“For centuries we have plundered our planet. Now we are paying the price.
“The health of humans, animals and our environment – all woven together in a bond that is inextricable – is in peril. If our planet were a patient, it would be admitted to intensive care. Its vital signs are alarming.”
“Record temperatures in 2024 on land and at sea have prompted scientists to question whether these anomalies are in line with predicted global heating patterns or if they represent a concerning acceleration of climate breakdown…
“Carlos Nobre, one of Brazil’s most influential climatologists, said no climate model accurately predicted how high sea surface temperatures would reach during the past 12 months.”
“Court ruling further erodes climate activists’ right to protest in England and Wales…
“… the [consent] defence, which is contained in the Criminal Damage Act 1971, is inadmissible for those who argue that the facts or effects of the climate crisis are a circumstance that can amount to lawful excuse.”
“Winter storms leave Germany’s North Sea island beaches without sand.
“Germany’s popular North Sea beach resorts, including the high-end resort of Sylt, are coming into the beachgoing season with a big problem: not enough sand. The turbulent storm surge season has almost completely washed away the main beach on Wangerooge.”
“‘Records could be broken’: Spain braces for very high spring temperatures…
“Spain’s national weather agency has warned that the country could see historically high temperatures this spring that may worsen already alarming drought conditions in some regions.”
“Historic warmth this winter in the Canary Islands with a virtually existent winter and for the first time no snow at all in the Izana Observatory below the top mountain Teide.
“Africa heat extending to SW Europe: 38C [100.4F] Morocco; 32.1C at Archena in SPAIN.
“SOUTH AFRICA is living an eternal heat wave: March Records set today: 43.7 Twee Rivieren; 42.3 Upington; 38.8 Postmasburg… GABON 35.9 Franceville March record; KENYA MIN 27.9C Garissa Hottest night on record.”
“Records keep allover from North to South: 37.2 Kinshasa DR CONGO Hottest day ever tied; 39.5 Impfondo Congo Rep., 38.0 Makoua again; 43.4 Mango TOGO 0.1 from national record. Dozens of records in SOUTH AFRICA again.”
“South Africa Can’t Afford to Climate-Proof Its Infrastructure…
““The frequency of natural disasters and the results thereof are felt daily in South Africa,” David Masondo said at a conference in Johannesburg on Monday. “The fiscus cannot afford to financially support the amount of investment required for climate-resilient infrastructure.””
“Back-to-back climate disasters leave millions of Malawians in deepening need…
“Mustafa pounds the seed in a mortar to separate the husk, then boils the grain in water to make a porridge for her family. “The first time I made it my whole family suffered from diarrhoea and our urine ran dark yellow,” Mustafa, 32, told The New Humanitarian.”
“South Sudan heatwave: Extreme weather shuts schools and cuts power.
“All schools have been ordered to close in South Sudan, as it prepares for a heatwave in which temperatures could reach an exceptional 45C (113F). Authorities said children should stay indoors and that the extreme weather could last for at least two weeks.”
“Exceptional high Tmins at high elevations too: 26.6 Wadi Dawasser 622m; asl highest in March; 25.0 Sharurah 720m; 23.0 Najran 1200m. Next 3 nights we might see Tmins of 28/30C!: Unprecedented in March in all Middle East.”
“The world’s hottest city [Kuwait City] has become ‘unliveable’ where birds drop dead from sky amid highs of 52C [I thought it was Jacobabad in Pakistan but…]
“Summer temperatures regularly smash 52C – and it’s only going to get worse… There are reports of birds falling dead from the sky and seahorses boiling in the bay. But it’s not just wildlife that’s suffering…”
“Iran’s Meteorological Organization has issued a “red warning” for flooding in five western provinces as a new wave of heavy rains approaches just ahead of the Persian New Year…
“Officials warn of potential flooding in the country’s western half, particularly on Tuesday, which coincides with a peak in travel in Iran as it is a day before the Persian New Year.”
“Several years of punishing drought has displaced entire swaths of Afghanistan, one of the nations most vulnerable to climate change, leaving millions of children malnourished and plunging already impoverished families into deeper desperation.”
“Spring is dramatically disappearing from India. Here’s why.
“Every region has experienced net warming during the winter months of December through February, with the southern states showing the largest increases in December and January.”
“Three people died when a forest fire broke out in Douge Village in Lincang City at about 6:10 p.m. on Saturday. The blaze engulfed an area of approximately 5.33 hectares, said the local publicity department. Another person was killed in a forest fire that broke out in Wenshan City…”
“Travel chaos as flights cancelled amidst Mae Hong Son forest fires [Thailand]…
“The forest fire situation in Mae Hong Son Province reached a critical point on March 18, with 367 fire spots reported, resulting in dense smoke enveloping the town of Mae Hong Son. Calm winds compounded the issue…”
“HISTORIC in THAILAND. Hottest March night in history; Tmins >29C in Bangkok area.
“29.6 Don Muang *; 29.4 BKK Metropolis *; 29.2 BKK Klong Thoey; 28.5 Pathum Thani; 28.2 Lop Buri; 27.5 Suphan Buri… * =slightly dropped in early morning. It will get worse: Heat indexes >55C next weeks in BKK.”
“Record again in the MALDIVES. 34.6C [94.3F] at Hanimadhoo is the highest temperature ever recorded in the atoll in March.
“Maldives has broken records every single month since mid 2023. 116 countries have broken heat records this week alone: never happened anything like this.”
“In case you’re wondering where the hot action is, right now it’s in the tropics, setting a new all-time anomaly record on March 11th at 1.07°C over the 1991-2020 baseline [air temps]. This heat is not safe for children and other living things.”
“Thousands of people have fled their homes in Demak and Kudus as floods devastated the two regencies in Central Java over the weekend, killing at least five.
“The Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) reported that flooding in the province had affected more than 250,000 people in at least 10 regencies, and more than 2,300 people were being accommodated in temporary shelters…”
“Flooding, landslides and torrential rains have killed at least 23 people in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands region, where homes have been damaged and roads washed away.
“Acting Director for the National Disaster Centre, Lusete Man said a mother and child were among the dead as bad weather hit multiple communities.”
“NT residents assess damage from Tropical Cyclone Megan after evacuation efforts fail.
“Tropical Cyclone Megan has been downgraded to a tropical low in Australia’s north-east where remote communities are still cut off due to major flooding… “We’ve had major flooding. The town was literally cut in two,” local Rebecca Whitehead said.”
“Brazil to release millions of anti-dengue mosquitoes as death toll from outbreak mounts…
“Factors such as hotter and wetter weather caused by the climate crisis and the circulation of previously absent subtypes of the virus are fuelling an explosion of dengue in Brazil, which has recorded 1.6m probable cases since January…”
“Battered by hurricanes and tired of rebuilding, 90% of population has left this coastal town.
“The consequences of climate change are already taking a toll on some U.S. communities. In Cameron, Louisiana, hope comes from a natural gas plant that activists call a “carbon bomb.””
“Cherry blossoms hitting earlier peaks due to climate change, scientists warn…
“Cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C., tied for their second-earliest peak bloom record on Sunday following some warm final days of winter that have seen temperatures reach the 70s, per the National Park Service… Research shows cherry trees are blossoming earlier in D.C. and Japan due to climate change…”
“Wildfires made Canada’s air quality worse than the U.S. for the first time…
“Canada’s record-setting wildfire season hiked the country up global pollution rankings — and for the first time made its air quality worse than the U.S., according to a new report by air quality technology company IQAir.”
“This Overlooked Feedback Loop Is Accelerating Climate Change…
“Scientists at Tufts University state that soil, which contains 80 percent of the Earth’s carbon, emits more greenhouse gases as droughts cause soils to crack due to drying.”
You can read the previous “Climate” thread here. I’ll be back tomorrow with an “Economic” thread.
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“India’s ‘Silicon Valley’ is running dry as residents urged to take fewer showers and use disposable cutlery…
“It’s a crisis that has been described as dire by those who live in Bengaluru – and experts warn it is only going to get worse as mercury levels climb in the lead up to summer. “I have been warning about this for over a decade,” said climate scientist T.V. Ramachandra, from the Centre for Ecological Sciences.”
“Floods hit Central Java, East Java as extreme weather persists.
“At least two people have died and hundreds have been displaced by severe flooding in several regions of Central Java and East Java, in the latest string of hydrometeorological disasters triggered by extreme weather.”
“UNBELIEVABLE RECORD: 29.1C [84.4F] MINIMUM temperature at Kaimana INDONESIA.
“Hottest night in the climatic history of all West Papua and all Papua Island including Papua New Guinea. And hottest March night ever recorded in all Indonesia.”
“UNPRECEDENTED: Thousands of records are falling all over Oceania and Asia.
“TOKEALAU had again its hottest night in history with a Tmin of 29.4C. TUVALU has also been beating records for months: Tmin 28.9C at Niulakita highest ever. THAILAND Hottest March night ever… records all over.”
“A warming island’s mice are breeding out of control and eating seabirds. An extermination is planned.
