Tag Archives: extreme

Connecting Extreme Weather to Climate Change: The Most Important Insight of Our Time

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New Scientist - Your premier source for the latest science news, technology advancements, health insights, and environmental developments.

January 2003: Physicist Miles Allen witnessed the River Thames flooding, threatening his home in Oxford, England. He asked, “Why did meteorologists refuse to link this incident to climate change?”

Later that year, climatologist Peter Stott from the British Met Office found himself in Italy during one of Europe’s most severe heatwaves. Instead of enjoying a vacation, he faced temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, a shocking experience for him.

Both Allen and Stott were intent on understanding climate change’s role in extreme weather events. Stott utilized existing climate models to simulate two scenarios of the 2003 heatwave: one reflecting the climate of that year and another devoid of human-induced warming.

They ran extensive model simulations and concluded that in their landmark 2004 paper in Nature, human activities have more than doubled the likelihood of experiencing a heatwave similar to that of 2003.

This groundbreaking work marked the inception of a new climate science field, which began to identify human influences on extreme weather events. Soon analyses emerged for diverse phenomena, from heatwaves to severe droughts and storms.

However, a significant challenge remained—post-event analyses often took months or years to determine the influence of climate change.

To address this, researchers, including Friederike Otto from Imperial College London, founded World Weather Attribution in 2014. This initiative facilitates swift analysis of extreme weather events, quantifying the probable impacts of climate change, with results frequently released within days.

This has dramatically altered reporting on such events globally, enabling news outlets to directly attribute deadly weather phenomena to climate change and emphasizing the real-world consequences of rising emissions.

As Otto stated, “When we began this work a decade ago, scientists and journalists maintained that individual weather events could not be blamed on climate change. That perspective has shifted immensely.”

This advancement also supports climate change litigation, with causal investigations providing evidence in numerous lawsuits against polluters worldwide. In 2022, the United Nations announced a new International Loss and Damage Fund, paving the way for climate change compensation.

In 2003, Allen queried: “Could litigation for climate change be feasible?” Thanks to developments in attribution science, the answer is now a definitive “yes.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Burning Man Attendees Confront Extreme Weather Conditions

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Las Vegas – This year’s Burning Man festival attendees have not had much cooperation from Mother Nature.

Amid fierce sandstorms, high temperatures, and humidity over the weekend, there’s a looming threat of rain and potential flooding in the coming days, marking a chaotic start to the annual event in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert.

A powerful sandstorm with winds reaching 50 mph swept through Black Rock City on Saturday, creating disorder at campsites and causing significant travel delays in the area. The National Weather Service issued a Dust Storm Advisory, citing a “blowing dust wall” heading north that evening.

According to a Burning Man spokesperson, NBC News reported four minor injuries related to the wind and dust.

The storm caused traffic disruptions due to strong winds and reduced visibility, leading to the closure of Black Rock City gates. For those already inside, swirling dust overturned many campsites and scattered personal belongings.

“If you’re in Black Rock City, secure your camp and refrain from driving,” warned the official Burning Man account monitoring conditions both inside and outside Black Rock City. This was shared on x on Saturday.

Participants described the winds as relentless for over an hour, remarking, “The desert is always trying to kill you.” They expressed that it was “arguably the most frightening experience” at Burning Man. This sentiment was shared on Facebook.

Around 70,000 individuals are expected to attend the festival, which continues until September 1st.

On the festival’s first day, northern Nevada experienced humidity levels nearing 100°F, with about 57% humidity. Another dust advisory was issued that evening by the National Weather Service, predicting 50 mph winds and visibility under a mile across parts of central Nevada.

There were also possibilities of rain and thunderstorms that temporarily halted vehicle traffic by locking the gates in Black Rock City.

“The current travel time for vehicles on Gate Road is estimated at seven hours when the gates reopen,” noted a festival official. This was updated on x Sunday night.

Cleanup efforts are in progress, but the volatile weather conditions persist.

Rain and thunderstorms are forecast for Monday and beyond. The dusty lake beds are prone to flooding, and excessive rainfall could transform the playa into muddy terrain.

In 2023, torrential rains trapped thousands of Burning Man participants in thick mud. Attendees were advised to “evacuate to shelter,” leading to a report of one fatality by the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

The Uncommon “Triple Dip” La Niña Could Illuminate 2023’s Extreme Heat

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The Pacific Ocean released heat into the atmosphere in 2023

BlickWinkel/Alamy

A rare “triple dip” La Niña, which kept Pacific Ocean temperatures low for three consecutive years, may have set the stage for a significant rise in global heat observed in 2023.

While a rise in global temperatures was anticipated due to greenhouse gas emissions and warm surface waters, a peak was not expected until early 2024. From September 2023 indicates this surge has come earlier than forecasted.

Julius Mex from the University of Leipzig, Germany, and his team sought to understand the events of late 2023 that triggered this exceptional heat. “Our goal is to clarify why temperature changes in the Northern Decay were so extreme,” he states.

Utilizing a dataset that amalgamates historical weather records with climate models, the research team explored various factors, including the Pacific’s circulation, temperature, cloud coverage, radiation, and precipitation for the years 2022 and 2023.

The findings suggest that the Pacific’s cool La Niña conditions, persisting since 2020, were pivotal. They suppressed ocean warmth, fostered the creation of lowland clouds, and enhanced solar radiation reflection.

When the El Niño pattern emerged in 2023, the shift from La Niña to El Niño was so pronounced that it affected air circulation and precipitation patterns in the Western Pacific, releasing more heat into the atmosphere than initially expected.

Simultaneously, this transition led to a sharp decrease in cloud coverage over the Eastern Pacific Ocean, allowing for enhanced absorption of solar radiation. “This could drive significant annual temperature fluctuations,” notes Mex.

Karsten Hautin from Leipzig University, although not involved in the research, expressed agreement with the conclusions. “With a triple dip La Niña, the ocean fails to release heat,” he explains. “As a result, heat accumulates in the deeper ocean layers before eventually surfacing.”

Mex emphasizes that their findings indicate the reduction of ocean cloud cover as a critical element in the sharp temperature increase observed in 2023. “It fits perfectly,” he concludes.

Richard Allan from the University of Reading in the UK notes advances in understanding how cloud coverage shifted over the Pacific in 2022 and 2023. Nevertheless, he highlights that anthropogenic climate change, alongside decreases in cooling aerosol pollution, significantly contributes to diminished ocean cloud cover and escalating temperatures.

“The magnitude of the global temperature rise in 2023 resulted not only from heightened planetary heating due to increased greenhouse gases but also from the reduction and dimming of clouds connected with decreasing aerosol particle pollution,” Allan remarks.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

The Deadliest Extreme Weather Events May Surprise You

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In Clark County, Southern Nevada, the coroner’s office reported last week that there have been 29 heat-related fatalities since the same time frame in 2024. A study released earlier this year by Climate Central, a nonprofit organization.

The county documented its first heat-related death of 2025 on May 9th. Last year was particularly deadly for Southern Nevada, with 527 heat-related fatalities reported, according to the Clark County Coroner’s office.

As temperatures rise to nearly 110 degrees on July 14th, people seek relief along the Las Vegas Strip.
Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal/TNS/Getty Images

The National Weather Service noted that the summer of 2024 marked the hottest on record for Southern Nevada. Las Vegas set a new high of 120 degrees Fahrenheit last July, experiencing over 100 days of triple-digit temperatures.

