Tuesday, July 28News That Matters

Tag: climate crisis

ESCAP Says Robust Social Protection Systems Vital Amid Climate Challenges

ESCAP Says Robust Social Protection Systems Vital Amid Climate Challenges

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Learning & Developments
New Delhi: As climate change and economic uncertainties intensify, robust social protection systems are becoming a necessity, not a choice, warns the Social Outlook 2024 report by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). The report highlights a dire need to close financing gaps to safeguard vulnerable populations and build resilience. The Asia-Pacific region currently spends only 8.2% of its GDP on social protection, significantly below the global average of 12.9%. ESCAP cautions that without increased investment, rising poverty driven by climate change, digital disparities, and aging populations could become unavoidable. Social protection is more than a safety net; it’s an investment that stabilizes economies during crises. This was evident during the COV...
Global Temperature Surges in 2023-2024 Pressing Challenge for Climate Forecasting Amid Record Heat and Extreme Weather

Global Temperature Surges in 2023-2024 Pressing Challenge for Climate Forecasting Amid Record Heat and Extreme Weather

Breaking News, Climate Actions
As global temperatures are projected to rise above the critical 1.5ºC threshold in 2023-2024, climate scientists are increasingly concerned about the impacts on global weather patterns, forecasting models, and preparedness for extreme weather events. The accelerated pace of climate change, driven largely by human-induced global warming, is intensifying the unpredictability of weather systems and challenging the accuracy of traditional forecasting. This article delves into the factors influencing weather and climate forecasting, examining the impacts of global warming, shifts in atmospheric dynamics, and the limitations of predictive models amid complex, extreme weather events. Global warming refers to the steady rise in Earth's average surface temperature due to the accumulation of gree...
Climate Crisis and the Lengthening of Days: The Impact of Melting Polar Ice Caps

Climate Crisis and the Lengthening of Days: The Impact of Melting Polar Ice Caps

Breaking News, Environment
A recent study highlights a lesser-known consequence of the climate crisis: the melting of polar ice caps is causing Earth to spin more slowly, increasing the length of days at an unprecedented rate. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the paper reveals how water flowing from Greenland and Antarctica is resulting in more mass around the equator, a phenomenon co-author Surendra Adhikari of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory likens to a figure skater extending their arms during a spin, slowing down their rotation. While Earth is often thought of as a sphere, it is more accurately described as an "oblate spheroid," bulging around the equator much like a satsuma. This shape is constantly changing due to various factors such as daily tides, tectonic plate movement...