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☆ Venezuela battles record wildfires worsened by Amazon drought
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Billy Stockwell | Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Reuters —Venezuela is battling a record number of wildfires, according to data released on Monday, as a climate change-driven drought plagues the Amazon rainforest region. An aerial view shows a burned forest after a forest fire in Henri Pittier National Park on March 30. Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/ReutersA Bolivarian National Police helicopter flies over during a wildfire in the Henri Pittier National Park on March 29. The fires are blanketing with smoke Guayana City, Venezuela’s largest urban center in the Amazon, according to a Reuters witness. In Venezuela, Lozada, firefighters and other experts said the government response was lacking.

Persons: Manoela Machado, ” Machado, “, ”, Carlos Carruido Perez, Henri Pittier, Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Henri, Jose Rafael Lozada, Michael Coe, Lozada, Juan Carlos Hernandez, ” Lozada, Oxford’s Machado, William Lopez Organizations: Reuters —, Satellites, University of Oxford, Henri, Reuters, Bolivarian National Police, NASA, Universidad de Los, Research, AFP, Getty, “ Firefighters Locations: Reuters — Venezuela, Venezuela, South America, Pacific, Brazil’s, Brazil, Henri, Uverito, Manhattan, Universidad de Los Andes, Merida, Brazil’s Roraima, Roraima, Naguanagua, Carabobo State

Since 1979, global heat waves are moving 20% more slowly — meaning more people stay hot longer — and they are happening 67% more often, according to a study in Friday's Science Advances. The study found the highest temperatures in the heat waves are warmer than 40 years ago and the area under a heat dome is larger. From 1979 to 1983, global heat waves would last eight days on average, but by 2016 to 2020 that was up to 12 days, the study said. Eurasia was especially hit harder with longer lasting heat waves, the study said. “Those heat waves are traveling slower and so slower so that basically means that ... there's a heat wave sitting there and those heat waves could stay longer in the region," Zhang said.

Persons: Wei Zhang of, Gabriel Lau, ”, Lawrence, Michael Wehner, Zhang, Kathy Jacobs, Jennifer Francis, ” ___ Read, Seth Borenstein Organizations: Wei Zhang of Utah State University, Princeton University, North, Lawrence Berkeley, Lab, University of Arizona, Climate Research, Associated Press Locations: Eurasia, Africa, North America, Australia, AP.org

And February, as well the previous two winter months, soared well past the internationally set threshold for long-term warming, Copernicus reported Wednesday. February 2024 averaged 13.54 degrees Celsius (56.37 degrees Fahrenheit), breaking the old record from 2016 by about an eighth of a degree. Climate scientists say most of the record heat is from human-caused climate change of carbon dioxide and methane emissions from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas. Additional heat comes from a natural El Nino, a warming of the central Pacific that changes global weather patterns. The three-month period was the most any season has been above pre-industrial levels in Copernicus record keeping, which goes back to 1940.

Persons: Copernicus, El, it’s, ”, Jennifer Francis, ” Francis, El Nino, Francesca Guglielmo, “, Brian McNoldy, Natalie Mahowald, Francis, ___ Read, Seth Borenstein Organizations: WASHINGTON, European Union, El Nino, El, Climate, University of Miami, Cornell University, Associated Press Locations: European, Paris, El, El Ninos, AP.org

☆ A new company is shipping Arctic ice from Greenland to chill posh drinks in Dubai
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The startup company, Arctic Ice, shipped its first container of around 22 tons of Greenland ice to Dubai this year for sale to high-end bars and restaurants. Founded in 2022 by two Greenlanders, Arctic Ice has an interesting — and controversial — business model. Arctic Ice claims it’s offering a novel way to harness a natural resource, carving out new economic opportunities and raising awareness of the Arctic. Various attempts have been made over the past few decades to bring back natural ice commercially, but with little success. But perhaps inevitably for a business model that involves shipping a diminishing natural resource halfway across the world, Arctic Ice has attracted controversy.

Persons: ”, Malik V, Rasmussen, ” Rasmussen, “, Jennifer Francis, Francis, It’s, Jason Box Organizations: CNN, glitzy, Climate Research, Geological Survey Locations: glitzy Dubai, Dubai, Nuuk, Greenland, Europe, people’s freezers, Norway, Denmark

☆ NYC gets hit by the biggest snowstorm in 2 years. It's part of a growing trend of extreme weather events.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Ellyn Lapointe | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Winter storm Lorraine is the latest event in this growing trend, which experts say is driven largely by global climate change. The polar vortex is like a figure skaterThe polar vortex can unleash cold Arctic temperatures upon Canada and the US. AdvertisementBut in reality, the impact of climate change on winter weather is much more complex. AdvertisementThat could explain why the US is still experiencing episodes of record-breaking low winter temperatures despite an overall rise in annual average temperatures, Cohen explained. AdvertisementAnd as climate change continues to warm the Arctic, Francis anticipates we will see more of these events.

