Australian jury convicts two men for murder of Indigenous teen
Global temperatures stuck at near-record highs in April: EU monitor
PARIS: Global temperatures were stuck at near-record highs in April, the EU's climate monitor said on Thursday, extending an unprecedented heat streak and raising questions about how quickly the world might be warming.
The extraordinary heat spell was expected to subside as warmer El Niño conditions faded last year, but temperatures have stubbornly remained at record or near-record levels well into this year.
'And then comes 2025, when we should be settling back, and instead we are remaining at this accelerated step-change in warming,' said Johan Rockstrom, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.
'And we seem to be stuck there. What this is caused (by) — what is explaining it — is not entirely resolved, but it's a very worrying sign,' he told AFP.
In its latest bulletin, the Copernicus Climate Change Service said that April was the second-hottest in its dataset, which draws on billions of measurements from satellites, ships, aircraft and weather stations.
All but one of the last 22 months exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, the warming limit enshrined in the Paris agreement, beyond which major and lasting climate and environmental changes become more likely.
Many scientists believe this target is no longer attainable and will be crossed in a matter of years.
A large study by dozens of pre-eminent climate scientists, which has not yet been peer reviewed, recently concluded that global warming reached 1.36C in 2024.
Copernicus puts the current figure at 1.39C and projects 1.5C could be reached in mid 2029 or sooner based on the warming trend over the last 30 years.
'Now it's in four years' time. The reality is we will exceed 1.5 degrees,' said Samantha Burgess of the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, which runs Copernicus.
'The critical thing is to then not latch onto two degrees, but to focus on 1.51,' the climate scientist told AFP.
Julien Cattiaux, a climate scientist at the French research institute CNRS, said 1.5C 'would be beaten before 2030' but that was not a reason to give up.
'It's true that the figures we're giving are alarming: the current rate of warming is high. They say every 10th of a degree counts, but right now, they're passing quickly,' he told AFP.
'Despite everything, we mustn't let that hinder action.'
This photograph shows a general view of the Atacama Desert covered by flowers in Copiapo, Chile, taken on July 10, 2024. (AFP)
Scientists are unanimous that burning fossil fuels has largely driven long-term global warming that has made extreme weather disasters more frequent and intense.
But they are less certain about what else might have contributed to this persistent heat event.
Experts think changes in global cloud patterns, airborne pollution and Earth's ability to store carbon in natural sinks like forests and oceans, could be factors also contributing to the planet overheating.
The surge pushed 2023 and then 2024 to become the hottest years on record, with 2025 tipped to be third.
Smoke pours from the exhaust pipes on a truck on November 05, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (AFP)
'The last two years... have been exceptional,' said Burgess.
'They're still within the boundary — or the envelope — of what climate models predicted we could be in right now. But we're at the upper end of that envelope.'
She said that 'the current rate of warming has accelerated but whether that's true over the long term, I'm not comfortable saying that,' adding that more data was needed.
Copernicus records go back to 1940 but other sources of climate data — such as ice cores, tree rings and coral skeletons — allow scientists to expand their conclusions using evidence from much further into the past.
Scientists say the current period is likely to be the warmest the Earth has been for the last 125,000 years.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
7 hours ago
- Arab News
Uzbekistan keen to collaborate with Saudi Arabia on environmental protections: top official
RIYADH: Uzbekistan's cooperation with Saudi Arabia on ecology and environmental protection is steadily progressing, with the Central Asian nation aiming to deepen this partnership through the exchange of knowledge and innovation, a top official said. Speaking to Arab News on the sidelines of the Tashkent International Investment Forum, Uzbekistan's Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change Aziz Abdukhakimov said that the country wishes to collaborate with the Kingdom to develop effective solutions to issues including dust and sand storms. Saudi Arabia is spearheading climate action efforts across the Middle East, with ambitions to plant 10 billion trees, rehabilitate 40 million hectares of degraded land, and reduce carbon emissions by more than 278 million tonnes per year. 'Our cooperation with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the fields of ecology and environmental protection is dynamic and multifaceted. Through the Intergovernmental Commission between our two countries, we regularly exchange views on the current state and future prospects of collaboration between our environmental agencies,' said Abdukhakimov. He added: 'We plan to foster collaboration between our national parks and protected natural areas. Saudi Arabia has more than 70 such areas, covering about 18 percent of its territory.' The minister further said that such collaborations will allow the exchange of expertise in preserving unique ecosystems and rare species of flora and fauna. Abdukhakimov added that Uzbekistan's Central Asian University of Environmental and Climate Change Studies is seeking to establish academic partnerships with institutions in the Kingdom, including King Saud University and King Abdulaziz University, for the exchange of scientific knowledge and innovations in the environmental field. 