The Indian Ocean is experiencing unprecedented and accelerated warming that may continue throughout the century unless greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are reduced immediately. A new study published in the journal Science Direct  predicted that between 2020 and 2100, the Indian Ocean could warm at a rate of 1.7 to 3.8 degrees Celsius per century.

This could lead to large-scale socio-economic impacts along with significant impacts on biodiversity, particularly on coral reefs.

"The future increase in heat content is equivalent to adding the energy of one Hiroshima atomic bomb blast every second, all day, every day, for a decade," said Roxy Mathew Koll, a climatologist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology and lead author. studies, in an interview for Down To Earth . (Akshit Sangomla, more at downtoearth.org.in)

It's not an impression. Pollen allergies are getting stronger and last longer. The main cause is climatic changes, which, in anticipation of the arrival of spring, lead to the production of pollen as early as the end of February. And this continues long after the summer months, when many people suffering from allergies are not prepared and often do not have the necessary medicines with them. The rains, which have become more and more intense in recent years, also play a vital role. Those - explained by the experts he quotes CNN – cause the pollen grains to explode, making them more irritating. In addition, in particularly rainy years, plants grow more and produce even more pollen, making the situation worse. (More on open.online)

Over the course of hundreds of millions of years, the Earth experienced a series of climate changes that shaped the planet as we know it today. Past changes in CO2 levels and temperature can help us understand the planet's response to global warming today.

In a growing field called biogeodynamics, researchers are trying to understand how such changes have affected life on the planet in the past.

"We are trying to understand processes relevant to the present using the geological past," says Julian Rogger, who focuses on biogeodynamics at the Institute of Geophysics at ETH Zurich. (PETER RÜEGG-ETH ZURICH, more at future.org)

A global rise of 1.5°C above the pre-industrial average and the continued loss of biodiversity threaten "catastrophic damage to health that will not be reversible", according to the medical science journal The Lancet.

In order to understand the Earth's resilience, researchers from ETH Zurich are modeling climate changes from times long past. And they show that plants are not just victims of circumstance, but have helped shape Earth's climate. Over the course of hundreds of millions of years, the Earth experienced a series of climate changes that shaped the planet as we know it today. Past changes in CO levels ₂ and temperatures can help us understand the planet's response to global warming today. (By Andrew Curry, ETH Zurich, more at phys.org)

Commission today allocates nearly €720 million to seven renewable hydrogen projects in Europe, which were selected as part of the first competitive tender procedure within the European Hydrogen Bank. Funding for this auction comes from the revenues of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. Winning bidders will produce renewable hydrogen in Europe and receive a subsidy to bridge the price gap between their production costs and the market price of hydrogen currently driven by non-renewable producers. The European Hydrogen Bank therefore contributes to the spread of cleaner fuels, which will contribute to the decarbonisation of European industry. The renewable hydrogen they produce will be used in industries such as steel, chemicals, shipping and fertilizers. (More on ec.europa.eu)

The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in its judgment in the case Verein KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz and others v. Switzerland  decided that Switzerland had not acted sufficiently in the field of mitigating climate change. This exposed the Swiss elderly female applicants to the risk of climate damage, especially heatstroke, and violated their Article 8 right to home and family life.

The Court ruled that states are obliged under Article 8 to have in place an appropriate climate management system consisting of a binding national regulatory framework and adequate follow-up implementation (549-550). Climate targets must form an "integral part" of this framework, and mitigation policy measures will then be used to meet them (549). According to the Court, states have a large degree of discretion in relation to these measures or means, but less in relation to the aims and objectives embodied in the objectives (543, 549). (Chris Hilson, Oliver Geden, more at ejiltalk.org)

A recent publication in Journal of Remote Sensing , published on April 12, 2024, delves into how vegetation canopies affect light absorption in different ways, a key aspect for understanding photosynthesis and climate interactions.

For the study, using the large-scale Data and Image Simulation Framework (LESS) advanced large-scale model within the Radiant Transfer Model Intercomparison (RAMI)-V model, the team carefully calculated CIs across different viewpoints and vegetation types, such as such as coniferous and deciduous forests. This index measures how the leaves in the canopy are grouped, which affects the passage of light through the canopy. (Chinese Academy of Sciences, more at phys.org)

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When mysterious explosions damaged the Nord Stream gas pipeline between Russia and Germany in 2022, the resulting methane leaks were so large they could be seen from space. And for one company, they were particularly noteworthy: They helped demonstrate its technology for detecting emissions via satellite. GHGSat, which operates the largest collection of greenhouse gas monitoring satellites, has already developed the ability to detect methane leaks at sea because the gas has a much greater warming power than carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. (Peter Barber, more at ft. com)

In an era in which climate change is increasingly becoming a matter of global urgency, understanding its dynamics and causes is fundamental to effectively addressing the challenges ahead. A key element in this field of study is analysis historical climate variations in order to better understand the mechanisms that determine changes in the Earth's climate. A study published in the scientific journal Science recently shed new light on this topic, based on an innovative approach that uses ice core samples taken from the area Greenland. (LEANDRA FONTANA, more at tempoitalia.it)

Scientists from the University of Bristol have made a major breakthrough in understanding how certain viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, spread through the air. The findings show that carbon dioxide (CO2) levels play a critical role in the lifespan and transmission of airborne viruses.

