Three Towns Forum
Members' Lounge => Science and Technology => Topic started by: Fester on March 09, 2011, 11:22:30 pm
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It seems that Antartica is losing BILLIONS of tons MORE ice per year then even the most pessimistic forecasts were predicting.
Therefore exacerbating sea level rises every year.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12687272 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12687272)
I hope you are all OK down there in Craig-Y-Don, Rhos, etc....!
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I'm not convinced at all, they have trouble predicting the weather for tomorrow let alone 50 years,
just something governments use to charge extra tax, especially fuel duty which is well beyond a joke now :rage:
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The evidence that global average temperatures are increasing is pretty well established, now, and the evidence that the CO2 component of our atmosphere has been similarly increasing for over a century is also established beyond doubt. What no one agrees on is the main cause of all this and the possible remedies. I think we have the tabloids largely to blame for the confusion that exists, fed by those with significant vested interests in allowing the world to warm.
The big worry for climatologists and chaoticians is that they don't know if there is a 'tipping point' for the atmosphere, beyond which point we might suffer a runaway greenhouse effect. If that were to happen, and no one knows for sure if it will, or how quickly it would occur, then the entire global population would have to embark on a migration that would make current levels look like day trippers to Barnsley.
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Maybe not climate change exactly... but see this article,
Snowden and the summit train terminus covered in snow on the 10th June !
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-13731216 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-13731216)
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And global warming seems a fairly confirmed trend (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13719510)...
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Well, they've finally confirmed what New Scientist said last year: the sun appears to be moving towards a period of hibernation. (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/06/14/ice_age/) That could mean a protracted period of pretty cold winters..,.
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The Foremost Scientists have concluded a new, and shocking report.
The oceans are in an appalling state, due to climate change... but also human activity.
We are moving towards mass extinctions of marine species, and MUCH quicker than anyone feared before.
See here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13796479 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13796479)
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From another forum (classic car based) that I go on
Green House Gases
One Volcano Exposes The Massive Carbon Scheme Fraud.... Where Does the Carbon Really Come From ?
Professor Ian Plimer could not have said it better!
If you've read his book you will agree, this is a good summary.
Okay, here's the bombshell.
The volcanic eruption at Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano, since its first spewed volcanic ash, in
just FOUR DAYS, NEGATED EVERY SINGLE EFFORT you have made in the past five years to control
CO2 emissions on our planet - all of you.
And now with Iceland's Grimsvotn volcano erupting on May 21, 2011, it has been a losing battle.
Of course you know about this evil carbon dioxide that we are trying to suppress -
it's that vital chemical compound that every plant requires to live and grow and to synthesize into oxygen for us humans
and all animal life.
I know, it's very disheartening to realize that all of the carbon emission savings you have accomplished while suffering the
inconvenience and expense of: driving Prius hybrids, buying fabric grocery bags, sitting up till midnight to finish your kid's "The
Green Revolution" science project, throwing out all of your non-green cleaning supplies, using only two squares of toilet paper, putting a
brick in your toilet tank reservoir, selling your SUV and speedboat, vacationing at home instead of abroad, nearly getting hit every day
on your bicycle, replacing all of your 50 cents light bulbs with $10.00 light bulbs ... well, all of those things you have done have
all gone down the tubes in just four days.
The volcanic ash emitted into the Earth's atmosphere in just four days - yes - FOUR DAYS ONLY by that volcano in Iceland, has totally
erased every single effort you have made to reduce the evil beast, carbon.
And there are around 200 active volcanoes on the planet spewing out this crud at any one time - EVERY DAY.
I don't really want to rain on your parade too much, but I should mention that when the volcano Mt Pinatubo erupted in the Philippines
in 1991, it spewed out more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than the entire human race had emitted in all its years on earth.
Yes folks, Mt Pinatubo was active for over one year - think about it.
Of course I shouldn't spoil this touchy-feely tree-hugging moment and mention the effect of solar and cosmic activity and the well-
recognized 800-year global heating and cooling cycle, which keeps happening, despite our completely insignificant efforts to affect
climate change.
And I do wish I had a silver lining to this volcanic ash cloud but the fact of the matter is that the bush fire season across the
western USA and Australia this year alone will negate your efforts to reduce carbon in our world for the next two to three years.
And it happens every year.
Just remember that your government just tried to impose a whopping carbon tax on you on the basis of the bogus
"human-caused" climate change scenario.
Hey, isn't it interesting how they don't mention "Global Warming" any more, but just "Climate Change" - you know why?
It's because the planet has COOLED by 0.7 degrees in the past century and these global warming bull artists got caught
with their pants down.
And just keep in mind that you might yet have an Emissions Trading Scheme - that whopping new tax - imposed on you,
that will achieve absolutely nothing except make you poorer.
It won't stop any volcanoes from erupting, that's for sure...
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Great fun. But if you want the facts, then read on...
Ian Plimer's approach to climate science in Heaven Earth is unscientific. He starts with his conclusion that there is no "evidential basis" that humans have caused recent warming and that the theory that humans can create global warming is contrary to validated knowledge from solar physics, astronomy, history, archeology and geology.
He accepts any factoid that supports his conclusion and rejects any evidence that contradicts his conclusion. For example, he blindly accepts EG Beck's CO2 graph. And remember Khilyuk and Chilingar? The guys who compared human CO2 emissions with natural C02 emissions over the entire history of the planet and concluded that human emissions didn't matter. As I wrote earlier:
their mistake is so large and so obvious that anyone who cites them either has no clue about climate science or doesn't care whether what they write is true or not.
Plimer doesn't cite them once he cites them three times.
And what of evidence that contradicts his conclusion? For example, the fact that the stratosphere is cooling contradicts his theory that the sun is the cause of recent warming. What does Plimer say about this in a 500 page book with a 70 page chapter on the atmosphere? Nothing. It's not mentioned at all.
