Climate and environment updates: 7 key measures of Earth's health in danger, report warns

As the planet gets warmer, the need for electric cooling continues to grow. And according to a new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA), it's one of the main reasons global demand for energy spiked in 2024. The IEA found that air conditioning use, industrial production and the expansion of data centers resulted in the power sector, led by electricity, growing nearly twice as fast as the average rate over the past decade.

According to the report, over 80% of last year's global energy demand increase came from emerging and developing economies. However, after several years of declines, even advanced economies, like the United States, saw demand growth in 2024.

Electricity use is growing so rapidly that it has reversed recent trends in energy consumption in advanced economies worldwide, IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said in a statement.

Global heat waves, the growing fleet of electric vehicles and the construction of new data centers were all cited as contributing factors to the spike in electricity demand last year.

Global sales of electric cars accounted for one-fifth of all car sales in 2024, an increase of more than 25% from the previous year. Meanwhile, demand for electricity from new data centers, mainly in the United States and China, accounted for about 20% of the rise in electricity demand.

While all available energy sources are helping meet the global demand for energy demand, a growing supply of low-emission sources was able to cover most of last year's increase. In 2024, 80% of the growth in global electricity generation was from renewable and nuclear sources, contributing to 40% of the world's total electricity generation for the first time. Solar and wind accounted for 16% of the United State's electricity, surpassing coal.

The report found that this significant shift to renewable energy sources has had a notable impact on limiting the annual rise in energy-related carbon dioxide emissions. In 2024, carbon dioxide emissions in advanced economies dropped to their lowest level in 50 years. Additionally, the deployment of solar, wind, nuclear, electric cars and heat pumps since 2019 now prevents 2.6 billion tons of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere each year.

-ABC News meteorologist Dan Peck

If you've been losing sleep because of anxiety about our changing climate, you can now blame global warming for literally keeping you awake. A new study in Nature Communications suggests rising temperatures can make it harder for people to get a good night's sleep.

Researchers analyzed 23 million sleep records from more than 214,000 adults living in mainland China. They found that when the average daily temperature increased by 18 degrees Fahrenheit, people were 20.1% more likely to get insufficient sleep. In addition, total sleep time dropped by nearly 10 minutes per night. Deep sleep, essential for physical and mental recovery, was the most affected, declining by 2.82%.

The study also suggests that by the end of the century, climate change-related sleep deprivation could increase by an average of 10.5%. If true, that would result in the average person losing more than 33 hours of sleep each year.

Light sleep and dream sleep also declined by over 2%. People older than 45, women, those with a BMI greater than 25 and people living in humid climates such as South, Central and Eastern China were at greater risk.

Participants wore a smart device for the study to monitor their heart rate, exercise and sleep patterns. And while the study looked at a large number of people, it didn't include anyone from outside of China. It also assumed that outdoor temperatures reflected the actual sleep conditions without considering whether the person had an air conditioner.

According to the National Weather Service, extreme heat is the deadliest weather-related hazard in the United States, and children and adults over 65 are among the most vulnerable to heat-related illnesses and death.

-ABC News climate unit's Matthew Glasser and ABC News medical unit's Heya Batah, MD

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is out with its spring weather outlook, calling for above-average temperatures in the East and Gulf Coast regions and drought conditions in the Southwest.

From April to June, NOAA says warmer-than-average temperatures are likely for the southern part of the U.S. and across the Eastern seaboard. Central and south Florida, along with the areas stretching from the Texas and Louisiana coasts to southern Utah and eastern Nevada, have the highest chance of seeing a warmer-than-normal springtime.

Moderate to exceptional drought conditions will likely continue in much of the Southwest and the Rocky Mountains. NOAA also predicts that much of the western U.S. will get less rain than average, adding to their water woes.

There's good news on the flooding front, however. NOAA's National Water Center does not anticipate widespread flooding across the country. The agency says above-average temperatures and snowpacks far below normal significantly reduce the risk of major flooding.

As spring is typically the busiest time for tornadoes, NOAA is encouraging people in tornado zones to prepare for the upcoming season by reading up on how to stay safe during these extreme weather events.

-ABC News climate unit's Matthew Glasser

The pilots and scientists who fly into hurricanes face a storm that has nothing to do with the weather. Called "hurricane hunters," these crews fly into tropical cyclones and winter storms to collect data essential for forecasting a storm’s path, timing and strength.

Operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the United States Air Force, these crews are now facing staffing and maintenance issues, according to a newly released report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

The report’s release comes as NOAA and the National Weather Service (part of NOAA) are facing staff reductions that have impacted various offices nationwide.

The GAO report details the critical role that the program plays in weather forecasting and storm preparation and says staffing and maintenance issues are forcing the cancellation of necessary missions.

Staffing shortages have impeded the completion of mission objectives, as hurricane hunter personnel face growing workloads, NOAA officials said, explaining that “the agency is often one illness or injury away from having to cancel missions.” The GAO also identified an aging aircraft fleet and an inadequate number of maintenance technicians as problems for the agency.

In 2023, all three of NOAA’s Hurricane Hunter aircraft were grounded due to maintenance issues as Hurricane Idalia threatened Florida in late August.

However, the report found that these issues weren't the only reason flights were being canceled. Demand for hurricane hunter reconnaissance flights has increased in recent years, primarily due to the addition of atmospheric river missions on the West Coast, which were added in 2019. Very active Atlantic hurricane seasons in recent years is also a contributing factor.

The GAO published a list of recommendations aimed at improving operations. It suggested developing a process to better track personnel and manage maintenance requests and issues. The report also recommended that organizations perform staffing assessments to identify their current needs. Additionally, it noted that poor communication between NOAA and Air Force senior leadership has hindered the availability of reliable aircraft. NOAA and the Air Force said they agreed with the recommendations.

-ABC News meteorologist Dan Peck