DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

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

Clocks may have to skip a second — called a “negative leap second” — around 2029, a study in the journal Nature said Wednesday. “We are headed toward a negative leap second," said Dennis McCarthy, retired director of time for the U.S. Without the effect of melting ice, Earth would need that negative leap second in 2026 instead of 2029, Agnew calculated. In 2012, some computer systems mishandled the leap second, causing problems for Reddit, Linux, Qantas Airlines and others, experts said. Then add in the “weird” effect of subtracting, not adding a leap second, Agnew said.

Persons: ”, Duncan Agnew, “ It’s, Agnew, Dennis McCarthy, Judah Levine, McCarthy, timekeepers, ” Levine, ” McCarthy, Levine, “, It’s, it’s, ___ Read, Seth Borenstein Organizations: Nature, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, U.S . Naval, National Institute of Standards, Technology, “, Linux, Qantas Airlines, Tech, Google, Amazon, Associated Press Locations: San Diego, AP.org

Across much of America and especially in the normally chilly north, the country went through the winter months without, well, winter. The Lower 48 states averaged 37.6 degrees (3.1 degrees Celsius), which is 5.4 degrees (3 degrees Celsius) above average. But Iowa blew past its warmest February by 2 degrees, while parts of Minnesota were 20 degrees warmer than average for all of February, Gleason said. A strong ridge of high pressure kept the eastern United States warm and dry, while California kept getting hit with atmospheric rivers, she said. Winter weather expert Cohen, who is based outside of Boston, joked that the U.S. no longer has four seasons: "We have two seasons.

Persons: “, El Nino, ”, Jeff Masters, Masters, Karin Gleason, Gleason, Copernicus, Judah Cohen, Cohen, ” Cohen, Theresa Crimmins, weren’t, Crimmins, ” Crimmins, Patrick Whittle, ___ Read, Seth Borenstein Organizations: National Phenology Network, El, Climate, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, National Centers for Environmental, Iowa, El Nino, Associated Press, Atmospheric Environmental Research, National Weather Service, Rutgers Snow Lab Locations: America, Colorado, New Jersey, Texas, Carolinas, U.S, Michigan, United States, Minnesota, Great, California, El, That's, Boston, Europe, Asia, Fort Kent, Maine, Portland , Maine, 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

Record hot seawater killed more than three-quarters of human-cultivated coral that scientists had placed in the Florida Keys in recent years in an effort to prop up a threatened species that’s highly vulnerable to climate change, researchers discovered. They saw widespread death in both repopulated and wild coral on five Florida Keys reefs. Only 22% of the 1,500 repopulated staghorn coral that they surveyed was still alive, NOAA said. “What happened in 2023 was absolutely devastating,” said retired NOAA coral monitoring chief Mark Eakin, who now is corresponding secretary for the International Coral Reef Society. “Coral restoration is almost certainly doomed to fail under climate change,” Baum said in an email.

Persons: critters, Katey, ” Lesneski, Lesneski, “, It's, that's, ”, Mark Eakin, ” Eakin, Eakin, Julia Baum, ” Baum, it's, Seth Borenstein Organizations: National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, El Nino, NOAA, Looe Key, NOAA's, Coral Reef Society, University of Victoria, Associated Press Locations: Florida, elkhorn, El, Looe, AP.org

For polar bears, the climate change diet is a losing proposition, a new study suggests. With Arctic sea ice shrinking from climate change, many polar bears have to shift their diets to land during parts of the summer. Usually polar bears eat high-fat seals while based on sea ice, near where the seals are. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service lists polar bears as a threatened species “due to the loss of its sea ice habitat." When polar bears have sea ice, they feast on seals.

Persons: Anthony Pagano, fatten, Pagano, Andrew Derocher, ” Derocher, ”, Derocher, Karyn Rode, “, ” Rode, Kristin Laidre, Laidre, Stephanie Windeler, ___ Read, Seth Borenstein Organizations: Nature Communications, Geological Survey, Data, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, University of Alberta, University of Washington, Canada, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Associated Press Locations: U.S, Hudson, London, AP.org

Photos You Should See View All 21 Images“It also depends on the rate of climate change we are inducing as humanity,” van Westen said. The Dutch team simulated 2,200 years of its flow, adding in what human-caused climate change does to it. They found after 1,750 years “an abrupt AMOC collapse,” but so far are unable to translate that simulated timeline to Earth's real future. "This value is getting more negative under climate change,” van Westen said. The world should pay attention to potential AMOC collapse, said Joel Hirschi, division leader at the United Kingdom's National Oceanography Centre.

