Turkey has sent in an armored column of tanks into Syria to take control of the city of Jarablus from Daesh (the Islamic State). The move follows a devastating bombing of a Kurdish celebration that killed many in the city of Gaziantep on 21 August including 22 children. While the move is a welcome one in the fight against Daesh, it is clear that Turkey also has another motive. As one can see in the map below, Kurd forces (the YPG) control territory to the west and east of Jarablus. Turkey is desperate to make sure that Kurdish forces do not control contiguous territory in northern Syria, fearing that the Kurds there will push for their own state. Even though the Kurds are US allies, the US is supporting the Turkish offensive.
Researchers have come up with evidence that human-induced climate change may have started earlier in the industrial age than previously believed. If this interpretation is valid, then the findings suggest that climate is more sensitive to greenhouse gas warming than assumed in most of the climate models. That interpretation is contested and further research is warranted. For the actual paper, click here (it is a very technical paper).
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