The 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly is drawing to a close. Tackling the effects of climate change and resolving military conflicts in Europe and beyond have emerged as bottlenecks. On a positive note, EU countries have shown that they’re making progress towards achieving the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
In response to the record high temperatures in Europe and elsewhere around the world this summer, social media users accused the European Space Agency (ESA) of having modified its measurement methods to achieve the striking results. They claimed that the agency was now measuring the land surface temperature, which is higher than air temperature. However, this is a misinterpretation of an ESA article about the heatwave. The institution has not made changes to its methodology and had in fact already published land surface temperature data in the past. What’s more, the ESA is not responsible for validating temperature records. That is the role of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which uses other measurements that it receives from weather stations.
The European Union is taking steps to encourage the sustainable production of paper, but it is not proposing to ban toilet paper. False claims circulated in Polish in August 2023 that the EU is planning to phase out toilet paper, first by replacing it with a product made from straw, and then by banning it altogether. However, a European Commission spokesperson confirmed to AFP that the EU has “no intention of banning toilet paper”. AFP could find no such announcement of any ban and paper industry representatives said they were not aware of any such move. While toilet paper made from straw instead of wood pulp is now on the market, there is no move to force EU countries to use it or ban other types.
More investment and less debt in the name of climate: These demands on rich countries were being voiced at Africa’s first climate summit in Kenya. The continent is vulnerable to the growing impacts of climate change, though not a victim, stressed its leaders, but rather a long-ignored ally in the fight against global warming.
The European Union’s climate observatory, the Copernicus Climate Change Service, has reported that July was the hottest month ever recorded on Earth. While much of Europe was hit by historic heat, Ireland experienced another kind of extreme weather event being exacerbated by climate change: heavy rains. Within this context, an image circulating on social media appears to show a story about “asymptomatic global warming” published online by the Irish Independent, but the purported screenshot is fabricated.