Top environment and climate change stories to read

17 June, 2022

Temperatures soared past 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) in New York City and Las Vegas this week, as part of a pattern of severe weather that has been exacerbated by climate change. On Sunday, temperatures in parts of the northeastern United States smashed records for the warmest day on record.

US President Joe Biden has acknowledged that climate change is an emergency, but he hasn’t made a formal proclamation, unveiling an executive action package and vowing more extreme moves.

Some coastal communities have already raised their alert level to maximum, while interior areas are warning of dam collapse concerns due to melting glaciers due to further heatwaves expected this week. On Saturday, July 24, the Chinese Almanac predicted a “great heat” based on lunar cycles. This region has warned of flash floods and mudslides, as well as the potential for damage to crops in the area.

Now that Chile is the world’s top copper producer, it has begun using Chilean electric buses to minimize its reliance on fossil fuels and meet environmental objectives of its own.

When it comes to climate change, severe weather and biodiversity loss, Pope Francis has called on politicians worldwide on July 21st to pay attention to the “crying chorus” that the Earth is emitting. As part of a speech for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, Pope Francis encouraged countries to address climate change with the same level of urgency as other global issues, such as conflicts and health crises.

War in Ukraine will lead to an increase in Europe’s use of fossil fuels in the long run, but in the short term it will lead to an increase in coal use to compensate for decreased Russian gas supplies, Britain’s climate envoy warned on July 21.

It has just been discovered that there may be 40% more tigers than previously believed in the world.

Heat waves on the 19th of July damaged scores of London homes and scorched tinderbox-dry grassland along railway lines and roadways, making it the busiest day for the London Fire Brigade since World War Two.

The death of a street sweeper in Madrid from heat stroke has caused the city’s mayor to propose new restrictions, including a temporary stop to street sweeper operations during heat waves.

According to the European Union’s Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), fires in Spain and Morocco in June and July of this year created higher carbon emissions than in any year during the same time since 2003.

As a result of record-breaking temperatures and wildfires, CAMS scientists have warned that air pollution is soaring over the United Kingdom, France, and the rest of southern Europe.

On July 19, Portugal’s health commissioner issued a warning that the nation must prepare for the impacts of climate change as temperatures climb, with more than 1,000 fatalities attributed to the current heat wave.

On Sunday, when temperatures reached 40C (104F) in several regions of Greece, firemen were battling flames (24 July).

To adapt to climate change, polar bears eat rubbish.

 As their arctic environment diminishes, hungry polar bears are resorting to rubbish dumps for food.

On the 20th of July, a group of experts from Canada and the United States cautioned that polar bear populations are becoming more dependent on landfills near northern settlements, increasing the risk of rubbish posing to these already fragile creatures. Conflicts with other people may result in death, according to a study published in the journal Oryx.

Polar bears have been seen to scavenge for food in the landfills shown in bold. An image of Oryx may be seen here.

Seals can only be hunted by polar bears on sea ice. Despite this, sea ice melts sooner in the summer and refreezes later in the autumn in the Arctic, which is warming four times faster than the rest of the planet. Bears are forced to spend more time onshore, away from their natural prey, as a result.

The news broke as a rescued polar bear whose tongue got stuck in a can of condensed milk while wandering around a northern Russian Arctic settlement was being reported.

People in Dikson, a little community in the middle of nowhere, were alarmed to see a sick 2-year-old strolling up to cottages.

A crew from Moscow Zoo flew out to tranquilize the animal with a dart, remove the jagged metal from its mouth, and heal the wounds on its tongue.

As the ecosystem deteriorates, Australian wildlife are in grave danger.

 According to a five-year environmental report card presented by the Australian government on 19 July, Australia has lost more mammal species than any other continent and has one of the worst species drop rates among the world’s wealthiest nations.

One of the most endangered creatures on Earth is the blue tailed skink, which is currently only known to live in captivity; the central rock-rat and Christmas Island flying foxes are also under threat from invasive species.

There is also a demise in the sandalwood tree population.

After five years of drought, wildfires, and flooding, a new analysis says that climate change is having a long-term effect on Australia’s ecosystems, including rising sea levels and ocean acidification.

Australian Ecosystem Minister Tanya Plibersek stated in a statement that the State of the Environment Report “tells a tale of crisis and deterioration in the Australian environment.” She added that the incoming Labor administration will make the environment a priority.