When does intense rain turn into a disaster? When will a flood become the so-called "flood of the century"? Our close neighbors in Poland and the Czech Republic are currently facing a new "flood of the century", and a state of emergency has also been declared in Lower Austria. In eastern Germany, they also recorded rising water levels, although the situation is not so dramatic.

So how do we determine the scale of a disaster? Is it by the amount of precipitation, the number of deaths or the extent of property damage? Three years ago, when floods hit half of Europe, the death toll rose to more than 220 people, with at least 188 of them dead in Germany.

The rain is currently affecting Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and Romania—five EU member states experiencing another serious "flood of the century". So far, the situation has claimed 17 lives and several people are still missing. It is difficult to determine clear causes. But how did this disaster happen?

There can be many factors that contribute to such flood events. Changes in climatic conditions are manifested by extreme weather fluctuations, with heavy rains becoming more frequent and intense. It is also important to take into account the state of local infrastructure and the preparedness of countries to handle such extreme situations. Urbanization without an adequate sewage system can make the situation even worse when the water has nowhere to drain, leading to rapid accumulation and spread in the surrounding area.

These floods also highlight the need for international cooperation in climate action, disaster prevention and response. The ongoing discussion about mitigating the impacts of climate change and increasing society's resilience to these challenges is more than timely. (Co2AI)

September 16 is World Ozone Day on the occasion of the Montreal Protocol on the Phase Out of Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (ODS) harmful to the environment. Consumption of ozone-depleting substances covered by the Montreal Protocol fell by around 99 % in the EU and worldwide from 1986 to 2023. The remaining 1 % reflects some industrial process, fire fighting, laboratory and analytical uses where alternatives are not yet widely available. (More on eea.europa.eu)

"What you see is worse than in 1997. I don't know what will happen because my house is under water and I'm not sure if I'll ever go back there," declared one of the evacuees hit by the storm. Significant flooding in central and eastern Europe claimed at least seven lives and forced thousands of people to leave their homes over the weekend.

Storm Boris, a pressure trough, has hit the region since Thursday. Major cities saw rainfall equivalent to a month's total from Saturday to Sunday, with some areas experiencing the heaviest rainfall in 100 years.

"We are once again facing the consequences of climate change, which are becoming more pronounced on the European continent and have dramatic consequences," Romania was among the countries worst hit by the storm, with four people killed on Saturday and a fifth on Sunday. Hundreds of people had to be rescued from the rising waters. Galati, Romania was the worst affected, with the storm damaging around 5,400 homes and around 700 in the village of Slobozia Conachi.

"This is a disaster of enormous proportions"

The sixth victim claimed the life of a firefighter in Austria on Sunday who was battling floods. Authorities declared a state of emergency in Lower Austria, where Vienna is based, and nearly 5,000 rescue workers were involved in rescue operations on Saturday night.

"In Lower Austria, we are experiencing challenging and dramatic times," noted the regional governor, Johanna Mikl-Leitnerová. "For many people, these are probably the most difficult moments of their lives."

In Poland, one person drowned in the worst-hit region of Kladsko, where 1,600 people were evacuated and 17,000 were left without electricity. In another town of Stonie Slaski, floods destroyed a dam and washed away a bridge, while the river in Glucholazy overflowed its banks.

"The situation is still critical in many places. Unfortunately, these situations often recur and some residents tend to underestimate the degree of danger and refuse to evacuate."

The storm also hit Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic, where some of the highest rainfall totals in the region fell and where four people are still missing. The storm forced 10,000 residents of the town of Opava to leave their homes, and Mayor Tomáš Navrátil said conditions were worse than in 1997, known as the "flood of the century".

Rain is expected to continue through at least Monday. According to the 2021 World Weather Attribution, a climate emergency has increased the likelihood of extreme flooding in Europe. The storm followed a record-breaking summer and a warm start to September, which played a role in trapping more moisture in the air. (Co2AI)

 

The volatility of food prices, such as rice, cocoa, coffee and others, is getting worse. This is due to both climate change and market speculation. Agriculture has been dealing with problems that are not limited to Europe for a long time. Climate change leads to a reduction in production and the pressure on raw material prices increases. Eating out could thus become a more expensive affair, in some cases even a luxury. What future awaits us on the European table?

"There are several factors that cause price increases. Climate change is definitely one of them, it threatens production. The demand for coffee, which is one of the main consumer products in the world, is very high. However, the marketing of coffee is controlled by only a few traders who control the supply through price speculation. According to the World Coffee Organization, the price of coffee has increased globally by 54.6 % since August 2023. In addition, higher costs in the catering industry are also passed on to the final consumer."

