logo
Oceans Feel The Heat From Human Climate Pollution

Oceans Feel The Heat From Human Climate Pollution

NDTV02-06-2025
Geneva:
Oceans have absorbed the vast majority of the warming caused by burning fossil fuels and shielded societies from the full impact of greenhouse gas emissions.
But this crucial ally has developed alarming symptoms of stress -- heatwaves, loss of marine life, rising sea levels, falling oxygen levels and acidification caused by the uptake of excess carbon dioxide.
These effects risk not just the health of the ocean but the entire planet.
Heating Up
By absorbing more than 90 percent of the excess heat trapped in the atmosphere by greenhouse gases, "oceans are warming faster and faster", said Angelique Melet, an oceanographer at the European Mercator Ocean monitor.
The UN's IPCC climate expert panel has said the rate of ocean warming -- and therefore its heat uptake -- has more than doubled since 1993.
Average sea surface temperatures reached new records in 2023 and 2024.
Despite a respite at the start of 2025, temperatures remain at historic highs, according to data from the Europe Union's Copernicus climate monitor.
The Mediterranean has set a new temperature record in each of the past three years and is one of the basins most affected, along with the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans, said Thibault Guinaldo, of France's CEMS research centre.
Marine heatwaves have doubled in frequency, become longer lasting and more intense, and affect a wider area, the IPCC said in its special oceans report.
Warmer seas can make storms more violent, feeding them with heat and evaporated water.
The heating water can also be devastating for species, especially corals and seagrass beds, which are unable to migrate.
For corals, between 70 percent and 90 percent are expected to be lost this century if the world reaches 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) of warming compared to pre-industrial levels.
Scientists expect that threshold -- the more ambitious goal of the Paris climate deal -- to be breached in the early 2030s or even before.
Relentless Rise
When a liquid or gas warms up, it expands and takes up more space.
In the case of the oceans, this thermal expansion combines with the slow but irreversible melting of the world's ice caps and mountain glaciers to lift the world's seas.
The pace at which global oceans are rising has doubled in three decades and if current trends continue it will double again by 2100 to about one centimetre per year, according to recent research.
Around 230 million people worldwide live less than a metre above sea level, vulnerable to increasing threats from floods and storms.
"Ocean warming, like sea-level rise, has become an inescapable process on the scale of our lives, but also over several centuries," said Ms Melet.
"But if we reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we will reduce the rate and magnitude of the damage, and gain time for adaptation".
More Acidity, Less Oxygen
The ocean not only stores heat, it has also taken up 20 to 30 percent of all humans' carbon dioxide emissions since the 1980s, according to the IPCC, causing the waters to become more acidic.
Acidification weakens corals and makes it harder for shellfish and the skeletons of crustaceans and certain plankton to calcify.
"Another key indicator is oxygen concentration, which is obviously important for marine life," said Ms Melet.
Oxygen loss is due to a complex set of causes including those linked to warming waters.
Reduced Sea Ice
Combined Arctic and Antarctic sea ice cover -- frozen ocean water that floats on the surface -- plunged to a record low in mid-February, more than a million square miles below the pre-2010 average.
This becomes a vicious circle, with less sea ice allowing more solar energy to reach and warm the water, leading to more ice melting.
This feeds the phenomenon of "polar amplification" that makes global warming faster and more intense at the poles, said Mr Guinaldo.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Urgent need for 'global approach' on AI regulation: UN tech chief
Urgent need for 'global approach' on AI regulation: UN tech chief

