First Thing: Israel’s war in Gaza has ‘immense’ effect on climate catastrophe

First months of conflict produced more planet-warming gases than 20 climate-vulnerable nations do in a year, study shows. Plus, the Greenland startup shipping glacier ice to UAE

Good morning.

The planet-warming emissions generated during the first two months of the war in Gaza were greater than the annual carbon footprint of more than 20 of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations, research reveals.

The vast majority (99%) of the 281,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂ equivalent) estimated to have been generated in the first 60 days after the 7 October Hamas attack can be attributed to Israel’s aerial bombardment and ground invasion of Gaza, according to a first-of-its-kind analysis by researchers in the UK and US.

According to the study, which is based on only a handful of carbon-intensive activities and is therefore probably a significant underestimate, the climate cost of the first 60 days of Israel’s military response was equivalent to burning at least 150,000 tonnes of coal.

The analysis, which is yet to be peer reviewed, includes CO₂ from aircraft missions, tanks and fuel from other vehicles, as well as emissions generated by making and exploding the bombs, artillery and rockets. It does not include other planet-warming gases such as methane. Almost half the total CO₂ emissions were down to US cargo planes flying military supplies to Israel.

• Lebanon tensions The militant group Hezbollah launched a drone attack against an Israeli command base on Tuesday morning in response to recent high-level Israeli assassinations in Lebanon. Israel said there were no casualties.

Biden assails Trump for trying to turn election ‘loss into a lie’

From the pulpit of a Black church that was the site of a racist massacre in 2015, Joe Biden cast this year’s presidential election as a battle for truth over lies told by those who seek to “whitewash” the worst chapters of American history – from the deadly assault on the US Capitol to the civil war.

“This is a time of choosing,” Biden implored Americans during a visit to Mother Emanuel AME church, where nine Black worshippers were murdered by a white supremacist gunman who they had welcomed into their Bible study. Without mentioning Donald Trump by name, Biden assailed his predecessor and likely 2024 Republican opponent as a “loser” who sought to overthrow the will of the 81 million Americans who voted for the Democratic president.

“In their world, these Americans, including you, don’t count,” Biden told supporters. “But that’s not the real world. That’s not democracy. That’s not America.”

Biden’s remarks were briefly interrupted by protesters angry with the president’s support for Israel’s war in Gaza. “Ceasefire now,” they shouted from the pews. Their calls were drowned out by chants from the president’s supporters of “four more years”.

• What’s happening with the US defense secretary, Lloyd Austin? The White House has said that he will stay in his job but noted his “lack of transparency” and called for a review of procedures after he spent three days in hospital without informing the president.

Michigan overwhelm Washington to claim first national title in 26 years

Blake Corum ran for 134 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns as Jim Harbaugh and Michigan – undeterred by suspensions and a sign-stealing case that shadowed the program this season – completed a three-year climb to a national championship by beating Washington 34-13 on Monday night in the College Football Playoff title game.

The Wolverines (15-0) sealed their first national title since 1997 when Corum, who scored the winning touchdown in overtime to beat Alabama in the Rose Bowl semi-final, blasted in from the one-yard line with 3:37 left to put Michigan up by 21 and set off another rousing rendition of The Victors.

After nine seasons coaching his alma mater and in his third consecutive playoff appearance, Harbaugh delivered the title so many expected when he took over a struggling powerhouse in 2015 – despite missing six regular-season games this season while serving separate suspensions.

• And he did it with a team his old coach, Bo Schembechler, would have adored. The Wolverines ran for 303 yards against Washington (14-1), and their defense held Michael Penix Jr and the Huskies’ prolific passing game to just one touchdown while intercepting the Heisman Trophy runner-up twice.

In other news …

• United Airlines has found loose bolts and other “installation issues” on multiple 737 Max 9 aircraft, it said yesterday, referring to the Boeing model that has been grounded after a panel blew off an Alaska Airlines-operated plane mid-flight over the weekend.

• Ukraine has a deficit of anti-aircraft guided missiles, air force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat has been quoted as saying. US Congress last month failed to approve $50bn (£39bn) in security aid for Ukraine as negotiators fell short of a deal. Ukraine is separately waiting to receive a €50bn (£43.5bn) package from the EU.

• South Korea’s parliament has voted to ban the production and sale of dog meat, in a decision campaigners hailed as a “historic victory” for animal welfare. The country’s national assembly voted overwhelmingly to ban the breeding, butchery, distribution and sale of dogs for their meat.

• A five-year-old boy was killed when someone shot into a home where he was getting his hair cut, according to Alabama police. The child was identified as Brandon Jamal Nation III, of Fairfield, according to the Jefferson county coroner’s office.

Don’t miss this: Could you commit to buying just five new items of clothing in a year?

Ilove fashion, enjoy following trends, keeping up with new brands and dressing up, but I have always bought too much, writes Tiffanie Darke. So when a report last year found that no amount of recycled materials, regenerative agriculture or innovative fabrics are going to make enough of an impact to keep global heating at bay, I decided to embark on a new way of getting dressed.

From realising your personal style differs to the one prescribed by Instagram to discovering the joys of a wool de-piller – here are five people who made a pledge to only buy five new items of clothinglast year, on what they bought and what it taught them.

Climate check: Global heating will pass 1.5C threshold this year, says former Nasa scientist

The internationally agreed threshold to prevent the Earth from spiralling into a new superheated era will be “passed for all practical purposes” during 2024, the man known as the godfather of climate science has warned. James Hansen, the former Nasa scientist credited for alerting the world to the dangers of climate change in the 1980s, said that global heating caused by the burning of fossil fuels, amplified by the naturally reoccurring El Niño climatic event, will by May push temperatures to as much as 1.7C (3F) above the average experienced before industrialization. “We are now in the process of moving into the 1.5C world,” Hansen told the Guardian.

Last Thing: Greenland startup begins shipping glacier ice to cocktail bars in the UAE

Frozen daiquiri anyone? Drinking a cocktail on top of a Dubai skyscraper may seem decadent enough, but a Greenland entrepreneur wants to add ancient glacier ice scooped from the fjords to the glass, for the ultimate international thrill. Arctic Ice harvests ice from the fjords of Greenland, and then ships them to the United Arab Emirates to sell to exclusive bars. Using glacial ice in drinks is a common practice in Greenland, and, over the years, several entrepreneurs have unsuccessfully attempted to export it. Its co-founder Malik V Rasmussen said the ice, which has been compressed over millennia, is completely without bubbles and melts more slowly than regular ice.

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