Weekly Climate News

Updates for September 10th

• A record-setting heat wave swept through Southern California reaching a high of 121 F. The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning on Sunday, Sept. 6 for areas in Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. 

• California is grappling with an unprecedented wildfire season made worse by the historic heatwave. Over the Labor Day weekend, about 200 hikers in the Sierra Nevada National Forest trapped by the spreading flames had to be airlifted out by helicopters. 

• The heatwave and wildfires in the West, a massive derecho in the Midwest and the record-breaking 2020 hurricane season illustrate an extreme climate future. Read about the connection between these weather events and climate change here. 

• The European Environment Agency confirmed on Tuesday, Sept. 8 that environmental factors such as air pollution and heatwaves worsened by climate change contribute to around 13 percent of all deaths in Europe. 

• Ministers from 11 African countries met virtually on Monday, Sept. 7 to discuss progress on implementing the Great Green Wall, an initiative to develop a 15-kilometer-wide and 8,000-kilometer-long vegetation strip across Africa said to be integral in coronavirus recovery. 

• Oil refineries in the Louisiana petrochemical industry have been impacted by recent hurricanes, dumping harmful substances into the environment and disproportionately impacting communities of color.

• EPA relaxes standards that limit toxic waste and regulate wastewater from coal-fired power plants. Environmental groups claim this makes rivers and streams more vulnerable to contamination by corrosive pollutants like lead, selenium and arsenic. 

• Communities permanently affected by environmental damage or economic disinvestment are known as “sacrifice zones.” Read this article about how these areas are currently on the front lines of both climate change and the global pandemic.

• Read about these organizations which are helping the youth of color enjoy the outdoors in the middle of the global pandemic. 

• In Ottawa, Canada, farming techniques that reduce greenhouse gas emissions are being developed. 

Weekly Climate News

Updates for August 3rd

• Are you taking daily sustainable action? Read this article on how to stay eco-friendly during a pandemic. 

• A study recently published in the journal Scientific Reports, revealed that up to 171 million people today face the risks of coastal flooding from extreme high tides and storm surges, linked to rising sea levels resulting from climate change. Not only are the inhabitants of low-lying coastal areas in harm's way but trillions of dollars in economic assets worldwide are currently at risk. 

• At least a quarter of Bangladesh is submerged from heavy rainfall, highlighting how those who have the least impact on climate change are often those who are the worst affected. 

• Lockdowns as a result of COVID-19 have cut energy-related CO2 emissions by 17 percent, a new study finds.

• But as countries and states reopen, global greenhouse gas emissions are on the rise. Read this article (with infographics!) on what this increase implies. 

• Due to climate change, poor governance and the coronavirus pandemic millions of Zimbabweans have gone hungry, but a community in Mwenezi, Zimbabwe, has a reliable food source. This resulted from an innovative plan initiated six years ago by a group of 200 women. Read this article to hear their story!

• A new push in the UK to promote and fund active travel has benefits for people’s health and the environment in curbing pollution. Read about it here! 

• 10 Indigenous guardian projects across the country will be receiving federal funding for a third year. These Indigenous communities will allocate the funds towards monitoring and protecting the environment. 

• COVID-19 shutdowns have produced cleaner air which has increased the effectiveness of solar panels around the world. 

• Read this investigation into how the fossil fuel industry finances police groups in major U.S. cities! 

• Monarchs show us that with climate change, small actions can have world-altering results. Read this article about the butterfly effect.  

Weekly Climate News

Updates for July 20

• Frozen ground in the Arctic is thawing, harming Indigenous people’s hunting livelihoods as well as destabilizing buildings and roads.  

• The third EU country to do so, Portugal announced closure of national coal plants, driven to this decision in response to rising carbon costs and competition from clean energy companies. 

• As a result of COVID-19, once manicured green spaces in cities across the world have been left to be rewilded with native flowers and grasses which have been attracting more diverse ecosystems of insects, birds and wildlife. 

• Zanzibar in East Africa, a global hotspot for seaweed production, is initiating a new program for sustainable seaweed production. 

• Joe Biden revealed a $2 trillion climate plan.

• As methane emissions have reached a global high, Burger King will be treating cows to a new feed that includes lemongrass as part of an experiment on reducing the amount of methane cows burp into the atmosphere. 

• Trump overturns key environmental laws which will speed up approval for projects like pipelines and highways, which could negatively impact low-income and minority communities.  

• Read up on the links between racism and the environment with this resource list from The New York Times. 

• Read up on the disproportionate effects of the climate crisis on Indigenous peoples and people of color with this article from Vice: The Environmental Movement Needs to Reckon with Its Racist History

• Read up on the factors that make communities of color more susceptible to climate disasters with this article from Grist: Why Racial Justice is Climate Justice

• Read up on the intersectionality between defunding the police and the environmental movement with this article from Vice: Why ‘Defunding the Police’ Is Also an Environmental Issue

• Read up on the challenges racism adds to climate activism and work with this article from The Washington Post: Racism Derails Our Efforts to Save the Planet