Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Martina Igini @martinaigini.bsky.social · 21h

A new graph by Zeke Hausfather shows that the vast majority of the Earth’s surface has seen a record set in recent years:
- 38% of the land surface has set a new record in the 2020s
- Overall, 78% set a new all-time monthly high record set after the year 2000

www.theclimatebrink.com/p/most-of-th...

Martina Igini @martinaigini.bsky.social · 5d

One of the world’s foremost expert on chimpanzees, Dr Jane Goodall spent her career studying their social behaviour and family interactions and publishing numerous books documenting scientific studies on our closest relatives. Here are some of our favorites👇

earth.org/books-by-jan...

Jane Goodall's 7 Must-Read Books on Nature and Primatology

Late primatologist Jane Goodall wrote numerous books documenting her decades of experience and scientific studies on chimpanzees.

earth.org

Martina Igini @martinaigini.bsky.social · 5d

Switzerland's glaciers have faced “enormous” melting this year with a 3% drop in total volume, the fourth-largest annual drop on record, due to the effects of global warming.

www.euronews.com/green/2025/1...

More than 1,000 small glaciers in Switzerland have already disappeared

Since 2015, glaciologists say Switzerland's glaciers have shrunk by a quarter.

www.euronews.com

Martina Igini @martinaigini.bsky.social · 5d

This summer's extreme heat sparked large and destructive wildfires across the Iberian Peninsula. Fire-related emissions in spain reached levels not seen since 2003.

The wildfires also contributed to the EU's worst wildfire season on record.

earth.org/spain-sees-h...

Spain Sees Highest Wildfire Emissions Since 2003

"Unprecedented" fire activity has driven total wildfire emissions in Spain to the highest level since 2003 within just a few days.

earth.org

Martina Igini @martinaigini.bsky.social · 5d

Spain saw 3,800 additional deaths (!) this year amid a rise in extreme, deadly heat.

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Extreme Summer Heat Caused an 87% Rise in Deaths in Spain

Spain’s scorching summer resulted in more than 3,800 additional deaths this year as extreme heat becomes increasingly deadly, according to the country’s health ministry.

www.bloomberg.com

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Martina Igini @martinaigini.bsky.social · 5d

New research found that climate change caused about 36% of Super Typhoon Ragasa’s direct economic damage in southern China.

Climate change boosted Ragasa’s peak wind speeds at landfall by 7% (approximately 13 km/h or 8 mph) and rainfall from the typhoon’s eyewall by 13%.

earth.org/warmer-clima...

Warmer Climate Made Typhoon Ragasa 36% More Destructive

Climate change was behind more than a third of the economic damages from Typhoon Ragasa in southern China, according to a new study.

earth.org

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Martina Igini @martinaigini.bsky.social · 12d

There has been a significant increase in tropical cyclone's intensity in recent decades, which scientific observations link to rising ocean temperatures.

Ragasa rapidly intensified into a Super Typhoon atop sea surface temperatures that were 0.7-1.1C above average because of climate change.

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Martina Igini @martinaigini.bsky.social · 12d

Super Typhoon Ragasa, the strongest storm of the year, was intensified by human-made climate change, according to a new study by ClimateMeter.

Cyclones similar to Ragasa today are locally up to 10 mm/day – about 10% – wetter and around 1C warmer compared to the past.

earth.org/climate-chan...

Climate Change Intensified Super Typhoon Ragasa, Study Finds

Super Typhoons similar to Ragasa are around 1C warmer, up to 10% wetter, and slightly windier in present-day climate compared to the past.

earth.org

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Martina Igini @martinaigini.bsky.social · 28d

14 of the 16 World Cup venues are already exceeding “safe-play thresholds” for extreme heat, unplayable rainfall, and flooding, according to a new report. By 2050, 90% of host stadiums will face unsafe extreme heat conditions and 11 stadiums will experience unplayable heat.
earth.org/world-cup-ve...

World Cup Venues At Risk As Extreme Heat, Floods Intensify

14 of the 16 World Cup venues are already exceeding "safe-play thresholds" for extreme heat, unplayable rainfall, and flooding.

earth.org

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Martina Igini @martinaigini.bsky.social · 28d

Figure calculated by Oil Change International has more than doubled since 2017 but is likely a vast understatement.

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Fossil-fuel firms receive US subsidies worth $31bn each year, study finds

Figure calculated by Oil Change International has more than doubled since 2017 but is likely a vast understatement

www.theguardian.com

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Martina Igini @martinaigini.bsky.social · Sep 3

A US appeals court has ruled against non-profit environmental groups that had some $16bn in climate grants frozen by the Trump administration since March.

earth.org/appeals-cour...

Appeals Court Allows Trump's EPA to Cut $20bn in Climate Grants

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) terminated Biden-era grant agreements worth $20 billion in March.

earth.org

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Martina Igini @martinaigini.bsky.social · Sep 1

At present, mean temperature in the UK is tracking at 16.13C, much higher than the current record of 15.76C, set in 2018, according to the Met Office.

earth.org/summer-2025-...

UK on Track for Hottest Summer on Record: Met Office | Earth.Org

It is now "almost" certain that this summer will be the UK's hottest since record-keeping began in 1884, the Met Office has said.

earth.org

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Martina Igini @martinaigini.bsky.social · Sep 1

The UN-backed Net-Zero Banking Alliance, set up in 2021 to support banks in the transition to net-zero, lost 18 of its most important members since October 2024, including HSBC, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo.

earth.org/un-backed-ne...

Net-Zero Banking Alliance Pauses Activities Amid Member Exodus

The Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA) is temporarily pausing its activities, following the departure of some of the world's largest banks.

earth.org

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Martina Igini @martinaigini.bsky.social · Sep 1

More about the historic victory: earth.org/one-year-on-...

Behind the Scenes of South Korea's First Climate Court Victory

The 2024 Korean Youth Climate Litigation ruling set an important legal precedent for Asia and beyond, opening the door to other court cases.

earth.org

Martina Igini @martinaigini.bsky.social · Sep 1

The second episode of my new podcast Climate Court Voices is live!

On the first anniversary of South Korea's first climate court victory, I speak with Youn Sejong, the attorney behind the youth-led Constitutional case.

open.spotify.com/episode/0lFO...

Behind the scenes of South Korea's first climate court victory - Sejong Youn

open.spotify.com

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Martina Igini @martinaigini.bsky.social · Aug 15

In a world grappling with an escalating plastic pollution crisis, this week’s talks were seen as a crucial opportunity to forge a global treaty aimed at curbing plastic production and consumption. But once again, nations walked away empty-handed.

earth.org/abject-failu...

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Martina Igini @martinaigini.bsky.social · Aug 12

Separately, a survey by Greenpeace and ImpactHK published today revealed that temporary cooling centers are underutilized in Hong Kong. Nearly 65% of the 97 residents surveyed cited reasons including inconvenient locations and lack of awareness of their existence as reasons for not using them.

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Martina Igini @martinaigini.bsky.social · Aug 12

According to a survey of 31 subdivided flats conducted in July, average temperatures ranged between 29.6C-31C, and "feels like" temperatures reached 44C.

A 2020 study found that five consecutive "hot nights", defined as when temperatures rise above 28C, would raise the risk of death by 6.66%.

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Martina Igini @martinaigini.bsky.social · Aug 12

Rising temperatures in Hong Kong are taking a significant toll on vulnerable groups like the homeless and those living in the city’s infamous subdivided flats, according to two new surveys published by local environmental groups.

earth.org/vulnerable-g...

Vulnerable Groups Bear Brunt of Extreme Heat in Hong Kong

Two new studies highlight the disproportionate burden of extreme heat on Hong Kong's most vulnerable groups like subdivided unit residents.

earth.org

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Martina Igini @martinaigini.bsky.social · Aug 7

“Two years after the hottest July on record, the recent streak of global temperature records is over – for now. But this doesn’t mean climate change has stopped,” said Carlo Buontempo, Director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service.

earth.org/third-warmes...

Third-Warmest July on Record Ends Record Global Heat Streak

“The recent streak of global temperature records is over - for now. But this doesn’t mean climate change has stopped," said Carlo Buontempo.

earth.org

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Martina Igini @martinaigini.bsky.social · Aug 4

“Justify what is scientifically unjustifiable”

The new Trump admin. report defending an EPA proposal to rescind the 2009 endangerment finding is "chock-full" of climate misinformation, according to experts interviewed by the Guardian.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Scientists slam Trump administration climate report as a ‘farce’ full of misinformation

Experts say the report being used to justify the mass rollback of climate regulations has many claims based on long-debunked research

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Martina Igini

Sarah Chow @sarahchow.bsky.social · Aug 1

Ooo climate obstruction on home turf 🧢⚾💥

Stellar reporting from @tomgrundy.hongkongfp.com

Let's break Exxon's reply down ⤵️

HK youth climate scheme accepting funds from ExxonMobil

A government-supported youth climate ambassadorship programme is accepting funding from a fossil fuel giant, in a move one environmental scholar has called "hypocritical."

hongkongfp.com

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Martina Igini @martinaigini.bsky.social · Jul 24

#ICJAO: Rounding up reactions to the ICJ's landmark opinion👇

earth.org/landmark-mom...

Reactions Pour in After ICJ Delivers Landmark Climate Opinion

Grounded in binding international law, the ICJ opinion is set to spark a chain reaction accelerating climate litigation on a global scale.

earth.org

Martina Igini @martinaigini.bsky.social · Jul 23

#ICJAO: The International Court of Justice delivered a landmark opinion on the obligations of states in respect of climate change, marking a historic win and a turning point for the world’s most vulnerable nations and communities.

earth.org/icj-advisory...

Climate Change an 'Existential Threat', Says World's Top Court

“The consequences of climate change...underscore the urgent and existential threat posed by climate change,” said ICJ President Yuji Iwasawa .

earth.org

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Martina Igini @martinaigini.bsky.social · Jul 23

#ICJAO “The consequences of climate change are severe and far-reaching. They affect both natural ecosystems and human populations. These consequences underscore the urgent and existential threat posed by climate change,” said Iwasawa Yuji, President of the ICJ.

earth.org/icj-advisory...

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