2022 in the environment

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This is an article of notable issues relating to the terrestrial environment of Earth in 2022. They relate to environmental events such as natural disasters, environmental sciences such as ecology and geoscience with a known relevance to contemporary influence of humanity on Earth, environmental law, conservation, environmentalism with major worldwide impact and environmental issues.

Contents

Events

Date / periodType of eventEventTopicsImage
February 2Policy Global plastic pollution treaty agreement.

Environmental policies approved

Environmental disasters

Each of the most costly climate-related disasters cost at least $3 billion. 2022 Counting the cost of disasters - climate change - Christian Aid.svg
Each of the most costly climate-related disasters cost at least $3 billion.
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Pollution events

Environmental science

Date / periodTypeDescriptionTopicsImage
January 10Analysis, AssessmentResearchers build upon previous studies documenting biodiversity loss to confirm that a sixth mass extinction event, entirely caused by anthropogenic activity, is currently underway. [2] [3] [ecosystem] [biodiversity] Extinction intensity.svg
January 10Analysis, ProposalA study quantifies climate change mitigation potentials of 'high-income' nations shifting diets – away from meat-consumption – and restoration of the spared land. [4] [5] [agriculture] [food] Pesticides application 02.jpg
January 18Analysis, AssessmentA study suggests and defines a 'planetary boundary' for novel entities such as plastic- and chemical pollution and finds that it has been crossed. [6] [7] [plastic pollution] Pollution plastique 2.jpg
January 18Analysis, AssessmentA study for the first time attempts to assess and quantify complete societal costs of cars (i.e. car-use, etc). [8] [policy] AyalonRailWithTrain.jpg
February 1Analysis, Assessment, ObservationThe American Geophysical Union reports, based on a study by Chinese scientists published in November, that climate change has likely begun to suffocate the world's fisheries, passing a critical threshold of oxygen loss in 2021. [9] [10] [climate change] [food system] Overview of climatic changes and their effects on the ocean.png
February 3Observation, DevelopmentThe first comprehensive global map of oil and gas "ultra-emitters" of the potent greenhouse gas methane based on satellite data is published. [11] [12] [13] [methane emissions] The Global Methane Budget 2008-2017.png
February 9Development[ relevant? ]Researchers report the development of a viable flash JH-based process to recover rare-earth elements used in modern electronics from industrial wastes with practical potential to reduce environmental/health impacts from mining, waste-generation and imports if it can be scaled up. [14] [15] [circular economy] SL500 01.jpg
February 14Observation, AssessmentThe most comprehensive study of pharmaceutical pollution of the world's rivers finds that it threatens "environmental and/or human health in more than a quarter of the studied locations". [16] [17] [water pollution] PPCPentry.gif
February 15Analysis, ProjectionsNASA publishes its latest Sea Level Rise Technical Report, an update of the 2017 edition, which includes projections for sea-level rise through to the year 2150. The agency warns that sea levels may rise as much over the next 30 years as during the previous 100. [18] [19] [sea level rise] October 17 2016 sunny day tidal flooding at Brickell Bay Drive and 12 Street downtown Miami, 4.34 MLLW high tide am.jpg
February 16AnalysisA study models the system of coupled feedback processes (including potential mitigation tipping points) that may shape the trajectory of global greenhouse gas emissions over the century in the contemporary socioeconomic system if it both persists as is and its components remain largely unreformed. Broad factor-domains include public perceptions of climate change, future mitigation technologies' characteristics, and the responsiveness of political institutions. [20] [21] [climate change] Social tipping dynamics for stabilizing Earth's climate by 2050 - Figure 3 - Social tipping elements and associated social tipping interventions with the potential to drive rapid decarbonization in the World-Earth system.jpg
February 17Development[ relevant? ] Bionanotechnologists report the development of a viablebiosensor, ROSALIND 2.0, that can detect levels of diverse water pollutants. [22] [23] [water pollution] Water system.pdf
February 23Development[ relevant? ]Researchers report the development of a quantum gradiometer – an atom interferometer quantum sensor – which could be used to map and investigate subterraneans. [24] [25] [sensing] Applications of gravity cartography quantum sensing.webp