In Maricopa County, Arizona, 15 heat-related fatalities have been noted as of July 19th. This number is consistent with the 23 confirmed deaths by July 19, 2024, although public health records indicate that 299 deaths this year are still under review.

Last May, the Maricopa County Public Health Department reported that at least one heat-related death occurred daily in the county from June 18th to July 31st.

In 2024, the county experienced its hottest year on record, with officials confirming 602 heat-related deaths, a decline from the record 645 deaths in 2023.

Local authorities have initiated several new strategies to keep residents cool and safe during the summer. These efforts include planting trees to enhance shade in public areas and resurfacing pavements with more reflective materials to mitigate urban heat.

“For many people, heat is a nuisance, but for others, it can be a matter of life and death,” emphasized Ariel Choinard, a scientist at the Las Vegas Desert Research Institute and director of the Nevada Heat Lab.

Certain demographics face higher risks, including the elderly, individuals with chronic health issues, and young children who may struggle to articulate their feelings, she noted.

Exposure to extreme heat disproportionately impacts low-income communities, according to Choinard. While everyone in cities like Las Vegas endures the summer heat, the experience of that heat varies based on housing stability, reliance on public transport, and access to air conditioning.

A study published in August 2024 in the Journal found that from 1999 to 2023, there were 21,518 heat-related deaths in the United States. The research indicates a rise in heat-related mortality rates over the past two decades, particularly intensifying in the last seven years.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

The US is Experiencing More Frequent Extreme Weather Events, Yet Attitudes and Actions Remain Unchanged

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In the wake of a deadly flood in central Texas in 1987, some demonstrated their resilience against the fury of Mother Nature. This month’s devastating flash floods inundated the area with an astonishing volume of rain in a matter of hours, resulting in over 100 fatalities.

Prior to 2021, the typically temperate regions of the Pacific Northwest and Canada faced a Killer Heat Wave, but they were not exempt. Tropical Hawaii, once distant from drought-induced wildfires, faced its own challenges. That changed. Moreover, many inland communities in North Carolina considered hurricanes a coastal dilemma until the remnants of Helen roared in unexpectedly last year.

The wreckage of a structure in North Carolina’s Bat Cave, ravaged by flooding from Hurricane Helen.
Mario Tama/Getty Images File

According to climate scientists, climate change is driving an increase in both the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Government data supports this evidence. Nonetheless, both people and governments tend to overlook this reality, clinging to outdated notions and failing to prepare for a concerning future, a meteorology expert pointed out to The Associated Press.

“With climate change, what was once considered extreme is now the average, and events that were once rare within decades are becoming new extremes,” stated Michael Oppenheimer, a climate scientist at Princeton University. “We are now experiencing phenomena that were virtually unprecedented.”

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, summer averages show that Extreme Climate Indicators are tracking hurricanes, heavy rainfall, droughts, and temperature fluctuations that are 58% higher than those recorded in the 1980s.

Despite the alarming trends, society is failing to respond adequately, Oppenheimer remarked.

“There’s ample evidence that we’re complacent, yet these risks are approaching us like an oncoming freight train, and we are just standing on the tracks, unaware,” he explained.

Shifting Public Perception

While climate change is a paramount issue, experts warn that our responses and tendency to disregard changes may exacerbate the situation.

Marshall Shepherd, a meteorology professor at the University of Georgia and former president of the American Meteorological Society, stated that people’s decisions are often influenced by their experiences during prior extreme weather incidents, even those that did not directly affect them. This induces unwarranted optimism, as they assume that conditions will remain manageable despite increasingly severe storms.

He referred to the flooding events in Texas as a prime example.

A vehicle and fallen trees were overturned on the Guadalupe River in Carville following a flash flood.
Ronaldo Schemidt / AFP -Getty Images

“This area is known as flash flood alley. Flooding is a common occurrence here. … I often hear overly optimistic statements from locals.”

Even those in regions not typically prone to disasters must rethink their perspectives on calamities, advised Kim Klockow McClain, a social scientist focused on extreme weather at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, which specializes in disaster warnings and risk communication.

Her advice is straightforward: If you’re accustomed to minor flooding, you should take note of events like those in Texas and recognize that conditions are changing.

Ignoring Reality Won’t Eliminate It

Following devastating storms and wildfires, individuals who have survived often believe such events won’t recur. This mindset can be a coping mechanism, yet the reality is that extreme weather occurrences are becoming more frequent and widespread, complicating effective preparedness.

According to Susan Cutter, co-director of the Hazards Vulnerability & Resilience Institute at the University of South Carolina:

Lori Peak, director of the University of Colorado’s Natural Disaster Center, indicates that surviving past extreme events can mislead people into thinking they are immune to future disasters. This kind of overconfidence can be hazardous. “Just because I survived fires, floods, hurricanes, or tornadoes does not guarantee that the next incident will mirror the last,” she cautioned.

What is Happening?

As weather patterns grow increasingly extreme, scientists observe that our capacities to adapt are lagging behind.

“Our vulnerability is heightened as our nation’s infrastructure ages, and more individuals are residing in potential danger zones,” Peak noted. “With population growth, more people live in perilous areas, particularly along the coast.”

Homes and buildings decimated by the wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii, in 2023.
Patrick T. Fallon / AFP -Getty Images File

The Trump administration’s funding cuts have threatened critical agencies responsible for climate research, disaster alerts, and responses—including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Geological Survey Research Institute—further worsening the situation, according to several specialists.

Experts assert that knowledgeable and skilled personnel have already departed from these bodies, and it may take years to regain that expertise and skill set.

“We are dismantling the capabilities that will be increasingly necessary in the future,” Oppenheimer cautioned.

Peak emphasized the need for nations to anticipate and prepare for worst-case scenarios instead of merely reflecting on past events.

“This is our future,” Peak concluded. “We are clearly entering an era marked by escalating fires, floods, and heat waves.”

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Extreme Winter Weather Not Caused by Wavy Jet Streams

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Wavy polar jet streams can lead to icy storms extending further south

Images of the history of science / Alamy Stock Photos

Recent studies indicate that the increasingly erratic winter weather in the Northern Hemisphere is not solely due to more pronounced wavy polar jet streams.

The Arctic jet stream functions as a wind current that helps to maintain the balance between temperate and cold air in the Arctic region.

For over a decade, some researchers have engaged in discussions regarding the effects of the warm Arctic on the jet stream. This warming has reportedly intensified in winter, leading to severe storms that carry snow and ice much further south than usual.
However, doubts persist about this theory.

Testing this hypothesis has proven challenging due to limited satellite data and the natural fluctuations of the jet stream during winter.

Researchers like Erich Osterberg from Dartmouth University have sought to determine whether the recent behavior of the jet stream deviates from the long-term average.

Since satellite observations of the jet stream began only in 1979, researchers leveraged temperature and atmospheric pressure data extending back to 1901 to reconstruct the movement of polar jets across the United States throughout the 20th century.

They discovered that polar jets exhibited wave-like patterns during various periods, indicating that the current erratic behavior may not be unprecedented. In fact, at times, the winter jet stream was even more undulating than it is today. “What we’re observing with the jet stream now is not particularly unusual when you consider the broader context of the 20th century,” Osterberg states.

The winters in the Northern Hemisphere are becoming warmer and wetter, a trend emphasized by Osterberg even as climate change continues to provoke more severe storms and precipitation. “It’s evident that climate change is influencing extreme weather events significantly,” he remarks. “However, in the context of winter jet streams, these changes don’t appear to be a fundamental factor.”

