Global Temperature Rise Research Articles

Income-based U.S. household carbon footprints (1990–2019) offer new insights on emissions inequality and climate finance

Current policies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increase adaptation and mitigation funding are insufficient to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C. It is clear that further action is needed to avoid the worst impacts of climate change and achieve a just climate future. Here, we offer a new perspective on emissions responsibility and climate finance by conducting an environmentally extended input output analysis that links 30 years (1990–2019) of United States (U.S.) household-level income data to the emissions generated in creating that income. To do this we draw on over 2.8 billion inter-sectoral transfers from the Eora MRIO database to calculate both supplier- and producer-based GHG emissions intensities and connect these with detailed income and demographic data for over 5 million U.S. individuals in the IPUMS Current Population Survey. We find significant and growing emissions inequality that cuts across economic and racial lines. In 2019, fully 40% of total U.S. emissions were associated with income flows to the highest earning 10% of households. Among the highest earning 1% of households (whose income is linked to 15–17% of national emissions) investment holdings account for 38–43% of their emissions. Even when allowing for a considerable range of investment strategies, passive income accruing to this group is a major factor shaping the U.S. emissions distribution. Results suggest an alternative income or shareholder-based carbon tax, focused on investments, may have equity advantages over traditional consumer-facing cap-and-trade or carbon tax options and be a useful policy tool to encourage decarbonization while raising revenue for climate finance.

Spatially and taxonomically explicit characterisation factors for greenhouse gas emission impacts on biodiversity

In life-cycle impact assessment, currently available characterisation factors (CF) for climate change impacts on biodiversity are highly simplified and do not consider spatial and taxonomic differentiation of species or local climate variability. We develop the first spatially and taxonomically specific CFs for the impacts of 20 GHGs on biodiversity considering 26,648 species across terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Generally, CFs are higher in the tropics, and marine species are affected more severely than terrestrial ones. When global GHG emissions from 2020 are assessed in a scenario with a global temperature rise of 3 °C by 2100, an average of 0.25%, 0.15% and 0.03% of species are negatively affected in 2100 from CO2, CH4, and N2O emissions, respectively, across the globe. The new CFs can be used at different levels of spatial and taxonomic aggregation to quantify co-benefits for biodiversity of climate change mitigation in tools such as life-cycle assessment, input-output analyses, or integrated assessment models.

Simulating the diameter growth responses of Larix gmelini Rupr. and Betula platyphylla Suk. to biotic and abiotic factors in secondary forests in Northeast China

Key messageThe diameter growth of Dahurian larch (Larix gmelini Rupr.) and white birch (Betula platyphylla Suk.) species in secondary forest of Northeast China was not only influenced by biological factors such as tree size and stand characteristics, but also significantly affected by topographic and climatic factors such as temperature and precipitation. It is necessary to consider the abiotic factors in simulating the diameter growth.ContextClimate change, such as global temperature rise, increased frequency of extreme weather events, and rising sea levels, has put forest ecosystems in an unstable state and has an impact on species composition, growth harvest, productivity and other functions of forests. And this impact varies in climate scenarios, regions and forest types.AimsTo gain a comprehensive understanding of the adaptation for key species to their environment in secondary forests in Northeast China, the diameter growth responses of Dahurian larch and white birch to biotic and abiotic factors were simulated to assess the effects of climate on diameter growth.MethodsChina’s National Forest Continuous Inventory (NFCI) data from 2005 to 2015 were used to develop linear mixed-effects diameter growth models with plot-level random effects, and leave-one-out cross-validation was applied to evaluate the developed models. At the beginning of modeling, correlation analysis and best-subset regression were used to analyze the correlation between the diameter increment and the biotic and abiotic factors.Results(i) Sorting the categories of predictors in descending order based on the relative importance of the significant predictors, diameter growth of Dahurian larch was affected by competition, tree size, topographic conditions, stand attributes, diversity index, and climate factors, while the white birch species was affected by competition, tree size, stand attributes, climate factors, diversity index, and topographic conditions; (ii) the plot-level mixed-effects model, which achieved better fit and prediction performance than did basic linear models of individual-tree diameter growth in the cases of prediction calibration, was preferable for modeling individual-tree diameter growth; (iii) the prediction accuracy of the mixed-effects model increased gradually with increasing size of calibration sample, and the best sampling strategy was the use of nine random trees to calibrate and make predictions with the mixed-effects model for the larch and birch species; (iv) Dahurian larch was dominant in terms of interspecific competition, and the growth of this species was enhanced when it was grown with the birch.ConclusionIn addition to biotic factors such as tree size and stand characteristics, the impact of climate on the growth of Dahurian larch and white birch should be considered in future management policies.

