List of All Articles with Tag 'climate'

The return of El Niño after nearly four years is raising the specter of extreme weather, economic pain,

Toxic algae are killing hundreds of dolphins and sea lions which are then washing up on beaches in Southern California. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has said that more than 1,000 animals have grown sick or died just this month. While algal blooms may be a seasonal problem, the climate crisis could be making the issue worse. More than 200 reports of animals in distress reach rescue groups every day. Biological sciences professor at the University of Southern California, David Caron, told the BBC that “I’ve heard of a number of people walking the beaches who have seen [sick] animal after [sick] animal”. “Animal rescue groups are scrambling to try to get boots on the ground to get the animals protected,” he added. Sea birds, dolphins, and sea lions are growing ill because of the expansion of some algae-producing domoic acid, a toxin. Dr Caron told the BBC that the algal blooms disrupt food webs. Shellfish, anchovies, and sardines eat the harmful materials before being eaten by animals further up the food chain. “They eat a meal of those highly toxic fish and then they become toxified themselves, and if they get enough of that material, it of course can kill them, which is happening now,” he said. NOAA states that Santa Barbara and Ventura counties are among the worst affected. The Channel Islands Marine & Wildlife Institute co-founder Ruth Dover said in a statement, “We are doing the best we can to keep up with the intense pace,” of reports of marine mammals in distress. Domoic acid can make animals disoriented or they may even convulse and die while under the surface. The blooms may be harmful to humans as well since people may grow ill if they eat fish that have toxins. But the California Department of Public Health monitors such levels and will shut down shellfish beaches when needed, Dr Caron noted. People could also attempt to approach larger marine mammals, such as sea lions and dolphins if they’re stranded on land, but the animals may be aggressive under the influence of the toxins. Marine animals should be avoided, and people should instead call for the help of rescue groups. Some animals have been rescued after being captured and fed. After they have been provided with liquids, the animals may be able to flush the toxins out. The algae blooms usually take place between March and June in California, but the long winter means that the blooming is occurring later in the season. Experts have noted that while not all kinds of algae are harmful, more of those that are dangerous are spreading to new areas because of the climate crisis. Higher water temperatures mean that larger areas are now habitable for the algae. Dr Caron said scientists are attempting to fully understand the effects of the climate crisis on organisms living along coastlines. “But we have a fair amount of evidence, especially in inland waters, that climate change is exacerbating some of the problems that we’re seeing with harmful algae,” he told the BBC. Read More To restore reefs dying in warming seas, UAE turns to coral nurseries Poland, Germany discuss avoiding repeat of deadly river pollution but ready for all scenarios Chesapeake Bay report cites environmental justice disparities How deep is the ocean and what’s at 3,900 metres? How deep is the ocean and what’s at 3,900 metres? Tropical Storm Bret’s hurricane forecast downgraded but Caribbean remains on alert

By Clark Mindock An Oregon county on Thursday sued Exxon, Chevron, other major oil and coal companies, and

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, a multilateral development bank, is in talks to guarantee a climate-related bond being

The International Monetary Fund confirmed rich countries have channeled $100 billion to finance lending for the world’s poorest

The Chinese capital is sweltering through an extended heatwave with temperatures hitting over 41C.

European banks are building out their risk models to better prepare for the fallout from climate change, with

Mississippi’s Republican Governor Tate Reeves has come under fire after he left his state to attend a fundraiser in Alabama while his constituents were dealing with extensive tornado damage. Back-to-back tornadoes killed one person in the state and injured dozens, leaving homes and businesses shattered, and residents dealing with power outages. Mr Reeves attended the Republican Governors Association (RGA) fundraiser alongside Alabama GOP Governor Kay Ivey at the Grand Bohemian Hotel in Birmingham on Monday, an invitation showed according to the Associated Press. Attendees paid between $5,000 for one person and $50,000 for four people. Mr Reeves is serving as the RGA policy chair and is hoping to get re-elected as governor this year. Reeves campaign manager Elliott Husbands responded to questions on Tuesday, saying that the fundraiser was planned far in advance and that the money raised hasn’t been earmarked for a specific campaign. The states where governors are elected this year include Mississippi, Kentucky, and Louisiana. Mr Husbands noted that Mr Reeves has been in contact with the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency since the weather problems began last week, including during his jaunt to Alabama, a trip which lasted around three hours, the campaign manager claimed. “The Governor also has personally communicated with local leaders in the affected areas,” Mr Husbands said. “In addition, he has already said publicly he is going to be on the ground in the impacted areas tomorrow.” The Democratic nominee taking on Mr Reeves is Mississippi’s northern district public service commissioner Brandon Presley. The communications director of the Democratic gubernatorial campaign, Michael Beyer, slammed Mr Reeves on Tuesday. “It is no surprise to see Tate Reeves leave the state for a fundraiser in the middle of storm recovery — when given a choice between rubbing elbows with the wealthy and well-connected or speaking face-to-face with Mississippians who have had their lives upended by this storm, he will always go after the money,” he said. “If it would mean furthering himself, Tate Reeves would go to Antarctica for a campaign check.” Mr Husbands said Mr Reeves didn’t use the state plane for the trip to Alabama. Thousands of residents in the state have been struggling in the heat as their air-conditioning was affected by the thunderstorms taking out the electricity in the central parts of the state last week. Jasper County in the eastern parts of the state was struck by a tornado on Sunday night into Monday morning, leading to the death of one person and the injuries of almost two dozen. The storm damaged more than 70 homes. Later on Monday, another tornado hit Jackson County, which includes a coastline on the Gulf of Mexico. Moss Point was the city struck hardest as the storm injured six people and damaged around 100 buildings. “We’ll be here for the long haul to support these communities and help them recover,” Mr Reeves said on social media on Tuesday. Read More Power outages continue across southern US; triple-digit heat wave grips Texas 1 dead, nearly 2 dozen injured after multiple tornadoes sweep through Mississippi Heat wave triggers big storms, power outages in US Southeast, raises wildfire concerns in Southwest France shuts down climate activism group – claiming it provoked violence First-of-its-kind climate trial ends as Montana AG slams ‘stunt exploiting children’ Tropical Storm Bret’s hurricane forecast downgraded but Caribbean remains on alert

The French government has decided to dissolve a climate activist group, following a series of fiery clashes between demonstrators and police.

Data from thousands of home buyouts shows people aren't moving that far from their original homes — and often they are moving within the same floodplain.

The government of Singapore has defended its commitment to climate action following a decision by Van Lanschot Kempen

The Biden administration handed a setback to makers of bio and renewable diesel with federal quotas for the