THE TIMING could not have been more coincidental. As the ocean off the western coast of North America warms up at an unusually rapid pace, triggering fears of drought and warnings of harm to salmons, sea lions and other marine life, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has released a report that says marine heat waves have become twice more frequent in the past four decades and are lasting longer.
“The world’s ocean and cryosphere have been ‘taking the heat’ from climate change for decades, and consequences for nature and humanity are sweeping and severe,” Ko Barrett, vice-chair of IPCC, said while releasing the Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCCC). Prepared with reference to 7,000 scientific publications, SROCCC is the first such report to look into the impacts of climate change on the planet’s vast oceans and fragile ice sheets, which are home to some 1,500 million people and influence everything from climate and energy to trade, transport and culture worldwide. “The rapid changes to the ocean and the frozen parts of our planet are forcing people from coastal cities to remote Arctic communities to fundamentally alter their ways of life,” said Barrett.
The report finds that human activities are responsible for 84 to 90 per cent of the marine heat waves that occurred in the last one decade, and says the ocean will continue to warm throughout the 21 st century. By 2081, the frequency of marine heat waves could jump by 20 to 50 times.
Denne historien er fra October 16, 2019-utgaven av Down To Earth.
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Denne historien er fra October 16, 2019-utgaven av Down To Earth.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits
DIGGING A DISASTER
Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag
TROUBLED WOODS
Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health
BLINDING GLOW
The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.
GROUND REALITY
What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.
Vinchurni's Gandhi
A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara