Jack Hurd’s Post

Devastating #drought in #amazon result of #climatecrisis - The #drought that struck the #amazon #rainforest in 2023 was the worst recorded in many places and hit the maximum “exceptional” level on the scientific scale - Without planet-warming #emissions from the burning of #oil, #gas and #coal, the #drought would have been far less extreme - The #drought was made 30x more likely to happen by #globalheating, while the return of the natural #elniño climate phenomenon is associated with drier conditions but played only a small role "The Amazon could make or break our fight against climate change... If we protect the forest, it will continue to act as the world’s largest land-based carbon sink. But if we allow human-induced emissions and deforestation to push it through the tipping point, it will release large amounts of CO2. We need to protect the rainforest and move away from fossil fuels as quickly as possible." - Professor Regina Rodrigues, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil https://lnkd.in/eE3z-QrB #climatecrisis #attribution

A new study finds that climate change was the main driver of a record drought last year in the Amazon rainforest that drained rivers, killed endangered dolphins, and upended life for millions of people in the region. The drought affected all 9 Amazon rainforest countries - including Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela and Peru - and was the most severe drought in the past 45 years. Deforestation in the Amazon exacerbates the vulnerability of the rainforest to severe droughts. And 1/5 of the Amazon has been lost over the last 50 years. There is concern that if climate change and deforestation continue at their current pace, the Amazon could soon reach an irreversible "tipping point" where the biome would cease to be rainforest. But researchers are confident that this outcome is not inevitable. And recent research has shown that deforestation rates in the Amazon fell in 2023, with President Lula da Silva pledging to halt deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon completely by 2030. https://lnkd.in/ecJBaWu4 #Amazon #Rainforest #Deforestation #Drought #TropicalForest

The 2023 exceptional drought in highly vulnerable #Amazon River Basin is driven largely by human-caused #climatechange. The findings from the @World Weather Attribution linked the rainfall deficit and increased evaporation in the region to the long trend of increasing global temperatures🌡️ #Climatechange has made such severe droughts 30 times more likely, now expected to occur every 50 years under current conditions. This frequency poses a dire threat to the rainforest's resilience, already weakened by deforestation. 💧 The Rio Negro, one of the world's largest rivers, hit its lowest level in over a century near Manaus, Brazil. This isn't just an environmental concern; it's a humanitarian crisis impacting millions who depend on these waterways for their livelihoods. 🔥 The loss of the Amazon goes beyond biodiversity; it's a matter of global climate stability. The rainforest, in its healthy state, is a net absorber of #co2. But as it succumbs to #drought, #wildfires, and #deforestation, it risks turning into a carbon emitter, edging closer to a feared "tipping point" of no return. 🔬 Accurate monitoring of #greenhousegasemissions is crucial in this context. The World Meteorological Organization's Global Greenhouse Gases Watch plays an indispensable role in tracking these emissions, providing essential data for informed decision-making and effective policy development. Read more on the study here 👇 https://lnkd.in/dj3FuCdv

Insightful 💡 "By increasing temperatures, human-caused climate change made the severe drought affecting the Amazon Basin(1) 30 times more likely, a new study finds. Why it matters: The Amazon is the world's largest rainforest, and it absorbs vast amounts of carbon. It is already teetering on the edge of instability(2) due to deforestation." 1) https://lnkd.in/e-KMhhxW 2) https://lnkd.in/ejgHWHdB Read more https://lnkd.in/exwqxZ4M #climatechange #globalwarming #extremeweather #environment #drought #watercrisis #amazon

