Global Scans · Nature · Weekly Summary

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WHAT''S NEXT?: Oceans, animals, and land are all under threat from climate change and human activities. The effective and efficient conservation of agricultural biodiversity is vital to meeting the global challenges of food and nutritional security for an expanding world population. But, the signs are of continued degradation of our global natural resources and environment.

• Demand for oil and natural gas in India is expected to increase by nearly 70% between 2022 and 2050, while oil demand is expected to increase from 223 MMT in 2022 levels to 300-330 MMT by 2030. Energy Connects
• Biodiversity loss, one of the impacts of climate change and ecosystem disruption, poses a significant threat to Earth's future. IBM Blog
• Companies including Oil India and Oil and Natural Gas Corp are hoping that gas output from the Mozambique project will start from 2026-27. ThePrint
• If the world misses that temperature target, and most signs suggest it will, natural gas could continue to help cut power-sector emissions over a longer time period. MIT Technology Review
• Nitrogen pollution in rivers is an important cause of water scarcity in 2010 and will likely continue causing water scarcity in 2050. Nature
• Temperate rainforests once covered vast swathes of western Britain, but the rare habitat declined due to historic deforestation and continues to face threats from air pollution, invasive species and diseases. NHBS
• The cessation of long-term shipping agreements by ocean carriers on the Asia-Europe route, due to the war risk in Red Sea transit, underscores the vulnerability of global supply chains to geopolitical tensions. MultiModal UK
• HOCHTIEF's North American civil engineering subsidiary Flatiron has won two major contracts worth a total of USD 350 million for projects to combat storm surges, rising sea levels and other environmental threats resulting from climate change. MarketScreener
• Proposed hydropower projects in Southern Africa have the potential to severely alter many remaining free-flowing rivers in sensitive and biodiverse river basins 19, 39 as well as displace hundreds of thousands of people, largely in minority and Indigenous communities. Nature
• Wind potential is widely distributed across countries even with socio-environmental protections, although in Angola, Mozambique, and the Democratic Republic of Congo wind potential is limited to smaller areas due to either low wind speeds and/or extensive forest cover. Nature
• While cheetahs can be found in various parts of Africa and parts of Iran, their need for vast expanses has contributed to their vulnerability, as habitat loss affects their ability to hunt effectively and inhibits their biodiversity. HowStuffWorks
• Climate change and a strong El Nino event could both play a role in the intensity of impacts that atmospheric rivers bring when they hit the West Coast. ABC News
• Free added that PACE will join the two dozen NASA missions in orbit currently that collect vital data on Earth's land, ocean, atmosphere and ice. Space
• With bushfires increasing compared to other natural disasters and expected to intensify due to climate change, it is important for countries such as Australia to quantify their economic impact as part of routine practice, including supply-chain spillovers. ScienceDaily
• The world faces two concurrent crises in nature - climate change and loss of biodiversity with both threatening the availability of food and water whilst also endangering global supply chains. The Scottish Farmer
• The US, the world's biggest exporter of gas last year, announced that it was pausing all pending export permits for liquified natural gas until it could come up with an updated criteria for approving new gas export projects that consider the impact of the climate crisis. The Guardian
• The recent pause in new US LNG project permits, influenced by environmental concerns, could impact future LNG projects, potentially disrupting the global LNG supply and affecting natural gas prices in import-dependent regions. Chemical Market Analytics
• The Biden administration has paused further approvals of US liquified natural gas (LNG) exports pending the completion of federal studies that will assess the impact of the exports on climate change. Washington Weekly
• Alberta Grain's largest investment will go towards supporting research projects that improve crop management, reduce input costs and environmental impact, and increase yield and grain quality. farmnewsNOW
• The looming threat of massive asteroids hurtling towards Earth remains a concern that underscores the vulnerability of our planet to celestial hazards. TimesNow
• Natural gas started at about 15 quadrillion units, rising steadily to over 20 quadrillion units, with an expected increase to around 25 quadrillion units by 2030. Timeless English
• GRPS respondents disagree about the urgency of environmental risks, in particular biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and critical change to Earth systems. Foresight - the CMCC observatory on climate policies an

Last updated: 10 February 2024