The world is on course to exceed global warming limits set out in the Paris climate agreement much earlier than previously thought, scientists have warned, following the first comprehensive study of the impact of melting permafrost. Experts said dangerous climate change was almost “inevitable” and the planet was on the brink of a “tipping point” as thawing permafrost releases large volumes of carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere, causing temperatures to rise and more permafrost to melt. They warned that governments were engaged in “wishful thinking” when it came to emission reductions and said their study showed previous warming projections that failed to account for permafrost thaws may be inaccurate. Permafrost – soil that has been frozen for at least two years – acts as a store for large amounts of carbon and other nutrients from organic matter. However, governments have largely failed to factor the release of vast amounts of carbon held in this frozen rock and sediment into their climate projections.
Independent 17th Sept 2018 read more »
Hundreds of extra deaths were recorded in England as a result of a heatwave during spring and early summer, official statistics show. In the last week of June, when temperatures rose above 30C, 382 more deaths occurred than the average. During an earlier period of unseasonably warm spring temperatures in April, 243 more deaths were observed than the five-year average. Experts said many of the deaths could have been prevented if the public had been made aware “about the increasing risks of heatwaves due to climate change”.
Independent 17th Sept 2018 read more »