Breaking News Archives - Page 254 of 291

Oct262024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Hauts-de-France Region Strengthens Climate Resilience Strategy with European Peer Review

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

The Policy Learning Platform hosted a peer review in the Hauts-de-France Region to address their critical policy challenges in enhancing climate resilience, particularly against floods and droughts. Seeking expert insights, the region welcomed recommendations from peers across Europe on governance strategies, conflict mitigation between rural and urban areas, and the use of nature-based solutions. Key Topics Explored in the Peer Review: Governance Strategies: A long-term, strategic approach is essential, moving beyond reactive, event-based policies. Policies should be informed by science and expertise. Effective climate risk governance must be holistic, cutting across silos to involve all levels of government and stakeholders. Building collaborative networks with farmers a...

Oct262024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Hurricanes and Wildfires: How Storms Increase Fire Risk in Pine Forests and Beyond Warns NC State Expert

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters

Hurricanes often known for their powerful winds and rain, also create conditions that can increase wildfire risk, especially in regions populated by pine trees. According to Robert Scheller, a professor of forestry and environmental resources at NC State, hurricane-force winds can knock down trees and scatter needles, leaves, and branches, leaving behind “fuel” that can later ignite. Pine trees, common in areas like the southeastern U.S., pose a higher wildfire risk due to their flammable resin-filled needles, which decompose slowly, Scheller explained. After a storm, the abundance of dead pine needles and branches on the forest floor creates a phenomenon called fuel loading, where high amounts of combustible material in one area heighten the potential intensity of wildfires. For instan...

Oct252024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Cyclone Dana Hits India’s East Coast Massive Evacuations and Restoration Efforts Underway

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters

Cyclone Dana, which struck India’s eastern coast late Thursday night, brought heavy rains and fierce winds, impacting daily life in Odisha and West Bengal. With extensive civic disruptions, damage to crops, and uprooted trees, over 700,000 residents have been evacuated to shelters in anticipation of the cyclone’s severe effects. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi praised the state’s successful ‘Zero Casualty’ mission, confirming no fatalities were reported. Here's a concise update on Cyclone Dana’s impact and recovery efforts: •Cyclone Dana’s landfall started just after midnight and continued for nearly 10 hours, heavily impacting Odisha and West Bengal coasts. •In Odisha, close to 600,000 people were evacuated, including 6,000 pregnant women moved to health facilities. •Restor...

Oct252024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

UN Report World Stalls on 1.5°C Climate Target, Greenhouse Gas Emissions Surge in 2023

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters, Environment

The latest United Nations report on climate action reveals alarming findings for 2023, showing that the world has made no progress in curbing temperature rise to the critical 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Instead, global greenhouse gas emissions rose by 1.3% compared to 2022, signaling a widening gap between current climate policies and the ambitious goals set under the Paris Agreement. The annual Emissions Gap Report 2024, published by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), highlights that despite international pledges, there has been no significant shift in policy implementation to meet the 2030 nationally determined contributions (NDCs). These NDCs, updated every five years, are part of a global effort to limit warming to well below 2°C, with a strong push for the 1.5°C target. ...

Oct242024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Cyclone Dana Approaches Odisha and West Bengal: Heavy Rainfall and Evacuations Underway

Breaking News, Disasters

Cyclone Dana is inching closer to the coast of Odisha and West Bengal, bringing with it heavy rainfall and high-speed winds, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The cyclone, which has intensified into a severe cyclonic storm, is expected to make landfall between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra Port in Odisha early Friday, with wind speeds of up to 120 kilometres per hour (kmph). The storm is currently positioned 280 km southeast of Paradip (Odisha) and 370 km south-southeast of Sagar Island (West Bengal) as of Thursday morning. Several districts in both states, including Kolkata, are already experiencing moderate to heavy rainfall as the cyclone approaches. Heavy Rainfall and Wind Alerts The IMD has issued warnings of gale winds reaching speeds of 90-100 ...

