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People wear protective masks as the Roosevelt Island Tram crosses the East River while smoke from Canada's wildfires shrouds the Manhattan skyline on Wednesday (Credit:REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton) |
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Climate crisis Large parts of the United States and Canada have been shrouded in thick smoke moving south from hundreds of wildfires across Canadian provinces. New York's skyline was enveloped in a sci-fi like orange haze on Wednesday as the city experienced its worst air pollution on record. At one point, the city hit 413 out of 500 on the Air Quality Index for monitoring pollution - a "hazardous" amount that made it difficult for all residents to breathe, and particularly children, the elderly and those with health issues. On Thursday, heavy smoke shifted south again, leaving Washington DC under a "Code Purple" for unhealthy air. Schools cancelled classes, and outdoor trips; Broadway shows and baseball games were postponed. At least 13 US states have issued air quality alerts, impacting an estimated 115 million people. More than 420 wildfires are burning in Canada - with half of that number raging out of control, the country's emergency officials reported. Half of the fires are in Quebec province where thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes. Canadian officials warned that this could be the country's worst wildfire season on record. An early bird El Nino has officially formed, likely to be strong, warp weather worldwide and give an already warming Earth an extra kick of natural heat, meteorologists announced. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Thursday issued an El Nino advisory, announcing the arrival of the climatic condition. It may not quite be like the others. Usually, an El Nino mutes hurricane activity in the Atlantic, giving relief to coastal areas in states from Texas to New England, Central America and the Caribbean, weary from recent record busy years. But this time, forecasters don't see that happening, because of record hot Atlantic temperatures that would counteract the El Nino winds that normally decapitate many storms. (Associated Press)
- Ice-free Arctic summers are now unavoidable, scientists have said. Even if rapid, dramatic cuts are made to planet-heating emissions, the polar region will still be without sea ice in September in the next few decades, according to research published in the journal Nature Communications. The first sea ice-free September could occur as early as the 2030s, the study found. Arctic sea ice has been declining for decades but has shrunk at an even faster rate in the past 20 years as emissions from burning fossil fuels ramp up global heat.
Rich countries owe staggering amounts in climate reparations to those facing extreme impacts in poorer nations, a study has found. Countries including the US and the UK owe £137 trillion, according to the research, which quantified for the first time how much highly industrialised nations should pay for emitting more carbon than others.
- 19 people have been killed in southwest China after a landslide tore through a mine workers' dormitory. The disaster struck in a rural, mountainous area of
Sichuan province which has experienced heavy rain for weeks.
Climate progress - The European Union is on track for a "huge collapse" in fossil-fueled power this year, according to energy think tank Ember. The group's data found that wind and solar produced more EU electricity than fossil fuels in May, for the first full month on record.
"Europe's electricity transition has hit hyperdrive," said Ember's Europe lead Sarah Brown. "The EU is on track for a huge collapse in fossil power this year, as wind and solar emerge as the backbone of the future electricity system."
- The Indian government will not consider any proposals for new coal plants for the next five years and focus on growing its renewables sector, according to an updated national electricity plan. The temporary pause in the growth of the
dirty fuel was hailed by energy experts as a positive step for a country that is currently reliant on coal for around 75 per cent of its electricity. (AP)
The US Army Corps of Engineers said on Tuesday it has revoked a crucial federal permit for the proposed NewRange Copper Nickel mine in northeastern Minnesota, a project popularly known as PolyMet, saying the permit did not comply with the water quality standards set by a sovereign downstream tribe. The Corps said in a statement that it revoked the Clean Water Act permit, which it had previously suspended, "because the permit does not ensure compliance with water quality requirements of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa." The tribe's reservation, on the St. Louis River, is downstream from the mine and processing plant site near Babbitt and Hoyt Lakes. (The Associated Press) A small green wall of indoor plants can effectively remove toxic pollutants from the surrounding air in just eight hours, according to a new study. The World Health Organisation estimates 6.7 million people die prematurely due to air pollution around the world. And since people spend about 90 per cent of their time indoors, experts have called for adopting new strategies to improve indoor air quality.
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"I hope my colleagues in Washington are breathing in the air and finally waking up to the reality that if we don't act boldly to address climate change we won't be leaving much of a planet for future generations." |
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