Time of India

time3 hours ago

  • Time of India

Urgent need for 'global approach' on AI regulation: UN tech chief

Geneva: The world urgently needs to find a global approach on regulating artificial intelligence, the United Nations ' top tech chief said this week, warning that fragmentation could deepen risks and inequalities. Doreen Bogdan-Martin , head of the UN's International Telecommunications Union ( ITU ) agency, told AFP she hoped that AI "can actually benefit humanity". But as concerns mount over the risks posed by the fast-moving technology -- including fears of mass job losses, the spread of deepfakes and disinformation, and society's fabric fraying -- she insisted that regulation was key. "There's an urgency to try to get... the right framework in place," she said, stressing the need for "a global approach". Her comments came after US President Donald Trump this week unveiled an aggressive, low-regulation strategy aimed at ensuring the United States stays ahead of China on AI. Among more than 90 proposals, Trump's plan calls for sweeping deregulation, with the administration promising to "remove red tape and onerous regulation" that could hinder private sector AI development. Asked if she had concerns about an approach that urges less, not more, regulation of AI technologies, Bogdan-Martin refrained from commenting, saying she was "still trying to digest" the US plan. 'Critical' "I think there are different approaches," she said. "We have the EU approach. We have the Chinese approach. Now we're seeing the US approach. I think what's needed is for those approaches to dialogue," she said. At the same time, she highlighted that "85 percent of countries don't yet have AI policies or strategies". A consistent theme among those strategies that do exist is the focus on innovation, capacity building and infrastructure investments, Bogdan-Martin said. "But where I think the debate still needs to happen at a global level is trying to figure out how much regulation, how little regulation, is needed," she said. Bogdan-Martin, who grew up in New Jersey and has spent most of her more than three-decade career at the ITU, insisted the Geneva-based telecoms agency that sets standards for new technologies was well-placed to help facilitate much-needed dialogue on the issue. "The need for a global approach I think is critical," she said, cautioning that "fragmented approaches will not help serve and reach all". As countries and companies sprint to cement their dominance in the booming sector, there are concerns that precautions could be thrown to the wind -- and that those who lose the race or do not have the capacity to participate will be left behind. 'Huge gap' The ITU chief hailed "mind-blowing" advances within artificial intelligence, with the potential to improve everything from education to agriculture to health care -- but insisted the benefits must be shared. Without a concerted effort, there is a risk that AI will end up standing for "advancing inequalities", she warned, cautioning against deepening an already dire digital divide worldwide. "We have 2.6 billion people that have no access to the internet, which means they have no access to artificial intelligence", Bogdan-Martin pointed out. "We have to tackle those divides if we're actually going to have something that is beneficial to all of humanity." Bogdan-Martin, the first woman to serve as ITU secretary-general in the organisation's nearly 160-year history, also stressed the need to get more women into the digital space. "We have a huge gap," she said. "We definitely don't have enough women... in artificial intelligence." The 58-year-old mother of four said it was "a big honour" to be the first woman in her position, to be "breaking the glass ceiling (and) paving the path for future generations". But she acknowledged there was a lot of pressure, "not just to achieve, but to almost overachieve". Bogdan-Martin, who is being backed by the Trump administration to stand for re-election when her four-year mandate ends next year, said she was eager to stay on for a second term. "There is a lot to do."

Urgent need for 'global approach' on AI regulation: UN tech chief
Urgent need for 'global approach' on AI regulation: UN tech chief

Time of India

time17 hours ago

  • Time of India

Urgent need for 'global approach' on AI regulation: UN tech chief

Academy Empower your mind, elevate your skills The world urgently needs to find a global approach on regulating artificial intelligence, the United Nations ' top tech chief said this week, warning that fragmentation could deepen risks and inequalities. Doreen Bogdan-Martin , head of the UN's International Telecommunications Union (ITU) agency, told AFP she hoped that AI "can actually benefit humanity".But as concerns mount over the risks posed by the fast-moving technology -- including fears of mass job losses, the spread of deepfakes and disinformation, and society's fabric fraying -- she insisted that regulation was key."There's an urgency to try to get... the right framework in place," she said, stressing the need for "a global approach".Her comments came after US President Donald Trump this week unveiled an aggressive, low-regulation strategy aimed at ensuring the United States stays ahead of China on more than 90 proposals, Trump's plan calls for sweeping deregulation, with the administration promising to "remove red tape and onerous regulation" that could hinder private sector AI if she had concerns about an approach that urges less, not more, regulation of AI technologies, Bogdan-Martin refrained from commenting, saying she was "still trying to digest" the US plan."I think there are different approaches," she said."We have the EU approach. We have the Chinese approach. Now we're seeing the US approach. I think what's needed is for those approaches to dialogue," she the same time, she highlighted that "85 percent of countries don't yet have AI policies or strategies".A consistent theme among those strategies that do exist is the focus on innovation, capacity building and infrastructure investments, Bogdan-Martin said."But where I think the debate still needs to happen at a global level is trying to figure out how much regulation, how little regulation, is needed," she who grew up in New Jersey and has spent most of her more than three-decade career at the ITU, insisted the Geneva-based telecoms agency that sets standards for new technologies was well-placed to help facilitate much-needed dialogue on the issue."The need for a global approach I think is critical," she said, cautioning that "fragmented approaches will not help serve and reach all".As countries and companies sprint to cement their dominance in the booming sector, there are concerns that precautions could be thrown to the wind -- and that those who lose the race or do not have the capacity to participate will be left ITU chief hailed "mind-blowing" advances within artificial intelligence, with the potential to improve everything from education to agriculture to health care -- but insisted the benefits must be a concerted effort, there is a risk that AI will end up standing for "advancing inequalities", she warned, cautioning against deepening an already dire digital divide worldwide."We have 2.6 billion people that have no access to the internet, which means they have no access to artificial intelligence", Bogdan-Martin pointed out."We have to tackle those divides if we're actually going to have something that is beneficial to all of humanity."Bogdan-Martin, the first woman to serve as ITU secretary-general in the organisation's nearly 160-year history, also stressed the need to get more women into the digital space."We have a huge gap," she said."We definitely don't have enough women... in artificial intelligence."The 59-year-old mother of four said it was "a big honour" to be the first woman in her position, to be "breaking the glass ceiling (and) paving the path for future generations".But she acknowledged there was a lot of pressure, "not just to achieve, but to almost overachieve".Bogdan-Martin, who is being backed by the Trump administration to stand for re-election when her four-year mandate ends next year, said she was eager to stay on for a second term."There is a lot to do."

