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July 25, 2022
Trade unions called Monday for the European Commission to impose maximum temperature limits for outdoor workers, after three people died while on shift in Madrid during last week's withering heatwave.
While a handful of member states have legislation limiting working hours in excessive heat, the thresholds vary and many nations have no nationwide heat limits.
According to research by the polling agency Eurofound, 23 percent of all workers across the EU were being exposed to high temperatures a quarter of the time. That figure rises to 36 percent in agriculture and industry and to 38 percent for construction workers.
Previous research has linked high temperatures to a number of chronic conditions and an elevated risk of workplace injury.
https://www.barrons.com/news/call-for-max-working-temperature-cap-after-eu-heatwave-deaths-01658700307
Al Gore warns severe weather will 'get a lot worse' without climate action
Former Vice President Al Gore said Sunday that now is the time to act on climate change as the U.S. experiences record heat and wildfires rage across Europe.
"They're saying that if we don't stop using our atmosphere as an open sewer, and if we don't stop these heat trapping emissions, things are gonna get a lot worse," Gore told ABC "This Week" co-anchor Jonathan Karl. "More people will be killed and the survival of our civilization is at stake."
Gore said global warming pollution is trapping the heat equivalent of 600,000 Hiroshima-class atomic bombs.
"That's why the heat records are being broken all the time now," he said. "That's why the storms are stronger, why the ice is melting and the sea levels rising and why the droughts and fires are hitting us so hard and so many other consequences."
https://abcnews.go.com/US/al-gore-warns-severe-weather-lot-worse-climate/story?id=87298602
‘They just can’t get cool enough’: Farmer losing livestock to extreme heat and drought
BIXBY, Okla. (KOKI) – Extreme heat continues to bake parts of the country.
In Oklahoma, one farmer said heat and drought are killing his livestock. He’s afraid it will only get worse as the heat wave continues.
Even the animals are frustrated at Bill Cook’s Bixby farm as they grasp onto the dwindling water across his property.
“Typically the water levels up to here, it’s about, it’s about maybe 35, 40 inches lower than what it typically is,” Cook said.
https://www.kold.com/2022/07/24/they-just-cant-get-cool-enough-farmer-losing-livestock-extreme-heat-drought/
Kenya: Mbeere residents face starvation due to biting drought, MP says
At least 200,000 residents in Mbeere constituency, Embu County, are facing starvation due to a biting drought, the area MP says.
All crops including maize, a staple for most of them, dried up before maturing following a prolonged dry spell, leaving residents without food.
The most affected areas are Kiambeere, Makima, Mwea and Mavuria villages, where residents are struggling to survive.
"In the last season, the rains failed and all the crops were wiped out by the scorching sun. This season, the situation is the same and something urgent should be done to save the lives of my people," said Mr King'ang'i.
https://nation.africa/kenya/counties/embu/mbeere-residents-face-starvation-due-to-biting-drought-mp-says-3887546
Greenland hit with 'unusually extensive' melting of ice sheet, boosting sea levels, scientists say
Scientists have warned about the fate of Greenland's ice sheet and say what happened between July 15 and 17 is the latest massive melting event contributing to an increase in the global sea level.
The amount of water from the melt – about 6 billion tons a day, or 18 billion tons over the weekend – is enough to "cover West Virginia in a foot of water – 4 inches per day, roughly," Ted Scambos, a senior research scientist at the University of Colorado's Earth Science and Observation Center and National Snow and Ice Data Center, told USA TODAY.
Much of the melting came from northern Greenland because warm air drifted over from the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Scambos said.
There is also a high-pressure dome over Greenland. Together, they created an "unusually extensive melt event," he said.
https://news.yahoo.com/greenland-hit-unusually-extensive-melting-110053363.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=tw&tsrc=twtr
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1127
meanwhile...
Call For Max Working Temperature Cap After EU Heatwave DeathsTrade unions called Monday for the European Commission to impose maximum temperature limits for outdoor workers, after three people died while on shift in Madrid during last week's withering heatwave.
While a handful of member states have legislation limiting working hours in excessive heat, the thresholds vary and many nations have no nationwide heat limits.
According to research by the polling agency Eurofound, 23 percent of all workers across the EU were being exposed to high temperatures a quarter of the time. That figure rises to 36 percent in agriculture and industry and to 38 percent for construction workers.
Previous research has linked high temperatures to a number of chronic conditions and an elevated risk of workplace injury.
https://www.barrons.com/news/call-for-max-working-temperature-cap-after-eu-heatwave-deaths-01658700307
Al Gore warns severe weather will 'get a lot worse' without climate action
Former Vice President Al Gore said Sunday that now is the time to act on climate change as the U.S. experiences record heat and wildfires rage across Europe.
"They're saying that if we don't stop using our atmosphere as an open sewer, and if we don't stop these heat trapping emissions, things are gonna get a lot worse," Gore told ABC "This Week" co-anchor Jonathan Karl. "More people will be killed and the survival of our civilization is at stake."
Gore said global warming pollution is trapping the heat equivalent of 600,000 Hiroshima-class atomic bombs.
"That's why the heat records are being broken all the time now," he said. "That's why the storms are stronger, why the ice is melting and the sea levels rising and why the droughts and fires are hitting us so hard and so many other consequences."
https://abcnews.go.com/US/al-gore-warns-severe-weather-lot-worse-climate/story?id=87298602
‘They just can’t get cool enough’: Farmer losing livestock to extreme heat and drought
BIXBY, Okla. (KOKI) – Extreme heat continues to bake parts of the country.
In Oklahoma, one farmer said heat and drought are killing his livestock. He’s afraid it will only get worse as the heat wave continues.
Even the animals are frustrated at Bill Cook’s Bixby farm as they grasp onto the dwindling water across his property.
“Typically the water levels up to here, it’s about, it’s about maybe 35, 40 inches lower than what it typically is,” Cook said.
https://www.kold.com/2022/07/24/they-just-cant-get-cool-enough-farmer-losing-livestock-extreme-heat-drought/
Kenya: Mbeere residents face starvation due to biting drought, MP says
At least 200,000 residents in Mbeere constituency, Embu County, are facing starvation due to a biting drought, the area MP says.
All crops including maize, a staple for most of them, dried up before maturing following a prolonged dry spell, leaving residents without food.
The most affected areas are Kiambeere, Makima, Mwea and Mavuria villages, where residents are struggling to survive.
"In the last season, the rains failed and all the crops were wiped out by the scorching sun. This season, the situation is the same and something urgent should be done to save the lives of my people," said Mr King'ang'i.
https://nation.africa/kenya/counties/embu/mbeere-residents-face-starvation-due-to-biting-drought-mp-says-3887546
Greenland hit with 'unusually extensive' melting of ice sheet, boosting sea levels, scientists say
Scientists have warned about the fate of Greenland's ice sheet and say what happened between July 15 and 17 is the latest massive melting event contributing to an increase in the global sea level.
The amount of water from the melt – about 6 billion tons a day, or 18 billion tons over the weekend – is enough to "cover West Virginia in a foot of water – 4 inches per day, roughly," Ted Scambos, a senior research scientist at the University of Colorado's Earth Science and Observation Center and National Snow and Ice Data Center, told USA TODAY.
Much of the melting came from northern Greenland because warm air drifted over from the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Scambos said.
There is also a high-pressure dome over Greenland. Together, they created an "unusually extensive melt event," he said.
https://news.yahoo.com/greenland-hit-unusually-extensive-melting-110053363.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=tw&tsrc=twtr
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1127
July 17, 2022
A wave of agricultural protest has swept Europe and the wider world, as a host of issues conspire to pit farmers against national politics.
Farmer-led protests in Germany, Italy, Spain and Poland have sprung up in the wake of action by Dutch farmers, who were first to take to the streets to complain about the impact of new emissions rules.
The initial anger from Dutch farmers arose from fears that they would have to downscale or stop their business to meet reduction targets for the nitrous oxide and ammonia emissions produced by their livestock. While the Dutch government has announced large investments in farm housing and technology, they will also have the option to force farmers to sell their land in case enough volunteers for the technology shift are not found.
Further afield, in the Imphal West district in India there were protests at the non-availability of fertilisers. Reports from local newspapers said farmers across the state were facing short supply of fertiliser for the on-going paddy crop season even as the state government, particularly the agriculture minister, claimed that there was no dearth of urea in the government warehouse.
https://www.thescottishfarmer.co.uk/news/20278342.farmer-protests-spread-across-globe/
https://democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1127
Wildfires ravage France and Spain as heat wave sweeps Europe
Fires in southwestern France have displaced around 14,000 people, while Spain's National Defense Department said it has deployed "the majority" of its fire-fighting aircraft to combat more than 30 forest fires across the country. In Portugal, the pilot of a firefighting plane died in a crash on Friday.
Major wildfires are also raging in Hungary, Croatia, and Crete.
Even where Europe's not burning, it's still sweltering. Water levels in Italy's Po River have hit a record low, and multiple municipalities in the country's northern Piedmont region are imposing 500-euro fines on anyone caught using water to wash their cars or water their gardens.
Between July 5 and July 9, Spain recorded 25 deaths due to high temperatures. That number soared to 237 for the 5-day period between July 10 and July 14. In Portugal, one person died from the heat every 40 minutes between July 7 and July 13.
https://news.yahoo.com/wildfires-ravage-france-spain-heat-182835276.html
Farmers watch crops wither amid Italy’s worst drought in 70 years
Last week, the boot-shaped peninsula declared a state of emergency in five of its normally lush northern regions, with Italy’s farmers’ confederation Coldiretti estimating three billion euro ($3bn) worth of damage to agriculture.
Italy’s agriculture ministry warned the country’s parliament on Wednesday that a third of the national agricultural output was at risk, adding that the situation would get worse in years to come.
The crisis, which Prime Minister Mario Draghi said was “undoubtedly” linked to climate change, came amid rising grain prices linked to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Climate change has also threatened the hydropower system, adding to Italy’s energy woes as it disinvested from the Russian gas and exacerbating tensions around the use of the scarce resource.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/farmers-watch-crops-wither-amid-italys-worst-drought-in-70-years/ar-AAZzQF3
Several Moroccan regions reel under forest fires
Scientists say the climate-change induced phenomenon is likely to intensify in its frequency and duration in the future.
