Latest news with #climatecrisis
The Guardian
11 hours ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Deadly weekend heat in England ‘100 times more likely' due to climate crisis
The dangerous 32C heat that will be endured by people in the south-east of England on Saturday will have been made 100 times more likely by the climate crisis, scientists have calculated. Global heating, caused by the burning of fossil fuels, is making every heatwave more likely and more intense. The 32C (89.6F) day forecast on Saturday would have been expected only once every 2,500 years without the climate crisis, the researchers said, and June heatwaves are now about 2-4C (3.6-7.2F) hotter than in the past. The heat is expected to cause premature deaths, particularly among older and vulnerable people. More than 10,000 people died before their time in summer heatwaves between 2020 and 2024, according to the UK Health Security Agency, and the UK government has been heavily criticised for failing to properly prepare people for extreme weather. Prolonged heat is especially dangerous as it gives no time for people's bodies to cool off. Maximum temperatures in the south-east are expected to be above 28C for three consecutive days. The scientists said this heatwave was made 10 times more likely by the climate crisis. Dr Ben Clarke at Imperial College London, who was part of the research team, said the culprit for the extreme heat was clear. 'This weather just wouldn't have been a heatwave without human-induced warming,' he said. Climate breakdown drove the annual global temperature in 2024 to a new record and carbon dioxide emissions from coal, oil and gas are still rising. If that continues for just two more years, passing the internationally agreed limit of 1.5C above preindustrial levels will be inevitable, intensifying the extreme weather already taking lives in the UK and across the globe. Clarke said: 'With every fraction of a degree of warming, the UK will experience hotter, more dangerous heatwaves. That means more heat deaths, more pressure on the NHS, more transport disruptions, and tougher work conditions. The best way to avoid a future of relentless heat is by shifting to renewable energy.' Dr Friederike Otto, also at Imperial College London, said: 'It is really important to highlight this early summer heatwave because the impacts of heat are still severely underestimated, and the UK is not prepared for this type of weather.' The Climate Change Committee, the government's official advisers, said in April that the UK's preparations for adapting to a changing climate were 'inadequate, piecemeal and disjointed'. Otto said: 'Heatwaves are called the silent killer, because we don't see people dropping dead on the street, but killers they are. In Europe in 2022, more than 60,000 people died in the summer from extreme heat.' Maja Vahlberg at the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre said: 'Sadly most people die from heat indoors and alone, especially older people and those with underlying health conditions, such as lung or heart disease.' Prof Mike Tipton, a physiologist at Portsmouth University, said: 'The human body is not designed to tolerate prolonged exposure to this sort of extreme heat. It is undeniable that climate change is now costing British lives. Those politicians and commentators who pour scorn on climate action should reflect on this fact because, until we stop emitting greenhouse gases, these episodes are only likely to become more extreme.' The extremely dry spring, combined with soaring temperatures, means the UK is also facing a high risk of wildfires, said Theodore Keeping, also at Imperial College London: 'We've already seen the highest burnt area on record in the UK this year.' People should take extreme care with fires, barbecues and cigarettes, he said. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion The rapid study of the role of global heating in the predicted weekend heatwave compared the likelihood of the high temperatures in today's hotter climate with that in the cooler preindustrial period. The team, part of the World Weather Attribution group, was also able to reuse detailed climate modelling undertaken for a similar heatwave in 2022, speeding up their conclusions. They said older people were at greatest risk from the high temperatures, but that others with existing vulnerabilities could also be affected, with the effectiveness of some medications being changed by the heat or affecting people's ability to cool down. Sweating is how the body cools so it is vital to drink plenty of water, the researchers said. Closing windows and curtains during the day and opening them in the cool of the night can help keep temperatures in homes down, they said. A recent study estimated that 80% of UK homes overheat in the summer. Temperatures in the UK rose above 40C for the first time in 2022. The Met Office said on Wednesday that the UK had a 50/50 chance of temperatures soaring to 40C again in the next 12 years as the climate crisis worsens and that 45C could not be ruled out. Extreme heat is more deadly than floods, earthquakes and hurricanes combined, according to a report by the insurance giant Swiss Re published on 12 June. 'Up to half a million people globally succumb to the effects of extreme heat each year,' it said. 'Extreme heat used to be considered the 'invisible peril' because the impacts are not as obvious as of other natural perils,' said Jérôme Haegeli, chief economist at Swiss Re. 'With a clear trend to longer, hotter heatwaves, it is important we shine a light on the true cost to human life, our economy, infrastructure, agriculture and healthcare.'