Decoupling of Ecological and Hydrological Drought Conditions in the Limpopo River Basin Inferred from Groundwater Storage and NDVI Anomalies

Droughts are projected to increase in intensity and frequency with the rise of global mean temperatures. However, not all drought indices equally capture the variety of influences that each hydrologic component has on the duration and magnitude of a period of water deficit. While such indices often agree with one another due to precipitation being the major input, heterogeneous responses caused by groundwater recharge, soil moisture memory, and vegetation dynamics may lead to a decoupling of identifiable drought conditions. As a semi-arid basin, the Limpopo River Basin (LRB) is a severely water-stressed region associated with unique climate patterns that regularly affect hydrological extremes. In this study, we find that vegetation indices show no significant long-term trends (S-statistic 9; p-value 0.779), opposing that of the modeled groundwater anomalies (S-statistic -57; p-value 0.05) in the growing season for a period of 18 years (2004–2022). Although the Mann-Kendall time series statistics for NDVI and drought indices are non-significant when basin-averaged, spatial heterogeneity further reveals that such a decoupling trend between vegetation and groundwater anomalies is indeed significant (p-value < 0.05) in colluvial, low-land aquifers to the southeast, while they remain more coupled in the central-west LRB, where more bedrock aquifers dominate. The conclusions of this study highlight the importance of ecological conditions with respect to water availability and suggest that water management must be informed by local vegetation species, especially in the face of depleting groundwater resources.

Innovative Thinking Drives Emissions Mitigation

_ The oil and gas industry walks a fine line between providing the energy supplies demanded by a growing global population and addressing the challenge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, mainly methane. While the industry has made gains in many areas, critics have flagged concerns that the current pace of emissions mitigation needs to be faster and called for acceleration of the process. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), methane is responsible for approximately 30% of the rise in global temperatures since the Industrial Revolution, making it the second-largest contributor to climate change behind carbon dioxide. Methane is released during oil and gas production processes, and the industry accounts for about a quarter of the global anthropogenic methane emitted into the atmosphere. With increasing recognition of their negative environmental impacts, these emissions are now under greater scrutiny by governments worldwide as they strive toward cleaner power generation sources. As a result, energy companies continue to find ways to effectively manage and reduce their methane emissions to remain compliant with new regulations. According to nonprofit organizations Clean Air Task Force and Ceres, industry efforts are delivering results. An analysis assessed the production-based emissions of more than 300 US producers, finding that the methane emissions intensity of natural gas production and the greenhouse-gas emissions intensity of oil and gas production vary dramatically across companies. The intensity of methane and greenhouse-gas emissions from the oil and gas sector declined 28% and 30%, respectively, between 2019 and 2021 among the largest producers in the country, the report said. However, according to the IEA, overall progress could have been faster. In a special report, the agency looked at the investment required to deliver a sharp reduction in emissions by 2030, finding that if the industry spent $75 billion—about 2% of its 2022 net income—to curb methane emissions through 2030, it would keep the sector on a pathway to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The agency also reported that methane abatement is one of the most cost-effective measures to cut emissions and would generate about $45 billion from the sale of captured methane (Fig. 1). Leak Detection Comparisons Promising advances in technology have improved methane measurement and leak detection. Traditionally a laborious and error-prone task, leak-detection technologies are undergoing a revolution. Drone technology, satellite surveillance, and infrared cameras are emerging as powerful tools in the industry’s arsenal to pinpoint leaks and fix them swiftly. Companies like Shell and BP have committed to routine checks via drones and cameras to spot leaks more accurately and promptly. By employing these technologies, the industry can reduce its environmental footprint and save valuable natural resources, transforming “waste” methane into a valuable energy source. ExxonMobil deployed new technology to expand measurement and mitigation of methane emissions and reduced methane emissions intensity from operated assets by more than 40% as of year-end 2021 vs. 2016 levels in line with greenhouse gas emission reduction plans. In its 2023 Advancing Climate Solutions Progress Report, the supermajor also said that it increased the amount it intends to invest through 2027 on lower-emission initiatives to approximately $17 billion, up by nearly 15%.

