‘Extreme’ weather conditions have cost Europe around €500 billion over 40 years

Feb 3 2022

Extreme weather conditions and sever floods have cost Europe around half a trillion euros over the past four decades, the European Environment Agency has revealed.

The agency’s recently-published data shows that Germany, France and Italy were the worst hit country with anywhere between 90,000 and 142,000 deaths being linked to climate-related issues and weather in Europe between 1980 and 2020. The data does not indicate a trend of increase in losses over the years due to climate crisis.

Lead author within the EEA, Wouter Vanneuville, has stated that extreme weather evens show no clear pattern and remain to appear relatively random, but adaptation is ongoing and impactful. Despite not showing a clear trend, extreme weather issues are likely to increase in frequency and intensity in the midst of the current climate crisis. “Countries across the world are implementing adaptation strategies,” he said.

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Photo Source: Politico Europe / Pixabay

Flowers and plants blooming a month earlier due to climate change

Feb 2 2022

Despite flowers blooming being a sight for sore eyes, UK plants are now flowering a month earlier on average due to climate change.Just as autumn leaf fall is being delayed by warmer weather, flowers are appearing earlier on trees and shrubs alike. Scientists are warning of the risks of this, with the blossoming itself being a back-handed appearance.

Scientists claim that if the trend continues, there could be knock-off effect for birds, insects and entire ecosystems. Ecological mismatch may kick in, which would have a dramatic effect on functioning and productivity of nature and farming. Professor Ulf Buntgen of the University of Cambridge said that ‘our climate system is changing in a way that affects us and our environment.’ Global warming is causing spring to arrive early and autumn to come late in many places – and not all plants and animals are adapting at the same rate.

This could lead to ecological mismatch – which is when species get out of sync with each other. Pollen, nectar, seeds and fruits of plants are important food resources for many creatures. If flowers appear too early they can be hit by frost which damage the harvest.

With a study looking at hundreds of thousands of observations of the first flowering dates of native trees, shrubs, herbs and climbers. This encompassed all of the UK and Northern Ireland. Researchers compared the first flowering dates of 406 plant species with climate records, finding that early flowering is strongly correlated with rising global temperatures. The research hasn’t gone global yet but similar patterns are to be expected said most of the researchers.

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90 million Omicron cases found after 10 weeks from detection

Feb 2 2022

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported that 90 million cases of COVID-19 were recorded since the Omicron variant was identified 10 weeks ago. This amounts to more than in all of 2020, which was the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many countries are still easing their restrictive measures following public fatigue and pressure.

However, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyeus cautioned that Omicron should not be underestimated even though it has shown to bring less severe illness than other variants. He cited a very worrying increase in deaths in most regions of the world. ‘We are concerned that a narrative has taken hold in some countries that because of vaccines – and because of Omicorn’s high transmissibility and lower severity – preventing transmission is no longer possible and no longer necessary’.

Tedros said that nothing could be further from the truth, and that it’s premature for any country either to surrender or to declare victory. ;This virus is dangerous and it continues to evolve before our very eyes.’Despite WHO reporting that four of its six regions worldwide seeing increasing death trends, many European countries have started easing lockdown measures. These include UK, France, Ireland and the Netherlands.

Dr Michael Ryan, WHO’s emergencies chief, said countries with higher vaccination rates have more choices about whether or not to ease restrictions. He still said they should assess factors like epidemiology, at-risk populations, immunity in the population and access to health care tools to fight the pandemic.

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Pandemic waste equal to weight of 262,000 jumbo jets WHO warns

Feb 2 2022

The amount of waste being generated by the COVID-19 pandemic is a threat to the environment and human health confirmed the World Health Organisation (WHO). The agency stated that used medical equipment such as needles posed a health hazard. The increase in plastic waste was also straining waste management systems.

WHO called on manufacturers in its report to use more biodegradable materials and eco-friendly packaging, saying that there was a dire need to reform how waste is disposed globally. The materials being throw away include everything from clothing, syringes, gloves, face masks and test kits. WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan said that it is absolutely vital to provide health workers with the right PPE.

‘But it is also vital to ensure that it can be used safely without impacting on the surrounding environment’ said Ryan, with the 71-page report finding that most of the 1.5 billion medical items distributed by the UN in the first months of the pandemic ended up as rubbish.

This is equivalent to the weight of 262,000 jumbo jets. Disposable gloves contributed most to the waste generation than any other item. The WHO’s own guidance does not recommend healthcare workers be required to wear gloves while administering vaccines.

It was estimated that 3.4 billion single use masks were discarded everyday in 2020 globally. Most are made of plastic, posing pollution problems on both land and water. WHO also found that more than half of healthcare facilities in poorer countries rent able to deal with the waste safely.

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