Wednesday, January 28News That Matters

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Russia’s Massive Flood Crisis: A Wake-Up Call for Climate Preparedness

Russia’s Massive Flood Crisis: A Wake-Up Call for Climate Preparedness

Breaking News, Disasters
As floodwaters inundate vast regions of Russia, leaving homes submerged, infrastructure damaged, and lives disrupted, the nation faces one of its most severe environmental crises in recent memory. The catastrophic flooding, which has affected areas from the Urals and western Siberia to the Far East Khabarovsk region, underscores the urgent need for enhanced climate preparedness and adaptation measures in the face of escalating climate change impacts. The scale of the disaster is staggering. Entire settlements have been plunged underwater, with thousands forced to evacuate their homes. In Orenburg, a regional capital near the border with Kazakhstan, residents have been grappling with rising water levels, anxiously monitoring the Ural River's relentless surge. High-rise buildings and cott...
Avalanche from Mt Manaslu Causes Overflow of Birendra Lake in Nepal

Avalanche from Mt Manaslu Causes Overflow of Birendra Lake in Nepal

Breaking News, Disasters
Nepal's Birendra Lake, nestled below the towering slopes of Mt Manaslu, recently experienced a dramatic surge in water levels after being struck by a massive avalanche on Sunday morning. The avalanche, cascading down from the heights of Mt Manaslu, triggered an overflow of Birendra Lake, raising concerns about potential flooding downstream. Fortunately, there have been no reports of damage or casualties thus far, as the site of the overflow is located away from human settlements. However, officials have issued precautionary notices to residents living in downstream areas along the river to remain vigilant and prepared for any potential ramifications of the heightened water flow. Narayan Prasad Bhattarai, spokesperson for the Home Ministry, emphasized the need for residents near the a...
Climate Change to Shrink Global GDP by Almost a Fifth by 2050, Study Warns

Climate Change to Shrink Global GDP by Almost a Fifth by 2050, Study Warns

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
In a stark warning, researchers revealed on Wednesday that climate change caused by carbon dioxide emissions already present in the atmosphere will lead to a substantial contraction of global GDP by 2050, amounting to nearly US$38 trillion, or almost a fifth of the total. Published in the journal Nature, the study underscores the urgent need for aggressive carbon emission reduction efforts to mitigate the economic fallout. Even under the most aggressive emission reduction scenarios, the researchers caution that significant economic losses are inevitable. The study predicts that economic repercussions from climate change could escalate to tens of trillions of dollars annually by 2100 if global warming exceeds two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. With Earth's average surfac...
Antarctic Ice Shelf Reveals Daily Movement Triggered by Elastic Waves from Whillans Ice Stream

Antarctic Ice Shelf Reveals Daily Movement Triggered by Elastic Waves from Whillans Ice Stream

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
In a fascinating revelation, researchers studying the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica have uncovered a phenomenon where elastic waves cause the entire sheet to lurch forward once or twice a day. This unexpected discovery sheds light on the dynamic nature of ice shelves and their response to changing environmental conditions. The Ross Ice Shelf, the largest in Antarctica and roughly the size of France, experiences these significant movements triggered by the Whillans Ice Stream, a fast-flowing belt of ice in the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Geophysicist Doug Wiens from Washington University in St. Louis explains that the entire shelf suddenly moves about 6 to 8 centimeters (2.4 to 3.1 inches) due to a slip on the ice stream that flows into it. These slip events, akin to movements along faul...
Mount Erebus Unveils its Hidden Treasure: Daily Eruption Reveals a Golden Windfall in the Antarctic Skies

Mount Erebus Unveils its Hidden Treasure: Daily Eruption Reveals a Golden Windfall in the Antarctic Skies

Breaking News, Climate Actions
Mount Erebus, Antarctica's Active Volcano, Discovered Emitting Valuable Gold Dust into the Atmosphere, Unveiling a Daily Treasure Trove Worth Thousands of Dollars, Reports New York Post. Recent Findings Illuminate the Geological Phenomenon of Mount Erebus, Disclosing its Daily Contribution of Approximately 80 Grams of Crystallized Gold, Valued at Almost $6,000 (Rs 5 lakh), Revealed Through Astonishing Atmospheric Dispersion. NASA's Earth Observatory Observes Mount Erebus' Unique Geological Activity, Evidencing Regular Emissions of Gas, Steam, and Occasional Rock Fragments, Attributed to its Strategic Position Above a Thin Crust, Facilitating the Upward Movement of Molten Rock from Earth's Interior. Conor Bacon, Researcher from Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia Universit...
Heavy Rains and Lightning Kill Dozens Across Pakistan, Triggering State of Emergency

