Washington DC (UPI) Apr 21, 2023 Algae that grow under sea ice in the Arctic have been found to be “heavily contaminated” with microplastics, posing a threat to humans through the food chain, according to a new study from researchers in Germany. Clumps of the algae known as Melosira arctica contained an average of 31,000 microplastic particles per cubic meter, about 10 times the concentration … Continue reading Microplastics found in ‘heavily contaminated’ Arctic ice algae, posing threat to food chains

Washington DC (UPI) Apr 21, 2023 Climate change trends continued through 2022, driving food insecurity and mass migration, according to the World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Global Climate 2022 report. The WMO says climate change contributed to displacement in 2022, and exacerbated conditions for the 95 million displaced people throughout the world. “While greenhouse gas emissions continue to risehttp://dlvr.it/Smym9y Continue reading World Meteorological Organization warns of climate catastrophes, food insecurity

Bangkok (AFP) April 19, 2023 Sweltering under a blistering sun, people across South and Southeast Asia have been taking cover beneath any shelter they can find as they pray for cooling rains with record temperatures hitting the region. Bangladesh saw its highest temperature for almost 60 years in the past week, while in India at least 13 people died from heatstroke along with two in … Continue reading ‘Hotter and hotter’: Swathes of Asia sweat in heatwave

Washington (AFP) April 20, 2023 President Joe Biden announced another $1 billion in US climate funding Thursday at a virtual meeting with leaders from the world’s biggest industrial nations to coordinate efforts to push back on global warming. The Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, which the White House said was attended by officials including Chinese climate envoy Xie Zhenhua and Brazilian President Luiz … Continue reading Biden urges climate forum to ‘step up’ against global warming

Paris (AFP) April 18, 2023 Despite their 2015 pledge to limit global warming by slashing carbon emissions, big countries’ commitments so far still fall short of meeting the targets of the Paris Agreement, monitors say. After EU lawmakers adopted sweeping climate measures on Tuesday, here is a roundup of where it and other major carbon emitters stand. Many countries have committed to achieving carbon neutrality … Continue reading Climate pledges of world’s top carbon emitters

Strasbourg, France (AFP) April 19, 2023 The European Parliament adopted a new EU law on Wednesday that will ban imports deemed to be driving deforestation, throwing the bloc’s trade muscle behind a global fight against climate change. The legislation, which has to get final approval from the European Union’s member countries, would apply to coffee, cocoa, soy, timber, palm oil, cattle, printing paper and rubber, … Continue reading EU lawmakers adopt ban on imports speeding deforestation

Bucharest (AFP) April 20, 2023 Romania’s government proposed Thursday to triple the number of bears to be culled each year in an effort to control the protected species’ “overpopulation”, drawing the ire of environmental groups. The proposal is based on a recent estimate by Romania’s ministry of environment that puts the number of bears in the country at approximately 7,500 to 8,000. An increasing number … Continue reading Romania aims to triple bear culls to address ‘overpopulation’

Paris (ESA) Apr 20, 2023 On 30 April 2023, all nominal operations of Aeolus, the first mission to observe Earth’s wind profiles on a global scale, will conclude in preparation for a series of end-of-life activities. Although a recent upgrade to Aeolus’ onboard laser instrument meant that in its last months it has been performing as well as ever, diminishing fuel combined with increasing solar … Continue reading Trailblazing Aeolus mission winding down

United Nations, United States (AFP) April 18, 2023 The United Nations has set dates in June to formally adopt the world body’s historic high seas treaty, following a General Assembly resolution agreed upon Tuesday. The text of the high seas treaty was finally agreed in March, after 15 years of discussions and four years of formal negotiations. The landmark accord would establish a legal framework … Continue reading UN high seas treaty expected to be adopted in June

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Apr 20, 2023 The Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT) that is the joint mission of the Ministry of Environment, the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency has observed almost continuously since its launch and is currently in operation. Thermal And Near-infrared Sensor for carbon Observation – Fourier Transform Spectrometer (TANSO-FTS) onbhttp://dlvr.it/SmnnMq Continue reading Estimating greenhouse gas concentrations from GOSAT data