Planet Earth is in a state of unprecedented transformation. Global temperatures are rising at an alarming rate, weather patterns are becoming more erratic, and extreme weather events are intensifying.

In recent decades, we have witnessed an alarming frequency and intensity of extreme weather events around the world. From scorching heat waves to devastating hurricanes, flash floods and prolonged droughts, these events are becoming a new norm. Scientists are increasingly convinced that these phenomena are not merely whims of nature, but clear symptoms of a much larger problem: climate change.

But what is Climate Change?

Climate change refers to significant and long-lasting changes in global weather patterns. While the Earth's climate has changed throughout its history, today, we are seeing an unprecedented acceleration of these changes due to human activities. The burning of fossil fuels, deforestation and other industrial practices have significantly increased levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4). These gases trap heat, resulting in global warming.

However, scientists were rarely able to pin down the exact contribution of climate change to these events. Today, thanks to the combination of human intelligence, mathematical models, precise meteorological data and supercomputers, it is possible to calculate the climate footprints of many important weather events.

The goal of climate attribution is to demonstrate the extent to which greenhouse gases, from the burning of fossil fuels, are related to observed weather effects.

Scientific Evidence: The Clear Link

The international scientific community is clear and forceful: climate change, caused mainly by greenhouse gas emissions derived from human activities, is mainly responsible for this intensification of extreme weather events.

Comprehensive scientific studies show that climate change is altering atmospheric circulation patterns, increasing the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere and modifying the frequency and intensity of precipitation.

Scientists now try to calculate and disseminate these climate signatures within days or weeks of an extreme weather event, when people are very attentive, says Michael Wehner, a scientist who calculates the attributions at the US Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. . USA in California.

Quickly relating the event to greenhouse gases “helps people realize that climate change is not our children's or our grandchildren's problem. Important things are happening now,” says Wehner.

Here are some examples of how climate change is affecting our climate:

1. Heat Waves: Heat waves are becoming more frequent and severe. According to NASA, the last five years have been the hottest on record since 1880. Rising global temperatures are making heat waves longer, hotter and more dangerous to human health.
2. Hurricanes and Tropical Storms: Hurricanes are increasing in intensity due to warming oceans. Warmer water acts as fuel for these storm systems, making hurricanes stronger and bringing heavier rain. Recent examples include Hurricane Dorian in 2019 and Hurricane Harvey in 2017, both causing massive destruction and loss of life.
3. Floods and Extreme Rainfall: Global warming increases the atmosphere's ability to retain moisture, resulting in more intense and frequent rainfall. These extreme rainfall can lead to flash floods, such as those seen in Europe and Asia in recent years.
4. Droughts: On the other hand, some regions are experiencing longer and more severe droughts. Rising global temperatures cause greater water evaporation, which dries out soils and decreases water supply. ua. The recent droughts in California and Australia are clear examples of how climate change is exacerbating water scarcity.
5. Forest Fires: Dry conditions and heat waves are creating a perfect environment for wildfires. The fires in Australia in 2019-2020 and in the Amazon in 2019 were some of the worst in history, devastating millions of hectares of land and causing incalculable ecological damage.

Human and Environmental Impact

Researchers at Climate Central, a nonprofit organization that collaborates with WWA, found that last summer's heat wave in the southwestern United States (where temperatures in July were about six degrees Celsius above normal) was five or more times more likely due to climate change.

Heat waves like this “are not just flukes,” but will become much more frequent if the world does not quickly transition away from fossil fuels and other greenhouse gases, says Andrew Pershing, chief scientist of attribution research at Climate Central. .

Climate change has exacerbated heat, flooding and storms. Complex weather events are triggered by various environmental factors, such as high or low pressure systems, jet streams, etc. But rising air and ocean surface temperatures have long been known to be another important factor that has aggravated many recent disasters.