The Sensitivity of Green-Up Dates to Different Temperature Parameters in the Mongolian Plateau Grasslands

The rise in global average surface temperature has promoted the advancement of spring vegetation phenology. However, the response of spring vegetation phenology to different temperature parameters varies. The Mongolian Plateau, one of the largest grasslands in the world, has green-up dates (GUDs) with unclear sensitivity to different temperature parameters. To address this issue, we investigated the responses of GUDs to different temperature parameters in the Mongolian Plateau grasslands. The results show that GUDs responded significantly differently to changes in near-surface temperature (TMP), near-surface temperature maximum (TMX), near-surface temperature minimum (TMN), and diurnal temperature range (DTR). GUDs advanced as TMP, TMX, and TMN increased, with TMN having a more significant effect, whereas increases in DTR inhibited the advancement of GUDs. GUDs were more sensitive to TMX and TMN than to TMP. The sensitivity of GUDs to DTR showed an increasing trend from 1982 to 2015 and showed this parameter’s great importance to GUDs. Our results also show that the spatial and temporal distributions of temperature sensitivity are only related to temperature conditions in climatic zones instead of whether they are arid.

A Review on CO2 Sequestration: The Indian Scenario

Abstract To address the carbon dioxide (CO2) and other green-house gas (GHG) emission issues and combat climate change, various world summits have taken place starting with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at Rio in 1992 to the COP26 at Glasgow in 2021. Although the Paris Agreement of 2015, a legally binding international treaty intended to keep global average temperature rise below 2°C (preferably 1.5°C), it appears too tough a target considering the present day scenarios of insincerity by the advanced and rich nations. On the other hand, adaptation of CCS (carbon capture and storage) technologies in industrial scale have not yet been possible because of economic unviability. Although the western countries such as the USA and the EU have invested considerable amount of funds for R&D to make the CCS technologies successful, the developed technologies are only up to the pilot scale. More funding and focused R&D are needed to make the proven CCS technologies economic in industrial scales. The R&D efforts by other countries are still insignificant. India being the fourth largest emitter of GHGs in the world, is a signatory to most of the global treaties and is trying to adopt various CCS technologies. However, no significant progress has been made so far although some initiations have been observed after the recent pledge made by the Hon. Prime Minister of India in COP26 at Glasgow for a ‘net zero’ carbon by 2070. Industrial utilization of CO2 is negligible in the country except that Tata Steel Ltd. recently installed a demonstration carbon capture plant (5 TPD CO2) at its Jamshedpur works. There are no visible efforts from the power sectors who are one of the major contributors of CO2. Future availability of CCS technologies to Indian industries shall primarily be determined by the investments they make in R&D to develop the technologies on their own or in collaboration with research laboratories. Substituting carbon with green hydrogen and using renewable energy to run the steel plants would be desirable. Implementation of costly CCS technologies in India would need incentives from government as well as involvement and financial commitment from private industries which has been very low over the years. In this article we have taken a fresh stock of the situation with respect to the global targets set, efforts being made, technological interventions and their adaptability, R&D efforts required, funding opportunities, promises made, the gaps in available technologies, and target accomplishments. Indian status has been reviewed with respect to CCS: where does it stand, what are the challenges and what is the way forward for this fast-growing developing country to address the climate change keeping a balance with its fast growth rate.