Similarly, Tim Woolling from Oxford University highlights the importance of long-term data in identifying shifts in polar jet stream behavior, noting its significant variability in the short to medium term. “Utilizing extensive data records and diverse methodologies reveals that today’s North American winter jet patterns are not necessarily worse than in previous decades,” he explains.

Contrastingly, during the Northern Hemisphere summer, emerging evidence suggests that climate change has elevated tropical temperatures, leading to broader polar waves in warmer months. “In summer, it seems that the jet stream undergoes a fundamental shift in behavior, with larger waves leading to intense heat waves, droughts, and wildfires,” Osterberg adds. “This phenomenon appears to be linked to climate change.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Extreme Heat Envelops Us: 160 Million on Alert from Texas to Maine

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In Paterson, New Jersey, over 100 individuals required medical attention during two outdoor graduation ceremonies on Monday, as the heat index soared to 107 degrees. That evening, Mayor Andre Seig declared a state of emergency, leading to the cancellation of all recreational activities due to the extreme heat.

Monday saw record high temperatures exceeding 60 degrees nationwide, with predictions extending from the southeast up to New England throughout the week.

Preliminary daily records were established on Tuesday in New York City (99 degrees), Philadelphia (for the first time since 2012), and Raleigh, North Carolina (100 degrees).

New monthly records for June were set in Boston (101 degrees) and Providence, Rhode Island (100 degrees), while Newark recorded a staggering June high of 103 degrees.

The National Weather Service indicates that the oppressive heat conditions are likely to persist through the evening.

“Overnight lows are anticipated to remain in the ’70s, with urban areas along the East Coast struggling to dip below 80 degrees at night,” the Weather Service remarked in a brief forecast on Tuesday..

These elevated temperatures are attributed to high-pressure ridges, which are currently parked over the eastern United States. Known as thermal domes, these systems effectively trap heat in the region, leading to prolonged periods of elevated temperatures.

While some relief may arrive towards the weekend, heat and humidity levels are expected to remain elevated over the coming days.

“The most severe cumulative heat impacts are expected on Friday across the eastern Ohio valleys stretching from the Mid-Atlantic to Thursday, resulting in multi-day oppressive heat,” stated the Weather Service.

All individuals are at risk for heat-related illnesses and fatalities, but the excessive heat and humidity—especially over several days—pose a particular risk to children, those with pre-existing health conditions, the elderly, and outdoor workers. These health concerns are increasingly pressing as climate change leads to more frequent, intense, and lasting heat events.

While the eastern U.S. battles the heat dome, a severe storm system could impact parts of Wyoming, Colorado, South Dakota, and Nebraska. Additionally, heavy rainfall and flooding are likely for much of New Mexico and southwestern Texas.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

U.S. Government Ceases Monitoring Costs of Extreme Weather Events

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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced on Thursday that they will cease tracking the nation’s most costly disasters, those inflicting damages of at least $1 billion.

This decision means insurance firms, researchers, and policymakers will lack crucial data necessary for understanding trends associated with significant disasters like hurricanes, droughts, and wildfires, which have become more prevalent this year. While not all disasters stem from climate change, such occurrences are intensifying as global temperatures rise.

This latest move marks another step by the Trump administration to restrict or eliminate climate research. Recently, the administration has rejected contributions to the country’s largest climate study, proposed cuts to grants for national parks addressing climate change, and unveiled a budget that would significantly reduce climate science funding at the U.S. Geological Survey, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Defense.

Researchers and lawmakers expressed their disapproval of this decision on Thursday.

Jesse M. Keenan, an associate professor and director of climate change and urbanism at Tulane University in New Orleans, stated that halting data collection will hinder federal and state governments in making informed budgetary and infrastructure investment decisions.

“It’s illogical,” he remarked. Without a comprehensive database, “the U.S. government will be blind to the financial impacts of extreme weather and climate change.”

In comments on Bluesky, Senator Ed Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts, described this move as “anti-science, anti-secure, and anti-American.”

Virginia Iglesias, a climate researcher at the University of Colorado, emphasized that few organizations can replicate the unique information provided by this database. “This represents one of the most consistent and trustworthy records of climate-related economic losses in the nation,” she said. “The database’s strength lies in its reliability.”

The so-called billion-dollar disasters—those with costs exceeding ten digits—are on the rise. In the 1980s, there were, on average, three such events annually, adjusted for inflation. By contrast, between 2020 and 2024, the average rose to 23 per year.

Since 1980, the U.S. has experienced at least 403 of these incidents. Last year, there were 27, and this year is projected to see the second-highest number (28 events).

Last year’s incidents included Hurricane Helen and Milton, which together resulted in approximately $113 billion in damages and over 250 fatalities in Colorado. Additionally, drought conditions that year caused around $3 billion in damages and claimed more than 100 lives nationwide.

NOAA’s National Environmental Information Center plans to cease tracking these billion-dollar disasters as priorities, statutory mandates, and staffing change, according to an email from the agency.

When asked whether NOAA or another branch of the federal agency would continue to publicly report data on such disasters, the agency did not respond. The communication indicated that archived data from 1980 to 2024 would be available, but incidences from 2025, such as the recent wildfires in Los Angeles, will not be monitored or published.

“We can’t address problems that we don’t measure,” noted Erinsikorsky, director of the Climate Security Centre. “Without information regarding the costs of these disasters, Americans and Congress will remain unaware of the risks posed by climate change to our nation.”

Sikorsky highlighted that other agencies may struggle to replicate this data collection as it involves proprietary insurance information that companies are reluctant to share. “It’s a remarkably unique contribution.”

Source: www.nytimes.com

Meta Sued in Ghana for Effects of Extreme Content on Moderators

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Meta is now facing a second lawsuit in Africa related to the psychological trauma endured by content moderators tasked with filtering out disturbing material on social media, including depictions of murder, extreme violence, and child sexual abuse.

A lawyer is preparing to take legal action against a contractor of Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, following discussions with moderators at a facility in Ghana that reportedly employs around 150 individuals.

Moderators at Magilal in Accra report suffering from depression, anxiety, insomnia, and substance abuse directly linked to their responsibilities of reviewing extreme content.

The troubling conditions faced by Ghanaian workers have come to light through a collaborative investigation by the Guardian and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.

This issue arose after over 140 Facebook content moderators in Kenya were diagnosed with severe post-traumatic stress disorder due to their exposure to traumatic social media content.

The Kenyan workers were employed by Samasource, an outsourcing company that recruits personnel from across Africa for content moderation tasks for Meta. The Magilal facility, central to the allegations in Ghana, is owned by the French multinational Teleperformance.

One individual, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, disclosed that he attempted suicide due to his work. His contract has since expired, and he claims to have returned to his home country.

Facebook and similar large social media platforms often employ numerous content moderators in some of the world’s most impoverished regions, tasked with removing posts that violate community standards and aiding in training AI systems for the same purpose.

Content moderators are required to review distressing and often brutal images and videos to determine if they should be taken down from Meta’s platform. According to reports from Ghanaian workers, they have witnessed videos including extreme violence, such as people being skinned alive or women being decapitated.

Moderators have claimed that the mental health support provided by the company is inadequate, lacking professional oversight, and there are concerns that personal disclosures regarding the impact of their work are being circulated among management.

Teleperformance contested this claim, asserting that they employed a licensed mental health professional, duly registered with a local regulatory body, who possesses a master’s degree in psychology, counseling, or a related mental health field.

The legal action is initiated by the UK-based nonprofit Foxglove. This marks the second lawsuit filed by an African content moderator, following the lawsuit from Kenya’s Samasource workers in December.

