The year 2020 is sure to go down in our time capsule. While the varied lockdowns provided us with a delayed rebound (the time to recover to average emissions) for researchers to analyse actual reductions and calibrate the existing climate models, turn December 2020, PH-1 was awarded the Malta Intellectual Property Award 2020 for Scientific Emerging Innovation Initiative. The award was presented by Honourable Silvio Schembri Minister for the Economy and Industry.

Video Credit – Commerce Department

Following our article on the Ghost Flights published on the 8 March 2020, this afternoon, EU Commissioner, President Ursula von der Leyen gave a press release over the matter.

Video Credit – European Commission

“For instance, and this is just one example, aviation. The Coronavirus outbreak has a major impact on the European and international aviation industry. We see that the situation is deteriorating on a daily basis. Traffic is expected to decline further. This is why the Commission will put forward, very rapidly, legislation regarding the so-called ‘airport slots’. We want to make it easier for airlines to keep their airport slots, even if they do not operate flights in those slots because of the declining traffic. This is a temporary measure and this temporary measure helps both our industry, but it also helps our environment. It will relieve pressure on the aviation industry, and in particular on smaller airline companies. But it will also decrease emissions by avoiding the so-called ‘ghost flights’ – when airlines fly almost empty planes, simply to keep their slots. Again, this is just one example of a sector where help is needed and we are ready to act.” – President Ursula von der Leyen

It is hopeful that a rapid intervention to relax the 80/20 use it or lose it regulation will mitigate useless carbon emission emitted by aircrafts at high altitudes. Detailed information can be viewed on our original post here.

COVID-19, the appalling pathogen that is bringing global economies to their knees, has shed light over inaction by the European Union. Until the time of publishing, no relaxation to the EU’s 80/20 “Use it or lose it” airport slot regulation came into force. Due to the decline in air travel, international airlines are making use of Ghost Flights to major EU airports to maintain their assigned airport slots. The impasse counters environmental efforts to reduce carbon emissions generated by the aviation industry.

The European Union, with core principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights, freedom, and the rule of law is the envy of many. According to the United Nations Development Programme, all the 27 member states have a very high Human Development Index (HDI). For the unaware, HDI is a measurement of life expectancy, education, and per capita income. The European Union, as a political continent, has the most extensive environmental laws. Most EU Member States have much lower emissions per capita than the US, Canada or Australia. Notwithstanding such, as with the case of Ghost Flights, slips happen as the coronavirus COVID-19 uncovered.

Air travel has its advantages. It takes us to the farthest reaches of the world in a matter of hours. It’s an adventure by itself, and it is the safest means of transport. People around the world use this type of transportation for their vacations, yet, and this is when it starts to get quirky; it is mainstream business travel. Keeping to the EU, its political structure is a glorified “air miles and social club”. In light of their environmental policies, the EU should resolve more to web conferencing.

As per the ICCT working paper, in 2018, the aviation industry accounted for 2.4% of global human-generated carbon (CO2) emissions. The emissions dumped at high altitudes amount to 918 million metric tonnes (MMT) of carbon along with other greenhouse gases (GHGs). Aircraft emissions trap the heat that is released from the Earth’s surface to space, thereby amplifying global warming. In scientific terms, this unbalance is called Positive Radiative Forcing.

Economic growth and prosperity, as currently undertaken, counters environmental efforts aimed to achieve wellbeing. Change can only happen gradually, hopefully in time before we reach or exceed tipping points. An estimate of 65.5 million jobs around the world depends on the aviation industry.  On the other hand, as per WHO, 7 million people die per year due to air pollution. In Europe, airlines have continued to increase their carbon emissions despite a 2050 industry target to cut emissions to half of the 2005 levels.

The EU 2019 European Aviation Environmental Report outlines that net CO2 emissions from aviation had increased by 3% throughout 2014 and 2017. A net increase of 136 million tonnes of CO2 in our stratosphere! Do low-cost flights account for the amplified air travel within the EU? Read the Guardian report here.

