Planet Week: American climate action in limbo
Welcome to Planet Week, where we highlight the last week of environmental news and what it means for our Planet.
Last week, Greta Thunberg again roasted world leaders, Germany’s Green Party achieved their best result in a national election, and climate change replaced the pandemic as insurers’ biggest worry.
In case you missed it, here’s what else happened around the Planet:
Sunday, September 26
Boomers screw over babies
Children born today will face a world ravaged by climate change, finds new research. Compared to their grandparents, newborns will see seven times more heatwaves, twice as many wildfires, and three times as many droughts. And such impacts are uneven: A child born in sub-Saharan Africa will see 50 times more heatwaves than one growing up 60 years ago.
The findings underline the importance of November’s international climate talks in Glasgow, especially since countries’ pledges are nowhere close to avoiding this future.
“The consequence of children suffering unprecedented sequences of climate extremes over the course of their lives can now be attributed to the inaction of today’s adults,” Joeri Rogelj, a study author, told The Independent. “It also shows how much can be gained by ambitious emissions reductions.”
Monday, September 27
Ford’s big electric push
Ford continues to go all-in on electric. On Monday, the automaker announced it will spend over $11 billion to build four new factories: one facility for assembling electric vehicles and three plants to build the batteries that power them.
The move, which is the largest single investment in the company’s history, will also create 11,000 jobs across Kentucky and Tennessee. The Detroit Free Press has more.
Not to be outdone, on Thursday General Motors announced it expects to get all its electricity from renewables by 2025, five years earlier than expected, reports Reuters.
Floods swamp Thailand and India
Last weekend, floods swept through Thailand and India, leaving at least 19 people dead and thousands of others forced from their homes.
The flooding, caused by Tropical Storm Dianmu, has affected a third of Thailand. And the inundation is expected to worsen with seasonal monsoon rains through the end of October. Al Jazeera has the latest.
Wednesday, September 29
US declares 23 species extinct
Wildlife officials have given up hope on nearly two dozen species. Last week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declared 22 animal and one plant species extinct. Most notable of the bunch is the ivory-billed woodpecker, a bird that hasn’t been seen since 1944.
Climate change makes it harder to save some of these dwindling animals, as drought, floods, wildfires, and temperature swings compound threats, The Associated Press writes.
Though that’s a tough pill to swallow, there is some hope: The government isn’t powerless when facing extinction. On Wednesday, the Biden administration officially reversed Trump-era policy that eased penalties for killing birds, reports The Washington Post.
Thursday, September 30
American climate action in limbo
After months of dealmaking, President Joe Biden’s climate agenda is stalled. On Thursday, competing factions in the Democratic Party delayed a vote on the bipartisan infrastructure package, putting both of Biden’s biggest climate bills in jeopardy.
At the heart of the disagreement is the $3.5 trillion spending bill. Progressives want a vote on that bill — which expands Medicare, boosts federal safety nets, and funds climate action — before they vote on the infrastructure bill, which is the big priority for moderates.
Key swing voter and moderate Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), however, has repeatedly criticized the size of the spending bill, instead proposing a $1.5 trillion budget bill, which waters down several key climate provisions and even incentivizes natural gas. Biden seems willing to meet somewhere in the middle.
Though the gap between moderate and progressive Democrats remains wide, the president and others are projecting confidence: “I’m telling you, we’re going to get this done,” Biden told reporters Friday. “It doesn’t matter whether it’s in six minutes, six days, or six weeks. We’re going to get it done.” E&E News has more on what’s next.
Energy crisis roils Europe, China
As we enter the fall and winter, increased demand for heat and electricity is leading to energy shortages for some of the world’s most powerful countries.
In Europe, sky-high natural gas prices have kept residents in the cold for weeks, while China is facing electricity shortages (and rising coal prices). The crisis is stabilizing in Europe, though prices will likely remain high ahead of winter, and analysts are already cutting a few points off of China’s forecasted GDP growth.
Looking for a silver lining? The situation may push world leaders at COP26, November’s international climate talks, to speed up the clean energy transition, reports Axios.
Friday, October 1
Flood insurance undergoes massive changes
Big changes are coming to flood insurance in the U.S. In the face of rising climate impacts, the country’s flood insurance program is adjusting rates to better reflect an individual property’s risk.
That means owners of expensive coastal homes could see big jumps in rates, as the cost of rebuilding or repairing such a home is much pricier than is currently reflected in the heavily subsidized (and bankrupt) National Flood Insurance Program. Meanwhile, homeowners with lower value properties in less flood-prone areas will see rates drop.
The changes wrestle with an increasingly important question: How many of the private risks generated by climate change should be shouldered at public expense? Grist unpacks this question and more.
Bonus
Fat bear week!
Fat bear week — where viewers vote for Katmai National Park’s chonkiest bears bulking up ahead of winter hibernation — is well underway. But it’s not too late to root for your favorites.
Last year, more than 600,000 people helped dub Bear 747, weighing approximately 1,400 pounds, the winner. Check out some of this year’s contestants, via Earther, and vote for your favorite. The 2021 fattest bear will be crowned Tuesday, October 5.
Have a great week,
Brandon and Sam