Cocoa and sugar have also been affected by similar price problems. What happens in these cases? "The increase in sugar prices in 2023 resulted from the EU's actions, which introduced tariffs on imports from abroad to protect European suppliers from cheaper competition. The cocoa discussion is more complicated. The ecological problems in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, two of the world's main cocoa producers, have been compounded by the speculation of some hedge funds investing in cocoa futures.

As raw material prices rise, some are already considering alternatives, such as carob, which is considered an ecologically sustainable, drought-resistant plant. Can carob gain importance in commodity markets? “If there are more sustainable and cheaper alternatives, why not consider them? But taste is also important - I've never tasted carob myself, but it seems hard for it to compete with a certain chocolate!"

Problems caused by the climate also affect livestock farms, where a decrease in milk production is predicted. The resurgence of bird flu in poultry farms has in turn increased the price of eggs. Is this the perfect storm for farmers? “The agricultural sector is in crisis and the climate conditions are only making it worse. In Europe, we face competition from abroad. We need not only economic aid, but also a recovery program focused on quality, which distinguishes us from intensive agriculture and cultivation."

In 2023, India has stopped rice exports due to drought, and Japan's rice stocks are at historic lows. Is it just the climate? “In Japan, the decline in rice stocks is attributed not only to abnormal heat, but also to increased tourism. In India, the ban on rice exports is a policy move to meet domestic demand and reduce food prices. However, such an anti-inflationary measure had global implications as India is the world's largest exporter of rice.”

In short, this issue is complex and price increases can significantly affect consumers. The further development of the situation is unclear, but the conditions are challenging. (Co2AI)

Climate changes that used to take 30,000 years are now happening in just 100 years. Planet Earth has already experienced periods of increased overheating and excessive amounts of carbon dioxide in the past, sometimes even more extreme than today. For example, 190, 120 and 90 million years ago. However, the difference is that these changes then took place over millennia, while today they are faster than ever.

To understand current climate change and its implications for the oceans, it is useful to examine similar historical events. The researches dealt with the response of organisms, especially marine phytoplankton, to past global warming. It found that while the oceans were resilient in the past, this is no longer the case today. Organisms do not have enough time to adapt to rapid changes.

The biggest concern is the ability of the Earth system to adapt in an extremely short time, which could have fatal consequences for many ecosystems. The average global temperature has already increased by 1-1.5 degrees since pre-industrial times. If we continue at the current rate of CO2 emissions, temperatures could rise by up to 5 degrees by the end of the century and CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere could double. This could lead to the extinction of 10-20 percent of the current biodiversity, as many organisms cannot adapt to an overheated climate.

The marine biosphere, the largest and most complex ecosystem on Earth, is extremely sensitive to ongoing changes. Understanding the impact of warming on marine ecosystems is key to understanding ocean-land dynamics. The ocean is the oldest and largest ecosystem on the planet, and its sediments record climate change over millions of years, long before humans arrived. The Congress "Geology for the Sustainable Management of our Planet" therefore focused on the role of geosciences in disseminating information about current global changes and their future development. (Co2AI)

Fears are growing that the EU's long-awaited Green Deal, which is supposed to decarbonise Europe, could be in jeopardy. This perspective has gained support among those who propose delaying climate action, which amounts to climate change denial, even though the scientific evidence and record of extreme weather events caused by human global warming is undeniable. These skeptics ignore the benefits of the clean energy transition and risk the business sector losing momentum on its sustainability agenda if they proceed slowly.

It will be necessary to invest in clean energy infrastructure and technologies, simplify business processes, and introduce the Industrial Decarbonization Accelerator Act to support energy-intensive sectors during the green transition. According to Shine, the next five years will be crucial in deciding whether Europe meets its climate targets by 2030. More importantly, it will affect whether Europe is able to compete economically, especially as China leads the way in investment in renewable energy and electric cars. If Europe slows down, it risks falling behind. (Co2AI)

Climate change is accelerating the melting of the ice in Greenland at an alarming rate, which has serious consequences not only for the Arctic, but also for the global climate, including Europe. According to a study led by researchers at the University of Barcelona, extreme melting episodes - periods when large areas of snow and ice melt rapidly - have been about twice as frequent during the summer in recent decades compared to the 1950-1990 period. (University of Barcelona, more at phys.org)

