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☆ Summer 2023 Was the Northern Hemisphere’s Hottest in 2,000 Years, Study Finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Delger Erdenesanaa | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The summer of 2023 was exceptionally hot. Scientists have already established that it was the warmest Northern Hemisphere summer since around 1850, when people started systematically measuring and recording temperatures. Now, researchers say it was the hottest in 2,000 years, according to a new study published in the journal Nature that compares 2023 with a longer temperature record across most of the Northern Hemisphere. The study goes back before the advent of thermometers and weather stations, to the year A.D. 1, using evidence from tree rings. “That gives us the full picture of natural climate variability,” said Jan Esper, a climatologist at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany and lead author of the paper.

Persons: ”, Jan Esper, El Niño Organizations: Northern Hemisphere, Johannes Gutenberg University Locations: Mainz, Germany

☆ A deadly heat wave worsened Gaza’s humanitarian crisis. It was fueled by climate change, new data shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The WWA report divided the heat waves into three areas: West Asia, the Philippines and a region spanning South and Southeast Asia. However, the impact of climate change there was greater, increasing temperatures by about 1.2 degrees. Climate change also played a pronounced role in this region, according to the analysis, making the heat 45 times more likely and 0.85 degrees Celsius hotter. “Many cities have seen extreme losses of green space,” Pereira said, increasing the impacts of extreme heat on residents. If not, she added, “extreme heat will lead to even greater suffering in Asia.”

Persons: Jehad, ” Friederike Otto, El, Idrees Mohammed, Otto said, ” Otto, Carolina Pereira Marghidan, ” Pereira, ”, Mariam Zachariah Organizations: CNN, WWA, Getty, Grantham Institute, Climate, Environment Locations: Gaza, West Asia, Philippines, South, Southeast Asia, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Rafah, Anadolu, Delhi, Manila, Asia, West, Raipur, India, AFP, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, , Bangladesh, Thailand

☆ Floods in Brazil spark conspiracy theories over the cause, including toxic jet vapor trails and antennas in Alaska
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Floods in Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul have sparked a number of online conspiracy theories. Jefferson Bernardes/Getty Images"What's happening in Rio Grande do Sul is definitely not natural," one user wrote on X. Advertisementvapor trails — "chemtrails" — spread by the government and then activated by HAARP antennas in Alaska to alter the weather, AFP reported. In the 1990s, a conspiracy theory evolved that they contained dangerous chemicals purposely put in the trails. Advertisement"The warmer atmosphere can store much more water vapor, fueling more frequent and intense episodes of rainfall that lead to disasters like this," he said, while also dismissing the HAARP theory.

Persons: —, Eduardo Leite, El Niño, Porto Alegre . Jefferson Bernardes, Hugo Chavez, Russell Brand, nesta, Gc4PiOiPv1 — Frederico Athia, Carlos Nobre Organizations: Service, National Institute of Meteorology, Research, AFP, BBC, Brazil's National Institute of Science, Technology, United Arab Emirates, University of Cambridge Locations: Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, Porto Alegre ., American, Haiti, Alaska, Dubai

☆ 50,000 protest Georgia’s foreign agent bill as US sounds alarm over ‘Kremlin-style’ law
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —About 50,000 opponents of a “foreign agents” bill marched peacefully in heavy rain through the Georgian capital on Saturday, after the United States said the country had to choose between the “Kremlin-style” law and the people’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations. “Georgian parliamentarians face a critical choice – whether to support the Georgian people’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations or pass a Kremlin-style foreign agents’ law that runs counter to democratic values,” he said. Demonstrators protest against the foreign agents bill in Tbilisi, Georgia, on May 11, 2024. Georgian Dream says the bill will promote transparency and Georgian national sovereignty. Demonstrators protest against the foreign agents bill in Tbilisi, Georgia, on May 11, 2024.