'Our cooperation is built on trust, mutual interest, and a shared responsibility for sustainable development and environmental protection in our regions,' said the minister. He also invited Saudi partners to participate in the international Eco Expo Central Asia exhibition to be held in Tashkent from June 19 to 21, as well as the 20th CITES COP20 Conference, which will take place in Samarkand from Nov. 24 to Dec. 5. Uzbekistan's environmental agenda During the interview, Abdukhakimov told Arab News that Uzbekistan is currently facing several severe environmental challenges, both globally and regionally, including climate change, desertification, and land degradation. 'These phenomena directly impact the country's sustainable development and require proactive government action. At the regional and national levels, the most pressing issues include water scarcity and pollution, air quality degradation, and the need to conserve and restore biodiversity,' he said. To address these challenges, the Uzbek government, under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, is taking various measures, including a push for a green economy, a transition to environmentally friendly transportation, and the development of alternative and renewable energy sources. Saudi Arabia is also collaborating with Uzbekistan to advance its energy transition journey, which aims to generate 40 percent of its electricity from clean sources by the end of this decade. Saudi utility giant ACWA Power is the largest foreign player in Uzbekistan's energy sector, with the company already implementing 19 projects in the country worth a combined value of $5 billion. Out of these 19 initiatives, eight are focused on renewable energy, which is expected to support the Central Asian nation's goal to achieve 20 gigawatts of clean energy capacity by 2030. During the Tashkent Investment Forum, Abid Malik, president of ACWA Power for Central Asia, announced that Uzbekistan will commence producing green hydrogen this month, with an annual production capacity of 3,000 tonnes. In 2023, Mirziyoyev launched a pilot green hydrogen facility in the Tashkent Region in cooperation with ACWA Power. The $88 million project is being implemented in two phases, with production from the first phase expected to begin this month. During the forum, Soumendra Rout, ACWA Power's country head for Uzbekistan, said that the company is planning to invest $5 billion in the Central Asian nation as a part of its broader strategy aimed at increasing its total commitments in the country to $15 billion. Abdukhakimov added that Uzbekistan, through the nationwide project Yashil Makon 'Green Space,' aims to plant 200 million trees annually. Under the project, Uzbekistan has planted over 850 million tree and shrub seedlings over the past four years. 'Under the 'Uzbekistan – 2030' Strategy, one of the key priorities is to ensure a favorable environment for the population. The year 2025 has been declared the 'Year of Environmental Protection and Green Economy,' underscoring the state's strong commitment to environmental priorities,' said the minister. Abdukhakimov further added that Uzbekistan is also strengthening institutions for environmental monitoring and control, with the country installing automated air pollution monitoring stations and expanding its meteorological network. 'These measures demonstrate Uzbekistan's systematic approach to solving environmental problems and its active engagement in the global environmental movement,' he added. Cooperation with regional partners According to Abdukhakimov, Uzbekistan, like other Central Asian nations, is located in one of the world's most climate-vulnerable regions. He added that the average temperature in the region has risen by 1.5 degrees Celsius — twice the global average, while the area of glaciers has decreased by 30 percent in the last 50 to 60 years, resulting in water shortages, land degradation, and reduced crop yields. 'Central Asian countries share a common history, transboundary water resources and similar environmental threats — from desertification to increased vulnerability in agriculture. For this reason, Uzbekistan views cooperation as a key instrument in crafting a unified regional response to climate risks,' said the minister. To ensure regional cooperation, Uzbekistan also hosted the Samarkand Climate Forum in April, where the Regional Green Development Concept was presented. The minister said that this document serves as a foundation for shaping coordinated climate policy and strengthening regional solidarity in the face of global challenges. Uzbekistan is also actively engaged in numerous regional initiatives, including the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, the Regional Environmental Center for Central Asia, and the CAREC Program, as well as projects with the World Bank, OSCE, and UNESCO. Abdukhakimov further said that these initiatives will facilitate knowledge exchange, joint management of natural resources, and the mobilization of international funding. 'In short, Uzbekistan builds regional cooperation on climate issues on the principles of solidarity, mutual benefit, and synergy— firmly believing that only collective efforts can ensure a sustainable future for the entire region,' the minister said.
