Environment

Greta Thunberg’s ‘How dare you?’ a major moment for climate movement

by Ivan Couronne WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Her imperious “How dare you?” to world leaders at the UN cemented Swedish teen Greta Thunberg’s role as her generation’s leading spokeswoman on climate change, the culmination of a year of dogged relentlessness, say those who know her. Though her words did not seem to move the leaders who spoke after her, her speech of only four and a half minutes immediately went viral, racking up tens […]

Five-year period ending 2019 set to be hottest on record

by Issam AHMED A damning new UN report published Sunday said the world is falling badly behind in the race to avert climate disaster because of runaway warming, with the five-year period ending 2019 set to be the hottest ever. It comes ahead of a major UN climate summit Monday that will be attended by more than 60 world leaders, as Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pushes for countries to increase their greenhouse gas reduction targets. The […]

Thousands of dead fish wash up on drought-stricken Greek lake

https://youtu.be/RN8bYpnBgtg THESSALONIKI, Greece (AFP) — Thousands of fish washed up dead on the shores of Lake Koroneia in northern Greece on Thursday as a result of high temperatures and declining water levels, authorities said. A long period of drought and high temperatures left the fish high and dry, Dimitra Bobori, responsible for lakes in the Macedonia region, told AFP. The lake, 30 kilometres (18 miles) from the city of Thessaloniki, has experienced the phenomenon repeatedly […]

Climate change could turn oceans from friend to foe, UN report warns

  by Marlowe HOOD Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — Global warming and pollution caused by humanity’s carbon-heavy footprint are ravaging Earth’s oceans and icy regions in ways that could unleash misery on a global scale, a landmark UN report to be unveiled next week will warn. Diplomats and scientists from 195 nations gather in Monaco from Friday to validate a summary for leaders of observed and projected impacts ranging from vanishing glaciers and […]

Climate change could turn oceans from friend to foe, UN report warns

by Marlowe HOOD Agence France Presse Paris, France (AFP) –Global warming and pollution caused by humanity’s carbon-heavy footprint are ravaging Earth’s oceans and icy regions in ways that could unleash misery on a global scale, a landmark UN report to be unveiled next week will warn. Diplomats and scientists from 195 nations gather in Monaco from Friday to validate a summary for leaders of observed and projected impacts ranging from vanishing glaciers and marine heatwaves, […]

Bolivia wildfires burn more than 4 million hectares: NGO

La Paz, Bolivia (AFP) — Wildfires in Bolivia have razed more than four million hectares (10 million acres) of forest and grassland since August, an NGO warned Wednesday, as a state of emergency spread to the country’s northeast. The fires have torched some of the country’s most environmentally sensitive areas for weeks, and the government of the northeastern department of Beni declared a red alert on Wednesday. “The area burned in the department of Santa […]

Earth warming more quickly than thought, new climate models show

by Marlowe HOOD PARIS, France (AFP) — Greenhouse gases thrust into the atmosphere mainly by burning fossil fuels are warming Earth’s surface more quickly than previously understood, according to new climate models set to replace those used in current UN projections, scientists said Tuesday. By 2100, average temperatures could rise 7.0 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels if carbon emissions continue unabated, separate models from two leading research centres in France showed. That is up to […]

Greta Thunberg wins Amnesty’s highest human rights award

  by Issam AHMED Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg and the Fridays for Future youth movement received Amnesty International’s “Ambassadors of Conscience” award on Monday for their work highlighting the need for urgent action to avert climate disaster. The 16-year-old, who is taking a year out of high school, received a standing ovation from students at The George Washington University in the US capital where the ceremony […]

Forest fires destroying vital buffer against climate change

PEKANBARU, Indonesia (AFP) — With fierce blazes raging in jungles from the Amazon to Indonesia, concerns are mounting about the impact as rainforests play a vital role in protecting the planet against global warming. The latest serious outbreak is in Indonesia, where smog-belching fires started to clear land for agriculture are burning out of control, blanketing the region in toxic smog. Why are rainforests important in fight against global warming? Mankind’s reliance on fossil fuels […]

Paris, four other French cities ban use of pesticides

  PARIS, France (AFP) — Paris and four other French cities on Thursday banned the use of synthetic pesticides within their boundaries as an anti-chemicals movement that began in the countryside gains momentum. Lille in the north, Nantes in the west, Grenoble in the southeast and the central city of Clermont-Ferrand joined Paris in implementing the ban, citing the need to safeguard biodiversity and public health. The move is mainly symbolic in urban areas given […]

World must adapt to ‘inevitable’ climate change, warns report

by Marlowe HOOD PARIS, France (AFP) –Nations rich and poor must invest now to protect against destructive climate change impacts already in the pipeline or pay an even heavier price later, a global commission led by former UN head Ban Ki-moon warned Tuesday. Spending $1.8 trillion across five key areas over the next decade would not only help buffer the worst impacts of global warming but could generate more than $7 trillion in net benefits, […]

In Greenland village, shorter winters cast doubts over dog sledding

Able to pull a sled up to 120 kilometers per day, Greenlandic dogs have long been used by Inuit hunters on the sea ice tracking seals and whales in the winter. Now, as the effects of climate change are felt across the vast territory and winters become less predictable, there are concerns for the dogs’ future. Tom LITTLE / AFPTV / AFP