Climate change

It never rains but it pours: intense rain and flash floods have increased inland in eastern Australia

Retrieved on:

Venerdì, Aprile 19, 2024

Element, Climate change, Coral Sea, Air travel, Warragamba Dam, Research, Flood, River, Channel Country, Great, Water, Atmosphere, Rain, Canal

Now we get flash floods much further inland, such as Broken Hill in 2012 and 2022 and Cobar, Bourke and Nyngan in 2022.

Key Points:

Now we get flash floods much further inland, such as Broken Hill in 2012 and 2022 and Cobar, Bourke and Nyngan in 2022.
Flash floods are those beginning between one and six hours after rainfall, while riverine floods take longer to build.
Instead, we’re seeing warm, moist air pushed down from the Coral Sea, leading to thunderstorms and floods much further inland.

What’s changing?

Inland, flash floods occur when intense rain hits small urban catchments, runs off roads and concrete, and flows into low-lying areas.
Early this month, the subtropical jet stream changed its course, triggering a cyclonic circulation higher in the atmosphere over inland eastern Australia.
The result was localised extremely heavy rain, which led to the Warragamba Dam spilling and flood plain inundation in western Sydney.
These are characterised by a deepening coastal trough and upper-level low pressure systems further west, over inland eastern Australia.
Instead, flash floods occurred when slow-moving upper-level low pressure circulations encountered air masses laden with moisture evaporating off the oceans.

Haven’t there always been flash floods?

Previously, inland floods tended to come after long periods of widespread rain saturated large river catchments.
Inland flash floods were not so common and powerful as in recent decades.
What about the famous inland floods which move through Queensland’s Channel Country and fill Kati Thanda/Lake Eyre?
These are slow moving riverine floods, not flash floods.

Read more:
Changes in the jet stream are steering autumn rain away from southeast Australia

Short, intense rain bursts are going global

Dubai this week had a year’s rain (152 mm) in a single day, which triggered flash floods and caused widespread disruption of air travel.
Other parts of the United Arab Emirates got even more rain, with up to 250 mm.
In Western Australia’s remote southern reaches, the isolated community of Rawlinna recently had 155 mm of rain in a day.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Caring for older Americans’ teeth and gums is essential, but Medicare generally doesn’t cover that cost

Retrieved on:

Venerdì, Aprile 19, 2024

As dentistry scholars, we believe Koop also deserves credit for something else.

Key Points:

As dentistry scholars, we believe Koop also deserves credit for something else.
Americans who rely on the traditional Medicare program for their health insurance get no help from that program with paying their dental bills aside from some narrow exceptions.
This group includes some 24 million people over 65 – about half of all the people who rely on Medicare for their health insurance.

‘Medically necessary’ exceptions

The list of circumstances that would lead patients to be eligible is short.
Some examples include patients scheduled for organ transplants or who have cancer treatment requiring radiation of their jaws.
But we believe that dental care is necessary for everyone, especially for older people.

Chew, speak, breathe

While many working Americans get limited dental coverage through their employers, those benefits are usually limited to as little as $1,000 per year.
And once they retire, Americans almost always lose even that basic coverage.
Rich Americans with Medicare coverage are almost three times more likely to receive dental care compared to those with low incomes.

Connected to many serious conditions

Having diabetes makes you three times as likely to develop gum disease because diabetes compromises the body’s response to inflammation and infection.
At the same time, treating diabetes patients for gum disease can help control their blood sugar levels.

Chemo can damage your teeth

Many cancer treatments can damage teeth, especially for older adults. As a result, Medicare has started to reimburse for dental bills tied to tooth decay or other oral conditions after they get chemotherapy or radiation treatment.

More than nice to have

Doctors and dentists are educated separately, and doctors learn very little about dental conditions and treatments when they’re in medical school.
Most dental electronic health records aren’t linked to medical systems, hindering comprehensive care and delivery of dental care to those in need.
Medical insurance was designed specifically to cover large, unpredictable expenses, while dental insurance was intended to mainly fund predictable and lower-cost preventive care.

Medicare Advantage plans

Until Medicare expands coverage to include preventive dental services for everyone, alternative plans such as Medicare Advantage, through which the federal government contracts with private insurers to provide Medicare benefits, serve as a stopgap.
In 2016, only 21% of beneficiaries in traditional Medicare had purchased a stand-alone dental plan, whereas roughly two-thirds of Medicare Advantage enrollees had at least some dental benefits through their coverage.

Frank Scannapieco is affiliated with The Task Force on Design and Analysis in Oral Health Research, and consults for the Colgate-Palmolive Company. Ira Lamster is a member of the Santa Fe Group. He currently receives consulting fees from Colgate, and research support from the CareQuest Institute.

