Daily updates on climate change and the global economy.

Daily updates on climate change and the global economy.
Stay current with what’s happening around the world with a quick scan of top news.

Daily updates on climate change and the global economy.
Stay current with what’s happening around the world with a quick scan of top news.

Daily updates on climate change and the global economy.
Stay current with what’s happening around the world with a quick scan of top news.

Daily updates on climate change and the global economy.
Stay current with what’s happening around the world with a quick scan of top news.

Many thanks to my special sponsor for September 2024 – ANON


“Record rainfall on Saturday hit central Japan’s Noto region, which was devastated by a major earthquake in January, prompting evacuation orders for tens of thousands of residents and causing a power outage for more than 5,000 households…

“Hourly rainfall came to a record 121mm (4.8 inches) on Saturday morning in Wajima, while neighbouring Suzu saw 84.5mm in an hour, also an all-time high.”

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/torrential-rain-japan-floods-quake-stricken-noto-region-2024-09-21/


“With manual site data now in, here’s how many times in Winter across Australia where at least 40c has been recorded. The y-axis has had to be expanded since my original graph on the 28th.

“Unprecedented doesn’t even begin to describe last month’s event.”

https://x.com/Hitchy04/status/1831009693055209888


“A massive ice sheet in Antarctica – equal to the size of Great Britain – could be all but lost by the 23rd century, experts warn…

“Experts from the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration (ITGC) now say ice loss at the glacier will accelerate through the 22nd century and could lead to a widespread collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet in the 23rd.”

https://news.sky.com/story/much-of-thwaites-glacier-antarcticas-largest-could-be-gone-by-23rd-century-experts-warn-13218144


“Record-breaking fires engulf South America, bringing black rain, green rivers and toxic air to the continent…

“”The air quality in Brazil has never been worse,” Alessandra Fidelis, a researcher at the Plant Ecology Laboratory of the State University of São Paulo, told Live Science.”

https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/climate-change/record-breaking-fires-engulf-south-america-bringing-black-rain-green-rivers-and-toxic-air-to-the-continent


“SOUTH AMERICA HEAT WAVE: 44.5 [112.1F] Villamontes [Bolivia]; MIN 30.4 Cuiaba BRAZIL HOTTEST SEPTEMBER NIGHT EVER.

“BOLIVIA SEPT RECORDS 42.1 Puerto Suarez,41.9 Yacuiba; SEPT HIGH MINS RECORDS: Parguay 30.3 Filadelfia,30 Mariscal Estigarribia, 28 Puerto Casado, Pozo Colorado, 27.2 Concepcion.”

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/1837285219302273195


“Brazilian energy authorities have approved bringing back daylight saving time, a senior official said on Thursday, to save energy as the country faces a major drought that has hit power generation.

“Before it goes into effect, reinstating daylight savings time will need to be backed by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.”

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazil-likely-reinstate-daylight-saving-time-drought-cuts-hydropower-sources-say-2024-09-19/


“Driest Month in 55 Years Leads Bogotá to Tighten Water Controls…

“Officials began rationing five months ago hoping that the Chingaza water system would reach at least 70% of its total capacity by October, when it’s set to peak. Dry weather, however, has lasted longer than forecast and the system is currently close to 45% of capacity.”

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-09-20/driest-month-in-55-years-leads-bogota-to-tighten-water-controls


“CARIBBEANS HISTORIC RECORD HEAT:

“CUBA HOTTEST SEPTEMBER DAY EVER: 38.4 [101.1F] Velasco; BELIZE HOTTEST SEPTEMBER NIGHT EVER: Tmin 30.0 Belize Port; MARTINIQUE 35.2 Le Lamentin AP monthly record; SURINAME 36.5 Nickerie all time high; GUYANA Tmin 24.9 Timehri September record.”

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/1837240300189929554


“Confronting Florida’s Coral Collapse…

““What you can see in the FluidCam image actually goes beyond bleaching,” explained Katey Lesneski, a marine biologist who inspected Horseshoe Reef several times during the worst of the heat. “The heat in summer 2023 was so early and intense that we actually had coral tissues almost instantly dying and sloughing off…”“

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/153304/confronting-floridas-coral-collapse


“‘Red Flags’ on Climate: U.S. Methane Emissions Keep Climbing…

“The United States’ booming fossil-fuel industry continues to emit more and more planet-warming methane into the atmosphere, new research showed, despite a U.S.-led effort to encourage other countries to cut emissions globally.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/19/climate/us-methane-greenhouse-gas.html


“Methane is pitched as a climate villain – could changing how we think about it make it a saviour?

