Planet Week: Current climate pledges will trigger catastrophic warming
Welcome to Planet Week, where we highlight the last week of environmental news and what it means for our Planet.
Last week, California Gov. Gavin Newsom handily won his recall election, Norwegian politics saw a big win for climate action, and Illinois passed one of the most aggressive climate bills in the U.S.
In case you missed it, here’s what else happened around the Planet:
Sunday, September 12
Murders of environment defenders at all-time high
More than 225 environmental advocates were murdered last year, setting a new record for the second year in a row. The numbers come from a new report, which also finds that most of those murdered were small-scale farmers or Indigenous people.
Nearly a third of the murders were linked to resource exploitation: building dams, conducting agribusiness, mining, and logging, the last of which was linked to the most murders (23). More than half the total cases came from Colombia, Mexico, and the Philippines. Inside Climate News has more.
Monday, September 13
Climate change could fuel migration crisis
A new World Bank report finds that if climate change continues unchecked, as many as 200 million people could be forced to leave their homes over the next 30 years.
As part of the study, researchers broke down three scenarios with varying degrees of climate action and development. In the most future-friendly scenario, where we release a low level of emissions and employ inclusive, sustainable development, we may still see 44 million maigrants. Read the full story in CBS News.
Tuesday, September 14
Climate anxiety
The climate crisis is grinding the mental health of young people, according to a new survey. The survey, which includes 10,000 responses from people aged 16 to 25 from 10 countries, finds that failed responses to global warming are “associated with climate anxiety and distress in many children and young people.”
Nearly 60% of respondents were worried or very worried about climate change, and over 50% felt sad, anxious, angry, powerless, helpless, and guilty. Nearly half of respondents said their thoughts about climate change affected their daily life and functioning. Now, it’s up to government leaders to change the tide.
“If politicians are concerned about young people’s wellbeing, they now have clear evidence that the best thing they can do is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and implement holistic climate justice policies, immediately,” Blanche Verlie, a postdoctoral researcher, told Earther.
Planet sees 2x as many super hot days
The number of extremely hot days every year — when temperatures reach at least 122 degrees Fahrenheit — has doubled since 1980, according to a global BBC analysis.
These temperatures occur mostly in the Middle East and Gulf regions, though almost everywhere has seen more extreme heat. In the most recent decade, the highest global temperatures increased by 32.9 degrees Fahrenheit, compared to the long-term average from 1980 to 2009.
Coal plants plummet
Now, for some good news: In the last five years, the number of new coal-fired power projects has dropped big time, a new report finds.
Notably, three-quarters of the Planet’s planned projects have been scrapped since governments signed the 2015 Paris Agreement, the climate pact to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Altogether, 44 countries have no future coal plants on their books.
This trend, according to the report, could bring “the end of new coal power into view.” CarbonBrief explains how we got here.
In the wake of Ida comes Nicolas
Though many communities are still recovering from the impacts of Hurricane Ida, the Atlantic hurricane season is not letting up. On Late Tuesday, Tropical Storm Nicolas swept into Texas and Louisiana, hovering over the Gulf Coast for days, reports The Associated Press.
The storm unleashed 10 inches of rain in some places (Galveston Bay, Texas, saw up to 14 inches), downing powerlines, flooding roads, and battering a grid still damaged from Ida.
By the way, Nicholas marks the 14th named storm for the Atlantic hurricane season, falling behind last year’s pace, but still well over the 30-year average, writes USA TODAY.
Friday, September 17
Current climate pledges will trigger catastrophic warming
Despite recent climate pledges, the Planet is on pace to warm to dangerous levels, according to a new assessment by the United Nations. The report finds that the latest climate pledges from more than 100 countries will still heat the globe 2.7 degrees Celsius.
To meet the goals of the Paris Agreement — which aims to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius — we must cut 45% of global emissions by 2030. But the new report finds that we’re actually on pace for a 16% bump in emissions during that time.
Against this backdrop, on Friday President Joe Biden orchestrated a pledge between the United States and Europe to slash methane emissions by nearly a third in the next decade. The New York Times covers both stories.
Bonus
Squirrel!
Most people (and dogs) can’t help but love squirrels. And animal researchers in California have now discovered human-like personality traits in squirrels. They can be bold, sociable, aggressive, and athletic — all traits that can impact their ability to survive.
“The scientific field of animal personality is relatively young, as is the recognition that there are ecological consequences of animal personality,” the University of California at Davis wrote. “For instance, bolder, more aggressive squirrels may find more food or defend a larger territory, but their risky behavior may also make them vulnerable to predation or accidents.” The Guardian has the story.
Have a great week,
Brandon and Sam
