A new report supports data on the effects of global climate change, finding that, within a one-year span starting in May 2023, the cause of frequent and intense heat waves was manmade.

Additional data showed nearly 7 million people, or about 78% of the world's population in more than 90 countries, had at least 31 days of extreme heat within that period.

Bernadette Woods, vice president for engagement at Climate Central, said the impact is "overwhelming" and the world needs to take notice.

"We found that temperatures were so high that that would have been impossible without human-induced climate change," she said, "because. to a large degree, of the burning of fossil fuels, we are in the era of loss and damage. That climate change is not something happening somewhere else, or sometime in the future, but that is here and now."

The webinar was held leading up to Heat Action Day on Sunday, which aims to raise global awareness of heat risks. The panelists also noted that the weather extremes are especially hard on elderly people or those living in poor housing. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, almost 452,000 Illinois renters are extremely low income, putting them at greater risk of the effects of extreme heat.

The report outlines solutions to stay healthy during weather extremes. Another panelist, Roop Singh, climate risk adviser for the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, said making external changes such as improving the insulation of your home or painting rooftops white are helpful, but Illinoisans can take further action to prepare for the hot days ahead - or what she called "the silent killer."

"We also need to make sure that there's collective action at these higher levels," she said. "Cities can take action by creating a heat action plan that organizes the municipality to take action if there is an imminent heat wave, but also do long-term urban planning."

Singh also encouraged people to be ready to call emergency health services for heat-related illnesses, make sure the home's water and electrical services are able to handle the high demand, and know where there are community cooling stations.

A study by the Illinois Department of Public Health warned that as the climate continues to increase, so will the lethal threats to people with heart conditions.

Food banks are helping to significantly decrease carbon emissions, according to a new report.

The Global FoodBanking Network's annual impact report found food banks around the world stopped 1.8 million metric tons of carbon emissions last year by preventing food from going to waste in landfills. The Network includes food banks in more than 50 countries.

Rachael Lucille, network communications specialist for Oregon Food Bank, said food waste is the result of food being both inaccessible and unaffordable.

"When we, as in food banks, work with local growers to intercept perfectly good, edible food before it's thrown out, that helps to mitigate harmful greenhouse gas emissions created by food waste," Lucille explained.

Food waste in landfills is a major source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas capturing heat at a higher rate than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. About one in eight Oregonians faces food insecurity, meaning they are unsure where their next meal will come from.

Carbon emissions from food waste exacerbate climate change, and the impact from there is circular. Lucille pointed out wildfires across Oregon are affecting food production.

"Extreme weather events caused by climate change disrupt food supply chains that lead to increased and unpredictable pricing of food, increased risk of food deserts for the communities that are already facing food insecurity, and fewer fresh fruits and vegetables," Lucille outlined.

One way to fight food waste is through support of small, local agriculture, which Lucille added their organization does through its community producer support project. They emphasized small farmers help fight climate change.

"It contributes to biodiversity, uses sustainable farming practices and keeps food local," Lucille stressed. "Which reduces fossil fuel emissions related to packaging and transportation of food."

Though New York's summer is winding down, climate change's effects remain.

This summer saw record-high temperatures which have only grown in the last decade. Reports show by 2050, the state is projected to experience more days with temperatures above 90 degrees.

Climate activists have been protesting companies contributing to fossil fuel use which leads to worsening climate effects.

Rev. Chelsea MacMillan, New York organizer for the nonprofit GreenFaith, said New York's climate changes resemble the national trend.

"Last year, the skies turned orange due to wildfire smoke coming down from Canada," MacMillan recounted. "We are going to see more and more of these climate disasters happening in our state and in New York City."

While extreme heat is one of the deadliest elements of climate change, storm damage is one of the costliest. Hurricane Beryl was one of several storms to flood many New York communities this year. All told, New York has seen around $23 billion in damage from "billion-dollar disasters" this year. Taxpayers were forced to pick up the $2 billion price tag for climate change costs in 2023 alone.

The Climate Change Superfund Act would require companies who've contributed to climate change to bear some adaptation infrastructure investment costs.

MacMillan and other activists are protesting banks financing fossil fuel projects. She said Citibank is one of the biggest contributors.

"Citibank has poured almost $400 billion into oil, gas, and coal companies since the Paris Climate Accords in 2016," MacMillan pointed out. "This is just unconscionable, like there's no way we can meet any of our climate goals if we keep putting money into fossil fuels."

While Citibank has been the top financier of expansion for fossil fuel companies since 2016, JPMorgan Chase contributed the most financing to fossil fuel companies last year. Since the Paris Climate Accord, JPMorgan Chase has invested more than $430 billion in fossil fuel projects and companies.

From government planners to farmers to residents, those wondering how climate change will affect Minnesota in the decades to come can now get the information at their fingertips. Officials behind a new tool say it can help with certain types of planning.

The University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership recently launched the interactive digital tool called MN CliMAT. Users can map out predictions, such as how much snow cover would be lost during the winter by 2060, based on scenarios involving greenhouse gas emissions.

Nate Meyer, acting interim director of the University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership, said they want to help the public make informed decisions when looking ahead.

"If someone is wondering when they might want to replace their roof with something like a fortified roofing system, one way that they can gather information to answer that question is to use these climate projections," Meyer explained.

The user can see how the immediate area surrounding a structure would become more susceptible to heavy rain events. Another example is the agricultural industry getting a sense of future soil health, helping farmers plan for strategies to make their land more climate resilient.

Meyer pointed out the service, which is free, can also be a great resource for those tasked with protecting towns and cities from the worst effects of climate change.

"We are working with a number of regulatory agencies and policymakers right now on strategies to help them select data that are most useful for their purposes," Meyer noted. "Then fold those data into the models that they need to use for those planning purposes."

In a state known for its outdoor recreation, project leaders said the data can benefit Minnesota's tourism industry if stakeholders know about things like future swings in lake temperatures. Since its launch, Meyer said the tool has garnered more than 50,000 views.


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