Climate

Climate Impacts

Despite La Niña, 2021 still ranks among the top 10 hottest years on record

There was 'no shortage of extremes' in the climate during 2021.

2021-Annual-Global-Warming-NASA-GISS

Running cold and hot: Canada's top climate impacts of 2021

Canada suffered through some unprecedented climate extremes in 2021.

Record-Extremes-Canada-ClimateReanalyzer-NOAAClimate

The Conversation

Lakes are losing their ice cover faster than ever, here’s what that means for us

The increasingly unpredictable and unstable ice cover is a safety hazard and is contributing to increased fatal winter drownings through ice in northern countries, with northern Indigenous communities at most risk.

THE CONVERSATION - Lakes in the Northern Hemisphere are losing their ice cover faster than ever. (Midge Eliassen), Author provided

Microplastics found in 'pristine' air thousands of metres above sea level

Tiny fragments of plastic have been detected at a remote research station that is considered to be shielded from pollution.

Observatoire du Pic du Midi - entree d-air pompe a particules fines 3 - credit Jeroen Sonke

Antarctic 'doomsday glacier' could collapse within five years, study says

A cascading reaction of collapsing ice in West Antarctica could occur if the Thwaites Glacier breaks free, scientists warn.

Thwaites Ice Shelf edge as seen from the IceBridge DC-8 on Oct. 16, 2012. The blue areas of ice are denser, compressed ice. Credit: NASA / James Yungel

Melting glaciers could create massive salmon habitat near B.C., Alaska

Over 300 glaciers in the Pacific Northwest are forecast to create new streams that could be colonized by salmon.

Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska. (BriBar/ E+/ Getty Images)

La Niña just raised sea levels in the western Pacific by up to 20 cm

High sea levels related to La Niña events in the northern hemisphere tend to peak in November-December, while they do not peak in the southern hemisphere until the following February-March.

Kiribati (Government of Kiribati/ Wikimedia Commons)(CC BY 3.0)

Arctic transforming into ‘dramatically different state’ due to climate change

The Arctic is warming significantly faster than the rest of the world — possibly up to 4 times faster — and this is propelling the region into a very different state than it was in just a few decades ago.

The sun sets as rain falls beyond floating ice and icebergs in Disko Bay above the Arctic Circle on September 04, 2021 in Ilulissat, Greenland. 2021 will mark one of the biggest ice melt years for Greenland in recorded history. Researchers from Denmark estimated that in July of this year enough ice melted on the Greenland Ice Sheet to cover the entire state of Florida with two inches of water. According to NASA, Greenland has melted 5 trillion tons of ice over approximately the past 15 years, enough to increase global sea level by nearly an inch. The observations come on the heels of the recent United Nations report on global warming which stated that accelerating climate change is driving an increase in extreme weather events. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Greenland Amid Acceleration Of Climate Change - Mario Tama - GettyImages-1338378139

Grand Forks flooding: B.C. community still searching for answers

Record floods destroyed the small town of Grand Forks in 2018, and now the residents have filed a class action lawsuit against the government claiming logging in the region was the cause of the devastating floods.

Flooding in Grand Forks, B.C. (Mia Gordon)

The year through hell: Fingerprints of a changing climate in B.C.

B.C. has had a harder time of it than any other province in terms of weather disasters this year.

CL-BC-Floods-MG-M85 7431-web

Hurricanes in the North Atlantic are increasing in frequency, says study

As global temperatures rise, local climate impacts to the Atlantic basin appear to be driving an increase in hurricane activity.

Hurricane Laura 2020-08-26 2300Z NOAA

Reuters

From Siberia to the U.S, wildfires broke emissions records this year

In North America, fires in Canada, California and the U.S. Pacific Northwest emitted around 83 million tonnes of CO2. 

wildfire in russia (REUTERS/Alexey Malgavko)

One of the strongest ocean currents is speeding up, concerning scientists

Although the Southern Ocean is a remote part of the planet, scientists say that the warming occurring in this region could have impacts on the global climate. 

ice sheet in the ocean (SOCCOM Project/ Hannah Zanowski)

Flooding extremes in Northern Canada are becoming the new normal

Larger flood events are becoming more regular in the Yukon and now researchers are trying to find out why and what they can do about it.

