Global warming?

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Critics and backers urge tough rules to revive ailing carbon markets
Carbon offsets are needed to meet a growing surge of net-zero emissions goals - but they must be transparent and have clear rules, backers and critics say

Eric Adams will likely be NYC's next mayor. Here's why it matters
The former police captain is tasked with narrowing racial inequalities and helping New York recover from the turmoil of COVID-19. And the policies he enacts could have ramifications well beyond the Big Apple

'We are winning' says Georgia's LGBT+ Pride organiser after violence
As thousands rally in support of freedom of expression and the LGBT+ community in Tbilisi, the future is bright says Giorgi Tabagari

Developing nations, UN seek clear plan for promised climate finance
Climate-vulnerable countries, the U.N. chief and Britain say rich governments must set out how and when they will deliver on a $100 billion-a-year pledge to poorer nations

Hungarians speak out on anti-LGBT+ law as EU pushes for its repeal
The European Parliament voted for the EU to use its legal and economic muscle

Renewables surged in 2020 but world not yet on track for climate goals, BP says
Wind and solar energy are expanding rapidly as demand for coal falls, says BP, but a 'decisive' shift in policy is needed to tackle climate change

Australia govt to appeal court ruling on climate change duty of care
The court has earlier ruled in favour of eight teenagers who argued in a lawsuit that the expansion of a coal project would contribute to climate change and endanger their future

Higher food prices help fuel 40% jump in global hunger - UN agency
A record 270 million people are likely to face acute food shortages this year as prices rise by a third on average worldwide

'Hanging on by a thread': Canadian farmers hope for rain as canola, wheat wither
Extreme heat is destroying crops, with farmers saying they may get as little as 20% of their normal yield


meh usa
confused but wt
chainsawing a tree/looks conservationist neglect
thatll do/duh

 

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Saiga antelopes bounce back after mass die-off

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Global Ideas
10.07.2021 | 06:00 UTC

ENVIRONMENT

Saiga antelopes bounce back after mass die-off
In 2015 tragedy struck Kazakhstan's saiga antelopes. A usually benign bacteria, made deadly by climatic changes, killed thousands of the animals. But now there's a baby boom on the steppe.

When nature needs tourism
Tourism often harms the environment, but not always. The COVID-19 pandemic shows that in some places nature actually benefits from tourists.

Making the switch to renewable energy in the Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic in the Caribbean is still heavily dependent on fossil fuels. But a push is underway to increase the use of wind and solar — and to convince critics that it's a good idea.

The Brazilian city pioneering green transport
Belo Horizonte is creating more space for cyclists and the community in the hopes of improving air quality and lowering CO2 emissions.

US farming: Lessons in sustainability from the Meskwaki Nation
Among the vast monocrop fields in central Iowa, the Indigenous community practices regenerative agriculture. Could it provide inspiration for farmers battling climate change?

Mozambique: Swapping gold for organic farming
With unemployment rising in the southeastern African country due to COVID-19, some locals have turned to digging for gold in the rivers of Chimanimani National Park. Organic farming offers an alternative.

Could bacteria help save historic buildings from environmental damage?
Limestone, the raw material for many iconic monuments and cultural treasures, is facing damage through climate change and air pollution.

Join our Global Ideas community
Get involved and keep up to date with the latest Global Ideas stories on our social media platforms.


dw germany media
been one of the best,forever
yes

 

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Sixty years of climate change warnings / The signs that were missed (and ignored)

This week's podcasts

 

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Conservation news from Mongabay

Environmental Headlines
Through credible and accurate coverage of conservation and environmental issues, Mongabay inspires, educates, and informs the public, while enabling leaders to more effectively protect our planet's wildlife and ecosystems. Donate here

Excerpts:
Sri Lanka seeks peace with pachyderms as human-elephant conflicts escalate

HAMBANTOTA, Sri Lanka — The first time Mahinda Samarawickrama, a farmer in Hambantota district, southern Sri Lanka, was attacked by an elephant, he’d gone down to the village reservoir at dawn to bathe. The animal emerged suddenly from the darkness, grabbing him by the hip and flinging him into a thicket of trees. The next […]
Read on »

Colombia brings landmark rulings of importance closer to Indigenous communities

BOGOTÁ — The year 2021 marks 30 years since Colombia adopted its current Constitution. Considered the Magna Carta of the laws of the nation, it was established in 1991 by a national assembly that replaced the 1886 Constitution, which had become obsolete. Those were the years of the drug-trafficking boom in which drug cartels permeated […]
Read on »

Our World Heritage is deeply tied to rivers and they need protection from dams (commentary)

When the UNESCO World Heritage Committee (WHC) meets from July 16 to 31, they will be tasked with addressing urgent threats to some of the world’s most treasured sites of priceless natural and cultural heritage. Among the issues the committee must confront is the growing threat that dams pose to some of the world’s most […]
Read on »

