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With millions of people across five continents experiencing scorching heat last month, the European Union's (EU) climate agency, Copernicus <keyword id="19907392" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-change" source="keywords">Climate Change</keyword> Service (C3S), confirmed on Monday that June was the warmest on record. It also marked the 12th consecutive month of <keyword id="20524196" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-temperatures" source="keywords">global temperatures</keyword> reaching <keyword id="22325521" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="1-5-degrees-Celsius" source="keywords">1.5 degrees Celsius</keyword> above the pre-industrial average. According to scientists at C3S, every month since June last year has been the warmest such month on record. In January, the world completed an entire year with the mean surface air temperature exceeding the 1.5-degree Celsius threshold. June was the 12th consecutive month with monthly average temperatures above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial average. At the 2015 UN climate talks in Paris, world leaders committed to limiting the global average temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial period to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. However, a permanent breach of the 1.5-degree Celsius limit specified in the <keyword id="20104670" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Paris-Agreement" source="keywords">Paris Agreement</keyword> refers to long-term warming over a 20 or 30-year period. Earth's global surface temperature has already increased by around 1.2 degrees Celsius compared to the average in 1850-1900 due to the rapidly-increasing concentration of <keyword id="20649149" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="greenhouse-gases" source="keywords">greenhouse gases</keyword> -- primarily carbon dioxide and methane -- in the atmosphere. This warming is considered to be the reason behind record droughts, wildfires and floods worldwide. According to new data, June 2024 was the warmest on record, with an average surface air temperature of 16.66 degrees Celsius, 0.67 degrees Celsius above the 1991-2020 average for the month and 0.14 degrees Celsius above the previous high set in June 2023. "The month was 1.5 degrees Celsius above the estimated June average for 1850-1900, the designated pre-industrial reference period, making it the 12th consecutive month to reach or break the 1.5-degree threshold," C3S said in a statement. It was also the 13th consecutive month of <keyword id="21477127" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="record-high-temperatures" source="keywords">record-high temperatures</keyword>, a result of the combined effect of the 2023-24 El Nino event and human-caused climate change. While unusual, a similar streak of monthly global temperature records happened previously in 2015-16. "This is more than a statistical oddity and highlights a large and continuing shift in our climate. Even if this specific streak of extremes ends at some point, we are bound to see new records being broken as the climate continues to warm. This is inevitable, unless we stop adding greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and the oceans," said Carlo Buontempo, the director of C3S. The European climate agency said the global average temperature for the last 12 months (July 2023-June 2024) is the highest on record, at 0.76 degrees Celsius above the 1991-2020 average and 1.64 degrees Celsius above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial average. The world's sea surface in June was also the highest ever recorded for the month. Several countries experienced record-breaking heat and devastating floods and storms in June. According to an analysis by Climate Central, an independent group of scientists and communicators based in the United States, more than 60 per cent of the world population faced extreme heat that was made at least three times more likely by climate change during June 16-24. Climate Central said the blistering heat in June impacted 619 million (61.9 crore) people in India, 579 million (57.9 crore) in China, 231 million (23.1 crore) in Indonesia, 206 million (20.6 crore) in Nigeria, 176 million (17.6 crore) in Brazil, 171 million (17.1 crore) in Bangladesh, 165 million (16.5 crore) in the US, 152 million (15.2 crore) in Europe, 123 million (12.3 crore) in Mexico, 121 million (12.1 crore) in Ethiopia and 103 million (10.3 crore) in Egypt. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), northwest India recorded its warmest June since 1901. India, which experienced one of its hottest and longest heatwaves, recorded more than 40,000 suspected heatstroke cases and over 100 heat-related deaths. The intense heat overwhelmed the water supply system and power grids, with Delhi grappling with a severe water crisis. According to the IMD, 11 states recorded 20 to 38 heatwave days -- up to four times the usual number of such days -- during the April-to-June period. The mercury breached 50 degrees Celsius in parts of Rajasthan, with night temperatures hovering around 35 degrees Celsius in many places. Temperatures were most above average over eastern Canada, the western United States and Mexico, Brazil, northern Siberia, the Middle East, northern Africa, and western Antarctica. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/reliance-jio-ipo-mukesh-ambani-led-telco-might-be-gearing-up-for-indias-biggest-ipo/articleshow/111519009.cms">Reliance Jio IPO – Mukesh Ambani-led telco might be gearing up for India’s biggest IPO</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/jio-vs-airtel-vs-vi-prepaid-plans-comparison-plan-benefits-and-price-comparison-after-tariff-hike/articleshow/111512587.cms">Jio vs Airtel vs Vi recharge plans comparison – plan benefits and price comparison after tariff hike</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/hp-envy-x360-14-review/articleshow/111407165.cms">HP Envy x360 14 review – feature-packed laptop with a sleek design</a>