Hundreds of Moroccan firefighters battled late Thursday, July 15, to put out at least four infernos ripping through forests in the north of the kingdom, officials said. The North African nation, which is struggling under intense droughts, has in recent days been hit by soaring temperatures approaching 45°C (113°F).
Since Wednesday night, at least 1,000 hectares (2,500 acres) of forest have burned in Larache and Ouezzane, according to initial reports, leaving burnt trees smoldering under a sky blanketed by plumes of smoke.
Shocked by how fast the flames were spreading, residents fled their homes, with some families herding their cattle and horses – upon which their livelihoods depend – ahead of them. "I was with my family, and at one point, we heard people shouting, 'Fire! Fire!'" said Samir Boundad, from Larache. A village in the Ksar El Kebir region was destroyed by the flames.
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/environment/article/2022/07/15/several-moroccan-regions-reel-under-forest-fires_5990251_114.html
Alice Springs freezes through longest streak of sub-zero days on record
The centre of Australia is known for scorching hot summers and year-round blue skies but lately, locals have been rugged up as the region experiences its coldest winter in years.
The temperature in Alice Springs has dropped below zero degrees Celsius for 12 consecutive mornings.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-14/alice-springs-record-breaking-winter-below-zero-bom/101237700
Extreme weather creates chaos across Pakistan, a country ill-prepared and underfunded to cope with climate change
After facing temperatures which repeatedly neared 50 degrees earlier this year, the southwestern province of Balochistan is now battling flooding that has left 63 people dead in less than a month. Across Pakistan almost 150 people have died in monsoon rainfall that is 87 per cent heavier than what the country usually experiences, according to its Ministry for Climate Change.
The South Asian state is one of the most vulnerable to climate change and a study completed in May by international scientists found that the extreme heat that swept across Pakistan in March this year was made 30 times more likely because of human-induced climate change.
Rising temperatures have disrupted monsoon cycles and increased the rate at which Pakistan’s 7,000-odd glaciers are melting. These developments have contributed to this year’s intense rainfall and flooding that has swept away lives and infrastructure across the country.
With flooding and extreme heat now regularly destroying livelihoods, many rural dwellers in Pakistan have been left with few options but to migrate to cities that are ill-equipped to deal with their rapidly expanding urban population. But despite these now frequent bouts of destruction, there is little focus on climate change and its causes among Pakistan’s political parties and Urdu language media.
https://www.irishtimes.com/world/asia-pacific/2022/07/17/extreme-weather-creates-chaos-across-pakistan-a-country-ill-prepared-and-underfunded-to-cope-with-climate-change/
Mexico declares drought emergency
Authorities in parts of Mexico, including the northern industrial powerhouse of Monterrey, have been forced to ration water use due to depleted reservoirs.
A heat wave and dearth of rain means that households in Monterrey have had running water for only a few hours a day for several weeks.
In some hillside neighborhoods, it has been more than 50 days since residents last saw a drop from their faucets.
In the northwestern state of Baja California, a lack of water supplies has sparked protests in some towns.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/mexico-declares-drought-emergency/ar-AAZxmVs
https://democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1127
meanwhile...
Farmer protests spread across the globeA wave of agricultural protest has swept Europe and the wider world, as a host of issues conspire to pit farmers against national politics.
Farmer-led protests in Germany, Italy, Spain and Poland have sprung up in the wake of action by Dutch farmers, who were first to take to the streets to complain about the impact of new emissions rules.
The initial anger from Dutch farmers arose from fears that they would have to downscale or stop their business to meet reduction targets for the nitrous oxide and ammonia emissions produced by their livestock. While the Dutch government has announced large investments in farm housing and technology, they will also have the option to force farmers to sell their land in case enough volunteers for the technology shift are not found.
Further afield, in the Imphal West district in India there were protests at the non-availability of fertilisers. Reports from local newspapers said farmers across the state were facing short supply of fertiliser for the on-going paddy crop season even as the state government, particularly the agriculture minister, claimed that there was no dearth of urea in the government warehouse.
https://www.thescottishfarmer.co.uk/news/20278342.farmer-protests-spread-across-globe/
https://democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1127
Wildfires ravage France and Spain as heat wave sweeps Europe
Fires in southwestern France have displaced around 14,000 people, while Spain's National Defense Department said it has deployed "the majority" of its fire-fighting aircraft to combat more than 30 forest fires across the country. In Portugal, the pilot of a firefighting plane died in a crash on Friday.
Major wildfires are also raging in Hungary, Croatia, and Crete.
Even where Europe's not burning, it's still sweltering. Water levels in Italy's Po River have hit a record low, and multiple municipalities in the country's northern Piedmont region are imposing 500-euro fines on anyone caught using water to wash their cars or water their gardens.
Between July 5 and July 9, Spain recorded 25 deaths due to high temperatures. That number soared to 237 for the 5-day period between July 10 and July 14. In Portugal, one person died from the heat every 40 minutes between July 7 and July 13.
https://news.yahoo.com/wildfires-ravage-france-spain-heat-182835276.html
Farmers watch crops wither amid Italy’s worst drought in 70 years
Last week, the boot-shaped peninsula declared a state of emergency in five of its normally lush northern regions, with Italy’s farmers’ confederation Coldiretti estimating three billion euro ($3bn) worth of damage to agriculture.
Italy’s agriculture ministry warned the country’s parliament on Wednesday that a third of the national agricultural output was at risk, adding that the situation would get worse in years to come.
The crisis, which Prime Minister Mario Draghi said was “undoubtedly” linked to climate change, came amid rising grain prices linked to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Climate change has also threatened the hydropower system, adding to Italy’s energy woes as it disinvested from the Russian gas and exacerbating tensions around the use of the scarce resource.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/farmers-watch-crops-wither-amid-italys-worst-drought-in-70-years/ar-AAZzQF3
Several Moroccan regions reel under forest fires
Scientists say the climate-change induced phenomenon is likely to intensify in its frequency and duration in the future.
Hundreds of Moroccan firefighters battled late Thursday, July 15, to put out at least four infernos ripping through forests in the north of the kingdom, officials said. The North African nation, which is struggling under intense droughts, has in recent days been hit by soaring temperatures approaching 45°C (113°F).
Since Wednesday night, at least 1,000 hectares (2,500 acres) of forest have burned in Larache and Ouezzane, according to initial reports, leaving burnt trees smoldering under a sky blanketed by plumes of smoke.
Shocked by how fast the flames were spreading, residents fled their homes, with some families herding their cattle and horses – upon which their livelihoods depend – ahead of them. "I was with my family, and at one point, we heard people shouting, 'Fire! Fire!'" said Samir Boundad, from Larache. A village in the Ksar El Kebir region was destroyed by the flames.
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/environment/article/2022/07/15/several-moroccan-regions-reel-under-forest-fires_5990251_114.html
Alice Springs freezes through longest streak of sub-zero days on record
The centre of Australia is known for scorching hot summers and year-round blue skies but lately, locals have been rugged up as the region experiences its coldest winter in years.
The temperature in Alice Springs has dropped below zero degrees Celsius for 12 consecutive mornings.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-14/alice-springs-record-breaking-winter-below-zero-bom/101237700
Extreme weather creates chaos across Pakistan, a country ill-prepared and underfunded to cope with climate change
After facing temperatures which repeatedly neared 50 degrees earlier this year, the southwestern province of Balochistan is now battling flooding that has left 63 people dead in less than a month. Across Pakistan almost 150 people have died in monsoon rainfall that is 87 per cent heavier than what the country usually experiences, according to its Ministry for Climate Change.
The South Asian state is one of the most vulnerable to climate change and a study completed in May by international scientists found that the extreme heat that swept across Pakistan in March this year was made 30 times more likely because of human-induced climate change.
Rising temperatures have disrupted monsoon cycles and increased the rate at which Pakistan’s 7,000-odd glaciers are melting. These developments have contributed to this year’s intense rainfall and flooding that has swept away lives and infrastructure across the country.
With flooding and extreme heat now regularly destroying livelihoods, many rural dwellers in Pakistan have been left with few options but to migrate to cities that are ill-equipped to deal with their rapidly expanding urban population. But despite these now frequent bouts of destruction, there is little focus on climate change and its causes among Pakistan’s political parties and Urdu language media.
https://www.irishtimes.com/world/asia-pacific/2022/07/17/extreme-weather-creates-chaos-across-pakistan-a-country-ill-prepared-and-underfunded-to-cope-with-climate-change/
Mexico declares drought emergency
Authorities in parts of Mexico, including the northern industrial powerhouse of Monterrey, have been forced to ration water use due to depleted reservoirs.
A heat wave and dearth of rain means that households in Monterrey have had running water for only a few hours a day for several weeks.
In some hillside neighborhoods, it has been more than 50 days since residents last saw a drop from their faucets.
In the northwestern state of Baja California, a lack of water supplies has sparked protests in some towns.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/mexico-declares-drought-emergency/ar-AAZxmVs
https://democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1127
July 10, 2022
The flood trauma runs right across Australia’s east coast.
Some people in Western Sydney are going through their fourth major flood in 18 months, and thousands of residents have been subjected to flood evacuation warnings.
With Australia in the midst of an ongoing flood catastrophe, governments across the country are struggling with how to future-proof residential areas and where to allow new developments.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-11/four-corners-flood-investigation-lismore-western-sydney/101217494
Blistering heat scorches Europe as Portugal wildfire injures 29 and officials warn of hotter, changing climate
Portugal has been put under a state of alert as temperatures in some parts are forecast to rise to 45C (113F), while France is battling an enormous fire in the south east.
From Tuesday, the Portuguese weather agency predicts temperatures of up to 45C (113F) in Alentejo - the region between Lisbon and the Algarve - with the rest of the country expecting temperatures in the high 30Cs and low 40Cs.
Spain's June rainfall was about half the 30-year average, and the country's reservoirs are on average at 45% capacity, according to government data.
Italy has also suffered a prolonged heatwave already this summer, enduring its worst drought in 70 years that has raised fears for crop harvests.
Pakistan epicenter of climate disaster despite producing less than 1% of GHG: Minister
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Senator Sherry Rehman, Federal Minister for Climate Change, received a phone call on Thursday from U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry. They discussed the need for an energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy and committed to a renewed working partnership between Pakistan and the U.S.
Sherry Rehman stressed during the phone call that Pakistan is consistently ranked among the top ten most vulnerable countries in the world regarding climate change, which has now become an existential threat to the country.
