Forest succession plays a key role in the global climate system by influencing the carbon sequestered in our world's soils, which act as a vast underground carbon sink. As forests evolve through different stages, the quantity and quality of organic carbon stored in the soil can vary significantly. Soil stores large amounts of organic carbon, the dynamic changes of which can have enormous impacts on the global climate system.

Forest succession process

Forest succession is a long-term ecological process that affects soil organic carbon (SOC) due to variations in plant community composition, microenvironments, plant residue stocks, soil nutrient availability, and microbial community composition between different successional stages. (Rodielon Putol, more at earth.com)

As extreme temperatures and natural disasters increase, the devastation to human health around the world increases. Experts warn of another significant aspect of climate change, (more…)

We are at a critical juncture in the climate crisis, and 2024 is a watershed year for democracy. These two historic milestones are not just coincidental; they are interconnected and essential to shaping our future. The links between good governance and effective climate action cannot be overstated, and this moment represents an opportunity to make significant progress on both.

In what is being called a “super year” of elections, half of the world’s adult population will have the opportunity to vote, and climate action is one of the factors influencing how people vote. With the changing political landscape, 2024 could be a turning point for stabilizing the climate and ensuring a livable planet for today and future generations. (More on stories.undp.org)

First, the fight against climate change and the protection of the environment is a question of peace and security in itself. Of the 20 countries most affected by conflict in the world, 12 are among the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. This fight against climate change begins with the effective and rapid implementation of the Paris Agreement. This ambitious and universal agreement is our collective frame of reference for the fight against climate change. Its implementation is the best way to prevent climate-related crises.
More and more people are being displaced by climate change. Our council must also be able to act on these issues.
In addition, it is essential to anticipate in order to avoid humanitarian crises and population displacement due to climate change. In its new humanitarian strategy for 2023-2027, France is committed to a humanitarian system that anticipates and responds to the risks and consequences of climate change. France funds the World Food Programme, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, particularly in relation to these issues. (JARAUD DARNAULT, more on onu.delegfrance.org)

2024 is the year the mercury rises and climate records fall. According to the EU's climate change monitoring arm, the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), last month was the hottest June on record. A quick rundown, it's now 13 months in a row - from June 2023 to now - where each month has been warmer than any corresponding month in previous years. (Sanjana Gajbhiye, more at earth.com)

The World Economic Forum’s report on the impact of climate change on health highlights how rising temperatures and changing weather patterns are exacerbating health problems, particularly for vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly and low-income communities. The report calls for action from the private sector, focusing on interventions in areas such as infrastructure, access to healthcare and environmental sustainability. The report highlights the interconnectedness of climate change and health and advocates for a collaborative, multi-stakeholder approach to addressing the health impacts of climate change.

THE WORLD HAS REACHED a new critical milestone: every month from June 2023 to June 2024 was the warmest month on Earth in the last 100,000 years. (more…)

2024 is the year the mercury rises and climate records fall. According to the EU's climate change monitoring arm, the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), last month was the hottest June on record. A quick rundown, it's now 13 months in a row - from June 2023 to now - where each month has been warmer than any corresponding month in previous years. (Sanjana Gajbhiye, more at earth.com)

The fight against climate change requires collective action – from governments, institutions, businesses and individuals. A good understanding of the climate challenge is essential for people to make informed decisions. To assess how the public understands climate change in Slovakia, the sixth edition of the EIB Climate Survey focuses on people's knowledge of climate change in three key areas: definitions and causes, consequences and solutions. Participants answered 12 questions and were ranked on a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 indicating the highest level of knowledge. With more than 30,000 respondents from 35 countries, including EU Member States, the United Kingdom, the United States, China, Japan, India and Canada, the EIB Climate Survey provides valuable information on people's overall understanding of climate change. (More on eib.org)

The average global temperature has been 1.5°C higher than in the pre-industrial era for 12 consecutive months, according to new data released by the European Union's Copernicus climate change service. It was the warmest June on record and the 13th month in a row that a monthly temperature record was set. Although unusual, a similar streak of monthly global temperature records has occurred previously in 2015/2016.

According to Copernicus Climate Change Service ERA5 data, the month was 1.50°C warmer than the estimated June average for 1850-1900, the designated pre-industrial reference period. This is the 12th consecutive month that the 1.5°C mark has been reached or exceeded.

The global average temperature for the last 12 months (July 2023-June 2024) is 1.64°C higher than the pre-industrial average from 1850-1900, according to the ERA5 dataset. (More on wmo.int)

Increasingly strict climate policies are extremely important to achieve internationally agreed temperature targets. This column argues that theory-based scenarios, called "economic pathways," are a powerful tool for inducing effective policies. Calibrating a dynamic economic climate model to calculate different economic paths reveals that deep decarbonization only slightly delays economic development, while population growth is not strongly linked to climate policy. If the adoption of stricter climate policies becomes more likely as the phase-out of fossil fuels accelerates, early decarbonisation is not only feasible, but also attractive and realistic. (Lucas Bretschger, more at cepr.org)

