Sunday, 7 October 2018

News in brief - 6th/7th October

Climate change warnings
A recent report by the IPCC states that we are no longer on track to stay within a warming limit of 1.5 degrees celsius, and that a warming of around 3 degrees celsius is more likely; this would mean the end of coral reefs, and would impact on all ocean wildlife as water temperatures rise and ice melts

Tsunamis - the long term response
As the search for survivors in Indonesia begins to wind down, the question is being asked as to whether we are prepared for future tsunamis; early warning systems need to be improved and emergency services better equipped to deal with the damage and chaos

Sinking cities
More and more of the world's cities will be at risk of floods and storm surges as climate change continues to melt ice caps and create bigger storms; city planners are failing to prepare for potential sea level rise, and this is compounded by the growth of cities whose weight literally pushes the land down and lowers it to nearer sea level