“Mice accidentally introduced to a remote island near Antarctica 200 years ago are breeding out of control because of climate change, and they are eating seabirds and causing major harm in a special nature reserve with “unique biodiversity.””
“HOTTEST MARCH DAY IN GUYANA AND FRENCH GUIANA; HOTTEST MARCH NIGHT IN ARGENTINA AND PARAGUAY AND COLOMBIA. Records in every country from Colombia to Argentina… SOUTH AMERICAN MARCH HOTTEST NIGHT IN HISTORY BEATEN AGAIN – CRAZY MINIMUM 30.8C Pozo Colorado [Paraguay].”
“The Panama Canal Averts a Crisis for Now— But at a Cost to Drinking Water.
“The Panama Canal has avoided the worst of a shipping crunch that threatened to upend the global economy — but at a cost to marine life and the Latin American country’s supplies of drinking water.”
“Mexico City mayoral race tightens on anger over water shortages.
“Just a few months ago ruling party candidate Clara Brugada looked like a shoo-in to be elected the next mayor of Mexico City. But a worsening water crisis has many voters rethinking their choice to run Mexico’s largest and most important city.”
“Mexican lake is being sucked dry by development, drought and lawlessness…
“Once a glittering weekend getaway for wealthy residents of Mexico City, Valle de Bravo has been reduced to a shrinking, increasingly polluted patch of mud flats and water by a combination of drought, water transfers to the capital, bad planning and lawlessness.”
“An invisible water surcharge: Climate warming increases crop water demand in the San Joaquin Valley [California]…
“The researchers… found that in the past decade, this invisible water surcharge on agriculture has increased the crop water demand in the San Joaquin Valley by roughly 650 thousand acre-feet per year, a volume larger than the capacity of Millerton Reservoir on the San Joaquin River near Fresno.”
“Hottest city in US saw record 645 deaths related to high temperatures in 2023…
“Public health officials in Arizona’s most populous county on Wednesday reported they confirmed a staggering 645 heat-associated deaths last year – more than 50% higher than 2022 and another consecutive annual record in arid metro Phoenix.”
“It has been an extraordinarily warm first half of March in NE America, in both Canada and USA; for hundreds of stations the warmest on record. Early blossoming has been widespread.
“But there is a concern for a return of freezing conditions and a potential damage of fruit trees.”
“A fierce hailstorm, unleashing hail the size of baseballs, wreaked havoc across Missouri, causing significant damage to residences and nearly 500 vehicles.
“Massive chunks of hail pelted parts of Kansas and Missouri on Wednesday night, bringing traffic to a standstill along Interstate 70, as storms unleashed possible tornadoes.”
“Three killed as fierce storms and tornadoes damage homes and businesses across several US states.
“Homes and businesses were damaged in parts of Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky on Thursday. The fatalities in Ohio were confirmed by chief deputy Joe Kopus of the Logan County Sheriff’s Department in Bellefontaine, who warned more fatalities would probably be discovered.”
“Scientists must work urgently on predicting the effects of climate geoengineering, the chief of the US atmospheric science agency has said, as the technology is likely to be needed, at least in part.
“Richard Spinrad, administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), said the government-backed body was estimating the effects of some of the likely techniques…”
“Climate change: The ‘insane’ plan to save the Arctic’s sea-ice…
“Perched on sea-ice off Canada’s northern coast, parka-clad scientists watch saltwater pump out over the frozen ocean. Their goal? To slow global warming… “We don’t actually know enough to determine whether this is a good idea or bad idea,” admits Dr Fitzgerald.”
“England drenched after the wettest 18 months since records began in 1836…
““The UK’s observations clearly show winters are getting warmer, and they are also getting wetter since as the atmosphere heats up, it has an increased capacity to hold moisture,” said Met Office senior scientist Mike Kendon.”
“A Norfolk road dubbed “the most flooded in Britain”, has broken records after being submerged for 12 weeks this winter.
“The A1101 Welney Wash Road was closed this morning just days after reopening – marking a whopping 86 days underwater. The closures which have run consistently throughout the winter, has angered locals…”
“French state watchdog recommends grants to stop house drought cracks… More should be done to prevent damage from climate change, it says…
“The growth and shrinkage of clay soils – retrait et de gonflement des sols argileux (or RGA) – is one of the main repercussions of droughts in France. Periods of extreme dry weather can cause certain clay soils to shrink, and then expand rapidly after rainfall.”
“So far, March has been too mild, too wet and too cloudy across Switzerland…
“After the record mild February with a temperature deviation of 4.7 degrees across Switzerland (see February balance sheet ), the first half of March also shows a temperature surplus…”
“Reduced rainfall, combined with the recent sunny days, have scorched and destroyed cereal crops in farming communities of West Nicosia. Farmers are trying to salvage what they can, noting that “Nothing can save our cereal crops, not even the rains anymore.””
“Temperatures in Spain this past winter were ‘warmest on record’ , says state meteorological agency, AEMET…
“Ruben del Campo, Aemet spokesperson, said in comments reported by Europa Press that the temperature was 1.9ºC higher than average both this past winter and four years ago… Del Campo also warned about the ‘speeding up of climate change’ that is being reflected by the weather…”
“UNBELIEVABLE – 34.6 [94.3F] MINIMUM at Dosso NIGER.
“It’s the 2nd hottest night ever recorded in March in Africa, 3 days after the second hottest day and also the highest minimum in Niger in March. 28.5 TMIN Ile Europa FRENCH SOUTHERN TERRITORIES RECORD FOR MARCH.”
“Sangana community in Bayelsa State [Nigeria] is under serious ecological threat induced by rising sea level.
“Residents of the community, in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, have now called on the state and the federal governments, especially the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, to intervene in the surging sea level that has destroyed homes, properties and livelihoods.”
“12 months of record ocean heat has scientists puzzled and concerned…
“”I pray we’re having a once-in-a-lifetime year of hot sea surface temperatures, but I do fear there may be something else going on that is causing a long-term change in sea surface temperatures we hadn’t predicted,” said John Abraham, a professor at the University of St. Thomas who studies ocean temperatures. “All bets are off now…””
“A startling rise in sea-surface temperatures suggests that we may not understand how fast the climate is changing…
““We don’t really know what’s going on,” Gavin Schmidt, the director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, told me. “And we haven’t really known what’s going on since about March of last year.” He called the situation “disquieting.””
“Companies take step back from making climate target promises…
“Hundreds of companies including Microsoft, Unilever and JBS have been removed from a validation process for their climate plans after failing to submit sufficiently ambitious targets.”
“Climate change: Sabrina Lee quits buying new clothes.
“With her job as a TV weather presenter, it would be easy for Sabrina Lee to justify buying new clothes for work on a regular basis. Instead she has set herself a challenge – to quit buying new clothes for the whole of 2024… So what rules has she set herself? No brand new clothes apart from underwear and shoes.”
You can read the previous “Climate” thread here. I’ll be back on Monday 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!
“Extreme heat could trigger the worst global financial crisis ever seen.
“Thanks to globalisation, severe heatwaves in one part of the world can cause financial losses in another. Annual losses could reach as much as $25 trillion by 2060 if we don’t curb emissions, dwarfing any previous financial crisis.”
“Research has been showing a trend in rising temperature and increasing occurrence of extreme heatwaves since the 1950… Global economic losses show a nonlinear growth trend with respect to time and degree of heat stress, driven by increased indirect losses.”
“World in ‘unknown territory’ after heat records, says head of UN’s climate body.
“IPCC chair Jim Skea believes ‘more science needed’ to understand extraordinary temperatures over past year… he said that he was “surprised, in one sense”, that the average global temperature last year exceeded the 1.5C threshold set out in the Paris agreement.”
“Climate Change Is Weakening River Seasonality in the North.
“Northern ecosystems are changing rapidly as permafrost thaws, glaciers retreat, and precipitation patterns change. As a result, the rhythms of river flow are shifting, too, according to a new analysis… with consequences for human and ecological communities alike.”
“Warmest winter ever: Canada’s record season reaches new heights…
“The strongest temperature anomalies across Manitoba and Ontario pushed Canada to new heights in terms of the warmest winter temperatures on record – 1.3°C warmer than the previous warmest winter.”
“Floodwaters inundate Maine, New Hampshire for fourth time since December…
“Floodwaters overtook shoreline neighborhoods in New England as an intense storm gained strength and swept northward Sunday. The inundation was particularly severe in coastal New Hampshire and southern Maine…”
“This $600k defense against sea level rise could have lasted 3 years. It was destroyed in less than a day
“CNN’s Bill Weir speaks to homeowners on a disappearing beach in Salisbury, Massachusetts, where a protective sand dune was destroyed during a strong winter storm at high tide.”
“Storm carrying massive ‘gorilla hail’ threatens parts of Kansas and Missouri.
