China is approving new coal power projects at the equivalent of two plants every week, a rate energy watchdogs say is unsustainable if the country hopes to achieve its energy targets. The government has pledged to peak emissions by 2030 and reach net zero by 2060, and in 2021 the president, Xi Jinping, pledged to stop building coal powered plants. But after regional power crunches in 2022, China started a spree of approving new projects and restarting suspended ones. In 2022 the government approved a record-breaking 86 gigawatts (GW) of…
Tag: Climate crisis
Heatwaves, flood and fire: what it’s like to survive 2023’s extreme weather – video
In 2023, the effects of the climate crisis have come into sharp focus. Much of the northern hemisphere endured a blistering heatwave, while other countries were inundated with torrential rain and catastrophic flooding. A number of climate records – some unofficial – tumbled in recent weeks. The Guardian spoke to four people from Hawaii, India, China and the Middle East directly affected by extreme weather events The Guardian
The US and China must unite to fight climate change, not each other | Bernie Sanders
Climate change is a global crisis and cannot be solved by any one country alone. If the United States, China and other industrialized countries do not come together to dramatically decrease greenhouse gas emissions, the world we leave our children and future generations will become increasingly unhealthy and uninhabitable. Tragically, the cooperation required to address this existential threat is being undermined by hawks in both the United States and China who are moving us toward a disastrous cold war. Now is the time for a radical rethinking of geopolitics to…
Anger in China over plan to use cities as ‘moat’ to save Beijing from floods
Chinese social media users have reacted angrily to comments from a local Communist party official suggesting that the city of Zhuozhou and other flood-hit areas near Beijing should be used as a “moat for the capital”. Ni Yuefeng, the Communist party secretary for Hebei, a province that borders the capital on three sides, made the comments after visiting flooded areas earlier this week. Typhoon Doksuri has ripped through north-east China, destroying homes and forcing hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate. One of the worst-hit cities is Zhuozhou, home to…
Huge sinkhole opens up in China after catastrophic flooding – video report
Typhoon Doksuri swept northwards over China, bringing heavy rainfall to Beijing and the surrounding areas. Days of torrential downpours triggered catastrophic flooding, destroying roads and trapping residents across the region. State media reports at least 21 deaths caused by the floods, as authorities expect floodwaters to take a month to recede in the worst affected areas. Locals teamed with the military to evacuate residents who had been trapped inside their homes since the rain began. Footage circulating on social media shows cars being swept away and collapsed roads. The extreme…
Aftermath of Typhoon Doksuri brought Beijing floods, meteorologists explain
Summers in China are often wet, sometimes very wet, but nothing like the drenching that has engulfed Beijing and its neighbouring provinces this week. As Beijing authorities lifted the flood alert on Wednesday morning, after the city’s heaviest rainfall for 140 years, 21 people across the region were confirmed dead. Dozens more were missing. According to reports, almost a million people have been evacuated in the region. Rescue and recovery crews searched flooded streets in rubber dinghies for any trapped behind. Hundreds of flights were either delayed or cancelled at…
China: cars swept away by flood waters in Beijing after Typhoon Doksuri – video
One of the strongest storms in China in years brought torrential rainfall and widespread flooding to the north of the country. More than 52,000 people have been evacuated from Beijing. Footage shared on social media showed vehicles being carried by fast-flowing flood water as bridges collapsed and rivers swelled. Authorities said there was a risk of further floods The Guardian
Airport submerged as widespread flooding continues in China – video report
At least 11 people have been killed in Beijing after four days of torrential downpours, according to Chinese state media. A further 27 people have been reported missing since Typhoon Doksuri triggered widespread flooding in the north of the country. Authorities in the capital have closed more than 100 mountain roads and evacuated at least 52,000 people from their homes in recent days. The military is coordinating rescue missions and delivering aid to residents in the worst-hit suburbs amid one of the strongest storms to hit China in years. Meteorologists…
Man rescued from car swept into river as Typhoon Doksuri hits China – video
Two people are reported to have been killed by severe flooding that has engulfed parts of Beijing, as Typhoon Doksuri struck the Chinese capital. More than 31,000 people have been evacuated from the city. Heavy rain continued in Beijing, as well as Hebei, Tianjin and eastern Shanxi, as the typhoon dissipated over northern China The Guardian
From Kawasaki to Phoenix: tracking a day of extreme heat around the world
20 July 2023 10.30am: Kawasaki, Japan Shota Nagasaki, 30, a builder laying concrete I’ve been doing this work for 12 years – since I left high school – and it’s got hotter even over that time. This year is kind of crazy. I mean, there are years that are not so hot, but over time the temperatures are rising. I don’t live nearby the work site so I picked the truck from the company as usual and drove here; with the air conditioning on of course. But I don’t like…