June warmest on record; every month since July 2023 breached 1.5 deg C threshold

New Delhi, About 90 per cent of the Himalayan Region will experience drought lasting over a year if global warming increases by 3 degrees Celsius, according to new research. The findings, published in the journal Climatic Change, show that 80 per cent of the increased human exposure to heat stress in <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="keywords">India</keyword> can be avoided by adhering to Paris Agreement's temperature goals of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to 3 degrees Celsius warming. The team led by researchers at the University of East Anglia (<keyword id="20773290" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="uea" source="keywords">UEA</keyword>) in the UK quantified how climate change risks to human and natural systems increase at a national scale as the level of global warming increases. A collection of eight studies -- all focusing on India, Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Ghana -- shows that the risks of drought, flooding, declines in crop yields, and loss of biodiversity and natural capital greatly increase for each additional degree of global warming. It found that in India pollination is reduced by half at 3-4 degrees global warming compared to a quarter reduction at 1.5 degrees. Limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius allows half the country to act as a refuge for biodiversity, compared with 6 per cent at 3 degrees, the researchers said. The team found very large increases in the exposure of agricultural land to drought with 3 degrees Celsius warming - more than 50 per cent of the agricultural land in each of the countries studied is projected to be exposed to severe droughts of longer than one year over a 30-year period. However, limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius would reduce the increase in exposure of agricultural land to drought by between 21 per cent (India) and 61 per cent (Ethiopia) as well as reduce economic damages due to fluvial flooding. This happens when rivers and streams break their banks and the water flows out onto the adjacent low-lying areas. Avoided increases in human exposure to severe drought are also 20-80 per cent lower at 1.5 degrees Celsius than 3 degrees Celsius across the six countries, the researchers said. Economic damages associated with sea-level rise are projected to increase in coastal nations, but more slowly if warming was limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius, they said. The researchers warned that more effort is needed to reduce global warming, as currently the policies in place globally are likely to result in 3 degrees Celsius of global warming. One paper explored the risks to plants and vertebrates due to increases in global warming, and another developed a new natural capital risk register for each of the six countries that also included the projected changes in the risk stemming from future human population changes. This combination shows that many areas in the six countries are already at high natural capital risk at 1.5 degrees Celsius when effects of increasing human population are accounted for. The findings also showed that an expansion of protected area networks is necessary in order to deliver climate resilient biodiversity conservation. "The results presented in this collection confirm the need for the implementation of climate policies aligned to the Paris Agreement limits if widespread and escalating climate change risk is to be avoided," said lead author of the paper, Professor <keyword id="20773288" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rachel-warren" source="keywords">Rachel Warren</keyword>, from the UEA. "They provide additional confirmation of the rapid escalation of climate change risks with global warming found in the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC) 2022 report, which identifies how the risk of severe consequences increases with every additional increment of global warming," <keyword id="20540591" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="warren" source="keywords">Warren</keyword> said. Although these studies focus on the risks to six countries only, other nations are projected to experience similar issues, the researchers said. Greater emphasis needs to be placed on both climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation to avoid large increases in risk to both human and natural systems, they said. "For example, a good way to combat the effects of climate change on natural systems and soak up carbon from the atmosphere is to restore ecosystems to their natural state, especially if warming can be held to 2 degrees Celsius or less. This has the additional benefit of restoring the natural capital bank in these areas," said study co-author <keyword id="20773289" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="jeff-price" source="keywords">Jeff Price</keyword>, also from the UEA. The work focuses on developing countries as they tend to be more vulnerable to climate change than others.  Spanning the continents of Asia, Africa, and South America, the case studies present examples of both large and small countries and cover a range of levels of socioeconomic development. The risks assessed are the additional risks due to anthropogenic or human-induced climate change corresponding to the elevated global warming in comparison with a baseline of levels of risk in 1961-1990, when warming was approximately 0.3 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Together the studies provide a harmonised assessment for the six countries of projected changes in exposure of humans and land to climate-related hazards, such as drought, water stress, fluvial and coastal flooding, and the projected effects of climate change on biodiversity, as well as the economic and societal implications of climate risks.

About 90% of Himalayas will face year-long drought at 3 degrees warming says new study

<ul><li>The heatwave in India has been classified as ‘severe’ by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). </li><li>In Churu, temperatures were recorded at 50.8 degrees Celsius — the highest this season. </li><li>India’s apex weather agency also reports that the <keyword id="55544" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="heat-wave">heat wave</keyword> is likely to continue for another 2 days — so arm yourself with plenty of water and shade. </li></ul>As the summer heat in India intensifies, temperatures in its hottest regions are soaring to heights of <a href="http://www.imd.gov.in/pages/heatwave.php">50 degrees Celsius. </a> The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) <a href="http://www.imd.gov.in/pages/press_release_view.php?ff=20190602_pr_483">reports</a> that these high temperatures are going to continue bearing down on Northwestern and Central parts of the country for the next two days. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; width: 468pt;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">State </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Heat wave severity </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Jammu and Kashmir </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Heat wave in isolated pockets </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Himachal Pradesh </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Heat wave in isolated pockets </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Punjab </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Heat wave in isolated pockets </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Heat wave in isolated pockets </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Uttar Pradesh </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Heat wave in isolated pockets </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Rajasthan </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Severe heat wave </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Vibardha </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Heat wave, Severe heat wave in pockets </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Saurashtra, Kutch </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Heat wave in isolated pockets </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Marathwada </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Heat wave in isolated pockets </td></tr></tbody></table>Source: Indian Meteorological Department The last time temperatures got this high was in 2016, when Phalodi, a region in the Indian state of Rajasthan, recorded a temperature of 51 degrees Celsius. So far, Churu — another region in Rajasthan — has touched 50.8 degrees Celsius according to IMD’s data. <div type="image" title="imd_edited" msid="69627846" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Map showing the regions affected by the heat wave with temperatures reaching 50.8 degrees Celsius in Churu, Rajasthan &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;(see box)&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>

 India’s apex weather agency also points out that maximum temperatures in most of the places affected by the heat wave are at least 5.1 degrees Celsius above what the department considers ‘normal’. 
<div type="image" title="heatwavekids" msid="69627921" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The effect of the heat wave is more telling on school children returning from school. They are braving it with proper umbrella protection and an ice cream bar to fight the scorching sun&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>

 The rest of India might not necessarily be facing a heat wave, but even their temperatures are more than 1.6 degrees Celsius above normal. Killing off your cells High temperatures cause the body’s core temperature to rise and everything inside starts to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/how-extreme-summer-heat-affects-your-body-and-brain/articleshow/65140845.cms">break down</a> — for instance the gut will start to leak toxins into the body. If the core body temperature is anything beyond 40 degrees Celsius, then the result can be fatal as enzymes begin to get damaged. <div type="image" title="policeheatwave" msid="69627870" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Even when debilitating heatwave plagues traffic cops, basic amenities during duty hours continue to elude them. There are no arrangements for regular water supply, or immediate medical assistance if a cop were to collapse due to the scorching heat. The highly uncomfortable blue woollen berets, and leather belts make their fight against the heat even more difficult&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>
 Heat illness and heat stroke are highly likely outcomes if one ends up staying in the sun for too long. <a href="https://www.firstpost.com/india/heatwave-conditions-claim-one-life-in-rajasthans-churu-as-temperature-soars-to-49c-imd-issues-countrywide-warning-6744741.html">One casualty</a> has already been reported in India due to the incredibility high temperatures. It’s not just a heatwave — it’s a ‘severe’ heatwave Anytime temperatures breach the 40 degrees Celsius mark, IMD classifies it as a ‘heat wave’ — at least in the plains. The temperature ceilings differ from terrain to terrain. During a heat wave people are advised to stay hydrated, stay out of the sun and keep a check on people vulnerable to extended exposure to the sun — like infants and elders. <div type="image" title="3B84400A-F78C-455D-AAE4-5FEACA78AD90_edited" msid="69627953" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;A girl covers her face with a scarf to protect herself from scorching heat during a hot afternoon, as mercury level increases in New Delhi &amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>