Persons: “, ”, Jake Sullivan, Irakli Gedenidze, Nino, Vladimir Putin’s, Reuters Bidzina, Sullivan Organizations: CNN, House, Georgian, European, Reuters, Union, Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin, European Union, EU, NATO Locations: States, backsliding, Georgia, European Union, Tbilisi , Georgia, “, Russia, Europe, ”, Georgian, Tbilisi, United States

Officials are urging those who have been rescued from the floods not to return to their homes. Carlos Fabal/AFP/Getty ImagesA horse was found stranded on a rooftop in a flooded area in Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul on Wednesday, May 8. It had been stuck on the roof for four days surrounded by flood water in the municipality of Canoas in the Brazilian state Rio Grande do Sul. Agencia Brasil, the sate-run news agency, has reported the rescue of more than 2,000 animals since the floods impacted Rio Grande du Sol, including dogs, cats, chickens, and pigs. Cars are surrounded by flooded streets after heavy rain in Canoas, in Rio Grande do Sul state, on May 9, 2024.

Persons: INMET, Katiane Mello, James Vargas, Carlos Fabal, –, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, El Niño, Carlos Macedo, Adriano Machado Organizations: CNN, Getty, Globo, Agencia Brasil, AP Brazilian Air Force Soldiers, Brasilia Air Force Base, Reuters Locations: Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, Uruguay, Porto Alegre, Eldorado do Sul, AFP, Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul, Paulo’s, Canoas, Rio Grande, Sol, Pacific, Reuters Rio Grande do Sul

☆ Brazil floods: More intense rain expected as death toll reaches 107
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Michael Rios | Vasco Cotovio | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —More heavy rain is expected to pummel Brazil, as the South American nation grapples with the deadly fallout of last week’s extreme weather, which submerged whole neighborhoods. The heavy rains and floods have killed at least 107 people in Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul since last week, the state’s civil defense agency said Thursday morning. Officials are urging those who have been rescued from the floods not to return to their homes, warning that more rain is in the forecast. “It is important to highlight that the predicted volumes of rain may cause new disruptions in areas already affected previously,” a statement from INMET read. The record rainfall hitting the region has been linked to El Niño, a natural climate phenomenon that warms waters in the Pacific and tends to bring heavy rainfall to southern Brazil.

Persons: INMET, El Niño, Elon Musk Organizations: CNN, SpaceX Locations: Brazil, American, Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Pacific, Uruguay

☆ Brazil floods: Images from space reveal airport runway and football field submerged
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Paul P. Murphy | Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Overview of the Guaiba River in Porto Alegre, Brazil, captured on April 21, before the area was flooded, and May 7, during floods. Maxar Technologies Overview of the Guaiba River in Porto Alegre, Brazil, captured on May 7, amid flooding. Maxar Technologies Porto Alegre's Salgado Filho International Airport is pictured under flood water on May 7. Maxar Technologies Porto Alegre's Salgado Filho International Airport is seen before flooding, left, and with its runways submerged under flood waters, right. Maxar Technologies The Gremio Arena in Porto Alegre, Brazil, is seen flooded on May 7.

Persons: Cai Rivers, Salgado, Alegre's Salgado, El Niño, Neymar Jr, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Organizations: CNN, Technologies, Maxar Technologies, Porto, Maxar, Gremio Arena, Arena, Gremio, Brazilian Football Confederation Locations: Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Pacific

☆ Planet endures record-hot April, as scientists warn 2024 could beat heat records for second year in a row
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Extraordinary global heat continues its streak. It marks 11 consecutive months of unprecedented global temperatures. With that new data point, some scientists warn there is a strong chance 2024 could beat 2023 as the warmest year on record. Global ocean heat in April was also record-breaking for the 13th consecutive month. And while heat records are still being set month after month, the margins at which they are being broken are smaller than they were in 2023.