Persons: Lorraine, Judah Cohen, It’s, Cohen, ” Cohen, “, Matthew Williams, Ellis, David Becker, Brace, Joe Pool, Julio Cortez, Jennifer Francis, ” Francis, Francis Organizations: Service, NOAA, MIT, Getty, . Research, Boston, Climate Research Locations: New York, East, Philadelphia, Boston . New, Montana, Minnesota, Canada, California, Eurasia, America, Portland , Oregon, Joe

☆ Climate change: Why we still have extreme cold despite global warming
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

But scientists are clear: cold extremes will still occur even as winters warm overall. When the jet stream swings south, it can push cold Arctic air into North America, Europe and Asia. In its normal state it rotates very fast, keeping blisteringly cold air locked in the Arctic region. But it can get disrupted and knocked off course, becoming stretched and distorted, spilling out cold air and influencing the path of the jet stream. The area of science remains very unsettled, however, and others have said the links between Arctic warming and cold snaps are far from clear.

Persons: Jeffrey T, Barnes, There’s, Jennifer Francis, Judah Cohen, ” Cohen, ”, James Screen, Nouran Salahieh, Allison Chinchar Organizations: CNN, Northern, Climate Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Exeter University Locations: United States, Orchard Park , New York, North America, Europe, Asia, Texas, Massachusetts, Siberia

The latest calculations from several science agencies showing Earth obliterated global heat records last year may seem scary. Former NASA climate scientist James Hansen, often considered the godfather of global warming science, theorized last year that warming was accelerating. That’s 0.27 degrees (0.15 degrees Celsius) warmer than the previous record set in 2016 and 2.43 degrees (1.35 degrees Celsius) warmer than pre-industrial temperatures. NASA and the United Kingdom Meteorological Office had the warming since the mid-19th century a bit higher at 2.5 degrees (1.39 degrees Celsius) and 2.63 degrees (1.46 degrees Celsius) respectively. It’s the third time in the last eight years that a global heat record was set.

Persons: Nature, ”, Katharine Jacobs, Gavin Schmidt, El, NASA's Schmidt, Schmidt, Samantha Burgess, Europe's, Burgess, James Hansen, Daniel Swain, Russ Vose, Jennifer Francis, Katharine Hayhoe, Randall Cerveny, “, ” Cerveny, Natalie Mahowald, “ I've, Kim Cobb, ” ___ Read, Seth Borenstein Organizations: Associated Press, University of Arizona, El Nino, Service, NASA, AP, UCLA, U.S . National Oceanic, Administration, NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental, United Kingdom Meteorological Office, . Records, World Meteorological Organization, Climate Research, Conservancy, NOAA, Arizona State University, WMO, Cornell University, The Associated Press Locations: British, El, Paris, Brown, AP.org

Finally Souza, an innkeeper and community leader in Bela Vista do Jaraqui, said he rallied two dozen neighbors to drill a 60-meter well in the heart of the world's largest freshwater basin. With rivers forming the backbone of transportation across the Amazon region, the drought has disrupted access to food and medicine in dozens of cities. The Amazon, the world's largest rainforest, is regarded by scientists as a bulwark against climate change because its dense vegetation absorbs carbon and emits oxygen. The five researchers predicting a 2026 recovery said the effects of the drought could endure even longer if El Nino is prolonged. That would release huge amounts of carbon dioxide, contributing to climate change and wiping out a wealth of plant and animal species found only in the Amazon.

Persons: Bruno Kelly, Raimundo Leite de Souza, Souza, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Michael Coe, we're, El Nino, Coe, El, Philip Fearnside, Henrique Barbosa, Eduardo Taveira, Taveira, Paulo Brando, Brando, Barbosa, Brad Haynes, Jake Spring, Ana Mano, Andre Romani, Suzanne Goldenberg Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Rio, cobras, United, Reuters, Research Center, National Institute of, Research, University of Maryland, Honda, LG, Positivo, GIANTS, Yale University, Sao Paulo, Thomson Locations: Tefe, Amazonas, Brazil, Rights MANAUS, caimans, Bela Vista, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Venezuela, Colombia, United Nations, U.S, South America, South, Pacific, North America, El Nino, University, Baltimore, Western Europe, Brazil's Amazonas, Manaus, Itacoatiara, Madeira Rivers, Sao Paulo, Sao

☆ 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

☆ Has climate change made utilities a risky bet? What income investors need to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The wildfires in Maui are just the latest example of severe weather and the peril facing utilities. However, investors can pick up about 4% yield on stocks that have dividends that are considered safe, which makes them attractive to investors seeking income. Climate change's impact Climate change is altering not only the Earth's temperature, but also precipitation patterns, said Zachary Zobel, risk associate director at Woodwell Climate Research Center. Climate change could impact utilities in other areas, like sustaining damage during hurricanes and floods. "You don't have to just rely on just one sector to get dividend income," said Cheng.