Yukon lake view from a helicopter (Emilie Joslin)

Future Arctic will see more rain than snowfall, and sooner than we once thought

New, state-of-the-art climate models reveal that the future Arctic will be wetter, with more rain during the year than snowfall, and this switchover will happen decades earlier than previously indicated.

An ice-sculpture in the rain on the coast of Qassiarsuk. This was once a much, much bigger piece of ice, possibly an iceberg, but it has melted to about one meter in height. (Photo by: Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Ice Sculpture in Rain Arctic - GettyImages-838083426

Aerial view of the B.C. floods highlights extreme weather in Canada

Photographer Martin Gregus offers up a novel perspective on the human connection to extreme weather events that all too often transform people’s lives.

Martin Gregus / @mywildlive - flooded road

"Canada is failing our marine fisheries," Oceana report states

Oceana Canada says that rebuilding plans for some fish stocks, including the iconic northern cod, have “significant flaws.”

Redfish catch on boat Credit FishWatch

The seas are coming for us in Kiribati. Will Australia rehome us?

Labour migration will not solve climate change, but it offers hope to those of us who will be displaced first.

Some regions of Canada were global climate hot-spots in October

Last month, new temperature records were set across the northern hemisphere, with Ontario and parts of Canada's north coming in as some of the hottest regions in the world.

Oct-2021-Global-Temps-map-NOAA-NCEI

Lake Superior is one of the fastest-warming lakes on the planet

Ice-free years will become increasingly common for northern lakes, which will create ecological, cultural, and socioeconomic consequences, experts say.

Pristine clear waters of Lake Superior Pictured Rocks National Lake-shore, near Munising, Michigan USA (Michigannut/ iStock/ Getty Images Plus)

20 weeks later: Apocalyptic flooding follows deadly heat dome in B.C.

Both the record-breaking heat dome and destructive flooding in British Columbia are making international headlines and sounding alarms about what climate change looks like in Canada.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers observe a truck stranded on a flooded road in Abbotsford, British Columbia on November 17, 2021. (Philip McLachlan/ Contributor/ AFP/ Getty Images)

India's top court orders 'work from home' over pollution in capital

The court also sought urgent steps to rein in crop waste fires in the neighbouring states.

A man rows a boat as buildings shrouded in smog are seen in the background on the outskirts of Delhi, India, November 15, 2021. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

REUTERS: A man rows a boat as buildings shrouded in smog are seen in the background on the outskirts of Delhi, India, November 15, 2021. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

Parts of B.C., Quebec could be underwater if the planet keeps warming

Many Canadians that live in coastal communities will face rising sea levels and flooding in the future if global greenhouse gas emissions are not drastically reduced.

CAN 0 Victoria Fishermans Wharf Park L13 header labels percent50 left1p5C right3C (Climate Central)

"We are sinking": Tuvalu minister gives climate speech knee-deep in the sea

The low-lying nation of Tuvalu is an example of a country that is suffering an existential threat from climate change, a problem mainly caused by G20 nations.

Ministry of Justice, Communication and Foreign Affairs, Tuvalu Government

Public health on the agenda at COP26 – as climate change’s impacts worsen

More countries are getting serious about planning for climate change’s effects on their healthcare systems, but many say they’ll need help covering the costs.

Hot toronto skyline David Bradley UGC

How green is your bank? New research says banks still fund fossil fuel projects

Even with multi-trillion-dollar pledges to move world finances toward net zero at the past week’s COP26 sessions, renewed scrutiny is being directed toward banks that fund new oil and gas infrastructure.

