Surge in ocean heat is a sign climate change is accelerating

Jan. 28, 2024 – New Scientist – The surge in ocean temperatures to record-breaking levels in 2023 and 2024 is a sign that the pace of climate change has accelerated, say researchers.

Global ocean temperatures hit record highs for 450 days straight in 2023 and early 2024. Although some of the extra heat can be explained by an El Niño weather pattern emerging in the Pacific Ocean, about 44 per cent of the record warmth is down to the world’s oceans absorbing heat from the sun at an accelerating rate, according to Chris Merchant at the University of Reading, UK.

How hot will 2025 be? It could rival 2024’s record, Canadian officials warn

Jan. 15, 2025 – The Canadian Press – This year’s average global temperature is expected to rival 2024’s record-breaking heat, Canadian officials said Wednesday, underlining humanity’s narrowing window to hit an international target intended to help avert some of climate change’s most serious effects.

Canada’s ‘ugly vegetable’ problem

Jan. 14, 2024 – Concordia University – The Link – Canada wastes $58 billion worth of food each year that could be used to feed those in need, a number that rose by 6.5 per cent since 2019, according to data released by Second Harvest in October 2024. The report found that a large portion of this waste is avoidable and occurs during production, often due to farmers discarding edible “ugly vegetables” that fail to meet Canada’s strict cosmetic retail standards.

Off to a bleak and blazing start

Jan. 10, 2025 – The National Observer – So now we know how the second Trump era begins: with Los Angeles on fire. Apocalyptic, tragic and almost impossibly emblematic. The world at large is spiralling past the guardrail of 1.5 degrees while politics retreats from tackling the problem. Ten thousand homes and buildings burned, neighbours dead and neighbourhoods reduced to ash while the incoming president deflects, derides and promises more drilling for fossil fuels.

Why more frequent cold blasts could be coming from global warming

Jan. 7, 2025 – Associated Press – Frigid air that normally stays trapped in the Arctic has escaped, plunging deep into the United States for an extended visit that is expected to provoke teeth-chattering but not be record-shattering. It’s a cold air outbreak that some experts say is happening more frequently, and paradoxically, because of a warming world.

Climate change is coming for Canada’s vital trade routes

Jan. 3, 2025 – National Observer – When southwestern British Columbia was hit with the historic 2021 atmospheric river, the Port of Vancouver’s operations ground to a halt, stalling billions of dollars in trade for a week. And that’s only the beginning of the upheaval extreme weather and climate change will wreak on our infrastructure and economy. Canada is not ready to deal with the damage climate change will inflict on transportation hubs that safeguard our supply chains, warns a Senate committee report.