“You thought 2023 was extreme? Look what the first months of 2024 looked like for the whole Atlantic Ocean’s Sea Surface Temperatures.
“Compared to the same period for preceding 170 years. This is not what linear warming looks like!”
https://twitter.com/LeonSimons8/status/1780166223457550805
“The [moderately] powerful El Niño weather event which along with climate change has helped push global temperatures to new highs, has ended, say [BoM Australia] scientists…
“But what happens next is uncertain, say researchers. A string of recent global monthly high temperature records has led some scientists to fear that the world could be tipping into a new phase of even faster climate change.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-68826152
“Weather and climate extremes in 2023 impacted the globe with emerging features…
“”We’re seeing extremes appearing in seasons in which they’re usually less likely. Heat waves, for example, appeared in spring 2023 in southwestern Europe, Brazil, Morocco, and South Africa,” said Dr. Robin Clark of the Met Office in the UK, a co-author of the study. The past year has also highlighted a very worrying signal regarding transitions between droughts and floods…”
https://phys.org/news/2024-04-weather-climate-extremes-impacting-globe.html
“Let’s call it!:
“2023-2024 was the first year with a global temperature anomaly above 1.6°C in two or more data sets!” Or at least we are within a rounding error – 1.598C. Close enough.
https://twitter.com/LeonSimons8/status/1780598596968353817
“In the first half of April, there were more heat records broken worldwide than any FULL month before February 2024.
“164 countries/territories have broken heat records and many more will in the coming days. All tropics are sweeping every record, despite the fading El Niño.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1780524260563341635
“UK facing food shortages and price rises after extreme weather.
“Record rainfall has meant farmers in many parts of the UK have been unable to plant crops… Crops that have been planted are of poor quality… similarly wet conditions in European countries such as France and Germany, as well as drought in Morocco, could mean there is less food to import.”
“Rising temperatures across Spain are thought to be responsible for growing numbers of insecticide-resistant Germanic cockroaches.
“Climate change could be causing a concerning uptick in the number of cockroach infestations in Spain – as well as alterations to their genetic makeup.”
“Spanish drought pits tourists against locals in contest for water…
“Hotel swimming pools are the latest flashpoint in Spain’s struggle to cope with the effects of climate change, with local governments forced to consider strict controls on water usage to prevent the taps running dry across the south.”
https://www.ft.com/content/a2523b82-0547-4e76-bb9c-e8b6d03e9992
“Torrevieja has suffered the driest start to a hydrological year since records began in 1927, according to the local weather association, Proyecto Mastral.
“Since October 1, just 31 litres per square metre (l/m2) of rain has been recorded by the pluviometer operated by state weather agency AEMET in the municipality.”
https://www.costa-news.com/costa-blanca-south/driest-ever-in-torrevieja/
“Extreme temperature changes in parts of EUROPE, from record heat to a return of winter.
“In SLOVENIA 26.2 lost in 24 hours at Podčetrtek from 27.2C to 1.0C. Similar situation in AUSTRIA. From over 30c to snow in several towns like Villach.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1780506492346454118
“Fierce heat in Turkey and the Caucasus: GEORGIA: 34.8 Zugdidi; RUSSIA: 33.1 Labinsk.
“Record April warm nights on the Black Sea TMINS: BULGARIA: 17.7 Varna, 17.6 Burgas; ROMANIA:18.8 constanta 18.2 Tulcea; TURKEY: 21.1 Kusadasi 19.0 Cannakale. Heat is coming from Africa: >46C [114.8F] in CHAD.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1780667416541905406
“‘Human-induced’ climate change caused deadly Sahel heatwave, says study.
“The length and severity of the extreme heat led to an increase in the number of deaths and hospitalisations in the two countries, despite their populations being acclimatised to high temperatures, the WWA said.”
“Herders in Kenya are substituting camels for cows, whose numbers have declined by the millions as drought has devastated eastern Africa…
“…grazable land is shrinking. Water sources are drying up. A three-year drought in the Horn of Africa that ended last year killed 80 percent of the cows in this part of Kenya and shattered the livelihoods of so many people.”