Financial pension investments campaign creators Unsplash

CBC News

Canada is weaning itself off thermal coal but keeps shipping it elsewhere

Canada has a clear path to quit coal-fired power at home, but the plan for exports isn't yet defined

The federal government pledged five years ago to phase out coal-fired power by 2030, part of an effort to ultimately see 90 per cent of Canada's electricity come from clean sources. (CBC)

CBC: The federal government pledged five years ago to phase out coal-fired power by 2030, part of an effort to ultimately see 90 per cent of Canada's electricity come from clean sources. (CBC)

WMO report to COP26: 2021 is set to join the 7 hottest years on record

No matter what temperatures are like for the rest of this year, 2021 will join the hottest seven years in the record books.

People stand in cooling mist in front of the Unisphere at Flushing Meadows Corona Park on August 26, 2021 in the Queens Borough of New York City. (Photo by Wang Ying/Xinhua via Getty Images)

Cooling mist Flushing Meadows Corona Park - New York City - Wang Ying/Xinhua via Getty Images

Thousands of studies show inadequate human adaptation to climate change 

The vast majority of adaptations are carried out by individuals, not governments or private firms, the analysis found. 

houses submerged in a flood (Philip Wallick/ The Image Bank/ Getty Images)

Flood risk in Canada is set to worsen – and so are recovery costs

More and more homes will be in flood danger zones over the coming century – at a time when most Canadians don’t realize they don’t have flood insurance.

CAr flooding Canada storyful

More birds are getting whipped around in stronger hurricanes, study finds

Large volumes of birds have been detected in hurricanes that are increasingly severe, radar data reveals.

birds flying in rough ocean waters (piola666/ iStock/ Getty Images Plus)

The world just experienced one of its warmest Septembers on record

Despite the cooling impacts of La Nina, 2021 is still ranking within the top ten hottest years in the record books.

Sept2021-Copernicus-ECMWF

Alberta glacier suffered record melt in 2021, researchers suggest it will worsen

By the end of the century, most of Saskatchewan Glacier will be gone, researcher says

CBC NEWS - The Columbia Icefield straddles the B.C. and Alberta border

A future of extreme drought and brutal storms predicted by new climate modelling

New climate modelling studies foresee dire long-term consequences for a warming world.

storm lines down (Bloomberg Creative/ Getty Images)

At least 85 per cent of humans have been affected by climate change, study finds

The worst impacts are yet to come for some countries, the scientists warn. 

backyard lake flooding stairs (Roberto Westbrook/ Getty Images)

Paint particles are an “abundant” microplastic in the oceans, study finds

Paint flakes can contain elements like lead and iron due to their anti-corrosive and antifouling properties, which can be dangerous to marine life. 

old small boat in water (OGphoto/ iStock/ Getty Images Plus)

Droughts, flooding, and water scarcity on the rise as the world warms

Climate change is at the root of an impending water crisis, according to an alarming study.

(Sawitree Pamee / EyeEm/ Getty Images)

Eerie statue of a 'drowning' girl is a stark image of rising sea levels

The statue’s blank stare is a haunting visualization of the challenges that future generations will face with sea level rise. 

drowning girl sculpture (Ruben Orozco Loza)

'Earthshine' is dimming and that's bad news for the climate

Earth's warming oceans are causing the planet to reflect less sunlight back into space.

This image of the Crescent Moon peeking through Earth's mesosphere was captured by astronauts on board the International Space Station. Credit: NASA

Earthshine - ISS028-E-20073 - NASA

Canada's historic Gold Rush buildings are caving in as permafrost thaws

As permafrost thaws below the surface of Dawson City, it has been a race against time to save buildings that date back to the Klondike Gold Rush.

dawson city, yukon (John Elk III/ The Image Bank/ Getty Images)

Disaster costs on the rise, but individual death tolls falling: Study

Though the average disaster cost has been rising, the WMO says the average death tolls from each disaster have been in gradual decline in recent decades.

