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☆ 270 million people are living on sinking land in China’s major cities, new study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

That’s 270 million people living on sinking land. The impact of sinking is typically worse along the coasts, where the sea level is rising at the same time. “Most urban cities experience land subsidence, but we focus our attention on coastal cities because of sea level rise,” Ohenhen, who was not involved with the study, told CNN. The project prevents the need for over-pumping groundwater and has stopped land subsidence in Beijing, the study found. “I believe China’s government efforts will address the issue of land subsidence,” Tao said.

Persons: Wang, Shengli Tao, ” Tao, “, ”, Leonard Ohenhen, ” Ohenhen, Tao Organizations: CNN, New, Reuters, Peking University, Virginia Tech Locations: China’s, China, New York City, Netherlands, Mexico City, Tianjin, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing

☆ What is cloud seeding and does it work?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Mary Gilbert | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Officials at the country’s National Center of Meteorology have been cited as saying the rain was not caused by cloud seeding. Here’s what to know about cloud seeding. What is cloud seeding? Cloud seeding is a weather modification concept that attempts to draw more rain or snow out of a cloud than would occur naturally. Does cloud seeding work?

Persons: hasn’t, ” Daniel Swain, ” Swain, Rachel Ramirez, Angela Fritz Organizations: CNN, United, National, of Meteorology, Aircraft, UCLA, National Academies of Sciences, United Arab Locations: Dubai, United Arab Emirates, UAE, China, Oman, Iran, Gulf of Oman

☆ How climate change could be driving ‘killer’ cold outbreaks in oceans
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —It’s not just ocean heat that’s affecting marine life – new research shows extremely cold events are welling up and causing mass mortalities. And the same planet-warming pollution that’s driving the climate crisis is likely to blame for these “killer events” on the other end of the temperature spectrum. The world’s oceans have been plagued by unprecedented heat over the past year, fueling concerns for marine life. “Climate change is actually really complex,” said Nicolas Lubitz, lead author of the study and a researcher at James Cook University in Queensland, Australia. He said seasonal upwelling events are common in that area, with water temperature dropping quickly.

Persons: CNN — It’s, ”, Nicolas Lubitz, “ It’s, Lubitz, “, Ajit Subramaniam, School’s Lamont, it’s, ” Subramaniam Organizations: CNN, welling, James Cook University, East Australian, Columbia Locations: Queensland, Australia, South Africa

☆ Activists helped shut down an oil refinery after a series of explosions. The consequences weren’t what they expected
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

Philadelphia CNN —Bilal Motley, utilities manager at a former Philadelphia oil refinery, was working the graveyard shift when a massive explosion broke out in the early morning hours of June 21, 2019. “This oil refinery was talked about and passed down through generations,” Sanders said. Rachael WarrinerPES is no longer functioning as a refining company, but Sunoco, whose subsidiary Evergreen owned the former PES site, did not respond to requests for comment. The PES refinery complex was the largest source of particulate air pollution in Philadelphia. Hilco Redevelopment PartnersBut UPenn’s Neises said given the scale and history of the property, Hilco will need to take its time to redevelop the area of redevelopment.

Persons: Philadelphia CNN — Bilal Motley, I’m, ” Motley, ’, ”, Motley, trekked, Hilco, Ellen Neises, they’ll, Sonya Sanders, Sanders, ” Sanders, “, Rachael Warriner, Rachel Ramirez, Phil Rinaldi, Matt Rourke, Mike Smith, ” Roberto Perez, Amelia Chasse Alcivar, UPenn’s Neises, Neises, she’s, you’re, Philly Thrive’s Sanders, there’s Organizations: Philadelphia CNN, Philadelphia Energy Solutions, US Chemical Safety, Hazard Investigation, Hilco, Partners, CNN, University of Pennsylvania’s Weitzman, of Design, longtime, Evergreen, PES, Environmental Protection Agency, Drexel University, University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine, Philadelphia International Airport, City of, City of Philadelphia Refinery Advisory, Hilco Redevelopment Partners, Industrial Realty, ., Philadelphia Energy Solutions Refining, United Steelworkers Union, Oil Bargaining, EPA, “ Locations: Philadelphia, East, Schuylkill, New York City, Chicago, longtime South Philadelphia, South Philadelphia, Grays Ferry, Breeze, City of Philadelphia, New York, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Bellwether District, ”, Bellwether