More than 70 % of marine litter is deposited on the Italian seabed and there is an average of 400 pieces of litter every 100 meters on the beaches. And this is only one of the dangers that threaten the Mediterranean Sea. "It is an almost closed sea surrounded by around 500 million people and numerous anthropic activities," explains Giordano Giorgi, head of the National Center for Environmental Characterization and Protection of the Coastal Zone, Marine Climatology and Operational Oceanography of ISPRA and responsible for the Pnrr MER project (Restoration marine ecosystem) - as a result, the contribution of land-based pollutants is one of the elements of concern, although compared to the 1970s and 1980s the situation in the Adriatic thanks to cleaning systems. are creating accumulations at sea that are still far from replicating the plastic islands in the Pacific from multiple sources such as domestic washing systems and plastic waste. present on the seabed, which we also find in the fish that reach our tables". (MARINA SANTINOVÁ, more at quotidiano.net)

Climate change in the Arctic is causing wildfires that release huge amounts of carbon. The epicenter of the crisis? Siberia. The Arctic is burning and with it our hopes for limiting climate change. As flames consume the Siberian tundra, scientists raise an alarm we can no longer ignore: the planet's thermometer has gone mad. At the center of this environmental emergency is the Republic of Sakha, located in the far north of Russia. According to data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), the region is experiencing extreme weather, with much warmer temperatures and drier conditions than normal for this time of year. (Gianluca Riccio, futuroprossimo.it)

Melting of one of North America's largest ice fields has accelerated and could soon reach an irreversible tipping point. That's the conclusion new research colleagues and I have published about the Juneau Ice Field, which straddles the Alaska-Canada border near the Alaskan capital of Juneau. in the summer of 2022, accompanied by other researchers, I skied across the flat, smooth and white ice field platform, gliding in the footsteps of the person in front of me under the hot sun. About 40 huge, interconnected glaciers descend from this plateau to the sea, with hundreds of smaller glaciers on mountain tops all around. (Bethan Davies, The Conversation, more at phys.org)

A recent study found that black carbon, i.e. soot particles in smoke and smog, has roughly twice as much impact on global (more…)

Deniers will tell you that climate change is "a natural process that has always been part of history." Their goal is to create uncertainty and confusion that hinders action. Even as constant media coverage points to disasters caused by drought or forest fires, these voices persist and present their thoughts as a "real" situation.

Despite the voices that deny reality, there is an overwhelming scientific consensus on the existence and severity of climate change. (More on alterclimatechange.com)

Nitrous oxide, also known as "laughing gas", "proto" or even "balloons", is often abused and harmful to the health of its consumers. Nitrous oxide is a gas often found in whipped cream siphon and aerosol cartridges. However, some abuse it as a psychotropic drug. Although it is not listed as a narcotic substance, its sale to minors is prohibited from June 1, 2021, as it remains dangerous. A study published June 11 in the journal Earth System Science Data shows that emissions of this greenhouse gas are 300 times stronger than emissions of carbon dioxide, contributing to the depletion of the ozone layer in the atmosphere.

The study, which was published as part of the Global Carbon Project – an organization focused on quantifying greenhouse gas emissions – was carried out by 58 international researchers. Nitrous oxide emissions are estimated to have increased by 40 % over the past 40 years. This lesser-known gas than CO2 is mainly associated with agriculture, due to the fertilization of the soil with nitrogenous products. The second major contributor is the chemical industry, where nitrous oxide is used in the production of acids and common equipment.

The main danger of nitrous oxide is its long life in the lower layers of the atmosphere, where its molecules can persist for up to 120 years.

Why is the agricultural sector such a significant contributor to nitrous oxide emissions?

According to the Bloomberg publication, more than 220 million tons of nitrogen are consumed annually as fertilizer on arable land and in the form of livestock manure. The researchers calculated that agriculture is responsible for almost 70 % of human emissions of this gas. An article in the journal GEO explains that when plants are destroyed during harvest, farmers add additional nitrogen in the form of organic matter or mineral elements for subsequent harvests. However, part of this nitrogen escapes into the atmosphere in the form of nitrous oxide.

How to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions?

Although nitrous oxide has been regulated since the Kyoto Protocol, it is not among the priorities of public authorities, which mainly focus on CO2 and methane. A 2013 United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) report suggests several approaches, including for farmers to adopt less fertilizer-intensive production methods and for consumers to reduce food waste, thereby limiting their production. (Co2AI)

According to the study, 69 percent of the world's population say they are willing to spend one percent of their household income each month on climate protection. A team led by Armin Falk of the University of Bonn evaluated responses from nearly 130,000 people aged 15 and over from 125 countries. According to the study, 86 percent of respondents said that people in their country should try to do something about global warming. In 119 out of 125 countries, more than two-thirds of respondents support it. 89 percent want their government to take stronger action against climate change. "Our results show broad support for climate action," the group writes in the journal Nature Climate Change. People in countries that are particularly at risk of climate change have shown an extraordinary willingness to contribute to climate protection themselves. (DPA, more at msn.com)

The European Commission, the Parliament and the Council designated July 15 as the EU Day for victims of the global climate crisis. The day honors those lost and affected by the climate crisis and serves as a call to action. We must act now to minimize the impact of climate change wherever possible and build resilience to protect what is most precious to us – our lives and our health. (Via na climate.ec.europa.eu)