And look at Plimer's figure 3 that he presents to prove that CO2 doesn't cause warming because of all the cooling in the "post-war economic boom":
(http://scienceblogs.com/deltoid/upload/2009/04/plimerfig3.png)
Plimer doesn't tell you the source of this graph, but it comes from Durkin's Great Global Warming Swindle and omits the last 20 years of warming. Even Durkin admitted it was wrong and changed it, but it lives on in Plimer's book.
Compare Plimer's Swindle graph with the one from the IPCC AR4 Summary for Policymakers below. Plimer doesn't print this but tells his readers that it "showed cooling for 100 of the last 160 years".
(http://scienceblogs.com/deltoid/upload/2009/04/ar4wg1spmfig3a.png)
The problems with the Swindle graph were given wide publicity. It was one of seven major misrepresentations that 37 scientists asked Durkin to correct. On page 467 Plimer addresses their request claiming they did so because that deemed Swindle to present an "incorrect moral outlook", so he was well aware of what was wrong with the Swindle graph but used it anyway.
Here are the notes I made on some of the other problems with Plimer's book. These are nowhere near exhaustive -- this is just what leapt off the page and assaulted me.
Update: See also Ian Enting's extensive list
p11 No source given for figure 1 but is based on a graph in AR4WG1 Technical Summary. The massive drop in temperatures comes from using the temps for the first half of 2008 to represent all of 2008. It looks very different if you graph the actual 2008 temp, added in red below:
(http://scienceblogs.com/deltoid/upload/2009/04/plimerfig1.png)
p14 Claims IPCC has no evidence to support its conclusion of 90% certainty that at least half of recent warming is anthropogenic. Nowhere does he even admit the existence of the evidence in Chapter 9 of AR4 WG1
p19 repeats Paul Reiter's false claims about the IPCC authors on the health effects of global warming
p21 Repeats SEPP smear of Santer
p22 Claims hockey stick is a fraud
p25 Figure 3 is infamous graph from the Great Global Warming Swindle. Graphs ends in 1987 but horizontal scale makes it look like it goes to 2000. Even Swindlers had to fix this one.
p26 Figure 4: Start point of graph is cherry picked to mislead
p87-99 claims hockey stick is a fraud and the NRC panel that vindicated it was a cover up.
p99 False claims that GISS was forced to withdraw claims about global temperature. Plimer confuses USA temperatures with the global ones.
p131 Figure 15 Dodgy sunspot temperature graph from GGWS. Ends in 1980, if continued sunspot-temp correlation goes away.
p198 claims Arctic sea ice is expanding
p198 claims drowned polar bears were actually killed by "high winds"
p198 claims polar bear numbers are increasing
p199 claims malaria is common in cold climates. No cite!
p209 Claims undersea volcanoes can have a profound effect on surface temps
p217 Claims Pinatubo eruption released "very large quantities of chloroflourocarbons, the gases that destroy the ozone layer." Cites Brasseur and Granier who actually say the opposite:
after the eruption of Mount Pinatubo, the input of chlorine to the stratosphere was probably small.
p281 Claims alpine glaciers are not retreating. Cited source actually says that glacial retreat is not accelerating.
p286 Claims the IPCC has "no evidence" to support its statement that glaciers are retreating.
p322 Cites Morner on Maldives.
p325 Says that even if we burn all fossil fuels we won't be able to double atmospheric CO2.
p349 the hockey stick is "infamous"
p366 Claims climate sensitivity is 0.5C. No footnote!
p367 Confused about by the fact that the Earth warms the atmosphere and asks how this means GHGs can cause warming. How does he think a blanket works?
p370 Claims 98% of GH effect is H2O. No footnote!
p371 Claims climate sensitivity is 0.5C. No footnote!
p376 Claims that if temperature measurements are rounded to the nearest degree, the average of many measurements is only accurate to the nearest degree.
p377 Claims that surfacestations.org proves that temp measurements have a warming bias
p378 Implies that surface record does not include measurements in the oceans
p381 claims molten rocks significantly warm ocean. No cite!
p382 "In fact, satellites and radiosondes show that there is no global warming.[1918]" Woohoo! at last a cite. Trouble is, it says exactly the opposite of what Plimer claims
p382 claims hockey stick is a fabrication
p388 claims no such thing as an average temp, citing Essex and McKitrick nonsense
p391 claims Hadley Centre has shown that warming stopped in 1998. Hadley says:
Anyone who thinks global warming has stopped has their head in the sand.
p391 claims IPCC ignores 2/3 of the cooling effect of evaporation citing Wentz et al, but Wentz says no such thing
p413 claims volcanoes produce more CO2 than humans. No cite! This one was in GGWS. Plimer's a geologist. You'd think he would at least know something about volcanoes.
p420 figure 52 is Beck's bogus CO2 graph
p421 claims only 4% of CO2 in atmosphere is from humans. No cite!
p425 claims anthropogenic CO2 produces only 0.1% of global warming. No cite!
p425 claims IPCC have exaggerated CO2 forcing 20 fold.
p437 "Chapter 5 of IPCC AR4 (Humans Responsible for Climate Change) .. is based on the opinions of just five independent scientists". Wrong chapter number, chapter title, and it has over 50 authors.
p442 claims Lysenko parallels the global warming movement
p443 repeats Monckton's claims about An Inconvenient Truth without mentioning that most were rejected by the court
p444 claims IPCC reports are written by just 35 scientists who are controlled by an even smaller number
p452 cites Oregon petition
p452 cites Peiser's false claims about Oreskes
p467 claims that the 38 scientists who asked Durkin to correct the errors in GGWS did so because that deemed it to present an "incorrect moral outlook". One of the error that they wanted Durkin to correct was the bogus graph that Plimer puts on page 25.
p474 claims hockey stick is dishonest
p477 quotes Khilyuk & Chilingar whose thesis is that humans aren't responsible because our CO2 emissions, measured over the history of the planet, are less than that of volcanoes. Also cited on p479 and p492.
p484 claims IPCC AR4 WG1 SPM "showed cooling for 100 of the last 160 years"
p485 claims Montreal Protocol used precautionary principle to ban CFCs but we didn't ban chlorination even though chlorine destroys ozone!!! [Not in the stratosphere it doesn't]
p486 misrepresents Revelle
p486 cites false WorldNetDaily claim that Gore buys offsets from himself
p487 cites Melanie Philips as an authority on the hockey stick, asserting it is the "most discredited study in the history of science"
p472 claims Pinatubo emitted as much CO2 as humans in a year. No cite! And obviously wrong if you glance at Mauna Loa data.
p472 termite methane emissions are 20 times potent than human CO2 emissions. No cite!
p492 false claim that DDT ban killed 40 million
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OUCH ! :D
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Climate change is happening; that's pretty well established. What's not so well established is exactly what's causing it, but people like Plimer do sensible debate and consideration no favours.
