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Climate Change

All articles tagged with #climate change

Britain-sized Antarctic Glacier Threatens Global Coasts
world4 days ago

Britain-sized Antarctic Glacier Threatens Global Coasts

Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier, nearly the size of Britain, could collapse sooner than expected, potentially adding about three metres to global sea levels and flooding coastlines worldwide. The glacier’s last ice shelf is poised to disintegrate as subsurface warming weakens the ice, putting the Netherlands, Bangladesh, the Maldives and other island nations at high risk. In the United States, major coastal cities like Miami, New York and New Orleans could face significant inundation, with projections that up to 60% of Miami-Dade County could be underwater.

Heat Dome Hits Roland Garros as Climate Change Roasts the Paris Clay
world4 days ago

Heat Dome Hits Roland Garros as Climate Change Roasts the Paris Clay

Europe-wide heat waves fueled by climate change pushed temperatures into the 90s during the French Open, turning Roland Garros into a grueling test of endurance with players like Casper Ruud taking medical breaks and Jakub Menšík collapsing on court; the cooler-than-usual tournament is highlighted as an example of how warming weather and El Niño could make outdoor sports even more brutal in the coming years.

ER Tick-Bite Surge Signals Widening Lyme Disease Threat
health5 days ago

ER Tick-Bite Surge Signals Widening Lyme Disease Threat

CDC data show April 2026 tick-bite ER visits rose to about 71 per 100,000—more than double the historical average of 30—marking the highest seasonal level in years and highest among children under 10 and adults 70–79. The surge coincides with expanding ranges of the blacklegged and lone star ticks, driven by warmer, wetter conditions and deer/mouse hosts, raising risk for Lyme disease and other infections (anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, Powassan virus). There are no vaccines for tick-borne diseases in the U.S.; prevention emphasizes repellents, permethrin-treated clothing, tick checks, prompt removal, and showering after outdoors exposure.

Arctic Ocean hits irreversible chemical tipping point as ice loss drains nitrate
environment6 days ago

Arctic Ocean hits irreversible chemical tipping point as ice loss drains nitrate

Two decades of data show sun-driven nutrient loss after sea ice retreats triggers benthic denitrification on shallow Arctic shelves, causing irreversible nitrate depletion and pushing the Arctic Ocean past a tipping point around 2009. The nitrate famine is already reshaping the food web from plankton to fish, seabirds, and marine mammals, with potential impacts on North Atlantic fisheries and broader marine ecosystems, and researchers say the system is unlikely to revert to its previous state without major changes in ice cover.

UK heat spikes may be arriving faster as summers warm
environment6 days ago

UK heat spikes may be arriving faster as summers warm

Scientists observe heat spikes and the rapid onset of UK heatwaves, driven by a warmer baseline, drier soils and shifting wind patterns, with marine heatwaves around the UK boosting land temperatures. While these factors help explain sharper heat increases, experts caution it isn’t yet proven that spikes are becoming more frequent, though the potential for hotter, faster heatwaves raises health risks and underscores a warming climate.

UN climate chief warns Europe’s May heatwave signals worsening climate crisis
environment6 days ago

UN climate chief warns Europe’s May heatwave signals worsening climate crisis

The UN climate chief says an extreme heatwave sweeping western Europe is a stark reminder of the climate crisis, driven by human emissions from fossil fuels. Record May temperatures hit the UK and France, with France issuing heat alerts and Spain facing forecasts of 40C; heat domes and early-season heat are being linked to climate change, as authorities report heat-related deaths and drownings while urging faster moves away from fossil fuels.

Europe Sizzles Under Record-Breaking May Heat Wave
environment6 days ago

Europe Sizzles Under Record-Breaking May Heat Wave

A deadly heat wave grips Western Europe, shattering May temperature records across France, the U.K., Spain and Portugal, with at least seven heat-related deaths in France and nine in the U.K. due to heat and water incidents; overnight lows also hit new highs at venues like Kew Gardens. The heat dome over Iberia and Western Europe is tied to warming climate and is expected to weaken later in the week, bringing some relief.