Foxglove has stated they will “immediately investigate these alarming reports of worker mistreatment,” with the goal of employing “all available methods, including potential legal action,” to enhance working conditions.

They are collaborating with Agency Seven Seven, a Ghanaian firm, to prepare two potential cases. One could involve claims of unfair dismissal, including a group of moderators who allege psychological harm, along with an East African moderator whose contract ended following a suicide attempt.

Martha Dark, co-executive director at Foxglove, remarked:

“In Ghana, Meta seems to completely disregard the humanity of the crucial safety personnel that all interests rely on—content moderators.

Dark noted that the base wages for content moderators in Accra fall below the living wage, with pressures to work overtime. Moderators reportedly face pay deductions for not meeting performance targets, she indicated.

Contracts obtained by the Guardian show that starting wages are around 1,300 Ghanaian Cedis per month. This base pay is supplemented by a performance-related bonus system, with the highest earnings reaching approximately 4,900 Cedis (£243) per month, significantly less than what is needed for a decent living, according to living costs in Accra.

A spokesperson for Teleperformance stated that content moderators receive “a competitive salary and benefits,” including a monthly income approximately 10 times the national minimum wage for local moderators, and 16 times the minimum wage from other countries, along with project allowances and other benefits, all automatically provided and not contingent on performance.

Foxglove researcher Michaela Chen observed that some moderators are crammed into tight living spaces: “Five individuals were packed into a single room.” She mentioned the existence of a secretive culture of surveillance from managers that monitors workers even during breaks.

This surveillance extends to the work of Meta moderators. She stated: “Workers dedicate all day to the Meta platform, adhering to Meta’s standards and utilizing its systems, yet they are constantly reminded, ‘You’re not working for Meta,’ and are prohibited from disclosing anything to anyone.”

Teleperformance asserted that the moderators are housed in one of Accra’s most luxurious and well-known residential and commercial zones.

The spokesperson described the accommodation as “secure and offering high levels of safety,” complete with recreational facilities such as air conditioning, a gym, and a pool.

Agency Seven Seven partner Carla Olympio believes personal injury claims could succeed in Ghanaian courts, stating they would set a legal precedent that acknowledges employee protections extend to psychological and physical harm.

“[There exists] a gap in our laws as they do not adequately address advancements in technology and virtual work,” she expressed.

Rosa Curling, co-director at Foxglove, has called upon the court to “mandate immediate reforms in the work environment for content moderators,” ensuring proper protective measures and mental health care.

A Teleperformance spokesperson stated: “We are committed to addressing content moderation in Ghana. We fully disclose the type of content moderators may encounter throughout the hiring process, employee contracts, training sessions, and resilience assessments, while actively maintaining a supportive atmosphere for our content moderators.”

Meta commented that the companies it partners with are “contractually obligated to ensure that employees engaged in content reviews on Facebook and Instagram receive adequate support that meets or exceeds industry standards.”

The tech giant further stated it “places great importance on the support provided to content reviewers,” detailing expectations for counseling, training, and other resources when engaging with outsourced companies.

All content moderators indicated they had signed a non-disclosure agreement due to the sensitivity of user information they handle for their safety; however, they are permitted to discuss their experiences with medical professionals and counselors.

Source: www.theguardian.com

China’s renewable energy boom at risk of disruption from extreme weather

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The three Gorge dams in China are the main sources of hydroelectric power generation

costfoto/nurphoto/shutterstock

China’s vast electric grids cause more fuss than any other country with renewable energy, but the system is also vulnerable to electricity shortages caused by adverse weather conditions. The need to ensure reliable power supply could encourage Chinese governments to use more coal-fired power plants.

China’s energy systems are rapidly becoming cleaner, setting new records for wind power and solar energy generation almost every month. The country’s overall greenhouse gas emissions – the highest emissions in the world are expected to peak soon and begin to decline. Wind, solar and hydroelectric power currently account for about half of China’s generation capacity, and is expected to increase to almost 90% by 2060, when the country promised to reach “carbon neutrality.”

This increasingly reliance on renewables means that the country’s electricity system is becoming increasingly vulnerable to changes in weather. Intermittent winds and sun can be replenished by more stable hydropower produced by huge hydroelectric dams enriched in southern China. But what happens when the wind and sun slump coincides with drought?

Jinjiang Shen Darian Institute of Technology in China and his colleagues modeled how power generation on increasingly renewable grids corresponds to these “extreme weather” years. They estimated how future mixing of wind, solar and hydropower behaves under the most favourable weather conditions seen in the past.

They found that future grids are much more sensitive to weather changes than they are today. In a very unfavourable year, 2060, it could reduce the amount of generation capacity by 12% compared to today’s grid, leading to a power shortage. In 2030, in the most extreme cases, they found that this leads to over 400 hours of blackout times, a power shortage of nearly 4% of total energy demand. “That’s not a number that everyone can ignore.” Li Shuo At the Institute of Policy Studies in Asia Association, Washington, DC.

In addition to the overall lack of force, drought could specifically limit the amount of hydroelectric power available to smooth out irregular winds and solar generation. This could also lead to a shortage of electricity. “It is essential to equip a suitable proportion of stable power sources that are less susceptible to weather factors to avoid large-scale, large-scale power shortages,” the researchers wrote in their paper.

One way to help is to run excess electricity more efficiently across states. By expanding the transmission infrastructure, researchers found that it could eliminate the risk of power shortages on today’s grids and reduce half of the risk by 2060. Adding new energy storage in tens of millions of kilowatts, whether using batteries or other methods, would also be alleviated against hydroelectric droughts.

According to Li Shuo, any additional storage amounts China needs to be added to achieve carbon neutrality “becomes an astronomical number.”

These changes are difficult, but they add that many storage is viable given the enormous amount of batteries already produced in China. Lauri Myllyvirta At the Finland Energy and Clean Air Research Centre. He says the country is also building 190 gigawatts of pumped hydropower storage. This says that it can provide long-term energy storage by using surplus electricity to pump water over the dam and releasing it when more electricity is needed.

But so far, the electricity shortage has primarily spurred the Chinese government to build more coal-fired power plants. For example, in 2021 and 2022, hydroelectric droughts and heat waves increased enough electricity demand to cause serious power outages; Continuous expansion of coal. Record hydropower generation in 2023 resulted in record time for emissions.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said coal would peak this year, but he has entrenched political support for power sources. “If China is struggling with another round of these episodes, more coal-fired power plants shouldn’t be the answer,” says Li Shuo. “It’s difficult to abolish coal. China loves coal.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Millions of Deaths in European Cities Linked to Extreme Temperatures

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Tourists are trying to cool down in Rome, which is expected to increase significantly by heat stroke by 2099

Massimo Valickia/Nurphoto (via Getty Image)

Researchers predict that if there are no further measures to restrict global warming and adapt to global warming, 2.3 million people will die in major European cities by 2099. I am. However, in cold northern northern countries, such as the United Kingdom, the number of deaths associated with the temperature of the cold will decrease due to the increase in the number of deaths due to the cold.

“It's presumed that there are some pure reductions, but it's very small compared to the significant increase in the Mediterranean region,” says. Pierre Maslot At London Hygiene Tropical Medicine School.

Masero's team first investigated epidemiological research on how the number of deaths increased during the intense heat or extreme cold period. Next, his team uses these statistical links to estimate how excessive deaths change in the next century in a variety of global warming scenarios.