Amazon deforestation rises modestly in June

Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon continued on an upward trajectory in June, reports the country’s national space research institute INPE. INPE’s satellite-based forest monitoring system detected 1,062 square kilometers (410 square miles) of deforestation during June, a two percent rise over a year ago. Deforestation has now risen three consecutive months in the region, but […]
Read on »

Environmental defenders in Ecuador aren’t safe, new report shows

QUITO — For almost five years, Andres Durazno and his niece Elizabeth would march, block roads, and confront mining authorities and police together. They were leading the fight against mining in their community of Rio Blanco in the south of Ecuador, and defending the wetlands that the mine was destroying in the surrounding Andean mountains, […]
Read on »

 

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Conservation news from Mongabay

Conservation Headlines
Through credible and accurate coverage of conservation and environmental issues, Mongabay inspires, educates, and informs the public, while enabling leaders to more effectively protect our planet's wildlife and ecosystems. Donate here

Excerpts:
Sri Lanka seeks peace with pachyderms as human-elephant conflicts escalate

HAMBANTOTA, Sri Lanka — The first time Mahinda Samarawickrama, a farmer in Hambantota district, southern Sri Lanka, was attacked by an elephant, he’d gone down to the village reservoir at dawn to bathe. The animal emerged suddenly from the darkness, grabbing him by the hip and flinging him into a thicket of trees. The next […]
Read on »

Amazon deforestation rises modestly in June

Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon continued on an upward trajectory in June, reports the country’s national space research institute INPE. INPE’s satellite-based forest monitoring system detected 1,062 square kilometers (410 square miles) of deforestation during June, a two percent rise over a year ago. Deforestation has now risen three consecutive months in the region, but […]
Read on »

Environmental defenders in Ecuador aren’t safe, new report shows

QUITO — For almost five years, Andres Durazno and his niece Elizabeth would march, block roads, and confront mining authorities and police together. They were leading the fight against mining in their community of Rio Blanco in the south of Ecuador, and defending the wetlands that the mine was destroying in the surrounding Andean mountains, […]
Read on »

 

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Exxon Tapes Reveal API Lobbying Tactics

Message From the Editor
Senior ExxonMobil lobbyists were recently exposed by undercover reporting from UnEarthed boasting about wins for the company under the Trump administration and admitting to continued efforts to sow doubt about climate change and undermine action to tackle the crisis. The recordings also confirmed the findings of years of DeSmog research on API’s lobbying tactics – especially when it comes to dangerous oil-by-rail transport. Justin Mikulka explains.

The Canadian federal and provincial governments have handed over C$23 billion (US$18.5 billion) in subsidies to three major oil and gas pipeline projects in just the past three years, according to a new report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), defying global calls to phase out government support for fossil fuels. “Canadians deserve to know that their money is going towards a prosperous future and not putting that future at risk,” the report’s author said. Nick Cunningham takes a look.

Meanwhile, Louisiana regulators are pushing to take the reins from the EPA for the authority to permit injection wells that will store CO2 deep underground. Opponents, however, during a hearing this week raised critical concerns around whether environmental justice issues have been taken into account. Julie Dermansky reports.

Have a story tip or feedback? Get in touch: editor@desmogblog.com.

Thanks,
Brendan DeMelle
Executive Director

P.S. Readers like you make it possible for DeSmog to hold accountable powerful people in industry and government. Even a $10 or $20 donation helps support DeSmog’s investigative journalism.

What the Exxon Tapes Reveal About the American Petroleum Institute’s Lobbying Tactics on Oil Trains
— By Justin Mikulka (6 min. read) —
Senior ExxonMobil lobbyists were recently exposed by undercover reporting from UnEarthed, an investigative journalism project of Greenpeace, which captured footage of the employees explaining how the oil giant influences policy makers using trade associations like the American Petroleum Institute (API).

The undercover footage revealed Exxon lobbyists boasting about wins for the company under the Trump administration and admitting to continued efforts to sow doubt about climate change and undermine action to tackle the crisis.


READ MORE

Canada Funneled $23 Billion in Subsidies to Three Pipelines Since 2018
— By Nick Cunningham (4 min. read) —
The Canadian federal and provincial governments have handed over C$23 billion (US$18.5 billion) in subsidies to three major oil and gas pipeline projects in just the past three years, according to a new report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), defying global calls to phase out government support for fossil fuels.

But even that total is likely an undercount given the lack of transparency from the Canadian government over its support of the industry. “Canadian support to pipelines is higher than $23 billion dollars, but we don’t know by how much. The access to information request that we filed resulted in thousands of pages either redacted or withheld,” Vanessa Corkal, policy advisor at the IISD, and lead author of the report, said in a statement.