She informed Senator Kerry of Pakistan's increased vulnerability to the climate crisis, stating that despite producing less than 1% of GHG emissions, Pakistan is now the epicenter of a global climate disaster.
She stated that the country is experiencing unprecedented heatwaves, critical glacial melt, drought one month, and flooding the next.
https://www.malaysiasun.com/news/272615229/pakistan-epicenter-of-climate-disaster-despite-producing-less-than-1-of-ghg-minister
Yosemite fire grows as crews protect iconic sequoias
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. — A wildfire threatening the largest grove of giant sequoias in Yosemite National Park more than doubled in size in a day, and firefighters were working in difficult terrain Sunday to protect the iconic trees and a small mountain town.
More than 500 mature sequoias were threatened in the famed Mariposa Grove but there were no reports of severe damage to any named trees, including the 3,000-year-old Grizzly Giant.
The giant sequoias, native in only about 70 groves spread along the western slope of California’s Sierra Nevada range, were once considered impervious to flames but have become increasingly vulnerable as wildfires fueled by a buildup of undergrowth from a century of fire suppression and drought exacerbated by climate change have become more intense and destructive.
So far in 2022, over 35,000 wildfires have burned nearly 4.7 million acres in the U.S., according to the National Interagency Fire Center, well above average for both wildfires and acres burned.
https://www.pressherald.com/2022/07/10/yosemite-fire-grows-as-crews-protect-iconic-sequoias/
Brutal Kan. climate threatens cattle’s health, ranchers' livelihoods
Rancher Scott Whiting heard stories about all kinds of extreme weather growing up in western Kansas.
But the combination of dangerous weather conditions that struck the region last month — killing thousands of cattle — took those extremes to another level.
Daytime high temperatures jumped from the mid-60s to well over 100 degrees in a matter of days, accompanied by unusually high humidity and calm winds. The seasons changed from cool spring to hot summer so quickly that a lot of Whiting’s cattle didn’t even have a chance to shed their long, thick winter coats.
He watched as some of them climbed into their drinking water tanks — something he’d never seen them do before — as they desperately tried to cool off.
https://hayspost.com/posts/b3982dff-a9b3-4d31-b006-023551c0260f
Plant Based Meats Do More to Address Climate Change Than Green Buildings or Zero-Emission Cars
Investments in plant-based alternatives to meat lead to far greater cuts in climate-heating emissions than other green investments, according to one of the world’s biggest consultancy firms.
The report from the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) found that, for each dollar, investment in improving and scaling up the production of meat and dairy alternatives resulted in three times more greenhouse gas reductions compared with investment in green cement technology, seven times more than green buildings and 11 times more than zero-emission cars.
“Widespread adoption of alternative proteins can play a critical role in tackling climate change,” said Malte Clausen, a partner at BCG. “We call it the untapped climate opportunity—you’re getting more impact from your investment in alternative proteins than in any other sector of the economy.”
Scientists have concluded that avoiding meat and dairy products is the single biggest way to reduce your environmental impact on the planet and that large cuts in meat consumption in rich nations are essential to ending the climate crisis. The Project Drawdown group, which assesses climate solutions, places plant-based diets in the top three of almost 100 options.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2022/07/plant-based-meats-do-more-to-address-climate-change-than-green-buildings-or-zero-emission-cars-report-boston-consulting-group/
Monday could rank as one of the hottest days in Austin history
AUSTIN, Texas — We all know that conditions have been toasty recently, but summer 2022 is shaping up to be one for the record books.
After the hottest weekend of the year so far, our forecast calls for even warmer temperatures to start the beginning of the workweek. In fact, we could experience one of the hottest days ever in Austin since records began in 1897.
The current forecast calls for an afternoon high of 109 degrees on Monday afternoon. This would tie dates back in 1923, 1954, 2011, and 2012 to rank as one of the top 10 hottest days at the Camp Mabry climate site. The daily heat record for Monday is among the top six hottest days on record with a high of 110 back in 1917.
All of this comes after just experiencing the hottest May and June on record, and the National Weather Service has mentioned it is increasingly likely summer 2022 may also go down as the hottest on record.
https://www.kvue.com/article/weather/forecast/monday-july-11-hottest-days-austin-history/269-03d47423-a699-4f4e-b161-6e150ee67008
World War II-era boat emerges from Lake Mead as water levels continue to decline
LAS VEGAS — A sunken boat dating back to World War II is the latest object to emerge from a shrinking reservoir that straddles Nevada and Arizona.
It was used to survey the Colorado River decades ago, sold to the marina and then sunk, according to dive tours company Las Vegas Scuba.
The boat is just the latest in a series of objects unearthed by declining water levels in Lake Mead, the largest human-made reservoir in the U.S., held back by the Hoover Dam. In May, two sets of human remains were found in the span of a week.
Experts say climate change and drought have led to the lake dropping to its lowest level since it was full about 20 years ago.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/07/10/lake-mead-world-war-ii-era-boat/10025755002/
https://democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1127
meanwhile...
'Everything has to change': Decades of ignored warnings are leaving towns with flood 'refugees'The flood trauma runs right across Australia’s east coast.
Some people in Western Sydney are going through their fourth major flood in 18 months, and thousands of residents have been subjected to flood evacuation warnings.
With Australia in the midst of an ongoing flood catastrophe, governments across the country are struggling with how to future-proof residential areas and where to allow new developments.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-11/four-corners-flood-investigation-lismore-western-sydney/101217494
Blistering heat scorches Europe as Portugal wildfire injures 29 and officials warn of hotter, changing climate
Portugal has been put under a state of alert as temperatures in some parts are forecast to rise to 45C (113F), while France is battling an enormous fire in the south east.
From Tuesday, the Portuguese weather agency predicts temperatures of up to 45C (113F) in Alentejo - the region between Lisbon and the Algarve - with the rest of the country expecting temperatures in the high 30Cs and low 40Cs.
Spain's June rainfall was about half the 30-year average, and the country's reservoirs are on average at 45% capacity, according to government data.
Italy has also suffered a prolonged heatwave already this summer, enduring its worst drought in 70 years that has raised fears for crop harvests.
Pakistan epicenter of climate disaster despite producing less than 1% of GHG: Minister
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Senator Sherry Rehman, Federal Minister for Climate Change, received a phone call on Thursday from U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry. They discussed the need for an energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy and committed to a renewed working partnership between Pakistan and the U.S.
Sherry Rehman stressed during the phone call that Pakistan is consistently ranked among the top ten most vulnerable countries in the world regarding climate change, which has now become an existential threat to the country.
She informed Senator Kerry of Pakistan's increased vulnerability to the climate crisis, stating that despite producing less than 1% of GHG emissions, Pakistan is now the epicenter of a global climate disaster.
She stated that the country is experiencing unprecedented heatwaves, critical glacial melt, drought one month, and flooding the next.
https://www.malaysiasun.com/news/272615229/pakistan-epicenter-of-climate-disaster-despite-producing-less-than-1-of-ghg-minister
Yosemite fire grows as crews protect iconic sequoias
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. — A wildfire threatening the largest grove of giant sequoias in Yosemite National Park more than doubled in size in a day, and firefighters were working in difficult terrain Sunday to protect the iconic trees and a small mountain town.
More than 500 mature sequoias were threatened in the famed Mariposa Grove but there were no reports of severe damage to any named trees, including the 3,000-year-old Grizzly Giant.
The giant sequoias, native in only about 70 groves spread along the western slope of California’s Sierra Nevada range, were once considered impervious to flames but have become increasingly vulnerable as wildfires fueled by a buildup of undergrowth from a century of fire suppression and drought exacerbated by climate change have become more intense and destructive.
So far in 2022, over 35,000 wildfires have burned nearly 4.7 million acres in the U.S., according to the National Interagency Fire Center, well above average for both wildfires and acres burned.
https://www.pressherald.com/2022/07/10/yosemite-fire-grows-as-crews-protect-iconic-sequoias/
Brutal Kan. climate threatens cattle’s health, ranchers' livelihoods
Rancher Scott Whiting heard stories about all kinds of extreme weather growing up in western Kansas.
But the combination of dangerous weather conditions that struck the region last month — killing thousands of cattle — took those extremes to another level.
Daytime high temperatures jumped from the mid-60s to well over 100 degrees in a matter of days, accompanied by unusually high humidity and calm winds. The seasons changed from cool spring to hot summer so quickly that a lot of Whiting’s cattle didn’t even have a chance to shed their long, thick winter coats.
He watched as some of them climbed into their drinking water tanks — something he’d never seen them do before — as they desperately tried to cool off.
https://hayspost.com/posts/b3982dff-a9b3-4d31-b006-023551c0260f
Plant Based Meats Do More to Address Climate Change Than Green Buildings or Zero-Emission Cars
Investments in plant-based alternatives to meat lead to far greater cuts in climate-heating emissions than other green investments, according to one of the world’s biggest consultancy firms.
The report from the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) found that, for each dollar, investment in improving and scaling up the production of meat and dairy alternatives resulted in three times more greenhouse gas reductions compared with investment in green cement technology, seven times more than green buildings and 11 times more than zero-emission cars.
“Widespread adoption of alternative proteins can play a critical role in tackling climate change,” said Malte Clausen, a partner at BCG. “We call it the untapped climate opportunity—you’re getting more impact from your investment in alternative proteins than in any other sector of the economy.”
Scientists have concluded that avoiding meat and dairy products is the single biggest way to reduce your environmental impact on the planet and that large cuts in meat consumption in rich nations are essential to ending the climate crisis. The Project Drawdown group, which assesses climate solutions, places plant-based diets in the top three of almost 100 options.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2022/07/plant-based-meats-do-more-to-address-climate-change-than-green-buildings-or-zero-emission-cars-report-boston-consulting-group/
Monday could rank as one of the hottest days in Austin history
AUSTIN, Texas — We all know that conditions have been toasty recently, but summer 2022 is shaping up to be one for the record books.
After the hottest weekend of the year so far, our forecast calls for even warmer temperatures to start the beginning of the workweek. In fact, we could experience one of the hottest days ever in Austin since records began in 1897.
The current forecast calls for an afternoon high of 109 degrees on Monday afternoon. This would tie dates back in 1923, 1954, 2011, and 2012 to rank as one of the top 10 hottest days at the Camp Mabry climate site. The daily heat record for Monday is among the top six hottest days on record with a high of 110 back in 1917.