 In the plains, going beyond the 47 degrees Celsius means that it’s not just a heat wave but a ‘severe’ heat wave. According to IMD’s assessment of impact, it’s not just vulnerable people that need to keep an eye out — but every single person regardless of age and health issues. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/Scientists-say-these-10-major-cities-could-become-unlivable-within-80-years/articleshow/67949693.cms">Scientists say these 10 major cities could become unlivable within 80 years</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indiainsider/earth-day-climate-change-seen-from-outer-space/slidelist/68993720.cms">Climate change as seen from outer space</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india-to-lead-as-vice-chair-for-the-region-at-the-wco-and-heres-what-it-has-planned/articleshow/65011119.cms">India to lead as vice-chair for the region at the WCO and here’s what it has planned</a>

Indian heat wave hits 50 degrees Celsius — shaping up to be India’s hottest summer ever

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/antarctic-flowering-plant-growth-signals-climate-crisis-impact-study-2022-2">Antarctica</a> and the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ancient-arctic-sea-sponges-survive-by-eating-worm-fossils-2022-2">Arctic</a> suffered <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/4-ways-extreme-heat-negatively-impacts-economy-2021-8">heat waves</a> in the past week, reaching 70 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit above normal.</li><li>The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/antarctica-thwaites-glacier-ice-shelf-will-shatter-scientists-say-2021-12">poles</a> are in opposite seasons, but atmospheric rivers carried moisture and warm air to them.</li></ul>Heat waves blanketed the planet's poles in unseasonably warm temperatures over the past week.In parts of the <keyword id="11905238" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="arctic" source="Orion">Arctic</keyword>, temperatures soared to about 50 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) above average on Friday, according to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-science-colorado-arctic-antarctica-eda9ea8704108bdab2480fa2cd4b6e34?utm_source=Nature+Briefing&amp;utm_campaign=9faf4287e9-briefing-dy-20220321&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_c9dfd39373-9faf4287e9-45928806">The Associated Press</a>. The same day, on the other end of the planet, <keyword id="12266096" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="antarctica" source="Orion">Antarctica</keyword>'s Dome C research station registered a record <keyword id="11930978" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="temperature" source="Orion">temperature</keyword> of 13.8 degrees, about 70 degrees above average. Vostok station, sitting 2 miles high on the Antarctic plateau, registered a similarly extreme temperature of 0.1 degrees.As of Tuesday, the Antarctic <keyword id="11947988" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="heat-wave" source="Orion">heat wave</keyword> was subsiding, but temperatures remained about 50 degrees above normal, according to Robert Rodhe, lead scientist at the environmental data nonprofit Berkeley Earth."This event is rewriting record books and our expectations about what is possible in Antarctica," Rodhe <a href="https://twitter.com/RARohde/status/1505867257104187403">said</a> on Twitter. "Is this simply a freakishly improbable event, or is it a sign of more to come? Right now, no one knows."<div type="image" title="two penguins stand on melting iceberg on rocky shelf" height="1648" width="2199" msid="90404839" hostid="261"></div>The poles are in opposite seasons — it's fall in Antarctica, just starting to chill, while the Arctic is emerging from the dark depths of winter. But the mechanisms driving their respective heat records are the same. Atmospheric rivers — long, flowing columns of water vapor, like rivers in the sky — carried large amounts of moisture and warm air to both poles, causing the double-whammy polar heat wave. In Antarctica, a high-pressure system called a "heat dome" also moved in and sat over the eastern side of the continent, trapping heat and moisture there, according to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2022/03/18/antarctica-heat-wave-climate-change/?utm_campaign=Daily%20Briefing&amp;utm_content=20220321&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=Revue%20newsletter">The Washington Post</a>."Are these two heat waves linked? We don't know yet, and it's most likely a coincidence," Antarctica researchers Dana Bergstrom, Sharon Robinson, and Simon Alexander <a href="https://theconversation.com/record-smashing-heatwaves-are-hitting-antarctica-and-the-arctic-simultaneously-heres-whats-driving-them-and-how-theyll-impact-wildlife-179659">wrote</a> in The Conversation on Tuesday.Still, they added: "Modeling suggests large-scale climate patterns are [becoming] more variable. This means this seemingly one-off heat wave may be a harbinger for the future under <keyword id="11896311" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="climate-change" source="Orion">climate change</keyword>."<h2>The poles are warming faster than the rest of the planet</h2><div type="image" title="penguin stands on iceberg in ocean" height="1666" width="2222" msid="90404841" hostid="261"></div>While scientists can't directly attribute these warming events to climate change, it's possible that later studies will allow them to do so. Just a week after a record heat wave killed hundreds of people across the Pacific Northwest last June, World Weather Attribution published a <a href="https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/wp-content/uploads/NW-US-extreme-heat-2021-scientific-report-WWA.pdf">study</a> that concluded the event would have been "virtually impossible" without human-caused climate change.Global temperatures are rising as humans add more heat-trapping gases like carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, and the poles are warming faster than the rest of the planet.Periods of warmth during the winter are a natural part of the Arctic climate, but <a href="https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2605/arctic-winter-warming-events-becoming-more-frequent-longer-lasting/">research</a> shows they're happening more frequently and lasting longer as the planet warms. In Antarctica, a lack of historical records makes it difficult to contextualize this weather.<div type="image" title="water drips from iceberg" height="1651" width="2201" msid="90404843" hostid="261"></div>"The first of the precise temperature records start in the late 1950s, so it's really hard to work out what's remarkable and what's not," Matt King, director of the Australian Centre for Excellence in Antarctic <keyword id="11896083" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="science" source="Orion">Science</keyword>, told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/mar/21/extremes-of-40c-above-normal-whats-causing-extraordinary-heating-in-polar-regions">The Guardian</a>. "Sometime down the track, depending on what we do with our carbon emissions, we might see these types of temperatures much more regularly."Alongside the heat wave, and possibly because of it, Arctic <keyword id="13451070" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sea-ice" source="Orion">sea ice</keyword> coverage dropped suddenly this month, according to data from the <a href="https://cryo.met.no/en/sea-ice-index-sval">Norwegian Meteorological Institute</a>.At the other pole, even before the heat wave, Antarctica was at its lowest sea ice coverage since records began, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/23/antarctic-sea-ice-falls-to-lowest-level-since-measurements-began-in-1979">The Guardian</a> reported in February.