READ MORE

Environmental Justice Concerns Raised at a Hearing on Louisiana’s Bid For Authority to Permit Carbon Capture and Storage Projects
— By Julie Dermansky (6 min. read) —
“Our state is addicted to fossil fuels and, like many addicts, instead of seeking to break our addiction. We seek ways to become functional addicts,” said Jesse George, with the consumer nonprofit group, the Alliance for Affordable Energy, at a July 6 public hearing held by the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (LDNR) in Baton Rouge.

George was speaking against the regulatory agency’s request to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to lead on issuing permits for carbon capture and storage projects in Louisiana, and against such projects in general: “The pipe dream of carbon capture and sequestration is a prime example of this. False promises about carbon capture and sequestration abound, propagated purposely by those with a vested interest in perpetuating our addiction.”


READ MORE

Energy Transfer’s Gulf Run Pipeline to Export Fracked Gas from Louisiana set to Begin Construction
— By Sharon Kelly (8 min. read) —
In June, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) narrowly approved the construction of a new 42” diameter gas pipeline that will connect shale wells in Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Ohio to a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal on the Gulf Coast, carrying over a billion cubic feet of fracked gas to be transported overseas every day.

The FERC decision was split, with two of the five commissioners dissenting, writing that the Commission had failed to adequately examine the climate-changing pollution linked to the fossil fuel pipeline.


READ MORE

Supreme Court Allows Fracked Gas Pipeline’s Use of Eminent Domain. But the Pipeline’s Victory Comes with Some Big Caveats.
— By Nick Cunningham (7 min. read) —
The U.S. Supreme Court this week ruled in favor of a natural gas pipeline taking state land for the project’s construction. The decision could set a powerful precedent expanding the use of eminent domain on state-owned land – a mechanism more often wielded by industry to acquire private land.

While opponents of the pipeline called the ruling “devastating,” highlighting the need to limit new fossil fuel infrastructure in order to tackle climate change, other hurdles remain in the pipeline’s path. Experts point to tools at the state level and a separate recent legal decision which could all block or delay the proposed 116-mile PennEast pipeline.


READ MORE

Koch Industries Among Investors Set to Take Over UK Supermarket Morrisons
— By Rich Collett-White (2 min. read) —
Supermarket chain Morrisons is set to be snapped up by a group of US investors that includes a subsidiary of fossil fuel giant Koch Industries, known for funding numerous climate science denial groups across the country.

The £6.3 billion takeover bid of the UK’s fourth largest supermarket group, which campaigners fear could represent a “worrying shift”, is being led by US private equity firm Fortress Investment Group, owner of Majestic Wine.


READ MORE

Fossil Fuel Industry Given Billions in EU Hydrogen Support, Report Finds
— By Sebastian Wirth (4 min. read) —
Over €8 billion is being invested in hydrogen and “renewable gas” projects in southern Europe using EU Covid-19 recovery funds, thanks to extensive lobbying by the fossil fuel industry, a new report has found.

The research warns that backing for the supposedly green developments has “thrown a lifeline” to fossil fuel companies, despite pledges by the European Commission to pursue a low-carbon transition.


READ MORE

Court Orders France to Take Swifter Action on Climate Change
— By Isabella Kaminski (3 min. read) —
Emmanuel Macron’s government has been ordered to take much more decisive action to meet its climate targets – or face being fined.

The unprecedented injunction handed down on Thursday by the country’s highest administrative court means the government, which cannot appeal the ruling, is legally bound to do all it can to cut emissions before the end of March next year.


READ MORE



From the Climate Disinformation Database: The Heritage Foundation

The Heritage Foundation is a conservative think tank founded in 1973 by Paul Weyrich to “formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense.” The Heritage Foundation has been a fervent opponent of the Kyoto Protocol and its online database of “policy experts” includes many climate change skeptics such as Patrick Michaels, Sallie Baliunas, Thomas Gale Moore, Robert Balling, and Fred Singer. The Heritage Foundation has had considerable influence over Republican politicians.

Read the full profile and browse other individuals and organizations in our Climate Disinformation Database and Koch Network Database.

 

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Firefighters monitor the Sugar fire, part of the Beckwourth Complex fire, in Doyle, California. Photograph: Noah Berger/AP
Vivian Ho


my heroess,no matter what
mostly volunteers/reasl people

An Incredibly Toxic Lake Will Become One of the US’ First Lithium Mines


IMAGE: DAVID MCNEW/GETTY IMAGES

An Incredibly Toxic Lake Will Become One of the US's First Lithium Mines

 

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over food shortages, high prices

What The World is following
Protests across Cuba over food shortages, high prices

Credit: Ramon Espinosa/AP
Cuba protests
Thousands of protesters took to the streets on Sunday in several cities across Cuba in the largest-scale demonstrations of the country against the communist government in recent memory. Demonstrators were chanting “freedom” and “down with the dictatorship,” protesting food shortages and high prices as the Caribbean country struggles with its worst economic crisis in decades, along with a resurgence of coronavirus cases. Cuba is additionally under economic pressure imposed by US sanctions levied by the Trump administration.

