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Although we have seen a reduction in emissions in Ireland in recent years , we are still very much behind in reaching targets set out by the EU for 2030 and likely to fall short. The projected impact of this are already being felt, temperature increases, Sea level & rainfall rises. Future projections to health will lead to a major increase of pressure and demand on an already flailing health service. .

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Impacts of climate change on health - HSE.ie

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Climate change in Ireland is consistent with global patterns. The potential impacts of climate change on health are expected to become more severe. Health risks related to climate change vary based on location. In Ireland the main changes are likely to be:

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Data centres powering AI are being put before the needs of people and climate in Ireland

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Data centres powering AI are being put before the needs of people and climate in Ireland

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The data centre boom, driven largely by Big Tech AI, is impacting our wallets, health, and climate in Ireland and across the globe. These data centres require immense water, land, and electricity for their construction and running. That means diverting water, land, and energy from the public services and communities and increasing our reliance on fossil fuels. Many data centres in places like the US are constructed in communities that already experience water scarcity and poverty, degrading air and water quality and heightening disease and harm.

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Very interesting to learn about the impact that the NHS has on Europe's carbon emissions overall.  

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Very interesting to learn about the impact that the NHS has on Europe's carbon emissions overall.  

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One of the statistics from Sim and McKee's Issues in Public Health which struck me was "if everyone in the UK stopped eating meat for one day. week, it would see a similar reduction in CO2 emissions to taking 5m cars off the road". It highlights the power of collective action and how small individual changes can make a huge difference to the overall picture of climate change. I think this needs to be highlighted more so that people take smaller actions in their daily lives to reduce the human impact of climate change

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Ireland is one of the major exports of beef globally. Majority of rural communities are heavily dependent on family, mainly livestock farming which significant contribute to green house gas emission. Also, in the link attached, people recognized the effect of beef consumption, travel and use of fossil driven cars on the environment. However, many of them are reluctant to cut down on these activities/lifestyle.

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Climate change: People do not want to take actions amid belief Ireland not being harmed, survey finds

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Many questioned have ‘no intention’ of cutting meat consumption, see foreign trips as ‘part of their identity’ and are reluctant to live car-free, according to Government study

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Currently we can see the that the deoxygenation of the oceans are similar to thoses that played out in the jurassic period. Continued activities (buring fossil fuels etc) by humans are leading tot the major destruction of our own habitat and thus affecting health outcomes generally

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Deoxygenation levels similar to today’s played key role in marine extinctions during major past climate change event

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Newly published research serves as a further warning that present day marine ecosystem stability is likely more fragile than apparent. And marine deoxygenation is projected to significantly increase in response to global warming and increased nutrient run-off from continents.

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In Ireland, the impact of GHG on climate is evident through increased temperatures, with Met Eireann who provide data and analysis on Irish climate, reporting surface air temperature raise of 0.9°C in the past 120 years and increased extreme weather events, such as . These changes will negatively effect many areas sectors, not least the agricultural sector, potentially leading to reduced crop yields and increased food security. this can have indirect effects on public health by affecting nutrition and food availability. However, there is a plan for the agricultural sector to tackle at least some of the GHG emissions by reducing the cattle heard numbers, see the following video from Teagasc to explain further -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dg-yjD_k7sY

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The plan for Irish agriculture to tackle greenhouse gas emissions

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The Benefits and Challenges of Reducing Air Pollution

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The Benefits and Challenges of Reducing Air Pollution

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Despite the health benefits of reducing emissions in densely populated urban areas the recent expansion of London's ultra low emission zone has met challenges legally, politically and from the general public. These two articles highlight the issues on both sides.

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There is an over reliance on cars for transport in Ireland and unfortunately a lot of people have no choice due to a lack of public transport

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Irish people have the second highest level of car dependency among EU citizens

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Irish people have the second highest level of car dependency among EU citizens, according to the result of a new EU-wide survey.

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The issues discussed by Sim and McKee(1) are evident close to home this Summer. While we may not have had the best weather this summer, multiple global record temperature highs have been reached. The effects of the heatwave in Europe have been well documented in the media, which raises awareness of the issues and dangers of climate change which is leading to extreme weather events. Sim and McKee highlight in their text how we as Public Health practitioners can utilise the domains of health improvement and health protection to tackle climate change, which can be co-beneficial for the planet and the human population. (1)

1.         Sim F, McKee M. IssuesinPublicHealth. Maidenhead, UNITED KINGDOM: McGraw-Hill Education; 2011.

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Heatwave in Europe: holidaymakers face torrid time as land temperatures hit 60C

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The temperature of the ground in some areas of Spain has hit more than 60C during the deadly heatwave sweeping Europe, satellite recordings have shown.

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I think relationship between transportation, climate change, and health is telling and important to look at. I'm from the USA, and I've spent over six hours in a vehicle within the past 48 hours. Twenty-nine percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the USA comes from transportation (1). It would be interesting to see if there could possibly be a shift towards more walkable or bikeable cities and towns as this could have the potential to decrease greenhouse gas production; it's hard for me to picture that happening because I live in a rural area.

(1) United States Environmental Protection Agency. Carbon Pollution from Transportation[Internet]. America: United States Environmental Protection Agency; [updated 2023 May 11; cited 2023 August 31]. Available from: https://www.epa.gov/transportation-air-pollution-and-climate-change/carbon-pollution-transportation#:~:text=Transportation%20and%20Climate%20Change,-Burning%20fossil%20fuels&text=%E2%80%8BGreenhouse%20gas%20(GHG)%20emissions,contributor%20of%20U.S.%20GHG%20emissions.
(2)

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Transportation and Climate Change

Burning fossil fuels like gasoline and diesel releases carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. The buildup of carbon dioxide (CO ₂) and other greenhouse gases like methane (CH ₄), nitrous oxide (N ₂ O), and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) is causing the Earth's atmosphere to warm, resulting in changes to the climate we are already starting to see today.

​Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transportation account for about 27 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, making it the largest contributor of U.S. GHG emissions. Between 1990 and 2020, GHG emissions in the transportation sector increased more in absolute terms than any other sector.

EPA Programs to Reduce Carbon Pollution from Transportation

EPA is addressing climate change by taking the following actions to reduce GHG emissions from the transportation sector. Many of these programs have benefits beyond cutting carbon. For example, decreasing fuel consumption can reduce our dependence on foreign oil and save consumers money at the pump.

Setting GHG Emissions Standards for Cars and Trucks

EPA and DOT issued a joint rule-making that set GHG emissions and fuel economy standards for the largest sources of greenhouse gases from transportation, including cars, light trucks, and heavy-duty trucks.

Light-duty GHG regulations for passenger vehicles and trucks are projected to:

Cut 6 billion metric tons of GHG emissions over the lifetimes of the vehicles sold in model years 2012-2025 and allowing manufacturers flexibility in meeting the standards;

Nearly double the fuel efficiency while protecting consumer choice; and

Reduce America's dependence on oil and provide significant savings for consumers at the pump.

Heavy-duty GHG regulations are projected to:

Reduce CO₂ emissions by about 270 million metric tons over the life of vehicles built under the program, saving about 530 million barrels of oil; and

The proposed "Phase 2" program includes standards that would further reduce GHG emissions and improve the fuel efficiency of medium and heavy-duty trucks.

Increasing the Use of Renewable Fuels

Congress created the Renewable Fuel Standard program in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and expand the nation's renewable fuels sector while reducing reliance on imported oil. Renewable fuels are produced from plants, crops and other biomass, and can reduce greenhouse gas emissions when compared to burning the fossil fuels they replace.

Taking First Steps to Set a Greenhouse Gas Standards for Aircraft

EPA along with the Federal Aviation Agency at the United Nations' International Civil Aviation Organization have developed international carbon dioxide emissions standards for aircraft. EPA is also now working through the process of potentially setting domestic regulations under the Clean Air Act that address GHG emissions from certain classes of engines used in aircraft.

Greening the Federal Fleet

The 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act requires federal agencies to only acquire cars, light trucks, or medium-duty passenger vehicles that are low greenhouse gas emitting. Each year, EPA evaluates the greenhouse gas emissions performance of the fleet to determine which vehicles in each class emit less harmful greenhouse gases. The law requires federal agencies to purchase these high performing vehicles. Over time this will result in a greener federal fleet.

Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions Associated with Moving Goods

SmartWay helps the freight transportation sector improve supply chain efficiency, reducing greenhouse gases and saving fuel costs for companies who participate. Through SmartWay, EPA and its partners are making significant gains in the efficiency of how our nation moves goods, helping address air quality challenges, improving public health and reducing freight's contribution to climate change.

Informing Consumers Information on Fuel Economy and Advanced Technology Cars

Since the mid-1970s EPA has required automakers to display a label on new cars and light trucks with information on vehicles' fuel economy and fuel costs. Labels on today's cars also include ratings on greenhouse gas and smog-forming pollutants. EPA provides online resources, such as the Green Vehicle Guide and the joint EPA-DOE website fueleconomy.gov, to help consumers identify vehicles that can save them money at the pump and reduce their transportation-related emissions.

EPA's SmartWay light duty program goes further and identifies the top performing vehicles in terms of fuel economy and emissions to assist consumers in making an environmentally friendly purchase.

State and Local Transportation Resources Center

For information on emission reduction strategies, national policies and regulations, incentive-based and voluntary programs, funding sources, calculators, transportation conformity, and other types of assistance to help states and local areas achieve their air quality and transportation objectives.

The Road Ahead

While transportation continues to contribute a large percentage of U.S. emissions, there are many opportunities for the sector to deliver greenhouse gas reductions. Low-carbon fuels, new and improved vehicle technologies, strategies to reduce the number of vehicle miles traveled, and operating vehicles more efficiently are all approaches to reducing greenhouse gases from transportation.

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Carbon Pollution from Transportation | US EPA

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Burning fossil fuels like gasoline and diesel releases carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. The buildup of carbon dioxide (CO 2) and other greenhouse gases like methane (CH 4), nitrous oxide (N 2 O), and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) is causing the Earth's atmosphere to warm, resulting in changes to the climate we are already starting to see today.

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The water pump is telling us how to be less thirsty...

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The water pump is telling us how to be less thirsty...

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August 30, 2023_Lesson 5 Climate Change Obesity And Health

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Human Activities Contributing to Climate Change

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Human Activities Contributing to Climate Change

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Consumerism and convenience I believe have a role to play - people wanting more and in an easier way without regard for carbon footprints.
The corporate world pushing for sales with little regard for carbon footprint - greenwashing so people with little understanding believe it is not so bad.
For example fake grass covering a lawn - for convenience at a large cost to the environment; driving everywhere for short distances as its quicker and expends less energy; families eating meat every day of week as no will to explore vegetarian alternatives.

Individual actions alone can contribute only a small impact but collectively can contribute more and when putting that collective force against large corporations or governments can have a greater impact again.

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I think it's interesting to understand Ireland's beef farming industry as a core component of GHG emissions. Ireland is in the top 10 list of beef exporters globally, producing 524,543 tonnes in 2020 (1).  Plant-based diets are emerging as an alternative to meat-based diets in climate change action - and research shows the health benefits of this in CV risk reduction. 

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I think it's interesting to understand Ireland's beef farming industry as a core component of GHG emissions. Ireland is in the top 10 list of beef exporters globally, producing 524,543 tonnes in 2020 (1).  Plant-based diets are emerging as an alternative to meat-based diets in climate change action - and research shows the health benefits of this in CV risk reduction. 

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(1) Teagasc. Beef farming and its challenges in Ireland [Internet]. Ireland: Teagasc; 2023. Available from: https://www.teagasc.ie/news--events/daily/beef/beef-farming-and-its-challenges-in-ireland.php

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Beef farming is a very important agricultural activity in Ireland contributing to over 25% of total agricultural output. There are almost 140,000 farms in Ireland, of which almost 100,000 have some form of a beef enterprise.

The national breeding herd is made up of approximately 1.5 million dairy cows and 889,000 suckler beef cows, with a total herd of 6.6 million cattle. In comparison to other EU beef herds, Ireland has the third largest herd of suckler cows, after France and Spain.

Ireland is also in the top 10 list of beef exporters globally, producing 524,543 tonnes in 2020, of which 90% was exported mainly to the UK and European markets. Ireland's unique climate offers the ability to grow large quantities of grass resulting in a competitive advantage both in terms of the cost of feed and the ability to market our product under quality Origin Green credentials. By utilising its certifiable environmental and animal health and welfare attributes, Irish beef is uniquely placed to command a premium position in the market place.

That being said, one of the main issues on Irish beef farms is profitability. In 2021, the average suckler income was €10,927, of which a large portion was derived from direct support payments. In addition, many producers are operating on a part time basis with an off-farm income used to support the family household. "The main challenge for the Irish beef sector is low farm incomes and maintaining economic sustainability" says IFA President Tim Cullinan.

On a per unit basis for carbon footprint, Irish beef is one of the lowest in the EU. However, improving environmental sustainability and reducing greenhouse gases (GHG) are also significant challenges for the sector. Irish farmers, advisors, researchers and associated professionals are therefore currently strongly focused on identifying and implementing best practice to further improve the environmental sustainability of Irish beef farms. Good animal health and welfare is also of critical importance, with many national agricultural schemes ensuring that Irish farmers are operating to a very high standard.