Scientists have calculated, for example, that the rainfall totals of six of the major hurricanes that hit the Atlantic coast in the last 20 years (Katrina, Irma, Maria, Harvey, Dorian and Florence) and which together caused more than 500,000 million dollars in damage, were four to 15 times more intense (depending on the hurricane) than they would have been if the Earth had been colder.

According to a Climate Central analysis, last year's unusually warm Christmas week in the Midwest was at least twice as much due to climate change. Although some blame those snowless Christmases on El Niño (the periodic warming of the surface of the Pacific Ocean that affects the weather), without global warming the area could have received some Christmas snowfall.

According to the WWA, heat waves, which occurred once every 10 years in the pre-industrial era, are now three times more frequent and often 1.2 degrees Celsius warmer than in the past. The unprecedented heat wave that hit the roads of the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada in the summer of 2021 would have been virtually impossible without the contribution of climate change.

Extreme weather events have devastating consequences for people and the environment. Below are some of the most significant impacts:

1. Displacement and Home Loss: Floods, storms and wildfires can destroy entire communities, displacing thousands of people and leaving them homeless. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), it is estimated that by 2050, there will be between 25 and 1 billion climate displaced people worldwide.
2. Agriculture and Food Security: Droughts and extreme rainfall severely affect agricultural production, which can lead to food shortages and increased prices. Food security is a growing concern, especially in the most vulnerable regions of the world.
3. Human Health: Heat waves can cause serious health problems, including heat stroke and dehydration, especially among more vulnerable populations such as the elderly and children. Additionally, flooding can spread waterborne diseases and wildfires can deteriorate air quality, causing respiratory problems.
4. Ecosystems and Biodiversity: Extreme events also affect ecosystems and biodiversity. Forest fires can destroy habitats and kill thousands of animals. I dried them They can dry out bodies of water, affecting aquatic life and the species that depend on those resources.

The Need for Immediate Action

The international community must act urgently and decisively to mitigate climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

Here are some key strategies:

• Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions: It is essential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to stop global warming. This includes switching to renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, and improving energy efficiency.
• Reforestation and Forest Conservation: Forests act as carbon sinks, absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere. Protecting and restoring forests is a crucial measure to combat climate change.
• Energy efficiency: Implementing energy efficiency measures in buildings, industries and transportation is crucial to reducing our energy consumption and, therefore, our greenhouse gas emissions.
• Education and Awareness: Informing and educating the population about climate change and its impacts is essential to generate change at an individual and collective level. Raising awareness can lead to more sustainable practices and broader support for climate policies.
• Adaptation to impacts: Adaptation strategies need to be developed to address the impacts of climate change that we are already experiencing, such as building more resilient infrastructure and implementing early warning systems.

What can you do?

• Reduce your carbon footprint: Reduce your energy consumption, use sustainable means of transportation, avoid food waste and choose products of local and sustainable origin.
• Get informed and spread knowledge: Learn about climate change and share the information with your family, friends and community.
• Support organizations working for climate: Join organizations fighting climate change and participate in their activities.
• Demand action from your leaders: Contact your political representatives and demand that they take urgent action to combat climate change.

By taking urgent and ambitious action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change, we can mitigate the most severe effects and build a more resilient and sustainable future for generations to come.

Ever since humanity looked up to the sky, Mars has been an object of fascination. Its reddish, blood-like color has inspired stories of war, conquest, and extraterrestrial life.

For centuries, the idea of ​​water on Mars has been relegated to the realm of science fiction. However, in recent decades, advances in space technology have allowed scientists to explore the Red Planet in unprecedented detail. And what they have found has revolutionized our understanding of Mars: compelling evidence that water, at one time, flowed on its surface.

An aquatic past: when Mars was a cosmic oasis

The scars of ancient rivers, lakes and even a sea that covered most of the planet are visible on the Martian surface. These formations, sculpted by water over billions of years, are a testimony to a past very different from the one we see today.

Meanwhile, the European Space Agency (ESA) has detected clear evidence of the existence of massive blocks of ice near the Martian equator, in a region known as Medusae Fossae. These formations contain between 219,000 and 396,000 cubic kilometers of frozen water, enough to flood the entire planet under a layer of two meters of water.