“The government of Burundi and the United Nations have launched an appeal for financial aid to cope with the “devastating effects” of months of relentless rainfall that has displaced nearly 100,000 people.
“East Africa has been experiencing torrential rains in recent weeks that have cost the lives of at least 58 people in Tanzania…”
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/burundi-appeals-aid-rains-floods-134600755.html
“Major floods due to heavy downpour in Al-Mukalla of Hadramaut, Yemen…
video:
https://twitter.com/Top_Disaster/status/1780627661783695783
“Dubai floods: Chaos, queues and submerged cars after UAE hit by record rains…
“Up to 259.5mm (10.2in) of rain fell on the usually arid country of the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, the most since records began 75 years ago. The state-run WAM news agency called the rains on Tuesday “a historic weather event” that surpassed “anything documented since the start of data collection in 1949”.”
“‘Cloud seeding did not cause Dubai floods’, expert says…
““The UAE does have an operational cloud seeding programme to enhance the rainfall in this arid part of the world, however, there is no technology in existence that can create or even severely modify this kind of rainfall event. Furthermore, no cloud seeding operations have taken place in this area recently.”
“HISTORIC rainfalls also in the Sultanate of OMAN.
“302mm [11.9 inches] of rain fell in just 24 hours at Mahada; we are at uncharted territories for no-cyclones rainfalls.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1780526467278881239
“At least 135 dead in Pakistan and Afghanistan as flooding continues to slam region.
“Death tolls across parts of central Asia have risen sharply as unusually extreme weather has continued to slam the region in recent days, with the combined tolls across hard-hit Pakistan and Afghanistan rose to at least 135 on Wednesday, officials said.”
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pakistan-afghanistan-flooding-severe-weather-rain-death-toll-increase/
“Kazakhs Prepare For Second Wave As Central Asia, Russia Struggle With Floods…
“In the Kazakh city of Oral, thousands of residents are building dams and preparing for another wave of flooding that could arrive on April 20. With no help from the state, people in a village in the Russian region of Orenburg raised money to build their own 1.5-kilometer dam.”
https://www.rferl.org/a/kazakhs-central-asia-russia-floods-second-wave/32909673.html
“Kazakhstan may face drought after floods – experts…
“Experts say that Kazakhstan may face drought after the floods, Channel 31 reports. They also voice concerns that the flood washed away the fertile layer of soil. In their opinion, the floods in Kazakhstan will have a detrimental effect on the harvest.”
https://akipress.com/news:769191:Kazakhstan_may_face_drought_after_floods_-_experts/
“Vijayawada [India] : Farmers in several districts have been struggling to save the standing crop and they are compelled to spend huge money to hire water tankers.
“Unable to see the crops getting withered away, farmers are pumping water by hiring tankers. Getting a tanker of water too has become a herculean task due to the surge in demand.”
“FIERECE HEAT IN INDIA First 45C [113F] of 2024: 45.6 Cuttack; 45.2 Kadapa; 45.1 Palakonda. Some monthly records for April were broken as well.
“Minimum temperatures were locally above 30C like 30.3C at Agarpara.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1780648905606050132
“70,172 hectares of forests and pastures were destroyed by fire in Mongolia as of Tuesday, the National Emergency Management Agency reported.
“”Fires were registered in 18 districts of 8 provinces, including Bulgan, Dornod, Sukhbaatar, Selenge, Khovd, Khuvsgul, and Khentii,” the statement notes.”
“Tonight gonna go down in history! multiple mega hail reported in Guangxi and Guizhou Province. This one was from the ongoing supercell in Northern Guangxi Province…
“The hail in Huanjiang, Guangxi tonight is close to the record for the largest hail measured in China.”
https://twitter.com/Ericwang1101/status/1780246897342787888
“Brutal heat all over tropical Asia from 40C in the Philippines to 34C in Hong Kong and 45C in Myanmar.
