World
Climate Change Made Killer Heat Wave In Mexico, Southwest US Even Warmer And 35 Times More Likely
Washington — According to a new flash study, human-caused climate change increased the likelihood of this month’s deadly heat in the Southwestern United States, Mexico, and Central America.
Sizzling daytime temperatures that caused heat stroke in parts of the United States were 35 times more likely and 2.5 degrees hotter (1.4 degrees Celsius) as a result of warming caused by the burning of coal, oil and natural gas, World Weather Attribution, a group of scientists who conduct rapid and non-peer reviewed climate attribution studies, calculated Thursday.
“It’s an oven here; you can’t stay here,” 82-year-old Margarita Salazar Pérez of Veracruz, Mexico, remarked from her home without air conditioning. Last week, the Sonoran Desert reached 125 degrees (51.9 degrees Celsius), the hottest day in Mexican history, according to research co-author Shel Winkley, a Climate Central meteorologist.
Climate Change Made Killer Heat Wave In Mexico, Southwest US Even Warmer And 35 Times More Likely
According to Friederike Otto, a climate scientist at Imperial College London who leads the attribution study team, this heat wave was deadly because it was significantly worse at night. According to her, climate change has increased nighttime temperatures by 2.9 degrees (1.6 degrees Celsius) and the likelihood of extraordinary evening heat by 200 times.
Salazar Pérez explained that there hasn’t been any cold air at night like people are used to. Doctors think cooler night temperatures are essential for surviving a heat wave.
The World Weather Attribution team reports that at least 125 people have died so far.
“This is clearly related to climate change, the level of intensity that we are seeing, these risks,” said research co-author Karina Izquierdo, a Red Cross and Red Crescent Climate Centre urban advisor located in Mexico City.
The most concerning aspect of this heat wave, which is still heating the North American continent, is that it is no longer considered unusual, according to Otto. The group’s previous studies had looked at heat so intense that it was unthinkable without climate change, but this heat wave was not so much.
“From a weather perspective, it wasn’t uncommon, but the consequences were actually very severe,” Otto told The Associated Press in an interview.
Climate Change Made Killer Heat Wave In Mexico, Southwest US Even Warmer And 35 Times More Likely
“The changes we have seen in the last 20 years, which feels like just yesterday, are so strong,” Otto told me. Her research discovered that this heat wave is now four times more likely to occur than in 2000, when temperatures were roughly a degree (0.5 Celsius) lower than they are now. “It seems sort of far away and a different world.”
While other organizations of worldwide scientists — and the global carbon emissions reduction target agreed by governments in the 2015 Paris climate agreement — relate to warming since pre-industrial times in the mid-nineteenth century, Otto believes comparing what is happening now to the year 2000 is more dramatic.
“We’re looking at a shifting baseline – what was once extreme but rare is becoming increasingly common,” said University of Southern California Marine Studies Chair Carly Kenkel, who did not participate in the attribution team’s research. She stated that the analysis represents “the logical conclusion based on the data.”
The study examined a wide range of the continent, including southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Belize, and Honduras, as well as the hottest five consecutive days and nights. Most of the area experienced those five days from June 3 to 7 and those five nights from June 5 to 9, but peak heat began on May 26 in a few areas, according to Otto.
On June 4, for example, San Angelo, Texas, set a record high temperature of 111 degrees (43.8 Celsius). According to the National Weather Service, from June 2 to June 6, the night temperature at Corpus Christi airport never went below 80 degrees (26.7 degrees Celsius), a record each night, with two days when the thermometer never dropped below 85 degrees (29.4 degrees Celsius).
According to the National Centre for Environmental Information, between June 1 and June 15, more than 1,200 daytime high-temperature records and almost 1,800 nighttime high-temperature records were tied or broken in the United States.
The attribution team utilized current and prior temperature observations to compare what is happening now to what happened in previous heat waves. They then used the scientifically acknowledged method of comparing models of a hypothetical world without human-caused climate change to present reality to determine how much global warming contributed to the 2024 heat wave.
The immediate meteorological culprit was a high-pressure system camped over central Mexico, which hindered cooling storms and clouds before moving to the Southwest of the United States, which is now delivering heat to the East, according to Winkley. Tropical Storm Alberto emerged on Wednesday and is expected to bring rain to northern Mexico and southern Texas, potentially leading to flooding.