“Abating methane emissions and enhancing atmospheric removal offers an opportunity to rapidly mitigate warming. This climate villain becomes a key saviour protagonist in efforts to stay within safe climate limits.”

https://theconversation.com/methane-is-pitched-as-a-climate-villain-could-changing-how-we-think-about-it-make-it-a-saviour-235446


“The misinformation about the North Atlantic Ocean keeps aging like milk [as sea surface temps approach an all-time record high for the date].

“Nobody seems to care. People rather buy into false hope than accept hard truths and act accordingly.”

https://x.com/LeonSimons8/status/1837179117172666458


“A ship carrying 20,000 litres of diesel fuel ran aground and sank off Greenland’s coast on Thursday, said authorities who were working to contain a potential spill in the fragile Arctic ecosystem.

“”Last night, around 1:45am, a ship hit a reef near Nanortalik and started taking on water,” Greenlandic police said in a statement.”

https://www.thelocal.dk/20240920/ship-with-20000-litres-of-diesel-fuel-sinks-off-greenland


“A rare polar bear showed up on the shores of Iceland. Police shot it…

“The bear was killed Thursday afternoon in the northwest of Iceland after police consulted the Environment Agency, which declined to have the animal relocated, Westfjords Police Chief Helgi Jensson told The Associated Press.”

https://apnews.com/article/polar-bear-shot-iceland-policy-greenland-ice-0d3badd4b7f5e320d992ce7f0dc600fd


“Norway may be the first nation to mine the Arctic seabed—it could cause ‘irreversible’ damage to the marine ecosystem…

“Among the dangers Greenpeace cited were the direct removal of the seafloor habitat and organisms, noise and light pollution, the risk of chemical leaks from machinery and equipment, as well as the accidental displacement of species.”

https://fortune.com/europe/2024/09/20/norway-arctic-seabed-mining-damage-marine-ecosystem-greenpeace/


“Exceptionally warm weather in Finland’s arctic region…

“According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI), Thursday marked the latest date this autumn that the temperature topped 20 degrees in central and northern Lapland since the beginning of official record keeping in the 1960s.”

https://yle.fi/a/74-20112881


“Summer 2024 has been really tough for glaciers in Lapland! “Kebnekaise ice cap has lost 3.3 m and is now only 2089.9m high!

“Absurd loss given the high elevation! Sydtoppen was 2118m in 1996 and became lower than Nordtoppen in 2019.”

https://x.com/subfossilguy/status/1837042228532817953


“A tornado has swept through Hampshire, with trees blown over, as storm warnings come into force across much of southern England and Wales for the weekend…

“It comes as storms gather across much of the country over the weekend, bringing to an end a spell of warm weather at the end of summer.”

https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/tornado-hampshire-blows-down-trees/


“‘It’s a warning’: UK nature chief sounds alarm over ecosystem collapse as butterfly numbers halve…

“Tony Juniper, the chair of Natural England, says new data showing a sharp fall in butterfly populations this summer was probably the consequence of habitat loss and the use of pesticides, making the insects less resilient to extreme weather fluctuation…”

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/sep/20/tony-juniper-uk-nature-chief-ecosystem-collapse-as-butterfly-numbers-halve


“75 people were hospitalized after eating lettuce — and it’s linked to climate change [UK]…

“…how did Escherichia Ecoli, typically carried by animals like cattle and sheep, find its way to the food supply through lettuce? According to a new investigation, a series of cascading climate-driven events created the perfect conditions for the outbreak.”

https://www.zmescience.com/science/agriculture-science/75-people-were-hospitalized-after-eating-lettuce-and-its-linked-to-climate-change/


“Floods, fires, and drought: ‘Shock’ France climate change report…

“Cities that are too hot in summer, huge forest fires, and major flooding events are among the ‘shock’ warnings in a new report on how France will be affected by climate change.”

https://www.connexionfrance.com/news/floods-fires-and-drought-shock-france-climate-change-report/679625


“Ice melting at Konkordiaplatz, Great Aletschgletscher [Switzerland], continues. No relief for glaciers…

“4 meters of ice loss over the thickest ice of the European Alps in the year 2024. Stay posted for the publication of our results on 1 Oct”

https://x.com/matthias_huss/status/1836814693173702993


“‘Catastrophe region’: Austrian city faces up to scale of damage left by deadly flooding…

“By the third night of rain, the situation in the command centre had escalated from tense to critical. Mateusz Fryn, the deputy firefighter chief in St Pölten, Austria, told his colleagues to stop filling sandbags and pumping water out of basements. Instead, it was time to focus on saving lives.”

