- In a landmark ruling, the European Court of Human Rights said that member countries are obligated to protect citizens from climate crisis impacts.

SAY IT AIN’t SO, JOE. Climate law is entering the twilight zone, where judges and lawyers become the new climate scientists.

From now on, this newsletter will be sent on Tuesdays instead of Fridays. Thanks for reading -  LB

Members of Swiss group, Senior Women for Climate Protection, react after the European Court of Human Rights said Switzerland was not doing enough to tackle the climate crisis, the first such ruling on the responsibility of states in curbing global heat (Photo by Frederick FLORIN / AFP) 

-- In a landmark ruling, the European Court of Human Rights said that member countries are obligated to protect citizens from climate crisis impacts. The case was brought by 2,000 Swiss members of Senior Women for Climate Protection, who had argued that their government's inadequate efforts to combat climate change put them at risk of dying during heatwaves. Court president Siofra O'Leary said the Swiss government had violated the human right to a private and family life, by failing to put in place sufficient domestic policies to tackle climate change. It's the first time that an international court has ruled on climate change, and could have a ripple effect across Europe and beyond, setting a precedent for how some courts deal with the rising tide of climate litigation argued on the basis of human rights infringements. (Associated Press)

-- March was the 10th consecutive month to set a new record for global heat, according to the European climate change service. The global average land temperature in March 2024 was 14.1C (57.4F), the highest ever for the month and surpassing the 2016 record by a tenth of a degree. The month was 1.68C (3F) hotter than when the world started burning copious amounts of fossil fuels 150 years ago. Last year was the hottest in human history, and scientists have warned that 2024 could break that record.

-- India’s Supreme Court has expanded the fundamental “right to life” in its constitution to include protections against climate impacts which threaten health and equality. In 2022, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change identified India as one of the world's most vulnerable countries to climate change due to extreme heat, storms, air pollution, disease, and food insecurity. The country has had an estimated 16 per cent loss in GDP over the past 30 years due to factors like rising sea levels and more erratic monsoons.

-- Three people were reportedly sucked out of their apartments as they slept by typhoon-like winds during violent rain and hailstorms in southeastern China last month. The victims, including an 11-year-old boy, fell to their deaths in Nanchang. At least seven people died during the extreme weather which engulfed 54 counties, the Jiangxi provincial emergency flood control headquarters said.

-- Bogota begins rationing water this week in a conservation effort that willaffect at least 9 million people in and around Colombia's capital. Droughts have been intensified by the current El Nino weather pattern during the nation's dry season and caused reservoir levels to fall to the lowest levels in decades, Mayor Carlos Galan said on Monday. High temperatures and droughts have also exacerbated forest fires in the South American country. (Reuters)

-- The number of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) on Norway’s roads is on track to overtake gas-powered cars by the end of this year or in early 2025. The transition to electric has been powered, ironically, by the Scandinavian country's huge oil and gas wealth which allowed generous incentives. Still, analysts think it will take a few more years for BEVs to surpass the number of diesel vehicles in Norway. 

-- Two years ago, the US government provided $7.5bn to create a national network of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. To date, seven have been built. The money came from the $1 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, signed by President Joe Biden in November 2021, to build 500,000 EV chargers by 2030. But despite concerns from some lawmakers, transport officials are confident that half a million will be publicly available by 2027, making EV charging “as easy as finding a gas station”. 

-- One unexpected consequence of the booming battery market for EVs and other tech: threats to Africa's gorillas and chimpanzees. A new study has found that mining for critical minerals on the continent has placed one-third of the species at risk as habitats are destroyed. “A shift away from fossil fuels is good for the climate but must be done in a way that does not jeopardise biodiversity,” said researcher Dr Genevieve Campbell.

-- An unprecedented number of Atlantic hurricanes are expected this yearduring an “extremely active” season, one group of forecasters warned. The early findings, published by Colorado State University, predicted 23 named storms, the highest number since the team began making forecasts 20 years ago. This included 11 hurricanes and five major ones of categories 3-5 with sustained winds of 111 miles per hour or greater. Their previous highest April forecast was for nine hurricanes.