Arctic summers may be hotter now than they have been for 115,000 years, according to new research. Evidence that this century is the warmest the region has faced for millennia came from plants collected in the remote wilderness of Baffin Island. As glaciers melt in the Canadian Arctic, landscapes are emerging that have not been ice-free for more than 40,000 years. While providing worrying evidence of climate change taking place, this also allows scientists to investigate previously inaccessible areas. “The Arctic is currently warming two to three times faster than the rest of the globe, so naturally, glaciers and ice caps are going to react faster,” said Simon Pendleton, a PhD student at the University of Colorado at Boulder who led the research.
Independent 28th Jan 2019 read more »
Investors have started to call loudly for action on climate change, but few are following up their words adequately with deeds. More specifically, very few shareholders are voting against directors at companies that have shown themselves to be either oblivious or dismissive of climate risks. As the 2019 proxy voting season approaches, we must up the ante. Investors should seek to fire directors who have become obstacles to building climate resilience. Shareholders should also vote against using auditors who fail to ensure prudent accounting of material climate risks. This would represent a stark shift. In the past five years, only one UK or US energy company – Nabors Industries – has seen directors voted off the board, according to Minerva Analytics. Normally, directors in this sector receive more than 95 per cent support.
FT 29th Jan 2019 read more »
Even in the coldest places – 10 metres below the surface of the polar wastes – global warming has begun to work. A new study of the frozen soils in both hemispheres shows that between 2007 and 2016, they warmed by an average of 0.3°C. This remained true within the Arctic and Antarctic zones, in the highest mountain regions of Europe and Asia, and even in the Siberian tundra, where the temperatures at depth rose by almost a whole degree. New research into the permafrost, defined as territory where soil has been frozen for at least two consecutive years, suggests that much of it may not be permanently frozen for much longer.
Climate News Network 29th Jan 2019 read more »