The Guardian
14 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
A climate crisis, a ballot, and a chance at a new life in Australia
On the sandy shores of Vaiaku, as coconut trees sway gently in the breeze, Tekafa Piliota sits in his small classroom and dreams of becoming a doctor. The 13-year-old, who lives in Tuvalu's capital Funafuti, knows that would mean leaving his homeland. There aren't any universities in the small Pacific island nation, which lies between Australia and Hawaii. The country has another problem: it is predicted to be one the first countries to become uninhabitable due to rising seas. 'I would like to go to Australia to study. There is higher ground in Australia, and it might be safer during natural disasters,' Piliota says. In the years to come, he could see that dream become a reality. This week the first ballot opened that allows Tuvalu citizens to apply to move to Australia. It is part of a world-first agreement the two countries signed in 2023 that creates a visa in the context of the climate crisis. The agreement, known as the Falepili Union treaty, will allow up to 280 Tuvaluans each year to migrate to Australia and obtain permanent residency, and move freely between the countries. The treaty also contains other provisions to deepen ties, including security guarantees and disaster assistance. Tuvalu's prime minister, Feleti Teo, described the agreement as 'groundbreaking, unprecedented and landmark'. 'There's a lot of excitement around the migration pathway, both in Tuvalu and among our diaspora,' Teo tells the Guardian. 'It doesn't mean you have to live the rest of your life in Australia. You can go in and come out as you wish.' Yet as the historic treaty stirs hope among some Tuvaluans, it has also raised fears that the flow of people out of the country of around 11,000 people will create labour gaps and lead to a loss of cultural knowledge. Others have criticised the treaty's sovereignty implications and questioned how it was negotiated. 'It was done in a secretive manner, kept away from the people, kept away from parliamentary process,' says Enele Sopoaga, a former prime minister of Tuvalu and renowned climate diplomat. 'You cannot take people away and pretend nothing is happening on the ground. That's a daft way of thinking. [It's] modern-day colonialism at its worst,' Sopoaga said. Tuvalu is one if the smallest countries in the world, with a total land mass of about 26 sq km. Funafuti is the capital of Tuvalu and a low-lying atoll of more than 30 islets, home to about 60% of the country's population. Encircling the vast 275 sq km Te Namo lagoon, much of Funafuti's land is less than one metre above spring high tide levels. This makes the atoll acutely vulnerable to climate threats such as sea level rise, saltwater intrusion and coastal erosion, which already affect freshwater supplies and increase flooding during high tides. Scientific projections suggest that by 2050, half of Funafuti could be submerged during high tides, with up to 95% of the land regularly flooded by the end of the century. To confront these escalating risks, Tuvalu's government is working with international agencies on a series of adaptation projects. The Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project has built 7.8 hectares of raised, flood-resilient land and reinforced 2.78km of shoreline using seawalls, groynes and natural buffers. Work is expected to be completed later this year. Another project aims to reclaim 3.6 sq km of elevated, climate-resilient land for the relocation of residents and key infrastructure beyond 2100. Yet in this environment, many living in Funafuti think about their options for the future – and whether to stay or go. Among them are Piliota and his classmate Hope Aoga Kofe, who attend Natui primary school in the village of Vaiaku in Funafuti. Hope Kofe also has dreams of one day studying in Australia. 'I want to become a flight attendant because I love travelling and I enjoy helping and serving people,' she says. 'I think the idea of moving to Australia is good, especially for getting a better education. It would be easier to find jobs there. Life here in Tuvalu is harder, but if I got a good job in Australia, I could always come back and visit.' About 800 children study at Natui primary school. Principal Kainaki Taula works hard to make sure her students are ready for the future, but acknowledges there aren't enough job opportunities. 