Paris (AFP) July 10, 2023 More than 61,000 people died due to the heat during Europe’s record-breaking summer last year, a study said on Monday which called for more to be done to protect against even deadlier heatwaves expected in the coming years. The world’s fastest warming continent experienced its hottest summer on record in 2022, as countries were hit by blistering heatwaves, crop-withering droughts … Continue reading Heat killed 61,000 in Europe’s record-breaking 2022 summer: study

Baghdad (AFP) July 10, 2023 Southern Iraq’s fabled marshland is suffering its worst heatwave in the past 40 years, the United Nations warned on Monday, reporting a drastic drop in water levels. Largely arid Iraq is ranked by the UN as one of the world’s five countries most impacted by some effects of climate change, and authorities there say the country is going through its … Continue reading UN sounds alarm on heat threat to Iraq’s fabled marshland

Johannesburg (AFP) July 7, 2023 A carbon credit initiative in Zimbabwe got off to a surprising start on Friday with a large donation from a Belarusian group announced by South Africa’s graft-stained former president. Jacob Zuma told a climate conference in the holiday resort of Victoria Falls that trade in the green financial tools there would benefit from an endowment of two million credits from … Continue reading Zimbabwe’s carbon exchange kicks off with Belarusian gift

Brussels (AFP) July 5, 2023 The European Union on Wednesday put forward a plan to impose binding targets on its 27 member states to slash food waste from households, retailers and restaurants 30 percent this decade. Brussels estimates the bloc generates almost 59 million tonnes of food waste a year – or 131 kilograms per person. That represents a loss of some 132 billion euros … Continue reading EU pushes to slash food waste

Yokohama, Japan (AFP) July 6, 2023 Seaweed has long been a staple food in Japan, but the chunky, slimy kelp hauled into fisherman Ryoichi Kigawa’s boat is also starting to attract international attention for its potential as an eco-friendly supercrop. Research into new applications for the marine plant – from carbon absorption to reducing methane emissions from cattle – is flourishing, and countries are looking … Continue reading From soup stock to supercrop: Japan shows off its seaweed savvy

Beijing, China (SPX) Jul 03, 2023 The Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), in partnership with the Changguang Satellite Technology, successfully conducted a satellite-to-ground laser communication experiment at a speed of 10 gigabyte per second (GB/s) using self-developed 500-millimeter-diameter ground system and Jilin-1 satellite. The experiment obtained good-qualityhttp://dlvr.it/Srx70K Continue reading China Achieves Milestone in Satellite-to-ground Laser Communications

Mubnich, Germany (SPX) Jul 06, 2023 Satellogic Inc. announced this week that it will collaborate with OHB SE, a German-based aerospace and technology group on the development of advanced Earth Observation data-based services focused on environmental sustainability. The organizations will explore applications where EO data and products can further support decision-making in agriculture, forestry, energy, critical infrastructuhttp://dlvr.it/Srx6wt Continue reading Satellogic and OHB to collaborate on environmental earth observation applications

Kathmandu (AFP) June 23, 2023 At least 19 people are dead after floods triggered by South Asia’s annual monsoon, with a week of relentless rains forcing thousands of people to seek shelter in India. Floods are common and cause widespread devastation during the treacherous monsoon season, but experts say climate change is increasing their frequency, ferocity and unpredictability. The toll from flooding and landslideshttp://dlvr.it/Sr6vjz Continue reading 19 dead, thousands seek shelter in South Asia monsoon floods

Beijing (AFP) June 23, 2023 China issued its highest-level heat alert for northern parts of the country on Friday as the capital baked in temperatures hovering around 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). A day earlier Beijing logged its hottest June day since records began with the mercury edging up to 41.1C, breaking a record set in 1961. The city is accustomed to sweltering summers but … Continue reading Beijing issues highest heat alert as north China swelters

Cambridge, United Kingdom (AFP) June 22, 2023 With research stations shifting to renewable energy and artificial intelligence mapping out fuel-efficient marine routes, the British Antarctic Survey is putting sustainability at the heart of its new 10-year plan. “The main target for our strategy is really focused on climate change because the polar regions are the regions on Earth which are changing most drastically,” BAS director … Continue reading Sustainability at centre of British polar science strategy