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	We are pushing planetary boundaries to the brink, shattering global temperature records by UN News, agencies   June 2024   In a major speech on World Environment Day, Antonio Guterres, secretary general of the United Nations has called on all news and tech media platforms to stop enabling “planetary destruction” by taking fossil-fuel advertising money while warning the world faces “climate crunch time” in its faltering attempts to stem the crisis.   In his speech, Guterres announced new data from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) showing there is an 80% chance the planet will breach 1.5C (2.7F) in warming above pre-industrial times in at least one of the next five calendar years.   The past 12 months have already breached this level, with the average global temperature 1.63C (2.9F) higher than the pre-industrial average from June 2023 to May of this year, following a string of months with record-breaking heat, according to the European Union’s Copernicus monitoring system.   Governments agreed in the 2015 Paris climate pact to restrain the global temperatures rise to 1.5C to avoid cascading heatwaves, floods, droughts and other ruinous impacts. While a single year beyond this limit does not mean the target has been lost, scientists widely expect this to happen in the coming decade.   "The bleak reality is that we are way off track to meet the goals set in the Paris agreement”, says Ko Barrett, secretary general of the WMO.   According to the WMO, there is a roughly 50-50 chance that the period of 2024 to 2028 will average above 1.5C in warming, globally.   Antonio Guterres: "Why all this fuss about 1.5 degrees? Because our planet is a mass of complex, connected systems. And every fraction of a degree of global heating counts. The difference between 1.5 and two degrees could be the difference between extinction and survival for island states and coastal communities.   The difference between minimizing climate chaos or crossing dangerous tipping points. 1.5 degrees is not a target. It is not a goal. It is a physical limit.   Scientists have alerted us that temperatures rising higher would likely mean: The collapse of the Greenland Ice Sheet and the West Antarctic Ice Sheet with catastrophic sea level rise; The destruction of tropical coral reef systems and the livelihoods of 300 million people; The collapse of the Labrador Sea Current that would further disrupt weather patterns in Europe; And widespread permafrost melt that would release devastating levels of methane, one of the most potent heat-trapping gasses.   Even today, we’re pushing planetary boundaries to the brink – shattering global temperature records and reaping the whirlwind. And it is a travesty of climate justice that those least responsible for the crisis are hardest hit: the poorest people; the most vulnerable countries; Indigenous Peoples; women and girls. The richest one per cent emit as much as two-thirds of humanity.   And extreme events turbocharged by climate chaos are piling up: Destroying lives, pummelling economies, and hammering health; Wrecking sustainable development; forcing people from their homes; and rocking the foundations of peace and security – as people are displaced and vital resources depleted.   Already this year, a brutal heatwave has baked Asia with record temperatures – shrivelling crops, closing schools, and killing people.   Cities from New Delhi, to Bamako, to Mexico City are scorching. In the US, savage storms have destroyed communities and lives.   We’ve seen drought disasters declared across southern Africa; Extreme rains flood the Arabian Peninsula, East Africa and Brazil; And a mass global coral bleaching caused by unprecedented ocean temperatures, soaring past the worst predictions of scientists.   The cost of all this chaos is hitting people where it hurts: From supply-chains severed, to rising prices for essentials, mounting food insecurity, and uninsurable homes and businesses. That bill will keep growing. Even if emissions hit zero tomorrow, a recent study found that climate chaos will still cost at least $38 trillion a year by 2050. Climate change is the mother of all taxes paid by everyday people and vulnerable countries and communities".   “We are playing Russian roulette with our planet,” Guterres said. “We need an exit ramp off the highway to climate hell.”   “Like the meteor that wiped out the dinosaurs, we’re having an outsized impact. In the case of climate, we are not the dinosaurs – we are the meteor. We are not only in danger – we are the danger.”   Guterres insisted that the 1.5C target was “still just about possible” but said there needed to be far greater effort from countries to slash carbon emissions, to boost climate finance to poorer countries, and for the fossil-fuel industry to be made pariahs by governments, the media and other businesses for its role in causing the climate crisis.   “The godfathers of climate chaos – the fossil-fuel industry – rake in record profits and feast off trillions in taxpayer-funded subsidies,” he said. “It is a disgrace that the most vulnerable are being left stranded, struggling desperately to deal with a climate crisis they did nothing to create.   “We cannot accept a future where the rich are protected in air-conditioned bubbles, while the rest of humanity is lashed by lethal weather in unlivable lands.”   I urge financial institutions to stop bankrolling fossil fuel destruction and start investing in a global renewables revolution; To present public, credible and detailed plans to transition funding from fossil fuels to clean energy with clear targets for 2025 and 2030; And to disclose your climate risks – both physical and transitional – to your shareholders and regulators. Ultimately such disclosure should be mandatory.   "We must secure the safest possible future for people and planet. That means taking urgent action, particularly over the next eighteen months: To slash emissions; To protect people and nature from climate extremes; To boost climate finance; And to clamp down on the fossil fuel industry".   Guterres attacked fossil-fuel firms for their meagre investments in cleaner forms of energy and for “distorting the truth, deceiving the public and sowing doubt” about climate science.   "I call for government bans on fossil-fuel advertising and for public relations and media companies to cut all ties with oil, gas and coal interests. Many governments restrict or prohibit advertising for products that harm human health, like tobacco,” he said. “I urge every country to ban advertising from fossil-fuel companies. I urge news media and tech companies to stop taking fossil-fuel advertising. “I call on these companies to stop acting as enablers to planetary destruction. Fossil fuels are poisoning our planet.”   Mr. Guterres welcomed the growth in investment in wind, solar and other renewable sources, predicting that “economic logic makes the end of the fossil-fuel age inevitable”, but added that governments must hasten the phase-out of fossil fuels.   “It’s ‘we, the peoples’ versus the polluters and the profiteers,” he said. “It’s time for leaders to decide whose side they’re on.”   http://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2024-06-05/secretary-generals-special-address-climate-action-moment-of-truth-delivered-0 http://news.un.org/en/story/2024/06/1150661 http://climate.copernicus.eu/hottest-may-record-spurs-call-climate-action http://wmo.int/news/media-centre/global-temperature-likely-exceed-15degc-above-pre-industrial-level-temporarily-next-5-years http://wmo.int/publication-series/wmo-global-annual-decadal-climate-update-2024-2028 http://wmo.int/news/media-centre/climate-change-indicators-reached-record-levels-2023-wmo http://www.carbonbrief.org/state-of-the-climate-2023-smashes-records-for-surface-temperature-and-ocean-heat/   http://www.socialprotectionfloorscoalition.org/2024/05/policy-brief-social-protection-for-climate-justice-why-and-how/ http://www.savethechildren.net/news/bonn-conference-number-children-crisis-levels-hunger-due-extreme-weather-events-doubles-past http://reliefweb.int/report/world/climate-breakdown-2024-6-months-climate-chaos-cop28 http://www.carbonbrief.org/bonn-climate-talks-key-outcomes-from-the-june-2024-un-climate-conference/ http://350.org/press-release/g7-leaders-summit-fails-to-deliver-on-climate/ http://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/fossil-gas/i-hope-the-younger-generations-can-forgive-us-state-oil-company-pushed-100-billion-of-deals-in-uaes-year-as-cop28-host/ Visit the related web page
	Nearly every person on earth breathes unhealthy levels of air pollution every day by UNICEF, State of Global Air, agencies   June 2024   Deadly and growing impact of air pollution laid bare in new UNICEF-backed report   Air pollution is having an increasing impact on human health, becoming the second leading global risk factor for death, according to the fifth edition of the State of Global Air (SoGA) report.   The report, released today by the Health Effects Institute (HEI), an independent U.S.-based nonprofit research organization, found air pollution accounted for 8.1 million deaths globally in 2021. Beyond these deaths, many more millions of people are living with debilitating chronic diseases, putting tremendous strains on health care systems, economies, and societies.   Produced for the first time in partnership with UNICEF, the report finds that children under five years old are especially vulnerable, with health effects including premature birth, low birth weight, asthma and lung diseases.   In 2021, exposure to air pollution was linked to more than 700,000 deaths of children under five years old, making it the second-leading risk factor for death globally for this age group, after malnutrition. A staggering 500,000 of these child deaths were linked to household air pollution due to cooking indoors with polluting fuels, mostly in Africa and Asia.   A Global Health Concern   The new SoGA Report offers a detailed analysis of recently released data from the Global Burden of Disease study from 2021 that shows the severe health impacts pollutants like outdoor fine particulate matter (PM2.5), household air pollution, ozone (O3), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) are having on human health around the world.   The report includes data for more than 200 countries and territories around the world, indicating that nearly every person on earth breathes unhealthy levels of air pollution every day, with far-reaching health implications.   More than 90 per cent of these global air pollution deaths – 7.8 million people – are attributed to PM2.5 air pollution, including from ambient PM2.5 and household air pollution.   These tiny particles, measuring less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, are so small they remain in the lungs and can enter the bloodstream, affecting many organ systems and increasing the risks for noncommunicable diseases in adults like heart disease, stroke, diabetes, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).   According to the report, PM2.5 has been found to be the most consistent and accurate predictor of poor health outcomes around the world.   “We hope our State of Global Air report provides both the information and the inspiration for change,” said HEI President Dr. Elena Craft. “Air pollution has enormous implications for health. We know that improving air quality and global public health is practical and achievable.”   