Bizarre heat waves strike Arctic and Antarctic poles, raising them 50 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit above normal

New Delhi, Jan 6 () The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) on Monday said all room air conditioners should have a default temperature of 24 degrees Celsius.
 This means that when the room air conditioner is switched on, it will start at 24 degree Celsius.
 The central government in consultation with BEE had notified new energy performance standards for room air conditioners (RACs) on October 30, 2019, according to a statement by the power ministry.
 According to the notification, all brands and types of star-labelled RACs, which are rated from one star to five stars based on their energy efficiencies and manufactured, commercially purchased or sold in India, shall ensure default setting of temperature in the room air conditioners at 24 degrees Celsius, with effect from January 1, 2020.
 The new norms provide that the Indian Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (ISEER) as per the new standards will range from 3.30 to 5 for split and 2.70 to 3.50 for window air conditioners.
 However, these performance standards, except default temperature of 24 degrees Celsius, will be applicable from January 1, 2021, onwards.
 The BEE launched a voluntary star-labelling programme for fixed-speed RACs in 2006 and this programme became mandatory on January 12, 2009.
 Thereafter, in 2015, a voluntary star-labelling programme for inverter RACs was also started, which was further made mandatory with effect from January 1, 2018.
 The BEE star-labelling programme for RACs now covers both fixed and inverter RAC up to a cooling capacity of 10,465 watts (2.97 tonne of refrigeration).
 Continual enhancement in performance levels has resulted in substantial energy-efficiency improvement of about 43 per cent in the minimum energy performance standards for split units, which are the most-popular RACs sold in the market.
 The ISEER is the energy performance index used for RACs and its assessment is based on the bin hours defined in ISO 16358.
 The star-labelling programme for RACs has led to saving of an estimated 4.6 billion units of energy in 2017-18 and a cumulative energy saving of 46 billion units translating to a reduction of 38 million tonnes of carbon emission.
 The BEE is a statutory body under the Ministry of Power, Government of India. It develops policies and strategies with the objective of reducing the energy intensity of the Indian economy. KKS KKS HRS

Room air conditioners to now have default temperature of 24 degree Celsius: BEE

<ul><li><keyword id="8894415" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="abu-hureyra">Abu Hureyra</keyword> is one of the oldest civilisations in the world and it may have been wiped out by cosmic collision. </li><li>A new published in Nature’s Scientific Reports indicates materials found at the site could only be formed at temperatures higher than 2,200 degrees Celsius. </li><li>This rules out the possibility of a <keyword id="622897" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="lightning-strike">lightning strike</keyword> or volcano eruption. </li><li>This is the first site where the effects of a fragmented comet have been linked to a human settlement. </li></ul>Abu Hureyra, one of the world’s oldest civilisations, might have been crushed by cosmic collision. Home to the earliest known farmers, a comet crashing into that region of northern Syria may have burnt it to a crisp 12,800 years ago. A new study published in Nature’s <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-60867-w">Scientific Reports</a> rules out the possibility of volcanism or lightning strikes — claiming that the explosion which wiped out Abu Hureyra burnt hotter than 2200 degrees Celsius. <div type="image" title="abu1_edited" msid="74573537" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Location of Abu Hureyra&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>

 "To help with perspective, such high temperatures would completely melt an automobile in less than a minute," said James Kennett, a former professor of geology at <a href="https://www.news.ucsb.edu/2020/019823/fire-sky">UC Santa Barbara</a>. The minerals collected at the Abu Hureyra archaeological site were rich in chromium, iron, nickel, sulfides, titanium and platinum — all of which need temperatures higher than 2200 degrees Celsius in order to form in the first place. <div type="image" title="abu2_edited" msid="74573560" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Different forms of iron in Abu Hureyra meltglass. The high degree of vesiculation suggests magnetite possibly boiled at ~2623 °C.&amp;lt;span class=&amp;quot;redactor-invisible-space&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>

 "The critical materials are extremely rare under normal temperatures, but are commonly found during impact events," said Kennett. What happened at Abu Hureyra? Abu Hureyra was once home to ancient nomadic people who set roots in the region as ‘hunter collectors’. Now, it’s a mound under Lake Assad. Before the lake formed, archaeologists were able to extract an abundance of evidence to identify how nomadic tribes first started to settle down — including parts of huts and houses. However, after around 1,300 years, the village was abandoned and would stay that way until the next wave of settlers arrived. "The Abu Hureyra village would have been abruptly destroyed," said James Kennett, lead author of the study. Why is Abu Hureyra important? The Younger Dryas impact hypothesis states that a comet struck North America, South America, Europe and western Asia around 12,800 years ago. The multiple impact sites created the Younger Dryas boundary layer (YDS). <div type="image" title="abu3_edited" msid="74573575" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;SEM images of melted monazite in AH glass. The equilibrium melting point of monazite is ~2072 °C.&amp;lt;span class=&amp;quot;redactor-invisible-space&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>

 "A single major <keyword id="3084215" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Asteroid-impact">asteroid impact</keyword> would not have caused such widely scattered materials like those discovered at Abu Hureyra," said Kennett. Scientists believe that over 50 sites across the planet, spanning over 50 million square kilometres, have deposits corresponding to the YDS. However, this is the first site where scientists have been able to link the effects of a fragmented comet on a human settlement. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/the-10-biggest-asteroids-that-pose-a-threat-to-earth-in-2020/articleshow/73054066.cms">The 10 biggest asteroids that pose a threat to Earth in 2020</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/an-average-neutron-star-is-1-4-times-the-mass-of-the-sun-but-its-no-bigger-than-a-city-in-size/articleshow/74570428.cms">An average neutron star is 1.4 times the mass of the Sun — but it’s no bigger than a city in size</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/an-asteroid-half-the-size-of-mount-everest-is-set-to-fly-past-earth-in-april-but-its-not-going-to-end-the-planet/articleshow/74544378.cms">An asteroid half the size of Mount Everest is set to fly past Earth in April — but it's not going to end the planet</a>

A comet may have melted one of the world’s oldest civilisations to a crisp at more than 2,200 degrees Celsius

