US govt agencies issue grave climate warning, but Trump is not listening

US govt agencies issue grave climate warning, but Trump is not listening

In a massive new report, US federal scientists have contradicted President Trump and said climate change ‘will inflict substantial damages on US lives’. The report warns that climate change could cost the US hundreds of billions of dollars per year. The report gives specific examples of climate change impact, such as, overflowing dams in South Carolina; failing crops in the parched Great Plains, a rise in insect-borne disease in Florida, among others.

Greenhouse gas levels reach record highs, says UN

The UN data has revealed that the earth’s greenhouse gas concentrations have reached record highs – 405.5 parts per million (ppm) in 2017 – and are at levels not seen for 3-5 million years. Concentrations of methane and nitrous oxide have also increased, along with a resurgence in emissions of the ozone layer damaging CFC-11.

Climate change on track to make world ‘uninsurable’: IAG

Insurance giant IAG has warned climate change triggered by greenhouse gas emissions could result in a world that is “pretty much uninsurable”, with poorer communities likely to bear the brunt of the effects. In Australia, IAG said temperature increases of more than 3 degrees Celsius would expose greater swaths of Queensland to cyclones and flooding, while a rise of more than 4 degrees Celsius could make the risks to insurers prohibitive.

Lancet Countdown: Extreme heat is threatening to overwhelm hospitals globally

Extreme heat is damaging our health and livelihoods and threatening to overwhelm hospitals globally, says the latest Lancet Countdown’s 2018 report on health and climate change. Rising temperatures are also intensifying vector-borne diseases and impacting food security.

The latest findings show that 153 billion hours of work were lost in 2017 due to extreme heat as a result of climate change. India lost 75 billion hours, equivalent to 7% of its total working population. China meanwhile lost 21 billion hours. The report warns that there is lack of progress in reducing emissions and building adaptive capacity which can disrupt core public health infrastructure.

It also says each additional tonne of CO2 emission costs India US$86, followed by USA at US$48 and Saudi Arabia at US$47.5. Reducing carbon emissions and air pollution – particularly from coal, oil, and natural gas – is of prime importance for public health in India, stresses the report.

Kerala Floods Because Of Climate Change, says top weather official

Extreme weather triggered by climate change caused the devastating floods in Kerala in August, the Director General of Indian Meteorological Department, KJ Ramesh said. He said the extreme rainfall happened at a time when water level in the main reservoirs of Kerala was already very high towards the end of July. However, a new study by IIT Gandhinagar questions the climate change link saying “despite the significant warming observed in the last 66 years, the mean and extreme precipitation (rainfall) and total runoff have not increased.”

UN Emission Gap Report: Nations falling short of meeting emission targets

Global efforts to tackle climate change are way off track, says the UN’s flagship Emission Gap report. The report details the first rise in CO2 emissions in four years. To meet the Paris targets, the study says it’s crucial that global emissions peak by 2020, but experts believe now it is not possible even by 2030.

According to the report, Argentina, Australia, Canada, the EU, the UK, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the US, are falling short of achieving their nationally determined contributions for 2030. Brazil, China and Japan are on track, while India, Russia and Turkey are set to beat their targets by more than 10%.

This report is meant for the delegates to next week’s climate conference in Katowice, Poland, where countries will be trying to finalise the rules on how to implement the rule book of the Paris agreement.

Editorial Team

https://carboncopy.info

A team of handpicked and dedicated writers committed to fact check each climate-related statement. Go to the roots and intent of each policy implemented, internationally and at home to help you understand climate better

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