'We try our best to equip them with the knowledge and skills to survive and thrive wherever they go,' Taula says. Letiu Afelee, a father of five young boys, sees the Falepili pathway as a necessary option for families like his, seeking opportunity beyond Tuvalu. His eldest son is a student at a nearby high school, who hopes to work in land planning and dreams of playing Australian rules football. 'If the predictions are true, and in 50 years Tuvalu is underwater, then we need to have a way out,' Afelee says. 'If we are granted permanent residence, they can go to Australia, live there, and still come back to Tuvalu when they want.' Adriana Pedro Tausau, who is in her final year of high school in Funafuti, is excited about what a move to Australia could bring now – and years down the track. 'This is a great opportunity. The Falepili pathway would help my family access health, education, and jobs, not just for me but for my future children too,' she said. The inaugural ballot for the Falepili pathway opened on 16 June 2025 and is due to close next month. Successful applicants will be chosen at random. Australia's foreign minister, Penny Wong, said it would enable 'mobility with dignity, by providing Tuvaluans the opportunity to live, study and work in Australia as climate impacts worsen'. The scheme differs from other migration programs in the Pacific. Unlike temporary labour pathways, successful applicants will be granted permanent residency before departure, meaning they gain access to health, education and other services as soon as they arrive in Australia. They will also be free to travel to and from Australia, to maintain connections with Tuvalu. It is wider than other migration programs, with no restrictions on age or disability. Still, some in Tuvalu have concerns about the way the treaty was formed, and Sopoaga criticised its implementation. 'It was done almost under the influence of one partner over the recipient,' the former prime minister said. 'If you look at the treaty text, there's nothing in there to protect Tuvalu. Nothing to deal with the impacts of climate change. Nothing,' Sopoaga says. Anna Powles, associate professor in security studies at Massey University, also notes the treaty was negotiated quickly and 'in secrecy'. She says that provisions in Article 4 'effectively give Australia veto power over Tuvalu's national security decision-making'. 'Bundling climate assistance with military or defence-related commitments poses significant security risks for Pacific nations, as illustrated by the Falepili treaty between Australia and Tuvalu. Such agreements risk eroding sovereignty,' she says. Others are worried about the drain of people and resources out of Tuvalu. Pacific labour migration researcher FotuoSamoa Tiatia says the treaty could lead to a substantial flow over time. 'These individuals often hold important roles in their churches, villages and families. Their absence creates gaps not just in labour, but in the transmission of cultural knowledge,' Tiatia says. Prime minister Teo challenges these concerns, arguing the pathway is intentionally two-way and 'doesn't mean you have to live the rest of your life' in Australia. He describes the treaty as a 'serious elevation in terms of our relationship with Australia'. 'Australia is now the first country to legally recognise the continuity of our statehood despite climate change and sea level rise,' Teo says, while stressing it 'does not go as far as sovereignty within Australia in the event of full land loss'. 'It simply recognises future statehood in relation to where we are right now. With this elevated relationship and the opportunities that the treaty provides, I hope the people of Tuvalu can take full advantage, especially of the migration pathway.' Students like Tekafa welcome the chance to consider a different future. 'I love the freedom here. I can go anywhere I want without fear,' he says. 'But I also think about the opportunities elsewhere. It might be hard to leave, but it could also be a good decision.'