Press release - Carbon removals: MEPs adopt a new EU certification scheme

Retrieved on:

Giovedì, Aprile 18, 2024

Carbon, Certification, Climate change, Conference, Public, Farmer, Environment, EPP, European Parliament, Parliament, Council, European, Legislation

- Certification framework to boost high-quality carbon removals and counter greenwashing

Key Points:

- Certification framework to boost high-quality carbon removals and counter greenwashing
- New rules will enable farmers to get paid to remove carbon
- Public EU registry to ensure transparency
The law will set up an EU certification framework for carbon removals to boost their uptake and help achieve EU climate neutrality by 2050.
Parliament on Wednesday adopted the provisional political agreement with EU countries on a new voluntary certification framework for carbon removals, with 441 votes in favour, 139 against and 41 abstentions.
The legislation covers different types of carbon removals, namely permanent carbon storage through industrial technologies, carbon storage in long-lasting products and carbon farming.
You can read more about the new rules in the press release after the deal with EU countries.

Press release - Soil health: Parliament sets out measures to achieve healthy soils by 2050

Retrieved on:

Giovedì, Aprile 18, 2024

Health, Climate change, Conference, Environment, Agriculture, Climate, Classification, Food, Parliament, Biodiversity, Commission, Ecosystem, Legislation, Environmental remediation

The new law will oblige EU countries to first monitor and then assess the health of all soils on their territory.

Key Points:

The new law will oblige EU countries to first monitor and then assess the health of all soils on their territory.
National authorities may apply the soil descriptors that best illustrate the soil characteristics of each soil type at national level.
MEPs propose a five-level classification to assess soil health (high, good, moderate ecological status, degraded, and critically degraded soils).
That is why it is our responsibility to adopt the first piece of EU-wide legislation to monitor and improve soil health."

Press release - MEPs approve reforms for a more sustainable and resilient EU gas market

Retrieved on:

Giovedì, Aprile 18, 2024

Electricity, Gas, Climate change, Natural gas, EPP, Risk, Fit for 55, S&D, Official Journal, MEP, European Green Deal, Council, Investment, Hydrogen, Legislation, Renewable energy

MEPs approve reforms for a more sustainable and resilient EU gas market

Key Points:

MEPs approve reforms for a more sustainable and resilient EU gas market
- New directive will help decarbonise the gas sector to tackle climate change
- MEPs secured measures to protect vulnerable consumers and to ensure transparency
- EU countries will be able to restrict imports from Russia
- To shift away from fossil gas, the legislation will promote biomethane and hydrogen
On Thursday, MEPs adopted plans to facilitate the uptake of renewable and low-carbon gases, including hydrogen, into the EU gas market.
In negotiations with Council on the directive, MEPs focused on securing provisions around transparency, consumer rights, and support for people at risk of energy poverty.
Unbundling rules for hydrogen network operators will correspond to existing best practices in the gas and electricity market."
It includes provisions to facilitate blending hydrogen with natural gas and renewable gases, and greater EU cooperation on gas quality and storage.

Press release - European Parliament Press Kit for the Special European Council of 17 and 18 April 2024

Retrieved on:

Giovedì, Aprile 18, 2024

Gas, Hamas, Face, ACI, Committee, Special, Seal, S&D, Parliament, Council, Investment, Honey, European Commission, EP, Data Act, Artificial intelligence, Policy, Legislation, Wildfire, Research, War, Delegation, Communication, Speech, Democracy, CFD, Aggression, Poultry, Partnership, Risk, Outline, City, MFF, Brexit, Safety, GAEC, GUE/NGL, SMEI, Pilar del Castillo, Waste, SME, STEP, Weather, Person, Emergency, Electricity, Annual report, Climate change, International trade, Acceleration, Intelligence, Act, Internet, Coercion, AI, Crime, Private sector, Commission, Common Agricultural Policy, Nuclear energy, Security, Single market, Grid, Violence, Mining, Civil service commission, Punishment, EUR, Cyber, Farmer, European Council, Artificial Intelligence Act, EPP, Recycling, European Parliament, COVID-19, Common, CAP, Flood, Hydrogen, EBS, European Defence Fund, Collection, International law, Defense, Government

In this press kit, you will find a selection of the European Parliament’s press releases reflecting MEPs’ priorities for topics on the summit agenda. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

Key Points:

In this press kit, you will find a selection of the European Parliament’s press releases reflecting MEPs’ priorities for topics on the summit agenda. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

Billions of cicadas are about to emerge from underground in a rare double-brood convergence

Retrieved on:

Giovedì, Aprile 18, 2024

From late April through June 2024, the largest brood of 13-year cicadas, known as Brood XIX, will co-emerge with a midwestern brood of 17-year cicadas, Brood XIII.