Persons: ”, Rene van Westen, “, ” van Westen, it's, van Westen, Stefan Rahmstorf, ” Rahmstorf, Tim Lenton, ” Lenton, Wei Cheng, Joel Hirschi, ” Hirschi, ” ___ Read, Seth Borenstein Organizations: Southern, Utrecht University, United Nations, Earth Systems, Potsdam Institute, Climate Research, ” University of Exeter, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, NASA, Pacific, U.S ., United, National Oceanography, Associated Press Locations: Europe, Netherlands, Germany, Greenland, Americas, Africa, Florida, U.S, U.S . East Coast, AP.org

☆ Atlantic Ocean currents may be on the verge of collapse, which could plunge Europe into a deep freeze, a new study shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Seth Borenstein | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

“It also depends on the rate of climate change we are inducing as humanity,” van Westen said. AdvertisementThe Dutch team simulated 2,200 years of its flow, adding in what human-caused climate change does to it. They found after 1,750 years “an abrupt AMOC collapse,” but so far are unable to translate that simulated timeline to Earth's real future. "This value is getting more negative under climate change,” van Westen said. The world should pay attention to potential AMOC collapse, said Joel Hirschi, division leader at the United Kingdom's National Oceanography Centre.

Persons: ”, Rene van Westen, “, Bob Edme, ” van Westen, it's, van Westen, Stefan Rahmstorf, ” Rahmstorf, Tim Lenton, Thwaites, ” Lenton, Wei Cheng, Joel Hirschi, ” Hirschi, ” ___ Read Organizations: Service, Southern, Utrecht University, AP, United Nations, Earth Systems, Potsdam Institute, Climate Research, University, Exeter, NASA, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Pacific, U.S ., United, National Oceanography Locations: Europe, Northwestern, Netherlands, Germany, Greenland, Americas, Africa, Florida, U.S, U.S . East Coast

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — For the eighth straight month in January, Earth was record hot, according to the European climate agency. Even though it was record hot in January, the level above normal was lower than the previous six months, according to Copernicus data. This is the time of year that El Nino warming often peaks, said Texas A&M University climate scientist Andrew Dessler. Minneapolis has already set a record for the number of 50-degree days for a winter. “For maple trees to run, it needs to be freezing at night, above freezing during the day.

Persons: Copernicus, Andrew Dessler, ” Dessler, that's, Natalie Mahowald, ”, Kathie Dello, floes, “, Greg McKush, ” McKush, Theresa Baroun, ” Baroun, Ed White, Rick Callahan, Seth Borenstein, Steve Karnowski, @skarnowski Organizations: PAUL, European Space Agency, Nino, El Nino, Cornell University, United, North Carolina State, Minnesota, Montgomery National Golf Club, ”, Syrup Producers Association, Isle Royal, Metropolitan Mosquito Control, Associated Press Locations: United States, Minneapolis, Texas, United Nations, Paris, North Carolina, Minnesota, Harriet, ” In Wisconsin, U.S, Wisconsin, De Pere , Wisconsin, Green Bay, Lake Superior, Michigan , Minnesota, Canada, St, Paul , Minnesota, Borenstein, Kensington , Maryland, Detroit, Indianapolis, AP.org

A handful of centuries-old sponges from deep in the Caribbean are causing some scientists to think human-caused climate change began sooner and has heated the world more than they thought. Other scientists were skeptical of the study's claim that the world has warmed that much more than thought. He said this study also supports the theory that climate change is accelerating, proposed last year by former NASA top scientist James Hansen. Carbon dioxide and other gases from the burning of fossil fuels are what causes climate change, scientists have established. “They are cathedrals of history, of human history, recording carbon dioxide in the the atmosphere, temperature of the water and pH of the water,” Winter said.

