Latest news with #naturaldisasters
Arab News
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Arab News
What We Are Reading Today: ‘Volcanoes: Crucibles of Change'
Author: Richard V. Fisher 'Volcanoes: Crucibles of Change' explores the science and mystery of volcanoes. The author chronicles not only their geologic behavior but also their profound effect on human life. The book covers the surprisingly large variety of volcanoes, the subtle to conspicuous signs preceding their eruptions, and their far-reaching atmospheric consequences, according to a review on Tourists will find their scientific curiosity whetted by this informative and entertaining book.
The Guardian
a day ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Natural disasters cost Australia's economy $2.2bn in first half of 2025, new Treasury analysis shows
Six months of natural disasters in 2025 have cost the economy $2.2bn, largely in slower retail and household spending, according to new federal Treasury analysis. Wild weather has repeatedly battered the Australian east coast this year. The analysis period covers Cyclone Alfred, the first cyclone to hit south-east Queensland in 50 years, and associated flooding. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email It also includes the impact of last month's severe flooding in New South Wales's Hunter and mid-north coast regions. The disaster left about 10,000 buildings with flood damage, with an estimated 1,000 uninhabitable, and claimed five lives. Outback and north Queensland also flooded this year. Treasury expects most of the immediate loss in economic activity to take place in the March quarter. Partial data for the March quarter has shown that retail trade and household spending have been the most significantly impacted as a result of the disasters. Nominal retail trade in Queensland fell 0.3% in February and 0.4% in March, according to Treasury analysis. Household spending was flat, with a 0.2% drop in Queensland. Full March quarter national accounts will be released on Wednesday. 'The human impacts matter to us most, but the economic cost is very significant too, and we'll see that in Wednesday's national accounts,' said the treasurer, Jim Chalmers. 'The government will be there for people in disaster-hit regions, just like they're there for each other. 'We've activated disaster assistance to the Hunter and mid-north coast regions of NSW, just as we did earlier in the year in Queensland and northern NSW.' The treasurer said the economic progress Australians had made lowering inflation, debt and unemployment meant 'we're in a stronger position to provide support when communities need it most'. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion The federal government has activated several rounds of disaster payments. The minister for emergency management, Kristy McBain, said the government planned to fund projects designed to improve preparedness and resilience in order to protect communities when disasters strike. 'We are committed to funding support to increase resilience, adaptability and preparedness,' she said. 'Our disaster ready fund initiative will provide another $200m of investment in 2025-26.' McBain said she had been on the ground in NSW, where she saw 'first-hand the effects a disaster can have', and had been meeting with small businesses and primary producers that had been 'hit hard'. 'It is my priority to work closely with all levels of government to ensure support is provided as quickly as possible,' she said. McBain said the federal government would 'continue to work with NSW on any other funding requests'. 'For a lot of these people, it's the cumulative impact of a number of events, and we understand that,' she said. 'That's why recovery isn't going to be over the next couple of days when cameras and lights are on the area. It's going to be days, weeks and months that we'll walk with these communities.'