Air Pollution and Climate Change   PM2.5 air pollution comes from the burning of fossil fuels and biomass in sectors such as transportation, residential homes, coal-burning power plants, industrial activities, and wildfires. These emissions not only impact people’s health but also contribute to the greenhouse gases that are warming the planet. The most vulnerable populations are disproportionately affected by both climate hazards and polluted air.   In 2021, long-term exposure to ozone contributed to an estimated 489,518 deaths globally, including 14,000 ozone-related COPD deaths in the United States, higher than other high-income countries. As the world continues to warm from the effects of climate change, areas with high levels of NO2 can expect to see higher levels of ozone, bringing even greater health effects.   For the first time, this year’s report includes exposure levels and related health effects of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), including the impact of NO2 exposures on the development of childhood asthma. Traffic exhaust is a major source of NO2, which means densely populated urban areas, particularly in high-income countries, often see the highest levels of NO2 exposures and health impacts.   “This new report offers a stark reminder of the significant impacts air pollution has on human health, with far too much of the burden borne by young children, older populations, and low- and middle-income countries,” said Dr. Pallavi Pant, HEI’s Head of Global Health who oversaw the SoGA report release.   “This points sharply at an opportunity for cities and countries to consider air quality and air pollution as high-risk factors when developing health policies and other noncommunicable disease prevention and control programs.”   Children’s Health   Some of the greatest health impacts of air pollution are seen in children. Children are uniquely vulnerable to air pollution and the damage from air pollution can start in the womb with health effects that can last a lifetime. For example, children inhale more air per kilogram of body weight and absorb more pollutants relative to adults while their lungs, bodies and brains are still developing.   Exposure to air pollution in young children is linked to pneumonia, responsible for 1 in 5 child deaths globally, and asthma, the most common chronic respiratory disease in older children. The inequities linked to the impact of air pollution on child health are striking. The air pollution-linked death rate in children under the age of five in East, West, Central and Southern Africa is 100 times higher than their counterparts in high income countries.   “Despite progress in maternal and child health, every day almost 2000 children under five years die because of health impacts linked to air pollution,” said UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Kitty van der Heijden. “Our inaction is having profound effects on the next generation, with lifelong health and well-being impacts. The global urgency is undeniable. It is imperative governments and businesses consider these estimates and locally available data and use it to inform meaningful, child-focused action to reduce air pollution and protect children’s health.”   http://www.unicef.org/rosa/press-releases/air-pollution-accounted-81-million-deaths-globally-2021-becoming-second-leading-risk http://www.stateofglobalair.org/news-events/new-state-global-air-report-finds-air-pollution-second-leading-risk-factor-death   The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that, globally, air pollution is responsible for at least 7 million premature deaths per year from ischemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer, but also from acute respiratory infections such as pneumonia which mainly affects children in low- and middle-income countries.   Being recognized as one of the main risk factors for Non-Communicable Diseases, a growing and consistent body of evidence shows that air pollution health effects also include preterm and low-birthweight, asthma as well as cognitive and neurological impairment basically having the potential to impact our whole body, way beyond our lungs.   Particulate Matter Pollution comes in many sizes and can be made up of hundreds of different chemicals. Particle pollution includes inhalable particles, with diameters that are generally 10 micrometers and smaller; and fine inhalable particles, with diameters that are generally 2.5 micrometers and smaller.   Particles less than 10 micrometers in diameter can get deep into your lungs and enter your bloodstream, particles less than 2.5 micrometers also known as fine particles pose a serious risk to human health.   Particulate Matter Pollution can be emitted directly from a source, such as construction sites, unpaved roads, smokestacks or fires. Most particles form in the atmosphere as a result of complex reactions of chemicals such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which are pollutants emitted from power plants, industries and motor vehicles.   Accurately measuring particulate air pollution levels, providing adequate public health warnings, regulating major sources of air pollution are among the measures taken to address air pollution. Policies and investments supporting cleaner transport, energy efficient homes, power generation, industry and better municipal waste management would reduce key sources of outdoor air pollution.   Aug. 2023   Air Pollution and its threat to Health are unequally spread throughout the World. (AQLI)   As global pollution edged upward in 2021, so did its burden on human health, according to new data from the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI).   