Wednesday, June 3News That Matters

Climate Actions

Greenland Melting Ice And Landslide-Prone Fjords Pose Threats to Donald Trump Resource Aspirations

Greenland Melting Ice And Landslide-Prone Fjords Pose Threats to Donald Trump Resource Aspirations

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters
Donald Trump has reignited his ambition to take control of Greenland. Trump has declared that the U.S. should claim the island autonomous territory of Denmark by diplomatic means or potentially by force. At a recent congressional hearing the island vast natural resources critical minerals, fossil fuels, and hydropower were highlighted. Experts did not discuss the significant environmental hazards that resource extraction would face exacerbated by human-induced climate change. Extreme Climate and Challenging Landscape Greenland covered by an ice sheet up to two miles thick and home to about 56,000 people in frigid climate. Much of its coast remains frozen for large parts of the year. Historically Greenland climate has defeated numerous military and colonial efforts. During World War I...
Arctic Marine Mammals Facing High Mortality, Low Reproduction Due to Marine Heatwaves

Arctic Marine Mammals Facing High Mortality, Low Reproduction Due to Marine Heatwaves

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters
Marine mammals in the Arctic and Subarctic are suffering from increased mortality, reduced reproduction rates, and heightened vulnerability to disease due to marine heatwaves (MHWs), according to a new study. MHWs are periods of significantly elevated sea temperatures lasting from days to years, and the Arctic Ocean is predicted to be a future hotspot for such events. These temperature spikes can cover vast areas, ranging from a few kilometers to thousands. The study analyzed MHWs in the Bering and Barents Seas key pathways to the Arctic Ocean focusing on the 2017-2019 MHWs in the Bering and Chukchi Seas and the infamous 2014-2016 "Blob" in the northeast Pacific. Marine mammals like whales and sea lions often show delayed responses to MHWs due to their higher mobility and blubber ...
Climate Action Ramps Up as PAGASA Leads Early Warning Innovations

Climate Action Ramps Up as PAGASA Leads Early Warning Innovations

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Idea & Innovations
As climate change intensifies the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, global and state organizations are accelerating efforts to protect vulnerable regions. For the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), early warning systems are seen as vital tools to save lives and reduce economic losses. Cyrille Honore, Director of the Disaster Risk Reduction Office at WMO, highlighted the UN’s Early Warning for All initiative, aiming to ensure global access to early warning systems by 2027. These systems monitor hazards, assess risks, and communicate warnings to help communities take action before disasters strike. Honore spoke during the 57th session of the Typhoon Committee, held in Manila from February 17 to 20. The intergovernmental body, established in 1968, promotes disaster...
Australians Face Death Risk in Heatwaves: Study Reveals Cities as Hotspots for Extreme Temperature & HVI

Australians Face Death Risk in Heatwaves: Study Reveals Cities as Hotspots for Extreme Temperature & HVI

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters
A groundbreaking study conducted by researchers from the University of Queensland and Griffith University has revealed that urban residents in Australia face a significantly higher risk of death during heatwaves compared to their rural counterparts. The research, published in the Environmental Impact Assessment Review in March 2025, examined two decades of temperature and mortality data across Australia’s major cities, including Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Hobart, Perth, and Darwin. The study utilized the Heatwave Vulnerability Index (HVI) to identify regions most susceptible to heatwave-related fatalities. Even during mild heatwaves, there was a notable correlation between deaths and HVI scores in Australia’s capital cities. The far north and southern regions of Western Aust...
Gwadar School Tsunami Drill Teaches Life-Saving Skills, Inspires Community Preparedness

Gwadar School Tsunami Drill Teaches Life-Saving Skills, Inspires Community Preparedness

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
Gwadar, Pakistan – The usual morning buzz at Government Girls High School Gwadar and Government Boys High School Gwadar Jadeed took on a new urgency as a loud siren pierced the air. On World Tsunami Awareness Day, over 300 students took part in a life-saving exercise a tsunami evacuation drill organized by UNESCO and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Balochistan. The drill aimed to prepare students for the rapid response needed during a tsunami. Eight-year-old Ayesha, clutching her backpack tightly, shared her newfound confidence: “I learned how to run to higher ground and help my friends. Now, I know what to do if there’s a tsunami.” Pakistan’s coastline, especially along the Makran Subduction Zone in the Arabian Sea, is highly vulnerable to tsunamis. The 1945 Makr...
Burundi Faces Rising Challenges as Climate Disasters Magnify Vulnerabilities

