Katharina Hesse

NEW: EVERYDAYCLIMATECHANGE / contributions

  • Locals watch seagulls at Dianchi lake on the outskirts of Kunming , Yunnan province, China. Dianchi lake has seen an increasing number of seagulls during recent winters, which could be attributed to the mild climate around the lake as well as strengthened protection by local government policies. In fact, according to researchers, the region around Kunming has experienced much more severe temperature increase and precipitation decrease in recent years.The gulls mainly migrate from Siberia’s lake Baikal, Uvs Nuur Basin in Mongolia, and Bosten lake in China's Xinjiang region. Since discovering Dianchi lake first in 1984 , they’ve been back every winter, setting a record in 2015 when the number of seagulls exceeded 40,000 for the first time.#seagulls#dianchilake#climatechange#birdmigration#risingtemperatures#katharinahesse#ecology#globalwarming#yunnan
  • A forest in the North German lowlands (Lower Saxony) The North German lowlands are part of academic research conducted by different universities in Germany to examine how expected climate change will affect temperature increase, temporal redistribution of rainfall, more frequent extreme events like heavy rainfalls and dry spells as well as the change of chemical climate as these mean elevated risks for forest management.@hessekatharina #everydayclimatechange #germanlowlands
  • A view of the Meilixueshan or the Meili Snow Mountain range that lies along the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, Yunnan province, China.The Tibetan Plateau contains the world's largest store of ice. According to Qin Dahe, former head of the China Metereological Administration {quote}temperatures are rising four times faster than elsewhere in China, and the Tibetan glaciers are retreating at a higher speed than in any other part of the world. In the short term, this will cause lakes to expand and bring floods and mudflows. In the long term, the glaciers are vital lifelines for Asian rivers.... Once they vanish, water supplies in those regions will be in peril{quote}. #kawagarbo#meilixueshan#katharinahesse#tibetanplateau#climatechange#globalwarming#梅里雪山
  • A hazy view of Hebei province near Shijiazhuang in the morning. Two of the most toxic components of smog saw their readings exceed 1,000 on the air quality index in Shijiazhuang in China’s northern Hebei province late last year, state media reported.One resident said her lungs felt “extremely uncomfortable” after she went walking outside for just a few minutes.The amount of PM2.5 and PM10 recorded in Shijiazhuang was greater than 1,000 micrograms per cubic metre at around 1pm, according to Xinhua. Both are types of suspended respirable particles that pose a risk to human health.The World Health Organisation recommends exposure to PM2.5 be limited to 25 micrograms per cubic metre over 24 hours, and 50 micrograms per cubic metre for PM10.Air pollution usually worsens in northern China during the winter, as coal is used to heat homes. Beijing issued a red alert for smog in mid December 2016, its first of the year, and 10 cities in Hebei have followed suit.Under China’s four-tiered warning system, a red alert will force suspension of factory production and school classes, as well as traffic reduction measures.In China alone, more than 1.6 million people die annually from air pollution. Heavy coal use has resulted in high carbon emissions. Although China has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 250,000 tons, the nation continues to emit 25 million tons of greenhouse gases, according to Environment Minister Chen Jining. Enforcement of environmental laws has improved, but slowly, and air pollution continues to be a fact of life in most cities.This has contributed to an accelerated pace of climate change, which has been noticed in the past few years. According to scientists at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, temperatures are rising at a faster rate than they have in the past 1,000 years, about 2.5 times as rapidly according to Forbes magazine. #climatechange #Katharinahesse #china. #airpollution #smog #everydayclimatechange
  • The top of Shanghai's World Financial Centre seen during a heavily polluted day. Air pollution is a major environmental issue in fast developping economies such as China. {quote}Air pollution can increase the impact of climate change as heavy air pollution can worsen droughts and flooding simultaneously in different regions by strongly affecting cloud effects{quote} according to scientists from the University of Maryland. Photo by @hessekatharina#shanghai#climatechangeisreel #climatechange#airpollution #smog#katharinahesse #china#金茂大厦
  • Fields of Suaeda heteroptera kitag ( {quote}seepweed{quote}) are seen along the the salty coastal plain of the Liao river delta near Panjin, Liaoning province, China. What makes Suaeda heteroptera unique is that as it matures and absorbs more and more saltwater, it changes colors. In spring, it’s green. As the summer progresses, it slowly turns red. The area in 1998-1999 was about 2 000 hm2 , with coverage of 70 %~80 %. Since 2000 the ecosystem has deteriorated and and the coverage decreased to 20 %~30 % . Lack of freshwater and high salinity caused by climate change are a major factor for the loss.#liaoheriverdelta#climatechange#suaedaheteroptera#红海滩#katharinahesse#noorderlicht
