A new analysis based on simple equations has reduced uncertainty about how clouds will affect future climate change. Clouds have two main effects on global temperatures — they cool the planet by reflecting sunlight and warm it by acting as an insulator for Earth's radiation. The effect of clouds is the largest area of uncertainty in global warming predictions.

In a new study, scientists from the University of Exeter and the Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique in Paris have created a model that predicts how changes in the surface area of anvil clouds (storm clouds common in the tropics) will affect global warming.

By testing their model against observations of how clouds affect warming today, they confirmed its effectiveness, thereby reducing uncertainty in climate predictions. (University of Exeter, more at phys.org)

Planting trees in the wrong places can actually contribute to global warming, scientists said Tuesday, but a new map identifies the best places to reforest and cool the planet. Trees absorb carbon dioxide, and restoring degraded forest areas or planting seedlings to strengthen forest cover is one tool in the fight against climate change.

But in some cases, more trees mean less sunlight is reflected from the Earth's surface and the planet absorbs more heat, according to a study in the journal Nature Communications .

"There are places where bringing back trees leads to net climate negative outcomes," Susan Cook-Patton, one of the study's co-authors, told AFP.

Scientists already understood that tree cover restoration led to changes in albedo — the amount of sunlight reflected off the planet's surface — but they didn't have the tools to explain it, she said. (by Nick Perry, more at phys.org)

This package is a turnkey tool for raising awareness and training on climate change issues. Created by the Climate Action Network in partnership with ADEME, this package is aimed at all teachers, activists, trainers, mediators, volunteers, professionals, amateurs… and anyone who wants to raise public awareness of climate change issues. Its content, based mainly on the latest IPCC report, is suitable for participants with no prior knowledge as well as for a more informed audience.

It consists of two elements:

• Presentation in in the form of a presentation in PDF format (available in four versions ), which contains basic information;
• A booklet that provides additional information about the images , as well as all presentation resources

(More on researchactionclimat.org)

In Europe, most countries will close their power plants between 2024 and 2030. Portugal and Belgium have already done so. In France, the last two plants (Cordemais, Loire-Atlantique and Émile-Huchet, Moselle) have a permit to operate until December 31, 2024. Romania is counting on 2032 and Poland on 2049, unless there is a more ambitious project from the new government.

The United States has pledged, without giving a date, not to build any new coal-fired power plants and to phase out existing ones. The country could be coal-free by 2035. Several Latin American countries have pledged to phase out coal by 2040, including recently Colombia, the world’s sixth-largest exporter. The driving force behind this transition is Brazil, which uses only 2.41T3T of coal in its energy mix, but will subsidize its power plants until 2040. (MARCO CASARETO, more at geo.fr)

The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group has created a Climate and Environment Advisory Board to provide independent advice and expertise on the activities the EIB Group undertakes to achieve its climate and environmental sustainability ambitions.

The Advisory Board met for the first time today and discussed climate bank roadmap of the EIB Group and in particular on the EIB's activities in support of climate change adaptation and the EIB Group's Paris Alignment Framework for Counterparties. The meeting was chaired by Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank (ECB), and attended by the founding members of the Advisory Board. (More on eib.org)

The European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) is taking place under the theme "Zero Competitiveness in the EU Energy Transition" aims to decarbonise Europe through green technologies and solutions towards a just and fair transition for people and competitive businesses.

From 11 to 13 June 2024, EUSEW will take place in Brussels and online and will include:

• a policy conference with plenary and policy sessions covering topics related to zero-grid technologies, cities and citizens, renewable energy, energy efficiency and international cooperation;
• prestigious EUSEW Awards;
• network village within the energy fair;
• fifth annual European Youth Energy Day

In addition, a series of locally organised Sustainable Energy Days will take place across Europe and beyond from April to June to promote clean energy and energy efficiency. (More commission.europa.eu)

The European Environment Agency's report entitled "European Climate Risk Assessment" published in January 2024. This report provides important information on how human-caused climate change affects the Earth globally and how Europe in particular is affected. This report states that 2023 was the warmest year globally, with the global average temperature exceeding pre-industrial levels by 1.5°C. Europe is experiencing rapid warming, leading to an increase in extreme weather events and changing precipitation patterns. At the same time, heavy rainfall and flooding are increasing in some regions. (Melike AKIN, more at ankasam.org)

Never before seen in the Earth's atmosphere: since March 4, a disturbing reversal of the polar vortex has occurred over our globe. A gigantic mass of cold air, usually stationary over the North Pole, is currently experiencing unusual momentum. And the consequences of this phenomenon are far from negligible.