There are several natural issues occurring which do affect CO2, and they're not limited to volcanic emissions. Methane from cows and other mammals is a significant factor, but we do know that warming is probably the biggest threat we face. The real fear is that the warming effect becomes 'runaway'; a situation which coul lead to the release of compacted Methane deposits which - for now - are safely ensconced at the bottom of deep oceans. However, it is happening now (http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18614-methane-bubbling-out-of-arctic-ocean--but-is-it-new.html), to a small degree. It also seems sensible, quite apart from any fear of CO2 increases, if we invest in as much renewable energy production as possible, since our demand for electricity seems insatiable (it is) and inexorably growing. And we do know our atmosphere is a fragile thing, and human activity - especially with the emergence of China and India's huge industrialisation processes - is certainly a factor in the increase of CO2.
But some climate sceptics blame the sun, our solar orbital patterns and a lot more. What is true, however, is that the current sun spot cycle hasn't started - and it's five years late. If the sun is entering a less active phase - which it might be - then we will get less radiation from it and this might alleviate the gradual warming process.
Another complicating (some might say fascinating) factor is our solar orbit. We all know winter occurs at our perihelion (closest point to the sun) in the Northern hemisphere, when our axial tilt effectively decreases solar radiation by about 7%, but the Earth's orbit is also subject to other changes, and a chap called Milanković mathematically theorized that variations in eccentricity (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eccentricity_%28orbit%29), axial tilt, and precession (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precession) of the Earth's orbit determined climatic patterns on Earth through orbital forcing. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orbital_forcing) One thing he worked out is that the Earth endures several quasi-periodic variations over long period of time, which may well contribute to the changing climate.
It's worth looking at, and the full details are here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milankovitch_cycles). However, we do know CO2 is a major contributor to climate change, as is Methane, and other worrying factors are starting to emerge, which have nothing to do with human activity. Probably the most worrying is the emergence of massive magnetic anomalies in the Souther hemisphere, where it appears that our magnetic poles are preparing to swap. Prior to swapping, however, they reduce the effect of the magnetosphere, which has the effect of increasing the amount of seriously dangerous high-energy particles reaching the earth - and us. Together with a gradual shift in thinking towards the Catastrophism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catastrophism) schools of thought, it might be that the film 2012 wasn't that wide of the mark...
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Given that we've known for many years that we need to eradicate our dependence on fossil fuels, I'm still amazed that all new houses and commercial buildings are not required to have solar panels and other forms of green energy generation fitted as standard.
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That surprises me, too. If it were to be mandatory for all new building, then the price of solar panels would plummet, and a lot of existing buildings might acquire them.
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This thread has not been used for awhile,.......... Time for an update, try this BBC article with some of the latest information.
Climate change: Where we are in seven charts and what you can do to help
Representatives from nearly 200 countries are gathering in Poland for talks on climate change - aimed at breathing new life into the Paris Agreement.
The UN has warned the 2015 Paris accord's goal of limiting global warming to "well below 2C above pre-industrial levels" is in danger because major economies, including the US and the EU, are falling short of their pledges.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-46384067 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-46384067)
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The ecological footprint of humanity is enormous and beyond Earth’s carrying capacity. Recent human activities have resulted in the loss of half the world’s forests, wetlands, grasslands, and mangroves; loss of 12 million acres of forest each year; annual use of 50% more resources than Earth can sustain; appropriation of ¼ of the planet’s total daily photosynthetic output and ½ the available freshwater; thousands of species extinctions; loss of half of the number of all vertebrates and invertebrates; runaway climate change, with rising seas, acidic oceans, spreading desertification, and melting ice caps; water and air pollution in every corner of the world; and most of the land surface of the Earth converted to human purposes.
In addition, the socioeconomic condition of civilization is in decline, with world population expected to reach 11 billion by the end of the century; severe and growing economic inequality; 800 million people living in extreme poverty and hunger; millions of refugees displaced by environmental disaster; 16,000 children under the age of five dying each day due to preventable causes; a billion people without basic sanitation and clean drinking water; more people enslaved than at any time in human history; many failed and fragile states; thousands of nuclear weapons on hair-trigger alert; rising mental illness and extremism; and growing global insecurity.
The current trajectory of global decline points toward a catastrophic immediate future for civilization and the biosphere in the Anthropocene. If current environmental trends continue, the planet will be virtually unlivable for humans and perhaps ½ of all other species by 2050, certainly by 2100 – in fact, for many people and species, in many places, it already is.
This then, is the Anthropocene. It is inevitable that the current Anthropocene era will evolve into an ecologically sustainable era – which can be called the “Ecocene.” The current trajectory of environmental and social decline cannot continue much longer. Indeed, the Anthropocene will be gone in the blink of geologic time. The real question is: what will be left of the biosphere at the dawn of the Ecocene, e.g. what species, including H. sapiens, will survive the Anthropocene evolutionary bottleneck?
Full text Here (https://www.huffpost.com/entry/from-anthropocene-to-ecocene-by-2050_b_59e7b66ce4b0e60c4aa3678c)
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Ian, The link is not connecting.
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Thanks, Steve. Fixed now.
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I think it is going to be like an "accident black spot", say five or six major accidents, and then you get the title, then some changes are put in place, to late for those affected,....... so what equals an accident, on a bigger scale, Tsunami, global warming, CO2 emmisions, fossil fuels etc........ these warnings still not being acted on, so whats it going to take.