Persons: Malcolm McCulloch, ”, ” McCulloch, “, —, Amos Winter, James Hansen, Natalie Mahowald, McCulloch, Winter, Michael Mann, credulity, ” Mann, El, La Nina, Michael Oppenheimer, ” ___ Teresa de Miguel, ___ Read, Seth Borenstein Organizations: University of Western, Associated Press, Indiana State University, NASA, Cornell University, United Nations, University of Pennsylvania, Caribbean, El Nino, La, Princeton University Locations: Caribbean, University of Western Australia, Mexico City, AP.org

They propose a sixth category for storms with winds that exceed 192 miles per hour (309 kilometers per hour). Currently, storms with winds of 157 mph (252 kilometers per hour) or higher are Category 5. From time to time, experts have proposed a Category 6, especially since Typhoon Haiyan reached 195 mph wind speeds (315 kilometers per hour) over the open Pacific. Wehner said that as temperatures rise, the number of days with conditions ripe for potential Category 6 storms in the Gulf of Mexico will grow. “Perhaps I'll change my tune when a rapidly intensifying storm in the Gulf achieves a Category 6,” Corbosiero said in an email.

Persons: Michael Wehner, Brian McNoldy, Haiyan, Patricia, ”, Jim Kossin, Kossin, Wehner, Kerry Emanuel, Jamie Rhome, Simpson, McNoldy, Craig Fugate, Kristen Corbosiero, ” Corbosiero, ___ Read, Seth Borenstein Organizations: National Academy of Sciences, Associated Press, Lawrence Berkley National, University of Miami, dateline, NOAA, First Street Foundation . Pacific, MIT, National Hurricane Center, Emergency Management, University of Albany Locations: Philippines, Gulf of Mexico, United States, Australia, Jalisco, Mexico, Taiwan, China, Asia, Russia, of Mexico, Caribbean, Gulf, AP.org

To keep Earth from overheating too much, the nations of the world need to put fewer loopholes in climate agreements and far more money — trillions of dollars a year — into financial help for poor nations, the United Nations climate chief said Friday. In an unusual and blunt lecture at a university in Baku, Azerbaijan, the host city of upcoming international climate negotiations later this year, United Nations Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell called gains made in the past not nearly enough. Richer nations have promised less than 5% of that amount in climate financial help to poor nations — and they often haven't even delivered that much. “It's already blazingly obvious that finance is the make-or-break factor in the world's climate fight,” Stiell said. “The time has passed for business-as-usual in all aspects of the world's climate fight,” Stiell said.

Persons: Simon Stiell, “, Stiell, Richer, “ It's, ” Stiell, Anne Rasmussen, Jean Su, Su, Joanna Depledge, ___ Read, Seth Borenstein Organizations: United Nations, United, Climate Finance, United Arab Emirates, ”, Biological Diversity, Cambridge University, Climate, Associated Press Locations: United, Baku, Azerbaijan, United Nations, China, Nations, Brazil, Grenada, United Arab, United States, England, Dubai, AP.org

Kerry and Xie paved the way for progress at international summits that could have otherwise stagnated. The annual U.N. climate summit was being held in Copenhagen later that year, and Kerry was eager to talk about it with Chinese officials. Stern said the deal “ricocheted around the climate world" and convinced countries that “we can actually get this done.”The importance of the deal became evident one month later. It was the relationship with China, Kerry said afterward, that helped “change the paradigm.”——-The warm feelings were short-lived. Donald Trump was elected president in 2016, and he promptly withdrew the U.S. from the Paris agreement after taking office.

Persons: John Kerry, Xie Zhenhua, Kerry, Xie, Mao Zedong's, Christiana Figueres, ”, Li Shuo, ” —, George W, Bush, Barack Obama's, Obama, Todd Stern, ” Stern, “, Xi Jinping, Stern, Figueres, ” Xie, —, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Xi, hadn’t, Trump, Biden, Jonathan Pershing, Nancy Pelosi, John, John Podesta, Podesta, ___ Read, Chris Megerian, Seth Borenstein Organizations: WASHINGTON, United, Communist Party, U.S, Asia Society, Greenpeace, Senate Foreign Relations, International, Trump, William, Flora Hewlett Foundation, Associated Press Locations: United Nations, Dubai, Paris, England, Vietnam, China, Copenhagen, Lima, Glasgow, Sunnylands, Beijing, Christiana, U.S, “, Lima , Peru, South, Taiwan, COVID, Egypt, California, Arab Emirates, AP.org

However strange it sounds, that contradiction fits snugly in explanations of what climate change is doing to Earth, scientists said. But when the polar vortex weakens, the arms start flailing out, the skater slips and “all the cold air then gets released away from the center of the polar vortex," Cohen said. The current cold outbreak is consistent with Arctic change and the polar vortex, Cohen said. Cohen and others have done studies that show the polar vortex outbreaks have become more frequent in recent decades. But another polar vortex looks like it's coming at the end of the month, though not as strong as this one, they said.

