Climate change: Extreme weather events are 'the new norm' - BBC News

Luis Sinco

Extreme weather events - including powerful heat waves and devastating floods - are now the new normal, says the World Meteorological Organisation.

The State of the Climate report for 2021 highlights a world that is "changing before our eyes."

The 20-year temperature average from 2002 is on course to exceed 1C above pre-industrial levels for the first time.

And global sea levels rose to a new high in 2021, according to the study.

These latest figures for 2021 are being released early by the WMO to coincide with the start of the UN climate conference in Glasgow known as COP26.

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Mario Tama

The State of the Climate report provides a snapshot of climate indicators including temperatures, extreme weather events, sea level rises and ocean conditions.

The study finds that the past seven years including this one are likely to be the warmest on record as greenhouse gases reached record concentrations in the atmosphere.

Peter Summers

The accompanying rise in temperatures is propelling the planet into "uncharted territory" says the report, with increasing impacts across the planet.

"Extreme events are the new norm," said WMO's Prof Petteri Taalas. "There is mounting scientific evidence that some of these bear the footprint of human-induced climate change."

Prof Taalas detailed some of the extreme events that have been experienced around the world this year.

• It rained - rather than snowed - for the first time on record at the peak of the Greenland ice sheet
• A heat wave in Canada and adjacent parts of the USA pushed temperatures to nearly 50C in a village in British Columbia
• Death Valley, California reached 54.4C during one of multiple heat waves in the south-western USA
• Months' worth of rainfall fell in the space of hours in an area of China
• Parts of Europe saw severe flooding, leading to dozens of casualties and billions in economic losses
• A second successive year of drought in sub-tropical South America reduced the flow of river basins and hit agriculture, transport and energy production

Another worrying development, according to the WMO study, has been the rise in global sea levels.

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Since they were first measured by precise satellite-based systems in the early 1990s, sea levels went up by 2.1mm per year between 1993 and 2002.

But from 2013 to 2021 the rise has more than doubled to 4.4mm, mostly as a result of accelerated ice loss from glaciers and ice sheets.

"Sea levels are rising faster now than at any other time in the last two millennia," said Prof Jonathan Bomber, Director of the Bristol Glaciology Centre.

"If we continue on our current trajectory, that rise could exceed 2m by 2100 displacing some 630 million people worldwide. The consequences of that are unimaginable."

Mario Tama

In temperature terms, 2021 will likely be the sixth or seventh warmest on record.

That's because the early months of this year were impacted by a La Niña event, a naturally occurring weather phenomenon that tends to cool global temperatures.

But the report also shows that the global temperature record is on course to breach 1C for the first time over a 20 year period.

"The fact that the 20-year average has reached more than 1.0C above pre-industrial levels will focus the minds of delegates at COP26 aspiring to keep global temperature rise to within the limits agreed in Paris six years ago," said Prof Stephen Belcher, chief scientist at the UK Met Office, which contributed to the report.

Commenting on the analysis, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres, said the planet was changing before our eyes.

"From the ocean depths to mountain tops, from melting glaciers to relentless extreme weather events, ecosystems and communities around the globe are being devastated," he said.

"COP26 must be a turning point for people and planet," said Mr Guterres.

The report can be found here.

Follow Matt on Twitter @mattmcgrathbbc.

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2021-10-31 15:12:21Z
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One person killed after cable car crashes in northern Czech Republic - Sky News

One person has been killed after a cable car crashed in the northern Czech Republic, officials have said.

Police and rescue service workers attended the scene after one of two cabins of the cable car crashed to the ground on Sunday afternoon near the city of Liberec.

Martin Puta, the head of the regional government, said the only person onboard, a staff member, was killed in the accident.

Image: Police and rescue service members are seen near the crashed cable car in Liberec, Czech Republic

Rescuers said none of the 15 people from the second cabin were injured in the incident.

The cause of the crash will be investigated soon, Mr Puta said.

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It was the first-ever crash involving the Czech Republic's oldest cable car, which dates back to 1933.

Image: The cable car crashed to the ground on Sunday afternoon

Operated by the Czech Railways, it leads almost to the top of Jested Mountain, which has views of Germany and Poland.

The crash occurred just a day before the cable car was scheduled to undergo a planned two-week maintenance.

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2021-10-31 15:59:13Z
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Spain: Man, 55, bleeds to death after being gored at bull running festival in Onda - Sky News

A man has died after being gored at a bull running festival in Spain, authorities have said.

The 55-year-old was repeatedly attacked by the animal at the event in Onda, in eastern Spain, on Saturday, according to the town's council.

He suffered a wound to his left leg and a head wound and bled to death from his injuries, emergency services said.

Image: Debate over whether bull running festivals should be abolished is growing in Spain

Other participants at the festival had attempted to entice the bull away but to no avail.

Despite efforts by medics to treat him, the man died in hospital after haemorrhaging blood from a wound in his left thigh that perforated an artery, emergency services said.

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The man's death is the first such fatality in Spain since bull running events resumed following the relaxation of coronavirus restrictions.

It comes following several incidents of serious injuries at bull running festivals in the country.