The #climatecrisis turned the #drought that struck the #Amazonrainforest in 2023 into a devastating event, a study has found. The drought was the worst recorded in many places and hit the maximum “exceptional” level on the scientific scale. Without planet-warming emissions from the burning of #coal, #oilandgas, the drought would have been far less extreme, the analysis found. It also showed the drought was made 30 times more likely to happen by #globalheating. The return of the natural El Niño climate phenomenon is associated with drier conditions but played only a small role, the scientists said. The climate crisis is supercharging #extremeweather across the planet, but the extreme Amazon drought is a stark and worrying example because the rainforest is already thought to be close to a #tippingpoint into a drier state. This would result in a mass die-off of trees in the world’s most important store of carbon on land, releasing large amounts of #CO2 and driving global temperatures even higher. Millions of people in the Amazon have been affected by the drought, with some rivers at their lowest levels for more than a century. There have been drinking water shortages, failed crops and power cuts, as #hydroelectric plants dried up. The drought also worsened wildfires and high water temperatures were linked to a mass mortality of river life, including the deaths of more than 150 endangered pink river dolphins in a single week. “The Amazon could make or break our fight against #climatechange,” said Regina Rodrigues, a professor at the Federal University of #SantaCatarina, #Brazil, and part of the World Weather Attribution team that did the analysis. “If we protect the forest, it will continue to act as the world’s largest land-based #carbonsink,” she said. “But if we allow human-induced emissions and #deforestation to push it through the tipping point, it will release large amounts of CO2. We need to protect the rainforest and move away from #fossilfuels as quickly as possible.” Simphiwe Stewart, a researcher at the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre in the #Netherlands and also part of the team, said: “Many communities living in the Amazon simply haven’t seen a drought like this before. People were forced to make huge journeys, dragging boats over dried up sections of river, to access food, medicine and other essential goods. It’s critical that government interventions are geared towards supporting communities to prepare for intensifying drought as the climate warms.” The analysis used peer-reviewed methods to compare droughts in today’s climate, which is 1.2C hotter, with those that would have occurred in a cooler, pre-industrial climate. The researchers looked in particular at “agricultural drought”, which accounts for both low rainfall and the evaporation of water from soils and plants driven by high temperatures.

The worst drought in a century is pushing the Amazon to the brink. In 'View from Brazil' in the latest issue of the magazine, journalist Leonardo Sakamato writes of the extreme weather events that provide a glimpse of the country’s future with the worsening of #climatechange. But while some blame El Niño, the natural phenomenon of warming waters in the Pacific Ocean, for the droughts and floods, climatologist Carlos Nobre, a leading Brazilian scientist and member of The Royal Society , has explained time and again that the Amazon’s climate is already changing. These extreme weather events must be used to mobilize people for change. So what will we do? Read more 👇 https://lnkd.in/e5wczbzy Subscribe: https://lnkd.in/gpbkiR9W

The Amazon rainforest, often dubbed as the Earth's lungs, is facing a catastrophic drought, likely intensified by global warming and deforestation. This has led to widespread wildfires, deteriorated air quality, and a significant drop in river levels. The drought is isolating communities, posing potential humanitarian crises, and increasing disease risks. The environmental impact is severe, with the forest transitioning from a carbon-trapping ecosystem to a carbon-releasing one. The economic consequences are also dire, with falling river levels affecting transportation and energy production. As the drought shows no signs of relenting, the Amazon and its residents are fervently praying for rain. #ClimateChange #AmazonDrought #EconomicImpact

Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon halved in 2023 compared to the previous year. But a new study has warned that the Amazon rainforest could reach a ‘tipping point’ by 2050. This is largely due to water stress, land clearance and climate disruption. 🌳 15% of the Amazon has been cleared. 🌳 17% has been degraded. 🌳 38% may be weakened due to prolonged drought. The tipping point could affect up to half of the Amazon. The authors of the study suggest that deforestation needs to be kept to 10% of the region to safeguard the future of the Amazon. https://lnkd.in/dVE_k3aK #Amazon #Deforestation #TropicalForests

The Amazon rainforest, which holds a significant portion of the world's freshwater, is facing a severe drought exacerbated by global warming and deforestation. The drought has led to the rapid drying-up of rivers and large wildfires, endangering millions, including Indigenous communities. Record-low water levels, the suffocation of pink dolphins, the shutdown of hydropower plants, and isolation of remote communities reliant on water transport are some of the devastating consequences. The situation could worsen as the drought persists into the rainy season, affecting communities' access to clean water. Climate models suggest that with increasing temperatures from climate change, such events will become more frequent. The drought is also affecting the economy, with reduced cargo for shipping, power plant shutdowns, and potential impacts on electricity production. Read more: https://nyti.ms/3QiBxp0