A grim record-breaking milestone was reached in 2023, as it was identified as the hottest year in recorded history. Regrettably, the trend continues into 2024, as evidenced by the alarming data for March: global temperatures have surged to unprecedented levels, surpassing those of previous decades by 0.73 degrees Celsius, and notably exceeding the pre-industrial benchmark … Read more
Most casualties have been from roof collapses, while some 600 houses have been damaged or destroyed, authorities say. At least 33 people have been killed over three days of heavy rains and flash flooding in Afghanistan, according to the government’s disaster management department. “From Friday onwards, because of the rains there were flash floods which … Read more
Water levels on rivers in Russia and Kazakhstan continue to rise and flood whole villages and cities, with more than 100,000 people evacuated and the Kremlin warning a “very, very tense” situation was expected to worsen. Fast-melting snow and ice has caused rivers in Russia’s southern Urals, western Siberia as well as northern Kazakhstan to … Read more
Europe’s top human rights court ruled on Tuesday that the Swiss government had violated the human rights of its citizens by failing to do enough to combat climate change, in a decision that will set a precedent for future climate lawsuits. The European Court of Human Rights’s ruling, in favor of the more than 2,000 … Read more
Verdict will have ripple effect in Europe and beyond, likely setting precedent for how courts deal with climate cases. Europe’s top rights court has ruled in favour of a group of elderly Swiss women who argued that their government’s efforts to combat climate change were inadequate and put them at greater risk of death from … Read more
Over the last year, many climate protesters facing trial for criminal damage have used the “consent” defence, arguing that if the property owner had known more about the climate emergency, they would have agreed with the activists’ actions. On Monday, in a case brought by the attorney general, Victoria Prentis, the court of appeal ruled … Read more
In late 2021, Labour party members were still licking their wounds after a byelection defeat in Hartlepool, and Keir Starmer was at something of a crossroads in his leadership. He needed something big and bold that would excite his party and get the attention of voters. He was under pressure to match the ambition of … Read more
The Greenland ice sheet is disappearing much faster than previously thought. Greenland’s ice sheet, a vast frozen expanse three times the size of Texas, is melting at an alarming rate, 20% faster than previously estimated. This translates to a staggering 30 metric tons of ice vanishing every hour, contributing to rising sea levels and potentially … Read more
Gulmarg, Indian-administered Kashmir – A dismayed Javad Ahmad gazes up at the clear blue skies, and at the barren and crimson ski slopes in Gulmarg, a popular tourist destination in Indian-administered Kashmir’s Baramulla district. Sitting outside his closed ski shop, he is hoping for snowfall as an unusually dry winter disrupts tourism and threatens livelihoods … Read more
The Canada Energy Regulator has given an 11th-hour green light to the over-budget, federally-owned Trans Mountain pipeline, currently under construction in Western Canada. In a ruling posted to its website late Friday, the regulator gave its blessing to the pipeline giant to change its routing methodology in a 2.3-kilometre stretch of construction in B.C.’s Fraser … Read more
