climate crisis Archives - Page 2 of 8

Feb182025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

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...

Feb182025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Global Temperature Crosses 1.5°C Threshold in 2024, Marking New Climate Era

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check

The average global temperature anomaly in 2024 surpassed the critical 1.5°C threshold for the first time, signaling a significant milestone in the planet’s ongoing warming trend. This development, highlighted by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), marks a clear step into a phase of sustained global warming. The 1.5°C limit, a target established under the 2015 Paris Agreement, aimed to prevent the worst impacts of climate change by keeping global temperature rise below this level compared to pre-industrial times (1850-1900). However, the WMO confirmed that the annual average global temperature in 2024 was 1.55°C above pre-industrial levels, based on six independent datasets. The European Commission’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) added that 18 of the last 19 months ...

Feb172025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Earth Surpasses 1.5°C Warming Threshold in 2024, Entering Era of Sustained Global Heat

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check

In 2024, the average annual global temperature anomaly officially surpassed the critical 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold, marking a significant milestone in the planet’s long-term warming trend. Climate change researchers now suggest that the world has entered a phase of sustained warming, with drastic implications for global ecosystems and societies. The temperature limit of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels set as a target by the Paris Agreement in 2015 was originally intended to prevent the worst impacts of climate change. However, almost every month in recent years has individually surpassed this threshold, signaling that the goal is now nearly impossible to meet. Data from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) revealed that the average global temperature in 2024 reached appr...

Feb172025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Global Alarm Unequal EWS Funding Threatens UN’s 2027 Climate Safety Goal

Breaking News, Climate Actions

With the UN’s 2027 goal of universal early warning system (EWS) coverage fast approaching, funding distribution remains uneven, with over half of global investments concentrated in just five countries China, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Indonesia. The Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative, launched in 2022, aims to protect vulnerable populations from increasingly severe climate-related disasters. While EWS projects saw record funding in 2023, Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) still face significant resource gaps. To track and optimize funding, the UN and World Meteorological Organization (WMO) launched the Global Observatory for Early Warning System Investments in December 2024. This platform monitors funding from key financial instit...

Feb172025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Climate Risk Index Shows Global Toll of Extreme Weather, Calls for Urgent Action

Breaking News, Climate Actions

The Climate Risk Index (CRI) highlights the devastating impact of climate-related extreme weather events on countries, ranking them based on the economic and human toll experienced. Using data from the EM-DAT international disaster database, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund, the CRI measures fatalities, affected populations, injuries, and homelessness to assess countries' vulnerability. The countries most affected by extreme weather rank highest on the CRI, serving as a stark warning of their exposure to frequent or severe climate disasters. The CRI takes both absolute and relative impacts into account, creating a comprehensive ranking based on six indicators: economic losses and fatalities, along with absolute and relative numbers of affected people. It provides insi...

Feb152025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

World Sets Record January Heat Despite La Nina Scientists Debate Accelerating Global Warming

Breaking News, Climate Actions

The world warmed to a new monthly heat record this January, despite cooling factors like a La Nina event and an abnormally chilly United States, according to the European climate service Copernicus. This surprising temperature rise is sparking debate among scientists, with some arguing that global warming is accelerating. Copernicus reported that January 2025 was 0.09 degrees Celsius warmer than January 2024, the previous hottest January on record. It was also 1.75 degrees Celsius warmer than pre-industrial levels. This marks the 18th month out of the last 19 in which the world hit or surpassed the 1.5-degree warming threshold set by the Paris Agreement. However, scientists only consider the threshold breached when temperatures stay above it for 20 consecutive years. Copernicus has t...

Feb142025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

B.C. Health Workers Face Mounting Climate Crisis Strain

Breaking News, Climate Actions

British Columbia has faced a series of climate-related extreme weather events in recent years, with severe consequences for both residents and health services. The 2021 heat dome led to over 600 heat-related deaths and overwhelmed emergency services, while wildfires caused increased illnesses and forced the evacuation of thousands. B.C.’s health system, already strained by staffing shortages and burnout from the COVID-19 pandemic, has worked to respond to these emergencies. However, many health service workers reported physical and mental health challenges during and after climate events. Front-line staff, such as paramedics and home health workers, faced exposure to heat and poor air quality, especially when facilities lacked proper cooling and air filtration systems. The mental tol...

Feb142025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Panama Canal Faces Climate Risks But 2025 Brings Hope with High Water Levels

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check

The Panama Canal, a vital 82-kilometer shipping artery connecting the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, has long been a key player in global trade. As much as 5% of the world’s shipping relies on the canal, making it essential for supply chains. However, recent years have highlighted a growing concern: climate-driven water shortages. Since its opening in 1914, the canal has operated through a system of locks, raising ships about 25 meters to cross Gatun Lake before lowering them again. The lake, fed by rainfall, is critical to ensuring smooth passage for massive Neopanamax vessels carrying over 13,000 cargo containers. Each day, about 7 billion liters of water are extracted from the lake to operate the locks, making consistent rainfall essential. Panama’s typically high annual rainfall ov...

Feb132025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Climate Group Escalates Legal Fight Against Shell to Netherlands’ Supreme Court

Breaking News, Climate Actions

Friends of the Earth Netherlands (FOE) is taking its legal battle against British multinational oil and gas company Shell to the Netherlands' Supreme Court. The environmental group is demanding that Shell adopt a clearly defined carbon reduction target, arguing that without a legally binding mandate, the company will not take meaningful steps to curb its emissions. The case follows the November 12, 2024 ruling by the Hague Court of Appeal in the Milieudefensie et al. vs. Royal Dutch Shell case. The court acknowledged Shell’s “special responsibility” as a major oil and gas producer to reduce greenhouse gas emissions but stopped short of imposing an “absolute reduction” obligation, such as the 45% cut by 2030 ordered by a lower court in 2021. The court also noted that current EU law does ...

Feb132025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Corruption Undermining Climate Action in Sub-Saharan Africa, Warns New Transparency Report

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check

A new report by Transparency International, released on February 11, 2025, highlights the devastating impact of systemic corruption on climate action in sub-Saharan Africa. Titled 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index: Corruption is Playing a Devastating Role in the Climate Crisis, the report reveals how weak anti-corruption measures are hindering efforts to combat climate change. Sub-Saharan African nations urgently need substantial climate finance to implement their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) climate action plans submitted to the United Nations. However, misappropriation, theft, and misallocation of climate funds are threatening these efforts. The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), which ranks 180 countries based on perceived levels of public sector corruption on a sca...