Key Points:

From late April through June 2024, the largest brood of 13-year cicadas, known as Brood XIX, will co-emerge with a midwestern brood of 17-year cicadas, Brood XIII.
A co-emergence like this of two specific broods with different life cycles happens only once every 221 years.
For about four weeks, scattered wooded and suburban areas will ring with cicadas’ distinctive whistling, buzzing and chirping mating calls.
Once the eggs hatch, new cicada nymphs will fall from the trees and burrow back underground, starting the cycle again.
It’s no accident that the scientific name for periodical 13- and 17-year cicadas is Magicicada, shortened from “magic cicada.”

Ancient visitors

Molecular analysis has shown that about 4 million years ago, the ancestor of the current Magicicada species split into two lineages.
The resulting three lineages are the basis of the modern periodical cicada species groups, Decim, Cassini and Decula.
The sudden appearance of so many insects reminded them of biblical plagues of locusts, which are a type of grasshopper.
During the 19th century, notable entomologists such as Benjamin Walsh, C.V. Riley and Charles Marlatt worked out the astonishing biology of periodical cicadas.

Acting in unison

This increases their chances of accomplishing their key mission aboveground: finding mates.
While periodical cicadas largely come out on schedule every 17 or 13 years, often a small group emerges four years early or late.
Early-emerging cicadas may be faster-growing individuals that had access to abundant food, and the laggards may be individuals that subsisted with less.

Will climate change shift Magicicada clocks?

As glaciers retreated from what is now the U.S. some 10,000 to 20,000 years ago, periodical cicadas filled eastern forests.
Today there are 12 broods of 17-year periodical cicadas in northeastern deciduous forests, where trees drop leaves in winter.
Because periodical cicadas are sensitive to climate, the patterns of their broods and species reflect climatic shifts.
Although periodical cicadas prefer forest edges and thrive in suburban areas, they cannot survive deforestation or reproduce successfully in areas without trees.

In the late 19th century, one Brood (XXI) disappeared from north Florida and Georgia.
Climate change could also have farther-reaching effects.
As the U.S. climate warms, longer growing seasons may provide a larger food supply.
This may eventually change more 17-year cicadas into 13-year cicadas, just as past warming altered Magicicada neotredecim.
We hypothesize that this was due to climate warming.

John Cooley receives funding from the National Science Foundation and the National Geographic Society. Chris Simon has received funding from the National Science Foundation, the Fulbright Foundation, the National Geographic Society and the New Zealand Marsden Fund.

Climate change makes life harder: in South Africa it’s likely to bring heatwaves, water stress and gender-based violence

Retrieved on:

Giovedì, Aprile 18, 2024

Human-induced climate change made the severe 2015–2017 drought three to six times more likely.

Key Points:

Human-induced climate change made the severe 2015–2017 drought three to six times more likely.
Our new report on Climate Change Impacts in South Africa has found that as Earth warms, people living in South Africa will face reduced incomes, less food and water security and a higher cost of living.
Our findings, based on a synthesis and review of existing research on climate change, are that climate change and socioeconomic risks threaten to bring about a huge change to this status.
Combating the impacts of climate change in South Africa requires adaptive measures, such as changing the way we farm, coordination by the government and international commitment to reduce emissions.

Heatwaves

Farm workers will be exposed to more extreme temperatures working outside and others will suffer from heat stress in their living and working environment.
Here's how
Extreme weather threatens the plants and animals that attract tourism, and directly damages infrastructure at nature reserves, adventure destinations and parks.
Rising temperatures are projected to reduce visitor numbers to South Africa’s national parks by 4% by 2050, affecting the Kruger National Park most.

An agricultural crisis

Smallholder farms are often located in areas with less fertile soils or limited infrastructure, leaving these farmers more vulnerable to climate change.
Arable land suitable for growing crops is concentrated in just 12% of South Africa’s land area.
Therefore, any extreme event that reduces production – such as drought – can be expected to reduce job security and income for farming households and agricultural workers.

Water

Drought and floods damage transport links, public buildings, and water and energy infrastructure, and challenge the provision of basic services.
During the water crisis that followed the 2015–2017 drought, for example, reservoirs serving 3.7 million people around Cape Town dropped to 20% of capacity, leading the government to impose water restrictions.

An increase in gender-based violence

These gender inequalities include a high incidence of gender-based violence and a higher likelihood of poverty among women.
Research in other parts of the world has also linked rising temperatures with an increase in gender-based violence.

