Between 60 and 90 percent of the world’s fresh water is frozen in the ice sheets of Antarctica, a continent roughly the size of the United States and Mexico combined. If all that ice melted, it would be enough to raise the world’s sea levels by roughly 200 feet. While that won’t happen overnight, Antarctica is indeed melting, and a study published Wednesday in the journal … [Read more...]
Caribbean states beg Trump to grasp climate change threat
Caribbean states and territories have rounded on the Trump administration for dismantling the US’s response to climate change, warning that greenhouse gas emissions must be sharply cut to avoid hurricanes and sea level rise threatening the future of their island idylls. The onset of this year’s hurricane season has seen leaders in the region tell the Guardian that Donald … [Read more...]
Earth is running out of the resources to sustain life
One of the world's largest banks says the planet is running out of resources and warns that neither governments nor companies are prepared for climate change. The world spent its entire natural resource budget for the year by August 1, a group of analysts at HSBC said in a note that cited research from the Global Footprint Network (GFN). That means that the world's … [Read more...]
Climate events could move Earth into a ‘hothouse’ state
A domino-like cascade of melting ice, warming seas, shifting currents and dying forests could tilt the Earth into a “hothouse” state beyond which human efforts to reduce emissions will be increasingly futile, a group of leading climate scientists has warned. This grim prospect is sketched out in a journal paper that considers the combined consequences of 10 climate change … [Read more...]
In the line of fire: the war against climate change
Earth is smouldering. From Seattle to Siberia this summer, flames have consumed swathes of the northern hemisphere. One of 18 wildfires sweeping through California, among the worst in the state’s history, is generating such heat that it created its own weather. Fires that raged through a coastal area near Athens last week killed 91 (see article). Elsewhere people are … [Read more...]
Plastic waste could contribute to climate change
The proliferation of plastic pollution has led to concerns over its impact on marine life and human health as the toxins it absorbs and emits move up the food chain. Now, a new study reveals yet another potential plastic hazard: It releases greenhouse gasses. The study, published in PLOS One Wednesday, found that some of the most common plastics in the environment release … [Read more...]
Climate-induced societal collapse is now inevitable
A research paper concluding that climate-induced collapse is now inevitable, was recently rejected by anonymous reviewers of an academic journal. It has now been released directly by the Professor who wrote it, to promote discussion of the necessary deep adaptation to climate chaos. “I am releasing this paper immediately, directly, because I can’t wait any longer in … [Read more...]
New UN report highlights crimes that have serious environmental impacts
The new Report “The State of Knowledge of Crimes that have Serious Impacts on the Environment” has been published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) and the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI). Environmental crime is a complex type of crime that requires thorough analysis and strong coordination among different … [Read more...]
Africa’s first zero solid waste eco-industrial park launched in SA
Africa’s first zero solid waste eco-industrial park was launched in Johannesburg this week and according to authorities it is expected to attract over R10 billion in initial CAPEX investments. Designed and developed by Eco-Industrial Solutions (EIS), the Limpopo Eco-Industrial Park (LEIP) will be the continent’s first economically viable, zero solid waste eco-industrial … [Read more...]
Trump administration asks supreme court to halt kids’ climate case
The federal government has asked the Supreme Court to intervene in the landmark youth climate lawsuit Juliana v. United States that is scheduled for trial in October. The Department of Justice filed an application Tuesday seeking to halt discovery and trial, including an administrative stay on proceedings. Both the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon and the Ninth … [Read more...]
Climate change bill ‘must lead to action’
South Africa’s long-awaited draft National Climate Change Bill sends a good signal, but the devil is in the details. “It’s great news that a climate change bill is under development as climate change is already a devastating reality,” said Melita Steele, the senior climate and energy campaign manager at Greenpeace Africa. “However, we must make sure that it goes far … [Read more...]
Climate change to blame for Europe’s heatwave
Partly, it’s just the luck of the weather. The jet stream – the west-to-east winds that play a big role in determining Europe’s weather – has been further north than usual for about two months. A stationary high-pressure weather system has left the UK and much of continental Europe sweltering. Iceland, by contrast, has been hit with clouds and storms that would normally come … [Read more...]
The socioeconomic benefits of a low carbon economy
These days the news is filled with reports and questions around energy. How is the kind of energy we use affecting the climate? How do we use energy sources sustainably? The questions now also include: how do we ensure that changes have a minimal impact on the economy, in particular jobs and the lives of the poor? The latter question is central to South Africa’s 2011 … [Read more...]