Climate Change Made Killer Heat Wave In Mexico, Southwest US Even Warmer And 35 Times More Likely
For months, drought, water shortages, and extreme heat have plagued Mexico and other regions. Due to the warmth, monkeys in Mexico have started dropping from trees.
According to Izquierdo and Kenkel, the current heat wave “exacerbates existing inequalities” between rich and poor in the Americas. The inequalities become most obvious in the night heat, as the capacity to cool down with central air conditioning is determined by how financially secure individuals are, according to Kenkel.
That means Salazar Pérez has been very uncomfortable during this heat wave.
SOURCE – (AP)
World
Do Microplastics in the Atmosphere Endanger Your Fertility?
(VOR News) – It is quite possible that the presence of small microplastic particles in the air may be a contributing factor to a wide variety of health problems, including malignancies of the lungs and colon.
This is something that needs additional research to be determined. There is one more item to take into consideration, and that is the potential that this is the exact circumstance.
A recent study found that tires and debris that are decomposing shed minute fragments of plastic that go airborne, so creating a form of air pollution that is not particularly widely known. This type of pollution is caused by the degradation of plastic. An example of this type of pollution is that which is discharged into the atmosphere.
The industry refers to microplastic as “air pollution.”
According to the findings of a researcher named Tracey Woodruff, who is a professor of obstetrics, gynaecology, and reproductive sciences at the University of California, San Francisco, “These microplastics are basically particulate matter from air pollution,” and it is common knowledge that this particular type of air pollution is particularly hazardous.
The researchers who supplied background notes stated that the size of microplastics is less than 5 millimetres, which is smaller than a grain of rice.
This information was provided, according to researchers. These details were supplied by the researchers who conducted the study. These particulars were provided by researchers who were responsible for carrying out the study.
The amount of plastic that is created on a yearly basis by enterprises all over the world is roughly 460 million tonnes, as indicated by the data that were provided by academics all over the world. The forecasts indicate that by the year 2050, this quantity is anticipated to have increased to 1.1 billion tonnes.
Driving is a substantial contributor to the amount of plastic that is floating around in the atmosphere, according to the conclusions of the experts who conducted the study about the phenomenon. When tires are worn down to the point where they scrape against the surface of the road, they allow microplastics to be released into the environment.
As a result of the tires wearing down, this occurs. This impact is brought about as a consequence of the inevitable amount of wear and tear that tires are subjected to.
A study that was published on December 18 in the journal Environmental Science & Technology was the result of researchers conducting an examination of data collected from over 3,000 previous investigations.
The paper was published as a consequence of this procedure. The review was constructed with the help of this analysis that was carried out.
Microplastic used this analysis to put together the review.
A number of diseases, such as cancer, lung problems, and infertility, may be influenced by the presence of microplastics in the air, according to the data, which led to the conclusion that this may be the case.
Despite the fact that the vast majority of the studies that were incorporated into the study were carried out on animals, the researchers claimed that it is very certainly plausible that the findings can also be applied to people. The fact that the majority of investigations were conducted on animals does not change the reality that this is the case.
“We urge regulatory agencies and policy leaders to consider the growing evidence of health harms from microplastics, including colon and lung cancer,” stated Nicholas Chartres, the principal investigator and senior research fellow at the University of Sydney.
The organisation reported this comment. The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) issued a press release on behalf of the organisation that contained this statement. The news release was disseminated to the public. We are convinced that state officials will act quickly to make sure that no leaks of this kind occur, which is of the highest importance.
SOURCE: USN
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World
Russian Oil Ships In The Kerch Strait Are Undergoing Rescue Operations.
(VOR News) – Following Sunday’s powerful storm, a Russian oil tanker carrying hundreds of tonnes of oil products ultimately broke apart, causing an oil spill into the Kerch Strait below. Additionally, Russian officials reported that the damage was causing problems for another vessel.
Sunday, Russian authorities announced an emergency rescue operation.
According to the Russian state news agency TASS, which claimed the Emergency Situations Ministry as its source, the Volgoneft-212 tanker, carrying fuel oil and carrying thirteen crew members, ran aground and suffered damage to its bow. A shipment of fuel oil was being transported by the tanker.
Authorities have told the public that the damage was brought on by the extreme weather conditions that are currently occurring.
A second tanker, the Volgoneft-239, was damaged during the storm and is currently stranded in the same area with 14 crew members on board, according to the Ministry of Emergency Situations. The tanker was discovered abandoned and alone in the same spot.
