Only by limiting human-caused global warming to 1.5°C or less, which many scientists don't consider feasible, can a multi-century melting of the globe's ice sheets and increase in sea levels be averted, a new study finds.
Why it matters: Along with extreme weather events, sea level rise is a climate change impact that is already being felt in coastal communities.
New Zealand's government declared a nationwide state of emergency in response to Cyclone Gabrielle's heavy rains and destructive winds that caused widespread flooding, landslides and power outages and forced hundreds of people to evacuate this week.
Why it matters: NZ's third-ever national emergency was declared Tuesday as weather agency MetService warned the effects of the storm that closed over 30 state highways and caused "the shutdown of air, sea, and rail transport" across the North Island will be felt long after it moves away early Wednesday.
