GUINOBATAN, Albay—Crizel Joyz Amano, 22, is back in town after signing up at a review center in Manila in preparation for a chemical engineering exam. Here in Albay, she must still regularly log in at 6 p.m. for an online review, all while dealing with the constant power interruptions in the province. “We experience almost-daily...
Tag: climate change
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Transitioning away from fossil fuels must be rapid, equitable and just
September saw high-level meetings seeking to steer the course of human civilization’s future amid multiple global challenges. More than 190 member-states of the United Nations came together for the annual UN General Assembly in New York. In the same city, governments, corporations, and civil society organizations participated in the subsequent Summit of the Future and...
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The demise of coal, as it turns out, is a lot of gas
A few years ago, the world was on a path to ending coal, the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel and the single biggest contributor to carbon dioxide emissions. Active and sustained campaigning brought coal closer to the point of death and the world to a coal-free future. Certain developments made this evident. One, the shrinking of...
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2023 confirmed as hottest year; warning up on worsening climate crisis
The global temperature in 2023 hit 1.45 ± 0.12 °C—the hottest year on record, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in its Jan. 12 news release. The years 2016 (which had a strong El Niño) and 2020 were previously classed as the warmest on record at 1.29 ±0.12°C and 1.27 ±0.12°C, respectively, above the...
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Hot new year!
While the traditional greeting is “Happy New Year,” this time it may need a significant addition in view of recent historic climate records. The greeting may well be: “Happy New Year, despite a hot or even hotter 2024.” June 2023 was the hottest June on record globally. July was also the hottest month. The following...
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Unmasking ‘phantom’ carbon credits in Thailand: A genuine answer to climate change or chimera?
Carbon credits have become a prominent approach in combating climate change in Thailand, providing an opportunity for both the private and public sectors to participate and benefit. But will it all add up? As the world intensifies its efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions, Thailand is at the forefront, promoting the rise of the voluntary...
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Clearing the air: Questioning Singapore’s carbon credits decisions
For some time now, Singapore has been relentlessly transforming itself into a global carbon trading hub. What does this entail? In Singapore, a company that directly releases 25,000 tons or more of carbon dioxide equivalents (tCO2e) per year is considered a large emitter. A carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) is a metric that converts other emitted gases, such as nitrogen...
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Carbon ambitions: Inside Cambodia’s REDD+ boom
Despite ongoing controversy in its flagship Southern Cardamom REDD+ project, Cambodia is driving forward with plans to greatly expand climate finance schemes across its officially protected areas. When Cambodia’s rainy season turns dirt roads into rutted mud, the villages tucked into rugged folds of the western Cardamom Mountains can feel far from just about everything....
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Blueprint for disaster: Singapore’s carbon hub threatens global climate targets
An ambitious plan to re-engineer the carbon market in Singapore could play havoc with net zero goals and raises questions about human rights in places like Cambodia. The wedding was just ending when the motorbike chase began. Rangers had arrested Meng Sotear, a 62-year-old rice and cashew farmer, ordered her aboard a motorbike and raced...
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Despite the rains, record-breaking hot days and years may be expected
The rains are here but hot and dry days may be expected because of El Niño possibly starting between June and July and lasting up to March, according to the Philippine weather bureau Pagasa. Elsewhere in the world, forecasters at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said temperatures are likely to soar and break records over...