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In 2019, one man was gored and five others were injured in the famous Pamplona bull run, while 28 people were injured at the same event in 2018.

In 2015, a French tourist died after being gored during a festival in the town of Pedreguer, Alicante.

Debate over whether the festivals should be abolished has grown in Spain in recent years. The animals let loose for the runs are generally used in bull fights later in the same day.

A 2020 survey by polling company Electomania found that 46.7% of Spaniards were in favour of banning bullfighting, 34.7% were not in favour of the events but did not back a legal ban, and 18.6% believed it should be preserved.

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2021-10-31 09:50:27Z
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US and EU agree deal to ease tariffs on steel and aluminium - Financial Times

The US and the EU have agreed to ease tariffs on billions of dollars of steel and aluminium products in a bid to resolve a trade dispute that has hung over transatlantic relations since the Trump administration.

“We have agreed with the US to pause our steel and aluminium [section 232] trade dispute and launch co-operation on a Global Arrangement on Sustainable Steel and Aluminium,” said Valdis Dombrovskis, EU trade commissioner. He said Joe Biden, US president, and Ursula von der Leyen, EU Commission president, would give more details on Sunday.

The Biden administration and the EU have been negotiating a settlement on steel and aluminium trade for months. Former president Donald Trump imposed tariffs on metals products under little-used national security legislation in 2018.

The agreement puts in place a system of tariff-rate quotas, which will allow exports of metals between the EU and the US with lower levies up to a certain volume.

The EU was set to increase retaliatory tariffs on US goods from December 1, having paused action in May to allow time for negotiations.

The deal was announced on Saturday during the G20 summit in Rome, in an arrangement US officials said would reduce global carbon emissions and Chinese overcapacity in the sector, while easing supply chain bottlenecks in the metals industry.

US trade representative Katherine Tai said that in addition to the EU eliminating retaliatory tariffs against the US, “we have agreed to suspend the WTO disputes against each other related to the 232 disputes”.

“Going forward, the US and the EU will analyse the volume of steel and aluminium imports from the EU each year, share information and best practices on trade remedies, and ensure that products from non-market economies do not benefit from the arrangement,” she said.

Tai told reporters that the agreement “also addresses global overcapacity from China and toughens enforcement mechanism to prevent leakage of Chinese and other unfairly traded steel and aluminium into the US market”.

The EU was under huge pressure from steelmakers to get the tariffs lifted. An EU official said the US would allow in at least as much steel as before the tariffs. 

The US bought around 3.2m tonnes annually from the EU before the tariffs and that has dropped by a third since.

The deal mirrors those struck with Canada and Mexico, who agreed to limit steel imports in return for the lifting of tariffs.

Kevin Dempsey, president and CEO of the American Iron and Steel Institute, an association of US metals producers that was supportive of the tariffs, said he appreciated “the Biden administration’s continued recognition that the American steel industry is critical to our national and economic security”.

But he warned: “Proper implementation and enforcement of the [tariff rate quotas] will be crucial to ensuring that the new measures are effective in meeting these critical objectives.”

US spirits producers, which had been hit by retaliatory tariffs in connection with the dispute, were thrilled. “With the removal of these EU tariffs, we are energised and ready to ramp up our American Whiskey promotions in the EU to reintroduce America’s native spirits to EU consumers and resume a great American export success story,” Distilled Spirits Council President Chris Swonger said.

The deal received some early backing on Capitol Hill. “Working together, the US and EU can successfully fight back against China’s predatory economic policies and ensure American workers succeed,” said Ron Wyden, the chair of the Senate finance committee, which has jurisdiction over trade.

“Continuing to strengthen the US-EU relationship is essential to combat China’s efforts to take over entire industries and leave American workers in the lurch,” he added.

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2021-10-30 19:19:53Z
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Biden drives through Rome in 85-car motorcade ahead of COP26 - Metro.co.uk

Biden kicked off his Europe trip with a visit to Vatican City but his mode of transport has attracted criticism (Pictures: Rex)

Joe Biden has been criticised for driving through Rome in a motorcade of more than 80 cars on the eve of a crucial climate summit.

The President is in Europe for the G20 followed by COP26 in Glasgow, which has been labelled as the ‘last chance’ for leaders to commit to tackling climate change.

Biden kicked off his Europe trip with a visit to Vatican City yesterday, but his mode of transport has attracted criticism.

The President always travels with a large entourage of aides, medics, security and reporters.

But for his meeting with Pope Francis, his motorcade was extended due to Italian Covid-19 restrictions, which limited the number of people who could be in each vehicle.

Winding through Rome’s historic streets the 85-car motorcade included Biden’s ‘Beast’, a black armour-plated limousine with reinforced tyres and bulletproof glass.

The entourage also included local police escorts, photographers and communications vehicles.

A Washington Post journalist covering Biden’s trip to Rome tweeted a video of the extended line of cars with the caption ‘Biden arriving at the Vatican. His motorcade is lonnnnnng.’

During the course of the 75-minute meeting, it is understood Biden and the Pope discussed climate change, poverty and the coronavirus pandemic (Picture: REX/Shutterstock)

The footage prompted others to point out the irony of Biden’s entourage containing so many vehicles when one of the main objectives of his trip is to discuss cutting emissions.