Persons: Copernicus, Adnan Abidi, Lisa Marie David, El Niño, Niño, it’s, Zeke Hausfather, ” Hausfather, Indranil Aditya, ”, Carlo Buontempo Organizations: CNN, Reuters, Getty Locations: Asia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, India, Barmer, Rajasthan, Manila, Philippines, Berkeley, Mumbai

☆ Hundreds of thousands of fish died in a single reservoir in Vietnam, another sign of how climate change is strangling the economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Meghan Morris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A prolonged drought in southeast Asia contributed to massive fish deaths in southern Vietnam. The climate crisis and human development threaten the Mekong Delta, a key global agricultural center. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . In Vietnam, the maze of wetlands that comprise the Mekong Delta is called the country's "rice bowl" because of the vast agriculture it supports. Related storiesMeanwhile, in southern Vietnam, hundreds of thousands of fish died in a reservoir last month as temperatures peaked over 100 degrees Fahrenheit and no rain fell for weeks, the AFP reported.

Persons: —, El Niño, they're, Ksor Phung, VnExpress Organizations: Service, Mekong Delta, country's Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment, World Bank, AFP, Residents, Business, Getty, Commission Locations: Asia, Vietnam, Delta, El, Mekong

☆ Panama elections: Mulino declared ‘unofficial’ winner of presidential election
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Juan Carlos Paz | Mia Alberti | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —José Raúl Mulino, a rightwing former public security minister, was declared the “unofficial” winner of Panama’s presidential election on Sunday, the country’s electoral court confirmed. “I receive with joy these results, which are the will of the majority of the Panamanian people in our democracy, which I assume with great responsibility and humility as a Panamanian,” Mulino said during his victory speech. He originally ran as the vice-presidential candidate of former President Ricardo Martinelli. After a court sentenced Martinelli to 11 years in prison for money laundering, Mulino moved to the top of the ticket. “To Ricardo Martinelli: my friend, mission accomplished Ricardo.

Persons: Mulino, Ricardo Lombana, ” Mulino, Ricardo Martinelli, Martinelli, “, Ricardo, ”, Matias Delacroix, Fitch, Panama that’s, El Nino Organizations: CNN, Central Locations: Central American, Panamanian, Nicaraguan, Panama’s, Panama City, Panama, Venezuela, Colombia

☆ Kenya floods: Anger mounts as people left homeless and searching for loved ones swept away in floods
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Larry Madowo | Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Mai Mahiu, Kenya CNN —When Julia Wanjiku put her son Isaac to bed last Sunday after a day celebrating his third birthday, she didn’t realize she was also saying goodbye. She was among the survivors gathering at Ngeya Girls High School in Mai Mahiu on Tuesday. A damaged car buried in mud in an area heavily affected by torrential rains and flash floods in the village of Kamuchiri, near Mai Mahiu, on April 29. Luis Tato/AFP via Getty ImagesPeople removing mud and water from their house in Mai Mahiu, Kenya, on April 29. Rescuers carry the body of a young man recovered in the debris following flooding, in Mai Mahiu, Kenya.

Persons: Mai Mahiu, Kenya CNN —, Julia Wanjiku, Isaac, Wanjiku, — Isaac, “, ” Wanjiku, Isaac’s, Mai Mahui, It’s, Luis Tato, El, William Ruto, Kithure Kindiki, Isaac Mwaura, ” Ruto, Mark Laichena, ”, Simon Maina, Mwaura, Nyagoah Tut, James Wakibia, Joyce Kimutai, herder, Makau, “ I’m, ” Larry Madowo, Laura Paddison, CNN’s Louis Mian, Allison Chinchar, Mary Gilbert Organizations: Kenya CNN, CNN, Girls High School, Getty, Getty Images, “, Kenyan, Space Agency European Space Agency, European Space Agency, Isaac Mwaura ., Communities, United Arab Emirates, Rights Watch, Kenya Meteorological Department, Human Rights Watch, Rescuers, Imperial College London’s Grantham Institute Locations: Kenya, Mai, Kenya’s, Nairobi, Mai Mahiu, Kamuchiri, AFP, Getty Images Kenya, Garissa, Tanzania, Tana, Mathare, New York, El, Nyagoah Tut Pur, Africa, East Africa, London