Temperature and precipitation variability and extremes affect production worldwide. These production disruptions will change with future warming and affect consumers both locally and remotely through supply chains. Given the potentially non-linear economic response, trade impacts are difficult to quantify; rather, empirical assessments focus on the direct uneven impacts of weather extremes. Here, simulating the global economic interactions of profit-maximizing firms and utility-optimizing consumers, we assess the risks to consumption arising from weather-induced production disruptions in supply chains. Within countries, risks are highest for middle-income countries due to adverse trade dependence and seasonal exposure to climate conditions. We also found that risks are increasing in most countries in relation to future climate change. Global warming increases consumer risks locally and through supply chains. However, high-income consumers face the greatest increase in risk. Overall, risks to income are heterogeneous within and across countries, so targeted local and global resilience building can reduce them. (Lennart Quante, Sven N. Willner, Anders Levermann, more at nature.com)

It was the warmest August on record, marking the 15th consecutive month of record high global temperatures, itself a record, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA. The European Union's Copernicus climate change service said it was the joint warmest August on record (with August 2023).

The Northern Hemisphere (boreal) summer was the warmest on record, and July saw the hottest day on record. Global temperatures in July and August 2023 and 2024 were significantly higher than anything previously recorded.

Global summaries from other international climate centers will be available in the coming days.  (More on wmo.int)

Global methane emissions continue to rise at an alarming rate despite international efforts to curb them. More than 150 countries have pledged to cut methane emissions by 30 % by the end of this decade, but new research reveals that methane emissions have risen faster than ever in the past five years.

In a prospective article published on September 10 in Environmental Research Letters , along with data in Earth System Science Data, the researchers warned that the current trend "cannot continue if we want to maintain a habitable climate."

Both papers were part of the Global Carbon Project, led by Stanford University scientist Rob Jackson, which tracks global greenhouse gas emissions.Andrei Ionescu, more at earth.com)

When Ursula von der Leyen presented her program to the European Parliament, she emphasized support for the Green Deal, but focused on industrial competitiveness and deregulation, which could threaten progress on climate and the environment. Biodiversity and pollution seem to be under-addressed. The changes raise questions about the EU's sincerity about long-term resilience, and citizens may be deceived. The European Parliament must demand clarity and speed up the fight against climate change.

The upcoming hearings of the commissioners are an opportunity to ask tough questions about their environmental competence and to ensure that vested interests, especially from agri- and fossil fuels, do not threaten the direction of the EU. The Executive Vice-President for the Green Deal has played a key role in the past and his continuation is essential to maintain direction.

A focus on simplification can weaken environmental protection. Commissioners should commit to maintaining the current level of protection and the EU must prioritize strengthening Member States' administrative capacities. Industrial policy must be in line with ecological goals and support green industrial transformation.

The green transition requires major investment, which could unlock more than €1 trillion in public investment by 2030. All spending must be in line with sustainability goals. The Commission should put a legally binding end to fossil fuels and subsidies harmful to biodiversity. The EU needs strong leadership on climate, nature and zero pollution to keep the Green Deal on track; otherwise it risks remaining just an empty promise. (Co2AI)

Human activity threatens eight of the planet's critical life-support systems, and seven of them have already moved into the danger zone, according to a large-scale Earth science survey by more than 60 researchers published Wednesday in The Lancet Planetary Health .

Looking at the needs of a viable Earth—including climate, freshwater systems, biodiversity, and soil nutrients—researchers found that nearly all exceeded critical thresholds. Aerosols are the only global system that has not yet exceeded safe limits, even though small particle air pollution contributes to 8 million deaths annually. (Eric Roston, more at bloomberg.com)

According to a new European Court of Auditors report reported by Euronews, Croatia, Greece and Portugal are among EU member states that have claimed they are spending EU funds on climate change measures that are in fact "not as green as described" ". . Auditors say some states "inflated potential climate contributions for some projects such as clean urban transport and forest climate adaptation" from the Recovery and Resilience Instrument, which was created as part of the EU's pandemic recovery fund. According to Reuters, the EU has pledged to spend at least 37 % of its €700 billion COVID-19 recovery fund on measures to tackle climate change. While countries say they have exceeded this target, with €275 billion – or 42.5 % of funds – earmarked for climate, “this figure may overestimate EU green spending by at least €34.5 billion”, the news portal said. As examples, he cites "expenditure on IT systems and salaries" which were wrongly labeled as "green". (Marta Pacheco, Euronews, more at carbonbrief .com)