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This has in recent years become one of my pet hates, not so long ago we talked about smoke from fires, affecting breathing, this is another culprit, idling vehicles, and just to kick you when your down, one of the worst places is outside CYD surgery, taxi's and cars idling for ages, perfect when you exit with your inhalers,........ and in the article busses, never seem to switch off, is there a reason ?
Drivers could be banned from leaving their vehicles idling.
It's part of a bid to tackle the Welsh 'toxic air crisis'
Council vehicles need to be banned from letting their engines idle.
Vehicles on council businesses like buses as being a place to start fighting pollution.
action and enforce a ban on drivers being allowed to run their engines without moving.
“Councils have a duty to lead by example and put into practice the principles and guidelines that have been set out to tackle harmful levels of air pollution that continue to plague communities across Wales.”
“We cannot expect the public to adopt a more ‘clean air friendly’ attitude if council service providers are not doing the same, regardless of what vehicle they’re using.” https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/drivers-could-banned-leaving-vehicles-16500839 (https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/drivers-could-banned-leaving-vehicles-16500839)
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It's a pet hate of mine, too, Steve. The buses and coaches are the worst; sitting there, pumping out toxic fumes without reason or thought.
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The reasons why Swansea lagoon was cancelled (and other similar lagoons) can be heard in this podcast by Private Eye:
https://www.private-eye.co.uk/issue-1497/eyeplayer/play-343 (https://www.private-eye.co.uk/issue-1497/eyeplayer/play-343)
It's quite...eye-opening.
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Eye's opened, I was really keen on this project, coastal defense and green energy, great pity.
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Cut meat and dairy intake 'by a fifth', report urges.
"The document recommends a host of measures to cut greenhouse gas emissions from the countryside.
Others include increasing UK forestry cover from 13% to at least 17% by 2050, and restoring at least half of upland peat bogs.
But it’s the proposals for reducing consumption of dairy produce and red meat that are likely to draw attention.
The authors say reducing the amount of beef, lamb and dairy we eat by at least 20%, and reducing food waste by 20% would save the equivalent of seven million tonnes of CO2 from farms.
They say land that’s no longer needed for cattle and sheep could support trees crops to burn for energy."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-51210622 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-51210622)
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This has in recent years become one of my pet hates, not so long ago we talked about smoke from fires, affecting breathing, this is another culprit, idling vehicles, and just to kick you when your down, one of the worst places is outside CYD surgery, taxi's and cars idling for ages, perfect when you exit with your inhalers,........ and in the article buses, never seem to switch off, is there a reason ?
Drivers could be banned from leaving their vehicles idling.
It's part of a bid to tackle the Welsh 'toxic air crisis'
Council vehicles need to be banned from letting their engines idle.
Vehicles on council businesses like buses as being a place to start fighting pollution.
action and enforce a ban on drivers being allowed to run their engines without moving.
“Councils have a duty to lead by example and put into practice the principles and guidelines that have been set out to tackle harmful levels of air pollution that continue to plague communities across Wales.”
Air pollution is not just a pet hate of mine, it affects my health and I am sure many others, smoke from poorly managed home fires, not burning hot enough, combined with the wrong fuels, is a big part of the problem, I also believe some fires are used for effect and not their heat value, the number of times we have to close our windows on a nice night, so maybe this might help, but I doubt it, a bit more awareness would be good.
Owners of wood burners, stoves and open fires will no longer be able to buy coal or wet wood to burn in them, under a ban to be rolled out from next year.
Sales of the two most polluting fuels will be phased out in England to help cut air pollution, the government says.
Bags of logs sold in DIY stores, garden centres and petrol stations often contain wet wood - a type of wood which produces more pollution and smoke.
The public should move to "cleaner alternatives", the government says.
Plans for the ban were first announced 18 months ago, but the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has now confirmed it is going ahead.
The government said wood burning stoves and coal fires are the largest source of PM2.5, small particles of air pollution which find their way into the body's lungs and blood.
"Cosy open fires and wood-burning stoves are at the heart of many homes up and down the country,"
"But the use of certain fuels means that they are also the biggest source of the most harmful pollutant that is affecting people in the UK."
"Wet - also known as green or unseasoned wood - is often sold in nets and is cheaper to buy.
It contains moisture which, when burned, creates more smoke and harmful particles of air pollution (PM2.5) than dry wood.
Wet wood can also damage chimneys much more, by allowing tar and soot to build up, with an increased chance of fire"
"According to the strategy, air pollution is the top environmental risk to human health in the UK.
In Wales, a consultation is currently ongoing for a clean air plan, which is looking at whether wet wood could be banned."
Full article https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51581817 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51581817)
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With all this restricted travel, the worlds air quality must be having a bit of a "Breather............
Air quality in Delhi, notorious for being the worst in the world, looking better already, after lock down being in force.
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The empty roads plus the instant decline in airline travel has had a marked effect on pollution across the UK. But there's a slight downside; modern jets are fitted with atmospheric recorders, which send their data back to the UK's met office on landing. So it's possible our weather forecasting is going to become less accurate in the short term.
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It doesn't matter really, we are indoors for the duration
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London views, once covered in smog, are clearer. Certainly at night you can see far more stars and satellites and asthma sufferers say they are breathing more easily.
Air pollution in London has fallen so dramatically since the capital's Covid-19 lockdown, monitors used to measure toxicity are alerting the data collectors to possible faults with the readings.
As a result of the coronavirus restrictions on movement, average air pollution levels have fallen to their lowest since recordings began in 2000, according to the London Air Quality Network. cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-52114306 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-52114306)
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In every cloud...
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Planefinder map looking a lot different these days, most of these you can see are Fedex, DHL and UPS cargo planes, the photos are about 20 mins apart.
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Air pollution levels in the UK have dropped significantly in the two weeks since the country went into lockdown to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Some cities have seen nitrogen dioxide (N02) levels fall by up to 60% on the same period last year, analysis shows.
