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Europe heatwave: Nearly all major Italian cities on red heat alert

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A heatwave in Europe has led to red alerts for extreme heat in most of Italy’s major cities. The high temperatures, expected to peak on Wednesday, have put 23 cities on high alert.

The heatwave is affecting millions of people in the northern hemisphere and is accompanied by wildfires in Greece and the Swiss Alps. The heatwave is caused by a high-pressure system bringing warmer air from the tropics, while a jet stream remains stuck over central Europe.

The extreme heat is forecasted to continue through Wednesday in southern Europe, with temperatures exceeding 40°C (104°F). Italy’s health ministry has activated “heat codes” in emergency rooms to handle the increase in heat-related illnesses.

There has been a 20% rise in patients admitted with symptoms such as dehydration, exhaustion, and heat stroke. Record-breaking temperatures of 41.8°C (107.2°F) were recorded in Rome. Red alerts are also in place in Spain, Greece, and parts of the Balkans. The heatwave is expected to continue into August, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

Other parts of the world, including the US and China, are also experiencing extreme heatwaves. Climate change is cited as a significant factor in the increasing frequency and intensity of heatwaves.

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Overcoming Resistance: Insects Appear on Italian Plates Against All Odds

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In a small room near the Alps in northern Italy, millions of crickets are being processed to become food despite initial resistance. The crickets are frozen, boiled, dried, and pulverized to create a light brown flour used in various food products such as pasta, bread, energy bars, and even sports drinks. Italy, known for its culinary traditions, has traditionally resisted the idea of eating insects, with the government even taking steps to ban their use in pizza and pasta production. However, several Italian producers have been experimenting with cricket-based pasta, pizza, and snacks.

The shift towards insect consumption in Italy is driven by sustainability concerns. Insect farming requires significantly less water and land compared to traditional livestock farming, making it a more environmentally friendly option. Insects are also rich in vitamins, fiber, minerals, and amino acids, making them a nutritious superfood. However, the main challenge to widespread adoption of insect-based food is the price, as it remains more expensive than traditional alternatives.

In addition to cost, social acceptance plays a role in the resistance to insect food in Italy. The country prides itself on its Mediterranean diet, and some view insect products as a threat to Italian culinary traditions. Concerns about the potential health effects of consuming insects and the fear of deviating from established eating habits contribute to the opposition.

Italy is not the only country divided on the issue of insect food. Poland and other European countries have seen debates and political disputes surrounding the topic. However, countries like Austria, Belgium, and the Netherlands have shown more openness to insect consumption.

As the global population continues to grow, finding sustainable food sources becomes crucial. Insect consumption is seen as a potential solution to meet the rising demand while minimizing the environmental impact. With the recent approval of insect consumption by the EU, the insect food sector is expected to grow, leading to potential price reductions and increased availability.

Producers like Ivan Albano, who runs the Italian Cricket Farm, see insect farming as an environmentally friendly and sustainable practice that could play a role in addressing global food challenges. Despite initial resistance, more people are showing curiosity and ordering cricket-based products, indicating a shifting mindset towards insect consumption. The hope is that as awareness and acceptance increase, insect food will become a viable option to feed the growing population while minimizing ecological impact.

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Swiss Referendum: Public Supports Carbon Reductions as Glaciers Melt

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Switzerland’s referendum results show support for a new climate bill aimed at reducing fossil fuel usage and achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The government emphasizes the need to protect energy security and the environment as Swiss Alps glaciers rapidly melt. The legislation necessitates a transition from imported oil and gas to renewable energy sources. In the referendum held on Sunday, 59.1% of voters approved the green energy proposals. Critics argued that the measures would lead to increased energy prices. Almost all major Swiss parties, except the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP), endorsed the bill.

The SVP triggered the referendum after opposing the government’s suggestions. Currently, Switzerland imports approximately three-quarters of its energy, relying entirely on foreign oil and natural gas. The climate bill commits to providing 2 billion Swiss francs ($2.2 billion; £1.7 billion) in financial support over a decade to encourage the adoption of climate-friendly alternatives to gas or oil heating systems, as well as 1.2 billion Swiss francs to promote green innovation in businesses.

This decision comes as Alpine glaciers face significant threats from rising temperatures caused by climate change, having lost a third of their ice volume between 2001 and 2022. Noted Swiss glaciologist Matthias Huss, who has closely monitored the glaciers’ retreat, expressed his satisfaction on Twitter, describing the referendum outcome as a “strong signal” that climate science arguments were heard. Socialist Party parliamentarian Valerie Piller Carrard hailed it as an “important step for future generations.”

Additionally, voters overwhelmingly supported the implementation of a global minimum tax rate of 15% for multinational corporations in a separate referendum, with 78.5% in favor. Switzerland joined over 140 countries in 2021 by signing an agreement within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to establish a minimum tax rate for large companies.

Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter commended the “very strong acceptance rate” for the constitutional amendment enabling Switzerland’s participation in the agreement. The voter turnout for the referendums stood at approximately 42%.