All of this comes after just experiencing the hottest May and June on record, and the National Weather Service has mentioned it is increasingly likely summer 2022 may also go down as the hottest on record.
https://www.kvue.com/article/weather/forecast/monday-july-11-hottest-days-austin-history/269-03d47423-a699-4f4e-b161-6e150ee67008
World War II-era boat emerges from Lake Mead as water levels continue to decline
LAS VEGAS — A sunken boat dating back to World War II is the latest object to emerge from a shrinking reservoir that straddles Nevada and Arizona.
It was used to survey the Colorado River decades ago, sold to the marina and then sunk, according to dive tours company Las Vegas Scuba.
The boat is just the latest in a series of objects unearthed by declining water levels in Lake Mead, the largest human-made reservoir in the U.S., held back by the Hoover Dam. In May, two sets of human remains were found in the span of a week.
Experts say climate change and drought have led to the lake dropping to its lowest level since it was full about 20 years ago.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/07/10/lake-mead-world-war-ii-era-boat/10025755002/
https://democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1127
July 4, 2022
The first nine months of the 2022 water year are now in the books, and California remains mired in extreme drought conditions.
More than 97% of the state’s land area is in at least “severe” drought status, 60% in at least “extreme” drought and the driest 12% in “exceptional” drought, according to a weekly update Thursday from the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Extreme drought encompasses the entire Central Valley, with exceptional drought covering wide swaths of the San Joaquin Valley, according to the federal monitor.
While the latest numbers are slightly better than at the outset of this water year, which started Oct. 1, there had been early optimism that record-setting weather late last calendar year would help avert a third straight year of drought.
https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/water-and-drought/article263096298.html
‘Life-threatening’ floods force evacuations in Sydney, Australia
Thousands of residents have been ordered to evacuate southwest Sydney, Australia’s biggest city, with torrential rain and damaging winds pounding the east coast and floods expected to be worse than those that hit the region in the past year.
Heavy rain and overflowing dams and rivers all combined to threaten flash floods and landslides along the east coast from Newcastle to Batemans Bay in New South Wales state on Sunday, and rain was expected to intensify in the night.
More than 200mm (8 inches) of rain have fallen over many areas, with some hit by as much as 350mm (13.8 inches), the Bureau of Meteorology said, warning of flood risks along the Nepean and Hawkesbury Rivers. The volume of rainfall is almost half of Sydney’s annual average.
Australia has been at the sharp end of climate change, with droughts, deadly bushfires, bleaching events on the Great Barrier Reef and floods becoming more common and intense as global weather patterns change.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/7/3/life-threatening-floods-force-evacuations-in-sydney-australia
Japan swelters in its worst heatwave ever recorded
Japan is sweltering under the hottest day yet of its worst heatwave since records began in 1875.
The blistering heat has drawn official warnings of a looming power shortage, and led to calls for people to conserve energy where possible.
But the government is still advising people to use air conditioning to avoid heatstroke as cases of hospitalisation rise with the heat.
Weather officials warn the heat is likely to continue in the coming days.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-61976937
Rome hits highest temperature on record as heat wave sweeps Europe
Temperatures were 15 to 35 degrees above normal over much of Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean and North Africa
Italy’s Scorching temperatures have again swept across parts of Europe, with many locations in Italy among those setting June or all-time records for heat.
Temperatures surpassed 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 Celsius) across much of Italy this week. On Tuesday, downtown Rome hit its warmest temperature on record at 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40.8 Celsius), while several other cities set monthly records. Record-warm temperatures persisted overnight across a large chunk of Eastern Europe. The heat comes during one of the country’s worst droughts in decades and as authorities are rationing water.orst drought in 70 years turning famed Arborio rice fields into sandy beaches
The record temperatures are spawned from desert air traveling from the African continent, which has brought excessive heat from Algeria to the Arctic Circle. Slovenia and Croatia both claimed new national heat records. Several other countries, including Finland and Iran, also have experienced new monthly temperature highs.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/06/28/record-heat-europe-italy-rome-scandinavia/
Italy’s worst drought in 70 years turning famed Arborio rice fields into sandy beaches
The worst drought Italy has faced in 70 years is thirsting paddy fields in the river Po valley and jeopardizing the harvest of the premium rice used for risotto.
Italy’s largest river is turning into a long stretch of sand due to the lack of rain, leaving the Lomellina rice flats — nestled between the river Po and the Alps — without the necessary water to flood the paddies.
As a result of the water shortage, Bondesa was forced to take a few unpopular decisions, recently ruling to stop irrigating poplars, fruit trees and second crops to give priority to rice.
Tensions are starting to arise between upstream and downstream regions along the river basin and between hydroelectric plants and farmers who are all vying for the same dwindling resource. It’s feared larger conflicts could be next if rainfall doesn’t relieve empty Italian reservoirs soon.
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/italys-worst-drought-in-70-years-turning-famed-arborio-rice-fields-into-sandy-beaches-01656487776
UK heatwave: Maps show Britain facing up to 41C RECORD temperatures 'Extremely hot'
Temperatures are expected to rise in the UK throughout the coming week, with pleasant weather predicted for most of the country, particularly in south-east England. But prediction models for the week after - starting Monday, July 11 - show thermometers on an unprecedented hike. A forecast model brought to light by The Weather Outlook predicted a possible temperature of 40C at Bristol on July 14, at 6pm.
Meteorologists describe this as a “historic moment”.
On the same map, similarly high temperatures of 39C and 38C degrees were predicted for the south of England - in cities including Oxford and Southampton.
Another map from the same model also showed high temperatures with a peak of 40C degrees closer to London expected on July 16, at 6pm.
If such a temperature is indeed recorded, it will be the highest ever felt in the country to date. The highest ever temperature in the UK is that of 38.7C , recorded on July 25, 2019 in Cambridge, according to the Met Office.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/weather/1634812/uk-heatwave-weather-forecast-maps-britain-heatwave-record-temperatures-met-office-40c
meanwhile...
60% of California in ‘extreme’ drought or worse to start July, federal monitor saysThe first nine months of the 2022 water year are now in the books, and California remains mired in extreme drought conditions.
More than 97% of the state’s land area is in at least “severe” drought status, 60% in at least “extreme” drought and the driest 12% in “exceptional” drought, according to a weekly update Thursday from the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Extreme drought encompasses the entire Central Valley, with exceptional drought covering wide swaths of the San Joaquin Valley, according to the federal monitor.
While the latest numbers are slightly better than at the outset of this water year, which started Oct. 1, there had been early optimism that record-setting weather late last calendar year would help avert a third straight year of drought.
https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/water-and-drought/article263096298.html
‘Life-threatening’ floods force evacuations in Sydney, Australia
Thousands of residents have been ordered to evacuate southwest Sydney, Australia’s biggest city, with torrential rain and damaging winds pounding the east coast and floods expected to be worse than those that hit the region in the past year.
Heavy rain and overflowing dams and rivers all combined to threaten flash floods and landslides along the east coast from Newcastle to Batemans Bay in New South Wales state on Sunday, and rain was expected to intensify in the night.
More than 200mm (8 inches) of rain have fallen over many areas, with some hit by as much as 350mm (13.8 inches), the Bureau of Meteorology said, warning of flood risks along the Nepean and Hawkesbury Rivers. The volume of rainfall is almost half of Sydney’s annual average.
Australia has been at the sharp end of climate change, with droughts, deadly bushfires, bleaching events on the Great Barrier Reef and floods becoming more common and intense as global weather patterns change.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/7/3/life-threatening-floods-force-evacuations-in-sydney-australia
Japan swelters in its worst heatwave ever recorded
Japan is sweltering under the hottest day yet of its worst heatwave since records began in 1875.
The blistering heat has drawn official warnings of a looming power shortage, and led to calls for people to conserve energy where possible.
But the government is still advising people to use air conditioning to avoid heatstroke as cases of hospitalisation rise with the heat.
Weather officials warn the heat is likely to continue in the coming days.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-61976937
Rome hits highest temperature on record as heat wave sweeps Europe
Temperatures were 15 to 35 degrees above normal over much of Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean and North Africa
Italy’s Scorching temperatures have again swept across parts of Europe, with many locations in Italy among those setting June or all-time records for heat.
Temperatures surpassed 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 Celsius) across much of Italy this week. On Tuesday, downtown Rome hit its warmest temperature on record at 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40.8 Celsius), while several other cities set monthly records. Record-warm temperatures persisted overnight across a large chunk of Eastern Europe. The heat comes during one of the country’s worst droughts in decades and as authorities are rationing water.orst drought in 70 years turning famed Arborio rice fields into sandy beaches
The record temperatures are spawned from desert air traveling from the African continent, which has brought excessive heat from Algeria to the Arctic Circle. Slovenia and Croatia both claimed new national heat records. Several other countries, including Finland and Iran, also have experienced new monthly temperature highs.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/06/28/record-heat-europe-italy-rome-scandinavia/
Italy’s worst drought in 70 years turning famed Arborio rice fields into sandy beaches
The worst drought Italy has faced in 70 years is thirsting paddy fields in the river Po valley and jeopardizing the harvest of the premium rice used for risotto.
Italy’s largest river is turning into a long stretch of sand due to the lack of rain, leaving the Lomellina rice flats — nestled between the river Po and the Alps — without the necessary water to flood the paddies.
As a result of the water shortage, Bondesa was forced to take a few unpopular decisions, recently ruling to stop irrigating poplars, fruit trees and second crops to give priority to rice.
Tensions are starting to arise between upstream and downstream regions along the river basin and between hydroelectric plants and farmers who are all vying for the same dwindling resource. It’s feared larger conflicts could be next if rainfall doesn’t relieve empty Italian reservoirs soon.
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/italys-worst-drought-in-70-years-turning-famed-arborio-rice-fields-into-sandy-beaches-01656487776
UK heatwave: Maps show Britain facing up to 41C RECORD temperatures 'Extremely hot'
Temperatures are expected to rise in the UK throughout the coming week, with pleasant weather predicted for most of the country, particularly in south-east England. But prediction models for the week after - starting Monday, July 11 - show thermometers on an unprecedented hike. A forecast model brought to light by The Weather Outlook predicted a possible temperature of 40C at Bristol on July 14, at 6pm.
Meteorologists describe this as a “historic moment”.
On the same map, similarly high temperatures of 39C and 38C degrees were predicted for the south of England - in cities including Oxford and Southampton.