Great Barrier Reef, Australia CNN —As the early-morning sun rises over the Great Barrier Reef, its light pierces the turquoise waters of a shallow lagoon, bringing more than a dozen turtles to life. CNN witnessed bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef in mid-February, on five different reefs spanning the northern and southern parts of the 2,300-kilometer (1,400-mile) ecosystem. “It’s a die-off,” said Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, a climate scientist at the University of Queensland in Australia and chief scientist at The Great Barrier Reef Foundation. Our destination is Lady Elliot Island, a remote coral cay perched on top of the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef. — Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort Guano miners once stripped Lady Elliot Island of its topsoil.

Persons: Elliot Island, ”, Kate Quigley, “ We’re, Ove Hoegh, I’m, Guldberg, ‘, Elliot, Peter Gash, “, ” Gash, Lady Elliot, ” Peter Gash, CNN Gash, Derek Manzello, Peter Harrison, “ We’ve, ” Harrison, ” David Ritter, ” Ritter, David Wachenfeld Organizations: Australia CNN —, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, CNN, Minderoo, University of Queensland, Eco, Reef Watch, Southern Cross University, Australian Institute of Marine Science, Greenpeace, Australia CNN Scientists, AIMS Locations: Australia, El, Brisbane, Queensland, Red Sea, Indonesia, Seychelles, Caribbean, Florida, “, New South Wales, Greenpeace Australia, Briggs, Elliot Island

☆ Global trade and immigration on the line in Panama’s presidential vote
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( David Shortell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Achieving Goals presidential candidate José Raúl Mulino speaks with reporters after meeting with members of the Electoral Observation Mission, in Panama City, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. The case of former President Ricardo Martinelli, who was disqualified from running by the courts because of a past corruption conviction, stands out. Once the favorite to win this year’s presidential race, Martinelli was disqualified from running by Panama’s electoral court in March because of the conviction and sentence. There are seven other presidential candidates, including current Vice-President José Gabriel Carrizo, former President Martín Torrijos, and Rómulo Roux, another former minister under Martinelli. Martinelli has thrown his support behind Mulino, even releasing campaign videos from inside the Nicaraguan embassy.

Persons: Daniel Zovatto, El Nino, Fitch, ”, José Raúl, José Raúl Mulino, Matias Delacroix, Mulino, Panama that’s, Ricardo Martinelli, Martinelli, José Gabriel Carrizo, Martín Torrijos, Rómulo Roux, “ Organizations: CNN, Central, Latin America, Wilson, Americas Society, Panamanian, Gallup, Nicaraguan Locations: Panama, Central American, Panama City, United States, Venezuela, Panamanian, Colombia, Mulino, Americas, Nicaragua’s, Nicaraguan

☆ Kenya floods: Maasai Mara visitors stranded as death toll nears 200
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Larry Madowo | Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Staff and visitors have been left stranded and buildings submerged at Kenya’s famous Maasai Mara nature reserve, as the death toll in catastrophic flooding in the country’s southwest rose to at least 188 people. Local authorities ordered some tourist facilities in the National Reserve to close after River Talek, one of the tributaries of the Mara River, burst its banks and swept through more than a dozen riverside tourist lodges and camps. In Maasai Mara, camp owners were told to leave the affected properties and “move to higher ground further away from River Talek,” governor of Narok county Patrick Ole Ntutu said on Wednesday. Parts of Maasai Mara National Reserve were left submerged by the flooding. Authorities said they had deployed two helicopters to rescue stranded tourists and local staff around the national reserve after receiving distress calls.

