
How tall was Elvis Presley? Iconic singer's army records listed him as taller than he really was
Rock and Roll icon Elvis Presley was taller than most of his contemporaries
2023-10-23 16:20

Beijing demands Hong Kong consulates hand over local staff data
Details including identity card numbers must be submitted within a month, authorities say.
2023-09-20 16:20

Canada police name highway crash victims
Babas, peperes, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers among 16 lost in Canada highway crash.
2023-06-23 03:51

Trump valet pleads not guilty in classified documents case; property manager's arraignment postponed
Donald Trump's aide Walt Nauta has pleaded not guilty for a second time to conspiring with the former president to obstruct the investigation into his possession of classified documents at his Florida estate
2023-08-10 22:58

Rhodes: Holidaymaker criticises Tui for flying to fire-hit island
Matthew Guy and his family were taken straight from the airport to an evacuation centre.
2023-07-25 20:29

Harrison Ford and Melissa Mathison's relationship made Hollywood history with $85M divorce
Harrison Ford and his second wife Melissa Mathison had been together for over two decades, before getting divorced in 2004
2023-06-02 16:28

Ecuador investigates prison agency after killings of suspects in candidate assassination
Ecuador's public prosecutor's office has launched an investigation into the prisons agency(SNAI) for its potential role in the
2023-10-08 00:27

Ex-IRS contractor pleads guilty in leak of tax return information of Trump, wealthy people
A former contractor for the Internal Revenue Service charged with leaking tax information to news outlets about former President Donald Trump and thousands of the country’s wealthiest people pleaded guilty Thursday in an agreement with prosecutors
2023-10-13 05:16

Ireland's domestic economy to remain robust, predicts think tank
But there are risks to the economy, including high core inflation and signs of a weakening export market.
2023-06-29 14:26

Are Greece wildfires caused by climate change?
Wildfires have raged across Greece for seven consecutive days, triggering large-scale evacuations, rescue flights for British tourists and warnings from officials that things may yet get worse. While the cause of the blazes has not officially been identified, local authorities have suggested at least some could have been the work of arsonists. But climate science and fire risk specialists say it’s undeniable that rising temperatures and prolonged heatwaves mean the fires in the Mediterranean country have spread faster and burned over larger areas. Why are the wildfires so severe in Greece? Over the past few weeks, forest fires have erupted in several parts of Europe – including Switzerland, Italy, Turkey, Croatia, and Spain – as a heatwave sweeps the continent. But Greece has been the worst hit. According to a government spokesperson, an average of 50 wildfires broke out daily for 12 consecutive days in July, with 64 recorded in one weekend. Dr Matthew Kasoar at Imperial College’s Leverhulme Centre for Wildfires, Environment and Society told The Independent that the tinder-dry conditions would make it easier for them to spread. He said: “Fire risk increases rapidly when there are periods of prolonged hot weather, which allow the soil and vegetation to completely dry out.” “Climate change has increased the severity, frequency, and duration of heatwaves when they occur,” he added, as temperatures on the southern Greek mainland rose as high as 45C (113 degrees Fahrenheit) this month. “A lot of the wildfires we’re seeing in Greece have been in areas with shrubby vegetation,” climate science expert Dr Nigel Arnell said. A study by the University of Florida found that spot fires tend to spread further from their original fire perimeter in areas where woody plants such as shrubs and trees replace herbaceous plants like grasses. Is human-induced climate change responsible for the fires? Cambridge professor Adam Pellegrini, who is an expert in forest ecosystems and climate change, said that one of the best examples of anthropogenic, or human-caused climate change contributing to fire activity comes from the western United States. “A 2016 study looked at the area that was burned in a year in the western forests, as well as weather and aridity condition,” he explained. “The researchers ran a model that simulated climate with and without anthropogenic [greenhouse gas] emissions. “Under these climate simulations, which have uncertainties, they found there was a high likelihood that you wouldn’t see these fires that we see now, without climate change,” Dr Pellegrini continued. The study showed that human-induced climate change contributed to an additional 4.2 million hectares of forest being affected by fire during 1984–2015 – double the forest fire area expected without it. “That was done in the western US but those are the kinds of analyses that are required [for the wildfires in Europe]”, Dr Pellegrini said. “My guess is people will now be trying to do that.” An analysis by the World Weather Attribution network found that the recent heatwaves in Europe and the United States would have been “virtually impossible” without human-caused climate change. According to the study, climate change meant this year’s heatwave in Europe was 2.5C hotter. Are these extreme weather events preventable? The way to reduce the increase in heat and drought, and the frequency with which they occur, is stopping greenhouse gas emissions, Dr Pellegrini said, adding: “That is the number one way to do it.” Better ways to adapt and mitigate the damage from wildfires include controlled burns during a cooler, wetter time of the year. “That way you burn out the fuel for the fires, so if there’s a really hot and dry year, hopefully a forest fire won’t be as intense,” he added. Limitations include the high cost of controlled burns, as well as accessibility issues in remote areas such as Siberia, where forest fires have raged since last year. Another way to reduce fire risk is through animal grazing, Imperial College researcher Oliver Perkins explained. “In fire-prone regions of Spain, goat farmers are paid, not to produce food but, to reduce fire risk by grazing flammable vegetation.” Is there a threat of wildfires in the UK? Dr Kasoar warned that almost every region in the world is facing more intense and more frequent hot weather, and the UK is no exception. “We have seen record-breaking heat and fires in the south of the UK last summer, and with the country’s largest fires being recorded in the last few years,” he added. “Unless we stabilise global temperatures by reducing global emissions to net zero, wildfires will continue to become an ever more present risk here in the UK and across many other parts of the world. Read More Greece fires – live: Tourists in Rhodes and Corfu evacuated as Croatia also battles wildfires Where are the Italy wildfires as temperatures rise to 47.6C on Sicliy? Simon Calder on Greece: Latest travel advice for tourists as wildfires continue to ravage Rhodes and Corfu Where are the Italy wildfires as temperatures rise to 47.6C? Are Greece wildfires caused by climate change? Greece fires: Rhodes and Corfu tourists evacuated as Croatia also battles wildfires
2023-07-26 12:23

A seasoned guide and 2 clients in their 60s perished on treacherous ridge in Scottish Highlands
British media say a seasoned mountain guide and two clients in their 60s were roped together when they died traversing a treacherous Scottish Highlands ridge
2023-08-11 03:18

Biden and McCarthy's bumpy journey to a debt ceiling deal
By Steve Holland WASHINGTON When Kevin McCarthy was struggling early this year to get enough votes from his
2023-05-30 18:27
You Might Like...

Andrew Tate: Misogynistic influencer's 4 rape accusers slap him with legal notice after human trafficking charges ramped up

'She's having difficulty walking': Celine Dion misses movie premiere amid health concerns

Olivia Dunne explains women's walking struggles in high heels, trolls dub TikTok star 'stupid'

An anti-Trump video shared by the DeSantis campaign is 'homophobic,' says a conservative LGBT group

Who was John Snowling? Ex-cop identified as Cook's Corner shooting suspect who fatally shot three in California

Canada's military and US firefighters to aid Nova Scotia's wildfire fight

Will Lindsay Shiver escape prison sentence? Georgian mother-of-two arrested for allegedly plotting ex-husband Robert Shiver's murder

New Multicenter Study Reveals Neurological Pupil index™ (NPi) as Predictor of Outcome and Mortality in Brain Injury Patients