The study is for 850 cities where 40 % of European population lives, but not in rural areas. This is because if many people live in a narrow area and are exposed to almost the same conditions, the statistical connection will be stronger.

If the city does not adapt, the ultimate impact of climate change will increase in exponential functions as global warming progresses. In the same scenario as the current scenario, the temperature -related number of excess deaths will increase by 50 % to 136 per year by 2099 by 2099 by 2099.

According to Masero, this figure will decrease if we take measures such as spreading air conditioners and planting trees in the city center, but to significantly reduce the vulnerabilities of the people in the heat. It is necessary. “This is far beyond what we have already observed in many countries around the world.”

The estimated value of the research team is based on the daily average temperature in the global warming scenario, and there is no possibility that extreme heat waves may be generated. “I know that this is usually enough to be able to associate death and temperature,” Maserotto says.

He says this is the most comprehensive study of this kind of study so far. It contains more countries, and for the first time, it was suggested that the number of deaths related to temperature increased as the continent warmed in France and Germany.

He says that rising temperature will have a wide range of effects from people's health to productivity. “The destiny to die is only part of the story.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Months of extreme weather in California lead to devastating wildfires

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Palisades fire spreads through Los Angeles homes

Ethan Swope/Associated Press/Alamy

Fast-moving wildfires in the Los Angeles area are getting out of control long after California’s normal fire season ends. Powerful Santa Ana winds are not uncommon at this time of year, but these winds arrive after months of drought. This combination has sparked a series of devastating fires that could be an indication of how climate change is changing the way fires occur in the state.

“While the Santa Ana Fire is not new to Southern California, this type of explosive fire event has never occurred before in January and only once in December,” he said. crystal golden At the University of California, Merced.

As of January 8, there were at least four wildfires burning in the Los Angeles area. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The two largest fires were the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire, each burning more than 4,000 hectares (10,000 acres) in a single day. The fire has killed at least two people, destroyed at least 1,000 homes and forced tens of thousands to evacuate. The fire also threatens NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Getty Museum.

Strong winds in Santa Ana reached up to 129 kilometers per hour (80 mph), fanning the flames and spreading them rapidly. The storm is expected to be the most intense since 2011 and will be accompanied by “very dangerous fire weather conditions.” Forecast lasting until Jan. 8 afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. Fire weather could continue until January 10, making it difficult to extinguish the fire.

He said it was the latest in a “highly unlikely series of extreme climate and weather events” that had caused the intense fires. park williams at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Santa Ana is a feature of Southern California weather, but fall and winter rains typically limit fire impact. This year, such wet weather has not arrived yet, leaving the plants dry and on the verge of burning. In addition, a wet winter in 2023 encouraged growth, so there is more vegetation for fuel. Heatwaves and drought throughout 2024 have left the land arid.

The combination of large amounts of good fuel, drought and strong, hot, dry winds creates “the most explosive fire event imaginable,” Colden said.

Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire. It will also take time to understand the role that climate change has played. But there’s reason to think it made the fire worse.

Above-average sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, likely due in part to climate change, are also contributing to the dry conditions. According to Daniel Swain At UCLA, these are High-pressure ocean ridges formed due to rising ocean temperatures That prevents wet weather carried by the jet stream from reaching Southern California.

This type of high-pressure weather has been occurring more frequently in the region over the past 50 years, which could be a sign of climate change, it said. Daniel Cairn at the University of California, San Diego.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Cities are becoming uninhabitable due to extreme heat – how can we adapt?

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Humidity makes Shanghai’s heat even more unbearable

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“My office was like a steamer on Monday morning,” Chinese influencer Bi Dao wrote in a social media post in August. He removed a drink from what appeared to be a cold water dispenser, and its temperature was 40.8°C (105°F). Bi, who lives in Hangzhou, a provincial city on China’s east coast, decided to walk around the city with a temperature gun and point it at things to find out exactly how much the temperature was rising. “The ground was 72.6 degrees Celsius, the seat of a shared bike was 56.5 degrees Celsius, the handrails of the subway station were 45 degrees Celsius, and even the bark of a tree was 38.7 degrees Celsius,” he wrote. He concluded his post by thanking Willis Carrier, who invented air conditioning.

Hangzhou is known for its beautiful lakes, large pagodas, and rolling green tea fields, but it’s not known for its heat. But Bi witnessed just one of the 60 “hot days” above 35 degrees Celsius that have scorched the city and its 12.5 million residents this year. It’s not just Hangzhou. Many cities around the world are feeling the heat. The situation has gotten so bad that more and more people are facing temperatures that are beyond what humans can tolerate.

Approximately 500,000 people die each year due to these conditions. This rate will inevitably rise as climate change increases the number and intensity of heat waves around the world. Cities are on the front lines of this ongoing crisis. And China’s vast, densely populated metropolises are leading the way. At the same time we can get a glimpse of the situation we are in…

Source: www.newscientist.com

The Emergence of Complex Life under Extreme Stress

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Plants and humans have one thing in common: They both consist of a single cell containing a nucleus that serves a specialized function that benefits the entire organism. When life first emerged 4 billion years ago, it consisted of simple cells that lacked a nucleus. ProkaryotesAt least 2 billion years later, a major evolutionary change gave rise to the first cells with nuclei. EukaryotesAlgae and fungi are eukaryotes, as are plants, animals, and some single-celled organisms.

Genomic studies have shown that all eukaryotes share a common ancestor, or RekaHowever, these studies can only provide limited information about LECA's characteristics, so researchers know almost nothing about their abundance, appearance, or where they live. Scientists hope to understand the origins of LECA on Earth and determine how complex life arose on Earth and how it might arise on other planets.

A team of researchers from the Australian National University, the University of Bremen and the Strasbourg Institute of Chemistry sought to trace the oldest evidence of eukaryotes in rocks and determine when eukaryotes diverged from prokaryotes. They found that only eukaryotes Structure and function of cell membranes, It is called Sterols. So to find the oldest traces of eukaryotes, researchers went looking for these molecules in sediments that accumulated beneath the oceans, where many researchers think early eukaryotes evolved.

When cells die, they sink to the ocean floor and over time completely or partially decompose and become buried in marine sediments. When these sediments harden into sedimentary rocks, all the remains of the cells become trapped within them. These researchers believe that sterols and the molecules derived from them are Decomposition productsThese molecules remain in sediments for millions of years after cells die, so the researchers reasoned that the abundance of these molecules in sedimentary rocks should correspond to the number of eukaryotic organisms living in the oceans when the sediments formed.

To find out what sterols break down into, the researchers burned different amounts of sterols found in modern eukaryotes and analyzed the sterol breakdown products using techniques that identify organic molecules. Gas ChromatographyThe researchers compared the sterol breakdown products of modern eukaryotes with organic molecules they measured in rock samples from the Burnie Creek Formation in northern Australia, which contained petroleum that dates back about 1.7 billion years. Their goal was to test whether the rock samples contained the same molecules as the burned sterols, confirming that eukaryotic organisms were present in the oceans at that time.

The researchers found that the rock samples contained only a fraction of the molecules they measured in the burned sterols. The molecules in the rocks were responsible for stabilizing eukaryotic cell membranes against environmental stresses such as high temperatures and high salinity. The researchers explained that sterols help some modern eukaryotes survive such extreme conditions by attaching to cell membranes and making them strong and flexible, preventing cell rupture caused by external stresses.