Another map from the same model also showed high temperatures with a peak of 40C degrees closer to London expected on July 16, at 6pm.
If such a temperature is indeed recorded, it will be the highest ever felt in the country to date. The highest ever temperature in the UK is that of 38.7C , recorded on July 25, 2019 in Cambridge, according to the Met Office.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/weather/1634812/uk-heatwave-weather-forecast-maps-britain-heatwave-record-temperatures-met-office-40c
June 27, 2022
More than 20 million Americans across 16 states were under heat alerts Wednesday as cities across the country reported daily record-high temperatures, with the worst of the sweltering heat hitting the South and the Great Plains.
Atlanta, Georgia, tied its June 22 record with 98 degrees Fahrenheit Wednesday while about 80 miles south, Macon set a new heat record for the day with 105 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
Nashville recorded its first day of 100 degrees for the first time in nearly a decade, according to the weather service. The city also broke its temperature record for the date of June 22, reporting 101 degrees shortly before 3 p.m., the service said.
At least a dozen high-temperature records were tied or broken across the Eastern US from Arkansas to the Carolinas -- all the way to New York.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/22/weather/heat-wave-southeast-wednesday/index.html
Fears of waterborne disease rise in Bangladesh as floods recede
DHAKA/GUWAHATI, India, June 23 (Reuters) - Authorities in Bangladesh are bracing for the spread of waterborne diseases and racing to get drinking water to people stranded in their homes by flooding across a quarter of the country, an official said on Thursday.
Nearly 2,000 rescue teams, along with the army, navy and air force, were trying to reach flood victims in 17 of the country's 64 districts and bring them water and other supplies, Atiqul Haque, director general of the Department of Disaster Management, told Reuters.
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/health-concerns-emerge-bangladesh-flood-waters-recede-2022-06-23/
UN chief warns of 'catastrophe' from global food shortage
The head of the United Nations warned Friday that the world faces “catastrophe” because of the growing shortage of food around the globe.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the war in Ukraine has added to the disruptions caused by climate change, the coronavirus pandemic and inequality to produce an “unprecedented global hunger crisis” already affecting hundreds of millions of people.
https://www.sfgate.com/news/nation-world/article/UN-chief-warns-of-catastrophe-from-global-food-17265790.php
Lake Mead nears dead pool status as water levels hit another historic low
Lake Mead's water levels this week dropped to historic lows, bringing the nation's largest reservoir less than 150 feet away from "dead pool" — when the reservoir is so low that water cannot flow downstream from the dam.
Lake Mead's water level on Wednesday was measured at 1,044.03 feet, its lowest elevation since the lake was filled in the 1930s. If the reservoir dips below 895 feet — a possibility still years away — Lake Mead would reach dead pool, carrying enormous consequences for millions of people across Arizona, California, Nevada and parts of Mexico.
"This is deadly serious stuff," said Robert Glennon, an emeritus professor at the University of Arizona who specializes in water law and policy.
Persistent drought conditions over the past two decades, exacerbated by climate change and increased water demands across the southwestern United States, have contributed to Lake Mead's depletion. Though the reservoir is at risk of becoming a dead pool, it would most likely take several more years to reach that level, Glennon said.
https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/lake-mead-nears-dead-pool-status-water-levels-hit-another-historic-low-rcna34733
Researcher warns about sea level rise impacting buildings in Florida
While the cause of the collapse of Champlain Towers South is under federal investigation, several scientists believe the tower may have been damaged by saltwater seeping into its underground foundation.
How? They speculate rising sea levels are pushing underground saltwater closer to the bottoms of buildings and it could be a threat to other coastal buildings as well.
Between higher sea levels, King Tides and hurricane surges, Parkinson says the number of times sea level rose above the Tower’s basement floor increased from an average of 244 times a year between 1994 and 2006 and up to 636 times per year from 2007 to 2020.
https://www.wpbf.com/article/researcher-warns-sea-level-rise-impacting-buildings-in-florida/40420100#
Antarctica’s ‘Doomsday Glacier’ Melting at Fastest Rate in 5,500 Years
Two major glaciers in Antarctica may be shedding ice faster now than they have at any point in the past 5,500 years, new research suggests. The melting ice could lead to more than 11 feet of global sea level rise in the next several centuries, according to a new study published in Nature Geoscience.
“Our work suggests that these vulnerable glaciers were relatively stable during the past millennia, yet their current rate of melting is accelerating and raising global sea level,” says coauthor Dylan Rood from Imperial College London in a statement.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/antarcticas-doomsday-glacier-melting-at-fastest-rate-in-5500-years-180980281/
meanwhile...
At least a dozen high-temperature records were tied or broken across Eastern US in latest heat waveMore than 20 million Americans across 16 states were under heat alerts Wednesday as cities across the country reported daily record-high temperatures, with the worst of the sweltering heat hitting the South and the Great Plains.
Atlanta, Georgia, tied its June 22 record with 98 degrees Fahrenheit Wednesday while about 80 miles south, Macon set a new heat record for the day with 105 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
Nashville recorded its first day of 100 degrees for the first time in nearly a decade, according to the weather service. The city also broke its temperature record for the date of June 22, reporting 101 degrees shortly before 3 p.m., the service said.
At least a dozen high-temperature records were tied or broken across the Eastern US from Arkansas to the Carolinas -- all the way to New York.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/22/weather/heat-wave-southeast-wednesday/index.html
Fears of waterborne disease rise in Bangladesh as floods recede
DHAKA/GUWAHATI, India, June 23 (Reuters) - Authorities in Bangladesh are bracing for the spread of waterborne diseases and racing to get drinking water to people stranded in their homes by flooding across a quarter of the country, an official said on Thursday.
Nearly 2,000 rescue teams, along with the army, navy and air force, were trying to reach flood victims in 17 of the country's 64 districts and bring them water and other supplies, Atiqul Haque, director general of the Department of Disaster Management, told Reuters.
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/health-concerns-emerge-bangladesh-flood-waters-recede-2022-06-23/
UN chief warns of 'catastrophe' from global food shortage
The head of the United Nations warned Friday that the world faces “catastrophe” because of the growing shortage of food around the globe.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the war in Ukraine has added to the disruptions caused by climate change, the coronavirus pandemic and inequality to produce an “unprecedented global hunger crisis” already affecting hundreds of millions of people.
https://www.sfgate.com/news/nation-world/article/UN-chief-warns-of-catastrophe-from-global-food-17265790.php
Lake Mead nears dead pool status as water levels hit another historic low
Lake Mead's water levels this week dropped to historic lows, bringing the nation's largest reservoir less than 150 feet away from "dead pool" — when the reservoir is so low that water cannot flow downstream from the dam.
Lake Mead's water level on Wednesday was measured at 1,044.03 feet, its lowest elevation since the lake was filled in the 1930s. If the reservoir dips below 895 feet — a possibility still years away — Lake Mead would reach dead pool, carrying enormous consequences for millions of people across Arizona, California, Nevada and parts of Mexico.
"This is deadly serious stuff," said Robert Glennon, an emeritus professor at the University of Arizona who specializes in water law and policy.
Persistent drought conditions over the past two decades, exacerbated by climate change and increased water demands across the southwestern United States, have contributed to Lake Mead's depletion. Though the reservoir is at risk of becoming a dead pool, it would most likely take several more years to reach that level, Glennon said.
https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/lake-mead-nears-dead-pool-status-water-levels-hit-another-historic-low-rcna34733
Researcher warns about sea level rise impacting buildings in Florida
While the cause of the collapse of Champlain Towers South is under federal investigation, several scientists believe the tower may have been damaged by saltwater seeping into its underground foundation.
How? They speculate rising sea levels are pushing underground saltwater closer to the bottoms of buildings and it could be a threat to other coastal buildings as well.
Between higher sea levels, King Tides and hurricane surges, Parkinson says the number of times sea level rose above the Tower’s basement floor increased from an average of 244 times a year between 1994 and 2006 and up to 636 times per year from 2007 to 2020.
https://www.wpbf.com/article/researcher-warns-sea-level-rise-impacting-buildings-in-florida/40420100#
Antarctica’s ‘Doomsday Glacier’ Melting at Fastest Rate in 5,500 Years
Two major glaciers in Antarctica may be shedding ice faster now than they have at any point in the past 5,500 years, new research suggests. The melting ice could lead to more than 11 feet of global sea level rise in the next several centuries, according to a new study published in Nature Geoscience.
“Our work suggests that these vulnerable glaciers were relatively stable during the past millennia, yet their current rate of melting is accelerating and raising global sea level,” says coauthor Dylan Rood from Imperial College London in a statement.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/antarcticas-doomsday-glacier-melting-at-fastest-rate-in-5500-years-180980281/
June 20, 2022
Hikers and beach visitors have spotted hundreds of dead penguins, called little blue penguins or kororā (their Māori name), washed up on the western shore, according to a report from Radio New Zealand. The sightings are indicative of a larger bird die-off, triggered by warm ocean temperatures, according to local conservation authorities.
New Zealand Department of Conservation post-mortem examinations revealed many of the birds were particularly vulnerable juveniles. The young penguins died of starvation and hypothermia, with no fat to help them hold onto heat in the water.
Counterintuitively, seabirds dying of cold corresponds with hotter ocean temperatures caused by both climate change and the weather phenomenon La Niña, a Depart of Conservation representative, Graeme Taylor, told RNZ.
The kororā “prefer to find their food in cold water,” explained Taylor in May. “But when you have got La Niña conditions like we’ve had this summer with the constant northeasterly winds coming in from the subtropics you’ll get the sea temperatures raised above normal, and the food supply for the penguins diminishes with those warm conditions.” With so little food, the penguins aren’t able to build up the body fat they need for insulation.
https://gizmodo.com/little-blue-penguins-new-zealand-die-off-1849058881
Unprecedented heatwave cooks western Europe, with temperatures hitting 43 degrees Celsius
An intense and unprecedently early heatwave is baking western Europe, with temperatures in many places topping 40 degrees Celsius Saturday.
Temperatures were high across most of Western Europe on the first day of the weekend. France and the Iberian Peninsula have been hit particularly hard.
In southwest France, there were peaks of close to 42 to 43 degrees Celsius, as the city of Biarritz broke an "absolute" temperature record.