“The National Weather Service just after 8 p.m. CDT said that the Kansas City metro area was under a severe thunderstorm warning for a storm that contained hail described as the size of apples, softballs or baseballs. “If you are in this warning, get away from windows and shelter inside now!!!” the National Weather Service posted on X…”
“Oil and gas producers in major oil fields across the United States may be emitting three times as much planet-warming methane gas as official estimates, according to new research published Wednesday…
“In some parts of New Mexico, more than 9 percent of the natural gas produced was escaping into the atmosphere…”
“Texas Fires Have Emitted a Near-Record Amount of Carbon…
“Massive wildfires raging across Texas released a combined 920,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide in January and February, the second-largest release on record for that period.”
“Wildfires are becoming night owls — and that’s a big problem…
“Wildfires are no longer quieting down overnight, and new research suggests the dynamic is fueling some of the most extreme and damaging blazes. The research, which was published Wednesday in the scientific journal Nature, says drought is the main factor fueling overnight burns.”
“Guyanese are being advised to be take precautions when it comes to wildfires after an elderly man died from severe burn injuries which he sustained while on his farm.
“The deceased has been identified as Alexander Josephine, 93, of the Parakies Village community in the North West District.”
“Another scorching day with >40C [104F] in Guatemala, El Salvador & Honduras
“HISTORIC IN PANAMA 28.2C MINIMUM Temp. at David: Hottest Night in Panama history. MARCH RECORDS: 4.5 Canefield DOMINICA; 35.1 St Laurent FRENCH GUIANA; BOLIVIA: 37.3 Riberalta; 37 Cobija.”
“Authorities in central Chile issued evacuation orders to residents in the Valparaiso region on Wednesday, March 13, as a forest fire continued to grow in the area.
“The Chilean National Disaster Prevention and Response Service issued a red alert on Wednesday evening, asking residents from several sectors of the region to evacuate…”
“Argentina downpour drenches crop fields; flash floods in Buenos Aires.
“Intense rains in Argentina are beginning to leave the soil in key agricultural areas too wet, which could bring difficulties when the time comes to harvest the 2023/24 soybean crop, a climate specialist said on Tuesday, though the conditions could be good for the 2024/25 wheat crop.”
“Sea surface temperature data collected by an all-female crew of rowers as they raced around Great Britain last summer has found that UK coastal seas were on average 0.39 degrees Celsius warmer in 2023, compared to 2022. Some areas experienced even more substantial warming, with local increases exceeding two degrees Celsius…”
“Nearly five months after flooding destroyed swathes of the centre of Downpatrick [Northern Ireland], business owners say the town is still struggling to recover.
“On Sunday, thousands of people will descend for St Patrick’s Day celebrations in the town where the saint was buried. But damage from the flooding remains obvious.”
“‘Ski season is over’: Snowless winter forces Austria’s resorts to turn to summer sports in March.
“With numerous countries seeing their warmest winter on record, slopes have been closed and some resorts forced to shut entirely. An exceptionally mild winter has left many almost entirely without snow.”
“After destructive floods, EU sues Greece for failing to revise risk plans.
“The European Commission said on Wednesday it was taking Greece to the EU’s top court for failing to revise its flood risk management plans, a key tool for EU countries to prepare themselves against floods. The action comes five months after the worst rains in Greece flooded its fertile Thessaly plain, devastating crops and livestock…”
“Türkiye’s climate to mirror Egypt’s due to global warming: Expert…
“Pointing out that the warm area is spreading further north, Eroğlu provided the following information: “Türkiye’s seas are warming up, and because of this warming, invasive fish are moving toward our seas, both in the more southern seas and toward the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.””
“EXTRAORDINARY: thousands records all over AFRICA.
“HOTTEST DAY EVER IN CONGO: 39.6 [103.3F] Impfondo; 38 Gamboma & Makoua… HOTTEST NIGHT EVER IN BENIN Tmin 31.3 Kandi; Hottest night Mombasa KENYA Tmin 27.6. More records SOUTH AFRICA (see below). 94 countries broke records in just few hours!
“List of records broken yesterday in SOUTH AFRICA. This has been going on for months almost every single day.
“Note yesterday 47.2C [117F] at Vioolsdrif is the SECOND hottest day ever recorded in March in all Africa. But next days Sudan can beat it. Thousands of records on the way.”
“Johannesburg’s dry taps partly blamed on heatwave.
“Residents across areas in South Africa’s largest city have suffered during the current heatwave as some have now been without water for over a week. The public water services provider Johannesburg Water says lower reservoir levels and increased water consumption are also fuelling the city’s ongoing water crisis.”
“Four people have died and one person has been injured as Storm Filipo hit southern Mozambique’s Inhambane province, according to the state-owned broadcaster. Roofs have been ripped off schools and residential homes… In some areas the roads are inaccessible.”
“Heavy rainfall has wreaked havoc in Quetta and other parts of Balochistan, submerging Quetta and triggering a state of emergency, declared by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority.”
“60 Afghans killed by weeks of intense snow, rain.
“About 1,645 houses have been totally or partially ruined and nearly 178,000 livestock killed. Provisional data showed about 250 houses had been destroyed and vast tracts of farmland flooded.”
“Forest fires are raging in Nepal’s Taplejung district…
““We are assessing the data regarding the fire incidents. It is estimated that around 400 to 500 hectares of forestland have been damaged by the wildfires,” said Parameshwar Pasawan, the forest officer. According to him, the fire incidents will continue for some months causing further destruction.”
“Officials wage no-win battle against Chiang Mai’s raging fires…
“Officials reported that great difficulty in extinguishing the fires, due to most blazes taking place on steep mountain slopes or deep ravines. They said the combination of dry leaves and hot weather is causing fires to rapidly spread.”
“The temperature in Thailand could rise to over 50 degrees several times in the coming weeks. The heat poses great dangers, especially for chronically ill people, the elderly and the overweight.”
“TOTAL INSANITY THAILAND AND INDONESIA – 38.7 Phuket March record smashed,
“INDONESIA: 36.0 Kaimana, 35.5 Fak Fak (all time high); Record hottest nights: 28 Kaimana and Amahai (hottest night for ANY MONTH); 27.8 Deo Sorong; Thousands of records have been destroyed every single day of 2024.”
“Most of Semarang [central Java] Flooded After Extreme Rainfall.
“The situation was worse in the eastern part of the city, such as Pedurungan and Genuk Districts, where floodwaters submerged residential areas. Meanwhile, the Semarang East Flood Canal (BKT) could no longer hold the water flow and overflowed into surrounding residential areas.”
“Record run of autumn hot weather for Sydney as waters simmer past cyclone threshold… …monthly averages are running at levels up to 7C above normal, including 35.5C at Narrandera, more than 3C above the town’s record for March… Sydney has sweated through seven consecutive maximums above 28C (measured at Observatory Hill), already an all-time record for autumn…”
“Seven months after Florida corals faced what scientists called their worst bleaching event ever, a similar emergency grips the Great Barrier Reef…
“The bleaching event appears likely to be the worst on record in southern sections of the 1,400-mile-long reef, and could bring the first significant coral fatalities observed there…”
“Unprecedented Hauraki Gulf heat waves revealed by marine lab’s historic data set [NZ]… The number of marine heat wave days and their cumulative intensity has increased sharply since 2012, Shears and his co-authors write in a paper published in the New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research.”
“Bird flu: access to Ernest Shackleton’s grave ‘blocked by dead seals’…
““We weren’t allowed to go up to the grave of Ernest Shackleton because there were so many dead seals blocking the way,” she said. “My impression from what I could see was that there were hundreds of dead seals.””
“Emperor penguin population in Antarctic drops 9.6% in just under a decade…
“The loss of sea ice in Antarctica caused unprecedented breeding failure for emperor penguins in 2022, according to the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). Through the new methodology, the researchers observed 9.6% fewer birds in 2018 compared with in 2009.”
“Nature facing irreversible decline without urgent political action, WWF warns…
“The WWF is …calling for MPs to turbocharge net zero through effective public investment and increased private finance, ensure company transition plans for climate and nature are aligned, and support farmers to cut emissions and restore nature.”
“Tell us: how has the climate crisis affected your relationships?
“…Perhaps the stress of fleeing extreme weather events like wildfires or floods has impacted your budget and put strains on your relationships. Or perhaps different ideas about carbon footprints and child-rearing have caused tension in your relationships.”
“Some young people planning fewer or no kids because of climate change…
“Data is scarce but a 2021 study published in the journal Lancet Planet Health found that 36% of teens and young adults were hesitant to have children due to climate change. Famous millennials—from Miley Cyrus to Prince Harry—have said they are taking climate into account when planning their families.”
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!
“Record rainfall in Western Australia’s Nullabor has plunged Australia’s largest sheep station underwater and closed Perth’s main arterial road to the rest of the country.
“Floodwaters have cut access to the Trans-Australian Railway line and the Eyre Highway, both vital freight paths in and out of Western Australia.”
“Australia Warns of Critical Financial Risks From Climate Change…
“Australia’s worsening climate change may see insurance companies and banks withdraw their services from communities vulnerable to extreme events, potentially triggering “cascading effects” across the economy, a new government report warned.”