February 23Analysis, Review, ProjectionsUN researchers publish a comprehensive study about climate change impacted wildfires with projections (e.g. a 31–57% increase of extreme wildfires by 2100) and information about impacts and countermeasures. [26] [27] [wildfires] The Rim Fire in the Stanislaus National Forest near in California began on Aug. 17, 2013-0004.jpg
February 28Analysis, AssessmentA study shows annual carbon emissions (or carbon loss) from tropical deforestation have doubled during the last two decades and continue to increase. [28] [29] [deforestation] [climate change] ISS029-E-008032 Fires along the Rio Xingu - Brazil.jpg
February 28ReviewThe IPCC releases the second part of its Sixth Assessment Report on climate change. It shows that any further delay in concerted global action would mean missing the rapidly closing window to secure human wellbeing and the planet's health against cascading impacts. [30] [31] [climate change] Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Logo.svg
March 1Analysis, Observation Atmospheric scientists report that the 2022 volcano eruption in Tonga, Pacific Ocean – the largest recorded volcanic eruption since 1991 which reportedly cooled global climate by ~0.6 °C during 15 months [32] – did not have a cooling effect (volcanic winter) of significance to global climate change (i.e. a cooling of ~0.004 °C during the first year). [33] [34] [climate change] [volcanoes] ISS-66 Atmospheric plume from 2022 Hunga Tonga eruption.jpg
March 7Analysis, ObservationResearchers report that more than three-quarters of the Amazon rainforest has been losing resilience due to deforestation and climate change since the early 2000s as measured by recovery-time from short-term perturbations ("critical slowing down" (CSD)), reinforcing the theory that it is approaching a critical transition. [35] [36] On March 11, INPE reports satellite data that show record-high levels of Amazon deforestation in Brazil for a February (199 km²). [37] [deforestation] ISS029-E-008032 Fires along the Rio Xingu - Brazil.jpg
March 7Analysis, ObservationA study suggests that half of the US population has been exposed to substantially detrimental lead levels in early childhood – mainly from car exhaust whose lead pollution peaked in the 1970s. [38] [39] [ globalize ][toxins] [transport] Symptoms of lead poisoning (raster).png
March 9AnalysisResearchers report that, on average, the elderly played "a leading role in driving up GHG emissions in the past decade and are on the way to becoming the largest contributor" due to factors such as demographic transition, low informed concern about climate change and high expenditures on carbon-intensive products like energy which is used i.a. for heating rooms and private transport. [40] [41] [climate change] Kids Want Climate Justice (34168280266).jpg
March 10Analysis, Assessment, ProposalA study estimates that "relocating current croplands to [environmentally] optimal locations, whilst allowing ecosystems in then-abandoned areas to regenerate, could simultaneously decrease the current carbon, biodiversity, and irrigation water footprint of global crop production by 71%, 87%, and 100%", with relocation only within national borders also having substantial potential. [42] [43] [food system] WheatYield.png
March 16Analysis, ObservationResearchers report that over 80% of the growth of methane emissions during 2010–2019 was caused by tropical terrestrial emissions. [44] [45] [methane emissions] ISS029-E-008032 Fires along the Rio Xingu - Brazil.jpg
March 21Observation, AnalysisBefore formal publication of the 'Global Carbon Budget 2021' preprint, [46] scientists report, based on Carbon Monitor [47] data, that after COVID-19-pandemic-caused record-level declines in 2020, global CO2 emissions rebounded sharply by 4.8% in 2021, indicating that at the current trajectory, the 1.5 °C carbon budget would be used up within 9.5 years with a two-thirds likelihood. [48] [climate change] 1800- Global carbon dioxide emissions, per person.svg
March 24ReviewScientists review the biophysical mechanisms by which forests influence climate, showing that beyond 50°N large scale deforestation leads to a net global cooling, that tropical deforestation leads to substantial warming from non-CO2-impacts, and that as well as how standing tropical forests help cool the average global temperature by more than 1 °C. [49] [50] [climate change] [deforestation] Biophysical Effects on Global Temperature From Deforestation by 10deg Latitude Band.jpg
March 31Analysis Depletion of ozone in the stratosphere and, more importantly (60%), ozone increase in the troposphere is shown to be responsible for ~30% of upper Southern Ocean interior warming between 1955 and 2000. [51] [52] [ozone] IM ozavg ept 200006.png

See also

General

Natural environment

Artificial development

References

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