N02, released from car exhausts, is a serious air pollutant and also indirectly contributes to the warming of the planet.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-52202974 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-52202974)
India Savors a Rare Upside to Coronavirus: Clean Air
Delhi residents are stunned by how blue the sky really is as a strict lockdown cuts back drastically on air pollution.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/08/world/asia/india-pollution-coronavirus.html (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/08/world/asia/india-pollution-coronavirus.html)
Himalayas visible for first time in 30 years as pollution levels in India drop
https://www.sbs.com.au/language/english/audio/himalayas-visible-for-first-time-in-30-years-as-pollution-levels-in-india-drop?fbclid=IwAR1vBO5JOG1_7SbaF01HW8kEk6dqNd6YyAW_hUqMef_NqON7k1_0t4LT8Tc (https://www.sbs.com.au/language/english/audio/himalayas-visible-for-first-time-in-30-years-as-pollution-levels-in-india-drop?fbclid=IwAR1vBO5JOG1_7SbaF01HW8kEk6dqNd6YyAW_hUqMef_NqON7k1_0t4LT8Tc)
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After reading this piece in the DP "Giant tanker anchored off Anglesey for days as coronavirus 'super-contango' hits oil market
The Maersk Promise has been moored off island's east coast for around 10 days" I checked out the Marine traffic site, the air and roadways might be a lot quieter these days but, quite surprising to see how busy our waters are.
click to enlarge
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Air pollution in China has climbed back to pre-pandemic levels, and scientists say Europe may follow suit.
Air pollution causes at least 8m early deaths a year, and cleaner skies were seen as one of the few silver linings of Covid-19. Experts have called for action to help retain the air quality benefits of lockdowns, and measures taken to date have included expanding cycle lanes and space for walking in cities.
Data from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (Crea) shows concentrations of fine particles (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) across China are now at the same levels as one year earlier. At the height of the country’s coronavirus response in early March, NO2 levels were down by 38% from 2019 and levels of PM2.5 were down by 34%.
"Gary Fuller, an air pollution expert at Kings College London, said: “Rather than let this time be forgotten, the United Nations and environmental campaigners are urging governments to ‘build back better, to invest in the future not the past’, to ensure that our global recovery has sustainable legacy.”
Air pollution has been linked to heart and lung damage and many other conditions including diabetes and damaged intelligence. It is likely to affect virtually every organ in the body.
There is growing evidence linking exposure to dirty air to increased risk of death from Covid-19, prompting calls to keep air pollution low to help avoid the dangers of a second wave of infection. "
Full report https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jun/03/air-pollution-in-china-back-to-pre-covid-levels-and-europe-may-follow (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jun/03/air-pollution-in-china-back-to-pre-covid-levels-and-europe-may-follow)
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Air pollution in Llandudno seems to be on the increase too
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Air pollution in China has climbed back to pre-pandemic levels, and scientists say Europe may follow suit.
Air pollution causes at least 8m early deaths a year, and cleaner skies were seen as one of the few silver linings of Covid-19. Experts have called for action to help retain the air quality benefits of lockdowns, and measures taken to date have included expanding cycle lanes and space for walking in cities.
Data from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (Crea) shows concentrations of fine particles (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) across China are now at the same levels as one year earlier. At the height of the country’s coronavirus response in early March, NO2 levels were down by 38% from 2019 and levels of PM2.5 were down by 34%.
"Gary Fuller, an air pollution expert at Kings College London, said: “Rather than let this time be forgotten, the United Nations and environmental campaigners are urging governments to ‘build back better, to invest in the future not the past’, to ensure that our global recovery has sustainable legacy.”
Air pollution has been linked to heart and lung damage and many other conditions including diabetes and damaged intelligence. It is likely to affect virtually every organ in the body.
There is growing evidence linking exposure to dirty air to increased risk of death from Covid-19, prompting calls to keep air pollution low to help avoid the dangers of a second wave of infection. "
Full report https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jun/03/air-pollution-in-china-back-to-pre-covid-levels-and-europe-may-follow (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jun/03/air-pollution-in-china-back-to-pre-covid-levels-and-europe-may-follow)
A recent article, highlighting the above problem .............. Coronavirus pandemic 'has helped two million Britons with lung conditions'
As a result of stringent lockdown measures, road traffic use plummeted to its lowest levels in recent history.
The British Lung Foundation's (BLF) survey of 14,000 patients found that 16 per cent had noticed an improvement in symptoms. The charity extrapolated the figures to estimate how many people are likely to have enjoyed better health as a result of far fewer people travelling in cars during the lockdown.
Air pollution has been likened to worsening of symptoms for some lung patients, including those with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. As a result of stringent lockdown measures, road traffic use plummeted to its lowest levels in recent history.
The BLF poll found that one in five parents of a child with a lung condition said they noticed an improvement to their child's symptoms. The survey also showed that a quarter of people with asthma noted an improvement in their symptoms.
Full article https://inews.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus-lockdown-helped-two-million-britons-lung-conditions-2874025?fbclid=IwAR16jDvGD9Nsb55NPu__pfMTCM5MWbpLi64_O4nS4wWxavDNHr7-qq-2ads (https://inews.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus-lockdown-helped-two-million-britons-lung-conditions-2874025?fbclid=IwAR16jDvGD9Nsb55NPu__pfMTCM5MWbpLi64_O4nS4wWxavDNHr7-qq-2ads)
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Tolls on Welsh roads like A55 and A483 moves closer - and hefty fines for drivers leaving engines running
Burning traditional coal and undried wood would also be banned under Clean Air plans put forward by the Welsh Government
Air pollution has been blamed for causing conditions like asthma and COPD, and is thought to be responsible for 1,000-1,400 deaths in Wales each year.
“Breathing clean air and having access to a healthy environment is a right, not a privilege,”
https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/tolls-welsh-roads-like-a55-19621424 (https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/tolls-welsh-roads-like-a55-19621424)
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How North Wales business' incredible invention could help replenish polar ice caps
The ice-making machine powered by renewable energy has caught the attention of the United Nations Development Programme
A North Wales company has invented a revolutionary ice-making machine powered by renewable energy to replenish melting polar ice caps in the battle against climate change.
