A record-breaking heat wave unfolding at what should be the coldest time in Earth's coldest place has scientists concerned about what it could mean for the future health of the Antarctic continent – and the consequences it could inflict for millions of people across the globe.
Temperatures since mid-July have climbed up to 50 degrees Fahrenheit above normal over parts of Antarctica, and unseasonable warmth could continue through the first half of August.
The latest data shows high temperatures in portions of East Antarctica – where the most abnormal conditions are ongoing – that are typically between minus 58 and minus 76 degrees Fahrenheit are now closer to minus 13 to minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit.
That's cold, but Bismarck, North Dakota, has reached minus 20 degrees at least once a year in almost every year since 1875. Antarctica's typical winter cold should be operating at a level unfathomable to most people in the US.
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📸: Sebnem Coskun/Anadolu/Getty Images
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A new retrofit procurement guide uses public spending to expand capacity, create local jobs and tackle skills shortages by baking training and labour targets into contracts. This gives sustainable construction and decarbonising the built environment delivery teeth, promoting life cycle thinking in construction, resource efficiency in construction and eco‑design for buildings, alongside sustainable material specification and low carbon building upgrades that support carbon neutral construction.
Escalating climate risks—from European wildfires to transboundary smoke and cascading Himalayan floods—are accelerating environmental sustainability in construction and sustainable urban development. Design for resilience is becoming core to net zero carbon buildings and green construction, with fire‑hardening, smoke filtration, heat‑safe interiors and green infrastructure specified to reduce the environmental impact of construction, deliver carbon footprint reduction over whole life carbon and strengthen eco‑friendly construction and sustainable architecture.
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