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France bans short-haul flights to cut carbon emissions

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The French government has implemented a ban on domestic short-haul flights in situations where there are train alternatives available, as part of its efforts to reduce carbon emissions. This law took effect two years after lawmakers initially voted to end routes where the same journey could be completed by train within two-and-a-half hours. As a result, air travel between cities like Paris, Nantes, Lyon, and Bordeaux will be largely prohibited, while connecting flights are not affected by the ban.

Critics of the measure have referred to it as merely a symbolic gesture. Laurent Donceel, the interim head of the industry group Airlines for Europe (A4E), expressed his belief that these bans would only have minimal effects on reducing CO2 emissions. He suggested that governments should instead focus on supporting more substantial and practical solutions to address the issue.

The global airline industry has already experienced significant setbacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the number of flights in 2020 decreasing by almost 42% compared to 2019, as reported by Flightradar24.

Initially, France’s Citizens’ Convention on Climate, formed by President Emmanuel Macron in 2019 and consisting of 150 members of the public, proposed eliminating plane journeys where train alternatives of under four hours were available. However, this limit was reduced to two-and-a-half hours following objections from certain regions and the airline Air France-KLM.

French consumer group UFC-Que Choisir had previously urged lawmakers to maintain the four-hour limit, highlighting that planes emit 77 times more CO2 per passenger than trains on these routes, despite trains being cheaper and the time difference being only 40 minutes. The group also called for safeguards to prevent the French national railway company, SNCF, from raising prices artificially or diminishing the quality of rail services.

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Climate change: Spain breaks record temperature for April

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Spain has experienced its hottest ever temperature for April, with a reading of 38.8C recorded at Cordoba airport. The heatwave, which has lasted for several days, has seen temperatures 10-15C above the expected levels for April, driven by a mass of hot air from Africa and a slow-moving weather system.

Spain’s meteorological office has expressed surprise at the scale of the heat, with temperatures exceeding previous records by as much as 5C in some locations. Climatologist Maximiliano Herrera has described the heat event as “absolutely extreme” and “unprecedented”.

In response to the ongoing heatwave, schools in Spain will be allowed to adjust their schedules to avoid the hottest parts of the day. The Madrid underground is also increasing train frequency to prevent passengers from waiting for long periods on platforms, while public swimming pools are set to open a month earlier than usual.

Experts warn that the poor are most at risk from extreme temperatures, as they are more likely to suffer health issues related to heat. The heatwave in Spain is part of a global trend, with climate change exacerbating naturally high temperatures.

Meteorologists attribute the exceptional temperatures to a combination of factors, including hot weather in North Africa, high pressure weather systems, and clear skies over the Iberian peninsula, where the ground is already too dry to evaporate the heat.

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The plan to make a giant hot water bottle underground

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During the Cold War, Sweden stored 300,000 cubic metres of oil in caverns beneath the city of Västerås, in case of a war that could cut off their energy supplies. Recently, Swedish energy company Mälarenergi has decided to clean and repurpose the caverns as a large underground hot water tank that can hold up to 120 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

This project will create the largest underground thermos in Europe and will be filled with hot water reaching up to 95C. The location of the caverns remains undisclosed, but Lisa Granström, acting head of business unit heat and power, says that the caverns are warmer and damper than expected and still smell a bit oily. The new underground tank will be 11 times bigger than the largest above-ground hot water tank Mälarenergi currently has nearby.

Experts suggest that we should make more use of below-ground heat storage systems, like the one being developed by Mälarenergi in Västerås, as a means of caching warmth for later use. The heat from the underground hot water tank will be transmitted to a district heating network that provides heat to almost all households in the city.

The company plans to start filling the caverns with hot water by the end of the year, providing up to 500MW of district heating power. The heat comes from a nearby power plant that burns waste or biomass to generate electricity or thermal energy, but carbon capture technology is yet to be installed. The underground reservoir will help Mälarenergi maintain the heat supply to homes during peak demand in winter without reducing electricity production at the power plant.

Storing heat underground is effective due to the insulating properties of the ground, which makes it difficult for heat to escape. Mälarenergi’s caverns are expected to retain heat for several weeks, and the heat loss will be minimal once the adjacent ground temperature rises after a few years.

In London, the clay surrounding the tunnels on the Underground has been heated by people and trains, making it challenging to cool down tube carriages and platforms. The Västerås project is not the first of its kind, as a similar system in Finland supplies heat to 25,000 apartments all year round. Fleur Loveridge at the University of Leeds praises the cavern solutions as a great option among others for energy storage.

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Climate change: Norwegian seafloor holds clue to Antarctic melting

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According to new research, the melting ice sheet in Antarctica may recede far more quickly than previously anticipated.

The proof comes in the form of seafloor traces off the coast of Norway that show the retreat of a vanishing European ice sheet thousands of years ago. The glaciers in Antarctica that are receding the fastest are now seen to do so at a rate of up to 30 metres per day.

Yet, if they accelerated, the additional melt water would have significant effects on sea level rises all throughout the world. Since the 1990s, the surface of the world’s oceans has already risen by almost 1 centimetre due to ice loss from Antarctica brought on by climate change.

