Climate Crisis AM Edition 1.30.24 Climate Crisis Kills Four Million
In a blow to organizations that say that cruise ships are among the largest fossil fuel polluters, Royal Caribbean has launched the $2 billion “Icon of the Seas.” It is the size of five Titantics and the largest cruise ship in the world. The ship runs on liquefied natural gas. This fuel produces large amounts of methane. However, methane produces large amounts of carbon dioxide, which is considered a primary cause of global warming. Bryan Comer, director of the Marine Program at the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), told Reuters, “We would estimate that using LNG as a marine fuel emits over 120% more life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions than marine gas oil.” A recent study showed that annual European cruise ship emissions are equal to that of one billion cars.
New research: Temperatures in Phoenix will top 100 degrees F for over half the year.
New information: China’s green movement.
An entire small town in Louisiana has moved to lower the effects of climate change on its population. The town is Isle de Jean Charles. Coastal erosion has cut away over 90% of its land. The move cost several million dollars. Like many areas of Louisiana, Isle de Jean Charles was mostly below sea level. Huge storms from the Gulf of Mexico also buffet it. One resident told the BBC, “We could deal with hurricanes, We’ve always had hurricanes. I was raised with those challenges. But our island was disappearing.” The situation is an early indicator of flooding that will eventually put parts of huge cities like New York and Miami underwater.
Climate killed four million people.
Climate change has killed over four million people since 2000, according to a new study. The authors admit the number is larger. A research paper published in Natural Medicine was titled “After millions of preventable deaths, climate change must be treated like a health emergency.” The authors wrote: “The cumulative death toll from climate change since 2000 will pass 4 million in 2024 — more than the population of Los Angeles or Berlin.” These deaths are the byproduct of changes in the climate and include malaria, malnutrition, and diarrheal. Most of those killed were children. Many of these deaths would have been “preventable” if public policy had dampened the effects of climate change on vulnerable parts of the population.
AI may help detect and predict the effects of climate change. However, because large computer systems are needed to run AI applications, it creates a huge carbon footprint. CBC reports that AI-assisted forecasts could help several large industries, particularly agriculture. At this point, an exact number for AI computer-based systems has not been accurately calculated. Priya Donti, co-founder and chair of Climate Change AI told the CBC, “We really have to be on the lookout for the growth in AI emissions footprint.”. AI helps solve the climate crisis problem while it creates another.
