Just 2 Degrees: Did cloud seeding flood Dubai?
TRT World・2 minutes read
March marked the 10th consecutive month of setting heat records globally, with coral bleaching becoming a significant issue due to rising ocean temperatures. Cloud seeding has been used to increase rainfall in water-scarce regions, but environmental concerns have been raised regarding its potential toxicity and impact on ecosystems.
Insights
- The global climate is experiencing record-breaking heat levels, leading to concerns about ocean temperatures, coral bleaching, and extreme weather events, necessitating urgent action to address the long-term trend of exceptional heat.
- Cloud seeding, a technique used to modify weather patterns and increase rainfall in water-scarce regions, has been effective in refilling reservoirs and supporting agriculture but raises environmental and ethical concerns due to its potential impact on ecosystems and atmospheric composition.
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Recent questions
What is cloud seeding?
Cloud seeding is a weather modification technique used in countries like Russia and China to increase rainfall in water-scarce regions. It involves introducing small ice particles into clouds to induce rain.
How does cloud seeding benefit the UAE?
Cloud seeding has been instrumental in refilling reservoirs and watering local date farms in the UAE since 1990. It helps alleviate water scarcity issues and supports agricultural activities in the region.
Why are scientists concerned about coral bleaching?
Scientists are concerned about coral bleaching due to rapidly changing air and ocean temperatures. Increased ocean temperatures lead to mass bleaching events, threatening the survival of coral reefs and marine ecosystems.
What are the environmental concerns associated with cloud seeding?
Cloud seeding technology, while beneficial in some aspects, has raised environmental and ethical concerns. There are worries about its potential toxicity to aquatic ecosystems and the introduction of foreign particles into the atmosphere.
How can climate change impact soil and agriculture?
Climate change impacts soil structure and nutrients, affecting agriculture and ecosystems. Practices like no-till farming, crop rotation, and organic matter integration can help mitigate these effects and support sustainable agriculture.
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Summary
00:00
Global Heat Records Spark Concern Over Climate
- March marks the 10th consecutive month of setting heat records globally, with scientists concerned about rapidly changing air and ocean temperatures affecting ocean chemistry and nutrient levels.
- Coral bleaching is a significant issue, exacerbated by two years' worth of rain falling in one of the planet's driest regions, leading to a deadly cluster of record-breaking storms in the UAE.
- Cloud seeding, a weather modification technique, is used in countries like Russia and China to increase rainfall in water-scarce regions, with the process involving introducing small ice particles into clouds to induce rain.
- Cloud seeding has been instrumental in refilling reservoirs and watering local date farms in the UAE since 1990, but it sparked controversy after unprecedented rainfall caused widespread flooding and fatalities in mid-April.
- Cloud seeding technology, while beneficial in some aspects, has raised environmental and ethical concerns due to its potential toxicity to aquatic ecosystems and the introduction of foreign particles into the atmosphere.
- Record-breaking temperatures have been consistently observed globally, with March 2024 being the warmest month on record, indicating a concerning long-term trend of exceptional heat levels.
- Ocean temperatures have also been setting records for over 12 months, with coral reefs across 53 countries experiencing mass bleaching events due to increased ocean temperatures, threatening their survival.
- Mass coral bleaching events due to rising ocean temperatures have been documented since 1982, with recent events becoming more severe and widespread, impacting marine ecosystems globally.
- Climate projections suggest that every coral reef on the planet will experience bleaching annually between 2040 and 2050, highlighting the urgent need for conservation and restoration efforts to protect these vital ecosystems.
- Active restoration activities, such as assisted evolution projects in Australia, Florida, and Hawaii, aim to breed heat-tolerant corals to mitigate the devastating effects of mass coral bleaching caused by climate change.
16:00
Global Efforts Combat Coral Reef Degradation & Climate Change
- International cooperation is crucial to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address the worsening problem of coral reef degradation due to ocean warming.
- Efforts by the management and science community aim to reduce stressors on reefs, such as land-based pollution, unsustainable fishing, and destructive practices, to enhance coral survival chances.
- Australia's Great Barrier Reef faced a significant bleaching event in 2024, with 75% of the reef experiencing bleaching due to unprecedented heat stress.
- The bleaching event in 2024 marked the fifth mass bleaching event since 2016, with record levels of heat stress affecting individual reefs, particularly in the southern part of the Great Barrier Reef.
- Climate change impacts soil structure and nutrients, affecting agriculture and ecosystems. Practices like no-till farming, crop rotation, and organic matter integration can help mitigate climate change effects on soil and agriculture.