Persons: Mai Mahiu, Isaac Mwaura, Susan Kihika, Mara, Patrick Ole Ntutu, Bobby Neptune, Luis Tato, Kipkech Lotiatia, Bush, James Apolloh Omenya, couldn’t, “, X, El Niño, Jagan Chapagain, ”, Nyagoah Tut Organizations: CNN — Staff, National Reserve, CNN, Mara National Reserve, Authorities, Cross, Paramilitary, ”, Youth Service, ” International Federation of Red, Red Crescent Societies, Human Rights, “ Kenyan Locations: Mara, Kenya, Nairobi, Mai, Nakuru County, ”, Narok, AFP, Talek, Kenya’s, Africa, East Africa, Tanzania, Burundi, “ Kenya, Nyagoah Tut Pur

☆ Dubai rain: Flights cancelled, schools and offices shut as storm hits UAE just weeks after deadly floods
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Mostafa Salem | Abbas Al Lawati | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The floods also killed at least 19 others in Oman, including 10 children whose school bus was swept away in the deluge. A driver navigates a flooded road following a rainstorm in Dubai on May 2, 2024. Scientists linked the record rainfall that hit the UAE and Oman two weeks ago to climate change. Over a period of less than 24 hours during that event, the UAE experienced its heaviest rainfall in since records began 75 years ago. Dubai experienced the equivalent of more than a year and a half’s worth of rain in that time.

Persons: Rouhana, Abu Dhabi, CNN’s Brandon Miller Organizations: United Arab Emirates CNN — Emirates, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, CNN, Residents, Authorities, UAE Locations: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Oman, UAE, Ras Al, Khaimah, Abu, El

☆ Drought That Snarled Panama Canal Was Linked to El Niño, Study Finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Raymond Zhong | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The recent drought in the Panama Canal was driven not by global warming but by below-normal rainfall linked to the natural climate cycle El Niño, an international team of scientists has concluded. Low reservoir levels have slowed cargo traffic in the canal for most of the past year. Without enough water to raise and lower ships, officials last summer had to slash the number of vessels they allowed through, creating expensive headaches for shipping companies worldwide. The area’s water worries could still deepen in the coming decades, the researchers said in their analysis of the drought. That means future El Niño years could bring even wider disruptions, not just to global shipping, but also to water supplies for local residents.

Persons: El Locations: Panama

☆ Philippine dam: A 300-year-old settlement resurfaces as severe drought dries up a reservoir
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Emily Blumenthal | Monica Garrett | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A nearly 300-year-old settlement once submerged beneath a major dam in the Philippines has reemerged as sweltering heat and drought dry up the reservoir. Ezra Acayan/Getty ImagesSome visitors brave the extreme heat to see the dam, where parts of damaged structures still stand. But a drought currently affecting about half of the country’s provinces has pushed the dam’s water levels down, according to AFP. The town of Muñoz near the dam has seen heat index over 41 degrees (106 degrees Fahrenheit) the last five days. On Sunday the temperature felt like 47 degrees (117 degrees Fahrenheit) because of other contributing factors.

Persons: Marlon Paladin, Ezra Acayan, Paladin, climatologist Maximiliano Herrera, ” Organizations: CNN, National Irrigation Administration, PAGASA, AFP, Prediction Locations: Philippines, Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija, Philippine, Southeast Asia, Muñoz, Luzon, El

Rescue teams are digging through the mud and debris trying to find survivors near Mai Mahiu, in Kenya’s Nakuru County, Gov. In Mai Mahiu, Kihika said a serious situation was unfolding as floodwaters swept away people and homes. Access to Mai Mahiu, 20 miles north of the capital Nairobi, had been difficult as part of the road had been cut off from recent heavy rains, Kihika said. Other video shows vast flooding around the Tana River, with large parts of the surrounding area underwater. Heavy rains in East Africa have also affected Tanzania and Burundi.