Although Irish beef farmers face multiple challenges, they are constantly in search of innovations that can improve the sustainability of their farms. The agricultural research, advisory and support organisations that exist in Ireland are central to the transfer of this knowledge.

Pearse Kelly, Head of Drystock Knowledge Transfer in Teagasc, identifies that "Constant improvements in production and technical efficiency along with the adoption of new technologies can make a real positive difference on beef farms, across all aspects of sustainability."
Listening to the voices of farmers
Over the last three years, the Irish BovINE network identified the priority challenges facing beef farmers in Ireland through a number of national BovINE meetings. During these events, farmers were asked directly about the challenges they faced on a daily basis in becoming more sustainable on their enterprise.
Priority grass roots needs collected from farmers Socio-economic resilience

Initiatives to improve beef image and to break with the current trend of consumption decline;

Methods to ensure a fairer distribution of the final price along the supply/food chain.

Animal health and welfare

Simple labour-saving tools to measure and communicate high animal welfare standards on beef farms;

On-farm health check of young stock prior to sale/purchase including vaccination status.

Production efficiency and meat quality

Tools to evaluate the carcass and meat quality prior to and in the slaughter house;

The use of alternative feedstuffs to reduce the high costs of raw material for feeding.

Environmental sustainability

Environmental sustainability reward schemes for beef farmers;

Tools for calculating and improving environmental sustainability on beef farms.

Strong farmer and advisor participation was ensured through the unique branch and county executive structure of the IFA and the extensive national Teagasc advisory network, with engagement of other actors, e.g., vets and agribusiness suppliers also encouraged.

Kevin Kinsella BovINE Network Manager said: "We asked farmers and they told us directly what their practical challenges are on a daily basis in making their farms more sustainable." These responses were integrated with other farmers across Europe enabling the BovINE consortium to select the priority needs of European farmers across the four thematic areas of socioeconomic resilience, animal health and welfare, production efficiency and meat quality and environmental sustainability.

Over the three years, there was a large variety in the challenges and associated grass root needs identified by beef farmers. These ranged from methods to ensure a fairer distribution of price and price transparency, to simple tools to measure animal health and welfare and pre-health checks on animals prior to purchase, to payment methods for meat quality and ideas for alternative feedstuffs, to tools to measure environmental sustainability on farm and schemes to reward farmers for subsequent improvements.

These needs were presented to the BovINE project European partners to seek solutions that may exist from both research that has not yet been applied at farm level, and from good practices currently being implemented on beef farms across the EU. All solutions were then shared with Irish farmers through the free-to-all online platform the BovINE Knowledge Hub.
About BovINE
BovINE (Beef Innovation Network Europe) is an EU funded thematic network project focused on knowledge exchange to help address the challenges and drive the sustainability of the European beef farming sector and community. Connecting directly with farmers across Europe by providing an open online platform - the BovINE Knowledge Hub - the project brings together a consortium of 18 organisations from across nine European countries. This article was originally published in the BovINE magazine, click here for more information.

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Beef farming and its challenges in Ireland

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Beef farming is a very important agricultural activity in Ireland contributing to over 25% of total agricultural output. There are almost 140,000 farms in Ireland, of which almost 100,000 have some form of a beef enterprise. The national breeding herd is made up of approximately 1.5 million dairy cows and 889,000 suckler beef cows, with a total herd of 6.6 million cattle.

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In Ireland one of our biggest contributing factors to climate change would be the burning of fossil fuels. Peat/turf and coal have long been used to heat Irish homes and businesses in rural and city communities. Recent introductions such as the ban on burning of 'smokey fuels' has been a positive step towards reducing our emissions but we are still far from meeting national and international targets. Other incentives such as switching from cars with internal combustion engines to electric or hybrid vehicles has also proved beneficial.

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Although it can be pleasant experiencing hot temps over the summer, this article I read a few weeks back stuck with me. We are hitting new temperatures in and around our little island and this is a direct consequence of our behaviours as humans that are contributing to global warming. Subjecting anything, be it bacteria or fish or alike, to a temperature that invokes a temperature stress responses seldomly ends well.

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Inland Fisheries Ireland has warned of a "high risk" of fish kills due to thermal stress and reduced oxygen levels in lakes and rivers.

he current heatwave combined with lower-than-average rainfall means water temperatures are rising but water levels are dropping.

Also known as deoxygenation, reduced oxygen levels in a river or lake make it very difficult for fish to breathe and survive.

The state agency, which is responsible for the protection and conservation of freshwater fish and habitats, said it is concerned that water levels in many rivers are low and approaching drought conditions.

It has appealed to anglers, the farming community and the general public to report any sightings of fish under thermal stress, which may be caused by the extreme heat combined with low water levels and other pressures.

Anglers are also being asked to voluntarily stop using 'keep nets' while high temperature warnings from Met Éireann are in place, as these nets may cause unintentional distress to fish.

In addition, anglers that practice 'catch and release' fishing are asked not to fish during the heat wave where possible, as this may put undue pressure on fish populations.

The head of operations at Inland Fisheries Ireland said once the water temperature exceeds 20C, fish species such as salmon and trout suffer "thermal stress".

Dr Gregory Forde said: "During the current heat wave, air and water temperatures are approaching dangerous levels and fish kills may be unavoidable."

"In some instances, moving fish in and out of the water may also prove too stressful. That's why we're asking anglers practicing catch and release fishing to consider taking a break from fishing while high temperature warnings are in place.

"We're also asking anglers to voluntarily stop using 'keep nets', until conditions become more favourable."

In July, Inland Fisheries Ireland and the Office of Public Works' data buoy recorded a surface water temperature of 21.84C at Lough Sheelin in Co Cavan, coinciding with the hottest air temperature that month of 30.75C.

Dr Forde noted that significant thermal stress can occur in brown trout and other cold water fish species at temperatures at, or above, 20C.

"Inland Fisheries Ireland staff are continuously monitoring water bodies, such as rivers and lakes, for any signs of fish suffering thermal stress in shallow water or drying out rivers and streams," he said.

"It is also a good time to remind all those using pesticides that these should be used only as a last resort, always in accordance with product instructions and always respecting statutory 'no use' zones, being mindful at all times of proximity to water bodies such as ditches, streams, ponds, rivers, lakes and springs.

"Even a very small amount of pesticide can be highly toxic to the aquatic environment."

To report sightings of fish suffering from thermal stress or fish kill incidents, members of the public are encouraged to call Inland Fisheries Ireland's confidential 24-hour hotline number on 0818 34 74 24, which is open seven days a week.

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'High risk' of fish kills across Ireland as water temperatures expected to rise this week

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Inland Fisheries Ireland has warned of a "high risk" of fish kills due to thermal stress and reduced oxygen levels in lakes and rivers. he current heatwave combined with lower-than-average rainfall means water temperatures are rising but water levels are dropping.

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Diagram from the European Protection Agency [1]

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Farming in Ireland and its impact on climate change

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Farming in Ireland and its impact on climate change

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350,000 deaths are estimated to occur each year due to climate change [2]. Climate change happens as greenhouse gases, such as CO2 and methane, act like a cover and trap the heat of the sun in our atmosphere, causing an increase in the earth's surface temperature [2].
Here in Ireland, agriculture was responsible for 37.5% of greenhouse gas emissions in 2021 [1]. This is mainly due to methane from livestock, and the emission of nitrous oxide from nitrogenous fertiliser and manure development.
This has become a hot topic in the media in the last year, and efforts are being made to make farming more sustainable e.g. by using low emission slurry spreading [1].
1. Agriculture. Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved September 3, 2022, from https://www.epa.ie/our-services/monitoring--assessment/climate-change/ghg/agriculture/#:~:text=In%20Ireland%20the%20Agriculture%20sector,nitrogen%20fertiliser%20and%20manure%20management.
2. Sim F, McKee M, Sim F. Issues in Public Health. Maidenhead, UNITED KINGDOM: McGraw-Hill Education; 2011.

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Tic bites and concerns regarding Lyme Disease have become an issue in my local area over the past few years. As highlighted by Dr. Lambert in his article 'Tick Borne Infections in the EU: A New Epidemic in the Face of Global Warming', global warming has extended the range of and season for tics.
Anecdotally, in General Practice, we are seeing patients presenting more frequently following tic bites with concerns regarding Lyme's Disease.
The National Park have recently erected signs with information on tic bites and Lyme Disease.

1. Lambert J Tick Borne Infections in the EU: A New Epidemic in the Face of Global Warming Ir Med J May 2022 Vol 115 No5 P594

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Signs providing information on Lyme Disease and tick bites have been erected in Killarney.

They are located at the Gortroe car park, on the Fossa road which is a popular entry point to Killarney National Park.

Kerry County Council put them in place following repeated calls from councillors, who wished to raise awareness and warn people of the potential dangers.

The signs outline what Lyme Disease is, its symptoms, information on ticks and what to do if you get a tick bite.

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Lyme Disease and tick bite informational signs erected in Killarney | RadioKerry.ie

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Signs providing information on Lyme Disease and tick bites have been erected in Killarney. They are located at the Gortroe car park, on the Fossa road which is a popular entry point to Killarney National Park. Kerry County Council put them in place following repeated calls from councillors, who wished to raise awareness and warn people of the potential dangers.

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We need greenhouse gases to live on earth but human activities are impacting the radiative forcing in a negative way, resulting in too much production greenhouse gases which is impacting individual and global health. The risk associated with increased greenhouse gases causing climate change is that it will lead to an increased level of diseases. Such diseases may include skin cancer due to increased UV radiation and increased air pollution may lead to increased chronic conditions such as lung cancer and asthma. Climate change will also impact the wider determinants of health such as hygiene and sanitation, infectious disease and vaccinations, and access to clean water and food as discussed by Sim and McKee (Sim et al., 2011).Clean water and food will be directly impacted due to accessing issues. NASA anticipate that crop supplies (maize, wheat) will be impacted as early as 2030 as a direct consequence of climate change (Jägermeyr et al., 2021). As discussed in chapter 12, Sim & McKee discuss lower food supplies during monsoon season which are being observed in India due to climate instability (Sim et al., 2011). As well as this, the production of meats is having an increased influence on the obesity epidemic while also being a direct influence on increased greenhouse gas emissions. Public health practitioners have a key role to play to tackle climate change. This can be achieved through health promotion, health protection and health services. Through daily communications with the public and patients, public health practitioners can play an active role in tackling climate change. They can mention the benefits to the climate of tackling health issues such as obesity.  JÄGERMEYR, J., MÜLLER, C., RUANE, A. C., ELLIOTT, J., BALKOVIC, J., CASTILLO, O., FAYE, B., FOSTER, I., FOLBERTH, C. & FRANKE, J. A. 2021. Climate impacts on global agriculture emerge earlier in new generation of climate and crop models. Nature Food, 2, 873-885.SIM, F., GRIFFITHS, J. & MCKEE, M. 2011. 12 Sustainable development and climate change–the ‘new’determinants of health. EBOOK: Issues in Public Health, 244.

# data[].attributes.subject
We need greenhouse gases to live on earth but human activities are impacting the radiative forcing in a negative way, resulting in too much production greenhouse gases which is impacting individual and global health. The risk associated with increased greenhouse gases causing climate change is that it will lead to an increased level of diseases. Such diseases may include skin cancer due to increased UV radiation and increased air pollution may lead to increased chronic conditions such as lung cancer and asthma. Climate change will also impact the wider determinants of health such as hygiene and sanitation, infectious disease and vaccinations, and access to clean water and food as discussed by Sim and McKee (Sim et al., 2011).Clean water and food will be directly impacted due to accessing issues. NASA anticipate that crop supplies (maize, wheat) will be impacted as early as 2030 as a direct consequence of climate change (Jägermeyr et al., 2021). As discussed in chapter 12, Sim & McKee discuss lower food supplies during monsoon season which are being observed in India due to climate instability (Sim et al., 2011). As well as this, the production of meats is having an increased influence on the obesity epidemic while also being a direct influence on increased greenhouse gas emissions. Public health practitioners have a key role to play to tackle climate change. This can be achieved through health promotion, health protection and health services. Through daily communications with the public and patients, public health practitioners can play an active role in tackling climate change. They can mention the benefits to the climate of tackling health issues such as obesity.  JÄGERMEYR, J., MÜLLER, C., RUANE, A. C., ELLIOTT, J., BALKOVIC, J., CASTILLO, O., FAYE, B., FOSTER, I., FOLBERTH, C. & FRANKE, J. A. 2021. Climate impacts on global agriculture emerge earlier in new generation of climate and crop models. Nature Food, 2, 873-885.SIM, F., GRIFFITHS, J. & MCKEE, M. 2011. 12 Sustainable development and climate change–the ‘new’determinants of health. EBOOK: Issues in Public Health, 244.

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9. Meinshausen, M. et al. The shared socio-economic pathway (SSP) greenhouse gas concentrations and their extensions to 2500. Geosci. Model Dev. 13, 3571-3605 (2020).

10. Allen, L. H. et al. Fluctuations of CO ₂ in free-air CO ₂ enrichment (FACE) depress plant photosynthesis, growth, and yield. Agric. For. Meteorol. 284, 107899 (2020).