Persons: turvy, ”, Jennifer Francis, Judah Cohen, Cohen, Steve Vavrus, It's, Francis, Marshall Shepherd, “, Victor Gensini, Gensini, ___ Read, Seth Borenstein Organizations: North Dakota, NFL, Amplification, Atmospheric Environmental Research, University of Wisconsin, University of Georgia, Northern Illinois University, Associated Press Locations: United States, Asia, Africa, East, South America, North, Miami, Kansas City, Melbourne, Aruba, Curacao, Argentina, Oman, Iran, Texas, Boston, Madison, Chicago, Denver, Lincoln, Omaha , Oklahoma City, Dallas, Houston, AP.org

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

If China and India were excluded from the count, world carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels and cement manufacturing would have dropped, Friedlingstein said. The world in 2023 increased its annual emissions by 398 million metric tons, but it was in three places: China, India and the skies. China’s fossil fuel emissions went up 458 million metric tons from last year, India’s went up 233 million metric tons and aviation emissions increased 145 million metric tons. Outside of India and China, the rest of the world’s fossil fuel emissions went down by 419 million metric tons, led by Europe’s 205 million metric ton drop and a decrease of 154 million metric tons in the United States. Last year the world's carbon emissions increased but dropped in China, which was still affected by a second wave of pandemic restrictions.

Persons: Pierre Friedlingstein, Jim Skea, ” Friedlingstein, Friedlingstein, India’s, Inger Andersen, ___ Read, Seth Borenstein Organizations: United Arab Emirates, Carbon Project, University of Exeter, United Nations Environment, AP Locations: DUBAI, United Arab, China, India, Paris, COP28, United States, U.S

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United States committed Saturday to the idea of phasing out coal power plants, joining 56 other nations in kicking the coal habit that's a huge factor in global warming. U.S. Special Envoy John Kerry announced that America was joining the Powering Past Coal Alliance, which means the Biden Administration commits to building no new coal plants and phasing out existing plants. The amount of coal burned in the United States last year is less than half what it was in 2008. The Powering Past Coal Alliance started six years ago and had 50 country members until Saturday when the United States and six others joined, said alliance spokeswoman Anna Drazkiewicz. "Joining the Powering Past Coal Alliance reiterates Kosovo’s clear commitment and ongoing efforts towards a socially just and clean energy sector.”___Read more of AP’s climate coverage at http://www.apnews.com/climate-and-environment.

Persons: John Kerry, Biden, “, ” Kerry, ”, Alden Meyer, mell, ” Meyer, Anna Drazkiewicz, Artane Rizvanolli, ___ Read, Seth Borenstein Organizations: United Arab Emirates, Special, America, Past Coal Alliance, Biden Administration, U.S . Department of Energy, U.S . Energy Information Administration, The U.S, Past, Alliance, Twitter, AP Locations: DUBAI, United Arab, United States, U.S, China, India, pell, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Kosovo

The world is heading for considerably less warming than projected a decade ago, but that good news is overwhelmed by much more pain from current climate change than scientists anticipated, experts said. Even though emissions of heat-trapping gases are still rising every year, they’re rising more slowly than projected from 2000 to 2015. “It requires the tearing out the poisoned root of the climate crisis: fossil fuels,” said United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Guterres, numerous climate scientists and environmental activists all say what’s needed is a phase-out — or at the very least a phase-down — of coal, oil and gas. “This is throwing the global energy transition and humanity’s future into question.”___Read more of AP’s climate coverage at http://www.apnews.com/climate-and-environment.