Uncertainty of temperature rise under nationally determined contributions and carbon neutral policies

Nationally determined contributions raised by Paris Agreement aim to control the temperature rise below 2 °C or even 1.5 °C at the end of the 21st century, compared to pre-industrial levels. However, the climate response of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) remains uncertain due to unstable policies and their credibility. In this study, we calculated the uncertainty of global temperature rise caused by uncertain NDCs and carbon-neutral policies and discussed the difficulty of policy implementation. The results show that there will be 8 GtC uncertainty in emission at the end of the 21st century, responsible for the temperature rise of 0.37 °C (1.73–2.10 °C). A delayed policy in emission reduction by major emitters would result in a temperature rise of over 2 °C, while under non-delay policy, the 2 °C target will be possibly achieved. Besides, low-emission countries would introduce a 30 GtC cumulative emission uncertainty at the end of the 21st century if there are no restrictions, leading to a 0.3 °C global warming uncertainty. Developed countries need more substantial reductions in carbon intensity to achieve their climate policies while developing countries are under less pressure. The reduction of carbon intensity requires the strengthening of technical and economic methods. This study provides a reference for the realization of emission policies and temperature rise targets.

Comparing land surface temperature and mean radiant temperature for urban heat mapping in Philadelphia

Many cities are experiencing more frequent extreme heat during hot summers. With the rise of global temperature, the thermal comfort in urban areas become even worse. Quantitative information of the spatial distributions of urban heat has become increasingly important for resilience and adaptation to climate change in cities. This study compares satellite-derived land surface temperature (LST) and urban microclimate modeling-based mean radiant temperature (Tmrt) for mapping the urban heat distributions in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.The LST was estimated based on Landsat 8 thermal imagery with a spatial resolution of around 100 m, while the Tmrt was simulated based on high resolution LiDAR and national aerial imagery program multispectral aerial imageries with a spatial resolution of 1 m. Result shows that both LST and Tmrt show a similar general pattern of the urban heat across the study area, while the Tmrt presents much more details of the heat variations street by street and neighborhood by neighborhood. The LST tends to have a stronger relationship with the Tmrt on building roofs, which are usually not the place for human activities. This studyprovides evidence for choosing more appropriate metrics in urban heat-related studies.

ASSESSMENT OF ECONOMIC WORTH OF GREEN ROOF: A CASE STUDY IN PUTRAJAYA

The current global temperature rise has affected local climate change issues and increased the energy usage for the building cooling process. Following this, the roof components have been identified to contribute the building heating effect due to exposure for more than 10 hours a day which at the same time secretes 70% of the sun's radiation. As an alternative, the green roof concept approach potentially reduces the effects of internal heat and operating costs of cooling the building while providing an investment return for the desired period. This study aims to measure the level of effectiveness of the building green roof concept on the building cooling rate and its profitability implications. Two objectives have been set. First, to compare the effects of concrete and green roof applications on energy consumption and operating costs for the cooling effects of air-conditioned buildings (active systems). Second, to evaluate the maintenance cost and profitability of applying the green-roofed building concept in terms of periodic return on investment. The findings of this study are seen to help the government and relevant agencies consider using the green roof concept in the physical construction of buildings in the future.

Application of biochar in concrete – A review

The continuous rise in global temperatures is an evidence of climate change. CO2 emissions have caused major problems owing to its contribution to climate change. In particular, the construction industry has a considerable carbon footprint. Therefore, investigations into climate change mitigation are indeed a priority. All steps in the construction process, from raw materials preparation to cement production, contribute to CO2 emissions. This can be mitigated to a certain extent by incorporating bio-based constituents into construction materials. However, bio-based materials may negatively affect cement reaction and structural performance, despite their positive environmental impacts. Biochar, a carbon-rich product of biomass pyrolysis, is considered a potential substitute for cement replacement that can enhance structural properties if used in appropriate amounts. Although biochar has conventionally been used as a soil amendment in the agricultural industry, researchers have recently investigated its applicability in concrete. Importantly, the results thus far have reported its contribution to the enhancement of the mechanical, thermal, and physical properties of cement. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the physicochemical properties of biochar added cementitious materials, including the fresh and hardened properties of biochar-cement mixtures considering both environmental and economic aspects.

DEVELOPING AN IOT SYSTEM TO ALERT HEAT-STRESS FOR LIVESTOCK

Recently, climate change has posed a significant challenge to humanity, with temperature increment being a conspicuous phenomenon. The rise in global temperature has impacts not only humans but also animals leading to health issues, particularly heat stress in livestock. With the advancement of science and technology, numerous intelligent systems have been developed to support the livestock industry. In this study, we present the development of an Internet of Things system designed to monitor and alert heat stress conditions in livestock. As a result, the designed IoT system could track the temperature both inside and outside the livestock house. By depending on Temperature Humidity Index, the system also makes alters if the temperature is at risk of causing heat shock to livestock. In the future, the system could be developed to be applied in livestock farming and help mitigate heat stress in livestock.

