File photo
(Rajesh Mehta / TOI, Delhi / BCCL)
Climate change is the talk of the hour! As more scientists, policymakers, and corporations focus on this important topic to preserve our future, every single day brings a flurry of news and updates related to the topic. It’s hard to keep track of things, but we’re here for you! Here are some of the top stories, scientific research, and developments that have shaped our understanding of climate change this month. While this list is by no means exhaustive, it does cover many important findings, especially for India.
India’s Climate Crisis: IPCC Predictions for Rise in Heat Waves, Glacier Melt, Ocean Warming and Sea Levels
Floods, landslides, heat waves, storms and forest fires swept parts of the world far too often in 2021. The latest report by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns against assessing the state of the world’s climate in the next 20 years, temperatures could exceed 1.5 ° C – the threshold of the Paris Agreement. What does this mean for countries like India? The whole story here.
Climate emergency: South Asian monsoons will change! That is what the IPCC projections mean for India
Dark monsoon clouds seen in Mumbai.
(SL Shanth Kumar / TOI, BCCL, Mumbai)
The IPCC report conclusively states that human activities are the main drivers of climate change. The southwest monsoon season has shifted abruptly in recent decades, resulting in frequent and persistent extreme weather events such as droughts or floods. And human activities have been shown to make a significant contribution to this change! What are the implications for India? Find out here.
Extreme one-off sea level events are annually due to global warming: study
A new study led by scientists from the University of Melbourne shows that extreme sea level events that used to happen once in 100 years are likely to happen every year by the end of the 21st century! The study predicts that due to rising temperatures in around half of the 7,283 locations examined, extreme sea levels on the world’s coasts will be 100 times more common. Read more about this study here.
DST Dialog Highlights 100 Indian Districts Most Vulnerable to Climate Change; Majority lie in East India
Representative picture.
(Rana Chakraborty / TOI, BCCL, Mumbai)
While the cascading effects of climate change affect every part of the world, some are far more vulnerable than others. A recent study by the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and the Indian Institute of Technology, Mandi and Guwahati, identified Indian districts hardest hit by climate change. Find out more.
Climate change will force more than 21 million people to migrate by 2050: World Bank report
A new landmark report from the World Bank estimates that climate change could cause over 21.6 billion (216 million) people to migrate internally by 2050. This internal migration, or internal migration, refers to movement within the country. It should begin by 2030 and increase dramatically by 2050. The whole story here.
Animals ‘shape-shifting’ to cope with global warming: study
Representative picture
(TOI, BCCL, Manipal)
If you think shapeshifting is a superpower that few like Mystique by X-Men have, think again. Based on Allen’s rule, a new study deciphered how warm-blooded animals adapt to a warming climate. And the answer was shape-changing! Read on here.
Disasters around the world are interconnected and have one common denominator – human behavior: UN report
Natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes and droughts are raging around the world at an unprecedented rate. The University of the United Nations, the academic and research arm of the United Nations, conducted a study looking at ten such recent disasters that occurred in 2020 and 2021, in fact, a common link. Click here to read more.
How much do animal foods emit compared to plant-based foods? New study estimates global emissions
Dairy product: milk
(IANS)
Meat, dairy products and many other animal foods have become everyday necessities for most households around the world. But such foods, which we gobble up every day, also put unimaginable pressure on the natural environment, including its role in exacerbating climate change. Find out more about emissions here.
Dead trees emit a whopping 10.9 billion tons of carbon a year, says the first study of its kind
It is estimated that deadwood stores around 73 billion tons of the world’s total carbon. This unique study found that nearly 10.9 billion tons of this carbon from deadwood enter the atmosphere and soil annually. Read on here.
World Monday: When our protective shield recovers, can we wake up greener tomorrow?
Earth’s ozone hole 2020
(European Space Agency (ESA) / Earth Observation Center (EOC))
As the amount of stratospheric ozone decreases, more UV radiation reaches the earth’s surface, raising concerns that it could have serious consequences for ecosystems and human health. Concerns about physiologically dangerous levels of UV radiation were the driving force behind the introduction of World Ozone Day on September 16, 1994. The full story here.
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