Nearly three-quarters of the country's population -- some 45 million people -- were issued with red or orange heat alerts in what is the earliest heatwave ever recorded in France.
https://www.euronews.com/2022/06/18/unprecedented-heatwave-cooks-western-europe-with-temperatures-hitting-43c
Worst Flooding in Decades Submerges Northeastern Bangladesh
Days of heavy rain at the beginning of monsoon season have caused widespread flooding in northeastern Bangladesh, leaving millions stranded and vast areas inundated, officials said Friday.
The deluge has come on the heels of a pre-monsoon flood that ravaged the same northeastern region just a month ago, submerging 70% of Sylhet and 60% of neighboring Sunamganj, leaving at least 10 people dead and more than 2 million stranded.
Jahangir Hossain, deputy commissioner of Sunamganj district, told VOA the latest flooding had submerged a large part of the Sylhet-Sunamganj highway, thwarting relief and rescue operations.
"The severity of the flood in my district has surpassed all the past records," he said. "Sunamganj is practically cut off from the rest of the country.”
https://www.voanews.com/a/worst-flooding-in-decades-submerges-northeastern-bangladesh-/6622323.html
Malnutrition, animal attacks on the rise as Horn of Africa experiences severe drought
An estimated 185,000 children in eastern Ethiopia are suffering from severe malnutrition as the region experiences a “once-in-a-lifetime” drought, the charity Save the Children said on Thursday.
“If the world does not widen its gaze from the war in Ukraine and act immediately, an explosion of child deaths is about to happen in the Horn of Africa,” she said. “Four rainy seasons have failed in the space of two years – killing crops and livestock and drying up water sources. Forecasts suggest the next October to December rains are likely to fail too.”
In a new report, Save the Children warned that the situation is set to worsen over the coming months as food prices continue to rise. The unprecedented conditions have also led to a change in animal behaviors, the charity said, as desperate monkeys and warthogs are encroaching on human communities in search of food and water. In the Shabelle zone of the Somali region, families have reported witnessing monkeys attacking children out of desperation.
“We have been receiving reports that many families have had to fend off hungry monkeys with sticks,” Abdirizak Ahmed, Save the Children’s area operation manager in the east of Ethiopia, said. “The monkeys never normally attack people, but the situation is so terrible that they are resorting to unnatural behavior like this especially in Dawa and Shebelle areas, the first areas affected by the drought and the driest. We understand the children were unharmed, but it's filled people with fear about what the future will bring.”
https://abcnews.go.com/International/malnutrition-animal-attacks-horn-africa-experiences-severe-drought/story?id=85436833
Heat Wave Devastates India’s Mango Harvest
AKBARPUR, India—A mango orchard nestled in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh has passed through three generations of Deepak Kumar’s family. His grandfather planted the saplings 35 years ago and by June, the trees are usually heavy with fruit.
This season’s record-breaking high temperatures, which began in March, have devastated the orchard. Mr. Kumar estimates that his mango harvest will plunge by at least 70%.
“We are helpless. We have massive losses,” the 33-year-old said. “This extreme hot weather has come for the first time.”
A scorching heat wave in India has wreaked havoc on crops including mangoes and wheat, threatening the livelihoods of farmers and elevating food prices for the country’s nearly 1.4 billion people. India suffered the hottest March since record-keeping began 122 years ago, with average temperatures close to 92 degrees but sometimes reaching 104 degrees. The intense heat rolled into April, which was the warmest in 50 years. And parts of the country experienced record-high temperatures in May as well, with one neighborhood in New Delhi soaring to nearly 121 degrees.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/heat-wave-devastates-indias-mango-harvest-11655557200
Alaska never saw large tundra fires like the East Fork Fire until climate change provided more fuel
The East Fork Fire in Western Alaska is the state’s largest fire at the moment, estimated at more than 150,000 acres Thursday, and it’s burning in a region where, just a couple decades ago, large fires would not have been expected.
And a major contributing factor is our warming climate, says climate specialist Rick Thoman with the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Thoman says hot, dry weather and a lightning strike at the end of May combined to make the East Fork Fire the biggest tundra fire on record, by far, for the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region.
https://www.kyuk.org/science-and-environment/2022-06-16/alaska-never-saw-large-tundra-fires-like-the-east-fork-fire-until-climate-change-provided-more-fuel
Biden says major economies must speed up climate change efforts, improve energy security
WASHINGTON, June 17 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday called on China and other major economies to redouble their efforts to combat climate change and improve energy security, warning that Russia's invasion of Ukraine had sharpened the need for urgent action.
At the third virtual gathering of the Major Economies Forum (MEF) under his presidency, Biden urged countries to accelerate moves to cut methane emissions, adopt ambitious targets for zero-emission vehicles and work to clean up global shipping.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-lead-major-economies-push-more-urgent-action-climate-2022-06-17/
Meanwhile...
Hundreds of Little Blue Penguins Are Washing Up Dead in New Zealand Amid an Ocean HeatwaveHikers and beach visitors have spotted hundreds of dead penguins, called little blue penguins or kororā (their Māori name), washed up on the western shore, according to a report from Radio New Zealand. The sightings are indicative of a larger bird die-off, triggered by warm ocean temperatures, according to local conservation authorities.
New Zealand Department of Conservation post-mortem examinations revealed many of the birds were particularly vulnerable juveniles. The young penguins died of starvation and hypothermia, with no fat to help them hold onto heat in the water.
Counterintuitively, seabirds dying of cold corresponds with hotter ocean temperatures caused by both climate change and the weather phenomenon La Niña, a Depart of Conservation representative, Graeme Taylor, told RNZ.
The kororā “prefer to find their food in cold water,” explained Taylor in May. “But when you have got La Niña conditions like we’ve had this summer with the constant northeasterly winds coming in from the subtropics you’ll get the sea temperatures raised above normal, and the food supply for the penguins diminishes with those warm conditions.” With so little food, the penguins aren’t able to build up the body fat they need for insulation.
https://gizmodo.com/little-blue-penguins-new-zealand-die-off-1849058881
Unprecedented heatwave cooks western Europe, with temperatures hitting 43 degrees Celsius
An intense and unprecedently early heatwave is baking western Europe, with temperatures in many places topping 40 degrees Celsius Saturday.
Temperatures were high across most of Western Europe on the first day of the weekend. France and the Iberian Peninsula have been hit particularly hard.
In southwest France, there were peaks of close to 42 to 43 degrees Celsius, as the city of Biarritz broke an "absolute" temperature record.
Nearly three-quarters of the country's population -- some 45 million people -- were issued with red or orange heat alerts in what is the earliest heatwave ever recorded in France.
https://www.euronews.com/2022/06/18/unprecedented-heatwave-cooks-western-europe-with-temperatures-hitting-43c
Worst Flooding in Decades Submerges Northeastern Bangladesh
Days of heavy rain at the beginning of monsoon season have caused widespread flooding in northeastern Bangladesh, leaving millions stranded and vast areas inundated, officials said Friday.
The deluge has come on the heels of a pre-monsoon flood that ravaged the same northeastern region just a month ago, submerging 70% of Sylhet and 60% of neighboring Sunamganj, leaving at least 10 people dead and more than 2 million stranded.
Jahangir Hossain, deputy commissioner of Sunamganj district, told VOA the latest flooding had submerged a large part of the Sylhet-Sunamganj highway, thwarting relief and rescue operations.
"The severity of the flood in my district has surpassed all the past records," he said. "Sunamganj is practically cut off from the rest of the country.”
https://www.voanews.com/a/worst-flooding-in-decades-submerges-northeastern-bangladesh-/6622323.html
Malnutrition, animal attacks on the rise as Horn of Africa experiences severe drought
An estimated 185,000 children in eastern Ethiopia are suffering from severe malnutrition as the region experiences a “once-in-a-lifetime” drought, the charity Save the Children said on Thursday.
“If the world does not widen its gaze from the war in Ukraine and act immediately, an explosion of child deaths is about to happen in the Horn of Africa,” she said. “Four rainy seasons have failed in the space of two years – killing crops and livestock and drying up water sources. Forecasts suggest the next October to December rains are likely to fail too.”
In a new report, Save the Children warned that the situation is set to worsen over the coming months as food prices continue to rise. The unprecedented conditions have also led to a change in animal behaviors, the charity said, as desperate monkeys and warthogs are encroaching on human communities in search of food and water. In the Shabelle zone of the Somali region, families have reported witnessing monkeys attacking children out of desperation.
“We have been receiving reports that many families have had to fend off hungry monkeys with sticks,” Abdirizak Ahmed, Save the Children’s area operation manager in the east of Ethiopia, said. “The monkeys never normally attack people, but the situation is so terrible that they are resorting to unnatural behavior like this especially in Dawa and Shebelle areas, the first areas affected by the drought and the driest. We understand the children were unharmed, but it's filled people with fear about what the future will bring.”
https://abcnews.go.com/International/malnutrition-animal-attacks-horn-africa-experiences-severe-drought/story?id=85436833
Heat Wave Devastates India’s Mango Harvest
AKBARPUR, India—A mango orchard nestled in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh has passed through three generations of Deepak Kumar’s family. His grandfather planted the saplings 35 years ago and by June, the trees are usually heavy with fruit.
This season’s record-breaking high temperatures, which began in March, have devastated the orchard. Mr. Kumar estimates that his mango harvest will plunge by at least 70%.
“We are helpless. We have massive losses,” the 33-year-old said. “This extreme hot weather has come for the first time.”
A scorching heat wave in India has wreaked havoc on crops including mangoes and wheat, threatening the livelihoods of farmers and elevating food prices for the country’s nearly 1.4 billion people. India suffered the hottest March since record-keeping began 122 years ago, with average temperatures close to 92 degrees but sometimes reaching 104 degrees. The intense heat rolled into April, which was the warmest in 50 years. And parts of the country experienced record-high temperatures in May as well, with one neighborhood in New Delhi soaring to nearly 121 degrees.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/heat-wave-devastates-indias-mango-harvest-11655557200
Alaska never saw large tundra fires like the East Fork Fire until climate change provided more fuel
The East Fork Fire in Western Alaska is the state’s largest fire at the moment, estimated at more than 150,000 acres Thursday, and it’s burning in a region where, just a couple decades ago, large fires would not have been expected.
