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Europe floods, while the US burns | ticker VIEWS
Europe is seeing disastrous floods, while parts of the United States are seeing record-breaking heatwaves
The severity of extreme floods and heatwavs is leading experts to blame climate change.
Catastrophic floods are ravaging parts of Europe, including Germany and Belgium. The areas have seen over two months’ worth of rain in two days.
The flood death toll now sits at 188 people with German Chancellor Angela Merkel describing the floods as “terrifying”.
“Climate change means we’ll have more events, more powerful, more often. “
Scott hamilton
Record heatwaves in US & Northern Ireland
A record-breaking heatwave is gripping the western parts of California. It’s causing 70 devastating wildfires to ravage across California and Oregon.
The wildfires are caused by an unprecedented heatwave, that scientists say was driven by human-caused climate change.
“There is a clear human fingerprint on this particular extreme heatwave in the Pacific Northwest, and in general on extreme heatwaves everywhere in the modern era we’re living though.”
Daniel swain, ucla climate scientist
Northern Ireland has also recorded its highest temperatures of 31.2 degrees Celcius, in Ballywatticock, County Down.
For context, the previous highest temperature of 30.8 degrees Celcius was recorded in 1983.
“Just another sign we are facing dangerous climate change”
Scott Hamilton
In other news this week:
The EU Green Deal
The European Union Green Deal is deemed the ‘fit for 55’ package. Its aim is to enable the European Union to deliver its commitments to cut emissions by 55% by 2030.
Its aim is to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent in the world.
It will set the EU on a path to reach its climate targets by 2030 in a fair, cost-effective, and competitive way.
China introduces carbon trading
China is putting in a carbon trading scheme, in a bid to cut back on its emissions. It will cover approximately 2,200 power companies, with a step in the right direction.
The scheme will put pressure on Chinese emitters to use less coal and switch to cleaner energy sources. However, this will hurt Australian exports in the future and demand cleaner alternatives from Australia.
Australian Environment Minister duty of care
Environment Minister Sussan Ley will appeal a declaration by the Federal Court that she owes a duty of care to protect children from the effects of climate change.
The eight schoolchildren who are fighting the case to the federal court are concerned about the decision to appeal, with one saying the government was now fighting for the right to cause them harm.
Watch this weeks full episode of tickerCLIMATE here: https://tickernews.co/ticker-climate/