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/sep/21/austrian-city-st-polten-faces-up-to-scale-of-damage-left-by-deadly-flooding


“Watch: Hungary’s Danube River bursts banks as flooding reaches parliament in Budapest…

“Roads, train stations and ferries along the river, which rose by nearly one metre in 24 hours, have been shut. Prime minister Viktor Orban has warned that floodwaters will peak in the city on 21 September…”

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/weather-flooding-europe-hungary-budapest-river-parliament-b2616048.html


“Deadly floods add to fiscal strains in central Europe…

“Economic losses linked to extreme weather are adding to strains on state finances in a region still squeezed by the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and the inflation surge following Russia’s 2022 invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.”

https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/extreme-weather-adds-fiscal-strains-central-europe-2024-09-20/


“Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region hit by new floods as storm moves west…

“”We are in a full emergency …the event is very similar to what we had last May,” the Mayor of Ravenna, Michele De Pascale, told Radio 24 broadcaster, adding however that this year’s floods were more concentrated geographically.”

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/italys-emilia-romagna-region-hit-by-new-devastating-floods-2024-09-19/


“A sea of loss: Pieria mussel farmers [Northern Greece] face climate devastation…

““Mussels can survive in temperatures up to 27-28 degrees Celsius. Here, we recorded sea temperatures of 30-35 degrees. We can’t survive this. We need a team of scientists to guide us through these changing conditions.”

https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/environment/1248866/a-sea-of-loss-pieria-mussel-farmers-face-climate-devastation/


“Flood disaster in Trabzon [eastern Turkey, injured and missing]…

“As a result of the heavy rainfall in the region, roads were flooded and landslides occurred in some areas. Emergency response teams were dispatched to the scene, and Trabzon Governor Aziz Yıldırım was reported to have moved to the Yanbolu junction to conduct inspections.”

https://www.haber61.net/trabzon/trabzonda-sel-ve-heyelan-felaketi-yollar-kapandi-h578084.html


“Cyprus faces water shortage as dams reach critically low levels…

“Cyprus is facing a significant water shortage as dam levels plummet due to a severe drought and ongoing climate changes, raising concerns among national and local authorities. According to the Water Department, the country’s dams are only 30% full…”

https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/cyprus-faces-water-shortage-as-dams-reach-critically-low-levels


“Last 12 months the second driest on record [Malta]…

“Only 1948 was drier …July was the driest month of the year with no rain recorded at all for the second year in a row, while October last year was the driest such month on record with only 0.2 mm of rain.”

https://timesofmalta.com/article/last-twelve-months-second-driest-record.1098328


“Portugal’s wildfires produce record emissions with smoke headed for France and Spain…

“With several blazes burning since 14 September, Portugal has recorded the highest total estimated emissions for the month of September in 22 years of CAMS data. That includes both carbon emissions and harmful particulate matter pollutants like PM10 and PM2.5.”

https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/09/20/portugals-wildfires-produce-record-emissions-with-smoke-headed-for-france-and-spain


“HISTORIC HEAT IN NORTH AFRICA – Every day minimums >30C [86F] in Libya and Egypt and every day of the month records fall.

“Egyptian capital Cairo also had its hottest September night in history with a Tmin of 29.8C.”

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/1837196646373085436


“Floods force Niger to delay new school year…

“Over the last few weeks, the West African country has been battered by relentless downpours, resulting in over 300 deaths either due to drowning or buildings collapsing, according to the interior ministry.”

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c20j34ldzlxo


“3 million children in Nigeria are without school indefinitely…

“All three million children in Borno state in Northeast Nigeria are without school indefinitely, increasing the likelihood of child marriage and other protection risks, after being hit by the worst floods in 30 years, Save the Children said, News.Az reports.”

https://news.az/news/3-million-children-in-nigeria-are-without-school-indefinit-ely


“Iran’s Wetlands Facing Crisis: Environmental Mismanagement and Extreme Heat to Blame…

“The Fars News Agency… reported on Wednesday, September 18, the complete drying up of nine wetlands across Iran due to extreme heat. Citing “record-breaking air temperatures” in many parts of the country, particularly in the eastern, southeastern, and central regions…”

https://irannewsupdate.com/news/general/irans-wetlands-facing-crisis-environmental-mismanagement-and-extreme-heat-to-blame/


“Unplanned dam construction: Nearly 500 rivers vanished in Bangladesh amid navigability crisis…

“The Bangladesh Environment Movement claims that due to a lack of water flow, one and a half rivers disappear each year. Over the past two decades, more than 300 rivers have dried up, and nearly 400 are now on the verge of extinction.”

https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/359159/unplanned-dam-construction-nearly-500-rivers


“EXTRAORDINARY HEAT WAVE IN BANGLADESH.