And a major contributing factor is our warming climate, says climate specialist Rick Thoman with the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Thoman says hot, dry weather and a lightning strike at the end of May combined to make the East Fork Fire the biggest tundra fire on record, by far, for the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region.
https://www.kyuk.org/science-and-environment/2022-06-16/alaska-never-saw-large-tundra-fires-like-the-east-fork-fire-until-climate-change-provided-more-fuel
Biden says major economies must speed up climate change efforts, improve energy security
WASHINGTON, June 17 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday called on China and other major economies to redouble their efforts to combat climate change and improve energy security, warning that Russia's invasion of Ukraine had sharpened the need for urgent action.
At the third virtual gathering of the Major Economies Forum (MEF) under his presidency, Biden urged countries to accelerate moves to cut methane emissions, adopt ambitious targets for zero-emission vehicles and work to clean up global shipping.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-lead-major-economies-push-more-urgent-action-climate-2022-06-17/
June 13, 2022
For the first time since Lake Mead was filling in the 1930s its water storage capacity is now below 30%.
The last time Lake Mead was at its maximum depth, or ‘full pool' was the summer of 1983. Since then the depletion of Lake Mead water has continued on and off over the last 39 years, and increased dramatically over the last 20 years during a historic drought and increased growth in the southwest United States.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/lake-meads-capacity-falls-below-30percent/ar-AAYeV0g
Republicans finally weighed in on climate change last week. It wasn’t pretty
The U.S. lost massive ground in combating climate change during the Trump administration, a recent report says. Now, congressional Republicans are offering their own climate plan — which doesn’t actually do anything new — while slamming President Joe Biden for climate shortfalls GOP opposition caused.
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2022/06/07/opinion/republicans-finally-weighed-in-on-climate-change-last-week-it-wasnt-pretty/
Almost all of Portugal in severe drought after hot, dry May
Almost the whole of Portugal was in severe drought at the end of May, the country’s weather service said Thursday.
The month of May was the hottest in the southern European country for the last 92 years, weather service IPMA said in its monthly climate report.
The average temperature of just over 19 C (66 F) was more than 3 degrees Celsius (5.4 degrees Fahrenheit) higher than usual, it said.
At the same time, average May rainfall of just under 9 millimeters (0.35 inches) was just 13% of what would normally be expected.
https://www.stltoday.com/news/science/almost-all-of-portugal-in-severe-drought-after-hot-dry-may/article_9cabaf95-4536-5c72-80f4-e21bec7461b6.html
Next UN assembly president warns world in dangerous crisis
Hungarian Ambassador Csaba Korosi was elected Tuesday as the next president of the U.N. General Assembly, and he warned immediately that the world is in the throes of a dangerous crisis and the credibility of the United Nations is at stake.
Korosi, who takes over the presidency of the 193-member world body in September, said there is “a red alert” for the global climate and crises in food, energy and water supplies. In addition, he said, people everywhere are still affected by the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, “the global economy is at the threshold of recession and the sovereign debts are at an unprecedented level.”
https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-general-assembly-climate-covid-politics-health-d0ab3de642bc4753094b717ede42aa5a
Major floods in Australia cause significant lettuce shortage
Australia has been suffering from a shortage of lettuce, following adverse weather conditions which affected production.
According to the BBC, consumers have been hit by soaring prices for some fresh fruit and vegetables with social media users posting pictures of lettuces costing over A$10 (US$7.18), which is three times the usual price.
Like other countries around the world, Australia has been hit by food supply chain issues caused by the war in Ukraine and the pandemic.
However, Australia's own food production has also been affected by extreme weather events such as major flooding on the east coast earlier this year.
https://www.freshfruitportal.com/news/2022/06/08/major-floods-in-australia-cause-significant-lettuce-shortage/
Global Food Crisis: Is The Worst Ahead Of Us?
The global food crisis is here. Food supplies cannot keep up with demand. As a result, food prices soar, making it hard for people to put food on the table. For instance, in May 2022 the FAO Food Price Index reached 157.4, near a record high of 159.7 points from March. That's close to what some experts call the "boiling point," where societies descend into famine, chaos, and riots.
Patrick Penfield, a professor of Supply Chain Management Practice at Syracuse University, thinks this is just the beginning stages of a global food crisis.
"The global food supply chain is 'stressed' and has been adversely impacted by weather events — droughts, extreme heat, floods, tornadoes, and cyclones — food growing issues such as the avian flu, bacteria, and disease. [There is also] COVID, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, high energy, fertilizer, and pesticide costs. These issues make it extremely difficult for food producers to grow crops and animals and produce products to ensure a steady global food supply," Penfield told IBT.
https://www.ibtimes.com/global-food-crisis-worst-ahead-us-3536602
Extreme weather warning issued in Spain amid heatwave as temperatures soar to 43C
The Aemet weather agency said a mass of hot air from North Africa is sweeping over Spain. The hottest areas are expected to be in central and south-western Spain, and the heatwave is expected to last at least until Wednesday.
Highs of a sweltering 43C are forecast for the southern cities of Seville, Cordoba and Badajoz. Meteorologists said the temperature in Madrid could hit 38C, which is well above average for early June, while the forecasted high in coastal Barcelona is 32C.
A statement from Aemet said: "The heat will be very intense on the mainland and in the Balearics at least until next Wednesday and it is not ruled out that it could extend for a couple of days. The intense heatwave is very rare for the month of June."
Last year, Spain recorded its highest temperature since records began - 47.4C in Montoro in the southern province of Córdoba in August.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/newsmanchester/extreme-weather-warning-issued-in-spain-amid-heatwave-as-temperatures-soar-to-43c/ar-AAYndch
Meanwhile...
Lake Mead's capacity falls below 30%For the first time since Lake Mead was filling in the 1930s its water storage capacity is now below 30%.
The last time Lake Mead was at its maximum depth, or ‘full pool' was the summer of 1983. Since then the depletion of Lake Mead water has continued on and off over the last 39 years, and increased dramatically over the last 20 years during a historic drought and increased growth in the southwest United States.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/lake-meads-capacity-falls-below-30percent/ar-AAYeV0g
Republicans finally weighed in on climate change last week. It wasn’t pretty
The U.S. lost massive ground in combating climate change during the Trump administration, a recent report says. Now, congressional Republicans are offering their own climate plan — which doesn’t actually do anything new — while slamming President Joe Biden for climate shortfalls GOP opposition caused.
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2022/06/07/opinion/republicans-finally-weighed-in-on-climate-change-last-week-it-wasnt-pretty/
Almost all of Portugal in severe drought after hot, dry May
Almost the whole of Portugal was in severe drought at the end of May, the country’s weather service said Thursday.
The month of May was the hottest in the southern European country for the last 92 years, weather service IPMA said in its monthly climate report.
The average temperature of just over 19 C (66 F) was more than 3 degrees Celsius (5.4 degrees Fahrenheit) higher than usual, it said.
At the same time, average May rainfall of just under 9 millimeters (0.35 inches) was just 13% of what would normally be expected.
https://www.stltoday.com/news/science/almost-all-of-portugal-in-severe-drought-after-hot-dry-may/article_9cabaf95-4536-5c72-80f4-e21bec7461b6.html
Next UN assembly president warns world in dangerous crisis
Hungarian Ambassador Csaba Korosi was elected Tuesday as the next president of the U.N. General Assembly, and he warned immediately that the world is in the throes of a dangerous crisis and the credibility of the United Nations is at stake.
Korosi, who takes over the presidency of the 193-member world body in September, said there is “a red alert” for the global climate and crises in food, energy and water supplies. In addition, he said, people everywhere are still affected by the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, “the global economy is at the threshold of recession and the sovereign debts are at an unprecedented level.”
https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-general-assembly-climate-covid-politics-health-d0ab3de642bc4753094b717ede42aa5a
Major floods in Australia cause significant lettuce shortage
Australia has been suffering from a shortage of lettuce, following adverse weather conditions which affected production.
According to the BBC, consumers have been hit by soaring prices for some fresh fruit and vegetables with social media users posting pictures of lettuces costing over A$10 (US$7.18), which is three times the usual price.
Like other countries around the world, Australia has been hit by food supply chain issues caused by the war in Ukraine and the pandemic.
However, Australia's own food production has also been affected by extreme weather events such as major flooding on the east coast earlier this year.
https://www.freshfruitportal.com/news/2022/06/08/major-floods-in-australia-cause-significant-lettuce-shortage/
Global Food Crisis: Is The Worst Ahead Of Us?
The global food crisis is here. Food supplies cannot keep up with demand. As a result, food prices soar, making it hard for people to put food on the table. For instance, in May 2022 the FAO Food Price Index reached 157.4, near a record high of 159.7 points from March. That's close to what some experts call the "boiling point," where societies descend into famine, chaos, and riots.
Patrick Penfield, a professor of Supply Chain Management Practice at Syracuse University, thinks this is just the beginning stages of a global food crisis.
"The global food supply chain is 'stressed' and has been adversely impacted by weather events — droughts, extreme heat, floods, tornadoes, and cyclones — food growing issues such as the avian flu, bacteria, and disease. [There is also] COVID, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, high energy, fertilizer, and pesticide costs. These issues make it extremely difficult for food producers to grow crops and animals and produce products to ensure a steady global food supply," Penfield told IBT.
https://www.ibtimes.com/global-food-crisis-worst-ahead-us-3536602
Extreme weather warning issued in Spain amid heatwave as temperatures soar to 43C
The Aemet weather agency said a mass of hot air from North Africa is sweeping over Spain. The hottest areas are expected to be in central and south-western Spain, and the heatwave is expected to last at least until Wednesday.
Highs of a sweltering 43C are forecast for the southern cities of Seville, Cordoba and Badajoz. Meteorologists said the temperature in Madrid could hit 38C, which is well above average for early June, while the forecasted high in coastal Barcelona is 32C.
A statement from Aemet said: "The heat will be very intense on the mainland and in the Balearics at least until next Wednesday and it is not ruled out that it could extend for a couple of days. The intense heatwave is very rare for the month of June."
Last year, Spain recorded its highest temperature since records began - 47.4C in Montoro in the southern province of Córdoba in August.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/newsmanchester/extreme-weather-warning-issued-in-spain-amid-heatwave-as-temperatures-soar-to-43c/ar-AAYndch
June 5, 2022
Californians have been told to conserve water at home or risk mandated water restrictions as a severe drought on the West Coast is expected to get worse during the summer months.
People have been told to limit outdoor watering and take shorter showers. In Los Angeles, many are being asked to cut their water use by 35%. The restrictions come after California recorded the driest start to the year on record.