Arab News
18 hours ago
- Arab News
Peanuts or almonds? Rice or millet? Planet-friendly grocery shopping choices go beyond cutting meat
It's one of the most impactful climate decisions we make, and we make it multiple times a day. The UN estimates about a third of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, the main driver of climate change, come from food. That pollution can come from several links in the food supply chain: how farmland is treated, how crops are grown, how food is processed and how it's ultimately transported. Maybe you've already heard the short answer to minimizing your diet's impact on the planet: eat more plants and fewer animals. The data backs up that suggestion. Emissions from meat-rich diets are four times higher than that of vegan diets. But so much focus on meats overshadows many other food choices that also impact the environment and can contribute to global warming. Here is a look at other important grocery store decisions: Proteins Swapping one serving of chicken per day for beef cuts a diet's emissions nearly in half. Ruminant animals such as cows, sheep and goats are the top drivers of emissions. Those animals 'are associated not only with nitrous oxide emissions, but they're also related to direct methane emissions because they burp them up while they digest food,' said Marco Springmann, professorial research fellow in climate change, food systems and health at University College London. Springmann said processed animal products have a higher impact on the planet, too: 'You need 10 times the amount of milk to make one unit of cheese.' So — and this is true of most food groups — the less processed the food, the smaller the environmental impact. Plant-based proteins like legumes, beans and nuts all boast a much lower climate impact. Grains The standout here is rice, and not in a good way. 'Rice uses a ton of water. It uses gobs of fertilizer. There's flooded rice paddy fields, and that water actually breeds all kinds of bacteria, and those bacteria produce methane gas,' said eco-dietitian nutritionist Mary Purdy. Purdy said the most planet-friendly alternative is just eating a bunch of different grains. 'The wheat, corn and soy world is very, very familiar to us because we've been seeing it. It's been heavily marketed. When was the last time you saw a commercial for millet or buckwheat?' she asked. Diverse diets, Purdy said, incentivize biodiverse agriculture, which is more resilient to erratic weather — a hallmark of climate change — and makes healthier soil. Fruits and vegetables When it comes to produce, minimizing impact is less about choosing between foods and more about buying based on the way that food was grown. Conventionally grown produce 'very likely is using pesticides, fertilizer, and maybe more water because the soil isn't healthy,' said Purdy. Purdy said organic labels, such as Regenerative Organic Certified, indicate those foods had a smaller climate impact when they were grown. The tradeoff is that organic food has a lower yield, so it requires more land use and is often more expensive. Local and 'in season' foods also have a smaller climate impact, but not just for one of the reasons you may be thinking of: emissions from international shipping. Every day, thousands of large ships transport goods, including produce, around the world, and the fuel they use is heavily polluting. However, 'it's mostly those local emissions on trucks that are actually impactful, not the international shipping emissions,' Springmann said. Also, food grown nearby tends to be grown in a way that fits with the local climate and is less harmful to the environment. 'We're not trying to grow oranges in some place in a greenhouse,' Purdy said. Butter and oil Plants win out over animals, again. Vegetable oils are less impactful than butter or lard. Springmann also said tropical oils are healthiest in moderation, such as those from coconuts or palms, because they have a higher fat content. Plus, palm oil is associated with deforestation. As for nut butters, almonds might be a great option for limiting carbon emissions, but they require a lot of water. One study out of Tulane University found that a serving of peanuts has an emissions footprint similar to almonds but 30 percent less impact on water use. Don't waste food Throwing less food away might sound obvious, but roughly a third of food grown in the US is wasted. Meal planning, freezing leftovers and checking the fridge before heading to the grocery store all help cut waste. 'The climate impact, the embedded water use, all of the labor and different aspects that went into producing that food, that all gets wasted if we don't eat it,' Nicole Tichenor Blackstone, a professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University.
Arab News
a day ago
- Arab News
Greenland ice melted much faster than average in May heatwave: scientists
COPENHAGEN: Greenland's ice sheet melted 17 times faster than the past average during a May heatwave that also hit Iceland, the scientific network World Weather Attribution (WWA) said in a report Wednesday. The Arctic region is on the frontline of global warming, heating up four times faster than the rest of the planet since 1979, according to a 2022 study in scientific journal Nature. 'The melting rate of the Greenland ice sheet by, from a preliminary analysis, a factor of 17... means the Greenland ice sheet contribution to sea level rise is higher than it would have otherwise been without this heat wave,' one of the authors of the report, Friederike Otto, told reporters. 'Without climate change this would have been impossible,' said Otto, an associate professor in climate science at the Imperial College London. The data from the May 15-21, 2025 heatwave was compared to the average ice melt for the same week during the period 1980-2010. In Iceland, the temperature exceeded 26 degrees Celsius (79 Fahrenheit) on May 15, unprecedented for that time of year on the subarctic island. 'Temperatures over Iceland as observed this May are record-breaking, more than 13 degrees Celsius hotter than the 1991-2020 average May daily maximum temperatures,' the WWA said. In May, 94 percent of Iceland's weather stations registered record temperatures, according to the country's meteorological institute. In eastern Greenland, the hottest day during the heatwave was about 3.9C warmer compared to the preindustrial climate, the WWA said. 'While a heatwave that is around 20 degrees Celsius might not sound like an extreme event from the experience of most people around the world, it is a really big deal for this part of the world,' Otto said. 'It affects the whole world massively,' she said. According to the WWA, the record highs observed in Iceland and Greenland this May could reoccur every 100 years. For Greenland's indigenous communities, the warmer temperatures and melting ice affect their ability to hunt on the ice, posing a threat to their livelihood and traditional way of life. The changes also affect infrastructure in the two countries. 'In Greenland and Iceland, infrastructure is built for cold weather, meaning during a heatwave ice melt can lead to flooding and damage roads and infrastructure,' the WWA said. In Greenland, the higher temperatures coupled with heavy rainfall can have numerous consequences on nature. In 2022, higher temperatures caused the permafrost to thaw, releasing iron and other metals into numerous Arctic lakes, it said. Health and hygiene can also be affected, as rural Greenlandic households often lack sewage systems.