Heavy Rains and Lightning Kill Dozens Across Pakistan, Triggering State of Emergency

Breaking News, Disasters
Lightning and heavy rains have claimed the lives of at least 49 people across Pakistan in the past three days, officials announced on Monday. The devastating weather conditions prompted authorities in the country’s southwest to declare a state of emergency. Reports indicate that several deaths occurred when lightning struck farmers who were out harvesting wheat. Additionally, heavy rains led to the collapse of dozens of houses in the northwest and eastern Punjab province. Arfan Kathia, a spokesman for the provincial disaster management authority, revealed that 21 people lost their lives in Punjab, where further rains are expected in the coming week. Khursheed Anwar, another spokesman for the disaster management authority, confirmed that 21 people died in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkh...
Ruang Volcano Eruptions Prompt Evacuation of Hundreds in North Sulawesi

Ruang Volcano Eruptions Prompt Evacuation of Hundreds in North Sulawesi

Breaking News, Disasters
Amidst multiple eruptions of Indonesia's Ruang volcano, located in North Sulawesi province, at least 800 individuals have been evacuated from the area, revealed the country's volcanology agency on Wednesday. Situated on Ruang Island approximately 100 km (62 miles) from the provincial capital Manado, the volcano has unleashed its fury in several eruptions since Tuesday, prompting authorities to escalate the alert level to the second highest. The eruptions, triggered by recent earthquakes on the island, have led to the emission of hazardous and "explosive hot clouds" reaching heights of up to 1.8 km (1.1 miles) into the sky, as confirmed by Heruningtyas Desi Purnamasari, an official at Indonesia's Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG). "To ensure safety, we...
Water Crisis Looms as Rivers Run Dry and Reservoirs Dwindle Across India

Water Crisis Looms as Rivers Run Dry and Reservoirs Dwindle Across India

Breaking News, Climate Actions
An alarming water crisis is unfolding across India as rivers run dry and reservoirs reach critically low levels. According to data released by the Central Water Commission (CWC), at least 13 east-flowing rivers between Mahanadi and Pennar currently have no water. These rivers, including Rushikulya, Bahuda, and Vamsadhara, play a crucial role in supplying water for irrigation and domestic consumption in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Odisha. The storage in the basin has witnessed a continuous decline, with the current storage standing at zero. Last year, the storage was 32.28 per cent of the basin's capacity, highlighting the severity of the current situation. Furthermore, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have experienced large rainfall deficits since March 1, exacerbating the water scarcity...
Strong Earthquake Strikes Taiwan: Fear of Casualties and Tsunamis

Strong Earthquake Strikes Taiwan: Fear of Casualties and Tsunamis

Breaking News, Disasters
Taiwan has been rattled by a powerful earthquake, triggering concerns of people being trapped in collapsed buildings and causing disruptions to electricity supply and train services. A tsunami alert has been issued for Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines in the wake of the seismic activity. The earthquake, registering a magnitude of 7.2 on the Richter scale, jolted Taiwan's capital, Taipei, inflicting widespread destruction and power outages. Train operations were halted across the country, exacerbating the chaos following the tremors. Beyond Taiwan's borders, the earthquake led to a tsunami hitting two islands of Japan. Initial reports confirm four fatalities in Taiwan, with over fifty individuals sustaining injuries. However, authorities anticipate these numbers to rise as the situa...
Second 6.1 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Japan’s Hokkaido in Over a Month

Second 6.1 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Japan’s Hokkaido in Over a Month

Breaking News, Disasters
Japan's Hokkaido region was struck by a 6.1 magnitude earthquake on Tuesday, marking the second occurrence of a quake of similar intensity in just over a month. The seismic event occurred at 6:18 pm local time (0918 GMT) at a depth of 20 kilometers (12 miles), as reported by the Japan Meteorological Agency. While a magnitude of 6.1 on the Richter scale typically poses a risk of damage in densely populated areas, Japanese media outlets have not yet reported any casualties or significant destruction. As of now, no tsunami warning has been issued following the quake. This recent earthquake follows a similar event that shook Japan's northern island of Hokkaido on February 25, further highlighting the region's vulnerability to seismic activity. Earlier this month, Japan faced another s...