News.com.au
a day ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Natural disasters cost Australia $2.2 billion in first six months of 2025
The Treasury has flagged GDP figures may be lower than expected this quarter due to a huge economic loss from natural disasters so far in 2025. New analysis by the Treasury has estimated the immediate loss of economic activity from natural disasters so far in 2025 is $2.2 billion. The huge costs of disasters this year, include the impacts of flooding in the NSW Hunter and mid-North Coast regions, as well as Cyclone Alfred and flooding in western Queensland and Far North Queensland. Most of the loss will affect the March quarter, the Treasury said, which is to be reflected in National Accounts released on Wednesday. The natural disasters have also had an impact on retail trade and household spending, data from the March quarter suggests. Retail trade in Queensland dropped 0.3% in February and 0.4% in March. Household spending was flat nationally, with a 0.2% drop in Queensland contributing. Treasurer Jim Chalmers highlighted the dual focus on human and economic costs, with continued disaster assistance. 'Our government's first priority is helping to fund the recovery and rebuild for communities hit hard by all the heavy weather we're seeing more and more frequently,' he said in a release. 'The human impacts matter to us most, but the economic cost is very significant too and we'll see that in Wednesday's National Accounts. 'The Government will be there for people in disaster hit regions, just like they're there for each other.' Mr Chalmers added they have activated disaster assistance to the Hunter and mid-North Coast regions of NSW. 'Because of the progress Australians have made together in the economy, with inflation down, debt down and unemployment low, we're in a stronger position to provide support when communities need it most,' he said. Meanwhile, Minister for Emergency Management Kristy McBain stressed the importance of preparedness and long-term recovery, with an extra $200 million to be invested via the Disaster Ready Fund in 2025–26. 'Our Government is committed to preparedness and resilience in order to protect communities when disasters strike,' she said. 'We are committed to funding support to increase resilience, adaptability and preparedness. Our Disaster Ready Fund initiative will provide another $200 million of investment in 2025-26.' Ms McBain said she has recently been on the ground in NSW, and has seen first hand the effects a disaster can have. 'We have activated multiple disaster payments and we will continue to work with NSW on any other funding requests and I have been meeting with small business and primary producers who have been hit hard,' she said. 'For a lot of these people, it's the cumulative impact of a number of events and we understand that. 'That's why recovery isn't going to be over the next couple of days when cameras and lights are on the area. It's going to be days, weeks and months that we'll walk with these communities.'
The Independent
2 days ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Intense weather events are here to stay – it's up to us how intense they get
Imagine being told you have 20 minutes to leave your home before a glacier crashes down and buries it. Or watching helplessly as your car floats down your street, your only way out disappearing in the torrent. Over the last two weeks, the floodgates have well and truly opened across five continents at the same time, with mass flooding events in Maryland, Argentina, Australia and Algeria and a glacial landslide in Switzerland that consumed a picturesque village. From Switzerland to Sydney, the rain is not only shifting but bucketing down. As the atmosphere warms, its ability to hold, and dump more water anywhere in the world, is proving one of our most challenging early snapshots of the climate changes to come. In Maryland and Virginia in the US, flash floods swept away roads, submerged schools, and tragically claimed the life of a 12-year-old boy. Hundreds of children had to be rescued from schools as floodwaters surged through classrooms, and entire towns were declared disaster zones. In Argentina, over 2,000 people were evacuated after more than 400 mm of rain fell in less than two days. A similar bomb of rain fell across Australia's Hunter Valley, north of Sydney, where over 10,000 properties were damaged and five people have died. One of the main reasons driving these sudden downpours is the Clausius-Clapeyron relation, which describes how much water vapour the atmosphere can hold at any time. With every degree of warming, the atmosphere can hold about seven per cent more rain. As the WMO warns, we are likely to exceed 1.5 degrees of warming by the end of this decade, we need to prepare for more intense downpours like this. But don't expect it to be uniform. In the wake of Australia's flooding across the NSW Mid-North Coast, farmers to the south have been crushed by drought. Maryland had been issued a drought alert just last month, and farmers just west of Argentina's recent flood events were complaining of severe drought only a few months ago. Even here in the UK, we could be on track for one of the driest spring times in 150 years, driven by a 4C ocean heatwave just off the coast. And that brings us to the Swiss Alps, where heat has simply melted million-year-old ice and utterly shattered the picturesque village of Blatten, when