CO2 Sponges, Hurricane Helene, and Africa's GDP

🌧️ Hurricane Helene Rainfall Boosted by Human-Driven Climate Change

Two rapid studies were recently released that found human-caused global warming made Hurricane Helene stronger and wetter. In one study, rainfall was found to be up to 20% heavier and winds up to 7% stronger. Unusually warm temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico likely contributed to the rapid intensification and the exceptional atmospheric river that cause extreme flooding. A second study suggested that global warming created 50% more rain over parts of Georgia and the Carolinas than would have otherwise been expected. The observed rainfall was made up to 20 times more likely due to warming. The highest official rainfall total from Helene was more than 30” over Busick, North Carolina, but radar estimates suggest areas of up to 40” were possible over rural areas and higher elevations in the Appalachian Mountains.

Kathryn Prociv, NBC News

💵 African Nations Lose 5% of GDP Due to Climate Change

African nations are losing up to 5% of their GDP every year due to climate change. Many African nations are spending up to 9% of their budgets for climate adaptation policies. Africa has observed a warming trend that has become more rapid than the global average, affecting everything from food security to public health to peace. Africa is responsible for less than 10% of global GHG emissions, but is the most vulnerable region to extreme weather including droughts, floods, and heatwaves. In sub-Saharan Africa, the costs of adapting to extreme weather could be $30-50 billion per year over the next decade, with 118 million Africans exposed to potential impacts of extreme weather.

Monika Pronczuk, Associated Press

🌊 Turning Rivers and Oceans into Giant Sponges for CO2

A startup in Nova Scotia called CarbonRun is grinding up limestone and sprinkling it into rivers poisoned by acid rain. This technique is helping to pull GHGs from the sky, and save salmon populations. Rivers contain CO2, which escapes into the air, where it then traps heat and warms the planet. When limestone is added to the water, it converts some of that CO2 into a stable molecule that stays underwater and washes into the sea, where it should remain trapped for thousands of years. It is estimated that this process could remove hundreds of millions of tons of carbon each year if applied to the hundreds of acidified rivers worldwide. If similar techniques could be done in the ocean, humanity could potentially remove billions of tons of CO2 each year.

Brad Plumer and Raymond Zhong, The New York Times

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