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@observer Wed, 03 Apr 2024 03:07:03
Climate change makes heat waves last longer, spike hotter – study
Climate change is making giant heat waves crawl slower across the globe and they are baking more people for a longer time with higher temperatures over larger areas, a new study finds.
Since 1979, global heat waves are moving 20 per cent more slowly — meaning more people stay hot longer — and they are happening 67 per cent more often, according to a study in Friday’s Science Advances. The study found the highest temperatures in the heat waves are warmer than 40 years ago and the area under a heat dome is larger.
Studies have shown heat waves worsening before, but this one is more comprehensive and concentrates heavily on not just temperature and area, but how long the high heat lasts and how it travels across continents, said study co-authors and climate scientists Wei Zhang of Utah State University and Gabriel Lau of Princeton University.
From 1979 to 1983, global heat waves would last eight days on average, but by 2016 to 2020 that was up to 12 days, the study said. Eurasia was especially hit harder with longer-lasting heat waves, the study said. Heat waves slowed down most in Africa, while North America and Australia saw the biggest increases in overall magnitude, which measures temperature and area, according to the study.
“This paper sends a clear warning that climate change makes heat waves yet more dangerous in more ways than one,” said Lawrence Berkeley National Lab climate scientist Michael Wehner, who wasn’t part of the research.
Just like in an oven, the longer the heat lasts, the more something cooks. In this case it’s people, the co-authors said.
“Those heat waves are traveling slower and so slower so that basically means that ... there’s a heat wave sitting there and those heat waves could stay longer in the region,” Zhang said. “And the adverse impacts on our human society would be huge and increasing over the years.”
The team conducted computer simulations showing this change was due to heat-trapping emissions that come from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas. The study found climate change’s fingerprint by simulating a world without greenhouse gas emissions and concluding it could not produce the worsening heat waves observed in the last 45 years.
The study also looks at the changes in weather patterns that propagate heat waves. Atmospheric waves that move weather systems along, such as the jet stream, are weakening; so, they are not moving heat waves along as quickly — west to east in most but not all continents, Zhang said.
Several outside scientists praised the big-picture way Zhang and colleagues examined heat waves, showing the interaction with weather patterns and their global movement and especially how they are slowing down.
This shows “how heat waves evolve in three dimensions and move regionally and across continents rather than looking at temperatures at individual locations,” said Kathy Jacobs, a University, of Arizona climate scientist who wasn’t part of the study.
“One of the most direct consequences of global warming is increasing heat waves,” said Woodwell Climate Research Center scientist Jennifer Francis, who wasn’t part of the study. “These results put a large exclamation point on that fact.”
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@observer Wed, 03 Apr 2024 03:17:47
Museveni gives firm nod of approval to Islamic banking
President Yoweri Museveni formally inaugurated the national operations of Salaam bank in Uganda on March 27, coinciding with his participation in Duwa prayers alongside the Muslim community at Kololo Ceremonial grounds.
The establishment of Salaam Bank Uganda, a subsidiary of a Djibouti-based institution, was facilitated by the acquisition of a license from the central bank on September 8, 2023. This milestone followed the enactment of legislation authorizing Islamic banking in Uganda, signed into law by President Museveni in August 2023.
Notably, the legislation eliminated the requirement for a “central Sharia advisory council,” a provision that had previously met resistance from the Bank of Uganda.
During the national launch event at Ko- lolo, President Museveni welcomed Salaam bank to Uganda, highlighting the country’s significant market potential with a current population of 48 million, projected to reach 106 million within the next 26 years.
“I welcome you Salaam bank to Uganda. This is a big market. The population of Uganda is 48 million now,” Museveni said.
“In the next 26 years, the population of Uganda will be 106 million; so, allow more Islamic banks to come here,” he said commending Salaam bank for leading the way.
Emphasizing the benefits of Islamic banking, which adheres to principles prohibiting interest charges on loans (Riba), President Museveni underscored its potential to bolster Uganda’s financial sector by integrating more Muslims into the formal economy.
Islamic banking principles entail a partnership model between banks and customers, wherein both parties share profits or losses based on predetermined ratios, fostering transparency and minimizing information asymmetry. Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, Djibouti’s minister of Foreign Affairs, lauded Salaam bank’s ambition to expand its operations across the continent during the delegation’s visit to Uganda.
The chairman of Salaam Bank Limited (Uganda), Ibrahim M. Abdirahman, affirmed the institution’s commitment to ethical values that prioritize humanity and environmental protection.
Abdirahman highlighted Islamic finance’s offerings, including Sharia-compliant bonds (Sukuk), which present opportunities for the Ugandan government to finance infrastructure projects without incurring interest-based debt, attracting foreign investment and fostering economic growth.
Michael Mande, managing director and CEO of Salaam Bank Ltd, emphasized the institution’s dedication to ethical business practices and enhancing the accessibility and value of its services to benefit the local community. As Salaam bank enters the Ugandan market, stakeholders can anticipate a financial institution committed to ethical standards and community development.
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@observer Wed, 03 Apr 2024 03:23:36
Karuma power project tests last turbine
The last unit of the Karuma hydropower project has been synchronised to the national grid, although the project has to meet certain conditions before it is fully commissioned.
The synchronization of unit five becomes the sixth unit to pass the test since the first unit was connected to the grid in March 2023.
Government has tasked the developer, China’s Sinohydro, to fix all the defects before the project is commissioned. The imminent commissioning of the 600MW Karuma hydropower project will make it the biggest energy plant in Uganda. Each of the six units has a capacity of 100MW.
The synchronisation of the last unit nearly brings to an end a more-than-10- year period of construction, which started in August 2013.
The Karuma project has one of the lowest tariffs in the market, at US cents 4.97/kWh, for the first 10 years. The tariff will drop gradually thereafter.
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