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Major League Baseball has seen an uptick in home runs in the past decade.</li><li>Players and analysts have long observed that the ball travels farther in warmer weather.</li></ul>While climate change has negative effects on the environment, it may be adding excitement to America's pastime, with warmer temperatures leading to about 50 additional home runs per season in the last several years, according to a new study.A study <a href="https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/bams/aop/BAMS-D-22-0235.1/BAMS-D-22-0235.1.xml?rskey=nePko3&amp;result=1&amp;tab_body=pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published Friday</a> in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society analyzed data from 100,000 Major League Baseball games and 220,000 batted balls. It attributed at least 500 home runs since the 2010 season to warmer temperatures.Baseball has long been influenced by the environment. Baseballs famously have flown out of <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/today/2021/07/07/its-outta-here-physics-baseball-mile-high" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Coors Field</a>, home of the Colorado Rockies, with ease due to the thinner air at high altitudes. The study from researchers at Dartmouth College offers the newest examples of how global warming could affect recreation nationwide in the future.The researchers found that because temperatures are on average higher now than decades ago, the air is warmer more often and therefore thinner during baseball games. Baseballs then face less resistance while flying through the air, making it easier for them to travel farther.MLB has seen a spike in home runs in recent years, enough that the league controversially used <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/insider-weekly-mlb-ray-dalio-better-epstein-2021-12">multiple different types of baseballs</a> in one season to dampen the offense, at times <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mlb-used-two-different-balls-in-2021-2021-11">without informing</a> the public or players until it was <a href="https://www.insider.com/mlb-used-two-balls-again-this-year-and-evidence-points-to-a-third-2022-12">reported by Insider</a> and other outlets.The Dartmouth researchers acknowledge that the climate change factor is likely minor, as MLB teams hit <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/majors/2022.shtml" target="_blank" rel="noopener">5,215 home runs</a> last season, meaning the warmer temperatures only account for about 1% of the long balls. Different baseballs, faster pitches, stronger batters, and generally altered strategy with an emphasis on certain metrics like <a href="https://www.mlb.com/glossary/statcast/launch-angle" target="_blank" rel="noopener">launch angle</a> have a greater influence on home runs than climate change, the researchers said.However, the researchers also said climate change could have a larger effect in the future, estimating 192 additional home runs per season by 2050, and an estimated 467 by 2100 in worst-case warming scenarios.The Dartmouth study, and another <a href="https://www.mlb.com/press-release/major-league-baseball-receives-report-on-increased-home-run-rate-278136100" target="_blank" rel="noopener">commissioned by MLB</a> in 2018, found that the number of home runs per game increases by about 2% per 1 degree Celsius the temperature increases.If MLB wants to reverse or mitigate the trend, researchers found that games played in a domed, climate-controlled stadium saw only very small effects from temperature. Eight MLB teams currently play in <a href="https://sports.betmgm.com/en/blog/mlb/mlb-ballparks-with-retractable-roofs-bm15/#:~:text=With%20Retractable%20Roofs-,There%20are%20seven%20Major%20League%20Baseball%20stadiums%20with%20retractable%20roofs,and%20T%2DMobile%20Park%20(Seattle" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stadiums</a> that feature a permanent or retractable roof.

Climate change adds to baseball's offensive boom as warmer air means about 50 more home runs per season, new study finds

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A new study from <keyword id="6358918" type="General" weightage="60" keywordseo="deloitte" source="Orion">Deloitte</keyword> lays out four phases for tackling <keyword id="6361617" type="General" weightage="60" keywordseo="climate-change" source="Orion">climate change</keyword> and its economic risks.</li><li>The team sees <keyword id="6375923" type="General" weightage="60" keywordseo="climate" source="Orion">climate</keyword> risks costing the world <keyword id="34412" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="economy" source="Orion">economy</keyword> $178 trillion in <keyword id="35050" type="General" weightage="60" keywordseo="gdp" source="Orion">GDP</keyword> over the next 50 years.</li></ul>Letting climate change go unchecked could decimate the global economy by 2070. A new report by Deloitte lays out the four steps that governments, corporations, and citizens need to take if they're to avoid such catastrophe. The world has plenty of economic problems on its plate, what with inflation, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and broken supply chains all threatening global growth. The looming climate crisis, however, is too costly to ignore, Deloitte economists Pradeep Philip, Claire Ibrahim, and Cedric Hodges said in a report published Monday morning. If the world stays on its current path, average temperatures will climb 3 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. That will cost the global economy about $178 trillion in just the next 50 years, according to the study. Human costs including food scarcity, job losses, and reduced standards of living will also mount, the team said. Conversely, pushing for net-zero emissions can set the stage for stronger economic growth in the coming decades. Such a pivot can grow the world economy by $43 trillion by 2070, according to the report. The deadline for achieving that windfall is fast approaching. Deloitte's rosier estimate hinges on the world decarbonizing its economy by 2050, a feat that would limit warming to about 1.5 degrees Celsius. But getting to net-zero emissions is no easy task, and Deloitte sees four phases as key to bringing about an environmentally sustainable future. <h2>Going 'bold' on climate change</h2>The first steps toward achieving net-zero will be more theoretical than concrete. The world needs to "set the stage" for decarbonization with policies and frameworks for a low-carbon future, the team said, adding that the first step will be focused on "bold climate plays." With emissions still on the rise, the clock is running out for world governments to plan for a decarbonized economy. "Given the costs associated with each tenth of a degree of temperature increase, every month of delay brings greater risk and forestalls the eventual economic gains," the economists said. <h2>Paying upfront for boosted growth</h2>Reaching net-zero emissions will take some serious investment. Economies will have to pay up for clean energy, sustainable supply chains, and replacements for emissions-intensive industries if they're to make the transition in time, according to the report. <div type="image" title="Deloitte" height="645" width="572" msid="91746172" hostid="261"></div>The shift won't be without some "growing pains," the team added. Investing in a greener economy will dent GDP growth over the next two decades as companies shift their focus from profitability to sustainability. Deloitte estimates that the growth outlook will reach a turning point in the late 2040s, after which the investments are forecasted to yield massive returns, to say nothing of the benefits of avoiding climate disasters. <h2>Reaching the turning point</h2>The net-zero experiment will start to pay off in about 25 years, when investments in "structural economic adjustment" near completion, the team said. "Economies would realize the dividend of the transformation and experience net positive growth," they added. The turning point also represents the moment the world moves away from the risk of a $178 trillion projected loss and toward a $43 trillion gain. There will be significant costs in the first several years of the transition, but economists must regard climate change as a trend — not a temporary scenario — as they model the potential risks, according to Deloitte. "If the economic impacts of a changing climate are left out of economic baselines, the result is likely to be poor decision-making, ineffective risk management, and dangerously inadequate efforts to address the climate crisis," the team said. <h2>Maintaining a low-emissions future</h2>Staying the path can, ideally, create a decarbonized economy, but the work won't be all done then. Governments and companies will have to maintain "interconnected, low-carbon systems" to keep the green economy alive and growing, the team said. This world economy will expand "at an increasingly faster rate than its carbon-intensive alternative," they added. The benefits will differ from region to region. The Asia Pacific economy has the most exposure to climate-related damage, according to the report. The region could lose $96 trillion of economic growth by 2070 if decarbonization isn't achieved. Put another way, the area's GDP could be 9% smaller in 50 years than in a world with net-zero emissions. The Americas would follow with a combined $36 trillion loss by 2070, Deloitte said. The US alone would lose $4 trillion in potential growth, and the region's overall GDP would be 4% lower by 2070 compared to a decarbonized world. Europe faces the smallest projected loss, with the region expected to lose $10 trillion in GDP by 2070 compared to a decarbonized future. Still, economic growth would reach just 1% in the 2060s as climate problems slam into the European economy. The stakes are extremely high. Deloitte's modeling shows investments in decarbonization not just paying off, but paying dividends throughout the 21st century.