“Insane 39.8 again at Krabi THAILAND and first time in history 40C at Victoria Point MYANMAR, humid places surrounded by water and still hovering 39/40C every day. Unprecedented.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1780214198854709503
“Fire razes Mount Arayat anew… This is the second fire incident in Mount Arayat this month [Philippines]…
“A fire hit a portion of Pampanga’s Mount Arayat on Wednesday, April 17, the Bureau of Fire Protection in Arayat town confirmed. The fire is visible from the nearby Magalang town…”
https://www.rappler.com/nation/luzon/fire-razes-mount-arayat-anew-april-17-2024/
“Hundreds of farmers gather amid fears of worsening drought, condemn WA government response.
“Producers across the South West and Great Southern, used to cooler and wetter conditions than others in the state, have seen feedstock dwindle following a dry 2023 spring, WA’s hottest summer on record and a largely rainless autumn.”
“The National Weather Service based off Tiyan, Guam reports that drought in the Marianas will continue to intensify while extreme drought persists for other islands in Micronesia…
“Meanwhile, extreme to exceptional drought persists across islands of Yap State, Majuro, and the northern Marshall Islands.”
“Record heat is sweeping all Latin America from Mexico to Bolivia. Hottest night in climatic history at Cayenne AP FRENCH GUIANA Tmin 27.2 (after 28C Cayenne Suzini few days ago).
“APRIL RECORD HIGH Tmins 25.6 San Matias 25.2 Santa Rosa BOLIVIA. ECUADOR: April txx 35.7 Santa Rosa.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1780348253478740114
“Ecuador rations power as Andean drought tightens grip…
“The power cuts in Ecuador come days after dry weather forced Colombia’s capital city of Bogotá to ration water as its reservoirs reached record lows, threatening local supplies of tap water.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/16/ecuador-rations-power-andean-drought
“HISTORIC HEAT IN MEXICO – worst heat wave in history. Records are being smashed all over the country:
“42.2 [108F] Tuxtla Gutierrez; 39.0 Cuernavaca 1500m asl; 38.5 Huajuapan De Leon; 37.8 Morelia 1900m; 37.4 Aguascalientes; 35.3 Lagos de Moreno; 35.0 Tulacingo; 33.2 Pachuca 2360m; 32.0 Toluca 2700m.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1780401226321924573
“A popular lake in central Mexico that is a major tourist destination during the Day of the Dead festivities is drying up due to drought, deforestation, and the theft of its water.
“Lake Patzcuaro in the western state of Michoacán has lost more than half its volume since authorities started tracking its falling water levels…”
“Damage found inside Glen Canyon Dam increases water risks on the Colorado River…
“Federal officials have discovered damage inside Glen Canyon Dam that could force limits on how much Colorado River water is released at low reservoir levels, raising risks the Southwest could face shortages that were previously unforeseen.”
https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2024-04-16/glen-canyon-dam-damaged-colorado-river
“‘Water is more valuable than oil’: the corporation cashing in on America’s drought…
“Nearly a decade ago, Greenstone Resource Partners LLC, a private company backed by global investors, bought almost 500 acres of agricultural land here in Cibola. In a first-of-its-kind deal, the company recently sold the water rights tied to the land to the town of Queen Creek, a suburb of Phoenix, for a $14m gross profit.”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/16/arizona-colorado-river-water-rights-drought
“Washington declares drought emergency after ‘exceptionally dry’ winter…
““As our climate continues to change, we’re increasingly seeing our winters bring more rain and less snow,” said Washington Gov. Jay Inslee in a press release.”
https://www.fox13now.com/washington-declares-drought-emergency-after-exceptionally-dry-winter
“America’s Young Farmers Are Burning Out. I Quit, Too…
“A pilot study conducted by agriculture researcher Josie Rudolphi and her colleagues in 2020 found that of 170 participants, approximately 71% met the criteria for Generalized Anxiety Disorder.”
https://time.com/6966324/america-young-farmers-exhaustion-essay/
“Climate change damage could cost $38 trillion per year by 2050, study finds…
“Damage to farming, infrastructure, productivity, and health from climate change will cost an estimated $38 trillion per year by 2050, German government-backed research finds, a figure almost certain to rise as human activity emits more greenhouse gases.”