☆ Methane is seeping out of US landfills at rates higher than previously thought, scientists say
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Garbage piling up in landfills isn’t just an eyesore, it’s also a climate nightmare, belching out large amounts of planet-warming methane gas. Their results revealed average methane emissions were much higher than those officially reported, according to the study published Thursday in the journal Science. Landfills tend to be a less well-known methane source, but they also have a huge impact, estimated at around 20% of global human-caused methane emissions. Most landfills in the US are federally required to measure methane emissions four times a year through walking surveys using handheld sensors. Average methane emission rates from landfills were 1.4 times higher than those being reported to the GHGRP, the report found.

Persons: it’s, Daniel Cusworth, Wolfgang Kaehler, ” Cusworth, Rob Jackson, ”, “ Organizations: CNN, ., Reporting, Cedar, Stanford University, ” Locations: United States, King, Maple Valley , Washington

☆ Polar ice is melting and changing Earth’s rotation. It’s messing with time itself
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Laura Paddison | Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself. The hours and minutes that dictate our days are determined by Earth’s rotation. But after a long trend of slowing, the Earth’s rotation is now speeding up. Melting polar ice is slowing the impact on Earth’s rotation and has delayed the date by three years, pushing it from 2026 to 2029, the report found. Changes in Earth’s rotation over the long term have been dominated by the friction of the tides on the ocean floor — which has slowed down its rotation.

Persons: Patrizia, ”, Duncan Agnew, Agnew, Ted Scambos, ” Agnew, “, Olivier Morin, Scambos Organizations: CNN, Time Department, International Bureau, University of California San, University of Colorado Boulder Locations: France, University of California San Diego, Scoresby Fjord, Greenland, AFP

☆ Baltimore key bridge collapse: Recovery efforts continue for 6 presumed dead after Baltimore bridge collapse as investigation gets underway
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Elizabeth Wolfe | Yahya Abou-Ghazala | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Recovery efforts are now underway for the missing people, who are presumed dead. People from El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico among the missing: Miguel Luna, an immigrant from El Salvador, has been identified as one of the missing, according to the nonprofit Miguel Luna, an immigrant from El Salvador, has been identified as one of the missing, according to the nonprofit CASA . Ship blacked out before crash: Just minutes before impact, there was a “total blackout” of engine and electrical power on the ship, according to Clay Diamond, executive director of the American Pilots Association. Eight construction workers were believed to be mending potholes on the bridge when it fell, according to officials. A specialized team will also determine who was controlling the vessel and who was on the ship’s bridge at the time of the crash, she said.

Persons: Francis Scott Key, James Wallace, Wes Moore, “ We’re, Jennifer Homendy, Richard Worley, Miguel Luna, Petén, Clay Diamond, Diamond, “ It’s, ”, Pete Buttigieg, Joe Biden, US Sen, Chris Van Hollen, Buttigieg, Luna, DALI, “, ” Moore, Dali, Tasos Katopodis, Moore, CNN’s Melissa Alonso, Flora Charner, Sarah Engel, Jack Forrest, Allison Gordon, Elise Hammond, Jennifer Henderson, Betsy Klein, Jamiel Lynch, Sean Lyngaas, Mary Kay Mallonee, Lauren Mascarenhas, Pete Muntean, Tori B, Powell, Rachel Ramirez, Amy Simonson, Aditi Sangal, Michael Williams Organizations: CNN, US Coast Guard, Baltimore City Fire, Divers, Maryland Gov, Guard, Transportation Safety, National Transportation Safety, Baltimore Police, CASA, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mexican Embassy, American Pilots Association, Reconstruction, Vital, Transportation, El, Maritime, Port Authority of, Infrastructure Security Agency, Coast Guard, for Disease Control, Gov, Association of Maryland Pilots, ”, NTSB Locations: Baltimore, ”, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, San Luis, Camotán, Washington, US, Patapsco, El Salvadoran, Maryland, Port Authority of Singapore