If the world were to permanently reduce fine particulate pollution (PM2.5) to meet the World Health Organization’s (WHO) guideline, the average person could add 2.3 years onto their life expectancy—or a combined 17.8 billion life-years saved worldwide.   The data makes clear that particulate pollution remains one of the world’s greatest external risks to human health. Yet, the pollution challenge worldwide is vastly unequal.   “Three-quarters of air pollution’s worst impact on global life expectancy occurs in just six countries, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, China, Nigeria and Indonesia, where people lose one to more than six years off their lives because of the air they breathe,” says Michael Greenstone, Professor in Economics at the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC).   “For the last five years, the AQLI’s local information on air quality and its health consequences has generated substantial media and political coverage, but there is an opportunity to complement this annual information with more frequent daily and locally generated data.”   Many polluted countries lack basic air pollution infrastructure. Asia and Africa are the two most poignant examples. They contribute 92.7 percent of life years lost due to pollution. Yet, just 6.8 and 3.7 percent of governments in Asia and Africa, respectively, provide their citizens with fully open air quality data. Further, just 35.6 and 4.9 percent of countries in Asia and Africa, respectively, have air quality standards—the most basic building block for policies. The current investments in global air quality infrastructure does not match its toll on human life.   “Timely, reliable, open air quality data in particular can be the backbone of civil society and government clean air efforts—providing the information that people and governments lack and that allows for more informed policy decisions,” says Christa Hasenkopf, the director of AQLI and air quality programs at EPIC.   South Asia   In no other location on the planet is the deadly impact of pollution more visible than in South Asia, home to the four most polluted countries in the world and nearly a quarter of the global population.   In Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan, the AQLI data reveal that residents are expected to lose about 5 years off their lives on average if the current high levels of pollution persist, and more in the most polluted regions. In the densely populated New Delhi, the world’s most polluted megacity, the average life span is down by more than 10 years.   China   Although the challenge of reducing air pollution across the world may seem daunting, China has had remarkable success, reducing pollution by 42.3 percent since 2013, the year before the country began a “war against pollution.” Due to these improvements, the average Chinese citizen can expect to live 2.2 years longer, provided the reductions are sustained. However, the pollution in China is still six times higher than the WHO guideline, taking 2.5 years off life expectancy.   Southeast Asia   Like South Asia, almost all of Southeast Asia (99.9 percent) is now considered to have unsafe levels of pollution, with pollution increasing in a single year by as much as 25 percent in some regions. Residents living in the most polluted parts of Southeast Asia are expected to lose 2 to 3 years of life expectancy on average.   Central and West Africa   While Asian countries rightly receive the most media coverage about extreme levels of air pollution, the African countries of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Republic of Congo are amongst the ten most polluted countries in the world. In the most polluted areas of these regions, pollution levels are 12 times the WHO guideline and taking as much as 5.4 years off lives—becoming as much of a health threat as well-known killers in the region like HIV/AIDS and malaria.   Latin America   While average air quality is at an unsafe but relatively low level across the region, the most polluted areas—located within Guatemala, Bolivia, and Peru—experience air quality similar to pollution hotspots like Pune, India and Harbin, China. In these regions, the average resident would gain 3 to 4.4 years of life expectancy if their air quality met the WHO guideline.   United States   In the United States, Americans are exposed to 64.9 percent less particulate pollution than in 1970—prior to the passage of the Clean Air Act—and they’re living 1.4 years longer because of it. Yet, 96 percent of the country still doesn’t meet the WHO guideline. In 2021, 20 out of the top 30 most polluted counties were in California due to the impact of wildfires.   Europe   In Europe, residents are exposed to about 23.5 percent less pollution than they were in 1998, soon after the Air Quality Framework Directive started, gaining 4.5 months of life expectancy because of it. Yet, 98.4 percent of Europe still doesn’t meet the WHO guideline. Residents in eastern Europe are living 7.2 months less than their western neighbors due to dirtier air.   http://aqli.epic.uchicago.edu/reports/ http://www.un.org/en/observances/clean-air-day/messages http://news.un.org/en/story/2023/09/1140447 http://www.who.int/teams/environment-climate-change-and-health/air-quality-and-health/health-impacts http://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ambient-(outdoor)-air-quality-and-health http://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/09/global-heatwaves-are-worsening-air-pollution-underscoring-the-urgent-need-to-phase-out-fossil-fuels/ http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/nov/16/from-cholera-to-kidney-disease-10-ways-the-climate-crisis-is-wrecking-peoples-lives-acc
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