Haiti arrest
Haitian police officials announced the arrest of Christian Emmanuel Sanon over the weekend as a key suspect in the killing of President Jovenel Moïse. Sanon, a Haitian-born doctor who was living in Florida, is believed to have been plotting to become president, according to Haiti’s head of police, Léon Charles. Officials in Haiti have asked the US for assistance in the investigation, following the shocking murder of Moïse. On Sunday, a delegation from the US traveled to Haiti to meet with the country's acting prime minister.

Euro 2020 Racism
British police on Monday opened investigations into the racist abuse of three Black players who missed penalty kicks during the final shoot-out between England and Italy for the European Championship final. The three players, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka, part of a young England team praised for its diversity, were the target of “offensive and racist” social media posts, and a mural of Rashford in Manchester was defaced with graffiti. The country’s governing Football Association and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson have also condemned the online racist abuse.

US-Canadian border restrictions prove ‘soul-crushing’ for businesses in isolated Point Roberts

Credit: Benjamin Payne/The World
The town of Point Roberts, Washington, that has a population of roughly 1,000 people, is situated on a peninsula in Puget Sound, miles away from the US mainland. It shares its only land border with Canada, whose citizens can’t cross because of COVID-19 restrictions. Business owners are now struggling to stay afloat.

Extreme heat wave driven by climate change, new study says

Credit: Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP
The record-breaking heat wave in North America would have been virtually impossible without the influence of human-caused climate change. That’s

according to a rapid attribution analysis by an international team of leading climate scientists.

Temperatures in Seattle, Washington, and Portland, Oregon, spiked well over 100 degrees last week. And Canada broke its national temperature record three days in a row, reaching a high of 121 degrees. The heat caused hundreds of deaths.


Bright spot

Someone really liked Super Mario! A 1996 sealed copy of the popular Super Mario 64 video game has been sold at auction for $1.5 million. But why pay such an exorbitant price if the game has been re-released? Well, it is rare to have an original copy in such great condition, making it valuable as memorabilia.

Credit: Courtesy of Twitter

 

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Can 3D-printed schools tackle Africa's classroom shortage?
Faster, cheaper and greener than regular construction, 3D printing could help African countries close their education gaps - once companies figure out how to make the printers more moveable

Lack of climate risk analysis in US federal retirement fund sparks concern
The largest U.S. public retirement fund isn't directly taking global warming threats into account, despite President Biden's promise of a "whole of government" approach to climate change

G20 finance ministers under pressure to deliver climate funding for poor
G20 meeting in Italy is seen as an opportunity for rich nations to step up climate finance for vulnerable countries struggling with economic woes from weather disasters and COVID-19

Eyeing presidency, gay Brazilian governor braces for anti-LGBT+ jibes
Eduardo Leite would become Brazil's first openly gay presidential candidate if he wins a party primary later this year

FACTBOX-Grief and neglect: 10 factory disasters in South Asia
The blaze at a building in India's capital housing workers making school bags and toys was blamed by campaigners on a lack of workplace safety

Georgians protest over death of journalist beaten in attack on LGBT+ supporters
Cameraman Alexander Lashkarava, who was beaten in an attack on the LGBT+ rights group's office, was found dead at his home

Filmmakers, activists call for climate efforts in Cannes
Actors and creatives at Cannes hope their films will inspire action to tackle global warming

Virus variants threaten global recovery, G20 warns
Leaders aim to avoid new pandemic restrictions, but warn that new variants and uneven vaccine access pose risk to economies

Charlottesville removes Confederate statue at center of deadly 2017 protest
The city's original decision to remove the statue in 2017 brought huge far-right protests that turned deadly when a car ran down counter-protester Heather Heyer



as confusing as it gets
makes no sense,but what does,in our/this bullshit world we are fucking up
cv telared

 

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Espresso - Racism in soccer, Amazon rainforest tech, Swimming while Black

Racism in football: How will Facebook, Twitter stop online abuse?
England's Black footballers have faced a wave of racist abuse on social media in the wake of the team's Euro 2020 defeat. What are tech giants doing to quell the hate?