“Hobart endures hottest night in 112 years as severe heatwave hits south-eastern Australia.
“Saturday was the hottest March day on record for Edithburgh on South Australia’s Yorke peninsula (41.7C) and Kanagulk (40.6C) in western Victoria. The overnight low temperature in Hobart was 24.3C – the warmest night in the Tasmanian capital since 1912…”
“There are growing fears of an alarming shift in Antarctic sea ice…
“Researchers were shocked when the ice failed to recover during the Antarctic winter in the middle of last year, remaining so far below average that “our statistical models didn’t work anymore”, says Edward Doddridge at the University of Tasmania in Australia.”
“Bird flu virus found in king penguins as scientists fear global spread…
“The cases were confirmed in samples sent back to the UK to the International Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza at the Apha laboratories in Weybridge, Surrey.”
“Brazil’s staggering dengue fever crisis is a warning to the world…
“The disease is ripping through much of South America, where scientists say rising temperatures due to climate change have both extended the territorial range of the mosquito that carries dengue and increased its proliferation.”
“EU food giants turn blind eye to deforestation in Argentina.
“This is the second part of a cross-border investigation conducted by Voxeurop and Periodistas por el Planeta into how soy from deforestation-prone areas in Argentina arrives in Europe by exploiting legal loopholes and abusing self-regulation.”
“EXTRAORDINARY HEAT IN THE AMERICAS – records all over from Mexico to Argentina.
“Guyana beat again its national record, like every single month previously. Colombia is constantly >40C in the lowlands. French Guiana 35.2 St Laurent do Moroni it’s beating records nearly every single day.”
“HISTORIC – unbelievable heat MEXICO & Central America.
“46.5C [115.7F] El Pujal – it has never been that hot anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere in the first half of March. 33.0 Pachuca 2300m asl record tied; 30.0 Quetzaltenango GUATEMALA all time high tied! 34.3 Carravelle MARTINIQUE record.”
“B.C. winemakers rethinking industry after climate catastrophes.
“Record-breaking heat. Wildfires and smoke that repeatedly contaminated grapes. A destructive cold snap in 2022. Then, the hammer blow — another deep freeze this January that is estimated to have inflicted up to 99 per cent crop loss across the province, wiping out this year’s vintage.”
“Fort McMurray prepares for wildfire season after a record warm, dry winter.
“The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo has crews out FireSmarting across the region. Fort McMurray experienced its second driest and third warmest on record.”
“Trees are expanding north in Alaska’s Arctic as a result of sea ice loss.
“A group of scientists studying tree cover in Alaska’s Brooks Range found that trees are expanding north and at higher elevations, in part due to the loss of Arctic sea ice, which is disappearing because of human-caused global warming.”
“England’s largest rhododendron bush has flowered a month ahead of schedule after the country experienced the hottest February on record.
“The bush in Horsham, West Sussex, is covered in red and pink buds and bigger than ever, with a circumference of 115m and able to fit a double-decker bus inside.”
“The wettest February since 1836 will lead to a “horrific” harvest, farmers have warned.
“Many parts of southern England recorded more than twice the average rainfall. Seeds which were planted in the autumn and January have simply rotted in the soil before germinating.”
“EU Faces Systemic Financial Shocks From Global Warming…
““It’s not that we face a major financial shock tomorrow but it is accumulating. If we start talking about major investments in general into our infrastructure or if we make wrong choices in investing in the way we are constructing our society . . . the risks are getting higher and higher.””
“Five dead, two children missing after weekend storms in southern France.
“Five people died over the weekend when violent storms swept southern France, authorities said Monday, March 11, as rescue services continued their search for missing people, including two children.”
“Truffle hunters vs winemakers: Climate change is making Italy’s esteemed producers compete for land.
“White Alba truffles and Piedmont red wines typically pair well together. But rising temperatures are creating a rift in the region. The disappearing art of truffle hunting is facing a new and “grave threat” from winemakers in northern Italy.”
“Barcelona’s Catholics pray for rain amid worst drought.
“A religious procession took place with a figure of Christ on the cross carried through the city. The figure of Sant Crist de la Sang, or Holy Christ of the Blood, has been used to summon rain for centuries, according to Brother lluis Ignasi Bonastre.”
“Rain-free corner of Murcia named the driest spot in Europe.
“…there’s one corner in the south of the Region of Murcia, stretching from Cabo Tiñoso all the way across to the border with Almería… which has just been given the dubious honour of becoming the driest area not only in Spain, but in the entire European continent. This area has experienced the least amount of rainfall, by far, over the past five months.”
“Thousands still missing six months after Libya floods.
“It has been six months since devastating floods struck north-eastern Libya. It caused two dams near the city of Derna to collapse. Over 4,300 people are believed to have been killed in the floods, but half a year later, thousands remain missing.”
“47.2 [117F] South Africa, 45.5 Cameroon, 45 Niger and Chad, etc… Records smashed in nearly every single country from North to South from West to East. Never happened anything like this anywhere in the world in climatic history.”
“Zambia’s Cholera Outbreak Rings Warning Bells on Climate Change.
“Climate change is reversing precious progress made on global health across the African continent. In southern Africa, higher than usual rainfall has caused pit latrines to overflow, contaminating local water supplies. As a result, health workers in Zambia are battling the country’s worst cholera outbreak in decades.”
“Climate injustice: Malawi crippled by global warming it didn’t create…
“Last month was the world’s hottest February on record and the ninth consecutive month of record temperatures… Malawi, which contributes just 0.04% to global emissions, is among the global climate index’s top five countries to be impacted.”
“Tropical Storm Filipo Builds as It Nears Mozambique.
“Nation is still recovering from damaging cyclones Freddy, Idai… Tropical Storm Filipo is bearing down on Mozambique’s coast, where it’s forecast to make landfall south of the port city of Beira on Tuesday, bringing winds of up to 120 kilometers (75 miles) an hour and torrential rain.”
“Torrential rains and thunderstorms have swept through several governorates in the Sultanate of Oman, leading to severe floods and activating emergency protocols.
“The North Al Batinah Governorate, particularly the areas of Liwa and Shinas, along with Buraimi Governorate’s Madha, experienced intense early morning rainfall Saturday…”
“Flash floods, rains in Balochistan suspend Pak-Iran transport service.
“Flash floods, triggered by heavy rains in Chagai, Noshki and other districts of Balochistan, have blocked national highways and washed away railway tracks at many points, suspending transport services between Pakistan and Iran.”
“India’s water problems set to get worse as the world warms.
“Winter storms that provide crucial snow and rainfall to northern India are arriving significantly later in the year compared to 70 years ago, a new study has found, exacerbating the risk of catastrophic flooding while also reducing vital water supplies for millions of residents of India.”
“No crops, no brides: how rising seas are killing India’s coastal villages…
““When the soil turned salty, our crops shrivelled,” says Vaidehi Kardi, 64, a Tandahar resident. “Gradually, the water too turned salty and our lives withered. It has become difficult to get our sons married. Everyone feels our village is not safe any more.””
“Can one day of the year pass without Thailand breaking heat records? NEVER.
“Another stifling hot night with minimum temperature of 29.0C [84.2F] at Bangkok Klong Thoey and at Rayong, they tie the March hottest nights on record. It will just get worse and worse, no end in sight…”
“At least 26 people killed after floods, landslides hit Indonesia’s Sumatra.
“Giving the update on Monday, officials reported that 11 others are missing, and warned that the casualty count could rise. Rescuers have recovered more bodies as the waters recede following flash floods and landslides caused by torrential monsoon rains.”
“Cocoa prices hit a fresh record high, fast approaching the once unthinkable $7,000 per tonne level. At current levels, we will see soon widespread retail price increases for all kinds of chocolate.”
“Banana prices to go up as temperatures rise, says expert.
“Pascal Liu, senior economist at the World Banana Forum, says climate impacts pose an “enormous threat” to supply, compounding the impacts of fast-spreading diseases. The forum meets in Rome on Tuesday to tackle challenges facing the fruit.”
“Models show that in mid- and low-latitude areas, where most of the world’s breadbaskets are located, the yields from many crops will likely decrease over time. Boote: “There’s a very slow decline initially … but it becomes more severe the more the temperature goes up.”
“Sea-surface temperature pattern effects have slowed global warming and biased warming-based constraints on climate sensitivity [making them overly-confident]
“The findings suggest that observed warming over recent decades provides very little information about climate sensitivity… this introduces a major uncertainty in climate projections.”
“The latest data from CERES was just released and the 36-month running mean for the Earth Energy Imbalance is at yet another record high, at 1.6W/m², equivalent to 13 Hiroshimas per second or about 1.23B Hiroshimas of Earth heating over the last 36 months.”
“Nowhere does the scientific community twist and turn itself into more knots to avoid telling it like it is, than when talking about the ‘1.5°C above pre-industrial’, average global temperature limit.”
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!
“I’m a climate scientist. If you knew what I know, you’d be terrified too…
“If the fracturing of our once stable climate doesn’t terrify you, then you don’t fully understand it. The reality is that, as far as we know, and in the natural course of events, our world has never — in its entire history — heated up as rapidly as it is doing now. Nor have greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere ever seen such a precipitous hike.
