Parisians were on Monday (Jul 22) bracing for potentially the hottest ever temperature in the French capital this week as a new heatwave blasted into northern Europe that could set records in several countries. Meteo France is forecasting 41 or 42 degrees Celsius in Paris on Jun 25, 2019. (Photo: AFP/Zakaria Abdelkafi) Temperatures were already set to top 30 degrees Celsius on Monday in Paris, but the mercury could soar beyond 40 degrees Celsius on Thursday and topple a temperature record dating back to 1947. The severe heat, which forecasters say will only last a few days but will be exceptionally intense, is expected to affect northern France and parts of Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. "It's likely that these three countries see temperatures at or above 40 degrees Celsius for the first time," Francois Jobard, a forecaster from the French Meteo France weather office, told AFP. The new blast of hot air comes less than a month after a heatwave scorched Europe at the … [Read more...] about Paris braces for record heat as Europe scorched again
Record setting temperatures 2018
Everest braces for record year amid overcrowding fears
The tented city at the foot of Mount Everest is bustling as mountaineers brace for potentially the busiest year yet on the world's highest peak, prompting concerns about overcrowding and safety. Decades of commercial mountaineering have turned Mount Everest into the world's highest rubbish dump Since Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay made the first ascent in 1953 more than 4,000 climbers have reached the top of Everest, according to the authoritative Himalayan Database. Recent years have seen especially rapid growth, with the mountain opening up to more people as competition between expedition organisers has caused costs to plummet. But rising numbers mean greater risk -- a higher chance of bottlenecks as larger teams lumber their way to the summit, potential shortages of oxygen tanks, and increased risk of frostbite and even death. A photo of a huge traffic jam below the summit in 2012 prompted calls for better crowd management, and even a cap on the number of … [Read more...] about Everest braces for record year amid overcrowding fears
Formula One: Top 5 drivers of 2018
Motor Racing - Formula One - F1 Singapore Grand Prix 2018 - Singapore - September 16, 2018 Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton leads during the race,Source: REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji 5. FERNANDO ALONSO Fernando Alonso bid farewell to Formula One in Abu Dhabi after 17 years his 311 Grand Prix. (Photo: AFP/Andrej Isakovic) It was a great shame that the vast majority of Alonso's final season in F1 was spent in the second half of the field, but that didn't stop him from shining. It's doubtful anyone would have amassed more points in the 2018 McLaren than the 50 he managed over 21 races, and that's certainly true of teammate Stoffel Vandoorne, who was out-qualified by Alonso at every round. Vandoorne, a former GP2 champion, is no slouch, and beating a teammate in every qualifying session requires speed and consistency. It might not surprise you to learn that the last driver to achieve that feat before 2018 was Alonso against Nelson Piquet at … [Read more...] about Formula One: Top 5 drivers of 2018
Despite climate pledges, China struggles to break coal habit
In a former mining district in eastern China, authorities have shut dozens of pits and invested billions of yuan to resculpt the broken landscape, creating gardens, forest walks and wetland parks, as well as a small museum dedicated to coal. In a former mining district in eastern China, authorities have shut dozens of pits and invested billions of yuan to resculpt the broken landscape, creating gardens, forest walks and wetland parks, as well as a small museum dedicated to coal. But despite an unprecedented surge of investment in alternative energies, together with caps on coal use and the establishment of “no-coal zones” throughout the country, China’s overall consumption and production are again rising. When U.S. President Donald Trump said he was pulling the United States out of the Paris climate accord last year, China reaffirmed its commitments to tackle the problem of coal, by far the biggest source of its climate-warming carbon emissions. The Intergovernmental … [Read more...] about Despite climate pledges, China struggles to break coal habit
Global carbon emissions to hit new record in 2018 – IEA’s Birol
IEA's Fatih Birol told a conference in Paris that data for the first nine months of the years was already pointing to a record increase in carbon emissions. A United Nations report last week said society would have to make changes to how it consumes energy, travels and builds, to meet a lower global warming target. "Sorry, I have very bad news. My numbers are giving me some despair," Birol told the conference at the Polish embassy in Paris. Poland will host United Nations COP24 talks in December, which will lay out a "rule book" to implement a historic accord reached in Paris in 2015. That agreement set goals to phase out fossil fuel use this century, shift towards cleaner energies and help limit a rise in temperatures. "Looking at data for the first nine months of this year, emissions this year will increase once again ... global emissions will reach a record historical high," Birol said. "Therefore the chances of reaching such ambitious targets in my view, are becoming weaker and … [Read more...] about Global carbon emissions to hit new record in 2018 – IEA’s Birol