The Arctic’s Most Stable Sea Ice Is Vanishing Alarmingly Fast
After climate change melts the Arctic Ocean’s year-round ice cover, only the region’s oldest, thickest ice will remain … or will it? A new study offers a dire warning that even this ice is at risk. Known as the “Last Ice Area,” this icy zone extends more than 1,200 miles (2,000 kilometers) from Greenland’s northern coast to the western part of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The enduring ice here is at least 5 years old — older than in neighboring regions — and measures about 13 feet (4 meters) thick.
https://www.livescience.com/arctic-ice-refuge-vanishing.html
Venice Suffers Worst Flooding in 50 Years, Mayor Blames Climate Change
Venice is in a state of emergency as the Italian city deals with the aftermath of one of the worst floods in its history. Late on Tuesday (Nov. 12), high tides from the surrounding lagoon surged onto the more than 100 islands that make up Venice, flooding 85% of the city and damaging artwork and many historic sites, Mayor Luigi Brugnaro tweeted. Photos and videos posted on social media show the intense flood turning alleyways into rushing rivers, stranding large water taxis in public plazas, and drenching some of the city’s most iconic historic sites — including St. Mark’s Basilica, completed in 1092.
https://www.livescience.com/venice-flooding-2019.html
Climate crisis forcing 20 million people a year from their homes, Oxfam says
Climate-fueled disasters have forced about 20 million people a year to leave their homes in the past decade — equivalent to one every two seconds — according to a new report from Oxfam. This makes the climate the biggest driver of internal displacement for the period, with the world’s poorer countries at the highest risk, despite their smaller contributions to global carbon pollution compared to richer nations.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/01/world/oxfam-climate-displacement-intl-scli/index.html
UN Chief Warns of ‘Point of No Return’ on Climate Change
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Sunday that the world’s efforts to stop climate change have been “utterly inadequate” so far and there is a danger global warming could pass the “point of no return.” Speaking before the start Monday of a two-week international climate conference in Madrid, the U.N. chief said the impact of rising temperatures — including more extreme weather — is already being felt around the world, with dramatic consequences for humans and other species. He noted that the world has the scientific knowledge and the technical means to limit global warming, but “what is lacking is political will.”
https://apnews.com/7d85d6d7b05c4436b6f4d162f6c06566