11. Durand, J. L. et al. How accurately do maize crop models simulate the interactions of atmospheric CO ₂ concentration levels with limited water supply on water use and yield? Eur. J. Agron. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eja.2017.01.002 (2018).

12. FAOSTAT (United Nation's Food and Agricultural Organization, 2019); http://www.fao.org/faostat/

13. Nachtergaele, F. et al. Harmonized World Soil Database (version 1.2) (FAO and IIASA, 2012).

14. Hengl, T. et al. SoilGrids1km-global soil information based on automated mapping. PLoS ONE 9, e114788 (2014).

15. Ray, D. K., Ramankutty, N., Mueller, N. D., West, P. C. & Foley, J. A. Recent patterns of crop yield growth and stagnation. Nat. Commun. 3, 1293 (2012).

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Acknowledgements

J.J., A.C.R., C.R. and M.P. were supported by NASA GISS Climate Impacts Group and Indicators for the National Climate Assessment funding from the NASA Earth Sciences Division. J.J. and J.R.G. received support from the Open Philanthropy Project and thank the University of Chicago Research Computing Center for supercomputer allocations to run the pDSSAT model. Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München thanks the Leibniz Supercomputing Center of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities for providing capacity on the Cloud computing infrastructure to run the PROMET model. J.M.S. was supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (grant number 031B0230A: BioNex-The Future of the Biomass Nexus). O.M. and J.F.S. were supported by funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Earth@lternatives project, grant agreement number 834716). J.A.F. and H.S. were supported by the NSF NRT programme (grant number DGE-1735359). J.A.F was supported by the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (grant number DGE-1746045). RDCEP is funded by NSF through the Decision Making Under Uncertainty programme (grant number SES-1463644). T.I. was partly supported by the Environment Research and Technology Development Fund (2-2005) of the Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency and Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research B (18H02317) of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. A.K.J and T.-S.L. were supported by the US National Science Foundation (NSF - 831361857). M.O. was supported by the Climate Change Adaptation Research Program of NIES, Japan. S.L. was supported by the German Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) in the framework of OptAKlim (grant number 281B203316). S.S.R. acknowledges funding from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) via the ISIpedia project.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

1. NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York, NY, USA

Jonas Jägermeyr, Alex C. Ruane, Jose R. Guarin, Meridel Phillips & Cynthia Rosenzweig

2. Columbia University, Center for Climate Systems Research, New York, NY, USA

Jonas Jägermeyr, Jose R. Guarin & Meridel Phillips

3. Potsdam Institute for Climate Impacts Research (PIK), Member of the Leibniz Association, Potsdam, Germany

Jonas Jägermeyr, Christoph Müller, Jens Heinke, Stefan Lange & Sara Minoli

4. Center for Robust Decision-making on Climate and Energy Policy (RDCEP), University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

Joshua Elliott, James A. Franke, Elisabeth J. Moyer & Haynes Stephens

5. International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria

Juraj Balkovic, Christian Folberth, Nikolay Khabarov & Rastislav Skalsky

6. Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovak Republic

Juraj Balkovic

7. Agricultural & Biological Engineering Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

Oscar Castillo, Gerrit Hoogenboom & Cheryl Porter

8. Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD) ESPACE-DEV, Montpellier, France

Babacar Faye

9. Department of Computer Science, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

Ian Foster & David Kelly

10. Department of the Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

James A. Franke, Elisabeth J. Moyer & Haynes Stephens

11. Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Atmospheric Environmental Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany

Kathrin Fuchs, Sam S. Rabin, Clemens Scheer & Andrew Smerald

12. Institute for Sustainable Food Systems, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

Gerrit Hoogenboom

13. Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Japan

Toshichika Iizumi

14. Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA

Atul K. Jain & Tzu-Shun Lin

15. Center for Agricultural Water Research in China, College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China

Wenfeng Liu

16. Multidisciplinary Water Management group, University of Twente, Enschede, Netherlands

Oleksandr Mialyk & Joep F. Schyns

17. Center for Climate Change Adaptation, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Japan

Masashi Okada

18. Department of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA

Sam S. Rabin

19. Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU), Munich, Germany

Julia M. Schneider & Florian Zabel

20. Soil Science and Conservation Research Institute, National Agricultural and Food Centre, Bratislava, Slovak Republic

Rastislav Skalsky

21. Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Müncheberg, Germany

Tommaso Stella & Heidi Webber

Contributions

J.J. and C.M. conceived the paper and coordinated GGCMI. J.J., C.M. and S.S.R. developed the simulation protocol. A.C.R. and C.R. coordinated AgMIP integration. C.M., J.J., J.B., O.C., B.F., C.F., K.F., G.H., T.I., A.K.J., N.K., T.-S.L., W.L., S.M., M.O., O.M., C.P., S.S.R., J.M.S., J.F.S., R.S., A.S., T.S. and F.Z. conducted crop model simulations. S.L. prepared climate data inputs. J.J. conducted the data analysis, and developed the manuscript and figures. All coauthors supported manuscript writing.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jonas Jägermeyr.

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Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Peer review information Nature Food thanks Bin Peng and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work.

Publisher's note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary information

Supplementary Figs. 1-14, Tables S1-S4 and text ('Winter and spring wheat separation', 'Koeppen-Geiger climate class aggregation', 'GGCMI crop calendar').

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Jägermeyr, J., Müller, C., Ruane, A.C. et al. Climate impacts on global agriculture emerge earlier in new generation of climate and crop models. Nat Food 2, 873-885 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-021-00400-y
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Climate impacts on global agriculture emerge earlier in new generation of climate and crop models - Nature Food

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Climate change affects agricultural productivity. New systematic global agricultural yield projections of the major crops were conducted using ensembles of the latest generation of crop and climate models. Substantial shifts in global crop productivity due to climate change will occur within the next 20 years-several decades sooner than previous projections-highlighting the need for targeted food system adaptation and risk management in the coming decades.

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With increasingly more frequent extreme weather events, particularly heatwaves and droughts in developed Western countries, the reality of an increase in climate change migration needs to be captured in public and political imagination. Population migration is one of the main determinants of health affected by climate change (p.247), and many climate migrants might find themselves in demobilised socioeconomic states due to unemployment, living conditions, poor access to healthcare, or missing out on essential childhood vaccinations. This is an interesting chapter that captures the all-hazards approach to climate change's impact on population health.

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South Africa as a developing country has a difficult infrastructure regarding public transportation which, in turn, contributes to carbon emissions and climate change. I found this interesting link to a group that promotes the concept of a "circular economy". Recycling and sustainable use of resources goes a long way to ensure less waste and promote a healthier economic approach to climate change. 

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South Africa as a developing country has a difficult infrastructure regarding public transportation which, in turn, contributes to carbon emissions and climate change. I found this interesting link to a group that promotes the concept of a "circular economy". Recycling and sustainable use of resources goes a long way to ensure less waste and promote a healthier economic approach to climate change. 

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In Chapter 12 of Issues in Public Health by Sim and McKee, the responsibilities of health services internationally to be environmentally conscious and energy efficient was highlighted. It describes how the 'NHS is the  largest public sector contributor to climate change in Europe'.¹
I came across this article online which reported on a conference during which the speakers were critical of the HSE in terms of it's failures to manage it's spending efficiently. Of note, only 'Switzerland and the US spend more than Ireland on health'. Health services internationally, including the HSE are major consumers of energy and have a responsibility to try and reduce their energy consumption and consequently their carbon foot-print.

References

1. Sim F, McKee M, EBOOK: Issues in Public Health. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill Education;2011

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Ireland 'unbelievably incompetent' at managing health spending

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Impacts of climate change and why should medical doctors educate their patients in this field

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Impacts of climate change and why should medical doctors educate their patients in this field

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iJRtya1GHE (1)

1.  Climate change is a medical emergency - YouTube [Internet]. [cited 2021 Sep 5]. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iJRtya1GHE

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The Czech cuisine is well-known for its meaty dishes, mostly made from pork and beef. I was born in a small village on the west of the county where a meatless dish equals no dish.
Statistics can also support my claim. From 1936 until 2016, yearly meat consumption in Czechia increased from 38,1 kg per person to an alarming 80,3 kg per person (1).
As a physician from the Czech Republic, I can see that a vast majority of medical practitioners regularly educate their patients about the negative impact of meat over-consumption on health, but very few of them can also provide information about the significant effect of eating meat on climate change.
I hope that in the future public health practitioners in my country will be able to train their medical colleagues in this matter, and by their shared effort, they will direct people towards a plant-based diet and a better future for our planet.

1. Šrédl K, Prášilová M, Severová L, Svoboda R, Štěbeták M. Social and Economic Aspects of Sustainable Development of Livestock Production and Meat Consumption in the Czech Republic. Agriculture. 2021 Feb;11(2):102.

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In the last years, the most known environmental crisis in my country are the oil spills, that affect not only the oceans but our health.
According to Forbes Magazine, in 2019 the oil spills increased a 16% to what would be equivalent to 272,800 barrels; and that's not the only problem, also the gas leaks increased to 32 million cubic feet. (Solís, 2021)
Right now, Mexico is facing a big challenge in environmental matters, due to lack of resources.

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A closer look: How much does the United States contribute to climate change? 

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A closer look: How much does the United States contribute to climate change? 

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The United States is the worlds second largest producer of greenhouse gases, second to only China. In 2018 the United States produced more than 15% of the total global emission of greenhouses gases. The US not only plays a large role in producing CO2, but also has a role in the technology and politics used to lower them. The U.S has substancial influence in global politics, for example the impact on the Paris climate agreement with the withdrawal and subsequent reengagement in the process. As such a large nation, and one with tremendous influence and resources in technology and politics, it is vital that the government and private industry in the United States take climate change seriously. There is no longer room for the U.S to prioritize profit and industry over the health of the environment.

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Climate change has become a key issue for many voters in the 2020 presidential race. Scientists overwhelmingly agree that many impacts of climate change are happening now. The United States is the world's second largest emitter of greenhouse gases, and it has a leadership role to play in efforts to address climate change. Humanity must eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels to avoid the worst effects of climate change, but the transition will take time. Eliminating fossil fuels is much easier in some parts of the economy than in others.

The last four years have been the warmest on Earth in the 139 years that @NOAA has been keeping records.

The U.S. is the world's second largest emitter of greenhouse gases, responsible for 14.6% of global emissions in 2018.

Many presidential candidates target the middle of this century for achieving net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases.

Why are we hearing more about climate change in this election cycle than in 2016?

Recent extreme weather events, youth activism, and political attention to proposals such as the Green New Deal are making climate change a top-tier issue in the 2020 presidential race. A major United Nations Climate Action Summit in September and bipartisan conversations on carbon pricing are attracting increased media coverage, with dedicated town halls and forums being organized around the issue. Additionally, President Trump's rollback of environmental regulations and his promise to pull out of the Paris Agreement has created a backlash and generated energy around climate action.

Are we seeing any impacts of climate change now?

The last four years have been the warmest in the 139 years that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has been keeping records. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change states that, with 95 percent certainty, the current warming trend is the result of human emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, mostly carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels. Many of the impacts that climate models predict in a warming world are happening now, including sea level rise; stronger cycles of rain and drought; and migration of plants, animals, and people to different areas in reaction to temperature change or resource scarcity.

The climate has certainly changed in the past, with ice ages and warmer periods. These are mostly associated with small variations in the earth's orbit around the sun, which change the amount of solar energy the earth receives. However, the changes we are seeing today are happening much faster than anything in the geological record.

Remember that there's an important difference between weather and climate. Climate is the trend of weather over time and space. Cold spells still happen even in a climate that is warming overall. In fact, a warming climate may result in more cold spells in some areas, as larger patterns of atmospheric circulation, like the jet stream, change.

How much does the United States contribute? Does it matter what we do?

The United States is a large contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions and has a key leadership role to play in a transition to lower carbon energy sources.

In addition to reducing its own emissions, the United States has an important role to play in climate-related innovation and diplomacy. The United States has long been a leader in technology development; its universities and research labs are the envy of the world-it is a natural place to focus on technologies to cost-effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The United States also played a crucial role in designing the Paris Agreement, which brought nearly all of the world's countries together in a commitment to fight climate change.

U.S. reengagement in the process will be important to the Agreement's success, to encourage more ambitious goals over time, and to assist countries that lack the resources to reduce their own emissions. The world will not be able to prevent the worst effects of climate change unless all countries with large emissions are on board, including countries lower on the income scale like China and India.

Can we wean ourselves off fossil fuels?

Humanity must eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels to avoid the worst effects of climate change, but the transition will take time. Fossil fuels are the lifeblood of the economy, supporting our modern way of life with trillions of dollars of dedicated infrastructure. Such a large and essential system can't turn on a dime. Many presidential candidates target the middle of this century for achieving net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases. This goal is ambitious, but in line with what we need to do.

Eliminating fossil fuels is much easier in some parts of the economy than in others. The electricity sector and light transport-passenger cars and small trucks-are among the easiest sectors. The costs of wind and solar power are declining rapidly and energy storage or other forms of zero-carbon electricity, like fossil fuels with carbon capture or nuclear power, can take up the slack when the wind is not blowing or the sun is not shining. Light vehicles can run on electricity, especially as battery technology improves and costs come down. Electric vehicles have a lot of appealing qualities-they don't have tailpipe emissions and are quiet and very peppy to drive.