Change in cooling degree days with global mean temperature rise increasing from 1.5 °C to 2.0 °C

AbstractLimiting global mean temperature rise to 1.5 °C is increasingly out of reach. Here we show the impact on global cooling demand in moving from 1.5 °C to 2.0 °C of global warming. African countries have the highest increase in cooling requirements. Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Norway (traditionally unprepared for heat) will suffer the largest relative cooling demand surges. Immediate and unprecedented adaptation interventions are required worldwide to be prepared for a hotter world.

Carbon Capture Using Porous Silica Materials.

As the primary greenhouse gas, CO2 emission has noticeably increased over the past decades resulting in global warming and climate change. Surprisingly, anthropogenic activities have increased atmospheric CO2 by 50% in less than 200 years, causing more frequent and severe rainfall, snowstorms, flash floods, droughts, heat waves, and rising sea levels in recent times. Hence, reducing the excess CO2 in the atmosphere is imperative to keep the global average temperature rise below 2 °C. Among many CO2 mitigation approaches, CO2 capture using porous materials is considered one of the most promising technologies. Porous solid materials such as carbons, silica, zeolites, hollow fibers, and alumina have been widely investigated in CO2 capture technologies. Interestingly, porous silica-based materials have recently emerged as excellent candidates for CO2 capture technologies due to their unique properties, including high surface area, pore volume, easy surface functionalization, excellent thermal, and mechanical stability, and low cost. Therefore, this review comprehensively covers major CO2 capture processes and their pros and cons, selecting a suitable sorbent, use of liquid amines, and highlights the recent progress of various porous silica materials, including amine-functionalized silica, their reaction mechanisms and synthesis processes. Moreover, CO2 adsorption capacities, gas selectivity, reusability, current challenges, and future directions of porous silica materials have also been discussed.

Current and emerging technologies for carbon accounting in urban landscapes: Advantages and limitations

Carbon capture, storage, and sequestration are crucial for mitigating climate change's adverse effects. To limit global temperature rise within the 2 °C target, it is essential to implement both artificial and natural carbon-capturing techniques and utilize renewable resources. Natural carbon sinks serve as vital resources for CO2 reduction, but quantifying their carbon sequestration is complex due to potential CO2 release from the upper ocean. Accurate assessment requires detailed modeling of interacting natural processes. This review critically examines various natural carbon pools, methodologies, and modeling techniques for carbon accounting, particularly in urban landscapes. The strengths and limitations of each approach are analyzed, leading to specific recommendations. Socio-economic benefits associated with natural carbon sinks are also presented. Ground and field measurements are found to be the most accurate methods, while accounting methods tend to be study-specific. Additionally, satellite earth observation, drone, and airborne measurements have significant potential for enhancing ecosystem analysis, assessment, and mapping. By comprehensively assessing these factors, this review contributes to the development of effective strategies for carbon accounting and management in diverse environments.

The Role of National Green Tribunal on mitigating the effects of Climate Change

Climate change is the worldwide problem facing by all the countries. The main cause behind the climate change is the disturbance of ecology and natural environment. We need an attention for saving our environment by balancing our needs. Climate is the long-term average of a region’s weather events. The earth’s climate is not static. Over the billions of years of earth’s existence, it has changed many times in response to natural causes like sun spot, ice age glaciations etc. Climate change is defined as a change in the climate that may be directly or indirectly linked to human activity that modifies the global atmosphere. This shift is distinct from the natural climate variability that has been documented throughout comparable time periods. The phrase climate change represents a change in the long-term weather patterns. Climate change is not a change of weather in particular day; it is the cumulative change of long-term weather pattern i.e. changes in climate. Climate change is the measurable effect of the continual warming trend. Climate change is usually measured in major shifts in temperature, rainfall, snow and wind patterns lasting decades or more. Humans are creating climate change by burning large amounts of fossil fuels (Coal, oil, natural gas), deforestation. (When forests are cut down or burned, they can no longer store carbon is released to the atmosphere). Gradual rise in sea level, Rise in global temperature, Ocean water getting warmer, Greenland and Atlantic ice sheath are shrinking, Arctic sea ice have also thinned out, Melting of glaciers, Severity in seasons along with the intensity and frequency of climate hazards has greatly increased (floods, heavy rainfall, dry spell, cyclones etc.), Acidification of oceans, Death of corals etc. are nothing but the pure evidences of climate change. These evidence shows two kinds of impacts, that is bifurcated broadly into environmental and agricultural aspect.