“Think about that for a moment. We’re experiencing, in our lifetimes, a heating episode that is probably unique in the last 4.6 billion years.”
“Are we stressing the wrong metrics for climate change?
“Experts say rising temperatures due to burning fossil fuels only explains part of the ways we’re cooking our planet… It all comes down to a statistic known as EEI, or Energy Earth Imbalance, that measures the difference between the solar energy that reaches Earth and the amount which returns to space.”
“Some might remember that Global Sea Surface Temperatures already started to spike upwards in March last year.
“If I go back and extrapolate the 2015-2016 Super El Niño from March 2023 onward instead, it ends up 0.05°C lower. And we’ve now peaked higher than the extrapolation [even though this El Niño is significantly weaker]!”
“How world’s ocean temperature record will speed up devastating climate change…
“Professor Richard Allan, also of Reading University: “Global temperatures have been given an extra boost by warm El Niño conditions… What is more surprising is that sea surface temperatures are at record levels over regions far away from the centre of El Niño action such as the tropical Atlantic and Indian Ocean.”
“La Niña is forecast to develop in time for the 2024 hurricane season. It typically makes conditions more favorable for Atlantic Basin hurricanes.
“Past La Niña seasons have generated twice as many hurricanes as the stronger El Niño season the previous year… La Niña adds to concerns about record warm ocean water for the upcoming hurricane season.”
“Hurricanes are intensifying more rapidly – and the most vulnerable communities are hit hardest…
“Chelle Walton and her husband Rob… decided to shelter in place, despite repeated evacuation notices. “You make all of your decisions based on past storms,” said Walton. “It turned out to be a bad decision.””
“Amazon wildfires could burn at unprecedented scale as El Niño and drought make rainforest ‘more flammable’…
“”Climatic changes in the Amazon region are increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme drought events, which are happening in combination with heat waves,” Flores, whose recent work focused on the potential collapse of the Amazon, said.””
“Record hailstorms ravaged Texas last year, and forecasters are increasingly concerned about the rising costs associated with storm repairs.
“In fact, hail of at least one inch fell on over 10 million homes and apartment buildings across the U.S. from mid-March through November. Texas led the nation in the number of buildings damaged… hail caused more damage across the U.S. last year than tornadoes and straight-line winds.”
“The warmest winter in U.S. history leaves its mark…
“The Texas Panhandle shared in the El Niño moisture, recording one of its wettest winters on record. However, the grasslands of Texas can dry out quickly in late winter. In the last days of February, fierce winds and record-warm temperatures ended up stoking what appears to be the largest fire in modern U.S. history outside of Alaska.”
“Wildfire seasons are starting earlier and getting longer.
“Blazes in western Canada and Texas highlight how the elements that fuel wildfires are becoming present earlier in the year. Scientists say climate change is a factor.”
“Environmental row over ‘last chance tourism’ in Canada’s melting Arctic…
“An increase in “last chance tourism” in Canada’s melting Arctic is causing a row between those who warn of the devastation it is causing to the environment and those who rely on income from tourists to survive as hunting becomes increasingly difficult.”
“Gray whale sighted off New England 200 years after species’ Atlantic extinction…
“The North-west Passage, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the Arctic Ocean in Canada, has lacked ice in the summertime in recent years… That means gray whales are able to travel through the passage in the summer when normally they would have been blocked…”
“EU underprepared as climate change risks mount, draft report says…
“Europe is in urgent need of stronger measures to prepare healthcare systems, farming and critical infrastructure for increasingly severe climate change, a draft report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) said.”
“The AEMET delegate in the Canary Islands, David Suárez, warns that the percentage of Canarian land changing from temperate to desert conditions is “increasing by 6 square kilometres every year.” [don’t click on the link; story is legit but it’s an ad-spam nightmare]
“According to technical reports, he emphasises that forecasts “for the subtropical region, including the Canaries and Morocco, indicate a 7% decrease in precipitation…”
“Unstoppable record heat in AFRICA in both Hemispheres: 43.0C [109.4F] Moti and Big Bend ESWATINI (ex Swaziland) March records pulverized.
“More records: SOUTH AFRICA 41.6 Makatini again, 40.9 Tosca; NAMIBIA 40.4 Omaruru… This is just the beginning. NW South Africa might reach 46C in few days.”
“South African city [Cape Town] copes with climate change by chopping down trees…
“While preserving the world’s forests is widely considered essential to combating climate change, scientists in South Africa have determined that invasive tree species are sucking up so much groundwater that the area is better off eliminating the trees.”
“Food supplies threatened in Southern Africa after driest February on record…
“Last month, large parts of Zambia, Botswana and Zimbabwe had the least rainfall — or close to it — since records began in 1981… Africa is being impacted by extreme weather events that scientists say are becoming increasingly frequent and severe…”
“A quarter million students face mass dropout amid unfolding drought induced starvation [Ethiopia]: Tigray Education Bureau…
“Expressing profound concern over the lack of assistance, the bureau has urgently appealed to both international and local partners for immediate intervention. In a statement forwarded to Addis Standard, the bureau underscores the critical need for support in the face of this alarming crisis.”
“UAE weather live: Heavy rain hits Dubai as flights cancelled and police issue warning…
“”Ras Al Khaimah emirate is experiencing unpredictable weather patterns,” police said on X. “Avoid beach areas, drive with care, and follow instructions from competent authorities.””
“Bengaluru water crisis [India]: Residents use mall toilets amid water shortage, netizens express frustration.
“Bengaluru, the tech city of India, is facing a severe water shortage. The underground water is running out, and there’s a drought in the Cauvery basin, making things worse… Residents of Bengaluru have flooded social media with posts expressing frustration, fear, and concerns…”
“The women losing their hair because of the climate crisis: ‘It’s everything to us’ [South Asia]…
“… with clean water being such a precious resource, women are bathing in hard water, which is not just leading to infections but is also causing them to lose their hair, laying bare the deeper wounds inflicted by the climate crisis.”
“More record heat in Southeast Asia. THAILAND with another 42C [107.6F] day and even a record 40.5C at Chachoengsao in the Gulf of Thailand, absolutely crazy.
“VIETNAM Monthly record at Tho Chu with 36.1C. From 1 January Thailand hasn’t missed a single day without breaking records. Brutal.”
“Cebu City had its warmest March night on record with a Tmin of 27.4C. Philippines have been breaking records no stop nearly every single day since mid 2023 allover the country.”
“After a record-shattering summer of heat across Western Australia, residents look to autumn for relief.
“Western Australia just sweltered through its hottest summer on record. It saw dozens of records broken, severe to extreme heatwaves, countless bushfires, and an ex-tropical cyclone that failed to redevelop.”
“Moomba Festival parade scrapped over severe heatwave in Victoria…
“Organisers of the Moomba Festival, which coincides with the city’s Labour Day long weekend, have cancelled the iconic Moomba Parade on Monday night due to safety concerns for performers, spectators, workers and volunteers.”
“Fifth mass coral bleaching event in eight years hits Great Barrier Reef, marine park authority confirms…
“Researchers and scientists told Guardian Australia they were devastated by the bleaching, particularly in the reef’s southern section where corals hundreds of years old were severely bleached.”
“Radical idea to protect ‘doomsday’ Thwaites Glacier with 62-mile long curtain divides scientists.
“John Moore, a glaciologist at Lapland University, is working on a drastic idea that has divided scientists. He hypothesises a giant underwater curtain could protect the glacier from being nibbled away by warm water beneath it, as it floats on the sea surface.”
“Not a bright idea: Why cooling Earth by blocking sunlight could be disastrous…
“… research has consistently identified potential risks posed by the technologies such as: unpredictable effects on climate and weather patterns… biodiversity loss… undermining food security… the infringement of human rights across generations…”
“Climate change: Could daffodil diet for livestock help?
“Researchers are testing a new method of using Wales’ national flower to cut the level of methane produced by livestock. Methane is the second most common greenhouse gas after CO2, and is released by livestock, such as cows and sheep, when they burp.”
“Livestock industry co-opts academics to downplay its climate impact, study says…
“Academic centers at UC Davis and Colorado State University have accepted big donations from the livestock industry… ““It’s not as if all they’re doing is looking at kelp and methane digesters,” said Jacquet, referring to a few of the new technologies broadly supported by the livestock industry. “They’re also doing a lot of spin,” she said.”
“Feeding the future world… The impacts of climate change on food production will affect us all…
“Climate change will exacerbate food security, not only by affecting production, but for producers there could be reduced income as a result of addressing the challenges that climate change brings.”
“Bird flu is spreading from pole to pole. Here’s why it matters…
“Evidence now points to the latest strain being “extremely deadly” and “increasingly infectious,” according to an article published in Nature… H5N1 could have grave consequences for wildlife already suffering from a wide variety of human-caused stressors, such as pollution, climate change, habitat loss, and invasive species.”