a glacier collapsed and buried it in minutes. The tragic landslide was likely driven by melting permafrost which was the glue holding the glacial walls together. As climate scientist Ed Hawkins bluntly stated this week: 'The village of Blatten in Switzerland was partly buried yesterday by the collapse of a glacier which melted because our greenhouse gas emissions warmed the climate.' And it won't be the last. A new study released this week found that nearly 40 per cent of the world's glaciers are already doomed to melt – and that's even if we get our act together and stop burning fossil fuels altogether. But if we don't, and keep pushing the climate accelerator like we're on the last lap of an F1 race, we could lose 75 per cent of all glacier ice this century. This isn't just weather. It's the sound of the planet crossing a line. And the scariest part? We're not ready – politically, emotionally, or economically – for what's coming next. With the news from Ukraine and Gaza and the constant stream of drama straight from the White House, I can't blame anyone for thinking that there are more pressing events around the world than this collection of floods and landslides. It'll still be a while before our climate can cause as much chaos as we seem ever more set on causing ourselves. But there's something in the water, and it's high time we wake up and get ready for it. The floodgates are beginning to open up, and we have a chance now to not only batten down the hatches but save millions from being swept away. This week's study on glaciers also shows we could save literally twice the ice held in glaciers by shifting away from fossil fuels fast. As Dr Harry Zekollari, co-leader of the glacier study, put it in somewhat gladiatorial terms: 'The choices we make today will resonate for centuries.' Unfortunately, none of this will be fixed by carbon-sucking machines or billionaire climate tech. The truth is, we've run out of clever tricks, and it's time we simply take a hard long look in the mirror. What's left is the boring, necessary and unglamorous work that we've all heard before. The only way out of this mess is by slashing fossil fuel use, truly valuing and preserving nature, and building resilience against the rain, or lack of it. These intense rain events, the ocean heat and trailing droughts look like they're here to stay. It's up to us just now how intense they all get.
CNET
2 days ago
- General
- CNET
Easily Make Your Own Distilled Water With 5 Simple Steps
When disaster strikes, distilled water can be a lifesaver, especially if you have a CPAP machine for sleep apnea or other critical medical devices that require it. As the purest type of water available, distilled water can be a blessing for dealing with cuts or scrapes, since you'll be limiting the risk of infection. Unlike simple filtered water, distilled water is pretty much free of all impurities. That means it's missing beneficial minerals like calcium and magnesium and will taste a little weird, even though it's extremely safe to drink. Maintaining and storing a good supply of distilled water is a great way to prepare for emergency situations like hurricanes, floods, wildfires or other natural disasters. Most grocery stores sell distilled water, but in the past few years, we've seen many shortages. If you can't find distilled water and need it to prepare for an upcoming storm or to ensure you can run your medical devices, there's an easy way to make it at home yourself. Why make distilled water at home? For people suffering from sleep apnea who use CPAP machines or any other sort of humidifier, distilled water is essential. It's also useful if you don't want additional minerals in your water. (For example, distilled water won't corrode automobile engine parts or create lime-scale buildup in aquariums and it's easier on your home if you use it to make this all-natural cleaner.) Joey Skladany/CNET If you live in a place with "hard" water or water with lots of chemicals, you can even use distilled water to protect your hair when washing it. However, because distilled water doesn't have minerals like calcium and magnesium, it tastes bland and isn't the best for drinking. You can buy distilled water at your local grocery store or on Amazon, but making it at home will save you money and keep a few plastic jugs out of the recycling system. Learning to make this bacteria-free water at home will also save you if the store is out of stock. Below, I'll walk you through the five steps to make your own distilled water. I'll also explain the differences between all the types of water you come across in the store. For more tips, find out if it's cheaper to buy groceries online compared with the grocery store and our list of the best filtered water bottles. What's the difference between tap, filtered, purified and distilled water? Tap water is the easy one. Turn on your kitchen faucet. Water comes out of the tap. Voila! Tap water. The quality of tap water varies by location and might contain traces of minerals specific to the geology of your region, as well as traces of chemicals used in municipal water treatment. Hopefully, your tap water is safe to drink, but that's not true for as many as 45 million Americans. Filtered water is one solution. Filtered water starts out as plain tap water. You may already have filtered water in your home by way of a whole-house filtration system, a faucet filter or a water filtration pitcher. Most