Today is Friday, January 12, 2024.
An important study published by the journal Nature last Wednesday relates to water security. Coincidentaly, same day that the Word Economic Forum released its "Global Risks Report 2024" indicating, among others, that environmental risks could hit the point of no return.
Conclusion of the Nature study is that human-caused warming has caused declines in Northern Hemisphere snowpack over the 1981–2020 period.
So, in spite of the fact that you have been seeing occasional news of snow in some regions accustomed to white winters, they are now getting more rain than snow.
The study, conducted by Dartmouth College, shows that areas in North America and Europe have experienced the steepest global warming-related declines of between 10% and 20% per decade. This is quite a lot.
Less snow means less water supply, as reducing snow water storage poses hydrologic risks to people and ecosystems.
This is why some nuclear power plants had to be shut down.
This is why more and more data centers are going under the sea.
While in the Northern hemisphere snow has been a key water storage, kept in the higher areas and following the traditional 4 seasons cycle - winter spring summer autum - in the South and tropical areas, drinkable water is regularly made available through rains. And the cycle of aerial rivers, in which forests are extremly relevant. Remember here our post "Aerial Rivers: more important than carbon credits ?". Not to mention all energy spent mainly in dryer and desertic areas with dessanilization efforts of sea water.
As we have been repeating, global population was 2 billion people around 1940 and it is now 4 times more. With the same amount of land and water. but with much more emissions and heat produced. Just imagine. If there there were 500 million cookstoves in the World by 1940, now we have 4 times more, of a mix of cookstoves, microwave ovens etc. And as there was no air conditioning in 1940, now there is a lot. Exchanging heat "from inside" and throwing it "outside the window", to the atmosphere.
Click at the image below (Foto: Global risks ranked by severity, extracted from Figure E. World Economic Forum Global Risks Report 2024) to read the study at Nature.
About the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting that starts next Monday, January 15, 2024, this year will be cold in Davos, Switzerland. With a hot agenda.
Theme is "Rebuilding Trust" and here some panels:
Energy amid Rivalry
Transforming Energy Demand
When Climate Impacts your Health
A Conversation with William Samoei Ruto, President of Kenya (As we reported during COP-28, take note of this name. New growing leadership)
Addressing the North-South Schism
Climate and Nature: Seed Capital Needed
Climate and Nature: A Systemic Response Needed
Tripling Renewables: Make It Rapid and Responsible (Key COP-28 decision)
Energy Transition: Leaving No One Behind
Decarbonizing Emerging Markets
Climate issues appear core in the #WEF24 agenda. By the way, it looks like a COP. Let's see the outcomes.