“Animal extinction risk is heavily influenced by climate change.
“Many of the animals we love, from playful penguins to majestic elephants, could disappear because of climate change. It’s not something just for scientists to worry about — it’s a real threat.”
“De-extinction of the woolly mammoth takes a major step forwards: Scientists successfully re-programme elephant stem cells – and it could allow them to resurrect the lost species by 2028…
“Scientists from Colossal Biosciences have successfully created elephant ‘pluripotent’ stem cells which can grow into any cell in the body.”
You can read the previous “Climate” thread here. I’ll be back on Monday 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!
“Warmer, wetter, hotter, drier — February caps unending stretch of record temperatures.
“The global average temperature in February was 1.77C above the pre-industrial average and marked the ninth month in a row of record heat, the Copernicus Climate Change Service said.
“The rise in global average temperatures continued to trend above the critical benchmark of 1.5C higher than pre-industrial levels, and over the past 12 months have surpassed the 1850 to 1900 average by 1.56C.”
“Record Ocean Temperatures Push Coral Reefs to Brink of Fourth Mass Bleaching Event…
“Speaking with Reuters, the coordinator of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Coral Reef Watch Derek Manzello said it was likely that the entire Southern Hemisphere would experience bleaching this year.”
“If you’re in the northern hemisphere, you may have noticed plants flowering earlier than usual. It’s not your imagination: a 2022 study revealed that spring blooms are arriving a month sooner in the UK due to climate change.”
“Catastrophic sugar beet harvest delays due to record rain [UK]…
“Over this last year, there have been increasing reports of delays to both the sowing and harvest, with some farms being close to a month behind.. Andrew Blenkiron, a farmer and director at Euston Estate in Suffolk, advised that the conditions have been “frustrating and costly” for sowing and harvesting crops this year.”
“Weatherwatch: pothole problem to deepen amid climate crisis.
“Climate models show worsening weather will exacerbate rail and road infrastructure problems… Londoners had a taste of this during the heatwave of July 2022, when timber beams supporting railway caught fire, bringing trains to a halt.”
“Rain floods southern France for third time in six months…
“In Saintes, the river Charente is once again overflowing its banks. It is impossible to move about in the streets without beams. This scenario is being repeated just three months after the last flood, which affected thousands of homes.”
“Malaga [Spain] needs to triple quantity of water in its reservoirs across the province to overcome current drought crisis…
“Across the province, the hydrographic response varies from area to area, but an estimate would place the required water reserves at more than 250 cubic hectometres (the storage capacity is 611.48 cubic hectometres (hm³). This is practically three times higher than the current level of the reserves…”
“Water scarcity risks sparking conflict among European Union countries unprepared for a warming world, the bloc’s executive will warn next week, according to a leaked document obtained by POLITICO.”
“Morocco winter breaks heat records: meteorologists [also set a national heat record of 50.4C last summer].
Morocco experienced record heat this winter, including the hottest January since measurements began, the country’s meteorological department told AFP, placing the blame on climate change… The North African kingdom… is facing a sixth consecutive year of drought.”
“Dry weather hits southern Africa’s farmers, putting key maize supplies at risk: how to blunt the impact…
“Given that South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe are among the largest maize producers within the Southern Africa region, a potential decline in the harvest in these countries suggests there could be an increase in the risk of food insecurity.”
“43.3 [109.9F] Beitbridge ZIMBABWE: National record for March highest temperature smashed.
“Hundreds of records in dozens countries might seem the “main course” but hell it’s just the appetizer of the insanity we will witness next days: Prepare for something never seen before.”
“Floods Displace 500,000 in Iran’s Sistan and Baluchistan…
“Severe flooding has ravaged farms, mud houses, rural roads, and local infrastructure, closing roads and isolating villages from nearby cities and each other. With roads flooded, bridges broken, and pathways washed out, air assistance has become the only feasible means of aid.”
“Iran Faces Dwindling Water and Escalating Climate Pressures, Aggravating Displacement Threats…
“Nearly 85 percent of Iran is in an arid or semi-arid zone, meaning that even as millions are confronted by deluges, many also face a lack of water and heightened vulnerability to droughts. ”
“Climate change pushes Malaysia’s coastal fishermen away from the sea…
“…erratic weather, warming seas and declining fish stocks caused by climate change are slowly pushing them away from the seas they and generations before them once depended on.”
“Absolute madness in Southeast Asia: Medan INDONESIA March warmest night 3 times in a row Tmin 27.6 [81.7F]; MALAYSIA Penang March warmest night Tmin 27.8.
“THAILAND: 42C at Bua Chum. Nearly every single station at record level with March records also beaten by big margin like 41.2 Roi Et.”
“On the northeast coast of Indonesia’s Sumatra Island, the first of two annual dry seasons led to a spike in wildfires in some peatland areas in February.
“In the week ending March 2, Indonesian peatland NGO Pantau Gambut said 34 hotspots, possibly fires, were identified by satellite on peatlands in Riau province.”
“From Dec. 1 through the end of February, up to 236.7 mm of rain was observed here, marking the highest amount of precipitation to be recorded in the cited period since 1973, when the Korea Meteorological Administration started collecting the related data.”
“Climate change is causing fish to shrink [in NW Pacific]: Japanese study.
“A University of Tokyo study published in the journal Fish and Fisheries analyzed medium-term data on the weight of 13 fish species over a 33-year period (1995-97 to 2018) and long-term data on the weight of four fish species over a 40-year period (1978 to 2018).”
“Pūkaki Airport [NZ] recorded its lowest ever rainfall total for summer…
“The National Institute of Weather and Atmospheric Research’s summer climate summary said temperatures were above average (0.51-1.20C above average) or well above average (more than 1.20C above average) for most of the country.”
“Lucas Ferrante uncovered the impacts of the proposed BR-319 highway in the Amazon rainforest: it could trigger biome collapse and biodiversity crisis… Ferrante’s research findings highlight the danger this project poses to 63 indigenous territories and 18,000 indigenous people…”
“‘There aren’t seasons any more’: a childhood without water in north Colombia…
“The expansion of coal mining and large-scale agriculture in the 20th century also caused shortages, as industrial needs were prioritised over those of local communities. Now the effects of the climate crisis have intensified the frequency and severity of droughts, putting further pressure on water supply.”
“Texas wildfires: Firefighter killed responding to blaze as state pleads for hay to stem cattle losses…
“The Smokehouse Creek Fire has burned more than 1.3 million acres across the Texas Panhandle and destroyed 500 structures. It’s now the largest fire in the state’s history and one of the largest in the US’ history.”
“US regulators approve significantly scaled back climate disclosure rule.
“US regulators have voted to require large, publicly traded companies to disclose climate change-related information to investors, though the rule’s scope has been significantly scaled back from the original draft proposal.”
“Higher temperatures force New England fishers off ice early: ‘Global warming is real’.
“New England fishers are on thin ice this winter as warming temperatures force them to abandon their lake perches months ahead of schedule, an alarming reality that could jeopardize the future of a deeply rooted recreational tradition.”
“As drought persists on the Prairies, some farmers are selling off their herds… Prairies in the midst of multi-year drought…
“Pomeroy said the drought became “really severe” last year when the seasonal snowpack melted roughly one month early in the Prairies, the mountains and across the North, contributing to hot and dry conditions in the summer.”
“Winter in La Ronge [Saskatchewan, Canada] driest on record…
“In addition, La Ronge, Prince Albert and Yorkton all had its second warmest winter on record. In La Ronge, the seasonal mean temperature was -11.6 C, which represents a 5.3 C departure from normal.”
“Several Canadian cities have broken record temperatures during one of the mildest winters in history.
“Edmonton had the warmest winter on record, Vancouver had the warmest December on record, and Montreal had the second warmest winter on record, according to Environment Canada.”
“Arctic rivers face big changes with a warming climate, permafrost thaw and an accelerating water cycle − the effects will have global consequences…
“More old carbon is already showing up in samples gathered from Arctic rivers, attributed to permafrost thaw. Carbon dating shows that some of this carbon has been frozen for thousands of years.”
“The Arctic could become ‘ice-free’ within a decade, say scientists…
“…a new study out of the University of Colorado Boulder… suggests that the first ice-free day in the Arctic could occur over 10 years earlier than previous projections, which focused on when the region would be ice-free for a month or more. The trend remains consistent under all future emission scenarios.”
“Methane concentrations reached a record high of 1934 ppb! An increase of 168% from preindustrial levels!
“This is already higher than the assumed peak of IPCC’s mid range scenario, SSP2-4.5. Don’t let anyone use bad assumptions to downplay near term climate change!”
“Plastic pollution amplified by a warming climate…
“Rising temperatures and moisture alter plastic characteristics, contributing to waste, microplastic generation, and release of hazardous substances. Urgent attention is essential to comprehend and address these climate-driven effects and their consequences.”
“22 Countries Most Likely To Survive Climate Change[weird list but for interest].