filtered water passes through some combination of carbon and micron filters, which help to remove chemicals such as chlorine (commonly added to municipal tap water as a disinfectant) and pesticides, and metals like copper or lead. Filters can also eliminate foul odors and tastes. Purified water usually begins as tap water as well. It will go through many purification processes, including those used for water filtration. Purified water goes a step further than filtering, with a process that removes chemical pollutants, bacteria, fungi and algae. You'll often find purified water in bottles at your local grocery. Distilled water is a more specialized type of purified water but much easier and cheaper to produce at home. As with purified water, it meets the classification requirement of 10ppm (parts per million) of total dissolved solids, aka contaminants, or less. The process of distilling is simple: Heat tap water to the point that it turns to vapor. When the vapor condenses back to water, it leaves behind any mineral residue. The resulting condensed liquid is distilled water. Is it safe to drink distilled water? Distilled water is completely safe for use but the downside of distilling is that it removes all of the helpful minerals like calcium and magnesium that occur naturally in tap water. For that reason, it isn't generally recommended to use distilled water as your daily drinking water. You might also find that it lacks the flavor of tap or filtered water. What's the best way to store distilled water? If stored properly, distilled water can have a long shelf life as long as it's not exposed to direct sunlight or warm temperatures. Choose the storage container you use for distilled water carefully. Distilled water's lack of nutrients can cause it to leach chemicals from the container it's stored in. If you plan to use the water immediately, most containers will do but for long-term storage it's best to use glass or high-quality stainless steel. Making distilled water is like a fun science project. Gettys Images/DanBrandenburg How to make your own distilled water Here's how you can distill your own water at home. Not to get too scientific here, but this is exciting for me. We'll be using water in all three of its known states -- solid, liquid and gas. The gist is this: You heat water (liquid), turn it into water vapor (gas), then collect the condensation with the aid of ice (solid). It's like middle school science class all over again. You'll likely find everything you need in your kitchen. A large pot with a lid, a small pot, water, ice and oven mitts for handling the hot cookware. It does take some time for all this science to happen, so be prepared. In my example below, I started with 8 cups of water in the large pot. After 1 hour, I had produced about 1 1/4 cup of distilled water. To create a gallon jug that you'd find in the supermarket you'd need about 13 hours of distilling time. If you follow these steps, you should get near 100% yield, but whatever amount of distilled water you want to end up with, make sure to add additional water so you don't end up heating an empty pot(s) at the end of the process, which can damage cookware. Ice speeds up the condensation process. Steve Conaway/CNET 1. First, place the large pot over a stovetop burner and add 8 cups of water. Then, place the smaller pot inside the large pot. At this point, the smaller pot should float on top of the water. The key to circulating water vapor inside the large pot is airflow. Make sure there's plenty of space around the smaller pot, both around its sides and between it and the top of the larger pot. 2. Next, turn the burner to somewhere between medium and medium-high heat. I tried to keep the heat level at a steady simmer -- somewhere between 180 and 200 degrees Fahrenheit -- and not a boil. Running a higher temperature won't get you a higher yield, but it will warm up the cold side of the lid faster, and make general handling of the equipment harder to deal with. 3. After you put the burner on, place the lid upside-down on the large pot. Lids are usually higher in the middle than around the edges. Flipping the lid will allow the condensed distilled water to trickle down to the middle of the lid and into the smaller pot. Once all this is done, head over to your icemaker (or tray) and load the top of the inverted lid with ice. The difference in temperature on the two sides of the lid will speed up the condensation process. Use caution throughout the process. Steve Conaway/CNET 4. At this point, you can sit back and wait. I ended up replenishing the ice supply twice within an hour, once at 30 minutes and once after 45 minutes. This is what you need the oven mitts for -- that lid will be hot! Use caution when dumping that now-hot melted ice. The water in the smaller pot is your distilled water. Steve Conaway/CNET 5. Any water that has dripped down into the smaller pot has now been distilled. Again, I was able to make about 1 1/4 cup of distilled water from 8 cups of tap water in about an hour. Just remember, making your own distilled water is easy (and fun!), but lack of nutrients makes it a bad choice for daily drinking water. But if you're stuck at home and you rely on a device that requires it, or perhaps you just want to keep your fish healthy, you may want to try making it yourself. For more, check out how to clean mold and bacteria out of your washing machine and the best way to unclog a clogged toilet.