☆ Why your favorite summer fruits are increasingly at risk
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | Elisa Raffa | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Peach trees are blooming at Jaemor Farms in Alto, Georgia, this week. Owner Drew Echols, a fifth-generation farmer, said it has become harder to predict when fruits like the iconic Georgia peaches would start blooming. Blooming peach trees are seen alongside a covered field of strawberries at Jaemor Farms in Alto, Georgia, on March 19, 2024. The fruits begin to bloom as temperatures warm, but when a cold spell comes back, they become susceptible to damage. Fruits like peaches, strawberries, mangoes and plums typically reach their peak ripeness during the summer months.

Persons: Drew Echols, he’s, ” Echols, “ You’re, Meridith Edwards, Echols, ” Louise Ferguson, Davis, Ferguson, Dorothy Suput, Ben Clark, Lane Turner, Benjamin Cook, ” Cook, ” Ferguson, Doug Engle, Suput, ” Suput, “, ” Organizations: CNN, University of California, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Croatan Institute, Boston Globe, Columbia University, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, University of Florida, Science Research, Unit, Ocala Star Banner, USA Locations: Alto , Georgia, Georgia, Boston, New Hampshire, Ocala, New England

☆ New map shows just how extreme last month was for the planet
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Unusually warm oceans. Low snow cover in North America and record low levels of Antarctic sea ice. The map shows the world’s most significant “climate anomalies,” or weather events that were unexpected for this time of year. The Northern Hemisphere also experienced an unusually warm winter. Correction: A previous version of this story misstated how low Antarctic sea ice was last month.

Organizations: CNN, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, Northern, North Locations: North America, Antarctica, Great, Europe, Ecuador, Madagascar, Africa

☆ National Park Service set to remove nearly 160 cherry trees in DC to repair seawall
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Shania Shelton | Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The National Park Service is gearing up to remove nearly 160 cherry trees in Washington, DC, in an effort to repair the city’s deteriorating seawalls, the agency announced Wednesday. More than 450 trees, including 274 cherry trees, will be replanted in the area when the project is finished, the NPS said in a statement. “And there will be an enormous increase in the number of trees that are out there.”Rising sea levels and warming temperatures threaten the thousands of cherry trees in Washington, DC. Construction around the Tidal Basin will remove about 140 cherry trees between the Thomas Jefferson Memorial and the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial. The tree removal effort comes as the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival is set to take place from March 20 to April 14, bringing crowds to the area.

Persons: we’re, ”, Mike Litterst, ” Litterst, Thomas Jefferson, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, weren’t, Litterst, “, Derek Van Dam Organizations: CNN, National, Service, West Potomac, Cherry Blossom, NPS, National Mall, Memorial Parks, Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Seaboard, DC, Great American, Fund Locations: Washington , DC, Potomac, West, West Potomac Park, Washington ,, —, “

☆ This simple solution could bring some chill to scorching summer heat
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

But there might be a simple, potentially inexpensive way to put a chill on urban heat: retroreflectors. Tall buildings, dark roofs, asphalt and concrete absorb the sun’s rays and reflect its energy back into the environment as heat – the so-called urban heat island effect. Urban designers have started to implement simple solutions to counteract the urban heat phenomenon, including painting roads white, planting more trees and building green roofs. Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group/Getty ImagesBou-Zeid said retroreflective material could be developed as sheets or coatings to install on city surfaces. Instead, “a multi-technology cooling portfolio with cooling techniques tailored to localized conditions is required to combat the exacerbating urban heat stress globally.”