“Shell says doing more to rein in global warming is ‘unrealistic’…
“Ahead of its annual meeting next month, its notice document filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday is advising shareholders to vote down a proposal that would have it bolstering its efforts to fight climate change.”
https://qz.com/shell-climate-change-resolution-1851417483
“Old-fashioned pessimism might actually help us fight climate change…
“Instead of squeezing climate models until the numbers just about fit the 1.5°C target, perhaps a more pessimistic outlook would better accelerate efforts to limit the damage.”
“World faces ‘deathly silence’ of nature as wildlife disappears, warn experts…
““The changes are profound. And they are happening everywhere,” said US soundscape recordist Bernie Krause, who has taken more than 5,000 hours of recordings from seven continents over the past 55 years. He estimates that 70% of his archive is from habitats that no longer exist.”
You can read the previous “Climate” thread here. I’ll be back tomorrow with an “Economic” thread.
If you found value in this content, please help me continue this work by becoming a patron of my work via Patreon. And if you are already a subscriber or have donated – thank you!
Hello Pan,
Drought, heat, water shortages none of it matters to ‘us’. Vamos a la Playa!!! all trips to Spain are breaking all records. Last year ideveryone complained it was way too hot in summer…. but yes our ‘climate memory’ is short and extends to the first autumnal day with mass and rain. In Spain Barcelona the costas, that ‘overstrained’ tourism is now leading to more and more protests…. but yes money has to be made and house prices on the Costas remain unprecedentedly high…. risky investment if you ask me….
“…..200 billion in tourism revenues: Spain is about to break a new record in 2024, and worries about it
Anger over excessive tourism is rising in Spain.
Catalonia is thirsty, the Canary Islands are worried about their tourist numbers… and yet Spain is preparing to generate another record number of visitors and revenues this year. According to employers’ organisation Exceltur, tourism in the world’s second-largest destination will surpass the previous record, set in 2023, while expressing “concern” about growing anger against over-tourism.
Spain’s tourism GDP would “exceed 200 billion euros for the first time” in 2024. If, according to Exceltur’s estimates, business exceeds this ceiling and reaches 202.651 billion euros, the figure would represent an 8.6% increase compared to 2023, which was already experiencing “spectacular growth”. Tourism, the mainstay of the Spanish economy, would then account for 13.3%!!!! of Spain’s GDP. In the first quarter alone, tourism in the country grew by 13.8%.
According to Exceltur, Spain benefits from its “favourable security situation compared to other destinations in the Eastern Mediterranean in light of the escalating conflict in the Middle East”, as well as the “recovery of global travel traffic, especially from the Asian market” after the pandemic that had a major impact on the sector. By 2023, Spain had received a record 85.1 million international tourists, mainly from the UK, France and Germany, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INE).
Faced with these record numbers of visitors, anti-tourism movements are increasing, from the Balearic Islands to the Canary Islands, via Barcelona and Málaga……….”
https://www.lefigaro.fr/voyages/200-milliards-d-euros-de-revenus-touristiques-l-espagne-va-battre-un-nouveau-record-en-2024-et-s-en-inquiete-20240416
America’s Young Farmers Are Burning Out. I Quit, Too
https://time.com/6966324/america-young-farmers-exhaustion-essay/
In 2023, Scott Chang-Fleeman—a young farmer like me—put down his shovel. A post on his Instagram read, “Shao Shan Farm, in its current form, is going on indefinite hiatus.” From the outside, the burgeoning farm had the makeup of one that could stand the test of time. In reality, his experience of farm ownership was wrought with challenges.
As if a global pandemic wasn’t enough, in 2021, California entered a drought, and he lost the ability to irrigate his crops come mid-summer, which meant a hard stop for production.