“It is a matter of seriously addressing cross-sectoral processes collectively. EU should pull up its socks and roll up its sleeves to establish economic equity and environmental protection for real.” – Fabian Borg

Despite the global outbreak of the dreadful pathogen, the coronavirus COVID-19 is exposing unnecessary processes and safeguards that damage our environment. Ghost flights happen when airlines maintain their flying schedule without passengers or cargo, not to lose their airport slots. Apart from wasting thousands of gallons of kerosene, these flights are dumping tonnes of CO2 and other GHGs in our atmosphere for the sake of airport slots! Notwithstanding the reason behind airport slots that serve to administer filghts, schedules and airport services, delayed flights are yet the agenda of the day.

It is about time that we seriously address the silent killer that is claiming the lives of millions of people each year. It is simple to point fingers towards governmental institutions; in all fairness, we have our obligations too.  We should address our lush lifestyles and not merely rely on others to do so. Pollution has no borders.

Q. Is the moon flat? We only see the same face.

A. NO! The moon is a sphere in shape. We only see the same face as its locked in a tidal lock with Earth.

COVID-19 has a bright side… Is the heading, right? People are dying. Thousands of lives are at risk. How can an epidemic virus with over 86,000 confirmed cases worldwide possibly have a bright side to it?

COVID-19 the official name given by WHO to the novel coronavirus (formerly 2019-nCoV) caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus has taken the world by storm. It’s everywhere, and everyone is talking about it. The gloomy news of the outbreak became a “pandemic” in viral terms since its discovery in December 2019 in Wuhan, the capital of the province of Hubei, China. The outbreak progressed to an epidemic, and global containment efforts are in force to halt the spread from reaching a pandemic level.

Are we too late? Apart from the apocalyptical media frenzy termed as “infodemic” by WHO, until now, nothing is concrete.  The fatality rate is low, currently estimated at around 2%. For comparison, the fatality rate of SARS was 10%, and MERS was 34% of confirmed cases. Nonetheless, it is still too early to call.

“Every dark cloud has its silver lining, and we have a lot to learn from the disruption COVID-19 brought by.” – Fabian Borg

COVID-19 stalled the Chinese economy that resulted in an abrupt cut of emissions. For those unaware, as of 2018, China was the main carbon dioxide (CO2) emitter accounting for 27.8% of the global emissions. This percentage equals to 9.43 billion metric tons of CO2 that are mostly generated by the coal power stations that account for 70% of the electricity generated in China. The reduction in emissions resulted from the lockdown with millions of people in quarantine and the stalled industrial output that demanded less power.

Chart credit – Carbon Brief Analysis: Coronavirus has temporarily reduced China’s CO2 emissions by a quarter

The decline in the use of coal, diesel-powered land transportation and domestic flights featured a 36% reduction in Nitrogen dioxide (NO2).  NO2 is notorious for generating the smog in cities with the combination of sulphur oxides, ozone, smoke and other particulates. From these, carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrogen dioxide (N02), and ozone (O3) are the primary greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere that contribute to global warming and the relevant climate change.

NASA and European Space Agency (ESA) pollution monitoring satellites detected significant decreases in NO2 over China. In just two weeks, China has emitted 25% less carbon dioxide when compared to the same periods over the past years. The data images hereunder are compelling, indeed.

Image credit  – NASA Earth Observatory – COVID-19 Reduction in Emissions, China

The data was collected by the Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) on ESA’s Sentinel-5p satellite. The Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) sensor on NASA’s Aura satellite, measured similar data.

COVID-19 opened a short-term bracket with a delayed rebound (the time to recover to average emissions) for researchers to analyse actual reductions and calibrate the existing climate models.  Climate models are the means that researches use to forecast very close approximations to real-life case scenarios based on historic quality-assured data and events. The Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) is the current model being used by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC). Recall the famous Global Warming of 1.5°C special report that Greta Thunberg brought to public knowledge last year.

Image credit  – NASA Earth Observatory – COVID-19 Reduction in Emissions, Wuhan, China

As COVID-19 spreads more around the world, Health Authorities will be forced to take more preventive measures to enforce quarantines and eventually restrict air travel to strict necessity. In doing so, we might witness a concrete reduction in human-generated emissions. Could this balance out the pollution produced by the Amazon fires and the Bush fires in Australia?