Swimming for all? Poolside or at the beach, ethnic minorities face barriers
Despite being under-represented in swimming, more Black and ethnic minority groups are taking to plunge to occupy spaces by the water

Peru's indigenous tribes use tech tools to track Amazon deforestation
Members of nearly 40 indigenous communities in northern Peru were given training to use smartphone mapping apps that receive early deforestation alerts

Children's books editor to leave Hungary over anti-LGBT+ law
Law that came into force last week, which has been condemned by the European Union, bans material that ‘promotes or depicts gender change and homosexuality’ to under-18s

Giant leap for nature? All eyes on China to land new global pact
Getting a deal will take strong leadership by host China - and finding a way to hold the October meeting in person, analysts say

Tunisian garment workers fight for unpaid wages in pandemic's shadow
More than 150,000 Tunisians work in garment factories, mostly women, and the pandemic has shone a light on widespread labour abuses

Activists in Egypt demand better enforcement on sexual harassment
As Egypt toughens its sexual harassment law, women's rights activists raise concerns over a lack of enforcement


* Feel free to republish as long as credit is given to the Thomson Reuters Foundation

 

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Conservation news from Mongabay

Conservation Headlines
Through credible and accurate coverage of conservation and environmental issues, Mongabay inspires, educates, and informs the public, while enabling leaders to more effectively protect our planet's wildlife and ecosystems. Donate here

Excerpts:
‘Red-carded’ Australian miner signals intention to play on in Greenland

An Australian mining company hoping to build a vast open-cut rare earths and uranium mine on a mountain in southern Greenland has told shareholders it will persist with the project despite the mine having been rejected by the people of the Arctic nation. Publicly listed Greenland Minerals Limited has been working to develop the Kvanefjeld […]
Read on »

Soy and cattle team up to drive deforestation in South America: Study

As the human population grows, so does our demand for food, and soy is one of the key crops meeting that demand. Found in far more than tofu, soy is the largest source of protein for animal feed (such as cattle) and the second-largest source of vegetable oil globally after palm oil. The largest soy […]
Read on »

Indigenous communities in Brazil reinvent grief in the time of COVID

“The body is here. We’re going to die!” That’s what Watatakalu Yawalapiti heard over the phone from her relatives after the death of an uncle from COVID-19 in June 2020. His was one of the first deaths from the pandemic in Xingu Indigenous Park in the Amazonian state of Mato Grosso, Brazil’s oldest and among […]
Read on »

Rainforest news from Mongabay

Rainforest Headlines
Through credible and accurate coverage of conservation and environmental issues, Mongabay inspires, educates, and informs the public, while enabling leaders to more effectively protect our planet's wildlife and ecosystems. Donate here



Excerpts:
Armed with data and smartphones, Amazon communities boost fight against deforestation
- Equipping Indigenous communities in the Amazon with remote-monitoring technology can reduce illegal deforestation, a new study has found.
- Between 2018 and 2019, researchers implemented technology-based forest-monitoring programs in 36 communities within the Peruvian Amazon.
- Compared with other communities where the program wasn’t implemented, those under the program saw 52% and 21% less deforestation in 2018 and 2019 respectively.
- The gains were concentrated in communities at highest risk of deforestation due to threats like logging and illegal mining.

Read on »

Soy and cattle team up to drive deforestation in South America: Study
- Between 2000 and 2019, the production of soybean in South America has doubled, covering an area larger than the state of California.
- Soybean farms are typically planted in old cattle pastures, and as soy encroaches, pasture is forced into new frontiers, driving deforestation and fires.
- Although soy was found to be largely an indirect driver of deforestation, policies addressing deforestation have to consider multiple commodities at once, such as the relationship between beef and soy.
- Increased commitments by companies to source from “zero-deforestation” supply chains are a promising strategy, but in order to work, the market needs to be more transparent.

Read on »

Indonesia bets on biofuels over oil, but EVs could render both moot
- Increased adoption of electric vehicles could render redundant Indonesia’s biofuel infrastructure, which the government is touting as its chosen alternative to fossil fuels.
- A new report projects demand for biofuel more than halving as EVs take hold, even as the government continues to invest heavily in refineries and other infrastructure for producing and distributing palm oil-based biodiesel.
- The report calls for a long-term plan for biofuel that takes into account the rapid development of EVs and that doesn’t rely solely on palm oil for feedstock.

Read on »

 

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Happy National Forest Week!

Happy National Forest Week! On Monday we kicked off National Forest Week with a special virtual event and the celebration will continue through Sunday, July 18. We are so excited to celebrate our incredible 193-million-acre National Forest System once again this year. From stunning overlooks to rushing waterfalls, we invite you to “Explore It All” this National Forest Week.

Please join us in celebrating National Forest Week. Here are a few ways to get involved:

• Submit a photo to the National Forest Week photo contest for a chance to win a Yeti cooler, America the Beautiful Pass, custom framing, and more! Submit your photos here.
• Watch and engage with a virtual event. From an interpretive chat about the Sonoran Desert and nature draw-along with artist Bryn Merrell, click here to see the full lineup of events.
• Purchase your “Explore National Forests” Bonfire T-shirt and/or limited edition print by artist Bryn Merrell.
• Share why you love National Forests on social media with the hashtag #NationalForestWeek.

Visit nationalforestweek.org to learn more and get involved.