The Guardian
a day ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
Children in England face ‘lost learning' from flooding and extreme heat, research finds
Children in England face prolonged 'lost learning' caused by extreme heat and flooding at school, according to research on the potential impact of the climate crisis on education. School leaders and teachers said the scenarios published by the Department for Education were 'grim reading' regarding the climate risks schools and students might experience, and urged ministers to move quickly to improve school resilience. Under one scenario, by 2050, rising heat levels will cause the equivalent of more than eight days of lost learning, as classroom temperatures around 35C (95F) became too hot for effective teaching unless adaptations such as improved ventilation were made. It also found that more than one in three secondary schools and one in five primaries had a high risk of their buildings being flooded by surface, river or sea water. The study defined high risk as a one-in-30 chance of flooding each year. The DfE summary, based on Met Office and University College London analysis, also said that even temperatures below extreme levels could result in 'decreased ability to learn over the course of a typical academic year'. The summary said: 'In the longer term, without the implementation of any adaptation measures, students could potentially lose up to 12 days of learning per year on average, as [the] result of generally warmer temperatures and not just from extreme heat. 'It's important to recognise that these are averages based on emerging evidence, giving only an indicative indication at this stage.' Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said that an immediate priority should be given to rebuilding and refurbishing classrooms and buildings that were not designed to cope with extreme weather. He said: 'Children feeling too hot or too cold in the classroom, or learning in buildings which aren't equipped to handle drastic weather changes, may be exposed to serious health and safety risks, as well as struggling to focus on their learning. 'Sustaining a safe and nurturing school environment is very difficult without a stable climate.' Whiteman said: 'Action and investment is needed by governments both to tackle climate change and support schools to prevent and mitigate the impact of extreme heat and flooding, for example through investment in things like solar panels, improved ventilation and insulation, and measures to ensure buildings are watertight.' Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Daniel Kebede, the National Education Union's general secretary, said: 'These findings make for grim reading, highlighting as they do the threats to learning from extreme weather if our education system doesn't become more resilient to the impact of climate change. 'Climate change is already upon us and schools need to be able to withstand the effects of extreme heat as well as storms, flooding and water scarcity.' The study was published as Stephen Morgan, the early education minister, visited Byron primary school in Bradford, part of the DfE's £4.6m resilient schools pilot testing climate adaptations. A government spokesperson said: 'Climate change is a universal issue, and we are taking action to understand the impact on education and prevent disruption to learning. 'As part of our plan for change, our 10-year infrastructure strategy includes almost £20bn to 2034-35 to rebuild more schools across England – with 250 further schools announced for the school rebuilding programme this week on top of more than 500 already selected. They will be schools for the future, net zero carbon in operation and designed to withstand future climate risks.'
The Guardian
a day ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Flight tax could raise €100bn to tackle climate crisis, study finds
Adding a levy to airline tickets could raise more than €100bn a year to pay for the damage done by climate breakdown, research has found. Flying is the most carbon-intensive means of travel, but is artificially cheap as airline fuel is often not taxed, and the environmental impacts are not paid for. Aviation makes up more than 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Even in developed countries, only about half of people fly each year and about 1% of the world's population is responsible for more than half of the aviation emissions. Several countries are considering putting a charge on tickets that would raise money to help tackle the climate crisis, particularly for poor countries. Analysis by the Dutch environmental consultancy CE Delft, commissioned by the Global Solidarity Levies Task Force, has shown that a levy on tickets that began at €10 on short-haul flights in economy, including domestic flights, rising to €30 on long-haul flights, and €20 for short-haul business-class tickets, rising to €120 for long-haul, would produce revenues of about €106bn a year. If the levy was based on fuel consumption instead of ticket sales, it could raise about €84bn a year, but could be subject to airlines trying to circumvent the system by changing their routes. A levy would have broad public support in many regions, as polling by Oxfam and Greenpeace has found about three-quarters of people in 13 countries thought wealthy air passengers should pay more tax. Countries could also adjust the