Other parts of the economy raise more challenges. Fossil fuels are terrific transportation fuels; they carry as much as 100 times more energy for their volume and weight than batteries. Battery power is less feasible for long-haul trucking, shipping, and aviation since these vehicles need a great deal of energy to do their jobs. Reducing emissions from some industrial processes, like the production of steel and cement, will also be very difficult.

How can government policy make a difference?

Policy must push for change in the easier sectors now, while encouraging research and pilot scale deployment of new technologies to deal with the more difficult sectors.

Several policy tools are available:

Carbon pricing is a policy that economists love, for its ability to encourage the least expensive ways of reducing emissions. A carbon tax or a cap-and-trade system, where emitters buy and trade permits to emit greenhouse gases, would both serve the purpose. The challenge is that "tax" is a dirty word in American politics. Setting the tax high enough to make a difference would be politically difficult and any tax or cap-and-trade system would require action from Congress.

Direct regulation is another policy tool available to reduce emissions. Numerous existing regulations impact greenhouse gas emissions, including federal efficiency standards for vehicles and appliances and state and local renewable energy requirements. Regulation offers more certainty in results than carbon pricing, but tends to be less economically efficient since it does not allow trade-offs among sectors of the economy.

The tax code can also be used to encourage emissions reductions, such as credits for developing renewable energy or carbon capture and storage projects. Tax credits encourage investment, but need to be adjusted over time as costs fall, as we are seeing today in renewable energy.

Finally, government can directly fund research and development that is too early-stage or risky for the private sector to take on. The federal government spends more than $6 billion annually on energy and environment research, with an additional $11 billion spent on general science, amounts that have been largely consistent in recent years.

In reality, all of these methods are needed. No single policy is enough to create such a deep change to the economy. The keys to success for any policy are ambition and consistency. In recent years we have seen a complete about-face in climate policy, as President Trump has rolled back Obama administration efforts to reduce emissions. Industry and consumers need consistent signals to change, and ambitious, bipartisan legislation from Congress is central to creating lasting change.

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What to do about climate change and why?

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Climate change has become a key issue for many voters in the 2020 presidential race. Scientists overwhelmingly agree that many impacts of climate change are happening now. The United States is the world's second largest emitter of greenhouse gases, and it has a leadership role to play in efforts to address climate change.

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Having lived in Dhaka for two years, I never appreciated fresh air and enjoying time outdoors as much as I did when I had vacation or now that I've left. Although citizens in the higher socio-economic quintiles could afford to live in less crowded areas, purchase air purifiers, and travel by car, most citizens live in the city (with a staggering rate of urbanization) and do not have access to those things mentioned above. They are forced to spend the majority of their time breathing polluted air, oftentimes polluted at rates hundreds of times beyond acceptable levels (as set forth by the EU, for example).
Air pollution overwhelmingly affects children, who are then burdened with health problems for life. Children cannot play safely outside for most of the year (given the air quality), and are faced with the choice to sacrifice their lungs for physical activity or perhaps adopt more sedentary hobbies to save their lungs (linking back to the previous lesson on obesity). The poor air quality has recently also been linked to fertility issues in women as well as low birth weight in Bangladesh (http://rdm.icddrb.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Air-Quality-and-Pregnancy-Outcome-Report_RDM_Final_approved-260919.pdf)

While this article (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/13/learning/lesson-of-the-day-who-gets-to-breathe-clean-air-in-new-delhi.html) follows two schoolchildren in India, it could just have easily selected two from Bangladesh. The concentration on economic growth and development, resulting in high-emitting factories with low-to-no environmental standards, risky working conditions, and leaving no time for preparing or consuming a nutritious meal, contributes to a number of public health issues.

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Lesson of the Day: 'Who Gets to Breathe Clean Air in New Delhi?'

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In this lesson, students will meet two children, Monu and Aamya, and learn about how an invisible enemy threatens each differently based on their families' income. Students in U.S. high schools can get free digital access to The New York Times until Sept. 1, 2021.

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Methane emissions from agriculture and farming industry in Ireland account for a third of emissions from Ireland

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Methane emissions from agriculture and farming industry in Ireland account for a third of emissions from Ireland

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https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/nobody-is-safe-ireland-faces-more-floods-heatwaves-and-severe-storms-40734776.html

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Ireland's future in a world of escalating climate change has been set out in frightening projections in the starkest warning yet from the global scientific community.

lash floods from intense rainfall, more frequent heatwaves and drought, increasingly severe storms and loss of coastal land to rising seas all lie ahead as global warming and climate change escalate.

Much additional disruption will come through the even greater climate chaos facing many of our main trading and business partners, the countries we migrate to for work and study and the places we like to holiday.

A report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stresses that climate change is happening in every region in the world.

While Ireland will escape some of the worst consequences, at least in the short to medium term, the knock-on effects of extreme conditions and severe weather events in other regions will be felt here.

"Nobody is safe," said Inger Andersen, director of the United Nations Environment Programme, "and it's getting worse, faster."

Reaction here was swift and blunt. "It points to the necessity to take urgent climate action in a very comprehensive way," said Marie Donnelly, chair of the Climate Change Advisory Council.

"That's the only logical conclusion."

Friends of the Earth director Oisín Coghlan said the report was a "final wake-up call" from the world's climate scientists.

"We have to start treating climate action like the emergency it is," he said.

Environmental Protection Agency head Laura Burke said the report made clear that radical action was needed.

"The next decade needs to be one of major developments and advances in relation to Ireland's response to climate change and there needs to be a significant and immediate increase in the scale and pace of greenhouse gas emission reductions," she said.

The 4,000-page report, the IPCC's first comprehensive assessment of the latest climate science since 2013, is the body's most unambiguous yet.

It states that climate change is happening in all regions and that recent extreme weather events are the result.

It says it is "unequivocal" that greenhouse gas emissions from human activities are the cause, that temperature rise, currently at 1.1C, will reach 1.5C within 20 years regardless of what climate actions are taken, and that more frequent and intense severe weather events will occur alongside irreversible sea level rise.

"Unless there are immediate, rapid and large-scale reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, limiting warming to close to 1.5C or even 2C will be beyond reach," it warns.

Professor Peter Thorne, of Maynooth University, who was one of the report's 234 authors, said it helped to make sense of much of the uncharacteristic weather events of recent years.

"In prior reports we were very reticent to draw the link between individual extreme events and human influence on climate change.

"Now there is a very strong statement that human influences are behind the changes in the frequency and or the intensity of heatwaves, extreme precipitation and drought, all of which we have seen in Ireland over the past five years or so," he said.

But he also said the findings presented serious challenges.

"The only way we can hope to keep to temperature rise to a manageable amount above 1.5C and keep below 2C is to aggressively address all greenhouse gas concentrations.

"Carbon dioxide is the very long-lived greenhouse gas and without getting it to zero, we will continue to warm, but we must also act upon methane."

Methane leaves the atmosphere much faster than carbon dioxide but it has a much more powerful warming effect.

It is the main emission from agriculture which accounts for more than a third of Ireland's emissions.

Achieving reductions in the sector is just one of many hurdles Ireland faces in implementing the new climate law which commits to halving all emissions by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2050.

Our first "carbon budget", designed to set a pathway to 2030 and on to 2050, will be published later this year.

Climate Action Minister Eamon Ryan said the measures needed would be "challenging".

But he said: "Today's report by the IPCC is a stark reminder that we have limited time in which to act."

Mr Ryan said Ireland would also have to work on protecting infrastructure and homes from extreme weather and sea level rise which would create financial pressures.

He will join world leaders at a major United Nations climate conference in November when countries will discuss emissions reductions.

He admitted prospects for progress were uncertain despite 195 nations committing on paper to play their part.

"We've a lot of work to do on the diplomatic and political front to achieve the required response.

"The report is timely in that sense because the science is dramatic and unequivocal, so how could we ignore that?"

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'Nobody is safe' - Ireland faces more floods, heatwaves and severe storms

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Ireland's future in a world of escalating climate change has been set out in frightening projections in the starkest warning yet from the global scientific community. lash floods from intense rainfall, more frequent heatwaves and drought, increasingly severe storms and loss of coastal land to rising seas all lie ahead as global warming and climate change escalate.

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Laura Brennan.
In 2021, half of the top ten cars sold in Ireland were SUVs. This is actually quite different to the UK top ten list, which only has two SUVs on it. SUVs unfortunately have a negative impact on the environment. An article in New Scientist published at the start of 2021 noted that SUVs use 20 per cent more energy for every kilometre driven than a medium sized car. The article states: "The increase in SUVs in 2020 led to a rise in oil consumption that cancelled out the effect of electric cars". Even when the SUVs themselves are electric, the production of these cars themselves takes more resources and they use about 15% more electricity than average sized cars.

References:
https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/motors/the-age-of-suvs-tectonic-shifts-in-the-cars-we-buy-and-how-we-buy-them-1.4439741
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2265449-people-buying-suvs-are-cancelling-out-climate-gains-from-electric-cars/

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The age of SUVs: tectonic shifts in the cars we buy and how we buy them

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Irish firms lag when it comes to taking action on climate change

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Record breaking heatwave driven by climate change in Western Canada 

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Record breaking heatwave driven by climate change in Western Canada 

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Record breaking temperatures in British Columbia this summer season have resulted in hundreds of wildfires, smoke pollution, significant increases in reported sudden deaths, drought and damage to agriculture. A short period of increased temperatures with negative consequences that will have a lasting impact and is likely to continue into future summers.

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Hyperthermia claimed nearly a dozen lives in one day in one Washington county. A small town in British Columbia set Canada's heat record at just over 121 degrees Fahrenheit.

Trying to get some relief in the shade during the heat wave this week in Vancouver, British Columbia. Credit... Jennifer Gauthier/Reuters

Hundreds of deaths in British Columbia, Washington and Oregon have been linked to a heat wave that has roasted the Pacific Northwest for days and broken Canadian heat records, sending hundreds of thousands of people scrambling for relief.

Lisa Lapointe, British Columbia's chief coroner, said 486 deaths had been reported there between Friday and Wednesday afternoon - a period in which about 165 deaths would normally be documented. Deaths were expected to increase, she said.

"While it is too early to say with certainty how many of these deaths are heat related, it is believed likely that the significant increase in deaths reported is attributable to the extreme weather B.C. has experienced," she said.

Oregon's state medical examiner's office on Wednesday attributed at least 63 deaths in five days to the punishing heat in that state, including 45 in Multnomah County, which includes Portland - where temperatures have reached a record 116 degrees Fahrenheit.

In Washington, officials reported nearly a dozen lives lost to hyperthermia on Wednesday alone in King County, which includes Seattle; two heat-related deaths were reported there the day before.

In Snohomish County, Wash., at least three people died this week from heatstroke, according to the medical examiner's office, which added that investigations are pending into at least two more suspected heat-related deaths.

"This was a true health crisis that has underscored how deadly an extreme heat wave can be, especially to otherwise vulnerable people," Dr. Jennifer Vines, the Multnomah County health officer, said in a statement. "I know many county residents were looking out for each other and am deeply saddened by this initial death toll."

This year a study found that 37 percent of heat-related deaths could be linked to climate change. Global warming has raised baseline temperatures by nearly 2 degrees Fahrenheit on average since 1900, experts say.

"Climate change is increasing the frequency, intensity and duration of heat waves," said Kristie Ebi, a professor in the Center for Health and the Global Environment at the University of Washington. "When you look at this heat wave, it is so far outside the range of normal."

In Canada, John Horgan, the premier of British Columbia, said on Tuesday that "the big lesson coming out of the past number of days is that the climate crisis is not a fiction."

The heat wave in Canada has presented an additional public health concern even as authorities are still grappling with the challenge of the coronavirus and Canadians are just beginning to enjoy some of the pleasures of summer as restrictions ease.

On Tuesday, for the third consecutive day, British Columbia shattered its previous extreme heat record; the temperature in Lytton, a small town in the province, climbed to just over 121 degrees.

Such is the heat that some Vancouverites have fried eggs on their terraces. Others have traded in their sweltering homes for air-conditioned hotels or moved their home offices to shady places in their gardens.

Heat Wave Hits North America

As suffocating heat hits much of Western North America, experts are concerned about human safety and power failures.

Western Canada: Canada broke a national heat record on June 27, when the temperature in a small town in British Columbia reached almost 116 degrees Fahrenheit, breaking an 84-year-old record by nearly 3 degrees, with dangerously hot weather expected to continue for several more days.

Pacific Northwest U.S.: A heat dome has enveloped the region driving temperatures to extreme levels - with temperatures well above 100 degrees - and creating dangerous conditions in a part of the country unaccustomed to oppressive summer weather or air-conditioning.

Severe Drought: Much of the Western half of the United States is in the grip of a severe drought of historic proportions. Conditions are especially bad in California and the Southwest, but the drought extends into the Pacific Northwest, much of the Intermountain West, and even the Northern Plains. The extreme heat is exacerbating the dry condition s.