Burundi Faces Rising Challenges as Climate Disasters Magnify Vulnerabilities

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters, Fact Check
In April 2024, torrential rains in southwestern Burundi triggered a devastating landslide in Gabaniro village, Rumonge province. Nearly 500 homes were flattened, one child was killed, and 2,500 residents were left homeless. Alongside the tragic loss of life, 500 hectares of cropland were destroyed, threatening livelihoods in one of the country’s most vulnerable regions. Survivors are struggling to recover from the disaster. Evangélique Hatungimana, a resident of Gabaniro, recalled the terror of the event. "We have been living in constant fear since witnessing something we never thought possible," she told Dialogue Earth. In nearby Mubone, Christine Tuyisenge’s home now bears deep cracks from the flooding. "When it rains, I take my children and leave the house for fear it will be swept a...
Sargasso Sea: Earth’s Only Sea Without Shores Faces Climate Crisis

Sargasso Sea: Earth’s Only Sea Without Shores Faces Climate Crisis

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
The Sargasso Sea, located in the North Atlantic Ocean, is the only sea in the world that doesn’t touch any land. It is defined by four ocean currents the North Atlantic Current, Canary Current, North Atlantic Equatorial Current, and Antilles Current forming a natural boundary rather than a coastline. Instead of sandy shores, the sea is blanketed by large mats of Sargassum seaweed, giving it a distinctive appearance. This seaweed has been washing up on the shores of North America and the Caribbean, but out in the open sea, it serves as a haven for marine life. The Sargasso Sea Commission highlights the region’s ecological importance, noting it provides breeding grounds for endangered eels and migratory paths for species like sperm and humpback whales, tuna, and turtles. Historically a...
Environmental Groups Urge IMO to Ditch Biofuels, Warn of Deforestation Risks

Environmental Groups Urge IMO to Ditch Biofuels, Warn of Deforestation Risks

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
Environmental organizations are pressing the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to reject biofuels as a low-carbon option for the shipping industry, arguing that their expanded use could worsen deforestation, land grabbing, and climate change. Biofuelwatch and the Global Forest Coalition (GFC), along with 65 other groups, submitted an open letter ahead of the IMO’s upcoming discussions on low-carbon fuel standards. The letter warned that biofuel expansion, particularly in the Global South, poses significant environmental and social threats. It also called for stricter sustainability criteria to prevent the negative impacts of biofuel production. Brazil, the world’s second-largest biofuel producer, has emerged as a vocal supporter of biofuels in the shipping sector. The country...
Climate Change Fuels Insurance Crisis as Extreme Weather Becomes New Normal

Climate Change Fuels Insurance Crisis as Extreme Weather Becomes New Normal

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
The insurance industry is facing unprecedented challenges as climate change intensifies the frequency and severity of extreme weather events. Traditionally, insurers relied on probability to assess risks and set premiums. However, with disasters like storms, floods, wildfires, and hurricanes becoming almost annual occurrences, the business model is under severe strain. Rising claims have led to skyrocketing premiums, making insurance unaffordable for many and forcing insurers out of high-risk markets. California’s ongoing wildfire crisis is a stark example of this trend. Wildfires that erupted in Los Angeles County in January 2025 burned over 23,000 hectares, killed 29 people, destroyed 16,000 structures, and displaced thousands. Typically, the region’s wildfire season occurs from June ...
Kenya Faces Food Insecurity Risks After USAid Famine Warning Network Shutdown

Kenya Faces Food Insecurity Risks After USAid Famine Warning Network Shutdown

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
Kenya’s food security is under threat following the shutdown of the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (Fews Net) on January 30, 2025. For 40 years, this USAid-funded platform provided crucial data to predict and track food insecurity across nearly 30 countries in Africa, Central America, and Asia. Its abrupt closure has left a significant void in Kenya’s ability to anticipate and respond to food crises. Fews Net played a vital role in Kenya’s food security planning by collaborating with the National Drought Management Agency and the Kenya Food Security Steering Group. The platform offered forecasts for crop production, food insecurity assessments, and climate and conflict-based predictions for potential crises. These reports helped Kenya’s government and international partners priori...