 

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Coppicing Is a Useful Strategy to Use in Your Permaculture Garden
Elizabeth describes coppicing as "an age-old technique that involves harvesting stems from a tree while allowing it to remain in active growth." It never caught on in North America, where there were endless forests to chop, but with the rise of mass timber in architecture, people are looking at it again because it is completely carbon neutral; there are no roots to rot or trees to plant because it just keeps growing after you chop off the branch. We may soon see cross-laminated coppicing.
READ MORE

You Can Still Feast While Roughing It in the Bush
Katherine knows her camping; this is all good advice.
READ MORE

What Is the Carbon Footprint of Space Tourism?
Our problem isn't too many rockets; it's too many billionaires.
READ MORE

Fashion Designer Uses Plant-Based Dyes to Make Beautiful Zero Waste Clothes
The cutting edge of slow and sustainable fashion.
READ MORE

What Oregon's Ambitious Climate Bill Means for Climate Change
The bill commits Oregon to source 100% of its electricity from clean—or zero-emission—sources by 2040.
READ MORE

What Makes Recess Fun for Kids?
"Not all recess is created equal."
READ MORE

The Permaculture Practice of Wood Coppicing
Here's more to read about coppicing; it is so interesting.
READ MORE

Pacific Northwest Heat Waves Impossible Without Human-Caused Climate Change
Sami says, "It's all pretty scary stuff." He's right. Get used to more of it.
READ MORE

Birds Won’t Rely on You If You Feed Them, Study Finds

 

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European Rainfall Will Be Boosted By Planting More Trees, Study Finds
I would have thought this was entirely a good thing, but there are negative effects too.
READ MORE

 

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A Note From the Editor
July 15, 2021

New research indicates that Russia’s vast boreal forests are storing far more carbon than previously estimated. That certainly sounds like good news. But as our contributing writer Fred Pearce reports today at Yale Environment 360, scientists are increasingly concerned that the government of Vladimir Putin intends to meet its commitments under the 2015 Paris Agreement by counting this carbon uptake as an offset against Russia's industrial emissions, which would then be allowed to remain largely unchecked. Critics point to carbon accounting rules established by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which they say have inadvertently written a blank check for forested countries intent on continuing to burn fossil fuels. Read the article.

View all our content at Yale Environment 360 and add your comments to the discussion. Plus, keep track of the latest environmental news at our e360 Digest.
Roger Cohn
Editor

 

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Report: Global Demand for Fossil Fuel Electricity Has Peaked
Ten years ago, Treehugger was full of stories about Peak Oil, how the world was basically going to run out of gas because the supply dried up. Then fracking exploded and supply ceased to be an issue. Now Sami reports that it is demand for fossil fuels that is shrinking, starting with electricity generation.

Ten years ago, we also didn't talk as much about oil and climate as we do today; readers weren't interested. However, the world has changed, carbon is everything, and we have three stories in a row about it.
READ MORE

Clean Energy Standard Could Help Decarbonize US Power Sector
The Biden administration says in order to reduce emissions from the electricity sector, it needs to tell power companies “where they need to go.”
READ MORE

Big Oil Companies Are Dumping Dirty Assets
It's all a giant Shell game.
READ MORE

 

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Dust, Heat, and Home

Since a record-breaking heatwave roasted much of the West Coast of North America two weeks ago, extreme weather—and its devastating impacts on people, wildlife, and our environments—has never been far from my mind. A glance at headlines from around the world hints at the destruction wrought by deadly floods and heat-fueled wildfires. And climate research is yielding new alarming predictions, including more soaring temperatures.

One of the most unnerving effects of the extreme heat that we experienced in Victoria, British Columbia, was a balmy breeze blowing off the ocean. The hot gusts felt like opening an oven door, a sensation that had me yearning for the brisk winds that typically cool our summer days. Michael Allen’s story explains that coastal dwellers might expect warmer and more humid sea breezes; hotter ocean water releases heat and moisture that can blow onto land nearby.

Warmer waters are one of the factors that are challenging ocean inhabitants, and in last week’s feature story, our 2020 journalism fellow Brandon Wei explored how tolerance to high temperatures could turn different species of Pacific salmon into climate change winners, or losers. Take a peek if you missed his story—especially if you’re one of the 152 generous donors who supported our fundraiser for Brandon’s fellowship in 2019.

According to experts, the extreme temperatures and natural disasters we’re experiencing are exacerbated by climate change. The knowledge that our own activity is impacting life in such dramatic ways makes this week’s feature story, “In Goa, the Water Runs Black,” even more poignant. Writer Disha Shetty transports us to Vāsco Da Gāma, a community suffering from the effects of coal dust pollution, and considers how increasing coal imports may directly undermine the health of locals and the surrounding environment.

Now, if you’re turning to our newsletter for a respite from concerning news, I recommend Carolyn Cowan’s story about scientists attracting an imperiled seabird to safer nesting habitat with recorded calls.

As always, thanks for reading.