levy to fall more heavily on the rich and frequent flyers. Private jets could be subject to a separate scheme. France, Kenya and Barbados are leading calls for a flight levy, and for other potential means of raising the funds needed to tackle the climate crisis in developing countries, such as taxes on shipping and fossil fuels. These are known collectively as global solidarity levies, and the charge on aviation is seen as one of the easiest to implement. Laurence Tubiana, the co-chair of the Global Solidarity Levies Task Force secretariat, set up by the three countries, said: 'New levies on first- and business-class tickets or private jets can raise vital funds for everything from health to trains, and climate to development. People around the world pay a lot of tax on petrol for their car, while commercial airlines and private jets often pay no or low tax on their fuel. 'We can redress the balance with a modest extra contribution from those with the greatest means, without raising prices for the vast majority who work hard all year to enjoy an occasional holiday.' Governments are meeting in Bonn this week and next to discuss the Cop30 climate summit, which will take place in Brazil this November. Campaigners are concerned that too little attention is being given to climate finance, by which rich countries are supposed to help their poorer counterparts to cope with the impacts of extreme weather. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion At last year's Cop29, in Azerbaijan, countries agreed that $1.3tn should be made available each year by 2035 to help poor countries. Of this, at least $300tn is supposed to come directly from rich countries, with the rest from a variety of sources, including global solidarity levies, the private sector and carbon trading. Many civil society groups are calling for fossil fuel companies to pay for the damage they have caused. The Oxfam and Greenpeace survey found about eight in 10 people would support such a move, in a poll carried out in Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, India, Kenya, Mexico, the Philippines, South Africa, Spain, the UK and the US. Chiara Liguori, a senior policy adviser at Oxfam, said: 'Rich polluters are continuing to cash in on climate devastation, and their profiteering is destroying the lives of millions of people who have done the least to cause the escalating climate crisis. 'Fairer taxes on polluting industries around the world could help avoid more deaths, providing immediate and significant support to climate-vulnerable countries, and finally incentivise investment in a fast, fair transition to renewables.'
The Guardian
a day ago
- General
- The Guardian
One man, thousands of trees and heaps of determination: how regreening Guatemala transformed a village
Armando López Pocol is showing off some of the thousands of trees he has planted in Pachaj, his village in the highlands of western Guatemala, when he suddenly halts his white pickup truck. Alongside an American volunteer, Lyndon Hauge, he gazes out over a charred field. Clouds of smoke are still billowing from the ground. As he walks through the ash-covered field, his optimistic speech turns to sadness and he pauses in silence to take in the barren landscape. Before the fire, this 2-hectare (5-acre) plot of land in the mountains of Cantel was home to 2,000 trees, all planted through Pocol's reforestation project. Over a quarter of a century, he and his small team of volunteers and community members have planted thousands of trees, regenerating the landscape of Guatemala's highlands and mitigating the impacts of the climate crisis, while also generating revenue for local communities. Pocol initiated the Chico Mendes Reforestation Project in Pachaj – located 2,400 metres (7,900ft) above sea level and about 6 miles (10km) from the town of Quetzaltenango, known as Xela – in 1999. At that time, the region had suffered extensive deforestation over several decades. The organisation was named after the Brazilian environmentalist Chico Mendes, who fought to preserve the rainforest and for Indigenous rights until he was murdered by a cattle rancher in 1988. 'The struggles he went through in Brazil are similar to the ones we go through in Guatemala,' Pocol says. 'From the 1960s to the 1990s, there was a lot of deforestation in Cantel, as the wood was used extensively for building houses and as firewood for families,' he says. 'I started Chico Mendes to stop the deforestation, as I was worried about climate change and environmental problems in Guatemala, with mining companies destroying the community forests of Indigenous people.' He says deforestation is now largely caused by fires during the dry season, and attributes the latest one – the third in his fields so far this year – to an arson attack. 'We're losing many tree plantations,' he says, adding that the region lost more than 100,000 trees to fires in 2023 alone. 'What keeps my spirit alive are the workers and volunteers showing their support and not giving up.' Since he embarked on his tree-planting mission, Pocol has become resigned to the fact that he cannot stop fires. 'We just don't have enough staff,' he admits. 