Fossil fuel CO2 emissions increase again in 2024
Date:
November 12, 2024
Source:
University of Exeter
Summary:
Global carbon emissions from fossil fuels have reached a record high in 2024, according to new research.
Global carbon emissions from fossil fuels have reached a record high in 2024, according to new research by the Global Carbon Project science team.
The 2024 Global Carbon Budget projects fossil carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions of 37.4 billion tonnes, up 0.8% from 2023.
Despite the urgent need to cut emissions to slow climate change, the researchers say there is still "no sign" that the world has reached a peak in fossil CO2 emissions.
With projected emissions from land-use change (such as deforestation) of 4.2 billion tonnes, total CO2 emissions are projected to be 41.6 billion tonnes in 2024, up from 40.6 billion tonnes last year.
Over the last 10 years, fossil CO2 emissions have risen while land-use change CO2 emissions have declined on average -- leaving overall emissions roughly level over that period.
Unexplained heat-wave 'hotspots' are popping up across the globe
So extreme, they cannot be explained by global warming models
Date:
November 28, 2024
Source:
Columbia Climate School
Summary:
A striking new phenomenon is emerging: distinct regions are seeing repeated heat waves that are so extreme, they fall far beyond what any model of global warming can predict or explain. A new study provides the first worldwide map of such regions, which show up on every continent except Antarctica like giant, angry skin blotches.
Record-breaking recovery of rocks that originated in Earth's mantle could reveal secrets of planet's history
International team begin to unravel mantle's role in life on Earth, volcanism and global cycles
Date:
August 9, 2024
Source:
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Summary:
Scientists have recovered the first long section of rocks that originated in the Earth's mantle, the layer below the crust and the planet's largest component. The rocks will help unravel the mantle's role in the origins of life on Earth, the volcanic activity generated when it melts, and how it drives the global cycles of important elements such as carbon and hydrogen.
Record-breaking recovery of rocks that originated in Earth's mantle could reveal secrets of planet's history
International team begin to unravel mantle's role in life on Earth, volcanism and global cycles
Date:
August 9, 2024
Source:
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Summary:
Scientists have recovered the first long section of rocks that originated in the Earth's mantle, the layer below the crust and the planet's largest component. The rocks will help unravel the mantle's role in the origins of life on Earth, the volcanic activity generated when it melts, and how it drives the global cycles of important elements such as carbon and hydrogen.
New research uncovers the massive squid diet of Hawaiian pilot whales
Pilot whales devour huge amounts of squid, but Hawai‘i’s thriving waters easily keep them fed.
Date:
November 17, 2025
Source:
The Company of Biologists
Summary:
Hawaiian short-finned pilot whales are surprisingly voracious hunters, diving hundreds of meters beneath the Pacific to snatch squid in the dark. By tagging and tracking eight whales, researchers uncovered just how much energy these deep-sea forays require—and how many squid the whales must eat to stay fueled. Their calculations reveal that each whale downs dozens to hundreds of squid per day, adding up to a staggering 88,000 tonnes of squid consumed annually by the whole population.
Climate change could become the main driver of biodiversity decline by mid-century
Date:
April 25, 2024
Source:
German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig
Summary:
Global biodiversity has declined between 2% and 11% during the 20th century due to land-use change alone, according to a large multi-model study. Projections show climate change could become the main driver of biodiversity decline by the mid-21st century.
Oil spill still contaminating sensitive Mauritius mangroves three years on, study finds
Date:
November 26, 2024
Source:
Curtin University
Summary:
Three years after bulk carrier MV Wakashio ran aground on a coral reef off Mauritius, spilling 1000 tonnes of a new type of marine fuel oil, research has confirmed the oil is still present in an environmentally sensitive mangrove forest close to important Ramsar conservation sites.