Despite repeated flooding events, Quebec has yet to establish a comprehensive flood protection strategy or maintain a database of flood-prone structures. Experts stress the urgency of monitoring and maintaining flood control measures amidst increasing concerns over climate change. New maps detailing flood risk areas are in development, but concerns remain regarding the exclusion of meteorological factors and the need for transparency in mapping at-risk areas.
Federal, state, and local officials will gather on Monday to celebrate a $20 million federal grant to reconstruct seawalls along New Hampshire’s Route 1A, a vital evacuation route, combating coastal storm damage and enhancing transportation resilience.
Food waste is a major problem, but it’s also one of the easiest to solve. Here are some tips on how to reduce your food waste at home, at the grocery store, and at restaurants.
E-waste, often discarded as mere trash, holds a treasure trove of metals essential for the production of clean energy technologies such as solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicle batteries. The United Nations’ recent report on e-waste provides a comprehensive analysis of the metals present in electronic garbage, revealing staggering quantities of copper, nickel, aluminum, and rare-earth minerals. However, the recycling rates of these metals remain low, hindering the potential of e-waste as a sustainable source of materials for the energy transition. To fully harness the potential of e-waste, better recycling policies are needed, including design-for-recycling standards and metal recovery requirements. By increasing the recovery of critical metals from e-waste, we can mitigate the environmental impact of mining, reduce our reliance on virgin materials, and accelerate the transition to a clean energy future.
Food waste is a major global problem that has serious environmental and social consequences. Every year, 1.3 billion tons of food is lost or wasted globally, which is enough to feed over three billion people. This waste contributes to nearly eight to 10 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions, which is on the scale of what a large country would produce. The greatest contributors to food waste are high-income countries, where the average consumer wastes between 95-115 kilograms of food per year. In Canada, approximately 60 percent of food produced is lost or wasted per year, costing an estimated $49.5 billion. This figure constitutes about half the annual food purchase costs in Canada and three percent of Canada’s 2016 GDP.
A new report by Copernicus and WMO highlights the devastating impacts of flooding in Europe in 2023, with one-third of rivers exceeding the ‘high’ flood threshold and 16% surpassing the ‘severe’ mark. Extreme rainfall events fueled by climate change were behind many of the worst floods, particularly in Italy, Slovenia, Greece, and the UK. The report also emphasizes the potential for run-of-river hydropower as a form of renewable energy, with above-average precipitation in Europe increasing its viability. However, droughts also affected parts of Europe, underscoring the diverse hydrological impacts of climate change.
Indian spiritual leader and environmental campaigner Sadhguru warns that humans could become extinct if the world doesn’t take significant action to combat climate change. He emphasizes the importance of revitalizing soil health as a primary step in mitigating climate change and calls for governments to prioritize ecological regeneration.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has reported that 89% of the 2,431 glacial lakes identified in the Himalayas between 2016 and 2017 have expanded significantly since 1984. This expansion is a worrying sign, as it can lead to cascading consequences in the lower regions due to warming temperatures and melting glaciers. Long-term satellite data reveals that many glacial lakes have more than doubled in size, with some even growing 1.5 times their original size. The study highlights the importance of understanding glacial lake dynamics for environmental impact assessment and risk management in glacial environments.
A recent report by the International Labor Organization (ILO) reveals the alarming threat posed by extreme heat to global workers. Statistics from 2020 indicate that over 2.4 billion workers face some level of heat exposure, a figure that has risen since 2000. This excessive heat contributes to approximately 22.87 million occupational injuries annually, resulting in 18,970 fatalities and over 2 million disability-adjusted life years. Additionally, the report associates 26 million cases of chronic kidney disease with heat-related work conditions.
A new study reveals that half of the global area scorched by fires annually is attributed to deliberately set and controlled burns rather than wildfires sparked by lightning, accidents, or arson. This finding suggests that the projected increase in wildfire-affected areas due to climate change may be underestimated by current computer models.