'It's expensive to have people out here watching all this land.' While he believes some of the fires are due to foul play, he says they have tried to reduce the number by creating fire corridors in the forests. Pocol says the organisation, using land owned by the local municipality, has planted between 5,000 and 20,000 trees every year since 1998. Over the last 10 years, this figure has risen to an annual average of 20,000 to 25,000, and it is anticipated that the figure will exceed 30,000 this year. The organisation plants eight different types of trees, though he says he has found the most success with cypress and pine, which tend to flourish in the cooler climates found at higher altitudes. 'We plant pine trees because the earth here is very hot and we don't have many other types of trees that live through the seasons,' he says, standing on a site where 1,000 pines and cypresses were planted about 10 years ago. Pocol says environmentalists recommended a greater variety of trees, but adds: 'They started to see that with the terrain and the dirt here, it just doesn't work.' Experts indicate that the primary drivers of deforestation in the western highlands are logging for firewood and charcoal, as well as wildfires caused by campfires, slash-and-burn farming techniques, and conflicts between communities. Pocol is also concerned about mining companies seeking to extract minerals and is constantly stressed about his organisation's financial situation. The Guatemalan government operates reforestation projects through Probosque, a state programme that supports reforestation and restoration by offering incentives for landowners to plant trees. While experts say that government projects have generally been effective, funding remains limited. 'There are many organisations and NGOs that receive support from these programmes, but it's not enough. We need more,' says Dr René Zamora-Cristales, outgoing director of the Latin American restoration initiative 20x20 at the World Resources Institute and an associate professor at the Oregon State University college of forestry. Zamora-Cristales says many environmental organisations struggle to meet the necessary regulations to access the programme, such as the requirement for a certain number of trees for each hectare. 'You need to follow technical guidelines, and sometimes communities don't want to follow them.' Sign up to Global Dispatch Get a different world view with a roundup of the best news, features and pictures, curated by our global development team after newsletter promotion Public subsidies may be available for environmental initiatives, but Pocol says his organisation has not received any money. 'We don't receive funds from the government as we are against mining projects and environmental injustices in Guatemala, and we know that all the funds the government manages come from transnational companies.' The Guatemalan government did not respond to requests for comment. Without a regular income, the Chico Mendes project depends on donations and a 'volunteering fee' (equivalent to about £15 a day), which covers a homestay and three meals. Volunteers gather seeds, source decomposed leaves, fill bags with soil, and plant trees. Donations and the volunteering fee are crucial for Chico Mendes, as Pocol sees his initiative as much more than a reforestation project. The organisation also supports the community through ecotourism, with funds circulating through the local economy via homestays and treks, as well as volunteers spending money in the village. Chico Mendes facilitates Spanish lessons with 25 teachers from the local community and offers homestays with 30 families. 'All the teachers through Chico Mendes are Indigenous women,' says Pocol. 'We are creating opportunities for the community.' New revenue streams are vital for local communities, as the region has increasingly been affected by the climate crisis. The rainy season in Guatemala usually lasts from May to October, but the Cantel area has experienced reduced rainfall in recent years. 'Some years, it only rains in two months,' says Pocol. 'There wasn't any rain from last May through to July last year. The corn was dying, and that has led to a radical increase in crop prices.' Dr Daniel Ariano, biodiversity coordinator at the University of the Valley of Guatemala's centre for environmental studies and biodiversity, says projects such as Chico Mendes encourage mitigation and adaptation to climate risks. He notes that, in addition to drought, extreme weather events such as heavy rain also heighten the threat of landslides. 'This kind of project is extremely important, especially to promote the reforestation and restoration of ecosystems,' Ariano says. 'We need to develop resilient communities in the highlands.' Zamora-Cristales praises Pocol's work and says Guatemala needs more people like him. 'Deforestation has always been an issue, but different efforts, such as the one from Armando, have reduced the overall deforestation in the country. We certainly need more local leaders committed to improving the livelihoods of local communities by restoring nature,' he says. Pocol, who works on his project every day without a break, including weekends, and tops up his income in the evenings as an Uber driver, admits he is exhausted. 'I wake up in the night and wonder what the future is going to be for the project as there's been a lot of difficult times. But I've never given up, and it always lifts my spirits when volunteers come,' Pocol says. 'We all just want a green planet, so that all future children can have a clean environment, clean water, pure oxygen and food.'