THE ENVIRONMENT/MEDIA INTERFACE IN DON DELILLO’S WHITE NOISE

The environment is a matter of great concern for environmentalists and governments alike. Climate change, rise in global temperatures, natural disasters etc. have attracted worldwide attention and the COPs being held in different countries every year draw world leaders to a common platform to discuss and thrash out solutions to climate related issues. It is worth examining how recent literature has reacted to the problems associated with the environment. Don DeLillo’s The White Noise published in 1985 is a novel which interweaves environmental issues with the compulsions of the media -driven society we live in with all the happenings in the world reaching us, mediated by the TV and radio channels thus making access to reality or truth a difficult affair. The paper looks at the representation of the environment/media interface in Don DeLillo’s White Noise drawing insights from ecocritical studies and postmodern theories of representation.

Threat of Climate Change

The anthropogenic activities of mankind have led to an unprecedented rise in global greenhouse concentrations since the industrial revolution. The consequence of this unequivocal rise in global surface temperature has been witnessed over the last century and more so after 1970. The global surface temperature in the last twenty years (2001-2020) was 0.9°C higher than what was registered during 1850-1900 (IPCC, 2023). This has also been observed that the number of hot days every year has been on the increase when the temperature around touches 50°C. There are multiple reports which have predicted very hot summers across the globe in the coming days and the report further reveals that the total number of days when the temperature crossed 50°C in different parts of the world was 14 in the years between 1980 and 2009 whereas this rose to 26 days during 2010-2019. The year 2022 witnessed the hottest summer in many western and south-western European countries where the temperature was above 2.3°C above the pre-industrial average and this extraordinary temperature rise in different parts of Europe exacerbated many unimaginable things like a severe forest fire, drought, drying up of many water bodies and heat-related deaths.

Threat of Climate Change

The anthropogenic activities of mankind have led to an unprecedented rise in global greenhouse concentrations since the industrial revolution. The consequence of this unequivocal rise in global surface temperature has been witnessed over the last century and more so after 1970. The global surface temperature in the last twenty years (2001-2020) was 0.9°C higher than what was registered during 1850-1900 (IPCC, 2023). This has also been observed that the number of hot days every year has been on the increase when the temperature around touches 50°C. There are multiple reports which have predicted very hot summers across the globe in the coming days and the report further reveals that the total number of days when the temperature crossed 50°C in different parts of the world was 14 in the years between 1980 and 2009 whereas this rose to 26 days during 2010-2019. The year 2022 witnessed the hottest summer in many western and south-western European countries where the temperature was above 2.3°C above the pre-industrial average and this extraordinary temperature rise in different parts of Europe exacerbated many unimaginable things like a severe forest fire, drought, drying up of many water bodies and heat-related deaths.

Threat of Climate Change

The anthropogenic activities of mankind have led to an unprecedented rise in global greenhouse concentrations since the industrial revolution. The consequence of this unequivocal rise in global surface temperature has been witnessed over the last century and more so after 1970. The global surface temperature in the last twenty years (2001-2020) was 0.9°C higher than what was registered during 1850-1900 (IPCC, 2023). This has also been observed that the number of hot days every year has been on the increase when the temperature around touches 50°C. There are multiple reports which have predicted very hot summers across the globe in the coming days and the report further reveals that the total number of days when the temperature crossed 50°C in different parts of the world was 14 in the years between 1980 and 2009 whereas this rose to 26 days during 2010-2019. The year 2022 witnessed the hottest summer in many western and south-western European countries where the temperature was above 2.3°C above the pre-industrial average and this extraordinary temperature rise in different parts of Europe exacerbated many unimaginable things like a severe forest fire, drought, drying up of many water bodies and heat-related deaths.