“To compile our list of the 22 countries most likely to survive climate change, we utilized the ND-GAIN Country Index. The index evaluates the preparedness of a country against climate change through two key dimensions, vulnerability and readiness.”
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!
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Weekday updates on both climate change and the global economy. Stay current with what’s happening around the world with a quick scan of top news.
“For centuries we have plundered our planet. Now we are paying the price.
“Record temperatures in 2024 on land and at sea have prompted scientists to question whether these anomalies are in line with predicted global heating patterns or if they represent a concerning acceleration of climate breakdown…
“The global surface temperature is close to 2°C above the 1850-1900 baseline again, at 1.96°C as of March 14th.
“Court ruling further erodes climate activists’ right to protest in England and Wales…
“Winter storms leave Germany’s North Sea island beaches without sand.
“‘Records could be broken’: Spain braces for very high spring temperatures…
“Historic warmth this winter in the Canary Islands with a virtually existent winter and for the first time no snow at all in the Izana Observatory below the top mountain Teide.
“Africa heat extending to SW Europe: 38C [100.4F] Morocco; 32.1C at Archena in SPAIN.
“EXCEPTIONAL IN AFRICA:
“South Africa Can’t Afford to Climate-Proof Its Infrastructure…
“Back-to-back climate disasters leave millions of Malawians in deepening need…
“South Sudan heatwave: Extreme weather shuts schools and cuts power.
“Record heat in SAUDI ARABIA.
“The world’s hottest city [Kuwait City] has become ‘unliveable’ where birds drop dead from sky amid highs of 52C [I thought it was Jacobabad in Pakistan but…]
“Iran’s Meteorological Organization has issued a “red warning” for flooding in five western provinces as a new wave of heavy rains approaches just ahead of the Persian New Year…
“Afghanistan’s drought in photos…
“Spring is dramatically disappearing from India. Here’s why.
“Four dead in southwest China forest fires.
“Travel chaos as flights cancelled amidst Mae Hong Son forest fires [Thailand]…
“HISTORIC in THAILAND. Hottest March night in history; Tmins >29C in Bangkok area.
“Record again in the MALDIVES. 34.6C [94.3F] at Hanimadhoo is the highest temperature ever recorded in the atoll in March.
“Code Yikes!
“Thousands of people have fled their homes in Demak and Kudus as floods devastated the two regencies in Central Java over the weekend, killing at least five.
“Flooding, landslides and torrential rains have killed at least 23 people in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands region, where homes have been damaged and roads washed away.
“NT residents assess damage from Tropical Cyclone Megan after evacuation efforts fail.
“HISTORIC IN South America: Records allover from Colombia to Argentina – HOTTEST MARCH NIGHT EVER IN SOUTH AMERICA.
“Record heat index of 62.3C scorches Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro… The previous heat index record was set in November when it hit 59.7C (139.5F)…
“Brazil to release millions of anti-dengue mosquitoes as death toll from outbreak mounts…
“Latin America is boiling from Mexico to Argentina: GUYANA 37.4 [99.3F] at Lethem hottest March day in Guyana history set twice in few days.
“Battered by hurricanes and tired of rebuilding, 90% of population has left this coastal town.
“Cherry blossoms hitting earlier peaks due to climate change, scientists warn…
“HISTORIC: Dozens of records brutalized all over Canada and USA. Insane 85F at Lowell in IDAHO. IT TIES IDAHO HOTTEST DAY IN MARCH.
“Wildfires made Canada’s air quality worse than the U.S. for the first time…
“This Overlooked Feedback Loop Is Accelerating Climate Change…
“India’s ‘Silicon Valley’ is running dry as residents urged to take fewer showers and use disposable cutlery…
“Floods hit Central Java, East Java as extreme weather persists.
“UNBELIEVABLE RECORD: 29.1C [84.4F] MINIMUM temperature at Kaimana INDONESIA. 
“UNPRECEDENTED: Thousands of records are falling all over Oceania and Asia.
“A warming island’s mice are breeding out of control and eating seabirds. An extermination is planned.
“HISTORIC – Extreme heat in SOUTH AMERICA.
“February 2024 in Guadeloupe was exceptional: Records of highest max and highest min were wiped out all over the islands.
“The Panama Canal Averts a Crisis for Now— But at a Cost to Drinking Water.
“Mexico City mayoral race tightens on anger over water shortages.
“Mexican lake is being sucked dry by development, drought and lawlessness…
“An invisible water surcharge: Climate warming increases crop water demand in the San Joaquin Valley [California]…
“Hottest city in US saw record 645 deaths related to high temperatures in 2023…
“It has been an extraordinarily warm first half of March in NE America, in both Canada and USA; for hundreds of stations the warmest on record. Early blossoming has been widespread.
“A fierce hailstorm, unleashing hail the size of baseballs, wreaked havoc across Missouri, causing significant damage to residences and nearly 500 vehicles.
“Three killed as fierce storms and tornadoes damage homes and businesses across several US states.
“Scientists must work urgently on predicting the effects of climate geoengineering, the chief of the US atmospheric science agency has said, as the technology is likely to be needed, at least in part.
“Climate change: The ‘insane’ plan to save the Arctic’s sea-ice…
“Underwater gas fields off Cumbria [UK] are to be mapped for their potential to store millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide produced by industry.
“England drenched after the wettest 18 months since records began in 1836…
“A Norfolk road dubbed “the most flooded in Britain”, has broken records after being submerged for 12 weeks this winter.
“French state watchdog recommends grants to stop house drought cracks… More should be done to prevent damage from climate change, it says…
“So far, March has been too mild, too wet and too cloudy across Switzerland…
“Drought devastates crops [Cyprus]…
“Temperatures in Spain this past winter were ‘warmest on record’ , says state meteorological agency, AEMET…
“UNBELIEVABLE – 34.6 [94.3F] MINIMUM at Dosso NIGER. 
“Sangana community in Bayelsa State [Nigeria] is under serious ecological threat induced by rising sea level.
“Code Yikes!
“12 months of record ocean heat has scientists puzzled and concerned…
“A startling rise in sea-surface temperatures suggests that we may not understand how fast the climate is changing…
“Companies take step back from making climate target promises…
“Climate change: Sabrina Lee quits buying new clothes.
“Extreme heat could trigger the worst global financial crisis ever seen.
“Global supply chains amplify economic costs of future extreme heat risk…
“World in ‘unknown territory’ after heat records, says head of UN’s climate body.
“Now the NASA dataset also touches the ΔT +1.5°C with its 12-month running average. 
“Climate Change Is Weakening River Seasonality in the North.
“Warmest winter ever: Canada’s record season reaches new heights…
“Floodwaters inundate Maine, New Hampshire for fourth time since December…
“This $600k defense against sea level rise could have lasted 3 years. It was destroyed in less than a day
“Storm carrying massive ‘gorilla hail’ threatens parts of Kansas and Missouri.
“Oil and gas producers in major oil fields across the United States may be emitting three times as much planet-warming methane gas as official estimates, according to new research published Wednesday…
“Texas Fires Have Emitted a Near-Record Amount of Carbon…
“Wildfires are becoming night owls — and that’s a big problem…
“Guyanese are being advised to be take precautions when it comes to wildfires after an elderly man died from severe burn injuries which he sustained while on his farm.
“Another scorching day with >40C [104F] in Guatemala, El Salvador & Honduras
“Authorities in central Chile issued evacuation orders to residents in the Valparaiso region on Wednesday, March 13, as a forest fire continued to grow in the area.
“HISTORIC: For the first time in March a minimum temperature >30C [86F] in recorded in South America with TMIN 30.4C Las Lomitas ARGENTINA.
“Argentina downpour drenches crop fields; flash floods in Buenos Aires.
“Record-Breaking Rowers Reveal UK’s Rising Sea Temperatures…
“Nearly five months after flooding destroyed swathes of the centre of Downpatrick [Northern Ireland], business owners say the town is still struggling to recover.
“‘Ski season is over’: Snowless winter forces Austria’s resorts to turn to summer sports in March.
“After destructive floods, EU sues Greece for failing to revise risk plans.
“Türkiye’s climate to mirror Egypt’s due to global warming: Expert…
“EXTRAORDINARY: thousands records all over AFRICA.
“List of records broken yesterday in SOUTH AFRICA. This has been going on for months almost every single day.
“Johannesburg’s dry taps partly blamed on heatwave.
“Rains wreak havoc in Balochistan…
“60 Afghans killed by weeks of intense snow, rain.
“Forest fires are raging in Nepal’s Taplejung district…
“Officials wage no-win battle against Chiang Mai’s raging fires…
“Thailand groans under heatwave.
“TOTAL INSANITY THAILAND AND INDONESIA – 38.7 Phuket March record smashed,
“Most of Semarang [central Java] Flooded After Extreme Rainfall.
“EXTRAORDINARY OCEANIA – thousands of records are being smashed all over Oceania in every single tropical island every day.