The prototype developed by Real Ice, formed by a team of graduates and current students at Bangor University, is being sent out to be tested in the icy wastes of Northern Canada.
The Bangor team’s ice-maker, christened the Real Ice Re-Icing Machine, will pump water up from under the ice cap to the surface where temperatures as low as -50C quickly freeze it, creating new layers of the sea ice the wildlife and the people of the region need to survive.
The plan is for the indigenous Inuit people to own the machines, maintaining them and moving them to new areas regularly
cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/how-north-wales-business-could-20495890?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589 (https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/how-north-wales-business-could-20495890?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589)
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Air pollution in Llandudno seems to be on the increase too
Don't worry, our smelly neighbour has been lighting his bonfires again. Another neighbour has had a go at him and threatened legal action .
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At least it will keep those smelly Goats away
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Rising sea levels threaten North Wales roads and coastal railway links, warn Bangor University academics
RISING sea levels could cut North Wales main A55 road link, wash away railways, swamp holiday resorts and threaten businesses along the coast by the end of this century, according to leading ocean scientists.
That’s the warning from two Bangor University academics who have just published a major new work on the future of the world’s seas, 30 Second Oceans, as World Oceans Day, June 8 approaches.
Oceanographers Dr Yueng Dern Lenn, .from Chester, and Dr Mattias Green, from Glan Conwy, edited the book which has eminent contributors from around the world and covers 50 topics about the world’s oceans, their weather and climate and the challenges faced by the communities which live on their shores.
That includes the threat of rising sea levels, higher tides and more frequent storm surges to the North Wales coast including to the region’s key transport routes, the A55 and the North Wales Coast railway to Holyhead.
cont https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/19341196.rising-sea-levels-threaten-north-wales-roads-coastal-railway-links-warn-bangor-university-academics/ (https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/19341196.rising-sea-levels-threaten-north-wales-roads-coastal-railway-links-warn-bangor-university-academics/)
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Rising sea levels - my theory!
As some of you know, as a child I lived in the cottage by the Old Mill at Bodnant Garden. I used to play in the river. Just downstream from the stone bridge by the Mill there are two small weirs - I think it was where they moored barges in the 1800's when the Mill was operating as a corn mill - but that theory has not been proved, or disproved.
My point here concerns the level of the river at high tide. When I was there as a child (1950's) the river would rise to near the top of the weir nearest the stone bridge. Only on spring tides would it come over.
Now, at high tide, the level of the river is well above that weir, certainly by a few inches - and it happens every time, not just spring tides.
Why has the level risen?
We hear lots of claims of global warming, melting the ice caps which add to the water already making up 2/3rds of the world's surface.
But ... ever ince time began there have been streams and rivers that start on high ground and flow down to the seas and oceans ... carrying with them fine grains of earth, slowly eroding the landscape. You only have to compare the Conwy Estuary sandbanks to how it used to be. All those grains will have slowly dropped to the bottom of the ocean so causing the sea level to rise. Didn't Archimedes come up with something about that?
Add to the trillions of fine grains, rocks and vegetation that have difted seawards, as well as all the rubbish that is being deposited in the sea, ranging from modern plastics to numerous ship wrecks carrying cargo round the world, and you wll realise that they must be displacing the water. Eureka!
No mention of global warning above - just my theory ... !!!
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Remember, N Wales and N W England are slowly rising, while the E coast and the SE are slowly dropping.
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Massive carbon dumping scheme off North Wales coast in the pipeline
The technology is called carbon capture storage (CCS) and mirrors a project being developed on Humberside
North Wales is set to play a major part in dumping waste carbon off its coast, via pipelines from a massive planned hydrogen production facility in north-west of England.
A scoping document submitted to Denbighshire council is inviting the authority to comment on the ambitious scheme which will see 30TWh/yr of hydrogen power generated at Stanlow in Cheshire by 2030.
To give an indication of the scale of the operation, it equates to 30 trillion watt hours of energy annually - enough to power the whole of Scotland for a year with some to spare.
Waste carbon dioxide from the hydrogen extraction process plus more from industrial sites in north-west England and North Wales, will be ferried along pipes via Flint to a new purpose built facility at Point of Ayr.
There it will be pressurised, compressed and stored within existing oil fields in Liverpool Bay off the Flintshire coast.
The technology is called carbon capture storage (CCS) and mirrors a project being developed on Humberside.
cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/massive-carbon-dumping-scheme-north-20785340 (https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/massive-carbon-dumping-scheme-north-20785340)
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Large parts of Conwy could fall below sea level and flood without defences
SWATHES of Conwy would be submerged in sea water if sea levels continue to rise until 2050, according to new research.
Llandudno Junction railway station, parts of Rhos-on-Sea, Conwy Caernarvonshire Golf Club and areas along the River Conwy could fall below sea level and be at risk of flooding.
The coastal flood map compiled by science organisation Climate Central are based on peer-reviewed science in leading journals and global-scale datasets for coastal elevation, sea levels and tides to conclude the likelihood of coastal flooding.
Areas lower than the selected water level and with an unobstructed path to the ocean are shaded red.
full article https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/19383265.large-parts-conwy-fall-sea-level-flood-without-defences/?ref=rss&IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589 (https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/19383265.large-parts-conwy-fall-sea-level-flood-without-defences/?ref=rss&IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589)
Coastal flood map link https://coastal.climatecentral.org/map/13/-3.8405/53.2741/?theme=sea_level_rise&map_type=year&basemap=roadmap&contiguous=true&elevation_model=best_available&forecast_year=2050&pathway=rcp45&percentile=p50&refresh=true&return_level=return_level_1&slr_model=kopp_2014 (https://coastal.climatecentral.org/map/13/-3.8405/53.2741/?theme=sea_level_rise&map_type=year&basemap=roadmap&contiguous=true&elevation_model=best_available&forecast_year=2050&pathway=rcp45&percentile=p50&refresh=true&return_level=return_level_1&slr_model=kopp_2014)
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Makes sense, and every little helps.
