Records were once again broken last year for greenhouse gas levels, surface temperatures, ocean heat and acidification, sea level rise, and retreat of glaciers, according to a new global report issued by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) March 19. The WMO State of the Global Climate 2023 report finds that on an average day that year, nearly one third of the ocean surface was gripped by a marine heatwave, harming vital ecosystems and food systems—far beyond the already inflated levels seen in recent years. Antarctic sea ice reached its lowest extent on record—at one million square kilometers below the previous record year of 2022, an area equivalent to the size of France and Germany combined. Observed concentrations of the three main greenhouse gases—carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide—reached record levels in 2022 and continued to increase in 2023, preliminary data shows. (UN News)
Some of this, especially the elevated ocean temperatures, was due to the 2023 El Niño climate phenomenon. But University of St. Thomas researcher John Abraham told PBS NewsHour: “This is off the charts. And it’s more than we would have normally expected, even with an El Niño.” He added wryly: “The scientific term is bonkers year.”
The proliferation of extreme weather events in recent years has also been described as “global weirding.”
Photo: CounterVortex
Scientists punt on Anthropocene Epoch designation
A top panel of geologists has decided not to grant the “human age” its own distinct place in Earth’s geological timeline after disagreeing over when exactly the so-called Anthropocene Epoch might have begun.
After 15 years of deliberation, a team of scientists made the case that humankind has so fundamentally altered the natural world that we are in a new phase of Earth’s existence. But the proposal was rejected in a contentious vote that has been upheld by the International Union of Geological Sciences, the field’s governing body said in a statement March 22. The decision “to reject the proposal for an Anthropocene Epoch as a formal unit of the Geologic Time Scale is approved,” it said.
There is no avenue for appeal, though some involved in the voting committee have raised allegations over the conduct of the ballot and a perceived lack of due process. (PhysOrg)
Dire climate anomalies from Mexico to Mongolia
At least four people died in wildfires that are burning in 15 drought-stricken states across Mexico, from Michoacán to Chiapas. On March 28, 130 fires were still active, fueled by strong winds. In some areas, the lack of firefighters forced locals to fight the fire themselves, while in other areas, community members blocked a highway through México state demanding more help from the government.
At least nine people have been killed in snowstorms in Mongolia as the country endures its harshest winter in half a century. Snowfall covered 90% of the country at its peak in January, and the harsh winter has killed 5.2 million animals–about 8% of the country’s livestock—putting at risk the livelihoods of a third of the population, who are nomadic herders. (TNH)
Polar vortex ‘spinning backwards’ after major reversal event
Earlier this month, a sudden atmospheric warming event caused the Arctic’s polar vortex to reverse its trajectory. The swirling ring of cold air is now spinning in the wrong direction, which has triggered a record-breaking “ozone spike” and could impact global weather patterns. (LiveScience)
Dire climate anomalies from Ecuador to Emirates
Ecuador as instated rationing of electricity as the reservoirs behind hydro-power stations are depleted as a probable result of El Niño. In Colombia, Bogotá’s mayor is urging residents to use less water. Farm production is down in Bolivia, with price spikes for staples excepted. Meanwhile, heavy rains have dumped more than two years worth of precipitation on Dubai and surrounding nations in just one day. (PRI)
Tens of thousands evacuated from massive China floods
Authorities have evacuated 110,000 people from their homes in Guangdong, as days of heavy rain caused massive flooding in China’s most populous province. Four people have died so far, while 10 have gone missing, according to state media. (BBC News)
El Niño wreaks deadly havoc across East Africa
At least 200 people have been killed and many more injured and left homeless as the El Niño weather phenomenon continues to fuel torrential rains, leading to floods and landslides in towns and cities across East Africa. In Tanzania, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa told parliament the deluge had impacted 200,000 people, with 155 dead, 236 injured, and 10,000 homes damaged. A similar number have been impacted in Burundi since September, and with nearly 100,000 displaced, the country has appealed for international help. Kenya, meanwhile, has deployed its military to rescue victims as rising waters claimed 45 lives and forced 40,000 from their homes. The current El Niño event developed rapidly mid-year in 2023 and, although some experts say it is technically over, its knock-on effects on Africa’s rainy seasons are expected to last till the end of June. Its equally destructive twin, La Niña, which is associated with droughts across the Horn of Africa, is expected to develop by August. (TNH)
Michoacán avocado wars heat up
As a drought in Mexico drags on, angry subsistence farmers have begun taking direct action on thirsty avocado orchards that are drying up streams in the mountains of Michoacán. Rivers and even whole lakes are disappearing in the once green and lush state, as the drought combines with a surge in the use of water for Michoacán’s lucrative export crop.
In recent days, small farmers and activists from the town of Villa Madero organized teams to go into the mountains and rip out illegal water pumps and breach unlicensed irrigation holding ponds. (AP)
Floods continue to devastate Kenya
At least 188 people have been killed and another 90 are missing in Kenya, where severe flooding and landslides have forced evacuations from at-risk areas and delayed the reopening of schools. The disaster has been partly blamed on the effects of climate change, but the country is also paying the price of poorly regulated land use and a lack of preparation. (TNH)
Landslides and massive flooding kill 60 in Brazil
Massive flooding and landslides triggered by days of heavy rain in Brazil’s southernmost state have killed 56 people. Officials say another 67 people are missing in Rio Grande do Sul. Nearly 25,000 residents have been forced to leave their homes since the storms began last week. At least half a million are without power and clean water, with further rainfall expected. (BBC News)
Dam collapses and death toll rises in Rio Grande do Sul
A hydroelectric dam has collapsed in southern Brazil after days of heavy rains, killing more than 30 people. Officials say another 60 people are missing in Rio Grande do Sul state. The dam is located between Cotiporã municipality and the city of Bento Gonçalves. (BBC News)