Climate Crisis | Save the Planet

Have We Broken the Jet Stream? Climate Change Fuels Chaos

By David Shepherd|2025-01-21T12:54:43+00:00January 18th, 2025|

Have We Broken the Jet Stream? Climate Change Fuels Chaos

Human-induced climate change has seriously disturbed the North Atlantic jet stream, a fast-moving ribbon of air high in the atmosphere, according to Madeleine Cuff’s recent research in New Scientist. This disturbance is increasingly being connected to extreme weather occurrences, such as the devastating floods that swept throughout Spain in November 2024.

What is the Jet Stream?

The jet stream is a powerful air current that influences weather patterns across the Northern Hemisphere. It is driven by temperature differences between the Arctic and the tropics. However, as the Arctic warms at a rate nearly four times faster than the global average, the temperature gradient weakens, causing the jet stream to slow down and meander. This alteration can lock weather systems in place, leading to prolonged extreme events such as heatwaves, droughts, and floods.

The Spanish Floods of November 2024

The record rainfall in Spain, which caused catastrophic floods and evacuated hundreds, is a clear example of the jet stream’s destabilisation. The slow-moving weather system that caused the rainfall was linked to a weaker and meandering jet stream, which kept the storm over the region for days.

The Spanish government declared a state of emergency as rivers overflowed and important infrastructure was damaged. The Spanish Meteorological Agency (AEMET) stated that the incident was “consistent with predictions of increased extreme weather due to climate change.”

Broader Implications

The impacts of a disrupted jet stream are not confined to Europe. North America, Asia, and other regions are also experiencing unusual and severe weather patterns. For instance:

Heatwaves: The Pacific Northwest saw record-breaking temperatures in the summer of 2024, attributed to a persistent high-pressure system linked to a meandering jet stream.
Droughts: Parts of the Horn of Africa are enduring prolonged dry spells, exacerbating food insecurity.
Winter Storms: The United States experienced intensified snowstorms in early 2025, also tied to jet stream anomalies.

What Can Be Done?

The destabilisation of the jet stream emphasises the importance of solving climate change. Limiting global warming to 1.5°C over pre-industrial levels, as stipulated in the Paris Agreement, is critical for preventing further disruptions. Experts advocate for the following measures:

Reducing Emissions: Rapid decarbonization of the global economy is essential to curbing Arctic warming.
Building Resilience: Investing in climate-resilient infrastructure can help communities adapt to extreme weather events.
Improving Forecasting: Enhanced understanding and monitoring of the jet stream can improve weather prediction and disaster preparedness.

Conclusion

The breaking of the jet stream is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of the planet’s systems and the profound consequences of human activity. As scientists continue to study these changes, it is clear that urgent action is needed to prevent further climate instability.

Sources

Madeleine Cuff, New Scientist: newscientist.com
Spanish Meteorological Agency (AEMET): aemet.es
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): noaa.gov
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC): ipcc.ch

Amazon Deforestation at 8-Year Low: A Win for Conservation

By David Shepherd|2025-01-11T14:09:00+00:00January 11th, 2025|

In a startling reversal, a welcome and significant milestone in the fight against climate change has emerged: deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest has reached its lowest rate in eight years. This development signals meaningful progress in preserving one of the planet’s most vital ecosystems and combating the dire consequences of environmental degradation.

A Critical Turning Point

The Amazon rainforest, also known as the “Lungs of the Earth,” is critical to preserving global ecological equilibrium. It covers around 5.5 million square kilometres and absorbs large amounts of CO2 while creating oxygen, making it critical to climate change mitigation. However, this essential ecosystem has suffered constant threats from illicit logging, livestock ranching, mining, and agricultural expansion, resulting in worrisome rates of deforestation over the decades.

According to recent data issued by Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE), deforestation rates are down 33% over the previous year. Between August 2023 and July 2024, the Amazon lost about 4,000 square kilometres of forest, the lowest total since 2016. This victory marks a watershed moment in the quest to safeguard the Amazon and provides a ray of hope for worldwide conservation efforts.