Growing Energy Shortages: Power failures have increased by more than 60 percent since 2015, even as climate change has made heat waves worse, according to new research published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.

Baseline Temperatures Are Rising: New baseline data for temperature, rain, snow and other weather events reveal how the climate has changed in the United States. One key takeaway, the country is getting hotter.

The sizzling temperatures have also imperiled the crops of farmers in British Columbia, wilting lettuce and searing raspberries.

Capturing the national mood, Lyle Torgerson posted a video on Twitter on Sunday showing a bear and two cubs taking a dip in his backyard pool in Coquitlam, British Columbia. "The heat is unbearable, but if you take a quick dip you'll survive," he told The New York Times in a message on Instagram.

The Vancouver Police Department has dispatched dozens of additional officers to help deal with the situation, it said in a statement. While police usually attend to three to four sudden deaths a day, on average, the department said it has responded to more than 98 such calls since Friday, with 53 of those on Tuesday.

It also said two-thirds of the victims are aged 70 and older.

"We've never seen anything like this, and it breaks our hearts," Sergeant Steve Addison said in a statement on Tuesday, noting that the extreme heat appears to be a contributing factor to most of the cases.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Surrey, a municipality in metropolitan Vancouver, said in an email that it had responded to 35 sudden deaths in a 24-hour period.

The wildfire service of British Columbia was also coping with effects of the heat wave, grappling with overheated helicopter engines as it tried to contain severe wildfires. One had spread over about 5,700 acres as of Tuesday night, at Sparks Lake, about five hours northeast of Vancouver.

Before this week's record-breaking heat, the last time Canada saw the mercury rise to similar heights was on July 5, 1937, when the temperature hit 113 degrees in rural Saskatchewan.

Winston Choi-Schagrin contributed reporting.

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Deaths Spike as Heat Wave Broils Canada and the Pacific Northwest

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Hyperthermia claimed nearly a dozen lives in one day in one Washington county. A small town in British Columbia set Canada's heat record at just over 121 degrees Fahrenheit. Hundreds of deaths in British Columbia, Washington and Oregon have been linked to a heat wave that has roasted the Pacific Northwest for days and broken Canadian heat records, sending hundreds of thousands of people scrambling for relief.

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EU and China appetite for Brazilian soja  

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EU and China appetite for Brazilian soja  

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How our appetite for meat drives our need for soja, mostly imported from Brasil, continuing to contribute to deforestation, not only adding to carbon emission with continuous transport of millions tons of soja, but reducing mitigation capacities by deforestation of both the Amazon and the Cerrado savanna.

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China and EU appetite for soy drives Brazilian deforestation, climate change: Study

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A first ever study has quantified carbon emissions across Brazil's entire soy sector in detail and pinpointed the highest deforestation related emissions in the Cerrado savanna, followed by the Amazon.

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Food Insecurity and Climate Change in Ethiopia

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Food Insecurity and Climate Change in Ethiopia

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Climate change has had a marked impact on the health of Ethiopians. Drought and floods have caused water sanitation issues, and there was an outbreak of acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) across Ethiopia from 2006 to 2011 (https://www.who.int/globalchange/resources/wash-toolkit/climate-change-and-health-lessons-learned-documentation.pdf?ua=1)

Most recently, climate change has precipitated conditions that have allowed desert locusts to wreak havoc across the Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa, widening the food gap of households and putting families at risk of malnutrition and starvation.
(Onyango, A. The Public Health Implication of the 2020 Locust Invasion in East Africa In: EUCLID GLOBAL HEALTH. Available from: https://globalhealth.euclid.int/the-public-health-implication-of-the-2020-locust-invasion-in-east-africa/

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https://www.seai.ie/data-and-insights/seai-statistics/key-statistics/co2/#:~:text=Large%20share%20of%20agriculture,non%2DETS%20greenhouse%20gas%20emissions.

In Ireland,  our largest cause of emissions is from the burning of fossil fuels in the energy sectors of transport and energy within the home. Unfortunately, it is well known that Ireland has a huge under investment in public transport. People in rural Ireland are heavily dependent on private car use as public transport can be non existent in some areas. In Dublin, there are electric rail and light rail alternatives, but sadly these run in limited one way directions and lack diversity across the county, leading people to be more reliant on energy inefficient services like the bus. Increased investment and commitment to energy efficient public transport services and renewable energy have the potential to reduce Ireland's net GHG emissions.

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I considered my local environment when thinking about climate change, specifically the level of air pollution in New Ross.

The impact of burning fossil fuels on  health and climate change are discussed in the Sim and McKee chapter 1.

Levels of air pollution are monitored and displayed on the Wexford County Council website with the levels in New Ross frequently the highest in all of Co. Wexford ². This may be in part due to the recent introduction of smoky coal ban in more densely populated areas in Co. Wexford ³.

The Sim and McKee chapter on Climate Change ¹ discussed mitigation and adaptation as tools for tackling climate change. In New Ross, there is little evidence of mitigation, however there is a warning system available for people to view on the County Council website ²  called the "The Air Quality Index for Health". This is a useful tool and can be considered an adaptation to the levels of air pollution.

Further mitigation will be necessary to reduce the severity of the impact of air pollution on both health and climate change, locally and nationally. It is my hope that the smoky coal ban will be extended nationally to include New Ross.

References

1. Sim F, McKee M, Sim F. EBOOK: Issues in Public Health. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill Education; 2011.
2. Wexford County Council.

Air Quality Monitoring. Wexford: [Undated; cited 2020 September 6th]. Available from:

https://www.wexfordcoco.ie/environment/air-water-and-noise-pollution/air-pollution/air-quality-monitoring
3. Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment.
Minister Ryan signs Regulations to extend Smoky Coal Ban [Internet]. Ireland: www.gov.ie.

[2019 July 27th

; cited 2020 September 6th]. Available from: https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/f15e2-minister-ryan-signs-regulations-to-extend-smoky-coal-ban/

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The air quality in New Ross was worse than Beijing in mid-December - leading to urgent calls for a text alert system for the town's 9,000 residents to protect their health.

Air pollution kills around 1,300 Irish people annually and arising from the dangerously high readings in New Ross, the Government has sanctioned funding to monitor other towns in the county, starting with Bunclody and Gorey, and moving on to Wexford and Enniscorthy.

Senior Executive Scientist with Wexford County Council Brendan Cooney said New Ross town's geographical position in a valley means smoke from coal fires does not dissipate leading to the high readings.

'Everything settles down, (all the particulates) and the town is not designated a smokeless zone,' he said.

Combined with cold weather and little to no wind lately, the results are plain to see with residents complaining of shortness of breath from 4 p.m. many winter days.

'On foot of the results we got in New Ross the department have decided to make the whole country smokeless. Three weeks ago there was such poor air quality that a UCC professor noted that New Ross had worse air quality than Beijing in 2008 when there were fears athletes would not be able to compete in the smog.'

The Air Quality Monitoring system in Ard Mhicil estate on Thursday showed a reading of 55 pm10 particles and over 90 total particles.

Mr Cooney said particulates the size of a fraction of a width of hair are measured from a pole erected in Ard Mhicil every 15 minutes and can be viewed on the council's website. 'We are the first in the country to do this,' Mr Cooney said, adding that a text alert is planned for New Ross residents on days when the air quality exceeds a certain limit and is dangerously poor, subject to approval from the Environmental Protection Agency. Mr Cooney said the Department of the Environment was only receiving daily averages from most urban areas, but has been getting 15 minute updates from New Ross. 'From 4 or 5 p.m. the readings start going up as people come home from work and at 10 p.m. they go back down again. This has been communicated to the department and to the minister. People don't realise the dangers. Air pollution kills 1,300 Irish people every year. People don't realise it; they might have asthma and get an asthma attack, or people with pulmonary or heart disease die because the particulates get into the bloodstream.'

The county's four other urban centres will be getting air quality monitoring stations following the council's work in New Ross. 'They are not expensive to run, you just have the electricity costs and they need to be taken off for calibration once a year.'

New Ross Standard

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Air quality in Ross 'worse than Beijing'

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The air quality in New Ross was worse than Beijing in mid-December - leading to urgent calls for a text alert system for the town's 9,000 residents to protect their health.

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When I think of climate change, the first thing thing that I think of is the destruction of trees in the Black Forest in Germany.
Emissions form nearby industrialised areas have altered the acidity (pH) of the rain destroying the leaves on the trees and then the trees themselves. As they trees die, carbon sequestration is diminished, the acid rain alters the soil pH, thereby killing more plants, lack of plants affects the animal life and so on it goes,

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As early as the 1960s, scientists observed evidence of tree damage from acid rain and other environmental pollutants in the Black Forest of Germany. First termed Waldsterben, or tree death, this phenomenon caused damage to nearly half of all trees in the Black Forest by 1990. Acid rain harms wildlife, and while most acid precipitation studies focus on aquatic animals, the forests are not immune to the effects of acid rain.

Acid Rain Definition

Acid rain is actually a general term for any sort of acidic precipitation. This means the acid rain definition includes rain, snow, fog, hail and/or dust that contains acidic compounds. Those acidic compounds are almost always nitric or sulfuric acid.

Acid rain is caused when SO2 (sulfur dioxide) or NOx (any form of nitrous oxide) enter the atmosphere. This is usually through the burning of fuels, industrial emissions, oil refineries, power generators and other manmade machinery/manufacturing. These then combine with water and other atmospheric gases to grate sulfuric and nitric acid within the precipitation that then falls to the ground from the atmosphere.

The source of these emissions don't need to be close in proximity to cause acid rain: wind and water currents can carry these pollutants across the globe and cause acid precipitation in far away places. The pH of acid precipitation is usually between 4.2 and 4.4 (whereas water/rain is usually close to a neutral pH of 7).

Soil

During rainfall, some water soaks into the forest soil; when the rainfall itself is acidic, it can cause the acidity of the soil to increase. Some soils include a natural buffering capacity, which means the soil neutralizes the acidity in the soil. These soils are naturally alkaline, but the buffering abilities can be damaged through frequent acid deposition.

Those soils that have less buffering capacity are more susceptible to the other harmful effects of acid rain. Acid rain can kill plants and other producers that are at the base of the food chain, which can lead to a chain reaction of effects up to the top predators. In fact, acid rain was initially called "tree death" because of this effect acid rain had on plants.

Farmers are often forced to add crushed limestone or other fertilizers to help increase the soil's buffering capacity and reduce the acidity.

Nutrient Leaching

In addition to increasing the acidity in soil, acid rain leaches cations like potassium, calcium, magnesium and sodium from the soil and washes them away, making these nutrients unavailable to plants. Known as soil depletion, this process reduces the fertility of the soil. When acid rain removes those nutrients completely, the soil is unable to support plant life. Acid rain also releases substances like aluminum, which are toxic to plants.

Leaf Damage

Forests at high elevations, such as those in the Great Smoky Mountains, are greatly affected not only by acid rain but also because of exposure to acidic clouds and fog. With frequent exposure to acidic fog, the waxy coating of leaves and needles of trees may weaken and be more prone to damage from insects, disease or cold weather.

Indirect Effects

For example, low levels of calcium in soil caused by acid rain might decrease the number of earthworms or other insects that birds need for nourishment; additionally, when snails are not present, female birds do not get enough calcium for healthy eggs. As a result, the populations of these birds also decrease.

About the Author

Cara Batema is a musician, teacher and writer who specializes in early childhood, special needs and psychology. Since 2010, Batema has been an active writer in the fields of education, parenting, science and health. She holds a bachelor's degree in music therapy and creative writing.

Photo Credits

Thomas Northcut/Photodisc/Getty Images

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How is the Forest Affected by Acid Rain?

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As early as the 1960s, scientists observed evidence of tree damage from acid rain and other environmental pollutants in the Black Forest of Germany. Acid rain harms wildlife, and while most acid precipitation studies focus on aquatic animals, the forests are not immune to the effects of acid rain.

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See all the wonderful things Eilis O'Reilly has made

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Singapore is a heavily urbanised city state which will be affected by climate change impacts. Most prominently, rising sea levels and increased incidence of heavy rainfall risks flooding and coastal loss of land. One third of Singapore’s land, including the central business district lies less than 5 metres above sea level.

Singapore has been proactive in mitigating the effects of climate change, by creating flood defence infrastructure, creating an efficient public transport system to reduce car usage and investing heavily in green areas and tree planting to offset carbon emissions. 

Below is an article which describes how Singapore is using mangroves to contribute in the battle against climate change. 

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Singapore is a heavily urbanised city state which will be affected by climate change impacts. Most prominently, rising sea levels and increased incidence of heavy rainfall risks flooding and coastal loss of land. One third of Singapore’s land, including the central business district lies less than 5 metres above sea level.

Singapore has been proactive in mitigating the effects of climate change, by creating flood defence infrastructure, creating an efficient public transport system to reduce car usage and investing heavily in green areas and tree planting to offset carbon emissions.

Below is an article which describes how Singapore is using mangroves to contribute in the battle against climate change.

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Share this content

SINGAPORE: Think of mangroves as a bank account, but instead of storing money, this account stores carbon and actively takes in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

And while Singapore's mangroves make up a small part of its total land area - about one per cent - they have a role to play when it comes to carbon storage.