Oct242024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Formation of School Safety Committees: Purpose, Leadership, and Agency

Breaking News, Disasters, Idea & Innovations

At Rubens de Castro Bomtempo Municipal School, the alarm sounds, and the students spring into action, executing a well-rehearsed school evacuation. Guided by their own School Safety Committees, they quickly organize and lead the evacuation, ensuring safety for all. This efficient response is part of a larger initiative in Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, where schools are integral to community-based risk management. The students and staff of 51 "Resilient Schools" across the municipality have taken up the challenge of identifying risks, preparing for emergencies, and responding to crises, such as the landslides and floods that frequently hit their region. Petrópolis, located in the mountainous southeastern region of Brazil, is notorious for its high number of socio-environmental disasters. G...

Oct232024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Scientists Explore Diamonds in the Sky Could Nanoparticles Help Cool the Planet?

Breaking News, Idea & Innovations

Diamonds Heist movies are seldom about solving climate change, and for a good reason. Nobody wants to hear a voice murmur from the back seat as George Clooney tears down the highway with a dump truck full of stolen diamonds, "Hey, let's crush these sparkle-puppies into powder and scatter them through the stratosphere to cool the planet." However, a team of researchers, led by climate scientist Sandro Vattioni from ETH Zurich in Switzerland, have done the math on which materials would be most suitable for a stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) method of global cooling, concluding that a few hundred trillion dollars' worth of diamond nanoparticles could be a viable solution. Before you start looking for a wise-cracking safe-cracker, a silent contortionist, and a wily femme fatale to c...

Oct232024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Tibetan Plateau How High Altitude Adaptations Help People Thrive in Low Oxygen Conditions

Breaking News, Environment, Fact Check

A recent study reveals that Tibetan communities have evolved unique physiological adaptations over more than 10,000 years, enabling them to survive and flourish in the harsh, oxygen-poor environment of the Tibetan Plateau. This discovery highlights how human evolution continues to respond to challenging living conditions. The research, led by Cynthia Beall, University Professor Emerita at Case Western Reserve University, was published on October 21 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). It explores how Tibetan women have evolved to improve their reproductive success despite the low oxygen levels at high altitudes, a condition known as hypoxia, which affects most people living at such elevations. “Adaptation to high-altitude hypoxia is fascinating because the s...

Oct232024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Bengaluru Building Collapse Death Toll Rises to Five as Rescue Efforts Continue Amid Heavy Rainfall

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters, Environment

The death toll from the under construction building collapse in Bengaluru Agara area rose to five on Wednesday morning as heavy rains battered the city, complicating rescue efforts. Rescue teams, including a dog squad, worked relentlessly to clear debris and search for the remaining trapped individuals. So far, 13 people have been rescued and five others are injured. The building, which collapsed on Tuesday afternoon, had around 20 people inside at the time of the incident. Rescue operations resumed early Wednesday despite persistent rain, with authorities racing against time to find any survivors. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who visited the site late Tuesday, confirmed that the building was being constructed illegally and vowed strict action against the culprits. ...

Oct192024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Crucial Climate Processes Weaken as CO2 Absorption by Trees Collapses, Study Reveals

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters

The natural processes that help regulate Earth’s temperature are showing signs of alarming decline, according to a recent study that reports a sharp drop in the ability of trees and land to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2). In 2023, almost no CO2 was absorbed by forests and other land-based ecosystems, one of the planet’s crucial mechanisms for cooling the atmosphere. The weakening of these carbon sinks raises concerns over the increasing impact of climate change. The study, titled "Low Latency Carbon Budget Analysis Reveals a Large Decline of the Land Carbon Sink in 2023," highlights a record-breaking rise in CO2 levels. It recorded an unprecedented CO2 growth rate of 3.37 parts per million (PPM) at Hawaii’s Mauna Loa Observatory, marking an 86% increase compared to the previous year and th...