threatens east Asia’s cereal crops…
“Ozone pollution is damaging wheat, rice and maize crops across China, South Korea and Japan to the tune of $63 billion (£46 billion) each year… Scientists have long known ozone can reduce plants’ growth and ability to survive by entering leaf openings and oxidising tissues.”
“Record-breaking Western Australia heatwave has days to run before it moves east…
“Thursday’s top of 40.5C was the eighth day above 40C this summer, beating the previous record of seven for the season in Perth and with more likely, Ben Domensino, a senior meteorologist at Weatherzone, said. Just after noon, local time, the temperature topped 40C for the ninth time.”
“Floods wreak havoc on western NSW as Australia’s north braces for possible cyclone…
“Major flooding is occurring along the Darling River at Tilpa where river levels exceeded the major flood level (11.50 metres) early Tuesday morning. River levels at Tilpa are expected to peak at the end of January.”
“Shellfish industry on alert amid marine heatwave [NZ]. Otago’s shellfish industry is on high alert again as the marine heatwave starts to take effect, potentially bringing algal blooms which could decimate much of the coast’s marine environment.”
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/campus/shellfish-industry-alert-amid-marine-heatwave
“Australian Antarctic expeditioners have discovered an enormous, 2-kilometre-deep canyon underneath a glacier that may make it more vulnerable to warming oceans…
“The discovery also indicates the Vanderford Glacier in East Antarctica once extended 60km further than it currently does and had a significant role in rising sea levels.”
“Air pollution is stopping insects doing their job of pollinating crops and flowers, study finds…
“Scientists found that there were up to 70 per cent fewer pollinators, up to 90 per cent fewer flower visits and an overall pollination reduction of up to 31 per cent in test plants when common ground-level air pollutants, including diesel exhaust pollutants and ozone, were present.”
“Ukraine, China and climate change tagged as ‘Doomsday Clock’ holds at 100 seconds to midnight, matching riskiest view ever…
“…a stalled clock is not a chance to exhale, says the committee behind its publication. The reading matches the closest distance to midnight, meaning the most worrisome, in the report’s 75-year history.”
You can read the previous ‘Climate’ thread here. I’ll be back over the weekend with an ‘Economic’ thread.
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