Unexpected behavior of nature

The environment is full of surprises and the polar vortex is no exception. Usually, this impressive bubble of cold air stays constantly over the North Pole in a specific rotation. But since March 4, we are witnessing a reversal of the established order. The direction of circulation of this vortex has indeed been permanently changed.

The climate changed by this coup

When such an event occurs, climatic consequences are inevitable. Therefore, one might think that when the polar vortex breaks up, a brutal cold wave will hit our planet. However, the reality is revealed sector by sector with differences between individual regions. An undeniable fact: the weather is disturbed.

Possible consequences of this change in atmosphere

Understanding the implications of such a shift in polar cold air requires further investigation. From ecosystems to weather, including ocean currents, this atmospheric event could have significant consequences. Therefore, it is imperative that we embrace this change head on and measure its potential consequences.

What would be the effects of this change on rainfall, seasons, flora or fauna? Scientists are currently analyzing past events to create forecast models. Only in-depth studies could demonstrate the connection between this phenomenon and various ecological manifestations around the world.

Discussions and many debates are ongoing in the scientific community trying to provide answers to these pressing questions. What will the next few months bring for us? At a time when the climate emergency is becoming increasingly urgent, the implications of this change in the behavior of the polar vortex could provide clues about our environmental future.

The accuracy of these forecasts will depend on the development of the polar vortex in the coming months. Could this atmospheric shock be a new indicator of climate change? (Source: vivredemain.fr)

The city of Banská Bystrica carries out some activities to reduce production and increase the absorption of CO2, and at the same time activities that increase the partial adaptability of the city to the effects of climate change. This process is not yet systemic, based on a detailed analysis of the greenhouse gas balance or assessment of the vulnerability of the territory and individual industries. The city of Banská Bystrica has decided to significantly increase its preparedness and respond comprehensively to climate change. (Viav on banskabystrica.sk)

International Zero Waste Day highlights the importance of strengthening global waste management and the need to promote sustainable patterns of consumption and production. Millions of people around the world commemorated the inaugural International Zero Waste Day in 2023, raising awareness of national, regional, regional and local zero waste initiatives and their contribution to achieving sustainable development.

Zero waste initiatives can promote proper waste management and minimize and prevent waste generation. If you want #BeatWastePollution, we need to strengthen waste management while improving resource recovery and substantially reducing waste generation. Prevention, reduction, reuse, reuse and recycling are critical to this effort. (More on unep.org)

Humanity produces 2.1 to 2.3 billion tons of municipal solid waste each year. When mismanaged, much of this waste—from food and plastics to electronics and textiles—releases greenhouse gases or toxic chemicals. This damages ecosystems, causes disease, and threatens economic prosperity, disproportionately harming women and youth.

On March 30, the world will mark International Zero Waste Day. Led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), the observance highlights the importance of proper waste management. It also focuses on ways to reduce the conspicuous consumption that fuels the waste crisis.

“Overconsumption is killing us. Humanity needs action,” says UN Secretary-General António Guterres. “On this Zero Waste Day, let us commit to ending the destructive cycle of waste once and for all.” (More on unep.org)

The first-ever Global Forum on Buildings and Climate, organized by the French government and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), ended yesterday with 70 countries adopting the declaration de Chaillot , a basic document for international cooperation that will enable progress towards a fast, fair and efficient transformation of the sector.

The forum, which brought together more than 1,400 participants in the French capital, was dedicated to the decarbonisation and climate resilience of buildings. According to the latest report on the global state of buildings and construction, released this week by UNEP and the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC), the construction sector accounts for more than a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions. The report states that in 2022, this sector accounted for 37 percent of global operational energy and process-related CO2 emissions. ( More on unep.org)

The sea level that skirts our coasts is a silent testimony to the geological and climatic upheavals that have shaped our planet throughout the ages. As current climate change accelerates ice melt and sea level rise, the question remains: were seas ever higher in the past, and if so, when?