Persons: CNN — Summers, Elie Bou, ”, “, They’re, Joe Sohm, Zeid, Xinjie Huang, ” Huang Organizations: CNN, Princeton University, “, America, Princeton Locations: Netherlands, Italy, ” Bou, Los Angeles

☆ Coastal cities are sinking in the US and pushing sea level rise into overdrive
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Dozens of cities along the US coastline are sinking at alarming rates, leaving them far more exposed to devastating flooding from sea level rise than previously thought, scientists reported Wednesday. Cities on the East Coast where sinking land is exacerbating sea level rise include New York City and Atlantic City; Virginia Beach; Charleston, South Carolina; and Savannah, Georgia. As much as a third of sea level rise in this region over the next three decades could come from the sinking effect, the report found. This is a particular problem in areas where new coastal land has been created over the years by backfilling with sediment. Additionally, researchers say most sea level rise studies make projections for the end of the century, which “is viewed as too far (away) to begin planning,” Shirzaei said.

Persons: ”, Manoochehr Shirzaei, Leonard Ohenhen, Ophelia, Bing Guan, Kristina Hill, you’ll, ” Ohenhen, Joe Raedle, ” Shirzaei Organizations: CNN, Virginia Tech, Cities, Seaboard, Corpus Christi, Reuters, University of California, Getty Locations: East, New York City, Atlantic City, Virginia Beach, Charleston , South Carolina, Savannah , Georgia, Gulf, East Coast, Louisiana, Texas, Galveston, Freeport, Corpus, Northeast, Hamilton Beach, Queens, Berkeley, New Orleans, Port, Miami

☆ How a warming climate is setting the stage for fast-spreading, destructive wildfires
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

This fire adds to an ever-lengthening list of rapidly spreading, destructive wildfires in the US and elsewhere. To understand why the Texas fires have been so fierce you have to look to last spring, said Luke Kanclerz, a fire analyst at Texas A&M Forest Service. It only took a short period of warm, dry weather for them to dry out further, providing a carpet for the fire to spread. Yuki Iwamura/AFP/Getty ImagesScientists are still working to understand what impact, if any, global warming is having on the winds that whip up wildfires. Research has found climate change is fueling the rapid intensification of hurricanes, pushing storms to explode at a deadly pace.

Persons: it’s, Cpl Marc, Andre Leclerc, ”, John Abatzoglou, Luke Kanclerz, Kanclerz, Mike Flannigan, Abatzoglou, “ There’s, ” John Nielsen, Gammon, Yuki Iwamura, Dora, Kaitlyn Trudeau, Trudeau, ” CNN’s Rachel Ramirez Organizations: CNN, United, European Union, Canadian Forces, Reuters, University of California, ”, Texas, M, Service, Texas Panhandle, University of Alberta, Getty, Climate Central, The Locations: United States, Maui, California, Paradise, Canada, Greece, Chile, Mistissini, Quebec, Merced, Texas, Hawaii, West Texas, Gammon , Texas, Lahaina, AFP, Hawaii’s, The Texas, Plains

☆ Migratory species are in a shocking state of decline, landmark UN report shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Angela Dewan | Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Migratory species include some of the most iconic animals on the planet, like elephants. Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty ImagesBaby Leatherback sea turtles head to the sea at sunset on Indonesia's Lhoknga Beach in February 2023. Those activities also fragment migratory species’ pathways, sometimes making it impossible for them to complete their journeys. Around 58% of the monitored locations recognized as important for migratory species are facing what the CMS says are unsustainable levels of pressure from humans. “Migratory species have a special role in nature as they don’t recognize political boundaries,” said Anurag Agrawal, professor of environmental studies at Cornell University.

Persons: They’ve, Yasuyoshi Chiba, Chaideer Mahyuddin, Didier Brandelet, Kristin Laidre, Amy Fraenkel, Scott Gibbons, Zheng Yuanjian, Carl de Souza, Sergio Pitamitz, Wolfgang Kaehler, ” Inger Andersen, ”, Anurag Agrawal Organizations: CNN, UN, Convention, Animals, Getty, McCormick, United Nations Environment, Cornell University Locations: Asia, Alaska, Kimana, Kenya, AFP, Beach, Greenland, Elsehul, South Georgia, longline, Chicago, Lake Michigan, Xinhua, Mongolia, UN, Samarkand, Uzbekistan

☆ ‘Super El Niño’ is here, but will it last? What’s in store for the coming months
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Mary Gilbert | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The current El Niño is now one of the strongest on record, new data shows, catapulting it into rare “super El Niño” territory. It means a very strong El Niño is ongoing. El Niño influences weather around the globe, so its strength and demise will continue to have an impact on the weather we experience in the coming months. Average conditions during an El Niño winter across the continental US. El Niño has been known to enhance atmospheric river events on the West Coast.