Solutions

Much of the country’s economic future hinges on the speed with which investments in renewable energy can replace coal and provide affordable and reliable electricity. Slowing down climate change will take a huge global effort and progress has been limited. The only alternative is to be prepared and adapt to the projected changes.
Peter Johnston receives funding from United Nations, NORCE, NRF

Scotland is ditching its flagship 2030 climate goal – why legally binding targets really matter

Retrieved on:

Giovedì, Aprile 18, 2024

Temperature, European Court, High court, Climate change, Letter, Human rights, Climate, Urgenda, Policy, Neubauer, Carbon, Court of cassation, ClientEarth, Embarrassment, Government, Legislation

The target was statutory, meaning it had been set in law in the Emissions Reduction Targets Act of 2019.

Key Points:

The target was statutory, meaning it had been set in law in the Emissions Reduction Targets Act of 2019.
Scotland is still subject to the 2030 carbon target for the UK as a whole.
The consistent implementation of the existing targets, in other words, is the difference between meeting the Paris objectives and condemning the planet to dangerous climate change.

Legally (but not literally) binding

In 2017, Sweden was the first major economy to enact a statutory net zero target.
Its net zero target is complemented by a series of intermediate steps: five-yearly carbon budgets, which are also legally binding.
Legal scholars have long known that, even though the targets are legally binding, they would be difficult to enforce against an unwilling government.

Governments in the dock

The plaintiff was the environmental law charity ClientEarth, which remains dissatisfied with the strategy and returned to court in February 2024.
If successful, such a move would be the latest in a series of court cases in which judges have ordered governments to scale up their climate ambitions.

The political embarrassment of missing a statutory target, or being subject to a court case, can focus the mind.
A review of the UK Climate Change Act found that civil servants were petrified about the threat of a judicial review.
Scotland’s decision to abandon its 2030 climate ambition is the most brazen violation of a statutory climate target yet.

Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?
Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 30,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.
Sam Fankhauser receives funding from the University of Oxford's Strategic Research Fund for Oxford Net Zero and the UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) for the Place-based Climate Action Network (PCAN).

Snorkelling artists showcase Scotland’s diverse marine life in thought-provoking exhibition

Retrieved on:

Giovedì, Aprile 18, 2024

In the vibrant ebb and flow of Glasgow’s Byres Road, a new residency of snorkelling artists shines a light on the hidden deep.

Key Points:

In the vibrant ebb and flow of Glasgow’s Byres Road, a new residency of snorkelling artists shines a light on the hidden deep.
This exhibition showcases their diverse range of multimedia artworks, from illustration and printmaking to audio recordings of underwater seascapes and animation.

Installation artist Vicki Fleck’s work uses a variety of media while “exploring the fluid, spongy and colourful landscape” underwater.
She says she has been particularly inspired by the horizonless perspective of the snorkeller, “where everything comes up and towards”.

Internationally acclaimed wildlife artist and scientific illustrator Rachel Brooks’s detailed ink pieces capture the often-overlooked marine life found in UK coastal waters, while drawing on her expertise in zoology and marine biology.

This residency has also inspired poems and storytelling, exhibited with QR codes that direct people to podcasts and compositions by some participants.
Composer and sound artist Nicolette MacLeod creates work that invites people to listen to a series of compositions and podcast episodes made in response to the residency experience.

Hope spots

The goal is to create a global network of hope spots, as far flung as the Galápagos and the Great Barrier Reef, that together help protect the hugely unexplored, yet fragile, ocean habitats beneath the waves.
The Argyll Coast and Islands Hope Spot, on the west coast, is the first in Scotland and the only designated hope spot in UK coastal waters.

These residencies give artists access to new pastures of inspiration and discovery. By collaborating with marine scientists during this experience, the artists are encouraged to bring the mysteries and beauty of the largely unseen underwater worlds to a larger public. This can enlighten and educate people about the critical role that the ocean and its teeming-yet-threatened populations play in our own survival.

Visual storytelling

Using visual narratives to communicate information can help demystify and explain sometimes complex, inaccessible and unfathomable places and lifeforms that most people would not normally have access to, or knowledge of.
Visual narratives have a potency that supersedes textual formats.

This form of storytelling presents information, data and ideas in a more accessible, visual context that allows more people to see the bigger picture.
It can be hard for people to connect with the sea other than by looking out over its seemingly endless surface.
But art initiatives can unite people to engage with causes that might otherwise escape their notice, because visual storytelling brings this subject matter closer to home.

Chris Mackenzie does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.