The genus Homo evolved during the Pleistocene – an epoch of gradual cooling and strengthening of glacial cycles. The changing climate affected early human survival, adaptation and evolution in complex ways. In this review, we present current knowledge about the effects of past climate change on the evolutionary trajectory of the human species. Humans appeared in dry grasslands and bushes when the average climatic conditions were warm. As the global climate began to cool, human species needed to either follow their preferred habitats or adapt to new local conditions, each of which is reflected in the archaeological record. Limited dispersal ability and narrow ecological preferences predominated in early species, while cultural innovations and consequently wider ecological niches became common in later species, allowing them to live in cooler extratropical climates. However, despite their increasing ecological versatility, all but one species eventually became extinct. Future research should examine cultural transmission between and within species and the impact of climate change on human genetic diversification. ( Axel Timmermann, Pasquale Raia, Kyung-Sook Yun, more at nature.com)

The ways we talk about climate change, have changed fundamentally in recent years. For a long time, global warming was seen primarily as an environmental problem – just imagine images of wildfires (more…)

Climate experts say when it comes to global warming, watch what we eat. Food and agriculture account for more than 25 % of the pollution that warms our planet. What causes all this climate pollution in food? Food waste, deforestation and the huge global demand for beef to name a few.

When it comes to climate change, food matters. So NPR is devoting a week to stories and conversations about finding solutions. We will explore how we grow food, what we grocery shop and cook, what we eat and what we end up throwing away. (More on npr.org)

The European Union (EU) is at a critical crossroads and must substantially increase its investment and rethink its industrial policies to avoid an "existential challenge", according to a scathing report it commissioned (more…)

The Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) include Goal 13: Climate Action. Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as heat waves, droughts, floods and tropical cyclones, exacerbating water management problems, reducing agricultural production and food security, increasing health risks, damaging critical infrastructure and disrupting the provision of essential services. water and hygiene, education, energy and transport.

Data and statistics / Facts and figures:

• From 1880 to 2012, the average global temperature increased by 0.85 °C
• The oceans have warmed, the amount of snow and ice has decreased, and sea levels have risen. From 1901 to 2010, the global average sea level rose by 19 cm as the oceans expanded. The extent of sea ice in the Arctic has been shrinking every decade since 1979
• Global emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) have increased by almost 50 percent since 1990
• Emissions grew faster between 2000 and 2010 than in each of the three previous decades

Objectives related to the environment:

• Objective 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate risks and natural disasters in all countries
• Objective 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning
• Objective 13.3: Improve education, awareness raising and human and institutional capacity in climate change mitigation, adaptation, mitigation and early warning
• Objective 13.a: Implement the commitment made by developed countries to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to the goal of collectively mobilizing USD 100 billion per year by 2020 from all sources to address the needs of developing countries in the context of meaningful mitigation and transparency of implementation, and to fully operationalize the Green climate fund through its capitalization
• Objective 13.b: Support capacity-building mechanisms for effective climate change planning and management in least developed countries and small island developing States, including targeting women, youth and local and marginalized communities

(Co2AI)

After carbon dioxide, methane is the second most important greenhouse gas contributing to human-caused global warming. Although human activities emit far less methane than carbon dioxide in real terms, methane has a hidden effect – it is 80 times more effective than CO₂ at trapping heat in the first two decades after it enters the atmosphere.

Since the pre-industrial era, the world has warmed by 1.2°C (average over the last 10 years). According to the latest reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), methane is responsible for approximately 0.5°C of warming.

In the atmosphere, methane quickly mixes with oxygen and turns into carbon dioxide and water. In contrast, carbon dioxide is a much more stable molecule and will remain in the atmosphere trapping heat for thousands of years before being absorbed by the ocean and plants.

The combination of short lifetime and extreme efficiency makes methane an excellent candidate for a rapid solution to climate change. ( Pep Canadell , CSIRO , Marielle Saunois , Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ) – Université Paris-Saclay , Rob Jackson , Stanford University, more at theconversation.com)

Nearly three-quarters of the world's population can expect strong and rapid changes in extreme temperatures and precipitation over the next 20 years unless greenhouse gas emissions are significantly reduced, according to a new study.

Research led by scientists from the CICERO Center for International Climate Research and supported by the University of Reading shows that 20 % of the population could face extreme weather risks if emissions were reduced enough to meet the Paris Agreement targets, compared to 70 %, if limited measures are taken.

A document published in a journal Nature Geoscience shows how global warming can combine with normal weather changes to create decades-long periods of very rapid changes in extreme temperatures and precipitation. (University of Reading, more at phys.org)