Persons: El, El Niño, Niño, Michelle L’Heureux, ” L’Heureux, L’Heureux, El Niños, Javier Torres, There’s, CNN’s Rachel Ramirez, Brandon Miller Organizations: CNN, El, AFP, Getty Locations: El, California, West Coast, Americas, Chile, Valparaiso, South America, Africa, Australia, Asia

☆ Data from sponges suggest the world has overshot a climate limit, new study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

These findings, published Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change, are alarming but also controversial. Other scientists say the study contains too many uncertainties and limitations to draw such firm conclusions and could end up confusing public understanding of climate change. Researchers say the results also suggest global temperature could overshoot 2 degrees of warming by the end of the decade. Changing that baseline would mean the world has already warmed at least 1.7 degrees (scientists say long-term global warming currently stands at between 1.2 to 1.3 degrees). Whatever the baseline for measuring global warming, what remains clear, experts say, is that the impacts will worsen with every fraction of a degree of warming.

Persons: ” Malcolm McCulloch, Gavin Schmidt, ”, Gabi Hegerl, Yadvinder Malhi, It’s, Amos Winter, Joeri Rogelj, “, Winter Organizations: CNN, University of Western, NASA, University of Edinburgh, Environmental, Institute, University of Oxford, Indiana State University, Grantham Institute, Imperial College London Locations: Puerto Rico, Caribbean, Paris, University of Western Australia

☆ ‘Hot drought’ in the West is unprecedented in at least 5 centuries, study suggests
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The West’s recent heat-driven megadroughts are unprecedented in at least 500 years, new research shows. “Hot drought” — when extreme drought and heat occur simultaneously — has increased in severity and frequency over the last century due to human-caused climate change, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances. While the previous study measured the length and width of the tree rings to gauge drought conditions, King’s research analyzed the density of the rings to measure how temperatures changed over time. “More dense rings mean warmer temperatures, and less dense rings mean cooler temperatures, typically,” King explained. “Water security and wildfire will become bigger problems until climate change is stopped,” said Overpeck, who was not involved with the study but has done research on hot droughts.

Persons: ”, Karen King, ” King, King, Jonathan Overpeck, Overpeck Organizations: CNN, University of Tennessee, University of Michigan’s School for Environment, Sustainability Locations: Knoxville, Pacific Northwest, Utah , Arizona, Colorado

CNN —The Doomsday Clock that has been ticking for 77 years is no ordinary clock — it attempts to gauge how close humanity is to destroying the world. Last year the Bulletin set the clock at 90 seconds to midnight mainly due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the increased risk of nuclear escalation. The clock isn’t designed to definitively measure existential threats, but rather to spark conversations about difficult scientific topics such as climate change, according to the Bulletin. Originally, the organization was conceived to measure nuclear threats, but in 2007 the Bulletin made the decision to include climate change in its calculations. “When the clock is at midnight, that means there’s been some sort of nuclear exchange or catastrophic climate change that’s wiped out humanity,” she said.

Persons: Rachel Bronson, ” Bronson, Michael E, Mann, Eryn MacDonald, ”, Bronson, “, Boris Johnson, George H.W, you’re Organizations: CNN, Atomic Scientists, Midnight, Manhattan Project, Security, Sponsors, University of Pennsylvania, Union of, ’ Global Security, Bulletin Locations: Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, Glasgow, UK, Soviet Union, Iran, Paris

☆ Climate deniers are turning to new tactics, spreading a wave of misinformation on YouTube, watchdog says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Researchers gathered transcripts from more than 12,000 videos posted between 2018 and 2023 across 96 YouTube channels that have promoted climate denial and misinformation. “The climate movement has won the argument that climate change is real, and that it is hurting our planet’s ecosystems,” he told CNN. As the impacts of the climate crisis — from scorching heat waves to fierce storms — affect a broader swath of the global population, narratives that deny the existence of climate change are becoming less effective. “There aren’t many companies that would be happy about seeing their advertising appear next to clear climate denial content,” Ahmed said. “We’re asking other platforms that claim to be green in one breath not to profit from, to revenue share, and therefore, reward or to amplify clear climate denial content that contradicts scientific consensus,” Ahmed added.