The researchers propose that the rock sample preserved the remains of early eukaryotes that produced sterols to strengthen membranes to survive in extreme conditions. Although it is unclear whether eukaryotes produced sterols before or after the development of a nucleus, they suggest that sterols may have provided early eukaryotes with a distinct ecological advantage in adapting to extreme environmental stresses, potentially facilitating the evolution of more specialized life forms.

The team suggested that changing atmospheric conditions may also have triggered the formation and adaptation of eukaryotes. They explained that oxygen first accumulated in the atmosphere about 2.3 billion years ago, which represented a chemical stress in the environment that would have been lethal to early cells that were allergic to oxygen. However, the sterols present in the cell membranes of early eukaryotes may have helped them adapt to the changing atmosphere and develop a preference for more oxygen-rich environments.

The researchers concluded that ecological stress can fundamentally change cells, and that certain compounds unique to eukaryotes can be used to find them in ancient rock samples. In the future, the scientists plan to analyze other rock samples from Northern Australia to validate their results and look for other types of molecules that could provide information about LECA.


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Source: sciworthy.com

Artificial turf equipped with self-cooling technology offers solution for cities facing extreme weather

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At a test site in Amsterdam, self-cooling artificial turf was tested against regular artificial turf.

Joris Forten

By absorbing rainwater and allowing it to evaporate on hot days, artificial turf stays much cooler than regular artificial grass. Self-cooling turf protects athletes from burns and heat stroke and helps cities manage stormwater.

Such surfaces are already in use in Amsterdam, London and Kobe, Japan, he said. Marjolein van Huygevoort At the KWR Water Resources Institute in Nieuwegein, The Netherlands.

“A normal lawn stays cool because the grass itself evaporates,” she says, “so this system mimics that natural situation by letting the water rise and evaporate.”

Van Huygevoort says many cities and sports venues are installing artificial turf fields because overuse can damage natural grass. Even in warm climates like those in Northern Europe, the sun can heat the plastic surface to about 70°C (158°F), not only damaging the health of athletes but also warming the air in urban areas, a situation that will only get worse with global warming, he says.

Inspired by A “blue-green roof” that collects rainwater for a cooling effectVan Huygevoort and her colleagues built a toy-sized mock-up of the playground in a climate-controlled lab, with a water-retention unit below the surface topped with a two-centimeter-thick cushioning pad with thin irrigation cylinders embedded inside.

Filled with mineral wool fibres that act like a sponge, these “capillaries” slowly wick water up into a thin layer of sand at the bottom of the artificial turf surface. In a heated laboratory environment, the irrigated water evaporates from the sand, creating a cooling effect on the surface.

Encouraged by these results, the team built a 25-square-metre test site in Amsterdam containing irrigated natural grass. During a heatwave that recorded a maximum temperature of 29.8°C (86°F), the conventional artificial grass reached 62.5°C (145°F). The researchers found that Self-cooling lawnBut the temperature never rose above 37°C (99°F), just 1.7°C warmer than on a natural grass field. Even the air above the water-cooled turf was cooler, which helped keep temperatures down across the city, van Huygevoort said.

The system is based on a design in which the rate at which the water level rises and the evaporative cooling process depend on various natural factors, such as weather conditions. “So water only evaporates when there is a demand for cooling,” says van Huygevoort.

A reservoir beneath the grass can store about 512,000 litres of rainwater beneath the floor of a standard 100-metre by 64-metre football pitch, she says, and capillaries in the buffer pad can store another 96,000 litres, meaning the field should be useful for absorbing large amounts of water during storms, van Huygevoort says.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Unveiling the Hidden World of a Porn Addict: ‘I Take Extreme Caution in Concealing My Actions’

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TOny, who is in his 50s, recently did a quick calculation of how much time he’s spent watching porn in his life. “The results were horrifying,” he says. Eight years. “It’s hard to even think about. The frustration is intense.”

Tony saw his first “hardcore” movie on VHS in the 1980s, when he was 12 years old. It was in his 20s that he first got online, which turned his habit into a “full-blown addiction.” For the past 30 years, he’s managed to maintain a double life: he works in care, has friendships and relationships with men and women. But there’s one side of him he keeps completely secret.

“So far, I’ve only told three people about this: two therapists, and now you,” he says. “I’ve kept it a complete secret from everyone I’ve ever known. I’m very careful to cover my tracks, even in relationships. My lack of interest in sex with my partner might be the only thing that makes her wonder.”

Tony has tried many times to stop watching porn but has never been able to go more than a month without it. He’s tried cutting down, banned masturbation, blocked porn sites, and tried to quit completely. But “the addict’s brain is very cunning and manipulative,” he says. He also tried therapy, but found it difficult to keep up with the costs long-term.

Still, Tony is grateful for one thing: he was young before the internet. “At least I had a normal youth. Parties, shows, adventures with friends. I had a girlfriend. I had a sex life. A guy like me doesn’t have that chance now.”

All statistics on pornography use in the UK and globally have skyrocketed due to the widespread use of mobile phones: in May 2023 alone, around 13.8 million people, a third of all internet-using adults, viewed pornography online.
According to Ofcom
Of these, two-thirds were male. Although pornography companies do not report (or acknowledge) statistics on underage viewers, on average, children in the UK first see pornography at age 12. In a recent study, the Children’s Commissioner for England said:
Much of what young people see is violent and extreme.

… (content continues)

Source: www.theguardian.com

Extreme weather ushers in the start of summer, from scorching temperatures to devastating floods

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summary

  • In the last week alone, extreme weather has wreaked havoc in many parts of the United States and around the world.
  • Climate change is increasing the likelihood of extreme temperatures and heavy rainfall such as those seen recently.
  • This year has been the warmest on record so far, with ocean temperatures breaking new records for more than 15 months.

Summer is quickly becoming a brutal season: Last week alone, record-breaking June heat forced schools to close across the Northeast and slowed some trains, flooding caused bridges to collapse in the Midwest and inundated towns across three states, and tropical storm-force winds prompted disaster declarations for 51 Texas counties.

The threat of climate change lurks behind many recent events.

“Last year, of course, was the warmest year on record by a pretty large margin, and this year, so far, has been the warmest on record for this time of June,” Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles and the National Center for Atmospheric Research, said at a briefing on Monday.

While it will take time for climate scientists to understand and calculate the impact of global warming on individual weather events, the science is clear that as the planet warms, the likelihood of extreme temperatures increases, and the risk of heavy rains increases because a warmer atmosphere can hold and release more moisture.

As a result, the effects of climate change will be more noticeable in the summer, Swain said.

“It’s not surprising that we’re seeing another wave of record-breaking heat and record-breaking rainfall. It’s exhausting, but I think it’s really important that we don’t forget or let it slip away,” he said. “And this heat is especially pronounced in the summer, because, of course, the Northern Hemisphere summer is when most people on the planet experience the hottest weather.”

Extremely heavy rainfall over the weekend flooded communities in at least 80 counties in Iowa, South Dakota and Minnesota, temporarily isolating the town of Spencer, Iowa, of 11,000 people from the rest of the state. About 2,000 structures, including hundreds of homes, were damaged in Iowa alone.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Expedition to study human adaptation to extreme heat in the face of climate change

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Walking on hot red sand is hard work, especially when the temperature exceeds 40°C (104°F). After about 40 minutes you are soaked, dehydrated and exhausted. It is hard to imagine doing this for 40 days with all your gear, including 40 liters of water for five days, on a two-wheeled trolley. But that is exactly what my traveling companions did.