SpaceX launches 28 Starlink satellites after rare network outage — Here's what you need to know
SpaceX launches 28 Starlink satellites after rare network outage — Here's what you need to know

Time of India

timea day ago

  • Time of India

SpaceX launches 28 Starlink satellites after rare network outage — Here's what you need to know

SpaceX launched 28 more Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit early Saturday morning, July 26. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 5:01 a.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Pad 40 in Florida, according to the report by UPI. Falcon 9 booster makes 22nd flight This Falcon 9 booster was used for the 22nd time. Its past missions included Crew-6 and 17 earlier Starlink launches. About 8 minutes after takeoff, the booster landed successfully on the drone ship 'A Shortfall of Gravitas' in the Atlantic Ocean. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Product Management Management Digital Marketing Degree Healthcare MBA Leadership Operations Management healthcare Cybersecurity PGDM Artificial Intelligence Design Thinking MCA Data Science Finance Technology others Others Public Policy CXO Data Analytics Data Science Project Management Skills you'll gain: Creating Effective Product Roadmap User Research & Translating it to Product Design Key Metrics via Product Analytics Hand-On Projects Using Cutting Edge Tools Duration: 12 Weeks Indian School of Business ISB Product Management Starts on May 14, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Product Strategy & Competitive Advantage Tactics Product Development Processes & Market Orientations Product Analytics & Data-Driven Decision Making Agile Development, Design Thinking, & Product Leadership Duration: 40 Weeks IIM Kozhikode Professional Certificate in Product Management Starts on Jun 26, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Product Strategy & Roadmapping User-Centric Product Design Agile Product Development Market Analysis & Product Launch Duration: 24 Weeks Indian School of Business Professional Certificate in Product Management Starts on Jun 26, 2024 Get Details ALSO READ: Arctic no more? Finland breaks record with 14 straight days over 30°C in shocking heatwave SpaceX launch records continue This was SpaceX's 91st Falcon 9 launch in 2024 so far. The booster's landing was the 119th on this drone ship and the 480th overall by SpaceX between Florida and California, according to the report by UPI. There are now over 8,000 Starlink satellites in orbit. Starlink provides internet to more than 6 million users globally, including 2 million in the U.S. Starlink began its public service in 2021. Live Events Rare starlink outage before launch On Thursday, Starlink suffered a rare network-wide internet outage starting at 4 p.m. EDT. About 2.5 hours later, SpaceX said most service was restored. 90 minutes after that, full service was back. Starlink VP Michael Nicholls said the problem was due to 'failure of key internal software services' and apologized for the disruption. SpaceX said they are investigating the root cause and will ensure it doesn't happen again, as stated in the report by UPI. ALSO READ: Ozzy funeral: Where does Sharon Osbourne want to bury the iconic singer? Here's the place she has identified What's next for SpaceX The next launch is Saturday night at 8:55 p.m. PDT from Vandenberg Space Force Station in California. That launch will carry 24 more Starlink satellites, as mentioned in the report by UPI. FAQs Q1. What caused the recent Starlink internet outage ? The outage was caused by a failure in key internal software services that run the Starlink network, says SpaceX. Q2. How many Starlink satellites did SpaceX launch recently? SpaceX launched 28 new Starlink satellites into orbit on July 26, 2025

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store