Greenland’s ice sheet is melting much faster than previously thought, threatening hundreds of millions of people with inundation and bringing some of the irreversible impacts of the climate emergency much closer. Ice is being lost from Greenland seven times faster than it was in the 1990s, and the scale and speed of ice loss is much higher than was predicted in the comprehensive studies of global climate science by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, according to data. That means sea level rises are likely to reach 67cm by 2100, about 7cm more than the IPCC’s main prediction. Such a rate of rise will put 400 million people at risk of flooding every year, instead of the 360 million predicted by the IPCC, by the end of the century. (This report by Fiona Harvey (Madrid) of The Guardian in December 2019.)
0 Comments
The Jedi of Luke Skywalker, who battles to save his friends from the Galactic Empire – “May the Force be With You” – sounds a trumpet call for the other GEDI, which made its journey to the International Space Station in December 2018.
The journey, or mission, of GEDI is expected to last two years. For details of this exciting NASA project visit this website https://gedi.umd.edu/applications/forest-management-and-carbon-cycling/
The loss of many different species, which is expected over the next decade, is only one outcome from the dangers which beset our planet. A major concern here is that we are in danger of losing the biodiversity which makes our planet so rich and beautiful in life. Not alone that, and more worrying for our nations across the globe, is that many of the disasters being suffered are affecting those less able to survive the consequences. Maybe this is one of the reasons for the cause which has brought people onto the streets, in the U.K. and in other countries - with the cry to governments to act urgently to reduce carbon emissions now, and not in 30 years' time. Science tells us it is possible to avert disaster - if we start now - and reform our planet into a place fit for all life to co-exist. Extinction is a strong word - and not used lightly. Our gallery below shows that more people are now determined to make the voice of the nation heard in the corridors of power: Climate Emergency - 'Extinction Rebellion' March - 15th April 2019.These photos are from Unsplash - the photographers are Jonathan Kemper, Markus Spiske, Mika Baumeister, Monica Melton, and Vlad Tchompalov. Checkout Unsplash by clicking here.
A major, perhaps the major - outcome of the conference was the Africa Pledge. This not only identified many of the problems faced by climate change, but went on to describe funding commitments, notably from the World Bank and the African Development Bank. The pledge is a comprehensive document, and can be read in full at this website.
|
This blog was started by the Monday Group - which was set up in April 2016. Each item contains a link back to its source, where more information can be found. Comments are welcome Archives
February 2020
Categories |