1 CLIMATE EMERGENCY
Clear link between deadly heat and burning fossil fuel
The human-caused climate crisis is undeniably to blame for deadly heatwaves that have struck Europe and the US, analysis by scientists has shown.
Both would have been virtually impossible without the global heating driven by burning fossil fuels. Another searing heatwave, in China, was made 50 times more likely by the climate crisis. The results make it clear that human-caused global heating is destroying lives, making the need to cut emissions more urgent. Such heatwaves were no longer rare, the scientists said, and would worsen as emissions kept rising.
A report by leading climate scientists in March, endorsed by governments, said: “There is a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a livable and sustainable future for all.”
Dr Friederike Otto, at Imperial College London, who was part of the analysis team, said: “These extremes kill people, particularly destroying the lives and livelihoods of the most vulnerable. Politicians often claim that they care about normal people and poor people. If we did value people, it’s pretty obvious what we need to do.”
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2 CANADA
Nova Scotia hit by heaviest downpours in four decades
The heaviest rains in more than 40 years badly damaged Halifax, a city in Canada’s Atlantic region.
The storm dumped more than 25cm on some parts in 24 hours, the same amount that usually falls in three months.
Authorities declared a state of emergency