“Nearly 100% of the stations had their Sept hottest night in history! MIN 30.0C [86F] Dhaka First Time Bangladesh has 30C min, in September (max 37.8 also record). Most record breaking event in Bangladesh history.”

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/1837108731307229681


“China has had weather stations breaking records for 26 consecutive days.

“Today, 99 stations broke the mid-September record, 10 stations tied the record, and 8 stations broke the full-month record(yesterday was 131+5). Qu, Sichuan reached 42.1C [107.8F]!”

https://x.com/yangyubin1998/status/1837126554989527503


“China bolsters flood control amid triple typhoon impact…

“While the impact of Typhoon Bebinca has now concluded, Typhoon Pulasan is expected to bring heavy to torrential rain to parts of eastern and northern Zhejiang, Shanghai, southern Jiangsu and southern Anhui from Sept. 20 to 22.”

https://english.news.cn/20240920/420bc2d496a6426db89266f1225a2f20/c.html


“Storm Soulik injures 1, causes major flooding in Vietnam’s central region…

“Heavy rains on Thursday evening and night led to significant flooding across parts of the central province of Quang Binh, with water levels in the Gianh River rising sharply. In Thanh Thach Commune, Tuyen Hoa District, dozens of homes were inundated.”

https://www.nationthailand.com/news/asean/40041657


“Local, foreign firms facing months of recovery in storm-hit Vietnam.

“Factory roofs blown off, products worth millions of dollars destroyed, supply chains disrupted: Typhoon Yagi has had a disastrous impact on local and global companies in northern Vietnam who could take months to recover, business leaders warn.”

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240918-local-foreign-firms-facing-months-of-recovery-in-storm-hit-vietnam


“INSANE HEAT IN THE KOREAS – 100% of South Korea, including the mountains had another tropical night.

“Mins up to 28C [82.4F], >25C even in North Korea. All stations of both countries destroyed the records several times.”

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/1836949959083532372


“Cabbage prices in South Korea surge 70 percent amid heat wave…

“The Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp reported that a head of cabbage, essential for making kimchi, was retailing at 9,337 won ($7.02) this Thursday. This represents a 69.5 percent rise from the same period last year and a 32.7 percent increase from the three-year average.”

https://www.freshplaza.com/latin-america/article/9660876/cabbage-prices-in-south-korea-surge-70-percent-amid-heat-wave/


“Record temperatures for September observed in many parts of Japan…

“…the mercury rose to dangerous highs of 39.2 degrees in Shizuoka City, and 38 degrees in Obama City in Fukui Prefecture and Toyooka City in Hyogo Prefecture… Dazaifu City in Fukuoka Prefecture recorded 35 degrees, marking 62 days of 35 degrees or higher.”

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240920_29/


“Global heating is making El Niño and La Niña forecasts less reliable, BoM says..

“Braganza said older statistical models that based predictions on historical observations “worked well in a stationary climate”, but that these dynamical models were now more useful. “It’s not relying on the past, but on the current information.””

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/sep/19/global-heating-is-making-el-nino-and-la-nina-forecasts-less-reliable-bom-says


“Global health fund says health, climate, conflict ‘triple whammy’ hits world’s poorest…

“Climate change and conflict risk overshadowing efforts to improve people’s health, when in reality the issues overlap, Peter Sands, head of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, said.”

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/global-health-fund-says-health-climate-conflict-triple-whammy-hits-worlds-2024-09-18/


“Extreme Weather From Floods to Drought Threatens Food Supplies Again…

“This week offered a worrying reminder of how climate change is altering the weather — and threatening food supplies. Severe rains hit parts of Europe, Asia, the US and Africa, where the worst floods in decades across a swath of the continent’s west and central regions are worsening a food-insecurity crisis.”

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2024-09-20/global-food-roundup-floods-and-drought-and-farm-ai


“I’ve studied geopolitics all my life: climate breakdown is a bigger threat than China and Russia…

“…if we fail to adequately limit climate breakdown, then very few of the other causes that progressives care about will survive in the world that will result. In a world of starvation and societal collapse, there would be little chance of human rights, let alone gender rights.”

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/sep/19/russia-china-global-security-climate-breakdown


“How to Cool the World Without Blocking the Sun…

“Microbes may help determine our climate future… Fertilizing the ocean with iron is a form of geoengineering, a set of technologies that are compelling for their potential to meaningfully alter Earth’s systems…”

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2024/09/geoengineering-microbe-bacteria-climate/679961/


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You can read the previous “Climate” thread here. I’ll be back on Monday with an “Economic” thread.