El Niño Could Stretch to 2028 as Heat Records Persist, UN Warns
environment6 days ago

El Niño Could Stretch to 2028 as Heat Records Persist, UN Warns

The UN climate projections from the WMO and UK Met Office warn that a strong El Niño could linger into 2027–2028, boosting global temperatures and making it likely that the 2026–2030 period will exceed the Paris 1.5°C threshold. There’s a 91% chance at least one year will surpass 1.5°C and an 86% chance a year will break the 2024 hottest-year record, with Arctic warming about 3.5 times faster than the global average. The report also foresees shrinking Arctic sea ice, hotter and drier Amazon conditions with higher wildfire risk, potential rainfall increases but flood risk in the Sahel, and record heat events in Europe, underscoring that every 0.1°C of warming raises impacts and the need to curb fossil fuels.

Ancient fungal clues reveal Earth was stressed before the dinosaur extinction
science6 days ago

Ancient fungal clues reveal Earth was stressed before the dinosaur extinction

A Johns Hopkins study analyzed ancient fungal spores in sediments and found three pre-impact fungal blooms dating up to 30,000 years before the asteroid, likely tied to Deccan Traps volcanism that cooled the climate and stressed ecosystems; a second fungal surge occurred at the asteroid boundary, and recovery after the mass extinction was slow and uneven, suggesting the crisis began before the impact.

Climate crisis turns Hajj heat risk into year‑round danger, study finds
environment6 days ago

Climate crisis turns Hajj heat risk into year‑round danger, study finds

A World Weather Attribution study says fossil-fuel driven warming has made Mecca much hotter, with 40C heat now occurring in May and temperatures for Hajj becoming dangerous outside traditional summer. Without a rapid shift away from fossil fuels, nearly all future Hajj periods could face dangerous heat, potentially affecting millions of pilgrims; 1,300 heat-related deaths occurred in 2024. Saudi authorities have implemented cooling measures, but researchers warn they are insufficient without deeper emissions cuts.

Europe bakes under record May heat as heatwave lingers into June
world7 days ago

Europe bakes under record May heat as heatwave lingers into June

A widening heatwave scorches Western Europe, with Portugal recording a May high of 40.3C in Mora—the hottest May day on record—while Britain, France, Italy and Spain report extreme heat. Italy issued its first red health alert of the year for multiple cities; schools closed briefly due to heat, and sports events (including the French Open) faced disruptions and dehydration cases. Scientists say climate change is amplifying such extremes, with heat expected to persist into early June.

UN calls for rapid clean-power shift as Europe swelters in May heatwave
world7 days ago

UN calls for rapid clean-power shift as Europe swelters in May heatwave

A May heatwave across Europe, linked to climate change, prompts the UN to urge a faster move away from fossil fuels toward clean power. Renewables like wind and solar are already cutting dependence on imported gas, with EU data showing renewables overtaking fossil fuels in electricity generation, but several member states—Italy and the Netherlands among them—still lag in the transition. The UN argues that cutting fossil fuel use is essential for energy security, affordability, and climate resilience.

Doomsday Glacier teeters as its last ice shelf breaks this year
science7 days ago

Doomsday Glacier teeters as its last ice shelf breaks this year

Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier, nicknamed the Doomsday Glacier, is poised to lose its eastern ice shelf this year, removing a key stabilizing buttress and likely accelerating ice loss. A full collapse could lift global sea levels by about 26 inches (65 cm), intensifying coastal flooding even if emissions drop, and potentially triggering further instability in West Antarctica. The melt is driven by warm deep ocean water entering the region and changes in Southern Ocean winds, a process linked to human-caused climate change. While models vary on exact timing, scientists agree the glacier’s retreat will have long-term, wide-reaching consequences for sea level rise.

Aid Cuts and Climate Change Drive Zimbabwe's Malaria Surge
world7 days ago

Aid Cuts and Climate Change Drive Zimbabwe's Malaria Surge

Zimbabwe is experiencing a malaria surge driven by US aid cuts that disrupted control programs and climate-driven mosquito breeding, with 65,399 cases and 174 deaths reported Jan–Apr 2026. Shortages of nets, diagnostic kits and medicines in rural areas, plus weakened surveillance after ZAPIM II/ZENTO funding cuts, have undermined prevention and treatment, threatening years of progress toward elimination unless funding is restored and preventive measures are strengthened.