Deloitte lays out 4 steps to keep the climate crisis from tanking the global economy over the next 50 years

<ul><li>An international team of scientists has discovered a new ‘<keyword id="85716" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="super-Earth">Super Earth</keyword>’ around 122 light-years away.</li><li>This planet outside our solar system is 70% bigger than Earth with days that only last 16 hours.</li><li>It’s also a whole lot hotter than Earth, burning at 1069 Kelvin, which is round 800 degrees Celsius.</li></ul>A team of international scientists have found a new, possibly habitable, planet outside the known solar system dubbed <a href="http://exoplanet.eu/catalog/toi-1685_b/">TOI-1685b</a>. Located over 122 light-years away, this new planet has been given the status of a ‘super Earth’. It is 70% more massive than our home planet and one day on the planet only lasts 16 hours — that’s only two-thirds of a day on Earth. The catch, however, is that this particular candidate for habitable life is one of the hottest Earth-size exoplanets discovered so far. It has a surface temperature of 1069 Kelvin, which comes in just under 800 degrees Celsius. The Earth’s average surface temperature, as of 2017, was around 14.9 degrees Celsius. "We present the discovery of the ultra-short-period planet TOI-1685b, which orbits its host star with a period of 0.669 days. To conﬁrm the planetary nature of the <keyword id="1631115" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="TESS">TESS</keyword> transiting candidate we obtained high resolution spectra using the CARMENES spectrograph," the astronomers wrote in the paper published on <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2103.01016">arXIv.org</a>. TOI-1658b will now be slotted with the other discoveries of the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) tool is conducting a survey of around 200,000 of the biggest stars around the Sun to Earth-like planets. <div type="image" title="super earth_edited" msid="81429229" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Artistic impression of the surface of the newly discovered hot super-Earth Gliese 486b, which has a temperature of about 700 Kelvin (430 °C). The astronomers of the CARMENES collaboration expect a Venus-like hot and dry landscape interspersed with glowing lava rivers. &amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> So far, it has identified around 2,500 candidate exoplanets, of which 113 have been confirmed. This year, TESS has already made two other discoveries — one of the <a href="https://www.mpia.de/news/science/2021-05-gliese486b">nearby Super Earth</a> and three new worlds in a <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2021/nasa-s-tess-discovers-new-worlds-in-a-river-of-young-stars">‘river’ of young stars.</a> The conundrum of the red dwarf star In order for a planet to be habitable, it must have a star — just like the Earth has the Sun. TOI-1685b’s home star is an M dwarf, also called a ‘red dwarf’ star. These are some of the most common stars around. They’re also considered to be one of the best candidates for a habitable planet since they’re smaller and less luminous than Earth’s Sun. However, <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/m-dwarfs-could-be-the-best-or-worst-extraterrestrial-homes/">critics</a> believe that while red dwarf planets are easy to find, they may be difficult for fostering actual life. Due to their small size and weaker gravity, M dwarfs can take longer to form than much larger stars. Meanwhile, the planets trying to take birth around the star would be subject to the heavy light and heat for the formative years — possibility cooking off most of the planet’s life-giving water before the star even forms. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/news/tcs-cfo-explains-how-the-role-of-a-finance-head-has-been-changed-by-the-pandemic/articleshow/81423884.cms">EXCLUSIVE: TCS CFO explains how the role of a finance head has been changed by the pandemic</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/narendra-modi-joe-biden-yoshihide-suga-and-scott-morrison-are-set-to-meet-for-the-first-ever-quad-leaders-summit-on-march-12/articleshow/81424117.cms">The first-ever leaders summit of the QUAD may be another signal that it's ready for something more formal</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/indias-new-data-protection-bill-makes-a-good-show-of-user-rights-but-can-it-deliver-on-its-promises/articleshow/81422687.cms">India’s new data protection bill makes a good show of user rights — but can it deliver on its promises</a>

This new super Earth is 70% bigger than our planet, but it's also more than 50 times hotter