Michael Robinson Chavez, a Washington Post photographer said: ‘Not exactly carbon friendly.’

While other Twitter users called the motorcade ‘ridiculous’ and questioned whether the president knew the carbon footprint of so many cars.

The motorcade is just one of the ways Biden is travelling around Europe, having flown to the continent in Air Force One, a customised Boeing 747-200B.

During the course of the 75-minute meeting, it is understood the pair discussed climate change, poverty and the coronavirus pandemic.

The White House said: ‘Biden thanked His Holiness for his advocacy for the world’s poor and those suffering from hunger, conflict, and persecution.

‘He lauded Pope Francis’ leadership in fighting the climate crisis, as well as his advocacy to ensure the pandemic ends for everyone through vaccine sharing and an equitable global economic recovery.’

When taking into account the size of Biden’s entourage and the amount of travelling he is doing while in Europe, one estimate put his carbon footprint at 2.2 million pounds.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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2021-10-30 14:42:00Z
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Couple 'steal wines from Spanish restaurant including £295,000 bottle' - Metro.co.uk

One of the hotel’s owners suspects an English-speaking couple who pretended to be refined guests (Picture: Getty Images)

A man and a woman apparently working for a private wine collector distracted staff at an upmarket Spanish restaurant before stealing 45 bottles of wine, it has been claimed.

The rare wines, including a 215-year-old Chateau d’Yquem worth some £295,000, were taken on Wednesday morning from the upmarket hotel and restaurant Atrio in Caceres, reports say.

One of the hotel’s owners, Jose Polo, suspects an English-speaking couple who checked into the hotel and dined at the two-Michelin-starred restaurant.

Mr Polo believes the man slipped into the hotel’s cellar – containing more than 40,000 bottles – while staff members were distracted with serving the couple more food, leaving security camera monitors unattended.

The couple checked out with their luggage and paid with a credit card as if they were regular guests.

‘They were professionals, they knew exactly what they were doing,’ Mr Polo said.

On top of the 1806 Chateau d’Yquem, the couple are alleged to have taken six other 19th-century bottles from the exclusive Romanee-Conti winemaker in France’s Burgundy region.

The hotel Atrio in Caceres, southwestern Spain, had a two-Michelin-starred restaurant that the wine was stolen from (Picture: Google Maps)

The collector’s theory is that the thieves were working for another collector – because all the bottles cannot be sold on the open market.

‘Those bottles are very numbered and controlled. That 1806 Yquen is unique; everyone knows it’s ours,’ he said.

Mr Polo has not calculated the total value of all the bottles but he said their symbolic value was the most important.

The police confirmed an investigation had been opened into the stolen wine.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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2021-10-30 18:14:00Z
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G20: Climate and Covid top agenda as world leaders meet - BBC News

Reuters

Climate change and Covid are top of the agenda as leaders from the world's major economies meet in Italy.

It is the first time the G20 leaders are meeting face-to-face since the start of the pandemic.

However, China's Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin will not be in Rome for the summit, choosing to appear via video link instead.

The meeting comes amid increasingly dire warnings for the future if urgent action is not taken to cut emissions.

The group - made up of 19 countries and the European Union - is estimated to account for 80% of the world's emissions.

Speaking ahead of the two-day summit, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson suggested failing to act would result in "our civilisation" going backwards, consigning "future generations to a life that is far less agreeable than our own".

However, he acknowledged that neither the G20 meeting, nor the upcoming COP26 summit in Glasgow, which begins on Monday, would stop global warming, saying "the most we can hope to do is slow the increase".

According to Reuters news agency, a draft communiqué outlines a promise from the G20 to work towards limiting the rise in temperatures to 1.5C (2.7F) - but no legally binding agreement will be made.

The draft also pledges to take "concrete measures" to stop the illegal logging, mining and wildlife trades, Reuters reports.

• How many vaccines are rich countries sharing?
• What do the poorest countries want from climate summit?
• Why China's climate policy matters to us all

Mr Johnson is also expected to touch on coronavirus vaccine inequality during the summit, telling his fellow leaders "the pace of recovery will depend on how quickly we can overcome Covid", with the first priority being "the rapid, equitable and global distribution of vaccines".

More than six billion Covid vaccine doses have been administered worldwide. However, a letter addressed to Italian PM Mario Draghi, who is hosting the G20, from more than 160 former world leaders and global figures noted just 2% of people in low-income countries have received a jab.

On Saturday, Mr Draghi called the difference "morally unacceptable". He called on fellow leaders to "do all we can" to vaccinate 70% of the world's population by the middle of next year.

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden will push for countries to boost energy production, amid rocketing prices, as well as discussing a plan to prevent future pandemics. He is also due to hold meeting with Mr Johnson, as well as France's Emmanuel Macron and Germany's outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel, to discuss reviving the Iran nuclear accord.

The group is also expected to endorse a global minimum corporate tax rate of at least 15%, which is backed by 140 countries around the world. The draft communiqué calls for it to be in place some time in 2023.

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2021-10-30 10:20:33Z
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