Persons: Susan Kihika, Isaac Maigua Mwaura, Mai Mahiu, Kihika, ” Kihika, Tana, Andre Kasuku, downpours, El Niño, Jagan Chapagain, Kassim Majaliwa Organizations: Kenya CNN —, Gov, CNN, Kenya Red Cross Society, of Education Locations: Nairobi, Kenya, Mai Mahiu, Kenya’s Nakuru County, Mai, Mororo, Tana River, Garissa, North Eastern Kenya, Tana, Kona, Tana River County, East Africa, Tanzania, Burundi, Tanzanian

☆ Your latte could get even more expensive, thanks to a drought in Vietnam that's strangling coffee bean production
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Meghan Morris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Robusta coffee futures hit a 16-year high because of a prolonged drought in Vietnam. The robusta coffee variety is the basis for both espresso and instant coffee. A long, El Niño-induced drought in Vietnam pushed up the price of robusta futures on Wednesday to the highest in at least 16 years, Bloomberg reported. This year's drought in Vietnam could continue the low-supply cycle, hurting next year's production. Vietnam is increasingly importing cheaper robusta from Brazil to satisfy soaring local demand from coffee drinkers, Bloomberg reported in March.

Persons: —, El Niño, Tran, Lan Anh Organizations: Service, Bloomberg, US Department of Agriculture, Co, International Coffee Organization Locations: Vietnam, Brazil, Asia, Europe, mocha

☆ Dubai’s floods were made worse by climate change, scientists find
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Angela Dewan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Using scientific models, the team was unable to determine precisely how much more likely climate change had made the floods. Changing circulation patterns driven by global warming are also increasing rainfall intensity, the analysis noted. Global warming was the only remaining reason they could identify to explain the heavier downpour. However, the focus must be on slowing climate change, she added. “While we can’t stop El Niño, we can stop climate change,” Otto said.

Persons: Amr Alfiky, ”, Sonia Seneviratne, Mansour Almazroui, King Abdulaziz University’s, Friederike Otto, Niño, Otto said, El, ” Otto, Francois Nel, Sultan Al, Jaber, CNN’s Abbas Al Lawati Organizations: CNN, United Arab, United Arab Emirates, Global, Reuters “, Institute for Atmospheric, Science, King Abdulaziz University’s Center, Excellence, Change, Grantham Institute, International Energy Agency Locations: United Arab Emirates, Oman, El, Dubai, UAE, Dubai’s, Zurich, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, London, Paris, deadlier

☆ Tanzania flooding: 155 dead and at least 236 injured
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Larry Madowo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Flooding in Tanzania has killed 155 people and left at least 236 injured, the country’s Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said on Thursday. More than 10,000 houses have been damaged and upwards of 200,000 people have been affected, Majaliwa told the Tanzanian parliament in the capital Dodoma. The flooding has also affected Kenya, which shares a border with Tanzania in East Africa. Kenya has registered heavy rain since mid-March but downpours have intensified over the past week, leading to mass flooding that has affected around 103,500 people. Kenya Railways also suspended commuter train services nationwide.

Persons: Kassim Majaliwa, Majaliwa, downpours Organizations: CNN, country’s, El Nino, UN Office, Humanitarian Affairs, Kenyan, Kenya Railways Locations: Tanzania, Dodoma, Kenya, East Africa, Nairobi

☆ Costuming a Small Army of Virgins for the Met Opera’s ‘El Niño’
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Louis Lucero Ii | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In the Metropolitan Opera’s new production of “El Niño,” which reimagines the story of Jesus’ birth and early childhood, there are singing and dancing Virgin Marys, Marys of the land and sea; there’s an Indigenous Mary, a Tropical Mary, a Golden Mary. In the director Lileana Blain-Cruz’s vision, the action takes place across multiple “planes.” It could be a lot to take in. Thankfully for Mr. Levi Blanco, 39, he has developed something of a shorthand while working with Ms. Blain-Cruz, whom he has known since he was an M.F.A. The pair have collaborated several times, including on “The Skin of Our Teeth,” for which Mr. Levi Blanco won a Tony Award in 2022. In the case of “El Niño,” painterly scenery by the set designer Adam Rigg evokes the natural environment.