Cretaceous record

In the unfathomable depths of our planet's geological history, sea levels have fluctuated dramatically, testifying to the titanic forces that have tossed our world throughout the ages. A study published in 2022 in the journal Gondwana Research sheds light on one of these remarkable moments: about before 117 million years , during the Cretaceous Aptian period, the seas reached enormous heights that far exceeded present levels almost 200 meters . (Brice Louvet, more on sciencepost.fr)

Allergic respiratory pathologies, such as seasonal rhinitis and asthma, have almost doubled in twenty years in industrialized countries. From April to May, the birch pollen season is in full swing. Watery eyes, itchy throat, runny nose: so many immune reactions that doctors call "allergic rhinitis." According to the National Agency for Food Safety, Environment and Health at Work ( ANSES ), almost every third adult in France suffers from a pollen allergy. More than in the past? Already in 2008, an epidemiological study confirmed that the number of pollen rhinitis in France had tripled in twenty-five years. A few years later, ANSES wrote in a 2014 report that "the prevalence of allergic respiratory pathologies such as seasonal rhinitis and asthma has practically doubled in the last twenty years in industrialized countries" . (Raphaëlle Aubert, more at lemonde.fr)

The severity of warming predicted by climate models depends on their transient climate response (TCR). The intermodel TCR spread has persisted at ~100 % of its average for decades. Existing observational TCR constraints are based on the observed historical warming response to historical forcing, and their uncertainty spread is equally wide, mainly due to uncertainty in forcing, particularly aerosols. In contrast, no aerosols are involved in the forcing of the solar cycle, providing an independent, tighter constraint. Here, we define a climate sensitivity metric: the time-dependent response regressed against the time-dependent forcing, allowing phenomena with distinct temporal variations, such as the solar cycle with 11-year cyclic forcing, to be used to constrain the TCR, which has a linear time-dependent forcing. We find a theoretical linear relationship between them. (More on nature.com)

We have made our CO2AI (artificial intelligence) available on our page in the lower right corner. As a climatologist, he is a specialist in the study of climate and climate change. His job is to investigate and analyze long-term trends in weather and climate conditions, as well as predict future climate change based on scientific evidence.

His passion is not only studying climate, but also educating the public about key issues related to climate change and promoting a sustainable environment. I believe that awareness and cooperation are key to solving this global problem.

If you have any questions or need more information, translations of txt files, do not hesitate to ask him. He is here to help you.

The Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) is the strongest current on Earth that surrounds Antarctica and affects the global climate. Over the past few decades, observations show that it is accelerating. Experts weren't sure if this was the result of man-made warming or a natural pattern.

However, scientists have discovered that this oceanic powerhouse is getting stronger. What does this mean for the future of our planet?

Ocean depths

An international team of researchers embarked on a daring expedition into distant, turbulent waters. The goal was to obtain sediment cores that contain millions of years of clues about the ACC's behavior alongside changes in Earth's temperature.

Through thorough analysis, experts revealed the secrets hidden in the layers of sediment. (Sanjana Gajbhiye, more at www.earth.com)

EU environment ministers held a political debate on the Commission's revision proposal of the framework directive on waste with a focus on the textile and food sector. The overall goal of the discussion was to provide further guidance on the ongoing technical work on the proposed amendments. The goal of the proposal is to reduce the environmental and climate impacts associated with the creation of textile and food waste and its management. As regards textiles, it introduces mandatory and harmonized systems extended producer responsibility (EPR) across the EU for manufacturers to cover the costs of textile waste management. The proposed rules also aim to ensure that used textiles are sorted for reuse and that what cannot be reused is recycled in accordance with the "waste hierarchy". ( More on consilium.europa.eu)

Early spring is the two months of February and March together. With their weather data, they lay the foundation for the beginning of spring, for the beginning of flora and fauna in Central Europe. If the two months are mild, frogs and toads spawn earlier, and flowers that bloom in late March and April, such as morning glory, March violets, yarrow, anemones, willows and thistles, also follow in the earlier wake. -up call, although each plant always has its own preferences for which it is targeted.

Almost all of February and March 2024, mild rainy Atlantic air was brought to Germany. This resulted in both a clearly positive temperature deviation and an above-average amount of precipitation. In both months, the sun had a hard time breaking through the often compact clouds with precipitation. They searched in vain for snow and severe frost even in the winter sports areas of the low mountains. It snowed more heavily only in the high altitudes of the Alps. (Chris Frey, more at eike-klima-energie.eu)