Recently, frost was discovered on volcanoes in the Tharsis region, near the Martian equator. This frost forms for a few hours at dawn and evaporates with sunlight, indicating an active water cycle.

But what happened to the water on Mars?

The answer is not simple. It is believed that a series of catastrophic events, such as the loss of its atmosphere and the decline in volcanic activity, caused the water to freeze or escape into space.

One of the main reasons Mars could have lost its water is the disappearance of its global magnetic field. On Earth, the magnetic field acts as a shield that protects the atmosphere from solar winds. Without this protective field, Mars was exposed to direct solar radiation.

Without a magnetic field, solar winds—streams of charged particles from the Sun—began stripping the Martian atmosphere of its molecules. This process, known as "atmospheric erosion," allowed Mars' thin atmosphere to escape into space over time.

With the decrease in atmospheric pressure, the boiling point of water decreased significantly. This means that liquid water on the surface of Mars began to evaporate and escape into space.

The loss of the thick, protective atmosphere led to a global cooling of the planet. Without an atmosphere to trap solar heat, Mars became a cold, arid world, with temperatures that could not support liquid water on the surface.

On Earth, volcanic activity plays a crucial role in releasing gases trapped inside the planet, which helps maintain a thick atmosphere. On Mars, the decrease in this activity meant less release of gases, contributing to a thinner atmosphere less able to retain water.

The current search for water: is there life on the red planet?

Although liquid water no longer flows freely on the surface of Mars, there are indications that it could be present in the form of ice at the poles and in underground reservoirs.

The presence of water, even in the form of ice, is an essential ingredient for life as we know it. That is why the search for water on Mars has become a priority for scientists, since it could support microbial life, either in the past or even today.

The discovery of frost on the Tharsis volcanoes, the tallest in the solar system, adds another layer of complexity to our understanding of the water cycle on Mars. Frost, formed by the condensation of humid air rising up the slopes of volcanoes, evaporates quickly at dawn. This phenomenon, observed thanks to the collaboration between the ExoMars and Mars Express missions, indicates exceptional processes that allow the formation of frost even in equatorial regions.

Water, essential for life as we know it, raises the possibility that Mars has been habitable in the past and perhaps still is in certain microenvironments. The discovery of accessible liquid water and ice deposits on Mars underscores the importance of continuing explorations with robotic and, eventually, human missions.

Space missions: exploring the enigma of water on Mars

Numerous space missions have been sent to Mars with the aim of searching for water and understanding its history. Some of the most important ones include:

Viking (1976): The first probes to land on Mars, although they did not find irrefutable evidence of life.
Mars Pathfinder (1997): The first mission to send a rover to Mars, Sojourner, which provided invaluable images and data about the planet's surface.
Mars Exploration Rovers (2003): Spirit and Opportunity, two rovers that explored the Martian surface for more than a decade, finding evidence that liquid water once flowed there.
Curiosity (2012): A still-operating rover that is exploring Gale Crater, searching for clues about the past habitability of Mars.
Mars Express (2003): A space probe that has been orbiting Mars for two decades, studying its atmosphere, surface and subsurface.
ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (2016): A space probe that searches for trace gases in the Martian atmosphere, which could be signs of life.
Recent discoveries: water in unexpected places

In recent years, scientists have made surprising discoveries about water on Mars:

Salt water flows: Dark lines have been observed on the slopes of Mars that appear and disappear with the seasons, suggesting that they are caused by salt water flows.
Ice at the equator: Huge deposits of ice have been found near the Martian equator, in an area where it was previously thought impossible.
Frost on volcanic peaks: Even in the warmest areas of the red planet, frost forms on the tops of volcanoes during the cold hours of dawn.
The future of space exploration: searching for life on Mars

Discoveries about water on Mars have opened new possibilities for human exploration of the red planet. Future missions like Mars 2020 and ExoMars Rover will directly search for evidence of life, such as fossils or biosignatures.