Persons: El, Jesus ’, Virgin Marys, Marys, Montana Levi Blanco, John Adams, Peter Sellars’s, Lileana Blain, Levi Blanco, . Blain, Cruz, Adam Rigg Organizations: Metropolitan, Yale School of Drama Locations: Mary

☆ Carbon Dioxide Levels Have Passed a New Milestone
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Aatish Bhatia | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

Global carbon dioxide levels as of … Play animation Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Global Monitoring Laboratory The chart shows monthly numbers of carbon dioxide molecules per million molecules of dry air. Carbon Dioxide Levels Have Passed a New MilestoneCarbon dioxide acts like Earth’s thermostat: The more of it in the air, the more the planet warms. More carbon dioxide, warmer temperatures Source: NOAA (carbon dioxide); NASA (temperature) The chart shows the change in global surface temperature relative to 1951–1980, versus global carbon dioxide levels. Currently, carbon dioxide levels are rising at near-record rates. Annual change in carbon dioxide levels Source: NOAA’s Global Monitoring Laboratory The chart shows the increase in global carbon dioxide levels over the course of each year.

Persons: Glen Peters, Doug McNeall, Xin Lan, ”, El Niño, El, Mr, McNeall, “ Organizations: NOAA, NASA, National Oceanic, Global, Budget, CICERO Center, International Climate Research, Britain’s Met

☆ Drought Pushes Millions Into ‘Acute Hunger’ in Southern Africa
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Somini Sengupta | Manuela Andreoni | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

An estimated 20 million people in southern Africa are facing what the United Nations calls “acute hunger” as one of the worst droughts in more than four decades shrivels crops, decimates livestock and, after years of rising food prices brought on by pandemic and war, spikes the price of corn, the region’s staple crop. Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe have all declared national emergencies. Its effects are all the more punishing because in the past few years the region had been hit by cyclones, unusually heavy rains and a widening outbreak of cholera. ‘Urgent help’ is neededThe rains this year began late and were lower than average. In February, when crops need it most, parts of Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Angola, Mozambique and Botswana received a fifth of the typical rainfall.

Organizations: United Nations Locations: Africa, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Angola, Mozambique, Botswana

☆ Coral bleaching: Ocean heat is driving a mass bleaching event, and it could be the worst on record
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Rebecca Wright | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Coral reefs around the world are experiencing a mass bleaching event as the climate crisis drives record-breaking ocean heat, two scientific bodies announced Monday — with some experts warning this could become the worst bleaching period in recorded history. If ocean temperatures don’t return to normal, bleaching can lead to mass coral death, threatening the species and food chains that rely on them with collapse. Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, a climate scientist specializing in coral reefs based at the University of Queensland in Australia, predicted this mass bleaching event months ago. In February, scientists at the Coral Reef Watch program at NOAA added three new alert levels to the coral bleaching alert maps, to enable scientists to assess the new scale of underwater warming. Bex Wright/CNNIn mid-February, CNN witnessed extensive coral bleaching on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef – the world’s largest coral reef system – on five different reefs spanning the northern and southern areas.

Persons: ” Derek Manzello, Ove Hoegh, “, Guldberg, ”, Lillian Suwanrumpha, Niña, El, Manzello, ” Manzello, Lady Elliot, Bex Wright, Selina Stead, ” Stead, David Ritter Organizations: CNN, Atlantic, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Reef, Reef Watch, Pacific, University of Queensland, NOAA, Getty, Niña, Australian Institute of Marine Science, Park Authority, AIMS, UN, Greenpeace Locations: Pacific, Florida, Caribbean, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, Persian Gulf, Indonesia, Africa, Seychelles, Raja Ampat, Indonesia's West Papua, AFP, El, Lady, Greenpeace Australia

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