Green news of the week

Our selection of environmental news from here and elsewhere.

Quiz

How much water is found in 1 cubic meter of snow?

A) 100 liters
B) 250 liters
C) 750 liters
D) None of the above

Answer: B. There are “around 250 liters” of water in a cubic meter of snow, according to University of Sherbrooke professor Alexandre Langlois, of the Interdisciplinary Research Group on Polar Environments (GRIMP). He and his team have just been commissioned by Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Canadian Space Agency to measure snow by satellite. These measures become necessary to predict droughts, prevent natural disasters and forest fires. Mr. Langlois returns from Cambridge Bay, in the Arctic, where he tested radar data on snow cover. Satellite radar is expected to be in orbit in 2030.

Visit the GRIMP website

COP29: climate finance a priority

The countdown to COP29 on climate begins with finance as the focal point of the summit to be held in November. Host country Azerbaijan says development banks are not up to the task. Germany maintains that the countries of the South need 2,000 billion euros per year. At the opening of the Petersberg Climate Dialogue in Berlin last week, Mukhtar Babayev, Azerbaijani Minister of Ecology, said funding must be reviewed to maintain the 1.5°C global warming target. . The amount of this aid of 100 billion per year, until 2025, must be approved at COP29.

With Agence France-Presse

Visit the United Nations website (in English)

Protection of monarchs and pollinators

The seed libraries of Montreal libraries have 16,500 packets of seeds of 6 different species to distribute free of charge. These native and nectar plant seeds are essential for pollinators and the protection of monarch butterflies. Almost everywhere in the 19 boroughs of Montreal, citizen days and plant distribution campaigns have been organized since the beginning of spring. At the City of Montreal, we point out that one in three bites we eat is the result of pollination. The approach is part of the Pollinator Protection Plan, which restricts the use and sale of several pesticides.

Visit the City of Montreal website

Air pollution harms insect mating

Air pollution in cities can destroy insects’ ability to mate with the right species. These are the conclusions of the research work of expert Markus Knaden and his team from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Germany. After observing four species of fruit flies exposed to high levels of ozone, they discovered that the pollution impaired their chemical uptake of pheromones. Male flies become less attractive to females who then turn to other insect species, with sterile results. A threat to the genetics of future generations of fruit flies.

Visit the website of Nature Communications (in English)

Extreme heat stress

One day, we are dying of heat. The other one is freezing. According to a new report from the Copernicus Observatory and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Europe suffered a record number of days of “extreme heat stress” in 2023, with days when the felt temperature exceeded 46° vs. Several factors are analyzed to calculate the index, including the effect on the human body of humidity, wind and heat from urban concrete. The annual report also takes stock of the heatwaves, droughts, floods and forest fires which devastated 96,000 hectares in Greece. These disasters cost 13.4 billion euros, 80% due to flooding.

Visit the World Meteorological Organization website