A new environmental labelling system for food is being piloted this autumn - and it could be a game-changer both for consumers and farmers
When sheep and cattle farmers Glyn Roberts and daughter Beca audited their Conwy hill unit for carbon, the results told them what they already knew – that traditional meat production in the Eidda valley is relatively low in emissions.
However the audit also revealed the farm was still some way short of achieving carbon neutrality, highlighting areas where further climate mitigations were needed.
The list was long – lowering feed costs, upping growth rates, tackling disease and reducing fertiliser and fuel use.
https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/north-wales-farmers-race-save-20962797?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589 (https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/north-wales-farmers-race-save-20962797?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589)
cont
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THE UK Government has announced a range of new policies as part of its aim to significantly cut carbon emissions and tackle climate change.
Its long-awaited net zero strategy, outlining plans to meet legal targets to end its contribution to climate change by 2050, has been published ahead of crucial UN Cop26 climate talks in Glasgow.
Among the key policies are an expansion of the electric vehicle network and new measures to encourage renewable heating in homes.
We've taken a look at the progress made on green initiatives in Conwy so far.
Electric vehicle charging
The Government's net zero strategy included an announcement of £620 million for electric vehicle grants to support the rollout of charging infrastructure nationally.
Figures show Conwy is on track with the average pace across Great Britain of its EV charging point rollout.
Statistics from the Department for Transport show there were 45 public charging points in the area at the start of October – up from 32 a year before.
At a rate of 38 per 100,000 people, this is on a par with the UK average, of 39.
Since October 2019 – when figures began at local authority level – the number of devices in Conwy has risen by 24.
Across the UK, an additional 10,800 devices were made available over the same period, taking the total number to 25,900 by October.
cont https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/19675776.cop26-ev-charging-points-renewable-energy-conwy/ (https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/19675776.cop26-ev-charging-points-renewable-energy-conwy/)
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Climate change: Fridge doors could save 1% of UK electricity use
The UK could cut its total electricity usage by 1% if the top five British supermarkets put doors on fridges, campaigners have said.
Aldi has pledged to put fridge doors in all of its new UK stores, saving 2,000 tonnes of carbon a year.
Other supermarkets say they will try to make open fridges more efficient.
But the Environmental Investigation Agency said supermarkets could cut their electricity bills by an average of 33% by adding doors.
"It's such a simple change," and "It could save so much energy, that's going to be so important for us as we try to decarbonise and make the changes to become a greener country."
cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-59141894 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-59141894)
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A Climate Change Points to Ponder article............
Farmers are being "cold called" by agents working for investors who want to buy farmland to plant trees that would offset their carbon footprint.
Farming unions claim "powerful players are seeking to offset emissions" at the expense of rural communities in what one politician called a "land grab."
Land agent Savills said it has made "direct approaches" to farmers in Wales on behalf of clients.
One of those approached said they feared farmers were an "easy take".
Kyra Somerfield said she was "annoyed" and "shocked" by the unsolicited call from Savills to ask if she was interested in selling the 220-acre family farm in Carmarthenshire where she has lived and worked for 60 years.
Kyra Somerfield farms 300 sheep and 30 beef cattle at her farm in west Wales
The 83-year-old is worried the nature of Wales could change forever if productive farm land is converted to forests.
"If we do go along those lines of covering our uplands with trees, the nature of Wales would change irrevocably," said Mrs Somerfield.
cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-60125398 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-60125398)
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A great deal of fascinating info in this Register piece. (https://www.theregister.com/2023/01/05/ev_deloitte_price/)
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14million package to help protect North Wales from climate crisis
It will see 5,209,532 being invested in Denbighshire, protecting 4,502 homes.
This includes a 3,777,017 investment in a flood and costal erosion risk management programme in Rhyl Central, and 150,000 for Prestatyn Central.
In Conwy, 3,485,425 will be invested, protecting 12,269 homes, including 1,445,000 in Llanfairfechan Coastal Defence Improvements, 931,780 for Kinmel Bay, 85,000 to safeguard Schoolbank Road, in Llanrwst and 340,000 to protect Church St, in Dolwyddelan.
In Gwynedd, 1,855,773 will be ploughed into protecting 1,541 homes.
It will include 950,000 for Barmouth North Prom, 342,087 for the Hirael flood defence scheme in Bangor, and 40,000 for Criccieth West Beach.
On Anglesey, 3,444,938 is being invested in protecting 435 homes.
The investment includes 1,530,000 to protect Penlon, in Menai Bridge, 297,500 for a coastal erosion risk management scheme in Brynsiencyn, and 150,000 to safeguard Holyhead.
cont https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/23535211.14million-package-help-protect-north-wales-climate-crisis/
PS
Climate change: Ministers lack urgency on flood risks, critics say
Welsh ministers have been accused of lacking urgency on flood risks due to climate change, after postponing planning rule changes twice.
The policy, based on the latest advice, was due to come into force next month, but the minister said that was no longer "achievable".
Opposition parties and environmental campaigners have expressed concern at the delay.
The Welsh government said it was important to "get it right".
cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-65645615
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Underwater 'lawnmower' helps create vast sea 'meadows' off North Wales coast
Harvesting is also being done manually by scuba divers, snorkellers and volunteers wading through shallower waters
Youngsters are donning snorkels to help harvest a million seeds from the seas off North Wales this month. They will join scuba divers in the hunt for a plant that could help tackle the global climate and nature crises.
They?re on the look-out for seagrass seeds off the Llŷn Peninsula. Once collected, they?ll be planted at three sites along the North Wales coast to create giant sea ?meadows? that will absorb carbon dioxide and attract sea creatures.
cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/underwater-lawnmower-helps-create-vast-27445909
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Climate change: Flintshire cement work's carbon capture plan
A cement works has plans to pipe 800,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year out to sea to fight climate change.