"What's great about mangroves compared to other types of forests is that they store a lot more carbon (in the same amount of area)," Associate Professor Daniel Friess told CNA.

In regular forests, organic matter such as leaves and branches are broken down and carbon dioxide is released back into the atmosphere. But this happens much more slowly in mangroves as they are waterlogged, said National University of Singapore's (NUS)Dr Friess, who has studied mangroves in Singapore for over ten years.

"Mangroves are great because they can store three to five times more carbon per hectare than other forest types (typically) do," he explained.

Based on data collected by Dr Friess and hiscolleagues in 2015, it was found that Singapore's mangroves contained 450,571 tonnes of carbon - the equivalent to 1.65 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.

When the study was published, this was roughly equivalent to the annual per capita emissions of about 620,000 people.

In addition, mangroves store about 11 per cent of the carbon in all of Singapore's forests, but cover less than six per cent of the forest area in Singapore.

"When people first started talking about using forests to store carbon and help against climate change ... the focus was all on tropical forests and tundra and these other things. No one really thought about mangroves or seagrass," said Dr Friess.

"In the last ... eight years or so, things really ramped up, because people started to realise how efficiently (they) were storing carbon ... You get more bang for your buck in the same area that has more carbon (stored) in the mangrove."

This phenomenon - dubbed blue carbon - has gained traction, in recent years. Blue carbon refers to carbon stored in coastal and marine ecosystems, including in sea grasses, tidal marshes and mangroves.

There has been a push to conserve and restore these ecosystems, as they serve a number of functions, including reducing the impact of climate change.

Plants that can store carbon help in the fight against climate change as carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, traps heat in the atmosphere and contributes to global warming.

Speaking to CNA, Earth Observatory Singapore (EOS) director Benjamin Horton noted how carbon capture and storage technologies can often be "incredibly expensive" and need to be "cutting edge". In comparison, natural systems such as mangroves provide a simpler solution, he added.

But these systems alone, both in Singapore and globally, will not be enough to offset emissions, he noted, pointing out that there are other reasons connected to climate change which make mangroves worth preserving.

"If you look at the greenhouse gas concentrations, the vast majority of it is from industrial use, particularly the energy sector ... transportation, but then a significant proportion is land-use change (which) contributes 15 to 20 per cent in any one year," he said.

"What we need to do is stop that land use change. So we need to stop deforestation in the Amazon, Africa, Southeast Asia, and we need to stop removing our mangrove and our salt marshes, because it's contributing to that. So, the idea of expanding them is interesting, but to me, the most important thing is to stop the deforestation."

What is needed to tackle climate change is a "holistic approach" which incorporates different solutions, he said.

"You can't just say we're going to continue to burn fossil fuels ... and then we'll offset by carbon capture and storage or natural solution to climate change. It has to be part of the solution."

Singapore Nature Society president Shawn Lum noted that Singapore is a bit of a "special case" being a city-state.

"The reality is that if we're still burning fossil fuels at a high level - and it seems like we're committed to reducing that - but with five, six million people, energy intensive lifestyles and industry, that's a lot of carbon emissions per capita. The reality is we just don't have the forests, the mangroves, the reefs ... to capture all of that carbon."

However, this is not to say coastal ecosystems like mangroves are not important, he added.
AN 'UNDERVALUED' ASSET
"Having the presence of these nature-based solutions all around us to remind us of nature as part of our mitigation and defence against climate change and sea level rise could trigger something in all of us to make us think ... (and) start to build in carbon accounting or climate offset into either business models of companies or lifestyles that we adopt - I think it can make a huge difference," Dr Lum explained.

Over the past 50 years, Singapore has lost large swathes of mangroves.

In 1953, it was estimated it had 63.4 sq km of mangroves. In 2018, the country's mangrove area was estimated to be 8.1 sq km, said Prof Friess. And there is a need to conserve and protect what is left, he pointed out.

"Before planting new mangroves, the first thing is to conserve what we already have," said Prof Friess. "Once you've done that, then then you can think about the restoration and planting more mangroves."

Singapore's mangroves grow in "very specific environments", noted Associate Professor Adam Switzer, who is also from Nanyang Technological University's (NTU) EOS.

"There's a fairly narrow range of environments the mangrove can thrive on, and that means you need a reasonably sheltered area, and you need a certain tidal prism, it needs to be away from currents and waves, and you need a certain muddy substrate for the mangrove to take hold, and that could take several decades to start to build what would look like a reasonable size mangrove system," he said.

"So, the ones that we have now, we do need to conserve them because there's such a narrow band of opportunity in terms of areas of the coast that can support mangroves."

In a speech last year, then Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli had said that Singapore's plans to tackle climate change will incorporate nature-based solutions involving mangroves.

"To boost our natural defences such as mangroves, we take both hard and soft engineering approaches to mitigate coastal erosion and actively restore our mangrove areas," he said.

The combination of hard engineering approaches with soft engineering approaches such as the plantation of mangroves would be a "fantastic" one, noted Dr Switzer.

He said: "It's about getting all the different possible solutions on the table ... If you want to defend a part of Singapore coastline, can we build something that is a combination of birthright and soft engineering, that provides the best of both worlds - it protects us from sea level rise, or tidal currents or waves, but it also allows formation and growth of the mangrove ecosystem to very important, both to the local area and country and the region?"

Dr Horton, who is a climate scientist, pointed out these ecosystems also
protect our coastline from storm surges and erosion. He gave the example of coastlines that had "extensive, full" mangroves resulting in inland areas being protected significantly from the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

Singapore's mangroves systems can serve other purposes, said Dr Horton and Dr Friess.

"They can be a testbed for understanding how you can have the greatest carbon storage ... how in an urban setting do you allow mangroves to thrive. That's the key," he said. "Coastal ecosystems, be they marshes or wetlands in temperate regions (or)mangroves in tropical regions have been much undervalued," said Dr Horton.

There are also "cultural benefits" which mangroves provide, added Dr Friess.

"So many people at the weekends are at Ubin, they are at Sungei Buloh, at Pasir Ris park, at Labrador Park," he pointed out. "People are enjoying mangroves and it's a way of connecting with nature. And I think we're all really aware of this after the 'circuit breaker'."

And mangroves are "working hard" in the background without many noticing them, pointed out Prof Friess.

He said: "They're supporting our species and they're supporting our fisheries ... and they're doing it all very quietly in the background, not making a fuss - so they are kind of these unsung heroes."

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How Singapore's mangroves can contribute in the battle against climate change

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(Updated: ) Share this content SINGAPORE: Think of mangroves as a bank account, but instead of storing money, this account stores carbon and actively takes in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. And while Singapore's mangroves make up a small part of its total land area - about one per cent - they have a role to play when it comes to carbon storage.

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Kenya is seeing significant changes in the climate, which is affecting numerous aspects of life. Farmers are having to plant at higher altitudes, further degrading soil and risking landslides (as a result of increased rains). Climate change is also contributing to increased migration to Nairobi in search of livelihoods, placing additional strain on already burdened health, water and other services.

1. Thornton N. Climate change in Kenya: focus on children. London: UNICEF UK.

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Mexico contribute to 1.38% of the greenhouse global emissions.
Mobile sources and electricity generation are the biggest contributors.
USAID. (Internet) 2017.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Factsheet: Mexico. Available from: https://www.climatelinks.org/resources/greenhouse-gas-emissions-factsheet-mexico.

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Key climate impacts:
-Infrastructure
-Coast
-Water sources
-Ecosystems
-Agriculture

USAID (Internet). 2017. Climate Risk Profile: Mexico. Available from: https://www.climatelinks.org/resources/climate-change-risk-profile-mexico

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This is a report from the Environmental Protection Agency on Ireland’s greenhouse gas projections 2017-2035. This gives a good breakdown of Ireland’s greenhouse gas emission areas. These projections show that Ireland will most likely not meet its 2020 target and is not on the right course to meet long term EU and National emission reduction commitments. In creating these projections they compare two scenarios, one with existing measures and one that takes into account additional measures.
https://www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/air/airemissions/ghgprojections2017-2035/EPA_2018_GHG_Emissions_Projections_Summary_Report.pdf

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Irelands contribution to greenhouse gases 

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Irelands contribution to greenhouse gases 

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What does a day’s worth of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Ireland look like ?

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EU countries by total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2015

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"Agriculture, Energy and Transport accounted for 73% of Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions in 2012'

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Fossil Fuel and climate change
The main fossil fuel that my family has used in my lifetime has always been coal. So I was interested to find out more about its impact. It has been the main global energy source since 2003 and has had an impact on our greenhouse gases by not only its burning to provide energy but the coal industry plants also pollute our air. The Paris Agreement has shown the global effort that will be taken to stop the use of coal as fuel and already it use is falling but we still need to educate people more on its dangers to the environment.

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Background - 1 July, 2016
We need to break free from dirty, polluting coal. The good news is we've already begun to change. Coal is in a steep and irreversible decline, and clean, safe, renewable energy has unstoppable momentum. But we must move faster still to prevent a climate crisis.
The problem: coal stokes climate warming

Coal is mainly made up of carbon, making it a carbon-intensive energy source. Burning coal produces nearly double the as burning gas, for the same amount of energy. So although coal generated less than 30 percent of the world's energy supply in 2013, it produced 46 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. greenhouse gas emissions

A typical 500 MW coal power plant releases global warming emissions roughly equal to 600,000 cars. Yet unlike cars, coal plants are designed to operate for 40 years or more - a long lifespan of polluting energy.

Coal mining often produces the potent greenhouse gas methane. Methane is 84 times as powerful as carbon dioxide at disrupting the climate over a given 20-year period.

Coal's dirty plans - the challenge we must meet

Total new coal generation capacity commissioned from 2010 to 2014 averaged 200 MW a day globally - further fuelling climate change. If plans for new coal-fired power plants around the world go ahead, carbon dioxide emissions from coal would balloon to 60 percent of the global total by 2030.

Worldwide proven coal reserves would allow us to burn it for 110 more years. Yet if even a small fraction of this dirty, polluting fuel is mined and burned, we have no chance to stay within 1.5 degrees Celsius of temperature rise . (Beyond this level of warming, many impacts of climate change become severe in some regions.)

Australia, China, India, Poland and South Africa are among countries using coal for more than two-thirds of their electricity and heat. South Africa sources 92 percent of its power from coal, and plans to add a further 16,400 MW by 2030.

Coal is a dying industry

The tide has turned on coal. The 2015 Paris Agreement sent a clear signal that the era of fossil fuels - in particular coal - is coming to an end. Around the world, evidence grows of the coal industry's steep and irreversible decline.

China: once accounting for half of all coal demand, in 2014 China's coal consumption levelled off, then fell rapidly. A war on pollution, renewable energy growth, and economic rebalancing are behind China's energy shift.

Vietnam: although development plans in Southeast Asia formerly relied heavily on coal, Vietnam's 2016 decision to shelve plans for 70 large coal power plants suggests the shift to cleaner energy is gaining momentum.

USA: coal production has fallen to the lowest level in three decades. Dozens of coal mining companies have filed for bankruptcy, including Peabody Energy, the world's biggest private coal miner.

European Union: coal consumption has been falling since mid-2012, and the UK is committed to phasing out coal by 2025.

India: although its coal production has been increasing rapidly, India's coal has ended up in stockpiles. Water shortages have led some plants to close. India has the world's four most polluted cities, and growing awareness of pollution has brought coal power's harmful effects to a head.

We must break completely free from coal

The coal industry would have us think we need this dirty fuel to meet growing energy demand. This is simply untrue.

Greenpeace's respected Energy [R]evolution analyses show we can meet our energy needs through energy efficiency and a shift to 100 percent . renewable energy

We've already begun to change. The shift to safe and secure energy from the sun, wind and other clean sources now has unstoppable momentum.

We can't wait any longer to break free from coal. We know that to prevent catastrophic climate change, we must make the leap to 100 percent renewable energy as soon as possible.

What Greenpeace is doing to fight coal

Greenpeace is campaigning around the world to close down coal power plants and prevent construction of new ones.

The ways we help communities break free from coal include:

highlighting coal's health impacts

supporting farmers driven from their land to make way for construction of power plants

campaigning to stop the flow of investment to coal and other fossil fuel projects.

Greenpeace also campaigns for clean renewable energy and other . And we expose the myths about false solutions, including expensive and unworkable climate change solutions . carbon capture and storage

What you can do

More information

The coal industry not only fuels climate change, it also pollutes our air, water and lands.

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How the coal industry fuels climate change

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Coal, the most polluting way to generate electricity, is a serious threat to our climate. Burning coal is the biggest single source of carbon dioxide emissions from human activity. Coal mining also releases the potent greenhouse gas methane. Yet coal has been the main global energy source since 2003.

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Innovative thinking...

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Future of Food: Farming in the age of climate change

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Slightly off topic but thought this was a nice resource for children (older ones) proving simpler information on climate change and what we can do to help. there is also info for school education.

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This page will help you understand the science behind climate change, the impacts of a changing climate, and how you can help slow climate change and prepare for it. We've also created a list of resources and activities for educators and students of all ages.