Anthony Harvey/Getty ImagesAccording to Al Gore, the odds are good that the US will stay in the Paris climate agreement - something that has been debated extensively within the Trump White House. During the TED 2017 conference in Vancouver, Canada, Al Gore came onstage for a surprise question-and-answer session with TED curator Chris Anderson. Gore, who has spoken with the Trump administration about climate issues, told the audience, "I think there is a better than 50/50 chance that the Trump administration will decide to stay in the Paris Agreement. There's a debate taking place inside the White House tomorrow, and a decision due to be announced the third week in May before the G20 meeting."The Paris Agreement went into effect on November 4, 2016. The 144 countries that have <a href="http://unfccc.int/paris_agreement/items/9485.php" target="_blank">ratified the agreement</a> all pledged to do their part to keep the earth's temperature from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius, or 3.6 Fahrenheit. Each country submitted a plan for its contributions to this effort, though the accord doesn't include concrete mechanisms for enforcing those commitments beyond transparency requirements. Even if the US does not attempt to withdraw from the agreement, President Trump is unlikely to prioritize the US' pledge to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 26-28% below 2005 levels by 2025.But Al Gore, who is releasing a <a href="https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/movies/2017/03/30/donald-trump-is-the-villain-in-trailer-for-al-gores-inconvenient-truth-sequel.html">Trump-focused sequel </a>to his film "An Inconvenient Truth," said he's still hopeful for the future of the planet. "On a global basis, I'm convinced we are in the early years of a sustainability revolution...with the scope and magnitude of the industrial revolution but the speed of a digital revolution."A large-scale shift is indeed evident when looking at the growth of renewable energy worldwide. Solar-energy jobs have been growing <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/solar-energy-job-growth-2017-1">12 times as fast as the US economy</a> overall, and GE launched the country's <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ge-wind-farm-block-island-2016-12/">largest offshore wind farm</a> in December 2016. A majority of Americans currently believe climate change will impact the country. "My optimism is based on the continuing momentum in the rise of public awareness," Gore said. "We have to stop the pattern of behavior that's creating this crisis. In order to fix the climate crisis, we have to fix the democracy crisis." <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/watch-trailer-al-gores-new-documentary-climate-change-global-warming-an-inconvenient-sequel-trump-2017-3">Watch the trailer for Al Gore's new climate change documentary that takes aim at Trump</a></h3> Please enable Javascript to watch this video

Al Gore: There is a 'better than 50/50 chance' the US will stay in the Paris climate agreement

The <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/insiderpicks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Insider Picks</a> team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38606&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fgoogle-home-smart-speaker-with-google-assistant-white-slate%2F5578849.p%3FskuId%3D5578849" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a>Hollis Johnson/Business Insider</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Three of Google's smart-home hubs are on sale at prices that nearly match those from Cyber Monday. The <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38606&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fgoogle-home-mini-smart-speaker-with-google-assistant-charcoal%2F6082195.p%3FskuId%3D6082195" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google Home Mini</a> is $30 (originally $50), the <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38606&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fgoogle-home-smart-speaker-with-google-assistant-white-slate%2F5578849.p%3FskuId%3D5578849" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google Home</a> is $90 (originally $130), and the <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38606&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fgoogle-home-hub-with-google-assistant-chalk%2F6290313.p%3FskuId%3D6290313" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google Home Hub</a> is $150 (originally $200).</li><li>These hubs have similar features to the <a href="https://amzn.to/2LZCVuO" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amazon Echo</a>, but also let you access Google-owned services like Google Calendar, YouTube, and Google Maps.</li><li>The <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38606&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fgoogle-home-mini-smart-speaker-with-google-assistant-charcoal%2F6082195.p%3FskuId%3D6082195" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google Home Mini</a> and <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38606&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fgoogle-home-smart-speaker-with-google-assistant-white-slate%2F5578849.p%3FskuId%3D5578849" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google Home</a> also come with a three-month free trial to YouTube Music Premium, Google's music streaming service, if you're a new subscriber. The service usually costs $9.99 per month. </li><li>At these sale prices, all three Google Home devices are as cheap or cheaper than comparable Amazon Echos, so if you're looking for a hub to start your smart home, don't miss out on these deals.</li></ul>If 2019 is the year you're planning on making your home "smart," you're in luck. Three of Google's smart-home devices, the <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38606&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fgoogle-home-mini-smart-speaker-with-google-assistant-charcoal%2F6082195.p%3FskuId%3D6082195" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google Home Mini</a>, <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38606&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fgoogle-home-smart-speaker-with-google-assistant-white-slate%2F5578849.p%3FskuId%3D5578849" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google Home</a>, and <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38606&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fgoogle-home-hub-with-google-assistant-chalk%2F6290313.p%3FskuId%3D6290313" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google Home Hub</a>, are all on sale at several stores, and you can save up to $50.For anyone unfamiliar with Google's line of smart-home hubs, they're basically the search giant's take on the <a href="https://amzn.to/2LZCVuO" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amazon Echo</a>.Instead of Alexa, Google's hubs have the Google Assistant, which you can use to play music from popular streaming services like Spotify, control smart-home accessories like a <a href="https://amzn.to/2C6weCX" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nest thermostat</a>, and get answers to your burning questions like "What's 82 degrees Farenheit in Celsius?"The big advantage Google's hubs have over the <a href="https://amzn.to/2LZCVuO" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Echo</a> is that they work with Google-owned services like YouTube, Google Maps, and Google Calendar. Using these services, you can ask your <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38606&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fgoogle-home-smart-speaker-with-google-assistant-white-slate%2F5578849.p%3FskuId%3D5578849" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google Home</a> to give you directions, manage your calendar events, or play popular videos. If your <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38606&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fgoogle-home-smart-speaker-with-google-assistant-white-slate%2F5578849.p%3FskuId%3D5578849" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google Home</a> doesn't have a screen, you can wirelessly stream the YouTube video you want onto a TV that has a <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38606&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fgoogle-chromecast-black%2F4397400.p%3FskuId%3D4397400" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chromecast</a> media streamer attached. Because these services are owned by Google, they're exclusively available on its Google Home devices. The sale prices on these devices are already great, but Google has sweetened the pot by including a free three-month trial to its music streaming service YouTube Music Premium with both the <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38606&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fgoogle-home-mini-smart-speaker-with-google-assistant-charcoal%2F6082195.p%3FskuId%3D6082195" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google Home Mini</a> and <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38606&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fgoogle-home-smart-speaker-with-google-assistant-white-slate%2F5578849.p%3FskuId%3D5578849" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google Home</a>. This trial only applies to new subscribers, but the service costs $9.99 per month, so it basically pays for the price of the <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38606&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fgoogle-home-mini-smart-speaker-with-google-assistant-charcoal%2F6082195.p%3FskuId%3D6082195" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google Home Mini</a> on its own.If you've been curious about starting a smart home, a hub is the right place to start, and at these prices, the Google Home is a no-brainer - especially if you regularly use Google's services. They're as cheap or cheaper than the equivalent option from Amazon, which makes them the best value in smart-home hubs right now.<h3>Google Home Mini, $29.99 (originally $49.99), available at <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38606&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fgoogle-home-mini-smart-speaker-with-google-assistant-charcoal%2F6082195.p%3FskuId%3D6082195" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Best Buy</a>, <a href="http://linksynergy.walmart.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=2149&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fip%2FGoogle-Home-Mini-Chalk-with-YouTube-Music-Premium-for-free%2F159013183" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Walmart</a>, and <a href="https://fxo.co/6fqT" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Target</a> [You save $20]</h3><h3>Google Home, $89.99 (originally $129.99), available at <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38606&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fgoogle-home-smart-speaker-with-google-assistant-white-slate%2F5578849.p%3FskuId%3D5578849" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Best Buy</a>, <a href="http://linksynergy.walmart.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=2149&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fip%2FGoogle-Home%2F54742302" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Walmart</a>, and <a href="https://fxo.co/6fqU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Target</a> [You save $30]</h3><h3>Google Home Hub, $99.99 (originally $149.99), available at <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38606&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fgoogle-home-hub-with-google-assistant-chalk%2F6290313.p%3FskuId%3D6290313" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Best Buy</a>, <a href="http://linksynergy.walmart.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=2149&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fip%2FGoogle-Home-Hub-Chalk%2F619753146" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Walmart</a>, and <a href="https://fxo.co/6fqV" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Target</a> [You save $50]</h3><figure id="img-470513" contenteditable="false" data-type="img" data-e2e-name="image-figure-image" data-media-container="image"><a href="https://amzn.to/2R7BQ9y" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a></figure><a href="http://e.businessinsider.com/join/ci/insider-picks">Subscribe to our newsletter.</a> Find all the best offers at our <a href="https://coupons.businessinsider.com/">Coupons page</a>. Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/insiderpicks">Insider Picks</a> team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.