Cement giant Hanson claims capturing carbon could play a vital role in the UK reaching its net-zero targets.
The company is planning a ?400m facility at its Padeswood plant in Flintshire, making it the first carbon capture-enabled cement works in the UK.
While Greenpeace objects to some uses of carbon capture, it accepted it may be necessary for cement production.
Hanson is one of several companies chosen by the UK government to progress plans for carbon-reducing solutions as part of the HyNet project.
What is carbon capture and can it fight climate change?,..................
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-66453932
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Climate change: Rise in Google searches around ?anxiety?
Online search queries related to "climate anxiety" have risen, according to data gathered by Google and shared exclusively with BBC 100 Women.
Studies also suggests that women are more affected by climate anxiety than men.
The rise of wildfires, floods and droughts around the world are just some of the highly visible signs of climate change.
What is reported less is the impact of climate change on human minds.
Climate anxiety - defined as feelings of distress about the impacts of climate change - has been reported globally, particularly among children and young people.
Data from Google Trends shows that search queries related to "climate anxiety" have increased dramatically.
Search queries in English around "climate anxiety" in the first 10 months of 2023 are 27 times higher than the same period in 2017.
cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-67473829
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Away from the bright lights and the big star names, Tilly Ashton spends her days on film sets doing less glitzy but no less important work.
While the cameras roll, she is busy washing dirty waste packaging and sorting it for recycling.
A veteran of big productions for Netflix and ITV, her mission is to cut carbon and reduce waste.
That's because Wales' screen sector has been chosen to pilot major changes to meet net zero targets.
According to industry experts, filmmakers both in Wales and abroad are more likely to be drawn to places where making carbon neutral films is easier.
cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-67486152
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From Scientific American:
"After months of record-breaking warm temperatures, much of the U.S. is facing a harsh, fast-approaching blast of frigid air from the Arctic that could plunge wind chill factors below zero degrees Fahrenheit (?18 degrees Celsius)?all close on the heels of a serious winter storm dumping snow over the Midwest and Great Lakes this weekend.
?It will be a very impressive?certainly one of the most impressive Arctic outbreaks of this century anyway,? says Judah Cohen, a climate scientist at the company Verisk Atmospheric and Environmental Research. Similar recent events have included the terrible cold snap that struck Texas in February 2021 and a sharp preholiday freeze in December 2022, Cohen notes.
Fortunately, this Arctic blast isn?t expected to be as deadly as the Texas event, which knocked out power for four million people, says Kristina Dahl, a climate scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists, who adds that upgrades in recent years should reduce the strain that frigid air places on the power grid during this event.
To understand how this Arctic blast could affect you and what risks to prepare for, consult your local National Weather Service office. Meanwhile here?s the science behind why temperatures are suddenly plummeting so sharply across such a wide swath of North America.
Typically, very cold air in the Arctic is trapped inside a high-altitude swirl of winds called the polar vortex, which is surrounded by a lower-altitude band called the polar jet stream. If the polar vortex gets disrupted, however, the jet stream can become wavy and carry frigid air much farther south than usual in an Arctic blast. Sometimes this frigid air brings snow and ice; other times the weather is dry but bitterly cold.
Scientists are still trying to pin down precisely what causes these disruptions. ?It?s a very active area of research and something that scientists are passionately debating and trying to figure out at the moment,? Dahl says. ?It?s definitely not settled science.?
Still, many experts believe climate change likely plays a role?and Cohen goes even further: he contends that climate change in the Arctic is directly disrupting the polar vortex. According to Cohen, this winter?s melting sea ice near Scandinavia coupled with high snowfall near Siberia to set up a thermal contrast, which he says drove the polar jet stream into waves. The polar vortex typically ?wakes up? around January, he adds, so it makes sense that we?re now feeling the sharp chill from an Arctic blast whose stage was set by these distant trends.
?It seems very counterintuitive and surprising that a warmer planet can actually increase your odds of experiencing severe winter weather events?but that?s what our research has shown,? Cohen says.
Cohen adds that he expects a second, less severe Arctic blast to occur later this month and that the phenomenon could potentially repeat into February as well.
Although science is still working to hone an explanation for polar vortex disruptions and accompanying Arctic blasts, Dahl says that she sees the irony of this incident coinciding with the U.S. government confirming that 2023 was the hottest year on record. ?To me, this is indicative of a climate changed world with greater extremes,? she says.
?I like to think of these polar jet stream outbreaks as ?global weirding,?? Dahl adds. ?Climate change is causing all sorts of different impacts, and some of them are counterintuitive.?
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Climate change: Sabrina Lee quits buying new clothes
With her job as a TV weather presenter, it would be easy for Sabrina Lee to justify buying new clothes for work on a regular basis.
Instead she has set herself a challenge - to quit buying new clothes for the whole of 2024.
"There's pressure for me to look good because of my role and I know there's a lot of eyes on me," said Sabrina.
"But I'm a meteorologist, I studied the weather and climate at university and I also talk to the public about it... so I've realised that the fashion industry has a negative impact on the environment."
The fashion sector is responsible for somewhere between 2% and 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-68545114
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Tourism businesses need more support so they are not left choosing between "sustainability or quicker profits", a guest house owner has said.
John Whitehead, who runs an eco lodge in Eryri National Park, also called Snowdonia, said the sector needed help to tackle climate change.
It comes as Wales was named one of the world?s most sustainable destinations to visit this year by travel company Lonely Planet.
The Welsh government said it was supporting tourism businesses to reach their green ambitions.
Since buying his guest house 25 years ago, Mr Whitehead has made it more eco-friendly by adding new insulation, solar panels and "a boiler for the heating which runs on cat litter".
He added: "These things aren?t cheap but there?s not a lot of money out there."
"With the support we?ve got now you might break even in five or six years? time and sometimes businesses won?t accept that, they?ll just look for a quicker return.
"Government can lead on this. We?re so far down the rabbit hole with climate change now they need to do more."
cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckk7r16yrllo