Vanessa Minke-Martin
Audience engagement editor



This Week’s Stories

In Goa, the Water Runs Black

Locals near one of India’s coal-importing ports feel the effects of coal dust and are bracing for an even unhealthier future.

by Disha Shetty • 2,200 words / 11 mins

More Intense Marine Heatwaves Are Affecting Life on Land

In coastal cities, marine heatwaves in the adjacent ocean can cause the heat index, a measure of how hot it feels, to rise by several degrees.

by Michael Allen • 550 words / 2 mins

Why Nauru Is Pushing the World Toward Deep-Sea Mining

A small South Pacific nation gave the International Seabed Authority a two-year deadline to finalize the rules for mining the deep sea, but the jury is still out on when, exactly, deep-sea mining will begin.

by Elham Shabahat • 950 words / 4 mins

Scientists Are Tricking Birds into Finding New Homes

New research has added marbled murrelets to the list of seabirds that can be manipulated with misinformation.

by Carolyn Cowan • 1,000 words / 5 mins

One Great Shot: Peregrine Falcon Mealtime

A fearless photographer braves a rocky precipice to capture this image of avian carnage.

by Joshua Asel • a quick read with one great photo



View the web version ~ Below: photo by Grant Callegari

 

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Squat lobsters are unicorns in crustaceans’ clothing. This particular squat lobster species—Munida quadrispina—begins life swimming in the plankton before settling to the ocean bottom in adulthood. Pictured is a baby no larger than a black bean. It was caught in a plankton tow off Quadra Island, British Columbia, as part of efforts by the Hakai Institute and its partners to catalog DNA from marine creatures for the Barcode of Life Data System. What you can’t see in this close-up portrait are the squat lobster’s characteristic elongated claws that extend from its body like reacher tools that short people use to grab something off a high shelf.

Photo by Tyrel Froese

This week, the Mexican government did away with a fishing-free zone in the Gulf of California that was intended to protect the last vaquita marina porpoises (the world’s smallest and rarest cetacean), and will attempt to limit boat traffic in the area instead. Tension there between fishers, conservationists, and authorities sometimes led to altercations. For more about the vaquita and the long, contentious, and multifaceted struggle to save the species, see Sarah Gilman’s 2017 feature story “Avoiding Extinction.”



Behind the Story

Disha Shetty shares the inspiration for this week’s feature story, “In Goa, the Water Runs Black.”

It was during a workshop in Goa two years back that I first learned about the issue of coal dust pollution. Something about the impact that coal importation had on disadvantaged locals living near Goa’s Mormugao Port Trust reminded me of the movie Erin Brockovich.

During my visit, I was stunned to see huge piles of coal in full public view at the port. It was an issue largely ignored by India’s mainstream media, or was told as an environmental story. I wondered, What about the people’s health? I knew I would return at some point to do more research. I wanted the story to be an investigation focused on local voices, with the themes of public health, environment, politics, and climate change.

In 2020, when an environmental protest linked to the coal imports broke out, I wrote a grant proposal to the Pulitzer Center and then spent months trying to find the perfect home for the investigation.

In February this year, I finally traveled to Goa to report for Hakai Magazine. The mountains of coal were right in front of my eyes, just as they were two years back. I’m grateful to have finally told the story of the communities paying the cost for Goa’s coal imports.

What We’re Reading

The heat dome in late June resulted in perhaps the most devastating climate change clambake in history (with mussels and other shellfish impacted, too), but the environmental destruction didn’t end there. Californian officials are warning that young chinook salmon in the Sacramento River could be dying en masse due to drought and abnormally warm water temperatures. (CNN)

While the salmon struggle with warm water, how sea otters stay heated in frigid waters has long baffled scientists. Sea otters don’t have vast stores of blubber to stay warm, and their dense fur isn’t quite thick enough to do the trick either. Now, a new study has detailed how sea otters can run hot through unusual activity in the mitochondria of their cells. (New York Times)

In Los Angeles, California, 64 million liters of sewage was discharged in Santa Monica Bay resulting in beach closures. The Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant had flooding issues and discharged untreated sewage to avoid shutting down the facility entirely. Health officials are facing criticism over the time it took to notify the public. (The Guardian)

Over in the Czech Republic, a new study has found that fish are becoming addicted to methamphetamines. When humans use drugs, trace amounts seep into the wastewater, and treatment facilities are unequipped to filter them out. As a result, human drugs are ending up in the water, and brown trout are getting hooked. (New Scientist)

Scientists have uncovered the mystery of the world’s oldest-known shark attack. At a site in Japan, archaeologists unearthed a man’s skeleton that was covered in lacerations and gouges. Scientists weren’t sure what caused them at first, but now an international team theorizes that 3,000 years ago, the man was attacked by a great white and hauled out of the water for burial. (Atlas Obscura)

Speaking of sharks, Cape Cod in Massachusetts is testing out a new tool that uses satellite and tracking technology to predict the presence of sharks in the water. (Undark)

 

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By Chloé Farand

As the European Union set out its roadmap to move away from a fossil-fuel economy, the continent was facing some of its worst flooding in decades.