Nasa, which monitors changing water levels, is warning that the western United States is now entering one of the worst droughts ever seen.
"With climate change, it seems like the dominoes are beginning to fall," Nasa hydrologist JT Reager told the BBC.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-61669233
The tropical weather caused a sewage overflow in Miami-Dade.
The impacts of the more than 11 inches of precipitation experienced during this severe weather event have led to a wastewater overflow at the facility,” reads a statement from the county.
“We are working hard to monitor our water quality and ensure the public’s safety, as we mitigate issues related to the extremely heavy rainfall received during this severe weather event,” said Roy Coley, Miami-Dade’s water and sewer director, in a statement.
The problem could be seen further inland at several locations in central Miami-Dade, where wastewater was flowing up into the street, popping off manhole covers at U.S. 1 and Southwest 17th Avenue, 6464 NE Fourth Ct., and the corner of Northwest Seventh Street and 10th Avenue.
Officials also asked residents not to open up manholes in order to drain their streets because adding more floodwater into the sewage system will worsen the problem. The county has also asked residents to decrease water consumption as much as possible because the system is still overwhelmed.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/the-tropical-weather-caused-a-sewage-overflow-in-miami-dade-there-e2-80-99s-a-no-swim-advisory/ar-AAY5uca
Hurricane Agatha was the strongest hurricane to make landfall along the Pacific coast of Mexico in the month of May since records began in 1949.
On the evening of May 29, intense rainfall hit Acapulco, in Guerrero, blocking highways and amassing sea thrash on the beaches. A man was trapped in a sewage and was rescued by firefighters and the Red Cross.[29] According to a statement by Governor Alejandro Murat, 9 people were killed by the storm in Oaxaca and a further 6 people were missing.[2] Hardest hit were inland mountain villages, including Santa Catarina Xanaguía [es].[30] The fatalities were localized to these communities, with some people swept away by overflowing rivers or buried by mudslides.[31][30][32] Coastal regions were also heavily impacted. Bridges collapsed on throughfares leading to San Pedro Pochutla and Huatulco.[33] Power outages affected 70,082 people in Oaxaca and Veracruz according to the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), of which 46,563 were in Oaxaca.[34][35] Power disruptions cut off telecommunications to towns like San Isidro del Palmar.[36] The extent of the damage in Oaxaca prompted Governor Murat to request declarations of emergency for 26 municipalities.[33]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Agatha
Deadly Heatwave Also Resulting In Ozone Exceedance And It's Making Delhi's Air Toxic
Parts of central and northwestern India are still in the grip of a heat wave as the summer of 2022 continues to break records.
On Friday, a heat wave saw the mercury breaching the 45-degree Celsius mark in parts of New Delhi. The Met Office issued a yellow alert, warning of a heat wave at isolated places in the capital on Saturday.
The continuing heat wave is more bad news for the people of Delhi.
According to a new study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) the heat waves are also resulted in widespread ozone exceedance, making the air of Delhi-NCR more toxic.
https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/other/deadly-heatwave-also-resulting-in-ozone-exceedance-and-its-making-delhis-air-toxic/ar-AAY4vud
Drought, heat devastating Africa - farmers, herders suffering as food, water insecurity grows
The worst drought in at least four decades and sweltering temperatures have depleted the area's rivers and dams, driven thousands of destitute farmers from their lands and left those that remain reliant on pumps, boreholes and trucked-in water supplies. School attendance has plummeted and children as young as 6 are sent to get water, rolling yellow plastic drums for miles to collection points.
Aden Olow is among those who've been forced from their homes. After losing his 20th goat to the drought in late February, he set off from his village of Nunow near Garissa with the remains of his small herd in search of grazing in neighboring Somalia, leaving his wife Mumina Mohammed to look after their nine children. She's had to borrow money from local store owners to support the family.
"It's a very heavy responsibility to raise all these children alone. All of them need food and it's very stressful," Mohammed, 30, said in an interview. "Whenever there is rain, I'll expect my husband will come back."
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned that global warming, caused by greenhouse gas emissions, is leading to more extreme weather events and African nations are among those that will face heightened food and water insecurity. At least 16 million people are already at risk across Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia, according to the United Nations, and the threat of famine is clearly evident.
https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2022/jun/05/drought-heat-devastating-africa/
Carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere soars to levels not seen for millions of years, NOAA says
The amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere is now more than 50% higher than pre-industrial times – and is at levels not seen since millions of years ago when Earth was a hothouse ocean-inundated planet, federal government scientists announced Friday.
“Carbon dioxide is at levels our species has never experienced before,” said Pieter Tans, senior scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Global Monitoring Laboratory.
The burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas releases "greenhouse" gases such as carbon dioxide and methane into Earth's atmosphere and oceans. The emissions have caused the planet's temperatures to rise to levels that cannot be explained by natural factors, scientists say.
Just in the past 20 years, the world's temperature has risen about two-thirds of a degree Fahrenheit, NOAA said.
https://news.yahoo.com/carbon-dioxide-earths-atmosphere-soars-203704764.html
Meanwhile...
Drought-stricken US warned of looming 'dead pool'Californians have been told to conserve water at home or risk mandated water restrictions as a severe drought on the West Coast is expected to get worse during the summer months.
People have been told to limit outdoor watering and take shorter showers. In Los Angeles, many are being asked to cut their water use by 35%. The restrictions come after California recorded the driest start to the year on record.
Nasa, which monitors changing water levels, is warning that the western United States is now entering one of the worst droughts ever seen.
"With climate change, it seems like the dominoes are beginning to fall," Nasa hydrologist JT Reager told the BBC.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-61669233
The tropical weather caused a sewage overflow in Miami-Dade.
The impacts of the more than 11 inches of precipitation experienced during this severe weather event have led to a wastewater overflow at the facility,” reads a statement from the county.
“We are working hard to monitor our water quality and ensure the public’s safety, as we mitigate issues related to the extremely heavy rainfall received during this severe weather event,” said Roy Coley, Miami-Dade’s water and sewer director, in a statement.
The problem could be seen further inland at several locations in central Miami-Dade, where wastewater was flowing up into the street, popping off manhole covers at U.S. 1 and Southwest 17th Avenue, 6464 NE Fourth Ct., and the corner of Northwest Seventh Street and 10th Avenue.
Officials also asked residents not to open up manholes in order to drain their streets because adding more floodwater into the sewage system will worsen the problem. The county has also asked residents to decrease water consumption as much as possible because the system is still overwhelmed.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/the-tropical-weather-caused-a-sewage-overflow-in-miami-dade-there-e2-80-99s-a-no-swim-advisory/ar-AAY5uca
Hurricane Agatha was the strongest hurricane to make landfall along the Pacific coast of Mexico in the month of May since records began in 1949.
On the evening of May 29, intense rainfall hit Acapulco, in Guerrero, blocking highways and amassing sea thrash on the beaches. A man was trapped in a sewage and was rescued by firefighters and the Red Cross.[29] According to a statement by Governor Alejandro Murat, 9 people were killed by the storm in Oaxaca and a further 6 people were missing.[2] Hardest hit were inland mountain villages, including Santa Catarina Xanaguía [es].[30] The fatalities were localized to these communities, with some people swept away by overflowing rivers or buried by mudslides.[31][30][32] Coastal regions were also heavily impacted. Bridges collapsed on throughfares leading to San Pedro Pochutla and Huatulco.[33] Power outages affected 70,082 people in Oaxaca and Veracruz according to the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), of which 46,563 were in Oaxaca.[34][35] Power disruptions cut off telecommunications to towns like San Isidro del Palmar.[36] The extent of the damage in Oaxaca prompted Governor Murat to request declarations of emergency for 26 municipalities.[33]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Agatha
Deadly Heatwave Also Resulting In Ozone Exceedance And It's Making Delhi's Air Toxic
Parts of central and northwestern India are still in the grip of a heat wave as the summer of 2022 continues to break records.
On Friday, a heat wave saw the mercury breaching the 45-degree Celsius mark in parts of New Delhi. The Met Office issued a yellow alert, warning of a heat wave at isolated places in the capital on Saturday.
The continuing heat wave is more bad news for the people of Delhi.
According to a new study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) the heat waves are also resulted in widespread ozone exceedance, making the air of Delhi-NCR more toxic.
https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/other/deadly-heatwave-also-resulting-in-ozone-exceedance-and-its-making-delhis-air-toxic/ar-AAY4vud
Drought, heat devastating Africa - farmers, herders suffering as food, water insecurity grows
The worst drought in at least four decades and sweltering temperatures have depleted the area's rivers and dams, driven thousands of destitute farmers from their lands and left those that remain reliant on pumps, boreholes and trucked-in water supplies. School attendance has plummeted and children as young as 6 are sent to get water, rolling yellow plastic drums for miles to collection points.
Aden Olow is among those who've been forced from their homes. After losing his 20th goat to the drought in late February, he set off from his village of Nunow near Garissa with the remains of his small herd in search of grazing in neighboring Somalia, leaving his wife Mumina Mohammed to look after their nine children. She's had to borrow money from local store owners to support the family.
"It's a very heavy responsibility to raise all these children alone. All of them need food and it's very stressful," Mohammed, 30, said in an interview. "Whenever there is rain, I'll expect my husband will come back."
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned that global warming, caused by greenhouse gas emissions, is leading to more extreme weather events and African nations are among those that will face heightened food and water insecurity. At least 16 million people are already at risk across Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia, according to the United Nations, and the threat of famine is clearly evident.
https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2022/jun/05/drought-heat-devastating-africa/
Carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere soars to levels not seen for millions of years, NOAA says
The amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere is now more than 50% higher than pre-industrial times – and is at levels not seen since millions of years ago when Earth was a hothouse ocean-inundated planet, federal government scientists announced Friday.
“Carbon dioxide is at levels our species has never experienced before,” said Pieter Tans, senior scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Global Monitoring Laboratory.
The burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas releases "greenhouse" gases such as carbon dioxide and methane into Earth's atmosphere and oceans. The emissions have caused the planet's temperatures to rise to levels that cannot be explained by natural factors, scientists say.
Just in the past 20 years, the world's temperature has risen about two-thirds of a degree Fahrenheit, NOAA said.
https://news.yahoo.com/carbon-dioxide-earths-atmosphere-soars-203704764.html
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