Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 11 February 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# An earthquake of 5.3 magnitude hit the Greek island of Santorini, the strongest yet of the thousands of tremors, prompting thousands of people to flee. It was followed by another 5.0-magnitude tremor two hours later. According to Athens University, nearly 13-thousand tremors have been recorded between 26 January and 8 February. The tremors have baffled scientists, who say that the region has not experienced seismic activity on this scale since records began in 1964. Santorini lies atop a dormant volcano which last erupted in 1950.

# The 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index shows that corruption is strongly intertwined with climate change. The index ranks 180 countries and territories worldwide by their perceived levels of public sector corruption. Transparency International says corruption hinders progress in reducing emissions and adapting to the unavoidable effects of global warming. It adds that many nations with high CPI scores have the resources and power to drive corruption-resistant climate action globally, but instead, they often serve the interests of fossil fuel companies. 

# And finally: Green Climate Fund leader Mafalda Duarte is urging nations to maintain climate finance for developing countries. This is despite the withdrawal of almost 73.8- billion-rand pledge by the United States government. The US withdrawal, tied to congressional approval issues, contrasts with contributions from Germany, the United Kingdom, and Japan. While renewable energy projects may find alternative funding, climate resilience efforts risk setbacks. The fund expects to approve up to about 55-billion-rand in projects this year.

Stay tuned for more news………….