Flooding storyful

Invasive earthworms in the boreal forest could contribute to climate change 

Earthworms are being spotted in places they've never been seen before and are inching closer and closer to new ground. This has caught the attention of climate scientists who say the invasive invertebrates are slowly depleting terrestrial carbon stocks in the boreal forest. 

earthworm (Santiago Urquijo/ Moment/ Getty Images)

Arctic melt season ends with largest sea ice minimum since 2014

While a welcome sight compared to the past few years, this is not a significant recovery for the Arctic.

Arctic sea ice minimum 2021 - NASA

August capped the hottest meteorological summer on record for Earth's continents

With temperatures reaching record highs for residents of the northern hemisphere, last month joins a triumvirate of the three hottest Augusts in the record books.

getty hot summer water bottle sunshine

Plankton bloom larger than Australia caused by the country's 2019-2020 fires

Satellite data reveals that an enormous bloom of phytoplankton formed in the Southern Ocean after Australia’s historic bushfires that began in October 2019.

Image of Australia wildfires 2019-2020 (NOAA-NASA's Suomi NPP satellite)

Sunlight can melt plastics into thousands of new compounds, study reports

Plastic bags turn into thousands of compounds that look nothing like the original material when they’re exposed to sunlight, and scientists warn of the unknown effects this could have on ecosystems.

plastic bag (the_burtons/ Moment/ Getty Images)

​​Widespread climate anxiety occurring in young people, research finds

Majority of young people between the ages of 16 and 25 years of age believe that governments are failing them and future generations, one study reports.

youth climate protest (Emmanuel Lavigne/ EyeEm/ Getty Images)

Scientists scramble to harvest ice cores as glaciers melt

Ice cores have helped scientists illustrate humanity’s impact on earth's climate by providing a record of greenhouse gases dating back well before industrialization.

REUTERS CLIMATE-CHANGE-ICE-CORES

Inbreeding occurring in polar bears as their habitat melts away

Habitat fragmentation due to sea ice loss is impacting polar bears’ breeding and feeding habits.

Two polar bears climbing out of ice. Credit: SeppFriedhuber. E+. Getty Images

Getty Images:Two polar bears climbing out of ice Credit: SeppFriedhuber. E+/Getty Images

Scientists observe animals "shape-shifting" in response to climate change

Certain species are evolving with bigger ears, wings, and tails in response to warming global temperatures. 

red-rumped parrot. (Andrew Haysom/ iStock/ Getty Images Plus)

Climate change contributing to decline of North Atlantic right whales

Warming waters have driven whales to areas where they're more vulnerable to vessel strikes, entanglements

whale (NOAA/NMFS Permit #17355)

Can climate change influence earthquake activity?

Changes in the landscape are putting an increased stress load on the Earth’s crust, which scientists say has been correlated to seismic activity.

earthquake (Simon McGill. Moment. Getty Images)

Giant iceberg scrapes past Antarctica's fragile Brunt Ice Shelf

A full-on impact by this giant likely would have broken the already unstable ice shelf.

Iceberg A-74 is pictured here just after its near-miss with the Brunt Ice Shelf on August 11, 2021, as imaged by the ESA's Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission.

Iceberg A-74 near-miss Brunt Ice Shelf - Copernicus Sentinel-1 ESA

Ida: 4 points about New Orleans’ high hurricane risk and the climate change link

Hurricane Ida hit the Louisiana coast with 150 mph winds on Aug. 29, 2021, 16 years to the day after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans on nearly the same path.

SOURCE: https://theconversation.com/hurricane-ida-4-essential-reads-about-new-orleans-high-hurricane-risk-and-what-climate-change-has-to-do-with-the-storms-166954

NOAA - Ida

"Water blisters" ​offer a glimpse beneath Greenland’s thick ice sheet

Observations reveal that melting on the surface of the Greenland Ice Sheet could potentially destabilize regions of the ice that are over 1,000 metres thick.

melting glacier (Jan-Stefan Knick / EyeEm. Getty Images)

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