Image credit World Health Organization – Distribution of COVID-19 as at 01 March 2020

WHO estimates that around 7 million people die every year from exposure to polluted air. The data file can be view here. Despite the understandable panic and disruption that COVID-19 brought-by, none of the modern-day viral diseases combined match the fatality of the silent killer.

Just like global recessions stall economic growth and favour decreased emissions, the dreadful COVID-19 brought by an ironic bright side. If exploited well, COVID-19 could help researchers and policymakers establish optimal environmental policies for our, and future generations wellbeing. Health is a fundamental human right.

Q. Is the Earth the center of the universe?

A. NO! We’re not even in the center of our own spiral galaxy called the Milky Way. We are located in the peripheral of the Milky Way and at the center of our galaxy exists a supermassive black hole.

Welcome to our inauguration article dedicated to global warming. This article and others to follow, form part of our campaign to the general public aimed to raise awareness on subjects of global warming, climate change and air quality that ultimately affect your health and quality of life. Through these articles, we also aim to explain in “layman terms” the ongoing scientific research, terms and methodologies for the majority to understand, any by the way enjoy our original graphics and visuals.

Until now, and the foreseeable long-term future, we are bound to live on our host planet Earth. It is simply, there is no Planet B. Human activities in the sorts of continued dependency on fossil fuels, industrialisation, rise in global population, denser cities, and decrease in vegetation are contributing to global warming. Earth’s biodiversity including mankind is becoming unsustainable. Emerging theories state that we risk triggering the start of the sixth mass extension of life on Earth, this time not by an asteroid or other space threats but through our own pollution. Blaming past generations of inaction and passiveness leads nowhere.

“Despite our political divisions, economies, diverse ethnics, nature, cultures and boundaries, we share one planet with one atmosphere” – Fabian Borg

We are all in this together and collectively we should address our processes and lifestyles for the betterment of our health and wellbeing. For a start, simple daily things like the uptake of active mobility in the sorts of walking or cycling rather than making use of fossil fuelled vehicles for our mobility can substantially diminish our carbon footprint.

Global warming is a real threat for everyone here on Earth, we perceive the prolonged heat periods and intense heatwaves. We experience loss of seasons and the severing adverse weather resulting from climate change effects. The recovery cost from loss deriving from natural disasters coupled with increased expenditure in healthcare is outweighing economic prosperity. More importantly, Global Warming is scientifically proven with quality assured data. The latter is the scientific audit process of peer reviews, cross checks and re-evaluations of data to discover inconsistencies and other anomalies in the data, as well as performing data cleansing activities in the likes of removing outliers, missing data interpolation to improve the data quality to be certified correct and the results are shocking.

The blue marble transitioning to reveal global warming heat spots – original graphic of PH-1

On the 8th January 2020, Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) declared 2019 as the second warmest year on record. Earth has been experiencing a series of abnormally warm years across the globe with 2016 being the warmest of them all. The rise in temperatures is due as CO2 and other greenhouse gases emissions continue to soar.

A week later, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), reconfirmed C3S statement that in 2019, Earth’s global surface temperature was the second warmest since modern record keeping began in 1880. Out of the last 140 years, the past five years were the warmest.

“The decade that just ended is clearly the warmest decade on record, every decade since the 1960s clearly has been warmer than the one before” claimed NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), Director Gavin Schmidt.

Image credit – Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S)

Other renowned institutions, namely Berkeley Earth, the Met Office Hadley Centre (UK), and the Cowtan and Way reconfirmed the same CS3 quality assured observations. All these bodies make use of Earth Observation Satellites and in-situ equipment for their temperature analyses. In-situ equipment refers to meteorological equipment stationed on land and in special-purpose buoys in the seas.

Image credit – Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S)

As per the chart above, all five temperature records are in sync with each other with the past decade being the warmest of them all. Through the use of climate models and statistical analysis of global temperature data and air quality data among other, scientists latched the abnormal heat excess with increased emissions into the atmosphere of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases generated by human activities.

January 2020 has shown to be warmer than average in most parts of the world. We await the validated data and sure on, an article will feature this abnormal heat rise during what is supposed to be the coldest month of the year for the norther hemisphere. Indications for Europe portray hotter and milder temperatures well into spring.

Q. Is Earth flat?

A. NO! Gosh we’re in 2020 so please do everyone a favour and kick any lurking believers in their hinny ;)