The search for water on Mars is not just a scientific question, it is also a search for our place in the universe. If we find evidence of life on the red planet, it will forever change our understanding of life and our very existence.

Beyond water: resources for future colonization

Water is not only essential for life, but is also a vital resource for future colonization of Mars. The ice could be used to produce drinking water, grow food and even generate energy.

The challenges of colonizing Mars

Colonizing Mars will not be an easy task. Among the main challenges are:

The distance: The trip to Mars is long and expensive, which limits the number of people and materials that can be sent.
The hostility of the environment: Mars is a cold, dry planet with a thin atmosphere, which makes it an inhospitable place for human life.
Radiation: Solar radiation is more intense on Mars than on Earth, which poses a risk to the health of astronauts.

Technologies to overcome challenges

Scientists and engineers are working on a number of technologies to overcome these challenges, such as:

Faster, more efficient space vehicles: New propulsion technologies are being developed that could reduce travel time to Mars.
Self-sustaining life support systems: Systems are being designed that could recycle air, water and waste to create a habitable habitat on Mars.
Radiation-resistant construction materials: New materials are being developed that could protect astronauts from radiation.

The path to colonization: a global effort

The colonization of Mars is an ambitious goal that will require a global effort. Space agencies around the world, such as NASA, ESA and JAXA, are collaborating on projects to explore and develop technologies for Mars.

The private sector is also playing an increasingly important role in space exploration. Companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin are developing their own space vehicles and plans to colonize Mars.

The future of humanity among the stars

The search for water on Mars is just one step in a much larger journey: the search for a new home for humanity among the stars. If we can overcome the challenges of colonizing Mars, we will open the doors to a future in which humanity can live and thrive on other worlds.

For years, it has been taught in schools that Venus or Mars are the closest planets to Earth. However, a new study has revealed that it is actually Mercury that spends more time on average closer to our planet.

This discovery was made by a team of astronomers from the Open University of the United Kingdom, led by David A. Rothery. Researchers have used a technique called the "circle point method" to calculate the average distance between two planets.

The results of the study have shown that, over the last half century, Mercury has been the closest planet to Earth 46% of the time. Venus is close behind at 36%, while Mars has only been closest 18% of the time.

The explanation for this phenomenon is that Mercury's orbit is the smallest in the Solar System. This means that Mercury is closer to the Sun than any other planet, and therefore also closer to Earth.

This discovery is an important step forward in our understanding of the Solar System. It is also good news for astronomy lovers, who will be able to learn something new about our universe.

Why has it been wrongly taught that Venus or Mars are the closest planets to Earth?

The main reason why Venus or Mars has been wrongly taught to be the closest planets to Earth is that when the positions of Venus and Earth align, it is true that Venus is the closest planet to ours. However, this does not mean that it is the closest, since it has been discovered that Mercury spends more time on average closer to Earth.

Another reason this mistake has been made is that Venus is the brightest planet in the Solar System, after the Sun. This makes Venus more visible than Mercury, even when they are not aligned.

What are the implications of this discovery?

This discovery has several important implications. First, it helps us better understand the dynamics of the Solar System. Secondly, it helps us better understand the evolution of the planets. Third, it helps us plan future space missions.

How can we observe this phenomenon?

This phenomenon is observable with the naked eye, but it is easier to see with a telescope. When Venus and Earth are aligned, it is possible to see Venus pass in front of the Sun. This phenomenon is known as a transit of Venus.

It is also possible to see Mercury pass in front of the Sun. However, this phenomenon is much rarer than the transit of Venus.

What other interesting things can we learn about Mercury?

Mercury is a very interesting planet. It is the smallest planet in the Solar System, and it is also the densest. Mercury has no atmosphere, and its surface is full of craters.

Mercury is a very hot planet. The temperature on the surface of Mercury can reach 427 degrees Celsius.

Mercury is a very mysterious planet. We still don't know much about its interior or its history.