“I was hoping to hit some sort of a rhythm, and every year felt a bit like starting from scratch,” Chang-Fleeman reflected.
Throughout farm ownership, he worked side jobs to compensate for the slow build of business income and the fact that he could only afford to pay himself a monthly salary of $2,000. He regularly worked 90 hours a week. At the same time, farm expenses were on the rise.
The cost of our packaging went up like three times in one year and the cost of the produce didn’t change,” he explained. “Our operating expenses went up like 30%, after COVID.”
In four short years, Chang-Fleeman experienced an avalanche of extenuating circumstances that would bring most farm businesses to their knees. But the thing that finally catalyzed the closing of his business was burnout. He relayed the experience of the exhaustion and stress building over time until he reached a breaking point. “If I don’t stop now, it’s going to kill me,” he recalled thinking.
The prolonged physical stress that I had been harboring at work had triggered the onset of panic disorder, a nervous system affliction that had led me into a near-chronic state of fight or flight mode, causing a swath of physical symptoms not typically associated with “anxiety.”
For me, this was a wake-up call. I turned to a slew of Western and naturopathic remedies to alleviate my symptoms, but ultimately, removing the stressors of farm management was the thing that allowed me to, mostly, reach a nervous system balance. Even still, six years later, I’m constantly navigating the ‘new normal’ of this diagnosis.
A pilot study conducted by agriculture researcher Josie Rudolphi and her colleagues in 2020 found that of 170 participants, approximately 71% met the criteria for Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Not to worry, AI robots and drones will be able to take up the challenge growing all of our plentiful supply of food available conveniently at the store with low, low prices..sarcasm
Zip, I was reading the other day that some anti-tourism activists in the Canary Islands are even going on hunger strike, so clearly it feels like an existential issue to some.
Tourists are a vital part of the economy here on Islay but, apart from during the general mayhem of “Whisky Week”, it never really feels intrusive, thank goodness. The island has such a low population density, having peaked in 1841 due to the Highland Clearances and Potato Famine, that it easily soaks them up.
“…our ‘climate memory’ is short.”
Isn’t it just? I know mine is getting shorter with the accelerating accumulation of extreme events. I have to actively remind myself that freakish events like the dam collapse in Derna and Acapulco taking a direct hit from Cat 5 Otis happened, even though they were only a few months ago.
Vince, re robots and drones, the on-line retail Goliaths are discovering that using the latter for delivery was not quite the stroke of brilliance it at first seemed:
“Amazon and Walmart Need to Give Up on Drones. Flying machines that deliver things sound cool, but they’ve turned out to be more trouble than they’re worth.”
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2024-04-11/amazon-and-walmart-need-to-give-up-on-drones
To your point, Zip, an elderly friend’s son and his girlfriend recently went to Barcelona for two weeks. Reportedly had a great time. I didn’t bring up the tourist or drought issues with my friend. She has enough worries on her 88 year old mind. Another friend visited Spain a few years back. Definitely a top destination. As we kill the planet.
I think what C&E has come to represent is the ultimate twist on the cynical, manipulative global advertising viral phrase of ‘breaking news.”
This is the other sense of “breaking,” the real sense – shit is breaking. Breaking as we speak, breaking tomorrow even more, but not yet for all us everywhere.
And what gets broken now will never be reformed.
C&E – The Real Breaking News.
Clever, Martin. And TRUE! Good tagline for the site maybe 🤪😱
I’ll take that as a compliment, so thank you, Martin.
I’m afraid this is indeed the era of irreversible breakdown, societal, environmental and ecological, as humanity heads, unrepentant, for the evolutionary naughty-step.
https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2024-04-16/california-tulare-lake-groundwater-probation
Sinking land and groundwater
It sounds like the result of this regulatory crackdown may be bankrupt farmers or possibly higher prices being passed on to consumers. Of course, the result of doing nothing would eventually be the land becoming non-viable due to desiccation. Pick your poison, I guess.