Persons: you’ve, Imran Ahmed, CCDH, it’s, ”, ” Ahmed, Charlie Cray, Michael Mann, ” Mann, “ We’re Organizations: CNN, YouTube, Pew Research Center, Greenpeace, University of Pennsylvania, Google

☆ COP28: What sea level rise will look like in the cities that have hosted global climate summits
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

And scientists say the steady climb of global sea level will continue for many decades as temperatures crank higher. A photo illustration of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, if we sharply cut carbon pollution (1.5°C global warming). Climate Central A photo illustration of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, if we keep our current carbon path (3°C global warming). Climate Central Photo illustrations from Climate Central What sea-level rise could look like at the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. A photograph of the Fortaleza del Real Felipe in Lima, Peru, if we sharply cut carbon pollution (1.5°C global warming).

Persons: Sabelle, ”, Benjamin Strauss, ” Strauss, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu, Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Organizations: CNN, Climate Central, UN, United Arab Emirates, Fortaleza del Real Felipe, Climate, Durban City Hall, U.S . Navy, NGA, World Meteorological Organization Locations: Dubai, Burj Khalifa, United Arab Emirates, United Arab, Fortaleza, Lima , Peru, Earth’s, Climate Central, COP21, Paris, Durban, South Africa, Mumbai, India, Chhatrapati, Antarctica, Copenhagen, Denmark, Christiansborg, COP28

☆ Climate summit leader said there’s ‘no science’ behind need to phase out fossil fuels, alarming scientists
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The president of the COP28 climate summit, Sultan Al Jaber, recently claimed there is “no science” that says phasing out fossil fuels is necessary to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, in comments that have alarmed climate scientists and advocates. The future role of fossil fuels is one of the most controversial issues countries are grappling with at the COP28 climate summit. Al Jaber was asked by Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland and current chair of the Elders Group, an independent group of global leaders, if he would lead on phasing out fossil fuels. While some argue carbon capture will be an important tool for reducing planet-heating pollution, others argue these technologies are expensive, unproven at scale and a distraction from policies to cut fossil fuel use. “They are not going to get any help from the COP Presidency in delivering a strong outcome on a fossil fuel phase out,” he said in a statement.

Persons: Sultan Al Jaber, Al Jaber, Mary Robinson, Robinson, ”, Al Jaber’s, what’s, Romain Ioualalen, Al, ” Joeri, Mohamed Adow, Angela Dewan, Rachel Ramirez Organizations: CNN, ”, Guardian, Elders Group, Abu, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, UN, International Energy Agency, IEA, Stockholm Environment Institute, Change, Imperial College London Locations: Paris, “, Abu Dhabi, Stockholm, UN, UAE

CNN —The United States is receiving criticism for contributing an “embarrassing” amount of money to a new climate fund adopted Thursday at the COP28 talks in Dubai, offering a pledge more than five times lower than the United Arab Emirates . Some countries pledged money to the fund right after it was agreed. Money from rich nations must now begin flowing into the fund, they said. Several wealthy nations, including the United States, have been reluctant to tie countries’ obligations to their historic emissions. It’s also been contentious because wealthy nations have expressed concern that paying for such a fund could be seen as admission of climate liability.

