Kagi News - Climate Change

Glacier models may underestimate losses as more glaciers end in lakes

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 20:27:30 +0000

Models used to project glacier change may not fully account for glaciers that end in lakes, which are becoming more common as glacial lakes grow in a warming climate. A global study led by scientists at the University of Birmingham and the University of Leeds classified 216,502 glaciers, excluding the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, and compared their flow and ice loss based on where they end. Lake water can melt ice below the surface, and glaciers can shed icebergs from their fronts, the researchers said. But they have not determined why lake-ending glaciers lose ice faster after accounting for climate, size and elevation. The classification could help refine projections of sea-level rise, water resources and natural hazards.

Highlights:

Arctic transition: Some ocean-ending glaciers are retreating onto land, a shift that could slow their ice loss.
Flow differences: Lake-ending and ocean-ending glaciers flow an average of 10% and 44% faster, respectively, than land-ending glaciers.

Sources:

UK approves Jackdaw gas field; decision on larger Rosebank oil project pending

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000

The UK government approved production at the Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea on Oct. 21, saying it would strengthen energy security and increase domestic gas output by about 6% at peak production. The field could begin supplying homes and businesses by the end of October and operate for up to 11 years. The approval followed a legal reassessment requiring ministers to consider emissions from burning extracted fuel, not just from drilling. Ministers reapproved Jackdaw after a court quashed its earlier consent. The government has yet to say when it will decide on Rosebank, a much larger oil project whose output is expected to be exported and refined abroad.

Highlights:

Emissions assessment: Jackdaw’s lifetime emissions, including gas combustion, are estimated at up to 36.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent; production itself accounts for about 2%.
Transition fund: The government announced an initial £2 billion Energy Wealth Fund to direct North Sea oil and gas tax revenues toward renewable and low-carbon industries.
Consumer bills: Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh acknowledged that Jackdaw’s approval would not lower household bills.
Import reliance: The UK imports about 68% to 69% of its natural gas, with Norway supplying roughly 69% of those imports, according to government figures cited by Mining.com.au.

The simple truth is that even as we pursue our ambitious target of net zero by 2050, we will need oil and gas for years to come as a bridge to that clean-energy future. - Prime Minister Andy Burnham

Perspectives:

UK government: Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh said the approval was compatible with the country’s climate commitments and that the government remained committed to ending new oil and gas licences. (Mining.com.au)
UK Conservative Party: Shadow energy secretary Andrew Bowie urged the government to approve Rosebank and lift the ban on new North Sea licences, arguing that UK oil could help European allies reduce reliance on Russian supply. (STV News)
Michael Grubb: The University College London professor said Jackdaw might contribute to energy security in some circumstances, while noting that its output would be sold on international markets. (Mining.com.au)
Greenpeace: The campaign group said the decision showed the continuing influence of fossil-fuel lobbyists. It had not announced a new legal challenge at the time of the report. (The Conversation)

Sources:

Why the UK should greenlight both Jackdaw and Rosebank - ft.com
The Jackdaw gasfield passed the legal test for North Sea drilling – Rosebank will find it much harder - theconversation.com
Martin Rowson on the approval of the Jackdaw gasfield – cartoon - theguardian.com
Le gouvernement britannique approuve le forage controversé d'un champ gazier en mer du Nord - sciencesetavenir.fr
UK backs North Sea gas as energy security collides with climate ambitions - mining.com.au
Jackdaw gas field approval will strengthen UK energy security, Burnham says - stv.tv
Burnham should seize the moment and approve Rosebank - scotsman.com

Nepal must submit plan to access first UN climate grant

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 02:01:39 +0000

Nepal must submit a detailed funding proposal before it can access the first country allocation from the United Nations’ Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage: $20 million set aside after the Aug. 26 glacier-related flood. The board’s Oct. 22 decision was the fund’s first response to a specific disaster, but the money is not yet available and the board has set no firm payment date. The flood affected about 60,000 people from 15,000 families. Reconstruction needs are estimated at more than $4.7 billion, leaving the allocation at less than 1% of the bill. A World Weather Attribution analysis linked warming to glacier thinning and thawing frozen ground that weakened the slope before it collapsed. The fund’s board is due to consider other requests in December; Nepal’s government says its 11th meeting will take place in Kathmandu from March 17 to 19, 2027.

Highlights:

Limited resources: The fund has received pledges of about $822 million and faces 176 requests from developing countries seeking a combined $2.8 billion.
Oversight costs: Alongside Nepal’s allocation, the board set aside $1.6 million for oversight.
Faster procedure: The fund’s emergency pathway is intended to take applications through to payment in six to eight weeks, compared with six to eight months under normal rules.
Grant concerns: Nepalese climate campaigners argue that recovery support should come as grants rather than loans, saying Nepal receives about $6 in loans for every $1 in grants.

