The year 2023 was the warmest on record, with extreme weather events highlighting the impact of climate change. While greenhouse gases occur naturally and are essential for life, human activities have led to a significant increase in their concentration, primarily through burning fossil fuels and deforestation. This rise in greenhouse gas levels, including non-natural gases like CFCs and HFCs, has caused rapid warming of the Earth, leading to the highest recorded GHG concentrations in 2023 and making it the warmest year on record.
Sand and dust storms, described as "one of nature's most intimidating spectacles," have become more common in many regions due to human-driven factors and climate change. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is discussing ways to address the impacts of these storms on agriculture, industry, water and air quality, and human health. Sand and dust storms pose significant challenges to sustainable development, but can also be reduced through human actions. The UNCCD aims to promote measures such as land restoration, improved monitoring, and better impact mitigation to tackle this growing problem.
Beach sand is the result of an epic natural process of mountain erosion and river transport. Different colors of sand come from different minerals, and the shape of sand grains provides clues about where they come from. Human activities, notably dam construction, have disrupted this cycle, trapping significant amounts of sand and causing worldwide shoreline erosion. Many beaches around the world are shrinking, slowly but surely.
An orca rammed a yacht off the Scottish coast, more than 2,000 miles from the previous incidents of orcas attacking boats in Portugese and Spanish waters. Experts suspect the attacks are linked to human activities at sea, such as fishing, noise pollution, and boat traffic. The behavior appears to be spreading through social learning, with orcas imitating each other and reproducing acts they deem advantageous or interesting in some way.
More than half of the world's largest lakes have shrunk dramatically over the last 30 years due to human activities, including overuse of water for agriculture and development, and human-caused climate change. The decline in water storage is equivalent to 17 Lake Meads, the largest reservoir in the U.S. The implications pose risks to human health, economies, and the natural world. The findings should help water managers better manage and protect threatened lakes around the world by emphasizing conservation and improving water efficiency.
A new poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research has found that 71% of US adults have been personally affected by extreme weather in the last five years, with the majority citing extreme hot weather or heat waves and severe cold weather or winter storms. Of those affected, 69% believe climate change was to blame. The poll also found that 71% of respondents believe climate change is happening, with 63% believing it is being entirely or mostly caused by human activities. The US faced 18 climate and weather disasters that cost at least $1bn last year.