CO2 increases the lifespan of the virus

Viruses are known to spread through small droplets that are released when you breathe, sneeze or cough. These droplets transmit viruses from one person to another through the air. However, recent research is investigating how the chemical composition of the droplets affects the lifespan of the virus. (Sanjana Gajbhiye, more at earth.com)

Travelers have had plenty of weather surprises this summer, from wildfires in Europe to knee-deep mud at Burning Man. It was indeed the hottest summer on record worldwide, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service.

"The dog days of summer are not just about barking, but also about biting," United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said in a prepared statement released on September 6.

“Our planet has just experienced a period of suffocation – the hottest summer on record. The climate disturbance has begun.'

Changing weather patterns raise questions about where, when, how and if tourists will travel.

For example, does it still make sense to visit Italy in July, despite the high temperatures, heavy crowds and minimal air conditioning? Or should the "peak" of the travel season be moved to the more hospitable autumn or spring months?

Tourism destinations are beginning to notice – and fear – the toll that climate change could take on this huge industry. (More on borneobulletin.com)

G7 ministers will meet in Turin today for talks on the environment and climate change, with experts urging highly industrialized nations to use their political influence, wealth and technology to end fossil fuel use.

The Group of Seven meeting in the northern Italian city is the first major political meeting since the world pledged to transition away from coal, oil and gas at the UN climate summit COP28 in December.

That's according to a new report from the Global Climate Institute, which shows the G7 is falling far short of its goals.

Hundreds of protesters demonstrated in Turin on Sunday, several burning photos of G7 leaders, accusing them of failing future generations on the climate crisis. (More on france24.com)

The loss of critical ecosystems will have a serious impact on the economy through reduced food and energy security; damage to assets such as real estate, arable land and infrastructure; and health risks that impair household productivity. Financial and macroeconomic policy makers such as central banks and financial supervisory authorities as well as ministries of finance must prioritize these ecosystems when assessing nature-related risks. A new policy report from the UCL Global Systems Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose at the University of Exeter explores  ecosystem tipping points (ETPs) and their implications for macroeconomic and financial policy makers who need to manage nature-related risks . (More on wwf.panda.org)

Climate change is causing Europe to warm faster than any other continent – ​​and twice as fast as the global average – with recent studies warning of growing threats to food, water and energy security, human health, the economy and nature. What makes this continent more vulnerable than others?

The latest five-year averages show that temperatures in Europe are now 2.3°C above pre-industrial levels, compared with 1.3°C globally.

Even in the best case, the European Commission warned that Europe "will have to learn to live with a climate 3 degrees warmer".

With developed infrastructure and resources, Europe may be better equipped to adapt to climate change compared to more vulnerable regions, but it still faces unprecedentedly difficult challenges. (Amanda Morrow with RFI, more at rfi.fr)

Unless greenhouse gas emissions fall dramatically, warming could exceed 2.9°C this century, with catastrophic consequences for life on this planet. UNEP uses a four-pronged approach to solving the climate crisis and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with the Paris Agreement. Organization;

→ provides cutting edge research to support science-based decision-making on climate change

→ he works across sectors to support the transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient future

→ ensures a just transition to a carbon neutral world by enabling communities adapt to changing climate conditions ; a

→ develops sustainable mechanisms to release of funding to help countries mitigate and adapt to climate change. (More on unep.org)

According to the World Biodiversity Council IPBES, land use change (such as conversion of forest to pasture) is considered the most important factor leading to biodiversity change. But scientists disagree about how much biodiversity has changed. To better answer this question, the research team modeled the effects of land-use change on biodiversity in the 20th century. Calculations have shown that global biological diversity could decline by two to eleven percent just because of land-use change. This range covers four measures of biodiversity (global number of species, average number of local species, average habitat size, average community integrity), calculated using seven different models. (KNOWLEDGE NEWS, more at mdr.de)

Climate change is an inexorable reality that requires decisive action by 2050. Scientific evidence points to the fact that the main cause of this phenomenon is the involvement of human activities, especially the use of fossil fuels. Extreme climate events such as record heat waves, floods, violent hailstorms and shocking changes in ecosystems are alarming symptoms of the climate emergency we are facing. It is clear that anthropogenic actions have a devastating impact on our planet. (More on quotidianodiragusa.it)

Supporting climate-smart agriculture can lead to climate change adaptation practices in partnership where farmers' needs are addressed.

"Climate-smart agriculture has the potential to increase sustainable productivity, increase the resilience of agricultural systems to climate impacts, and mitigate climate change through reduced greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration," says Henry Neufeldt, Senior Climate Change Expert at the World Agroforestry Center. (ICRAF).

Agroforestry – growing trees on farms – is one such climate-smart agricultural practice and has huge potential for climate change adaptation and mitigation, as well as providing a source of fuel, food, medicine and supplementing the diets of smallholder farmers. (More on phys.org)

The lionfish invasion of the Mediterranean began about 10 years ago, said Kotrschal, who conducts research at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. The fish come from the warm Indo-Pacific and, according to genetic studies, they reached the Mediterranean Sea via the Red Sea and most probably via the Suez Canal. (More on heute.at)