Persons: That’s, It’s, ”, Niklas Hohne, Bill Hare, Rob Jackson, Ani Dasgupta, ” Dasgupta, Hare, Anne Olhoff, “, ” Jackson, Melanie Robinson, that’s, Johan Rockstrom, Antonio Guterres, Sultan al, Jaber, Greta Thunberg, Adnan Amir, ’ ’, Majid Al Suwaidi, we’ve, Institute’s Hohne, Al Jaber, ” Hohne, Dasgupta, can’t, Inger Andersen, ” ___ Read, Seth Borenstein Organizations: United Nations, United Nations Environment, NewClimate, Stanford University, Project, Resources, UNEP, World Resources Institute, Potsdam Institute, Climate Research, Center for Biological Diversity, Biden Administration, Twitter, AP Locations: Dubai, Paris, Europe, Pakistan, Libya, Arab Emirates, ”, al, greenwashing, Russia, Ukraine

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden promised to visit Africa this year, but 2023 is drawing to a close with no trip in sight yet. “I’m eager to visit your continent,” Biden said at the summit almost a year ago. “We’re hoping that President Biden will also be here to restore that trajectory,” he said. Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan told Harris that her country was excited for a Biden visit. “Tanzanians are now anxiously waiting for President Joe Biden’s visit in Tanzania,” she said to the U.S. vice president.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, “ I’m, ” Biden, “, ”, Jideofor Adibe, John Kirby, Xi Jinping, ramping, Daniel Russel, Inger Andersen, “ Joe Biden, Mohamed Adow, Kamala Harris, Jill Biden, Antony Blinken, Janet Yellen, Lloyd Austin, Harris, Nana Akufo, Donald Trump —, —, Barack Obama, George W, Bush, Bill Clinton, “ We’re, Samia Suluhu Hassan, Joe Biden’s, Seth Borenstein, Chinedu Asadu, Asadu Organizations: WASHINGTON, Africa, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Nigeria’s Nasarawa State University, White House, Administration, Associated Press, Pacific, Hollywood, Asia Society Policy Institute, U.S ., Republican, Biden Locations: Africa, Dubai . U.S, Israel, Vietnam, Ukraine, Washington, U.S, California, Glasgow, Scotland, Egypt, China, Dubai, United States, Ghana, Tanzania, ”, Abuja, Nigeria

Carbon emissions from the burning of coal, oil and gas rose 1.2% last year, the report said. Through the end of September, the daily global average temperature exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius above mid-19th century levels on 86 days this year, the report said. On Friday, the globe hit 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees) above pre-industrial levels for the first time in recorded history, according to Copernicus Deputy Director Samantha Burgess. That sounds like a lot, but the world in 2022 spewed 57.4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases and to limit warming to the 1.5 degree mark emissions in 2030 have to be down to 33 billion metric tons. Because the world has already warmed nearly 1.2 degrees Celsius (2.2 degrees Fahrenheit) since the mid-19th century, the report’s projections would mean another 1.3 to 1.7 degrees Celsius (2.3 to 3.1 degrees Fahrenheit) warming by the end of this century.

Persons: Samantha Burgess, ”, Anne Olhoff, Olhoff, hasn’t, Antonio Guterres, ” Olhoff, Niklas Hohne, Bill Hare, Guterres, “ It’s, ___ Read, Seth Borenstein Organizations: United, United Nations, New Climate Institute, Twitter, AP Locations: United Nations, Paris, United States, Europe, Germany

The world is off track in its efforts to curb global warming in 41 of 42 important measurements and is even heading in the wrong direction in six crucial ways, a new international report calculates. On the flip side, public money spent to create more fossil fuel use is going in the wrong direction and faster than it has in the past, said study co-author Kelly Levin, science and data director at the Bezos Earth Fund. The globe has already warmed about 1.2 degrees Celsius (2.2 degrees Fahrenheit) since the mid 19th century. But he said the report shows “we’re really struggling to pick the low-hanging fruit.”___Read more of AP’s climate coverage at http://www.apnews.com/climate-and-environment. ___Follow Seth Borenstein on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @borenbears___Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations.