The maximum retreat with the Norwegian sheet, according to the researchers, was more than 600m per day.

“This is something we could see if we continue with the upper estimates for temperature rise,” explained Dr Christine Batchelor from Newcastle University, UK.

“Although, worryingly, when we did the equations to think about what would be needed to instigate such retreat in Antarctica, we actually found there are places where you could get similar pulses of withdrawal even under the basal melt rates we know are happening at the moment,” she told BBC News.

Significantly, the areas with the fastest rates were those with relatively flat seafloors. These are areas where the thickness of the ice above is more likely to be uniform and where less melting is needed to make the ice float to speed up its retreat.

On the seafloor near Antarctica, there have been reports of similar corrugations, but the examples are rather small. Because the Norwegian research region is so much larger, it provides a much clearer picture of how quickly ice can retreat in a warming climate.

Currently, scientists utilise satellites to keep an eye on the glaciers that terminate in the ocean in Antarctica. The spacecraft can determine where the tides are raising and lowering the ice.

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Swiss court case ties human rights to climate change

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More than 2,000 women are suing the Swiss government for allegedly infringing their right to life and health through its climate change policies.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) will consider the case as the first one involving the effects of climate change on human rights. It comes after six years of futile court fighting in Switzerland.

Switzerland’s temperatures are rising faster than the average for the world, and heatwaves are happening more frequently. The 73-year-old average age of the Swiss women claim that the threat of climate change puts their life, health, and even human rights in jeopardy. Their medical records were submitted as evidence to the court.

They urge Switzerland to make a bigger effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions by issuing an order from the ECHR. The Swiss government acknowledges that climate change can have an impact on health, but claims that it cannot be directly linked to the wellbeing of older women.

If the women prevail, the case might serve as a precedent for all 46 of the nations that make up the European Court. Human activity is causing global temperatures to rise, and climate change now threatens every aspect of human existence.

Unchecked global warming will have disastrous effects on humanity and ecosystems, including increased droughts, rising sea levels, and a mass extinction of species.

Globally, extreme weather events are already getting more and more dangerous, endangering lives and livelihoods.

Climate scientists believe that if we wish to prevent the worst effects of climate change, temperature rises must be curbed. They claim that by 2100, global warming must be limited to 1.5C.

If the increase in global temperature is not maintained to 1.5C, Europe will be at risk of flooding brought on by excessive precipitation, according to the UN climate organisation, the IPCC.

This was the case in Europe last summer, extreme temperatures can also raise the risk of wildfires. In comparison to the average, France and Germany burned nearly seven times more land between January and the middle of July 2022.

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Claude Lorius: The Glaciologist Who Proved Human-Caused Global Warming

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Claude Lorius, a renowned glaciologist known for his contributions to proving human-caused global warming, passed away at the age of 91. Over the course of his lifetime, Lorius led 22 expeditions to Greenland and Antarctica.

During one of his trips to Antarctica in 1965, he made a significant discovery after dropping ice samples into a glass of whiskey. Lorius realized the scientific potential of studying ice cores, which led to his groundbreaking research on air bubbles trapped in ice, providing evidence of global warming caused by human-made pollution.

His research gained international recognition and helped scientists study 160,000 years’ worth of glacial records. In addition to his scientific work, Lorius was an advocate for the environment and served as the inaugural expert of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 1988.

He was awarded the CNRS gold medal in 2002, along with his colleague Jean Jouzel, and was the first Frenchman to receive the prestigious Blue Planet Prize.

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Dutch city of Haarlem may be world’s first to ban most meat ads

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Due to the way meat affects the climate, Haarlem, Netherlands, plans to outlaw the majority of meat advertisements in public places. It will begin enforcing the ban in 2024, in what is believed to be the first such action by a city.

The meat industry and other people who claim it stifles free speech have opposed the motion put out by GroenLinks, a green political party. According to the UN, animals produce more than 14% of all greenhouse gases created by humans, including methane.”Meat seriously damages the ecosystem. We cannot inform people of the climate catastrophe while urging them to purchase items that contribute to it “The motion’s author, GroenLinks councilman Ziggy Klazes, told the publication Trouw.

The 160,000-person city’s administration claims that a decision has not yet been made regarding whether sustainably produced beef would be exempt from the ad banAdditionally, members of the Christian Democratic Challenge party backed the measure.

The meat business quickly retaliated. Spokesman for the Central Organization for the Meat Sector: “The authorities are going too far in telling people what’s best for them.”

According to the right-wing BVNL party, it “would be disastrous for pig farmers” and was a “intolerable violation of entrepreneurial freedom.” Councilman Joey Rademaker of the Haarlem BVNL claimed that outlawing advertisements with political overtones was practically totalitarian.

According to Statistics Netherlands, although more than half of Dutch people consume meat, only about 95% of them do so daily.

Ads for the aviation and fossil fuel industries have already been outlawed in Amsterdam and The Hague.

Methane emissions from greenhouse gases, which include those from beef, are the highest. The environmental impact of lamb is the second largest, but these emissions are 50% lower than those of beef.

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