The Science

Science paints a clear picture: Climate change is happening; it is caused mostly by humans; and it creates many serious and damaging effects. The primary cause of climate change is human activities - like driving cars, creating electricity, and cutting down forests - not natural changes in the climate. These human activities release gases into the atmosphere called greenhouse gases, which slowly warm the planet, creating climate change.

The climate is very complex, and there are still some things we don't know about it. But through centuries of studies and experiments, we've been able to create a strong understanding of how the system works, and how humans are changing it.

The Greenhouse Effect

Imagine a greenhouse made of glass used to grow plants, like flowers and vegetables. The greenhouse keeps the plants inside warm even when it's cold outside because it traps heat from the sun. The earth's atmosphere acts like a greenhouse: When light from the sun passes through the atmosphere, some of it is absorbed by the Earth's surface to heat it, but some heat is also trapped in our atmosphere by certain gases. These heat-trapping gases are called greenhouse gases, and they act like a blanket, keeping the earth warm. This greenhouse effect is a natural process that makes the planet comfortable to live.

But human activities are increasing the amount of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. One type of greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, has reached a level in our atmosphere that the Earth hasn't seen for more than 400,000 years! Plants, soils, and the ocean can absorb carbon dioxide, but they can't keep up with all the extra greenhouse gases that we have been releasing. And some greenhouse gases stay in the atmosphere for a long time, from hundreds to even thousands of years. All these gases are making things hotter than natural, so we need to stop producing them to avoid climate change.

Weather vs. Climate

Weather refers to the state of the atmosphere in a short period of time, like minutes or days. It includes lots of things we are familiar with, like temperature, humidity, precipitation, and wind speeds. The weather changes every day, but the climate is much more consistent because it measures the patterns of weather over long periods of time (at least several decades). Let's say you were going to visit Florida for a few days in June. You would expect it to be hot and humid, because that's what the climate of Florida is usually like in June. It might turn out to be hot during your trip, or it could rain or be cloudy. All of those are examples of possible weather during those days.

The Greenhouse Effect Explained

Where do greenhouse gases come from?

Up until about 150 years ago, humans did not produce many greenhouse gases. That changed as the human population grew, we cut down forests to make way for cities and farms, and important inventions and technology, like in-home electricity and cars, transformed the way we live.

These inventions and technologies need energy. Some types of energy called fossil fuels - like coal, oil, and natural gas - have become important sources of that energy. Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. We call the release of these gases emissions.

Today in the United States, electricity and transportation (cars, trucks, and planes) are responsible for almost 60 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. The rest comes from agriculture, industry - such as factories that make products we use - and from energy we use in our homes and businesses.
Learn more about U.S. greenhouse gas emissions here.
Greenhouse Gases

The most common types of greenhouse gases are:

Carbon Dioxide (CO ₂): Carbon dioxide is the most common greenhouse gas created by human activities. It makes up 80 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Most carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere when fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal) are burned for electricity and transportation, and because of other processes like making cement. Carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere and stored when it is absorbed by plants, soils, animals, and the ocean as part of the carbon cycle.
Learn more about how energy emissions are controlled in the United States.

Methane (CH ₄): Methane is the next most common greenhouse gas emitted by human activities. It makes up 10 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Most methane emissions come from raising livestock (like cows), but methane is also released when coal, natural gas, and oil are produced and transported, and when organic waste (like food) decays in landfills. Methane is a stronger gas than carbon dioxide, meaning it creates more warming, but it stays in the atmosphere for a shorter time.
Learn more about how industrial greenhouse gases like methane are controlled in the United States.

Nitrous Oxide (N ₂ O): Most nitrous oxide is emitted by agricultural activities, like applying fertilizer, but it also comes from industrial activities, burning fossil fuels, and other sources. It makes up 6 percent of U.S. greenhouse emissions. Nitrous oxide is even more powerful than methane and carbon dioxide at warming the atmosphere.

Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), Perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6): Try saying these gases three times fast! They're called "fluorinated gases" for short. These gases combined make up only 3 percent of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. That may sound small, but they are very important to solving climate change because they stay in the atmosphere for a very long time (sometimes for thousands of years!) and are much more powerful warmers than all other gases. These gases are made by humans and are used to cool our refrigerators, freezers, buildings and cars.

U.S. Greenhouse Gases by Gas Type and Sector, 2021

Impacts of a Changing Climate

Because of increases in greenhouse gas emissions, global temperatures are rising. Each of the past four decades has been warmer than the previous one. 2016 and 2020 were the warmest years on record, and the six warmest years have all been since 2010.
Learn more about the relationship between extreme weather and climate change.
The following charts show how emissions and temperatures have gone up since 1900, and how they could continue to change in the future. If we continue to emit more and more greenhouse gases, the temperature of the Earth will rise a lot - maybe as much as 5 degrees Celsius (9 degrees Fahrenheit) by 2100. Even if we reduce our emissions right now, the temperature of the Earth will still rise slightly, but we might be able to keep the rise below 2 degrees Celsius (or about 4.8 degrees Fahrenheit). Two degrees might not sound like much, but scientists agree that even that small amount of warming can have large impacts on humans and the environment.

Past and Projected Changes in Carbon Emissions and Temperature

Rising global temperatures affect many things, like extreme weather, human health, food supply, and ecosystems. These impacts are already being felt today, and groups like the poor, elderly, and others are especially vulnerable.
Impacts of climate change include:

Heat waves. Heat waves are long periods of time with temperatures that are hotter than normal. As the Earth warms, more areas will be at risk for hotter and more common extreme heat waves. Learn more about the link between climate change and extreme heat.

Heavy precipitation and storms. Heavy precipitation - like rain or snow - is becoming more common in many locations, which can lead to flooding and other dangerous weather. As seas warm, coastal storms like hurricanes are also becoming more frequent and damaging. Learn more about the link between climate change and heavy precipitation and hurricanes.

Sea level rise. Sea levels have risen about 8 inches since 1880 because glaciers and ice sheets are melting and seas are warming. Scientists predict that, with 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming, sea levels could rise by as much as 1.8 feet this century, which would harm communities living on islands and near coasts. These rises could be even higher if glaciers in Greenland or Antarctica melt very quickly.

Threats to habitats and animals. Warming temperatures, rising seas, melting ice, and other impacts of climate change can threaten the habitat of many plants and animals. Some species are moving to new habitats, but others may struggle to adapt and become endangered or extinct.

Ocean acidification. Extra carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is absorbed by the oceans, making them more acidic. This can make it difficult for corals and organisms that form shells to survive, which can create problems in the food chain for other sea animals.

Wildfires. These are fires that burn large amounts of forests and brush. When they are not controlled, wildfires can destroy homes and be deadly. The number of large wildfires and the length of the season when they're most likely and threatening have been increasing in recent years. Find out how climate change will worsen wildfire conditions.

Drought. A drought is a period with little rain and not enough water. Global warming will increase the risk of drought in some places and make it harder to grow food. Learn about the links between climate change and drought.

How can you help?

Even though climate change sounds scary, we still have time to avoid some of the worst impacts. Everyone can play a part, including government, businesses, and you.

There are two main things we need to do:

The first is to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions responsible for climate change. By choosing cleaner ways to power our homes, offices, and cars, and being more efficient and less wasteful, we can produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

There are lot of things you can do to help, like turning off the lights when you leave a room to reduce the electricity you use, walking or biking where you can, or planting trees to absorb carbon dioxide. If you do any of these things, make sure you communicate with other people (like your family, teachers, and friends) about why you're doing them! Communication can inspire more people to change their habits and help save the climate.

Look for more ideas on what we can do together and individually.

The second is to prepare for life in a changing climate. Even if we could stop creating greenhouse gases tomorrow, the climate would still change some because of our past emissions. So we need to make sure our buildings, roads, businesses, and communities are ready for the climate changes that we can't avoid. This includes things like helping cities on the coast prepare for floods, preventing wildfires in our forests, and more.

Learn how communities and companies are preparing.

The power of YOUth

Around the world, young people are learning about climate change and taking action. In fact, young people are some of the most important voices in the climate movement because you can inspire powerful people to create a better future for you.

You don't have to be a rocket scientist or a politician to make a difference in the fight against climate change. Whatever your talents are, there's a role for you to play. Some young people, like Greta Thunberg, Vanessa Nakate, and others, are leading the Fridays for Future movement to tell their governments to create strong policies to fight climate change. Other students are inventing new technologies to cut emissions and reduce waste. And others are using their creativity to bring awareness to climate change by writing music and creating art.

You can also look for ways to get involved in your community - maybe you can help your school set up a composting program to keep food waste out of the landfill. Maybe your synagogue or mosque needs help switching to energy efficient lights. Maybe you can write a letter to your local government to encourage your community to prepare for extreme weather or wildfires. Everyone can do something to fight climate change.

Check out our Educator Resources page for activities you can do to learn more about how climate change works and how you can be a part of the solution.
C2ES thanks the Alcoa Foundation for its support, which allowed us to develop our Climate Classroom content. As a fully independent organization, C2ES is solely responsible for its positions, programs, and publications.

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This page will help you understand the science behind climate change, the impacts of a changing climate, and how you can help slow climate change and prepare for it. We've also created a list of resources and activities for educators and students of all ages.

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This Ted Talk provided a great summary of the causes of climate change and the impacts. But crucially the solutions are also focused on. I learnt that a 100W light bulbs left on overnight produces 1.5kg of CO2. That figure shocked me!

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Climate Change: Simple, Serious, Solvable  | James Rae | TEDxUniversityofStAndrews

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Human activities have caused the extinction of 1000 plant and animal species. we need these organisms to sustain intact ecosystems. We need to avoid our activities having too great an effect on biodiversity. The crash course on ecology video is a great way to understand the services provided by intact ecosystems.

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Human activities have caused the extinction of 1000 plant and animal species. we need these organisms to sustain intact ecosystems. We need to avoid our activities having too great an effect on biodiversity. The crash course on ecology video is a great way to understand the services provided by intact ecosystems.

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5 Human Impacts on the Environment: Crash Course Ecology #10

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The reference in Sim, Griffiths & McKee (1) to the NHS forest reminded me of a news story I had heard a while ago, about an initiative to plant a wall of trees from east to west across Africa in order to combat the effects of climate change in the region.
The goal is to "address land degradation, climate change adaptation and mitigation, biodiversity, and forestry within its local context" (2), with hope that environmental improvement will also further economic opportunity.

I've included the link to a national geographic article on the project here

(1) Sim F, Griffiths J, McKee M. Chapter 12: Sustainable development and climate change- the 'new' determinants of health. In: Sim F, McKee M, editors. Issues in Public Health. London: McGraw-Hill Education; 2011.

(2) www.nationalgeographic.org/news/great-green-wall/

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By Ryan Schleeter

Monday, November 4, 2013

In Africa, scientists are hard at work restoring land once rich with biodiversity and vegetation. Eleven countries in the Sahel-Sahara region-Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan, Chad, Niger, Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, and Senegal-have joined to combat land degradation and restore native plant life to the landscape.

In recent years, northern Africa has seen the quality of arable land decline significantly due to climate change and poor land management. Uniting under the banner of the "Great Green Wall" initiative, national and regional leaders hope to reverse this trend. The bulk of the work on the ground was originally slated to be concentrated along a stretch of land from Djibouti, Djibouti, in the east to Dakar, Senegal, in the west-an expanse 15 kilometers (9 miles) wide and 7,775 kilometers (4,831 miles) long. The project has since expand ed to include countries in both northern and western Africa.

Land degradation typically stems from both human-related and natural factors; overfarming, overgrazing, climate change, and extreme weather are the most common causes. Beyond affecting land and the natural environment, land degradation poses serious threats to agricultural productivity, food security, and quality of life. Nowhere is this issue more urgent than in sub-Saharan Africa, where an estimated 500 million people live on land undergoing desertification, the most extreme form of land degradation.

Jean-Marc Sinnassamy is a senior environmental specialist with the Global Environment Facility (GEF). He helps manage a program developed under the Great Green Wall initiative with countries in the Sahel and West Africa. The GEF has been with the initiative since the beginning, helping to convene country leaders at the headquarters of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Bonn, Germany, in February 2011. The World Bank and other organizations focused on global development and the environment provide financial and technical support.

For Sinnassamy, the partnership represents a unique opportunity to work across the region with a solid political base.

"Here, we saw political leaders, heads of state, ministers in different countries wanting to work on common environmental issues and wanting to tackle land degradation issues together," he says. ". . . For us, this is a political blessing. We have to respond to this demand, and we have to capitalize on that."
Integrated Landscape Approach
Beyond the project's strong political foundation, its carefully crafted approach brings environmental benefits both locally and globally. The initiative uses an "integrated landscape approach" that allows each country to address land degradation, climate change adaptation and mitigation, biodiversity, and forestry within its local context.

"In this case, working to combat land degradation is the best way to address both very local issues and improve the global environment," Sinnassamy says. "We are working with the land, which is the basis of livelihood in these communities. We are working with people to improve soil quality, which improves crop yield and in turn agricultural production and the overall quality of life in the community. These very local benefits are also a way to generate global benefits for water, land, and nature."