Persons: Kelly Levin, it’s, ” Levin, ”, Joe Thwaites, Katharine Jacobs, ” Jacobs, Justin Mankin, “ we’re, ___ Read, Seth Borenstein Organizations: Climate, World Resources Institute, Fund, United Nations, United, Natural Resources Defense, Arizona State University, Twitter, AP Locations: Canada, South Asia, Dubai, United States, Paris, Ukraine, Dartmouth

The National Climate Assessment, which comes out every four to five years, was released Tuesday with details that bring climate change's impacts down to a local level. Compared to earlier national assessments, this year’s uses far stronger language and “unequivocally” blames the burning of coal, oil and gas for climate change. In the Midwest, both extreme drought and flooding threaten crops and animal production, which can affect the global food supply. “Climate change is finally moving from an abstract future issue to a present, concrete, relevant issue. Five years ago, when the last assessment was issued, fewer people were experiencing climate change firsthand.

Persons: ”, Zeke Hausfather, Kim Cobb, “, of Colorado's Waleed Abdalati, Katharine Hayhoe, they'd, Hayhoe, there's, Colorado's Abdalati, Arati Prabhakar, Hausfather, Rob Jackson, ” ___ Borenstein, Webber, Seth Borenstein, Tammy Webber Organizations: Berkeley, midcentury, U.S ., Brown University, AP, of Colorado's, NASA, Nature Conservancy, Texas Tech University ., Associated Press, NORC, for Public Affairs Research, Colorado's, Biden, White, ” Stanford University, Twitter Locations: United States, Alaska, Great, Hawaii, U.S, U.S . Caribbean, Brown, America, Kensington , Maryland, Fenton , Michigan

A three-year drought that has left millions of people in Syria, Iraq and Iran with little water wouldn’t have happened without human-caused climate change, a new study found. The team looked at temperatures, rainfall and moisture levels and compared what happened in the last three years to multiple computer simulations of the conditions in a world without human-caused climate change. “With every degree of warming Syria, Iraq and Iran will become even harder places to live.”Computer simulations didn’t find significant climate change fingerprints in the reduced rainfall, which was low but not too rare, Otto said. But evaporation of water in lakes, rivers, wetlands and soil “was much higher than it would have been’’ without climate change-spiked temperatures, she said. In addition to making near-normal water conditions into an extreme drought, study authors calculated that the drought conditions in Syria and Iraq are 25 times more likely because of climate change, and in Iran, 16 times more likely.

Persons: ”, Friederike Otto, It’s, Mohammed Rahimi, Otto, Kelly Smith, Rana El Hajj, ” Otto, Seth Borenstein Organizations: Imperial College of London, Semnan University, U.S ., Mitigation, Climate, Twitter, AP Locations: Syria, Iraq, Iran, West Asia, Nebraska, Climate Centre, Lebanon

“The amount that we’re smashing records by is shocking,” Burgess said. After the cumulative warming of these past several months, it’s virtually guaranteed that 2023 will be the hottest year on record, according to Copernicus. Scientists monitor climate variables to gain an understanding of how our planet is evolving as a result of human-generated greenhouse gas emissions. A warmer planet means more extreme and intense weather events like severe drought or hurricanes that hold more water, said Peter Schlosser, vice president and vice provost of the Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University. Historically, the ocean has absorbed as much as 90% of the excess heat from climate change, Burgess said.

Persons: Samantha Burgess, ” Burgess, it’s, Copernicus, Peter Schlosser, " Schlosser, “, Burgess, Schlosser, That’s, ”, Friederike Otto, Seth Borenstein, ___, Melina Walling Organizations: Global Futures Laboratory, Arizona State University, El Nino, Imperial College London, AP Locations: Paris, Washington, ___

Instead this year’s ozone hole was about average size for the last 20 years, even a bit smaller than 2022’s, according to NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. From September to mid October, the ozone hole this year averaged 8.9 million square miles (23.1 million square kilometers), which is the 16th largest since satellites started tracking in 1979. It peaked this year at 10 million square miles (26 million square kilometers), about the size of North America. The ozone hole and thinning ozone layer has improved a bit thanks to the 1987 Montreal Protocol, when countries in the world agreed to stop producing many of the chemicals that deplete ozone, Newman said. The ozone hole was at its biggest in 2000 at nearly 11.6 million square miles (29.9 million square kilometers), according to NASA data.

Persons: ”, Paul Newman, ” Newman, Newman, “, Seth Borenstein Organizations: NASA, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Goddard Flight, Twitter, AP Locations: North America, South America, Tonga, Montreal

Search resuls for: "Seth Borenstein"

25 mentions found