  • A worker removes weed around Camellia sinenis shrubs in Fujian province, China.Due to climate change the growing season in China's agriculture sector is lengthening, with an earlier spring and a later winter, and timing of fertilisation, irrigation, planting and harvesting must all change. Production processes are altered as their elements all change: Coastal farming regions such as Fujian province, are at risk of flooding, saltification, or erosion according to Xu Yinlong, a member of the Scientific Steering Committee leading UNEP's ‘Programme of Research on Climate Change Vulnerability, Impacts and Adaptation'. In order to adapt, the tea planation in the image above has resolved to switching to an organic plantation higher up in a mountainous area. Not only the shrubs are less vulnerable to flooding , but in addition organic farming yields higher quality plants compared to conventional farming and tastes better. This is most likely because organic tea plants live under greater stress than conventional tea plants since farm managers don't apply the same amount of pesticides, fertilizers, and other chemicals to protect them. Under stress, organic plants produce more phyochemicals.#organicfarming #organic #climatechange #katharinahesse #teacultivation #有机 #fujian
  • A boys plays with a plastic bag in the sea bordering the Baseco slum, Metro Manila, Philippines.Urban environmental problems such as air pollution, water pollution, flooding and congestion are more pronounced in city slums. Slum dwellers' living conditions depict poverty in terms of both inadequate incomes and environmental deprivation.The Baseco slum, for example, has been built directly on reclaimed swampland behind and on top of the sea wall which protects the Baseco Bay.This settlement is particulatly vulnerable to hurricanes and tsunamis due to its location.The Philippines are considered one of the most disaster prone regions worldwide. The country ranks 12th among the 200 countries most at risk for tropical cyclones, floods, earthquakes and landslides according to the 2009 Mortality Risk Index of the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction. The impact of climate change is likely to increase the occurence of extreme weather conditions. The urban environmentally poor would be suffering more from the changes than other groups of urban dwellers since they are more exposed to natural disasters.(Archival photo)Photo by @hessekatharina#climatechange#climatechangeisreal#slums#baseco#philippines#povertyandclimatechange#katharinahesse
  • Beijing airport 's terminal 3 during  a {quote}red alarm{quote} alert in  late 2015.Due to heavy smog which reached more than AQI 500, hundreds of flights were cancelled and/ or delayed over Christmas at Beijing's Capital Airport.During a red alarm warning some industrial companies must stop or limit production, outdoor construction work will be banned and primary schools and kindergartens are advised to cancel classes. Even healthy people should try to avoid outdoor activity and choose public transportation. Air pollution is a major environmental issue in fast developping economies such as China.@everydayclimatechange(c) Katharina Hesse#travel#smog#climatechange#airpollution#beijingairpollution#katharinahesse#haze#beijingredalarmwarning
  • Children living in the Baseco slum play among waste, Metro Manila, Philippines.In Metro Manila an estimated 37 % of the population or over 4.0 million Filippinos lived in slums in 2010 and slum population growth rate is at 8 % annually according to a report by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies.Urban environmental problems such as air pollution, water pollution, flooding and congestion are more pronounced in city slums. Slum dwellers' living conditions depict poverty in terms of both inadequate incomes and environmental deprivation. The Baseco slum, for example has been built directly on reclaimed swampland behind and on top of the sea wall which protects the Baseco Bay. This settlement is particularly vulnerable to hurricanes and tsunamis due to its location. The Philippines are considered one of the most disaster prone regions worldwide. The country ranks 12th among the 200 countries most at risk for tropical cyclones, floods, earthquakes and landslides according to the 2009 Mortality Risk Index of the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction. The impact of climate change is likely to increase the occurence of extreme weather conditions. The urban environmentally poor would be suffering more from the changes than other groups of urban dwellers since they are most exposed to natural disasters. (Archival photo)Photo by @hessekatharina #climatechange#climatechangeisreal#slums#baseco#philippines#povertyandclimatechange#katharinahesse
  • a sheperd from the Hui minority breaks firewood outside a shack on barren grasslands in central China's Ningxia province. According to the UNDP, desertfication has devoured 55.8%, or 2.89 million hectares of Ningxia's total terrain. An additional 1.21 million hectares grassland and 132.000 hectares farmland are under the threat of dsertification. The livelihood of inhabitants in 13 cities , 40 townships and 600 villages has been severely affected and the region's vulnerable natural environment is also at stake. Ningxia is one of the major sources of sandstorms which have a major impact on Northern China.Photo by @hessekatharina #desertification #climatechange #china #ningxia #globalwarming #climatechangeisreal
