The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has released its "Statement on the State of the Global Climate in 2016", an annual detailed analysis of the state of the world’s climate. The WMO remarked that "The year 2016 made history, with a record global temperature, exceptionally low sea ice, and unabated sea level rise and ocean heat," and that these "Extreme weather and climate conditions have continued into 2017."
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Around the world, the renewable energy sector has become a major growth industry: according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), employment in this sector rose by 5 percent in 2015, accounting for 8.1 million jobs around the world. The industry is projected to add another 24 million positions by 2030, as the world’s population clamors for alternatives to fossil fuels.read more

A new study that improves upon pre-2005 ocean temperature estimates has found that the world’s oceans have been heating up thirteen percent faster than previously estimated, and that rate is increasing as time goes by. This new revelation is important, as the oceans absorb roughly 90 percent of the excess heat that the planet is retaining, making it not only an important indicator for how quickly the planet is actually heating up, but it also means that the danger posed by disproportionately warmer oceans is also greater than we feared.
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Humpback whales in the southern hemisphere have been exhibiting odd behavior over the past few years: typically a solitary species that only temporarily gathers in pods of up to a dozen individuals, groups of up to 200 whales have been gathering in spots off of the west coast of South Africa. In addition to this oddity, these whales typically aren’t found that far north in the summer, preferring feeding grounds closer to Antarctica.

Researchers are at a loss when it comes to explaining this new behavior, although one idea suggests that this is actually a normal activity, interrupted when the humpback’s numbers dropped due to over-hunting in previous centuries.
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