Which countries have suffered from the most extreme weather and its effects?

https://www.germanwatch.org/en/19777

A research group, called Germanwatch, have carried out an analysis of extreme weather events across the world over the 19 years between 2000 and 2019. From this analysis, Germanwatch produced a list of the top ten countries who were most affected by extreme weather events.

Map showing the course of Hurricane Maria in 2017

During this period Puerto Rico suffered from 24 extreme weather events, including Hurricane Maria in 2017, and thus came out as top of the list. Next on the list were Myanmar, Haiti, Philippines and Mozambique.  Altogether, during that period 475,000 people lost their lives to extreme weather events and 11,000 extreme climate events occurred.

In 2019, Mozambique was the worst affected country, due to Cyclone Isai, which brought 105 mph winds and devastating floods.  In that year, Zimbabwe was the second worst-affected country, followed by the Bahamas, Japan and Malawi.

Effects of Cyclone Idai on Mozambique

Tropical cyclones led to six countries being listed among the top 10 worst hit countries.

Germanwatch says their frequency and severity will increase with every tenth of a degree in global average temperature rise.

All across the world countries are experiencing similar extreme climate events. In the UK, we have had our fair share of flooding and a succession of heatwaves.  Yet, the UK does not feature in the top ten list of the Germanwatch report.

Three million UK homes that could be flooded by 2050

Climate change is real and if not arrested, will wreak havoc worldwide. If polar ice caps melt, the sea levels will rise and coastal cities and even many of those situated inland risk permanent flooding. Data gathered by a location intelligence provider Gamma has revealed that around three million homes in the UK risk flooding.

This Gamma report has been summarised in an article in Yahoo News by Jimmy Insubuga, 23rd October 2021.

A new climate change flood map has predicted three million homes could become unsellable if the UK does not hit its emissions target.

The map above shows areas in London that are at risk of flooding from the River Thames.  Other areas at risk, according to the article are Great Yarmouth and Portsmouth.

https://www.aol.co.uk/news/climate-map-shows-three-million-190344695.html

Other areas at risk are shown in the table below:

There is also a risk of homes becoming cracked due to subsidence. For example a figure of 81% is given for homes in Swindon.

See also: https://sentinelindia.com/index.php/2021/10/25/uk-three-million-homes…

What does 1.5C – compatible living look like? An update on the science

This post is taken from the website of Scientists for Global Responsibility and was written by Stuart Parkinson. It is taken from a power point presentation that was given by Dr Parkinson as a part of Ethical Consumer Week 2021:

There’s lots of advice around on reducing your carbon footprint and living a sustainable life, but what does the scientific evidence tell us about the most important actions necessary to reach this goal? SGR has gathered key data as part of our project on a ‘Science oath for the climate’ which includes behaviour pledges that scientists and others in the UK can take to move to a lifestyle that is compatible with the 1.5C temperature target specified in the Paris Climate Agreement. Looking at travel, food, home energy, and other key areas, this presentation helps people to understand the key actions needed to move to a sustainable world, and how these fit with wider social and political change.

Presentation by Dr Stuart Parkinson, Scientists for Global Responsibility.

19 October 2021

Part of Ethical Consumer Week 2021
Download presentation slides [pdf]

 

View presentation on YouTube

The climatic impacts of space flight

Dr Stuart Parkinson (no relation), of Scientists for Global Responsibility, recently gave a talk with the above title at a webinar organised by the Global Network against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space on October 2nd 2021.  The title of the webinar was: “Linking Militarised Space and the Climate Crisis”.

The full details of this talk and a power point presentation can be found on the SGR website at:

https://sgr.org.uk/resources/climatic-impacts-spaceflight

The data showed that;

• One space tourist flight for 1 person: about 100 tCO2e
  • Annual carbon footprint of 1 UK citizen is: 10 tCO2e
  • Sustainable lifestyle carbon footprint by 2030: 2.5 tCO2e•

He concludes that:

“The impact is so high that we need a ban on non-essential spaceflight.”

and adds:

“How do we convince the public to change their lifestyles
while billionaires are travelling into space?”

Scientists and academics call for action at COP26 in Glasgow

We, scientists and academics from around the world, are calling for drastic action to be taken to protect our climate at the COP26 in Glasgow.

The pivotal 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change binds states to keep warming well below 2°C and resolutely pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C. Even with a warming of 1°C, we have experienced severe and horrific impacts on ecosystems and humans.

In August 2021, the first part of the Sixth Assessment report of the IPCC was published. It states that “Global surface temperature will continue to increase until at least the mid-century under all emissions scenarios considered. Global warming of 1.5°C and 2°C will be exceeded during the 21st century unless deep reductions in carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas emissions occur in the coming decades.” Clearly, we are not on track to meet the targets set by the Paris Agreement and the time has come when COP26 may now be our very last chance.

Furthermore, this report confirms that “Human-induced climate change is already affecting many weather and climate extremes in every region across the globe. Evidence of observed changes in extremes such as heatwaves, heavy precipitation, droughts, and tropical cyclones, and, in particular, their attribution to human influence, has strengthened since the Fifth Assessment Report” (2014).

Therefore, our leaders must take bold and decisive action at this summit. It is now or never, and we are calling on them to accept their duty to act. Only if we do so swiftly and consistently can we limit global warming, halt the mass extinction of plant and animal species, and create a future worth living for present and future generations.

In January 2020, over 11,000 scientists from 153 countries declared that we were “clearly and unequivocally” in a climate emergency and that as scientists we had a moral obligation to warn humanity of any catastrophic threat, to “tell it like it is.” With this letter, we call on the world’s leaders to equally assume their responsibility and be influential in making this summit a historical milestone. The moment we turn our backs on fossil fuels, the moment we say yes to the preservation of life, and the moment we start working together to create a new normal: one that does not hasten the end of life on earth, but builds a fair and just future.

This is our very last chance and we must seize it.

Scientists and Academics for Climate Action (SACA International)