Planet Week: US and China step up climate action… for now
Welcome to Planet Week, where we highlight the last week of environmental news and what it means for our Planet.
Last week, Shell took another step away from oil, Mediterranean countries teamed up to tackle extreme weather, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos pledged a billion dollars for biodiversity.
In case you missed it, here’s what else happened around the Planet:
Tuesday, September 21
US and China step up climate action… for now
The United Nations General Assembly kicked off early last week, and two countries made a big splash. China said it would stop funding new coal plants abroad, and the United States pledged to double its aid to vulnerable countries facing climate impacts.
The commitments come only weeks ahead of the U.N.’s international climate talks in November, COP26. Speaking to leaders in New York, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres warned that “we are on the edge of an abyss — and moving in the wrong direction… The world must wake up.”
Meanwhile, Joe Biden made his first address to the U.N. body, assuring that America is willing to work together and lead on global solutions. And United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson, whose country is hosting COP26, told leaders “it’s time for humanity to grow up.” The New York Times covered the assembly.
Wildfire emissions break records
Wildfires are blazing across the world and warming the Planet — wildfires’ emissions hit record highs this summer, according to new data. Fueled by record blazes in California, Russia, and the Mediterranean, this year’s blazes are a warning of what’s to come in a climate-changed world.
“One of the common things between these fires, and the ones in the Mediterranean, is that they all occur where the land is drier and surface air temperatures are warmer,” Mark Parrington, a wildfire expert, told The Independent. “There seems to be a clear link showing that when it’s drier and hotter, that’s where these fires occur more.”
Australia’s koalas face huge decline
Speaking of wildfires, Australia’s record bushfires, along with drought and deforestation, are slashing Koala bears’ numbers. In just three years, the country’s koala population has declined 30%, the Australian Koala Foundation said Tuesday.
According to the nonprofit, every region saw a decline, with New South Wales seeing numbers down as much as 41%. Climate change is fueling conditions that drive this trend, highlighting yet another reason to cut emissions ASAP. Earther has more.
Wednesday, September 22
Baby poop’s plastics problem
A new study finds younger children may face a heightened risk of hormone-disrupting chemicals from ingesting plastics. How do we know? By looking through their poop.
Researchers sifted through infants’ dirty diapers and found an average of 36,000 nanograms of microplastics — 10 times the amount found in adult feces. They even found plastic in newborn diapers.
“We should be concerned because the [endocrine-disrupting chemicals] in microplastics have been shown to be linked with several adverse outcomes in human and animal studies,” Jodi Flaws, a reproductive toxicologist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, told WIRED.
New air pollution guidelines can save lives
The World Health Organization just updated its guidelines on air pollution — the first update in 16 years. The changes include halving the current limits on PM2.5, a common pollutant from burning fossil fuels, and slashing limits on NO2, which mainly comes from diesel engines, by 75%.
Air pollution kills at least 7 million people a year, on top of costing trillions of dollars annually. By tightening the limits of air pollution, the WHO is encouraging countries to clean their air, potentially saving millions of lives in the process. The Guardian has the story.
Thursday, September 23
Biden tackles extreme heat, super pollutants
The Biden administration continues to make moves on climate action. On Monday, Biden launched an effort to protect workers from extreme heat, and on Thursday, the Environmental Protection Agency finalized a rule to cut hydrofluorocarbons, a powerful greenhouse gas used in refrigerators and air conditioners, 85% in the next 15 years.
Biden’s more expansive climate agenda still hinges on the fate of the bipartisan infrastructure bill and the Democrats’ budget blueprint, though, and he admitted as much in a recent statement:
“As we deliver this relief, we cannot wait to act to meet the broader crisis of climate change… I urge Congress to deliver both the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal and my Build Back Better Agenda to my desk so that we can make the urgent investments the American people want and our nation needs.” E&E News covers both actions.
Friday, September 24
Hurricane Sam swirls to life
On Saturday, Sam became the seventh hurricane of the 2021 season, joining the ranks of Ida, Grace, and Larry, all of which achieved category three status or higher this year.
Sam rapidly intensified — a familiar trend in our climate-changed world — reaching category 4 hurricane status in just two days. There is still uncertainty about the storm’s eventual track, but it will likely avoid land. AccuWeather has the latest.
Bonus
Reducing football’s footprint
GOAAALLLLL! Sports venues and events usually contribute to the climate crisis. But last week, Tottenham Hotspur, an elite English football club, hosted the first net-zero carbon match to raise awareness for climate change and COP26 this fall.
Experts hope this match will help shift behaviors and the industry standard. Read how they went net-zero, via CNN.
Have a great week,
Brandon and Sam