In the end, Sinnassamy hopes the region as a whole will be composed of a " mosaic of landscapes" that increases biodiversity and maintains native flora as part of agricultural land. Each participating country has its own individual goals, which include reducing erosion, diversifying income, increasing crop yield, and improving soil fertility.

While trees and forests are only part of the focus of the Great Green Wall initiative, many in the media have cast the project as solely a tree-planting project and an attempt to halt the southward expansion of the Sahara Desert.

Sinnassamy is quick to point out two faults in this perception. The first is that the Great Green Wall initiative is much more nuanced than simply planting a belt of trees across the continent.

"Behind the name or the brand 'Great Green Wall,' different people see different things. Some people saw just a stripe of trees from east to west, but that has never been our vision," he says. "In Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso . . . natural regeneration managed by farmers has yielded great results. We want to replicate and scale up these achievements across the region. It's very possible to restore trees to a landscape and to restore agroforestry practices without planting any trees. This is also a sustainable way of regenerating agroforestry and parkland."

The second misperception Sinnassamy points to is that the Sahara Desert is not, in fact, expanding.

"We are not fighting the desert," he says. "In the majority of the areas we are working in these 11 countries, the desert is not advancing. The [Sahara] Desert is a very stable ecosystem. Of course, there are some areas on the margins-for instance in Senegal, Mauritania, and Nigeria-where there are some sand movements. But from a geographic perspective, over time the desert has been relatively stable in this area."
What Will It Take to 'Build the Wall'?
Having spent the better part of a year planning, strategizing, and building partnerships with agencies on the ground, the Great Green Wall initiative is beginning to report positive early results. The project's $2 billion budget, stemming largely from World Bank co-financing and partnerships fostered by the African Union, ensures participating countries will have the means to see the project through to the end.

Examples of success include more than 50,000 acres of trees planted in Senegal. Most of these are the acacia species Senegalia senegal, which has economic value for the commodity it produces, gum arabic. (Gum arabic is primarily used as a food additive.) A small portion of the trees are also fruit-bearing, which, when mature, will help combat the high levels of malnutrition in the country's rural interior.

Even more dramatic is the project's potential social impact. The BBC reports that the improvements in land quality and economic opportunity in Mali may help curb terrorism in the country, where famine and poverty have exacerbated a spike in political and religious extremism.

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By Ryan Schleeter Monday, November 4, 2013 In Africa, scientists are hard at work restoring land once rich with biodiversity and vegetation. Eleven countries in the Sahel-Sahara region-Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan, Chad, Niger, Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, and Senegal-have joined to combat land degradation and restore native plant life to the landscape.

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Canada's Latest Controversial project: The Keystone Oil Pipeline

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Canada's Latest Controversial project: The Keystone Oil Pipeline

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The debate was ongoing for a decade between Canada's various provinces and US States to allow the construction of a transcontinental oil pipeline (the TransCanada Keystone project). Finally, in November 2017, one of the last standing US territory, Nebraska as given its green light to the controversial project. The pipeline construction will allow even more oil to be pumped from Alberta and sold to the US. Ecological disasters are feared by the population as leaks and even accidental fires/explosions are likely to happen with this type of infrastructures. Citizens from both countries and even from overseas are protesting again the project in this hour of great ecological concern.

I have included here a link for a video made by National Geographic which summarises the project:

https://youtu.be/cT9NH9I_DWE

Also there's an article from The Globe Mail for more information on the latest developments: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/energy-and-resources/nebraska-regulators-approve-transcanadas-keystone-pipeline/article37028478/

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At a time when we should be moving away from fossil fuels there has been some motivation for fracking to be carried out in Ireland. Local protests have been carried out against this, but studies are still ongoing into how it would be best monitored if it did take place so it may be a possibility in the future.

https://www.gsi.ie/en-ie/geoscience-topics/energy/Pages/Fracking.aspx

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Irish scientists aim to use seaweed to sustainably create bioplastics (Good news story)

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Irish scientists aim to use seaweed to sustainably create bioplastics (Good news story)

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A GROUP OF Irish scientists are helping to pave the way for the future of bioplastics, using the relatively untapped resource of… seaweed.

Unlike normal plastics which can linger for many years and have various pretty nasty effects on the environment, bioplastics can be biodegradable and are not manufactured using fossil fuels.

The production of this material uses PolyLatic Acid from food stuffs like corn, wheat, sugar beets, and sugar cane.

The European Union has a target for 2020 that 10% of all market plastics will be bioplastics, meaning that as the production of bioplastics grows, so will the space and resources required.

Researchers from the Daithi O’Murchu Marine Research Station in Cork and Cartron Point Shellfish in Clare are working with other organisations across Europe on a project known as SEABIOPLAS.

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Irish scientists aim to use seaweed to sustainably create bioplastics

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Right now, the production of these materials requires food stuffs like corn, wheat, sugar beets, and sugar cane.

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Adani, Australia’s largest coal mine has been approved, threatening Great Barrier Reef

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Adani, Australia’s largest coal mine has been approved, threatening Great Barrier Reef

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Gautam Adani, the Indian billionaire’s largest mine in Australia and one of the largest in the world has been approved by our short sited prime minister. The Great Barrier Reef is at catastrophic tipping point already from coral bleaching etc etc and these super coal mines and a proposed super coal highway will bring coal up the east coast passing within the reef system. Any spill will spell disaster. They also dredge soil which is dumped in sea (yes near Reef) or wetlands. Thankfully Deutsche Bank and HSBC won’t fund Adani’s project following a successful lobbying due to risk of damage to the world heritage site. Everything is wrong with this. New Delhi has calculated that the price of solar power is dropping so quickly that there could be no need for coal power by 2050. To meet Paris Agreement 90% of Australia’s cola needs to stay in the ground. The 4.7 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions associated with the mine will be equivalent to nine times Australia’s overall emissions in 2014.

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It is worth watching Cowspiracy and Food Inc., both available on Netflix. The first highlights how our meat-reliant diets contribute to climate change, to deforestation and to ill health. The second addresses how humans mistreat the use of land and animals in order to generate industrialised food.

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The Umky Patrol: Sharing knowledge about polar bears across the Arctic

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For several years, increasing numbers of polar bears have been coming into towns in the Chukotka region, on the far north east coast of Russia. A local biologist believes this is because global warming has shrunk their sea ice habitat.

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https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/cure-obesity-processed-food-when-poison-antidote-part-sepahhttps://www.linkedin.com/pulse/cure-obesity-processed-food-when-poison-antidote-part-sepah

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Cork Walking Week  - Saturday September 23 rd – Sunday October 1 st

Cork Sports Partnership along with the Health Promotion and Improvement, Health and Well-being division of the HSE South are on a mission to Get Cork Walking.

This week-long celebration of walking will take place throughout Cork and cater for people interested in getting out and about at walking events and workshops across the county.

Supporting walking groups, programmes and initiatives in Cork and Cork Walking Week provides a fantastic focal point for people to experience walking events and activities locally. The week also coincides with The European Week of Sport which is also about getting people active through sport & physical activity with the campaign #BeActive.

Activities range from orienteering style events to beginner walking workshops as well as guided walks across the county.

Online registration is currently open for all events & workshops and further information on all that’s going on is available at www.corkwalkingweek.ie

GET UP, GET OUT, GET ACTIVE

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https://www.smartertravelworkplaces.ie/
This initiative in Dublin has proven quite successful in reducing reliance on cars and encouraging cycling as a mode of commuting. I do wonder why it hasn't been rolled out by other City councils throughout the country?

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cook county Illinois sweetened beverage ta

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cook county Illinois sweetened beverage ta

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https://www.cookcountyil.gov/service/sweetened

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www.empr.com/features/are-obesity-and-climate-change-connected/article/321099/

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What can happen when  large carnivorous animals are forced into sharing spaces with humans.

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What can happen when  large carnivorous animals are forced into sharing spaces with humans.

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https://youtu.be/mFdudFBgeAY

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The Umky Patrol: Sharing knowledge about polar bears across the Arctic

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For several years, increasing numbers of polar bears have been coming into towns in the Chukotka region, on the far north east coast of Russia. A local biologist believes this is because global warming has shrunk their sea ice habitat.

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http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/03/140331-global-warming-climate-change-ipcc-animals-science-environment/

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The Environmental Protection Agency's projected impacts of climate change for Ireland

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The Environmental Protection Agency's projected impacts of climate change for Ireland

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http://www.epa.ie/climate/communicatingclimatescience/whatisclimatechange/whatimpactwillclimatechangehaveforireland/

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I thought this was interesting. You can click on various parts of the map to find out the expected impacts of climate change on the area.
http://www.climatehotmap.org/

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Livestock-related emissions from agriculture (methane and nitrous oxide) are major contributors to Ireland’s CO2 emissions, according to the EPA website. Ireland’s big CO2 contributors are listed here: http://www.epa.ie/irelandsenvironment/climate/

On a related note has anyone seen “Cowspiracy”? :)
Slightly melodramatic trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV04zyfLyN4

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This ongoing issue of deforestation of the Amazon is contributing to climate change. Large multinationals incentivise clearing forests for production of soy beans, palm oil and beef for export.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/24/business/energy-environment/deforestation-brazil-bolivia-south-america.html?mcubz=3

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This is interesting reading regarding food wastage and its effects on climate change and the environment http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i3347e/i3347e.pdf

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This is interesting reading regarding food wastage and its effects on climate change and the environment http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i3347e/i3347e.pdf

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Alberta’s tar sands produce some of the world’s dirtiest oil - 3-4 times as much greenhouse gas emissions per barrel as the production of regular crude oil.

Thanks to the rapidly rising emissions from the tar sands, upstream oil and gas is now the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada. The tar sands alone spew out more CO2 than all the cars in the country combined.

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This article is a grim depiction of the path that Ireland is following in relation to climate control. The article is sensationalist but some of the facts are hard to ignore!
https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/leo-varadkar-s-focus-on-climate-change-has-proved-shortlived-1.3173651

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A picture paints a thousand words ...

Have a look down through this photo essay on big food.  The treatment of the sows was particularly cruel.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/10/09/magazine/big-food-photo-essay.html?mcubz=3

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After our discussions on obesity and climate change, the figures in this article from yesterday were pretty shocking. The spending on obesity is a huge percentage of the national budget. It's sad when we think of the ways money could be spent on prevention to tackle climate change too, such as investing in improved public transport and creating healthier cities.
I'm not sure what weighing children in isolation will do... Surely there should be an action plan for what would happen after their weight is taken?

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Weighing children in a school setting should become the norm according to Fianna Fáil's Spokesperson on Children and Youth Affairs.

Height and weight assessments have been introduced as part of the under-6's GP scheme.

The Joint Committee on Children and Youth Affairs have today been discussing tackling childhood obesity.

Fianna Fáil's Anne Rabbitte says a database is needed to monitor the problem.

"The norm I talk about is the setting because with the other representatives we had in from the various teaching unions and stuff like that, they spoke about the stigmatisation, the bullying aspect.

"I believe if the normalisation starts at the early intervention years, it's just normal, it's part of the data. It's the collection of it, it's no different."

Meanwhile, the Department of Education says it has no intention to ban schools from having vending machines.

It was revealed that 27% of secondary schools have vending machines, with many using them to supplement their income.

Chair of the Committee, Senator Catherine Noone did not accept the Department's position that it was a matter for individual schools to decide.

"Why is it a matter for the boards' management, in all fairness?" she said.

"The Department doesn't let them teach whatever curriculum thay want on different subjects.

"I think it's a really good policy, healthy policy for us to have.

"Please go away and think about this as a policy that we should implement in our schools."

It comes as research was highlighted during the UN General Assembly in New York showing that a 5% reduction in children's body mass index (BMI) in Ireland would reduce the cost of obesity by almost a quarter.

A paper launched by the World Obesity Federation and the World Health Organisation during the Assembly stated that the total lifetime financial cost of child obesity here could be cut by €1.1 billion from a current estimated total of over €4.5 billion, which is 1.6% of our GDP.

The Irish Heart Foundation has today called for sugar tax revenues to be ringfenced in the Budget to fight child obesity

"These figures clearly demonstrate that any notion that Ireland can't afford to tackle its obesity crisis is simply wrong," said Irish Heart Foundation Head of Advocacy, Chris Macey.

"From an economic standpoint, as well as the human toll of the estimated 85,000 children living on the island today who will die prematurely due to overweight and obesity, we can't afford not to tackle it.

"Last year investment in obesity prevention initiatives by the HSE's Health and Wellbeing Division totalled just €2.7 million - or just over €10 for every Irish schoolchild the World Obesity Federation says will be overweight or obese in Ireland by 2025.

"Meanwhile no funding has been allocated to implement the national obesity action plan since it was launched two years ago.

This is a drop in the ocean of what's really needed to tackle the crisis and it's crucial that the €40 million that the Department of Finance expects to raise each year on the sugar sweetened drinks levy is now ringfenced to promote health and tackle obesity among children as is the case in the UK.

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Call to weigh children in school to tackle obesity

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Weighing children in a school setting should become the norm according to Fianna Fáil's Spokesperson on Children and Youth Affairs. Height and weight assessments have been introduced as part of the under-6's GP scheme. The Joint Committee on Children and Youth Affairs have today been discussing tackling childhood obesity.