Record rainfall across western Europe caused rivers to burst their banks, houses to collapse and cars to wash away.

The torrential rain killed at least 120 people in Germany and Belgium and hundreds remain unaccounted for.

As EU Commission president Ursula Von der Leyen told reporters in Brussels that the bloc "walks the talks on climate policies," the German weather station of Köln-Stammheim recorded 154mm of rain over 24 hours, shattering the previous high of 95mm in 2017.

The high death toll has raised serious questions over failure to evacuate people after an "extreme" flood warning was issued earlier in the week. It is a stark reminder that preparedness to extreme weather events is as essential as accelerating the decarbonisation of the economy.

"This is the climate crisis unravelling in one of the richest parts of the world — which for a long time thought it would be 'safe'. No place is 'safe' any more," tweeted German climate activist Luisa Neubauer.

In a statement, former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed expressed his solidarity with Germany on behalf of climate vulnerable nations.

"As the world approaches 1.5C of global heating, events in Germany are a sad reminder that the price for inaction on climate change will be paid in human lives lost across the globe," he said.

His comments echoed the pressing call of nearly 100 developing countries united in demanding richer nations step up climate action and scale-up finance ahead of Cop26. For the first time, they outlined what the next global finance goal beyond 2025 should look like.

Brussels' package to accelerate emissions cuts isn't without controversies. Plans for a carbon border tax will make importers of carbon-intensive products face a levy from 2026 unless they can clean up their industries. Developing nations are not exempt and there are no plans to use the proceeds to support their energy transition.

But as nations work out how to dodge the penalty, the threat of the tax may spur carbon-cutting policies across the globe. As one analyst put it: "A carbon tax is a useful tool as long as you don’t have to implement it."


What you missed in this week's Climate Daily newsletter...

Climate Daily is your essential daily dose of international climate news, delivered straight to your inbox Monday to Friday. Here's what you missed this week:

• Record-shattering rainfall kills dozens in western Germany
• Developed countries set out Cop26 asks
• DRC lifts logging moratorium
• Biodiversity body sets out wishlist - but no action plan
• G20 endorses carbon pricing

Sign up today to start your two-week free trial.
Subscribe to Climate Daily and start your free trial today

This week's news...

• Developing nations put numbers on the table for the next climate finance goal
• EU’s border tax gives countries 5 years to clean up industries or face penalties
• Ocean fire raises questions about US support for Mexico’s oil and gas industry
• DR Congo plans to lift logging moratorium amid forest protection talks
• UN draft accord sets out new biodiversity goals but delivery plan is lacking
• G20 backs carbon pricing, ‘raising stakes’ among emerging economies
• Argentina pitches green debt swap, with the Pope’s blessing

... and comment

• EU must use its carbon border tax to support a just transition around the world - Tim Gore, IE

 

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Kenyan women take charge to protect nature during the climate crisis

ENVIRONMENT

Kenyan women take charge to protect nature during the climate crisis
Northern Kenya's herders are feeling the effects of climate change. It's hotter, drier and clashes over water are common. Habiba Tadicha is fighting for a better future for her community.

Reviving Scotland's 'disappearing' marine life with no-take zones
Dredging had devastated the once rich waters around the Scottish isle of Arran. But a small protected area has created a flourishing pocket of marine life and campaigners want to establish similar areas around Scotland.

Saiga antelopes bounce back after mass die-off
In 2015 tragedy struck Kazakhstan's saiga antelopes. A usually benign bacteria, made deadly by climatic changes, killed thousands of the animals. But now there's a baby boom on the steppe.

When nature needs tourism
Tourism often harms the environment, but not always. The COVID-19 pandemic shows that in some places nature actually benefits from tourists.

Making the switch to renewable energy in the Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic in the Caribbean is still heavily dependent on fossil fuels. But a push is underway to increase the use of wind and solar — and to convince critics that it's a good idea.

US farming: Lessons in sustainability from the Meskwaki Nation
Among the vast monocrop fields in central Iowa, the Indigenous community practices regenerative agriculture. Could it provide inspiration for farmers battling climate change?

Mozambique: Swapping gold for organic farming
With unemployment rising in the southeastern African country due to COVID-19, some locals have turned to digging for gold in the rivers of Chimanimani National Park. Organic farming offers an alternative.

Could bacteria help save historic buildings from environmental damage?
Limestone, the raw material for many iconic monuments and cultural treasures, is facing damage through climate change and air pollution.

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[chrisrobin]

Despite accurate warnings starting 9 days before the current severe flooding Germany etc ignored them, failed to take them seriously - who is going to be found wanting and guilty of being the cause of so much damage to live and property?