Fires made at least three times more likely by climate crisis and emitted about 2bn tonnes of CO2, data reveals
Canada’s “record-shattering” wildfires last year produced nearly as much greenhouse gas emissions in one season as would be expected over a decade of fires in normal circumstances, data has shown.
The fires, in Canada’s “wildest season ever”, were made at least three times more likely by the climate crisis, and produced about 2bn tonnes of CO2, about a quarter of the total global emissions from wildfires last year, according to data in the State of Wildfires report, published on Wednesday.
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08/13/2024 - 17:01
08/13/2024 - 13:14
A recent study details how trees in New York City and Boston are more negatively impacted by heat waves and drought than trees of the same species in nearby rural forests. The finding highlights the challenges urban trees face in the context of climate change and underscores the importance of tailored urban forestry management as a tool for protecting tree species and reducing urban heat islands.
08/13/2024 - 12:59
Trump talked about ‘nuclear warming’ while Musk said the only reason to quit fossil fuels is that their supply is finite
Donald Trump and Elon Musk both made discursive, often fact-free assertions about global heating, including that rising sea levels would create “more oceanfront property” and that there was no urgent need to cut carbon emissions, during an event labeled “the dumbest climate conversation of all time” by one prominent activist.
Trump, the Republican US presidential nominee, and Musk, the world’s richest person, dwelled on the problem of the climate crisis during their much-hyped conversation on X, formerly known as Twitter and owned by Musk, on Monday, agreeing that the world has plenty of time to move away from fossil fuels, if at all.
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08/13/2024 - 12:19
Food, feed, fiber, and bioenergy: The demand for agricultural raw materials is rising. How can additional cultivation areas be reconciled with nature conservation? Researchers have developed a land-use model that provides answers.
08/13/2024 - 12:19
Safeguarding places to hang ten and shoot the curl is an opportunity to simultaneously mitigate climate change, fuel tourism and help surrounding ecosystems, research has shown.
08/13/2024 - 11:00
In probably the hottest summer ever, workers are organizing in 13 cities to raise alarm about workplace heat exposure
As temperatures in Baltimore neared 100F earlier this month, 36-year-old sanitation worker Ronald Silver II died after he was found lying on the hood of a car and asking for water.
It’s the kind of tragic workplace heat-related death that advocates say could have been avoided with the right labor protections. So this week, during what will probably be the US’s hottest summer on record, frontline workers are organizing actions in 13 cities across the country, raising the alarm about workplace heat exposure.
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08/13/2024 - 10:00
Exposure to bacteria in landfill sites and polluted rivers may explain prevalence among city-dwelling birds
Urban ducks and crows might offer us a connection to nature, but scientists have found wild birds that live near humans are more likely to harbour bacteria resistant to important antibiotics.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is largely caused by the overuse of drugs such as antibiotics among humans and livestock.
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08/13/2024 - 10:00
Corolla Cross hybrid 2024 used 4.5 litres of fuel per 100km, 7% more than Toyota advertised, while Audi and Subaru models used less
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Australians are buying cars that consume more petrol than the fuel efficiencies marketed to them, repeated investigations have found, while many vehicles also emit more toxic fumes than manufacturers advertise.
The Australian Automobile Association (AAA) on Wednesday released the latest results from its “real-world” testing program, a four-year $14m government-funded scheme that compares the fuel consumption and emissions of vehicles in Australian driving conditions with the consumption each vehicle advertises.
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08/13/2024 - 10:00
Regulations ignored credible research and didn’t fully protect human health, independent scientists say
The World Health Organization (WHO) is poised to scrap controversial drinking water guidelines proposed for two toxic PFAS “forever chemicals”.
The move follows allegations that the process of developing the figures was corrupted by industry-linked researchers aiming to undercut strict new US PFAS limits and weaken standards in the developing world.
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08/13/2024 - 08:57
Tim Walz made school meals free for all children in his state, while Project 2025 is gunning for programs that feed students in high-poverty schools
The humble school meal is having a moment. With the nomination of Minnesota’s governor, Tim Walz, as Kamala Harris’s running mate, many voters and pundits are suddenly talking about school meals. And that’s good, because the stakes are high for the national school lunch and school breakfast programs since the campaigns and their parties have very different records and plans.
Since Walz became the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, an image of him has frequently circulated. In the photograph, he’s surrounded by smiling children hugging him after he signed a 2023 bill making school meals universally free for all Minnesota children. His was the fourth state to commit to feeding all children at school; now nine states have done so, and more are considering similar measures. No more forms to fill out to prove your income, which busy parents can forget or that get crumpled in a backpack. No more penalizing children when their parents fall behind on lunch accounts. Every kid gets fed, powering them up for their day’s work learning and growing.
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