“Seven months after Florida corals faced what scientists called their worst bleaching event ever, a similar emergency grips the Great Barrier Reef…
“Bird flu: access to Ernest Shackleton’s grave ‘blocked by dead seals’…
“Emperor penguin population in Antarctic drops 9.6% in just under a decade…
“Nature facing irreversible decline without urgent political action, WWF warns…
“Tell us: how has the climate crisis affected your relationships?
“Some young people planning fewer or no kids because of climate change…
“Australia Warns of Critical Financial Risks From Climate Change…
“Hobart endures hottest night in 112 years as severe heatwave hits south-eastern Australia.
“There are growing fears of an alarming shift in Antarctic sea ice…
“Bird flu virus found in king penguins as scientists fear global spread…
“Brazil’s staggering dengue fever crisis is a warning to the world…
“EU food giants turn blind eye to deforestation in Argentina.
“EXTRAORDINARY HEAT IN THE AMERICAS – records all over from Mexico to Argentina.
“HISTORIC – unbelievable heat MEXICO & Central America.
“B.C. winemakers rethinking industry after climate catastrophes.
“Fort McMurray prepares for wildfire season after a record warm, dry winter.
“Trees are expanding north in Alaska’s Arctic as a result of sea ice loss.
“England’s largest rhododendron bush has flowered a month ahead of schedule after the country experienced the hottest February on record. 
“The wettest February since 1836 will lead to a “horrific” harvest, farmers have warned.
“EU Faces Systemic Financial Shocks From Global Warming…
“Five dead, two children missing after weekend storms in southern France.
“Truffle hunters vs winemakers: Climate change is making Italy’s esteemed producers compete for land.
“Barcelona’s Catholics pray for rain amid worst drought.
“Rain-free corner of Murcia named the driest spot in Europe.
“Thousands still missing six months after Libya floods.
“THOUSANDS OF RECORDS ALL OVER AFRICA.
“Zambia’s Cholera Outbreak Rings Warning Bells on Climate Change.
“Climate injustice: Malawi crippled by global warming it didn’t create…
“Tropical Storm Filipo Builds as It Nears Mozambique.
“Torrential rains and thunderstorms have swept through several governorates in the Sultanate of Oman, leading to severe floods and activating emergency protocols.
“Flash floods, rains in Balochistan suspend Pak-Iran transport service.
“India’s water problems set to get worse as the world warms.
“No crops, no brides: how rising seas are killing India’s coastal villages…
“Can one day of the year pass without Thailand breaking heat records? NEVER.
“At least 26 people killed after floods, landslides hit Indonesia’s Sumatra.
“CHART OF THE DAY: The cocoa rally.
“Banana prices to go up as temperatures rise, says expert.
“Why more CO2 could be bad news for crops…
“This is a great visualization of the Global Sea Surface Temperatures, which have been breaking daily record highs for almost 365 days.
“[Global sea surface temp] Going up again. 21.22°C yesterday.
“Sea-surface temperature pattern effects have slowed global warming and biased warming-based constraints on climate sensitivity [making them overly-confident]
“Y-Axis alert! Code UFB!
“Minimisation Is The New Denial…
“I’m a climate scientist. If you knew what I know, you’d be terrified too…
“Are we stressing the wrong metrics for climate change?
“Breaking news! Code FUBAR!!!
“Some might remember that Global Sea Surface Temperatures already started to spike upwards in March last year.
“How world’s ocean temperature record will speed up devastating climate change…
“La Niña is forecast to develop in time for the 2024 hurricane season. It typically makes conditions more favorable for Atlantic Basin hurricanes.
“Hurricanes are intensifying more rapidly – and the most vulnerable communities are hit hardest…
“Amazon wildfires could burn at unprecedented scale as El Niño and drought make rainforest ‘more flammable’…
“EXCEPTIONAL – Hundreds of records from Mexico to Bolivia; >40C [104F] in Yucatan Peninsula, 40.8 again in Costa Rica (35C on the highlands),
“Record hailstorms ravaged Texas last year, and forecasters are increasingly concerned about the rising costs associated with storm repairs.
“The warmest winter in U.S. history leaves its mark…
“Wildfire seasons are starting earlier and getting longer.
“Environmental row over ‘last chance tourism’ in Canada’s melting Arctic…
“Gray whale sighted off New England 200 years after species’ Atlantic extinction…
“EU underprepared as climate change risks mount, draft report says…
“The AEMET delegate in the Canary Islands, David Suárez, warns that the percentage of Canarian land changing from temperate to desert conditions is “increasing by 6 square kilometres every year.” 
“Unstoppable record heat in AFRICA in both Hemispheres: 43.0C [109.4F] Moti and Big Bend ESWATINI (ex Swaziland) March records pulverized.
“South African city [Cape Town] copes with climate change by chopping down trees…
“Food supplies threatened in Southern Africa after driest February on record…
“A quarter million students face mass dropout amid unfolding drought induced starvation [Ethiopia]: Tigray Education Bureau…
“UAE weather live: Heavy rain hits Dubai as flights cancelled and police issue warning…
“Bengaluru water crisis [India]: Residents use mall toilets amid water shortage, netizens express frustration.
“The women losing their hair because of the climate crisis: ‘It’s everything to us’ [South Asia]…
“More record heat in Southeast Asia. THAILAND with another 42C [107.6F] day and even a record 40.5C at Chachoengsao in the Gulf of Thailand, absolutely crazy.
“Record after record in the PHILIPPINES.
“Insane in MICRONESIA – The capital Pohnpei tied its record of highest minimum temperature 4 times in 7 days with Tmin 82F/27.8C…
“After a record-shattering summer of heat across Western Australia, residents look to autumn for relief.
“Moomba Festival parade scrapped over severe heatwave in Victoria…
“Fifth mass coral bleaching event in eight years hits Great Barrier Reef, marine park authority confirms…
“Radical idea to protect ‘doomsday’ Thwaites Glacier with 62-mile long curtain divides scientists.
“Not a bright idea: Why cooling Earth by blocking sunlight could be disastrous…
“Climate change: Could daffodil diet for livestock help?
“Livestock industry co-opts academics to downplay its climate impact, study says…
“Feeding the future world… The impacts of climate change on food production will affect us all…
“Bird flu is spreading from pole to pole. Here’s why it matters…
“Animal extinction risk is heavily influenced by climate change.
“De-extinction of the woolly mammoth takes a major step forwards: Scientists successfully re-programme elephant stem cells – and it could allow them to resurrect the lost species by 2028…
“Warmer, wetter, hotter, drier — February caps unending stretch of record temperatures.
“Breaking News! Code FFS.
“Record Ocean Temperatures Push Coral Reefs to Brink of Fourth Mass Bleaching Event…
“Climate change is warping the seasons…
“Catastrophic sugar beet harvest delays due to record rain [UK]…
“Weatherwatch: pothole problem to deepen amid climate crisis.
“Rain floods southern France for third time in six months…
“Malaga [Spain] needs to triple quantity of water in its reservoirs across the province to overcome current drought crisis…
“Brussels warns of water conflict danger in EU…
“Morocco winter breaks heat records: meteorologists
“Dry weather hits southern Africa’s farmers, putting key maize supplies at risk: how to blunt the impact…
“43.3 [109.9F] Beitbridge ZIMBABWE: National record for March highest temperature smashed.
“Floods Displace 500,000 in Iran’s Sistan and Baluchistan…
“Iran Faces Dwindling Water and Escalating Climate Pressures, Aggravating Displacement Threats…
“Climate change pushes Malaysia’s coastal fishermen away from the sea…
“Absolute madness in Southeast Asia: Medan INDONESIA March warmest night 3 times in a row Tmin 27.6 [81.7F]; MALAYSIA Penang March warmest night Tmin 27.8.
“On the northeast coast of Indonesia’s Sumatra Island, the first of two annual dry seasons led to a spike in wildfires in some peatland areas in February.
“Korea saw historically wet winter: weather agency…
“Climate change is causing fish to shrink [in NW Pacific]: Japanese study.
“Pūkaki Airport [NZ] recorded its lowest ever rainfall total for summer…
“Highway to Amazon collapse.
“‘There aren’t seasons any more’: a childhood without water in north Colombia…
“Historic day in COSTA RICA. 41.0 [105.8F] Cerro Huacalito highest temperature ever recorded in the country for any month.
“Texas wildfires: Firefighter killed responding to blaze as state pleads for hay to stem cattle losses…
“US regulators approve significantly scaled back climate disclosure rule.
“Higher temperatures force New England fishers off ice early: ‘Global warming is real’.
“As drought persists on the Prairies, some farmers are selling off their herds… Prairies in the midst of multi-year drought…
“Winter in La Ronge [Saskatchewan, Canada] driest on record…
“Several Canadian cities have broken record temperatures during one of the mildest winters in history.
“Arctic rivers face big changes with a warming climate, permafrost thaw and an accelerating water cycle − the effects will have global consequences…
“The Arctic could become ‘ice-free’ within a decade, say scientists…
“Methane concentrations reached a record high of 1934 ppb! An increase of 168% from preindustrial levels!
“Plastic pollution amplified by a warming climate…
“22 Countries Most Likely To Survive Climate Change 