Additional tankers also suffered damage. The 132-meter-long cruiser, which was constructed in 1973, hangs the Russian flag around its neck.
The footage posted by state media showed the 136-meter Volgoneft-212 tanker, which was cut in two with its bow underwater, and waves crashing over its deck. At least one person lost his life as a result of this tragedy. This led to the opening of two distinct criminal investigations by the Russian authorities to look into potential violations of certain safety regulations.
Having flown the Russian flag since 1969, the yacht was finished.
Rosmorrechflot, the Russian government agency in charge of water transportation, reported a petroleum product spill.
It is believed that the cargo capacity of each tanker is around 4,200 tonnes of oil products.
The magnitude of the leak and the cause of the substantial damage one of the tankers received were not specified in the official remarks. This is in accordance with the official remarks.
Several news sites cited Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov as saying that President Vladimir Putin directed the formation of a working committee to handle the rescue effort and lessen the effects of the oil disaster.
Peskov recommended that the government appoint the working committee’s members. This comment was made public right after Putin met with the ministries responsible for ecology and disaster management.
The Russian government has said that it will be sending more than fifty individuals and pieces of equipment to the area in response to the current crisis. Mi-8 helicopters and rescue tugboats are examples of these people and tools.
The news that experts are presently investigating the damage at the event site was announced by Svetlana Radionova, who is in charge of Rosprirodnadzor, Russia’s natural resources regulating entity.
Kommersant reports that Volgoneft-212 used 4,300 tonnes of fuel oil.
The footage, which showed a partially submerged ship and murky water on rough seas, was posted to Telegram without the owner’s consent.
The warships were located in the Kerch Strait, which separates Crimea from the Russian mainland, when the distress signals were sent out.
The Kerch Strait is a crucial international marine passage that connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Azov, allowing for easier traffic between the two bodies of water. It also acts as a border between Russia and the Crimean Peninsula, which is under Russian occupation. The Kerch Strait is located in the centre of the two nations.
The peninsula has remained a major source of contention between the two national governments ever since Russia annexed it from Ukraine in 2014. Russia was the one who seized the peninsula. Ukraine brought legal action against Russia before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016.
Specifically, the lawsuit claimed that Russia intended to illegally take over a location. The argument was supported by evidence pertaining to Russia’s conduct in the region. In 2021, the Russian Federation closed the strait for several consecutive months
SOURCE: VN
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World
Japan List Cannabis as Narcotic Criminalizes Recreational Use
TOKYO – Japan updated its cannabis and narcotics control legislation on Thursday, criminalizing cannabis (Marijuana) use and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), imposing a maximum seven-year prison sentence.
While the possession, transmission, and cultivation of cannabis and THC were already prohibited in Japan, the new rules will classify them as narcotics and criminalize their use as well, with a prison sentence of up to seven years for violations.
The amended regulations also legalize medical items containing cannabis-derived compounds that are beneficial and safe.
In 2019, 1.8 percent of the Japanese population had used cannabis at least once, making it the country’s second most popular illicit substance behind methamphetamine.
In 2023, a record 6,703 people were probed in cannabis-related criminal cases in Japan, topping methamphetamine cases for the first time, according to the Health, Labour, and Welfare Ministry. Seventy percent of instances involved people under the age of thirty.
A nationwide poll performed the same year by the ministry’s research group estimated that approximately 200,000 people had consumed marijuana within the previous year.
Japan previously did not penalize cannabis usage, apparently taking into account farmers who may have accidentally ingested the drug while producing cannabis plants for use in hemp products.
The amendments will also lift a restriction on cannabis-derived medicines, putting them under a licensing system similar to other drugs used for pain relief and other purposes.
Drugs derived from cannabis plants were only allowed in clinical studies in Japan, but patient groups have been advocating for access to cannabis-derived cannabidiol treatments already licensed in Europe and the United States for illnesses like severe epilepsy.
Cannabis cultivation dates back to the Jōmon period of Japanese prehistory, roughly six to ten thousand years ago (source: Wikipedia).
Cannabis hemp, as one of Japan’s first cultivated plants, provided an essential supply of plant fibre for clothing, cordage, and Shinto ritual goods, among other uses.
For much of Japanese history, hemp was common for fabric and food before cotton emerged as the country’s dominant fibre crop during industrialization during the Meiji period.
Following the end of World War II and the occupation of Japan, the Cannabis Control Law prohibited cannabis possession and manufacturing.
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