Nepal needs billions to rebuild, and this fund is responding only in millions. - Harjeet Singh, global convenor of the Fill the Fund campaign

Perspectives:

Nepal’s Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle: Wagle welcomed the commitment as grant funding and said the board’s emergency meeting had convened in response to Nepal’s letter. (Dawn)
Harjeet Singh, Fill the Fund campaign: Singh called for a permanent mechanism to deliver emergency climate assistance quickly, rather than requiring disaster-hit countries to navigate lengthy approval processes. (Associated Press)
Prayas Adhikari, climate activist: Adhikari urged governments to increase the fund’s resources and called for a $1 trillion annual funding goal. (Nagarik Network)
Dikshya Subedi, founder of Youth Action For Sustainable and Eco Nepal: Subedi said residents in the flood-hit regions were still missing and that people lacked support to rebuild homes. (The Independent)

Sources:

Nepal to get $20 million from climate fund after deadly August flood - straitstimes.com
Nepal set to receive first-ever US$20 million payout from UN climate damage fund - scmp.com
Nepal to get $20m from UN climate fund after deadly flash floods, covering just 1% of recovery bill - independent.co.uk
Nepal to get $20m from climate fund after deadly August flood - dailymaverick.co.za
UN climate fund promises $20 million for Nepal flood recovery, far short of billions needed - apnews.com
UN fund moves to provide $20m aid for Nepal - dawn.com
Loss and Damage Fund approves $20 million grant for Nepal’s flood recovery - onlinekhabar.com
$20 million UN climate fund for Nepal: A breakthrough, but only a first step - nagariknetwork.com

European city data show uneven toll of climate-driven heat deaths

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 04:00:28 +0000

A city-level breakdown of Europe’s deadly 2026 summer heat shows sharply unequal risks. Naples recorded 815 heat deaths per million residents, and Mario Guarino, an emergency doctor at Ospedale CTO in Naples, said emergency-room visits rose 15% during the hottest weeks. Doctors said poverty, isolation and limited access to cooling left some residents especially exposed. The study estimated 50,391 heat-related deaths in 854 European urban areas this summer, attributing 32,619 to human-caused warming. The cities represent about 40% of the population in 30 countries; the estimate excludes a deadly May heatwave and cannot be extrapolated directly to all of Europe. Italy had the largest estimated national toll, followed by France, Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom. Researchers and public-health specialists called for heat protections for vulnerable residents and faster reductions in fossil-fuel use. The European Commission is due to propose a climate-preparedness law on Tuesday.

Highlights:

National tolls: Researchers estimated 13,303 heat-related deaths in Italy, 7,268 in France, 6,824 in Spain, 6,340 in Germany and 4,354 in the United Kingdom.
Unequal exposure: People aged 85 and older accounted for nearly half of the estimated deaths, while about 6,000 deaths were among people under 65.
Naples cases: Guarino described a terminal cancer patient living in a hot attic because the family could not find an air-conditioning installer, and a man with dementia who was found injured after his caregiver left.
Urban infrastructure: Euronews reported that measures used in southern Europe include climate shelters, building retrofits such as external shades, and green-blue spaces that cool cities and improve air quality.

The real epidemic these days is loneliness - Mario Guarino, emergency doctor at Ospedale CTO in Naples

Perspectives:

Clair Barnes, climate scientist at Imperial College London: Barnes said infrastructure in much of Western and Northern Europe was not designed for the temperatures now occurring under human-caused warming. (NPR)
Courtney Howard, Canadian emergency-room physician and president-elect of the Canadian Medical Association: Howard called for early-warning systems, fair access to low-carbon cooling and neighborhood networks to check on people at risk, alongside rapid reductions in fossil-fuel use. (NPR)
Jonathan Patz, professor of health and the environment at the University of Wisconsin-Madison: Patz argued that adaptation alone is inadequate and urged action on fossil-fuel use as well as protection from heat. (NPR)
Katie White, UK minister for climate transition: White said the estimated toll represented thousands of families who lost loved ones because of the climate crisis. (The Guardian)

Sources:

Summer heatwave linked to 50,000 deaths in Europe - ft.com
Europe's heat claims 50,000 lives. Climate change blamed for two-thirds of deaths - npr.org
Heat killed ‘staggering’ 50,000 people in Europe’s cities this summer, scientists warn - theguardian.com
Summer heat’s toll on Europe: 50,000 deaths and a $24.3b GDP hit - straitstimes.com
Europe just had its deadliest summer. Which country was hit the hardest by extreme heat? - euronews.com
Europe's killer heat this summer claims 50,000 lives. Climate change blamed for two-thirds of deaths - newsday.com
Europe's killer heat this summer claims 50,000 lives, climate change blamed for two-thirds of deaths - independent.com.mt
Europe's summer heatwaves 'caused 50,000 excess deaths' - thenationalnews.com
Europe’s killer heat this summer claims 50,000 lives. Climate change blamed for two-thirds of deaths - reddit.com
For Europe, a summer of record heat and 50,000 estimated deaths - indianexpress.com
Más de 50.000 personas murieron por calor en Europa durante el verano - diariodigitalrd.com
Hơn 50.000 người ở châu Âu tử vong vì nắng nóng kỷ lục năm nay - vnexpress.net
Nắng nóng thiêu đốt ở châu Âu, 50.000 người thiệt mạng trong mùa hè - soha.vn
El calor causó más de 50.000 muertes en Europa este verano, cifra récord este siglo - elcorreo.com
Der Hitzesommer kostete 50.000 Menschenleben in Europas Städten - derstandard.at