The Impact of Policy and Enforcement

Deforestation has decreased significantly as a result of the Brazilian government’s increased commitment to environmental preservation under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. When President Lula took office in January 2023, he prioritised rectifying his predecessor’s environmentally destructive policies, which had drawn international criticism for eroding environmental laws..

Key measures implemented include:

Strengthened Law Enforcement: The government increased funding for environmental enforcement agencies, such as IBAMA (Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources), enabling them to crack down on illegal deforestation activities.
Indigenous Land Protections: Efforts to recognize and safeguard Indigenous territories have played a pivotal role, as these areas often serve as natural barriers against deforestation.
Global Partnerships: Brazil has also partnered with international organizations and governments, including the European Union and Norway, to secure funding for preservation initiatives. The Amazon Fund, a mechanism that channels resources into sustainable projects, has been revitalized.

Broader Implications

Reduced deforestation benefits not only Brazil but also the rest of the world. By maintaining the Amazon, the world’s biggest rainforest, Brazil helps to mitigate climate change, protect biodiversity, and assist Indigenous groups that rely on the jungle for survival.

However, issues remain. Economic pressures and political opposition from agricultural and mining lobbies continue to pose challenges. To preserve this downward trend in deforestation, sustained efforts will be required on both the domestic and international levels.

Sources and Evidence

Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE): www.inpe.br
Reuters Coverage of Amazon Fund: www.reuters.com
Environmental Defense Fund Report: www.edf.org
Analysis by World Resources Institute (WRI): www.wri.org

The dramatic drop in Amazon deforestation demonstrates the effectiveness of targeted policy measures and international collaboration. As the globe commemorates this accomplishment, it serves as a reminder that collaborative efforts can result in considerable progress towards protecting our planet’s future.

Increasing Natural Disasters Are “Not So Natural” Afterall

By Subhankar Bhattacharjee|2025-01-09T12:23:52+00:00January 12th, 2021|

Do you ever wonder why the news channels are always flashing news about a natural disaster raging in some or the other part of the world? The Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT) states that the occurrence of natural disasters has hiked three-fold merely in the last four decades.

When the world is standing amidst a climate crisis and facing multiple threats from nature, we really need to ponder what all this rage is about and how we can fix our ways for a healthier and safer planet.

What is a natural disaster?

The Oxford Dictionary explains a natural disaster as a natural phenomenon that causes great loss of life and property. Phenomena like floods, earthquakes, and hurricanes are natural; the overflowing of a river and flooding the shores is natural, but if there’s a human settlement that is disturbed by this flood, it’s a natural disaster.

According to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), natural disasters are simply a result of a lack of planning and prevention in a natural phenomenon. In other words, it’s not nature but human interference and mismanagement that causes a natural disaster.

How do human activities result in a natural disaster?

Deforestation

While large-scale deforestation results in increased carbon levels in the atmosphere and decreased resources for forest-dependent communities, it contributes to an increased number of small-scale natural disasters. Since tall and robust trees bind the soil together, cutting them results in washing off the forest soil — a phenomenon called soil erosion.

When there’s heavy rainfall, the soil of the forest is able to absorb excess water, preventing soil, and in the very same manner, it can prevent dry land or droughts. The number of people suffering from food crises due to natural disasters has tripled over the last three decades.

Agriculture

Just like deforestation, agriculture also destroys the topsoil of a land area, decreasing its possibility to absorb rainwater. This excess water is then rushed down to the rivers, and consequently, the river system becomes overloaded, again causing floods, cyclones, and tsunamis.

Urban Development

In the very same manner, increased urban development makes that geographical area more prone to natural disasters. Town and city surfaces are covered with cement and asphalt, which is not able to absorb any rainwater, burdening the nearby river system.

Building Dams

Hydroelectric power production is impossible without dam construction. Levees and dams used to hold river water again make that area prone to damaging floods as there is a possibility of the levee or dam wall breaking and spreading water in the surroundings. Building dams also makes the place vulnerable to earthquakes due to the large mass of water, putting immense pressure behind the dam.

Natural Wetland Destruction

Destruction of natural wetlands is another major root cause behind floods. When swamps are ditched and natural obstacles for water are destroyed, water finds new ways that tend to be close to human settlements, resulting in a massive loss of life and property.

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