As Australia is being devastated by uncontrollable bushfires, the Philippines was just hit by another natural disaster. Taal Volcano located on the big island of Luzon erupted January 12, 2020, reportedly sending ash and steam up to 6-9 miles into the sky. With the alert level of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) escalating from Alert Level 2 to Alert Level 4, it is now believed that "a hazardous explosive eruption is possible within hours to days."

The Taal Volcano Eruption Update 2020 is priority news for all travelers as the off-beat tourist location is temporarily closed for business.

Taal Volcano is a large caldera filled by Taal Lake in the Philippines. Located in the province of Batangas, the volcano is one of the most active volcanoes in the country, with 34 recorded historical eruptions, all of which were concentrated on Volcano Island, near the middle of Taal Lake. Credit: (https://www.flickr.com/people/therealbrute/)

The science on the human contribution to modern warming is quite clear. Humans emissions and activities have caused around 100% of the warming observed.

Maria Evangeline Tenorio Sarmiento struggles to wade through ankle-deep mud and debris to reach her house that’s been inundated with thick sludge.

Red-hot lava gushed out of the Taal volcano in the Philippines after a sudden eruption of ash and steam forced villagers to flee

The eruption since January 12 of Taal Volcano, one of the world’s smallest, has caused devastating impacts on surrounding communities, with tons of volcanic ash spewed that have covered entire villages and towns near it. Tens of thousands of people in Batangas have fled their homes for safety amid the threat of hazardous magmatic eruption, […]