I'm in the Nahud Desert, a vast expanse of sand and rocky wilderness in northern Saudi Arabia, to experience the almost unbearable heat and meet up with 20 other people who are part of an expedition. Deep ClimateHe is dedicated to understanding how humans respond to extreme situations. “The aim is to study how humans adapt to new kinds of environments,” he says. Christian Clotteleader of the expedition and director of the French Institute of Human Adaptation.

This problem becomes even more pressing as the climate gets warmer: even in the most optimistic scenarios, heatwaves exceeding 40°C, as observed in southern Europe and across the United States over the past few months, will become the norm in many parts of the world.

So the question of what happens to our brains and bodies, and how well the human physiology can handle extreme heat, is a question that matters to millions of people. “We're going to see large swaths of densely populated areas rise to unprecedented temperatures that nobody has seen in historical climates,” he said. Tim Renton He is a researcher at the University of Exeter in the UK and recently co-authored a research paper titled “…

Source: www.newscientist.com

Climate change is causing extreme heat waves in the Southwest to become hotter and occur 35 times more frequently

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Anthropogenic causes Climate Change I turned up the thermostat, bolstering the possibility of a heatwave this month. Grilling the Southwestern United States, Mexico, and Central AmericaThis is revealed in a new breaking research study.

Parts of the US experienced heatwaves during the day that could cause heatstroke, with temperatures rising by 2.5C (1.4C) due to global warming caused by the burning of coal, oil and natural gas. World Weather Attribution, The calculations were made Thursday by a group of scientists conducting a rapid, non-peer-reviewed study of climate factors.

“It’s like an oven out here, there’s no way I could be here,” said Magarita Salazar Pérez, 82, who lives in Veracruz, Mexico, in her home without air conditioning. Temperatures in the Sonoran Desert reached 125 degrees Fahrenheit (51.9 Celsius) last week, making it the hottest day in Mexico’s history, said Shel Winkley, a meteorologist at Climate Central and co-author of the study.

And it was even worse at night, which is what made the heatwave so deadly, said Friederike Otto, a climate scientist at Imperial College London who is leading the team investigating its causes. Climate change has caused nighttime temperatures to rise by 2.9 degrees Celsius (1.6 degrees Fahrenheit), making extreme nighttime heat 200 times more likely, Otto said.

Salazar-Perez said there isn’t the cool nighttime air that people are used to, and doctors say lower nighttime temperatures are key to surviving the heatwave.

A man holds his head in the heat at the Cogra nursing home in Veracruz, Mexico, on June 16, 2024.Felix Marquez/AP

At least 125 people have been killed so far, according to the Global Weather Attribution Team.

“This is clearly related to climate change, the level of intensity that we’re seeing, these risks,” said Karina Izquierdo, urban adviser at the Mexico City-based Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Center and co-author of the study.

Otto said what’s worrying about this heat wave, which is still heating up North America, is that it’s no longer unusual. Previous research from the group has shown that extremely extreme heat waves Not possible without climate changebut not this heat wave.

“So in that sense it’s not unusual from a meteorological standpoint, but the impacts were really bad,” Otto told The Associated Press in an interview.

“The changes over the last 20 years, which feel like yesterday, have been so dramatic,” Otto said. Her research shows that heat waves are four times more likely now than they were in 2000, when temperatures were nearly 1 degree Celsius (half a degree Celsius) cooler. “It seems so long ago, like another world.”

While other international groups of scientists, as well as global carbon emission reduction targets adopted by countries in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, have noted that warming has been increasing since the pre-industrial era in the mid-1800s, Otto said comparing what is happening now to the year 2000 is even more shocking.

“We’re seeing the baseline shift, and what was once extreme but rare is becoming more and more common,” said Carly Kenkel, dean of marine studies at the University of Southern California, who was not involved in the team’s investigation. She called the analysis a “logical conclusion based on the data.”

Jorge Moreno drinks flavored water while working at a construction site in Veracruz, Mexico on June 17, 2024. Felix Marquez/AP

The study looked at the five hottest days and nights across a wide swath of the continent, including Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Belize and Honduras. In most areas, the five days were from June 3 to 7, and the five nights were from June 5 to 9, but in some places, the peak heat began as early as May 26, Otto said.

For example, San Angelo, Texas, recorded a record 111 degrees (43.8 degrees Celsius) on June 4. Between June 2 and June 6, Corpus Christi Airport's nighttime temperatures never dropped below 80 degrees (26.7 degrees Celsius), setting a new nighttime temperature record, with two days where the temperature never dropped below 85 degrees (29.4 degrees Celsius), according to the National Weather Service.

Between June 1st and June 15th, more than 1,200 Highest daytime temperature record The United States saw a flurry of records being broken and tied, with nearly 1,800 overnight high temperature records set, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information.

The team used both current and historical temperature measurements to contrast what’s happening now with past heatwave conditions, then used a scientifically-accepted method of comparing a hypothetical simulation of a world without human-made climate change with current reality to calculate how much global warming contributed to the 2024 heatwave.

Winkley said the immediate meteorological cause is high pressure that was parked over central Mexico, blocking storms and clouds that brought cold air, then moved into the southwestern U.S. and is now bringing hot air to the eastern U.S. Tropical Storm Alberto The storm formed on Wednesday and is heading toward northern Mexico and southern Texas, where it is likely to bring rain and cause flooding.

Mexico and other places have been in the spotlight for months. Drought, Water shortage and Extreme heatMonkeys Falling from a tree in Mexico From the warmth.

The heatwave is “exacerbating existing inequalities.” Rich and poor Izquierdo said the inequality is stark in the Americas, and Kenkel agreed: Nighttime heat is accentuated because the ability to stay cool with central air conditioning depends on how affordable you are, Kenkel said.

So, Salazar-Perez was feeling very uncomfortable during this heatwave.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Scientists have made a breakthrough in understanding how tardigrades are able to survive in extreme conditions

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Tardigrade observed using a fluorescence microscope.Some organs are highlighted with fluorescent markers

Smythers et al/PLoS ONE (CC-BY 4.0)

Tardigrades are known for their ability to withstand extreme environments, and we now know how they do this. Small molecular sensors inside cells can detect when harmful molecules called free radicals are produced in excess, causing a state of dormancy.

Tardigrades, also known as tardigrades, are eight-legged microscopic invertebrates found throughout the world. Under adverse conditions such as sub-zero temperatures and strong radiation, the creatures shrink into a dry ball called a tongue and enter a deep hibernation state.

“Tardigrades do not breed under extreme conditions, but they can overwinter.” Derrick Colling At Marshall University in West Virginia. “We wanted to understand how they could step in there.”

To study, Kolling and colleagues exposed tardigrades to high levels of hydrogen peroxide, sugar, salt, or temperatures of -80°C (-112°F) to induce Tun. As a result of these stresses, tardigrades produce harmful, highly reactive molecules called oxygen free radicals.

The free radicals then go on to react with other molecules, team members say. leslie hix At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Importantly, the research team discovered that free radicals oxidize an amino acid called cysteine, which is one of the building blocks of proteins in the body. These reactions change protein structure and function and signal the onset of quiescence.

In experiments where cysteine ​​oxidation was prevented, tardigrades were unable to enter the tun state. “Cysteine acts like a kind of regulatory sensor,” Hicks says. “This allows the tardigrade to sense its environment and respond to stress.”

When conditions improved, the researchers discovered that the cysteine ​​was no longer oxidized and instructed the tardigrades to wake up from the tongue.