Reading all the “breaking” news makes me wonder if there is another less celebrated tipping point.
Is there a point at which we no longer hear the word “renewable” bandied about robotically? A point at which the techno-greens finally “quiet quit”, as they say, and give up on their bright green dreams? After all, look at how difficult it’s becoming to maintain ANY infrastructure in the face of climate catastrophe, never mind anything as fragile as massively distributed electrical infrastructure. How many of their pylons and panels need to be destroyed by extreme weather (giant hail!) before they finally find something else to talk about?
I remember a time when they would robotically parrot the word “sustainable”, literally in every other sentence. Then it became obvious what a wildly unsustainable shit-show this really is. So they switched to “net zero” instead.
Slovenia! Years ago I read that one of their mayors banned cars (aka: death machines) from the city center (the capital Ljubljana IIRC). Imagine that! A whole city free of cars!?! I was immediately inspired to emigrate there and retire as an expat. Thank the gods that didn’t happen, those folks are right on the front lines of climate catastrophe!
“Is there a point at which we no longer hear the word “renewable” bandied about robotically? A point at which the techno-greens finally “quiet quit”, as they say, and give up on their bright green dreams?”
That is an interesting question. We’re already seeing the goalposts being moved, as practical and economic realities increasingly impinge on these green dreams. Scotland has just ditched its flagship target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by 2030, for example.
But the flip side is that climate pressures are likewise impinging, ratcheting up the pressure on politicians to take affirmative action. Again, here in Scotland, farmers are freaking out about the endless rain: “Farmers have brought their livestock indoors and delayed sowing their spring crops amid flooding and severe downpours. Andrew Connon is the vice president for the National Farmers Union in Scotland. He said: “We’ve never seen the likes of this, rain week after week.”
https://news.stv.tv/north/farmers-say-warmer-weather-crucial-for-crops-over-next-fortnight-after-weeks-of-rain
My assumption is that these conflicting pressures, neither soluble, will just result in more discord and confusion, rather than a decisive tipping point – but who knows?
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-04-16/red-lobster-mulls-filing-for-bankruptcy-to-fix-balance-sheet
I am warming oceans and disappearing fish supplies have nothing to do with this either
Heather, the Gulf of Maine has been warming faster than almost any other body of water on the planet and lobsters are notoriously sensitive to changes in temperature. This is from October:
“The population of young lobsters has declined nearly 40% in some of the most critical fishing waters off New England, officials said Wednesday, triggering new restrictions for the fishermen who harvest the valuable crustaceans.”
https://fortune.com/2023/10/19/new-england-maine-lobster-fishing-510-million-economy-population-plunge/
“This is not what linear warming looks like!”
“But what happens next is uncertain,”
”We’re seeing extremes appearing in seasons in which they’re usually less likely.”
“All tropics are sweeping every record,”
“could mean there is less food to import.”
“Human-induced’ climate change”
8 billion can’t get a clue as to what they have done. I had to stop copy & paste. I’ve just got carpel tunnel & I wasn’t finished. Once again, if ignorance is bliss, this is an ecstatic species. 😉
Ignorance is bliss but then rude awakenings are painful. 😬
Chris Rea “Fool if you don’t think its over.”
“And all the roads jam up with credit and there’s nothing you can do
It’s all just bits of paper flying away from you
Look out world, take a good look what comes down here
You must learn this lesson fast and learn it well
This ain’t no upwardly mobile freeway
Oh no, this is the road, this is the road, this is the road to hell.”
Also Chris Rea.
Oh, I was not slamming Chria Rhea, especially for some lyrics that he wrote in to a song many decades ago. I was highlighting the vast extent of my own technological skills to counter the prevailing narratives.
Curt, I didn’t read your comment that way at all. A few of his lyrics suddenly seemed rather apposite, so I was glad of the chance to post them.
“We’re caught in a world full of tears
So many bad times and fears
While there’s a chance and you’re near
Well, let’s dance.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsfQnmrUS9A