Record greenhouse gas emissions, wooden cities and more

🌱 Level of greenhouse gases breaks record in 2021

The atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases – responsible for global warming – reached a new record in 2021, despite a decrease in CO2 emissions in the previous year, due to the covid-19 pandemic. That's what the 32nd annual “State of the Climate” reportsystem. (State of the Climate in 2021) 🇬🇧

“The data presented in this report is clear: we continue to see more compelling scientific evidence that climate change has global impacts and shows no signs of slowing,” Rick Spinrad – who heads the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – told AFP.

As a result of the contribution of more than 530 scientists, present in more than 60 countries, The document provides the most comprehensive update on Earth's climate indicators, notable weather events, and other data collected by environmental monitoring stations and instruments located on land, water, ice, and in spacesystem. (American Meteorological Society – AMS*)

Notable findings from the international report include:

• Earth's greenhouse gases were the highest ever recorded;
• the Earth's warming trend continued;
• ocean heat and global sea levels were the highest on record;
• the conditions of La niña reduced sea surface temperatures;
• temperatures were mixed in the Southern Hemisphere;
• the Arctic was colder overall, but some records were set; It is
• tropical cyclone activity was well above average.

🌳 Cities made of wood can cut billions of tons of CO2 emissions, says study

Building urban homes from wood – rather than concrete and steel – can save around 10% of the carbon budget needed to limit carbon emissions. global warming at 2°C, even in this century. That's what one says study published in the journal Nature Communications.. (*)

To bring about such a change in construction practices would require up to 149 million hectares of new timber plantations and an increase in harvests from unprotected natural forests – but without needing to encroach on agricultural land – according to the research.

Housing 90% of the world's growing urban population in buildings made from wood could avoid 106 billion tons of carbon emissions by 2100, the study finds.

However, environmentalists claim that the millions of hectares of new plantations – for timber extraction – tend to have less biodiversity than natural forests and burn more easily.

“It would be a disaster for nature and the climate,” said Sini Eräjää – leader of Greenpeace’s European food and forests campaign – in an interview with the newspaper The Guardian. (*)

“Natural, biodiverse forests are more resilient to drought, fire and disease, so they are much safer carbon storage than the tree plantations we saw go up in smoke this summer from Portugal to California. Wood can play a greater role in construction, but doubling the world's tree plantations at the expense of priceless nature is simply crazy, when modest reductions in meat and dairy production would free up much-needed land.”

The study authors say “strong governance and careful planning are needed to limit negative impacts on biodiversity”.

💧 Pakistan – which emits less than 1% of planet-warming gases – is underwater 

Parts of Pakistan are now underwater after the country experienced the heaviest rains on record. More than 1.100 people died and 33 million were affected.

Pakistan underwater, the death of the “Hole Indian” and +

See highlights from Curto Green this Monday (29): 33 million Pakistanis affected by the rains, considered a “climate catastrophe”; the story of the “Indian of the Hole”, the last indigenous person of his tribe found dead on Saturday (27); study shows that extreme heat waves will be more common by the end of the decade if there is no reduction in emissions; and another victim of the war in Ukraine: dolphins.

According to data from the European Union (EU), the Pakistan is responsible for less than 1% of the gases that cause global warming (CNN*), but it is the eighth most vulnerable nation to the climate crisis, according to Global Climate Risk Indexsystem. (German Watch) 🇬🇧

This climate injustice is causing the country to pay a heavy price, not just in lives but also in devastating destruction.

Authorities estimate that around 10 billion dollars will be needed to rebuild the area devastated by water. The United Nations (UN) made a request for $160 million in emergency funds on Tuesday (30)system. (Agency Brazil)

The UN Secretary-General – António Guterres – made an appeal on social media for urgent collective action to help the government and people of Pakistan and warned: “Today is Pakistan. Tomorrow, it could be your country.”

O Curto Verde is a daily summary of what you need to know about the environment, sustainability and other topics linked to our survival and that of the planet.

(With AFP)

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(🇬🇧): content in English

(*): content in other languages ​​is translated by Google Tradutor