  • A child plays with an empty fuel barrel at the beach in Sarmi, West Papua. In the Sarmi region of Papua , attempts from national and foreign companies to buy the rainforest have been turned down by Sarmi's govenor. (Logging is one of the major causes of destruction in West Papua). He thinks it's not a solution to destroy Papua's rainforest and replace it with oil palm plantations as those take about eight years to grow until the first harvest. He rather encourages Indonesians from other islands like Java and Sumatra to move to Papua and find jobs in the fishing industry or settle in the rainforest. Should the government ever try to allow companies to explore the rainforest in Sarmi , there'd {quote}be trouble{quote} with the locals. Sarmi is seen as a positive alternative to the destruction of the rainforest in other parts of Papua . Photo by @hessekatharina #newguinea #papua #climatechange #climatechangeisreal #logging
  • The skyline of BeijingChina's capital is one of the most polluted cities in the middle kingdom according to official statistics. On social media residents wonder why the government can go through extraordinary measures to clean up the environment before international events , but otherwise has been rather slow to improve the situation. Climate advocats blame the situation on China's inefficient coal fired power plants and suggest to replace them with cleaner natural gas power stations as well as zero emission sources of electricity. (The picture was taken during a heavily polluted day through a red flower pot to ease the grey view )@hessekatharina#beijing #globalwarming #climatechange #climatechangeisreal #airpollution
  • Tibetan herders with emergency donations after experiencing the worst winter storms in more than half a decade, Yushu (Tibetan autonomous ) prefecture, Qinghai, China.From September 1995 to spring 1996 Qinghai experienced the worst winterstorms in more than half a decade preceded by a summer drought. By the end of April 1996, 400.000 Yaks had frozen or starved to death along with the same number of sheep and goats, in all 40 % of the region's dimesticated animals.There are different theories about the degradation of Qinghai's ecological problems. Some blame the herders and overgrazing of the grassland.However, erratic wheather conditions such as early winters, summer droughts and rising temperatures are happening. {quote}In reality, global climate change is the real culprit behind the ecological changes on the Tibetan tableau{quote}, explains Wang Yongchen, founder of Green Earth Volunteers.#yushusnowblizzards#climatechange#katharinahesse#globalwarming#qinghai
  • Swimmers leave the ocean during a rainstorm in Qingdao, Shandong province, China.According to observations from Chinese tide stations, the sea level along China's coastline has maintained a rapidly rising speed over the past five decades. The elevation accelerated in recent years with an annual increase of 2.6 millimetres. Metereologists predict that in the next 30 years , the sea level will continue to rise by 1 to 16 centimetres. Such a development will have disastrous effects on the ecological and environmental balance along coastal areas according to Ding Yihui, a climate expert with the China Metereological Administration.@hessekatharina#everydayclimatechange#rainstorm#Qingdao
  • Fish are carried around in a plastic bag in Qingdao, Shandong province, China. As one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, China is home to 17.300 species of plants and animals. While urbanization and pollution are major factors of biodiversity loss, climate change also contributes to biodiversity loss by altering the structure of ecosystems according to a report by the Wilson Centre.@hessekatharina #everydayclimatechange #globalwarming #lossofbiodiversity#china #katharinahesse #fish
  • A hazy view of Hebei province near Shijiazhuang in the morning. Two of the most toxic components of smog saw their readings exceed 1,000 on the air quality index in Shijiazhuang in China’s northern Hebei province late last year, state media reported.One resident said her lungs felt “extremely uncomfortable” after she went walking outside for just a few minutes.The amount of PM2.5 and PM10 recorded in Shijiazhuang was greater than 1,000 micrograms per cubic metre at around 1pm, according to Xinhua. Both are types of suspended respirable particles that pose a risk to human health.The World Health Organisation recommends exposure to PM2.5 be limited to 25 micrograms per cubic metre over 24 hours, and 50 micrograms per cubic metre for PM10.Air pollution usually worsens in northern China during the winter, as coal is used to heat homes. Beijing issued a red alert for smog in mid December 2016, its first of the year, and 10 cities in Hebei have followed suit.Under China’s four-tiered warning system, a red alert will force suspension of factory production and school classes, as well as traffic reduction measures.In China alone, more than 1.6 million people die annually from air pollution. Heavy coal use has resulted in high carbon emissions. Although China has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 250,000 tons, the nation continues to emit 25 million tons of greenhouse gases, according to Environment Minister Chen Jining. Enforcement of environmental laws has improved, but slowly, and air pollution continues to be a fact of life in most cities.This has contributed to an accelerated pace of climate change, which has been noticed in the past few years. According to scientists at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, temperatures are rising at a faster rate than they have in the past 1,000 years, about 2.5 times as rapidly according to Forbes magazine. #climatechange #Katharinahesse #china. #airpollution #smog #everydayclimatechange
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