Persons: Sultan Al Jaber, ”, Ani Dasgupta, Dasgupta, ” “, ” Dasgupta, Mohamed Adow, ” Adow, “, Biden, John Kerry, ” Tom Evans, ” Evans, “ they’re, It’s, Al Jaber —, ADNOC —, Al Jaber Organizations: CNN, United, United Arab Emirates, World Bank, Japan, World Resources Institute, Republican, Republicans, US Locations: United States, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, United Arab, Germany, UAE, COP28, Egypt

☆ Wolverines receive protections as threatened species
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The North American wolverine has officially been listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act and will receive long-anticipated federal protections, US officials announced Wednesday, as the climate crisis melts away their snowy mountain habitats. “Based on the best available science, this listing determination will help to stem the long-term impact and enhance the viability of wolverines in the contiguous United States.”Adding wolverines to the list triggers legal protections for the threatened species under various environmental laws, preventing the population from further declining. The last time the species had been sighted in the region was between 2008 and 2018, according to scientists, though they have already been listed as threatened species under California’s Endangered Species Act. Conservationists and scientists have been calling for federal protections for years now, with some environmental groups like the Center for Biological Diversity even taking legal action. Despite the new science and growing calls for federal protections, initial proposals to protect the species were rejected in 2020 under former President Donald Trump.

Persons: wolverine, ”, Hugh Morrison, Donald Trump, Biden, “ I’m, ” Andrea Zaccardi, they’re Organizations: CNN, wolverines, Wildlife Service Pacific Regional, ”, Yosemite National, Forest, Federal, Center for Biological, and Wildlife Service, Center for Biological Diversity, Fish and Wildlife Service Locations: United States, North America, Rocky, Alaska, Canada, Sierra Nevada, Yosemite, Inyo

☆ How AI could power the climate breakthrough the world needs
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( Clare Duffy | Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

The tool uses data on the climate, water and soil of a particular location to measure how viable the landscape will be for growing in the coming years. “The way we think about AI is it’s a time and effectiveness multiplier to the solutions for climate change,” Gupta told CNN. But for all of AI’s promise, the infrastructure that supports the technology — data centers filled with rows of powerful, energy-sucking computers — could itself be a strain on the environment. For now, the amount of energy used to power AI is relatively small compared to what’s consumed by transportation or buildings. Data center operators like Google are already thinking about how to reduce the resources needed to power the computing behind their AI models.

Persons: David Rind, ClimateAi, Himanshu Gupta, ” Gupta, ”, Fengqi, “, Kara Lamb, Aditya, Dan Keeler, ” Keeler, Anna Liljedahl, ” Liljedahl, Keeler, Daniel Leal, ClimateAi’s Gupta, Anna Robertson, ” Robertson, Alex de Vries, Alex Kraus, Adam Selipsky, —, Gupta Organizations: David Rind . New York CNN, Farmers, CNN, Cornell, Getty, Technology, Climate Research, Google, Bloomberg, Web Services, —, “ Regulators, ” Tech Locations: David Rind . New York, India, Maharashtra, Columbia, American, Ireland, Oregon, United States

☆ COP28: What you need to know about the 2023 climate summit in Dubai
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Tens of thousands of people are heading to Dubai in early December for COP28, the annual international climate summit convened by the United Nations. While the science behind human-caused climate change was still young, scientists knew even then it would be life-changing. The controversy at COP28The climate summit is hosted at a different location each year. “It tells us clearly that the world is not on track to achieve our global climate goals,” Melanie Robinson, the global climate program director for the World Resources Institute, told CNN. A major debate among the parties has been whether to “phase out” or “phase down” fossil fuels.

Persons: John Kerry, Ian Langsdon, —, United Arab Emirates —, Critics, Al Jaber, Britain's King Charles III, COP28, Sultan Ahmed al Jaber, Aaron Chown, John Kerry —, Al Jaber’s, King Charles III, Pope Francis, Joe Biden, China’s, Jinping, Biden, Xi, Larry Fink, It’s, ” Melanie Robinson, ” Robinson, “, Maya Siddiqui, Nate Warszawski, ”, CNN’s Ivana Kottasová Organizations: CNN, COP28, United Nations, Getty, UN, “ Conference, United, United Arab Emirates, Minister of State, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Buckingham Palace, US, Publishing, decarbonize, Wall, BlackRock, World Resources Institute, Bloomberg, World Bank Locations: Dubai, Le Bourget, Paris, AFP, Berlin, COP21, United Arab, UAE, Abu Dhabi, Buckingham, France, Germany, Japan, Hami city, Xinjiang province, China, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Russia, Iran, Israel, Egypt, COP27

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