This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum.
Author: Kate Whiting Senior Writer, Formative content
- This weekly roundup includes the top environment stories of the past seven days.
- Top stories: Madagascar hit by Cyclone Emnati; Portugal may limit irrigation amid winter drought; animals flee Argentina’s wildfires as a report warns such blazes are here to stay.
1. This week’s climate change and environment stories
Madagascar was battered by winds of up to 135 km/h (84 miles/h) on Wednesday morning as Cyclone Emnati arrived, becoming the Fourth major storm to hit Indian Ocean island within a month. Emnati struck the southeastern island where Batsirai, another cyclone, had killed hundreds of people less than three weeks ago. More than 30,000 people were evacuated from of Emnati’s path as a precaution, the government’s Office for Risk and Disaster Management said late on Tuesday.
Be concerned Portugal may need to limit irrigation during winter droughtThe environment minister stated Wednesday that green spaces are being conserved and water is being used for street cleaning in the worst affected areas. The worst drought since 2005 has hit southern Europe, with 91% of the territory suffering severe or severe drought. This is threatening crops and water supplies.
In the global population, three out of four want to become a professional photographer. Single-use plastics to become illegalAccording to a poll released Tuesday by Ipos, most people want bans as soon as possible as UN members prepare to begin negotiations on a global treaty to curb the rise in plastic pollution. According to an Ipsos poll, more than 20,000 people in 28 countries surveyed by Ipsos, 71% of those calling for bans have increased from 71% to 2019. However, 82% of those who prefer products with less plastic packaging increased to 82% from 75%.
The Bahamas is on the “front lines” of the The catastrophic effects of climate changeThe government is working to mitigate them, but it needs more assistance from rich nations, Prime Minster Philip Davis said in an interview Wednesday. “Within 15 to 20 years, what we now believe to be unusual, for example, Category 5 hurricane events, may become the usual,” Davis said. “Such occurrences will have grave implications for the way we live.” The archipelago nation northeast of Cuba suffered $3.4 billion in damage nearly 25% of its GDP from the 2019 Category 5 Hurricane Dorian. Experts warn that climate change could lead to more droughts, bush fires, and high-intensity storms.
Airbus stated Wednesday that it would construct a demonstrator. Propulsion technology to power future hydrogen planes is being testedIn collaboration with CFM International, a French-US engine manufacturer. The planemaker plans for a modified version a current-generation engines to be fitted near the back of an A380 superjumbo testing plane. Airbus delivered its last A380 in December.
2. Capybaras, anteaters flee Argentina’s wildfires
The wildfires in northern Argentina have forced many species of wildlife, including capybaras and marsh deer, to flee the flames. Many animals were killed or injured trying to escape the flames.
Nearly 900,000 hectares worth of forest and pasture land were destroyed by the fires in Corrientes, which borders Paraguay. This is about 12% of the region. Habitat destruction in the biodiverse Iber Park Wetlands.
“There are sectors of the Iber where animals have been trapped,” said Sofa Heinonen, Executive Director of Rewilding Argentina, a foundation that works to protect at-risk species.
“They usually have water as a refuge area, they always have the mountains, but in this case the extraordinary recent drought has caused many of the ravines, many of the lagoons and a large part of the mountains to be dry,” Heinonen said.
Images show alligators, marsh deer, and capybaras running from the fire, some of which are still burning. Heinonen stated that the foundation has reintroduced wild animals in Iber and has brought back jaguars as well as bird species to its centres.
Two months of prolonged drought saw firefighters spend two months fighting the blazes that caused millions of dollar damage to ranch lands as well as farming business.
Nature
What is the World Economic Forum doing to protect nature?
Climate change and biodiversity loss are at an unprecedented rate, and they threaten humanity’s survival. There is hope for nature, even though it is in crisis. Investing in nature will not only increase our resilience against socioeconomic and environmental shocks but can also help societies thrive.
Forum members are clear in their belief that the Forum must make the future net-zero and positive for nature. The Forum is firmly committed to the future being net-zero and nature-positive. Nature Action AgendaThe Platform for Accelerating Nature Based Solutions (Initiative) is an inclusive, multistakeholder organization that promotes economic action to halt the loss of biodiversity by 2030.
Human wellbeing and prosperity are built on the foundation of healthy and vibrant natural ecosystems. The Future of Nature and BusinessReport found that nature-positive transformations in key sectors are good economic news and could generate as much as $10.1 trillion annually in business value and create 395,000,000 jobs by 2030.
The Platform for Accelerating Nature Based Solutions has formed a community to support these transitions. Champions for NaturePromoting the sustainable management and preservation of the planet for the benefit of society, the economy, and society. The Nature Action Agenda was also launched in recent years. 100 Million Farmersinitiative that will encourage the transition of the agriculture and food systems towards a more regenerative model. BiodiverCities by 2030Initiative to create a model for urban development that is in harmony of nature.
Get in touch with us if you’d like to join our communities or collaborate on these efforts.
3. Extreme wildfires are here for the long-term and will continue to multiply
Indonesia’s peatlands, California’s forests and now vast swathes of Argentine wetland have all been Extreme wildfires devastated the areaThis signifies a fiery future, and the dire need for action to stop it.
Climate change is expected to cause droughts and farmers clearing forest, increasing the likelihood of wildfires. This will increase the frequency by 30% over the next 28 years. And they are now scorching environments that were not prone to burning in the past, such as the Arctic’s tundra and the Amazon rainforest.
“We’ve seen a Recent fires have seen a dramatic increase in northern Syria, northern Siberia, the eastern side of Australia, and India,” said Australian government bushfire scientist Andrew Sullivan, an editor on a report on wildfires released on Wednesday by the UN Environment Programme and GRID-Arendal environmental communications group.
It also means that the cool, damp nights that used to help temper fires are slowly disappearing. They are becoming more difficult to extinguishAccording to a second study published last Wednesday in Nature, the answer is yes.
Researchers found that night temperatures have increased faster than daytime temperatures over the past 40 years. This led to a 36% increase of after-dark hours that are warm and dry enough to sustain fire.