“Whether this is a universally conserved protection mechanism and whether this is conserved across tardigrade species is a really important question,” Hicks says. Her answers, she says, could help us better understand the aging process and how to make long-term space travel a reality.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Possums in Australia are struggling with extreme heat conditions

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A quoll searches for termites in a fallen log.Poor night vision is also part of the reason they have to forage for food in the heat of the day.

kristin cooper

As Australia's temperatures continue to get hotter, the specialized fur that possums evolved to save energy is now putting them at risk of overheating.

possum (Myrmecobius fasciatus) is an unusual marsupial in that it is active during the day, feeding on termites hidden under tree logs and topsoil. Because these insects are low-calorie foods, possums, which typically weigh about 500 grams, have evolved fur that absorbs heat from the sun, saving calories spent on generating body heat.

As temperatures rise, that evolutionary trait can backfire, causing possums to overheat within minutes of feeding in direct sunlight. kristin cooper at Curtin University, Perth, Australia.

Quolls once roamed southern Australia, but over the past two centuries they have fallen prey to cats and foxes introduced by European settlers. Currently, these endangered animals are concentrated in just two small nature reserves in Western Australia.

To increase their numbers, conservation groups are gradually moving the marsupials to areas protected from their native predators. But global warming is making some of these regions even hotter and drier.

“Environmental change is occurring at an unprecedented rate due to anthropogenic global warming, which means that predicting future species distribution and population patterns, protecting and managing them requires environmental conditions “This means it is important to understand the ecological consequences of changes in philip withers researchers from the University of Western Australia write in a paper.

To learn more, the pair used a thermal imaging camera to film 50 wild animals eating termites at different times of the day from 2020 to 2021.

At each site, portable weather stations were used to record factors such as temperature, wind speed, and humidity. They then incorporated this data into a computer program to model how environmental conditions affected the quolls' internal temperatures.

The researchers found that on days of high heat stress, such as in dry environments with temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius, possums overheat within 10 minutes of exposure to direct sunlight. After that, they need to stop eating and hide from the sun until their body temperature drops.

Shade is helpful, but shade is often scarce, and seeking shade limits the termite-hunting territory of possums, Cooper says. The model also suggests that the combination of high outdoor temperatures and radiant heat from the ground can cause possums to overheat even in the shade.

Feeding at night is not an option for possums, as they have poor night vision and lack the strength to invade termite mounds at night.

To overcome these problems, Cooper recommends conservation groups move quolls to cooler areas of their territory and provide plenty of shade.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Unprecedentedly fast radio burst detected in a galaxy group at extreme distance

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A fast radio burst phenomenon called FRB 20220610A flashed in an unlikely location: a collection of at least seven galaxies that existed when the universe was only 5 billion years old. Most fast radio bursts to date have been found in isolated galaxies.

This Hubble image shows the host galaxy of the extremely powerful fast radio burst FRB 20220610A. Image credit: NASA/ESA/STScI/Alexa Gordon, Northwestern University.

FRB 20220610A was first detected by the Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) radio telescope in Western Australia on June 10, 2022.

ESO's Very Large Telescope confirmed that the FRB came from a distant place. The Fed was four times more energetic than its closer counterpart.

“We needed Hubble's acuity and sensitivity to pinpoint the source of the FRB,” said Northwestern University astronomer Alexa Gordon.

“Without Hubble's images, it will remain a mystery whether this arose from a monolithic galaxy or some kind of interacting system.”

“It's these kinds of environments, these strange environments, that are driving us to a deeper understanding of the Fed's mysteries.”

Hubble's sharp images suggest that FRB 20220610A arose in an environment where up to seven galaxies could be on a potential path to a merger, which is also very significant.

“We're ultimately trying to answer the question: What causes this? What are their ancestry and their origin?” said Wen-Fai Fung, an astronomer at Northwestern University. Ta.

“Hubble observations provide an incredible view of the surprising types of environments that give rise to these mysterious events.”

Although hundreds of FRBs have been detected, their ancestry is unknown. One of the leading candidates is magnetars.

They have magnetic fields so strong that if a magnetar were to be located halfway between the Earth and the Moon, it would erase the magnetic stripes on everyone's credit cards around the world.

Even worse, if the astronaut traveled within a few hundred miles of the magnetar, they would effectively be dissolved, as every atom in their body would be destroyed.

Possible mechanisms include some kind of shocking starquake, or an explosion triggered when the magnetar's twisted magnetic field lines break and recombine.

A similar phenomenon occurs on the Sun, causing solar flares, but the magnetar's magnetic field is a trillion times more powerful than the Sun's magnetosphere.

This snap can cause a flash of the FRB or create a shock wave that incinerates the surrounding dust and heats the gas to create a plasma.

There can be several types of magnetars. In some cases, it could be an explosive object orbiting a black hole surrounded by a disk of matter.

Another option is a pair of orbiting neutron stars whose magnetospheres interact periodically to create cavities in which eruptions can occur.

Magnetars are estimated to be active for about 10,000 years before becoming permanent, and are expected to be discovered in areas where violent storms of star formation occur. However, this does not seem to be the case for all magnetars.

In the near future, the sensitivity of FRB experiments will improve and FRBs will be detected at unprecedented rates at these distances.

“We need to continue to find more of these FRBs in different types of environments, both near and far,” Dr. Gordon said.

Astronomers announced that findings in AAS243243rd Meeting of the American Astronomical Society, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

_____

alexa gordon other. 2024. Revealing the environment of the most distant FRB with the Hubble Space Telescope. AAS243summary #3679

Source: www.sci.news

The Harmful Effects of Extreme Drought on Plants may be Underestimated

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One of the shelters used to simulate extreme drought. It is located at the Central Plains Experiment Station in Colorado.

melinda smith

An experiment conducted at 100 sites around the world shows that during extreme droughts, grassland productivity declines much more than we thought. This finding suggests that plants may be struggling to cope with more frequent and severe droughts that are expected to result from climate change.

melinda smith Researchers at Colorado State University have designed a shelter that can be placed on top of land and topped with a piece of plastic to deflect some of the rain away from the vegetation below.

Working with other researchers around the world, Smith and her team were able to install such shelters in 100 grassland or shrubland locations across six continents.

For each site, Smith said, the team aimed to recreate conditions that would be considered extreme drought in the area, the type of conditions that occur once every 100 years. For example, in areas of Europe with high rainfall, more plastic strips are placed on roofs compared to drier areas to better simulate drought.

A year later, the researchers discovered that while some experiments were successful in reproducing drought conditions, others were unsuccessful because certain areas had higher than average rainfall.

In the 44 sites that experienced extreme drought, plant growth decreased by 38% in grasslands and 21% in shrublands. “That was huge,” Smith said, adding that the reduction in plant growth was much more severe than the researchers had observed in previous studies.

They also found that arid regions with low biodiversity are particularly vulnerable to drought. “Dry places are already at their limit,” Smith said. “Their systems don't have a lot of buffers to deal with it.”

Smith hopes these insights can improve global climate models that have previously underestimated the role of drought in the carbon cycle.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Extreme Temperature Record from 2023 to be Surpassed in 2024

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The August drought in Villanueva, Spain was one of the most common extreme weather events in 2023.

Ander Girenea/AFP via Getty Images

Last year was the hottest year on record, but 2023 is unlikely to retain that dubious honor for long. In addition to warming caused by greenhouse gases, 2024 is expected to be even hotter due to the El Niño phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean. “We've never had an El Niño of this magnitude against a backdrop of global warming,” he says. adam scaife At the UK National Met Office…

Source: www.newscientist.com