You can save up to $50 on Google's smart-home hubs right now

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">REUTERS/Wolfgang RattayA protester attends a demonstration under the banner "Protect the climate - stop coal" two days before the start of the COP 23 UN Climate Change Conference hosted by Fiji but held in Bonn, Germany November 4, 2017</div></div></div><ul><li>US mayors have pledged to meet the US goals set in the Paris climate agreement, despite President Donald Trump's pledge to pull out.</li><li>In the Chicago Climate Charter, mayors have pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with the targets set by the Paris agreement, as well as promote investment in clean energy, public transit, and other climate-friendly initiatives.</li><li>The initiative is led by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel and supported by former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and former President Barack Obama. </li></ul> US mayors are stepping up on the two-year anniversary of the Paris climate agreement, despite President Trump's vow to pull the US out.More than 50 mayors from across the US and Canada participated in the <a href="https://northamericanclimatesummit.splashthat.com/">North American Climate Summit</a> in Chicago earlier this month, signing an official agreement - the <a href="https://www.cityofchicago.org/content/dam/city/depts/mayor/Press%20Room/Press%20Releases/2017/December/ChicagoClimateCharter.pdf">Chicago Climate Charter</a> - in which they pledged to meet the emissions-reduction goals set out by the Paris agreement.The agreement, which former President Barack Obama signed exactly two years ago, pushed member nations to curb greenhouse gas emissions, like carbon dioxide and methane, to keep the global temperature from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.Trump has <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-paris-agreement-climate-change-2017-6">claimed the agreement would harm US businesses</a> and pledged to pull the US out - a process that will take several years. If the US does remove itself, it will be the only country in the world not signed on. Trump has left the door open to "renegotiate and rejoin" the agreement, though world leaders have said that is not an option. <h2>The Chicago Climate Charter will pick up where Trump left off</h2>The Chicago Climate Charter, led by Chicago's mayor Rahm Emmanuel, outlined concrete plans that municipal governments will take to meet the goals of the Paris agreement.The charter lays out plans for all signatory cities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with the targets set out by the Paris agreement, as well as a mechanism for cities to track and report their progress.Since the majority of the US population lives in cities, the mayors' agreement recognizes that municipal governments can lead on the issue by promoting clean energy, investing in public transit, and working to reduce the carbon footprint of existing infrastructure.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">REUTERS/Philippe WojazerFrench President Emmanuel Macron welcomes Special envoy to the United Nations for climate change Michael Bloomberg as he arrives for a lunch at the Elysee Palace as part of the One Planet Summit in Paris, France, December 12, 2017.</div></div></div>The charter also outlines a process for mayors to develop policies and local laws that empower cities to take greater action on climate change. The document also pledges to include voices that have generally been left out of the climate change conversation, including people with disabilities and marginalized communities. "The Chicago Climate Charter represents tens of million residents who are committed to confronting climate change head-on," Emmanuel said in a press release. "Even as Washington fails to act, cities have the power and will to take decisive action to protect our planet and the health and safety of our residents." Obama briefly spoke at the event in support of the mayors' initiative. And though he didn't mention Trump by name, his intent was clear."Obviously, we're in an unusual time when the United States is now the only nation on Earth that does not belong to the Paris Agreement," Obama said at the event, per <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-met-barack-obama-rahm-emanuel-climate-summit-20171205-story.html">The Chicago Tribune</a>. "And that's a difficult position to defend. But the good <keyword id="6355005" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="News">news</keyword> is that the Paris Agreement was never going to solve climate crisis on its own."The Chicago Climate Charter builds on a pledge that former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg made last year - <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/bloomberg-says-cities-uphold-paris-climate-agreement-despite-trump-2016-11">cities and businesses will lead on climate change</a>, he said, with or without the federal government's support.The Global Covenant of Mayors,a group chaired by Bloomberg, was in part responsible for organizing the Chicago event. Bloomberg is in Paris this week attending French President Emmanuel Macron's One Planet Summit, a gathering of 50 world leaders and corporate executives to discuss solutions to the climate change problem.Trump was not invited to the summit. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/search-for-aliens-fermi-paradox-solution-planetary-scientist-alan-stern-2017-12">This planetary scientist has a new idea for why we haven't heard from aliens yet</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

You Searched For "50 degrees celsius" and got 12 results

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Room air conditioners to now have default temperature of 24 degree Celsius: BEE

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A comet may have melted one of the world’s oldest civilisations to a crisp at more than 2,200 degrees Celsius

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You can save up to $50 on Google's smart-home hubs right now

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More than 50 US mayors just signed a charter to meet the Paris agreement goals without Trump

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