Environment

Earth's Axis Shifts

Humans pumped enough water out of the ground between 1993 and 2010 that its redistribution on the surface caused Earth’s poles to shift by about 1 metre. Scientists say that is equivalent to the polar shift brought on by the melting of Greenland’s ice cap during the same period.

Clark Wilson and colleagues of the University of Texas at Austin say other factors also cause the planet to wobble like a top by several metres each year, due to the natural redistribution of water from season to season. “There are a number of things contributing to polar drift, and they all add up,” said Wilson. He points to rising sea levels due to climate change as another factor.

War Fallout

Russia’s war on Ukraine is deepening the world’s climate crisis at a time when greenhouse gas emissions are higher than ever before. A research group led by Dutch emissions expert Lennard de Klerk says that it is not only the actual conflict fueling higher emissions, but also gas leaks such as the sabotaged Nord Stream pipeline, the rerouting of international flights and the migration of refugees. “We didn’t expect the emissions of war would be so significant, and it’s not only the warfare itself that contributes to the emissions, but it’s also the future reconstruction,” said de Klerk.