Persons: hasn't, Michael Lonegan, Neil Kalton, Kalton, Zachary Zobel, Zobel, Berkshire Hathaway, PacificCorp, Wells Fargo's Kalton, it's, Marguerita Cheng, Cheng, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Hawaiian Electric, Maui Electric, Electric, NBC News, Evercore ISI, Wall Street, Wells, Wells Fargo Securities, FEMA, Woodwell Climate Research Center, Gas & Electric, Blue, Global, CNBC, & $ Locations: Maui, Lahaina, Wells Fargo, California, Berkshire

☆ Global heat in ‘uncharted territory’ as scientists warn 2023 could be the hottest year on record
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

It works like this: As the world burns fossil fuels and pumps out planet-heating pollution, global temperatures are steadily warming. David J. Phillip/APWhile the record temperatures may have been expected, the magnitude by which some have been broken has surprised some scientists. Historically, global heat records tend to topple in El Niño years, and the current record-holder, 2016, coincided with a strong El Niño. The world gets hung up on blockbuster records but “these heat records are not exciting numbers,” she told CNN. CFOTO/Future Publishing/Getty ImagesUnheeded warningsFor climate scientists, this is the “I told you so” moment they never wanted.

Persons: –, Jennifer Francis, ” Carlo Buontempo, Copernicus, “, we’ve, ” Francis, El, ”, Friederike Otto, Andres Matamoros, David J, Phillip, Peter Stott, There’s, Robert Rohde, ” Otto, Prashanth Vishwanathan, Niño, El Niños, ” Stott, Otto said, “ Organizations: CNN, Climate Research, World Meteorological Organization, Grantham Institute, Climate, UK’s Met, ”, Bloomberg, Getty, Publishing Locations: Europe, Antarctica, Pacific, El, Houston, Berkeley, Patna, Bihar, India, Texas, Mexico, China, Beijing, Northern, Zhonghua, Handan, North China's Hebei

CNN —The planet’s temperature soared again on Thursday to levels not seen in the modern record-keeping era, marking the fourth straight day of record temperatures. On Monday, the average global temperature reached 17.01 degrees Celsius (62.62 degrees Fahrenheit), the highest in the NCEP’s data, which goes back to 1979. On Tuesday it climbed to 17.18 degrees Celsius, where it remained on Wednesday. Before this week, the record in NCEP’s data was 16.92 degrees Celsius and was set in August 2016. Temperature records aren’t just numbers, “but for many people and ecosystems it’s a loss of life and livelihood.”

Persons: Jennifer Francis, Francis, Angel Garcia, Robert Rohde, Niño, “ It’s, ” Friederike Otto, ” Otto Organizations: CNN, University of Maine’s, US National Centers for Environmental, Climate Research, Bloomberg, Getty, Berkeley, El, Grantham Institute, Climate Locations: “, Seville, Spain

Fires are burning across the breadth of Canada, blanketing parts of the eastern United States with choking, orange-gray smoke. So much wildfire smoke pushed through the border that in Buffalo, schools canceled outdoor activities. The average global temperatures today are more than 1.1 degrees Celsius (2 degrees Fahrenheit) higher than in the preindustrial era. The trees and grasses of eastern Canada turned to tinder. “We should expect a stunning year of global extremes,” he wrote.

Persons: It’s, El Niño, Justin Trudeau, ”, Alexandra Paige Fischer, Park Williams, Wiliams, Brendan Rogers, haven’t, La, Jeff Berardelli, El, Ada Monzón Organizations: Northern, University of Michigan, Stanford, University of California, Climate Research, El, Twitter Locations: Canada, United States, Puerto Rico, North America, El, Buffalo, Detroit, Los Angeles, Alberta, Vietnam, China, Siberia, WFLA, Tampa Bay, Fla, WAPA

☆ Climate woes bad and getting worse faster, UN weather report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Earth's warming weather and rising seas are getting worse and doing so faster than before, the World Meteorological Organization warned Sunday in a somber note as world leaders started gathering for international climate negotiations. "The latest State of the Global Climate report is a chronicle of climate chaos," United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. "The melting (of ice) game we have lost and also the sea level rate," WMO chief Petteri Taalas told The Associated Press. The data on sea level and average temperatures are nothing compared to how climate change has hit people in extreme weather. The rate of warming the last 15 years is 67% faster than since 1971, the report said.

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