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Climate Stories September 1
California’s planned transition to 100% zero-emission vehicle sales by 2035 could be getting changes soon, as the Executive Board of the California Democratic Party today unanimously adopted a resolution to call for an end to new gas car sales in the state by 2030.
The move comes soon after several California cities, including Culver City, Oakland, and Berkeley, have adopted similar resolutions calling for a 2030 target.
Climate Stories November 23, 2020
John Kerry has been named special presidential envoy for climate change on the National Security Council — aka “climate czar” — by US president-elect Joe Biden. It’s a brand-new position.
Climate Stories November 21, 2020
- How can Americans break through the partisan divide when it comes to talking about the climate crisis?
- Scientists rank five types of soft drink containers from best to worst for the environment.
- Small farmers globally are particularly vulnerable to the climate crisis. Here’s the help they’re getting.
- And more…
Climate Stories November 14, 2020
- The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season breaks the record for the number of named storms with 29. Why?
- We look at three state environmental amendments and initiatives that were passed by voters.
- What’s regenerative farming, and how could it help reduce climate change? Woody Harrelson tells us.
- And more…
Climate Stories November 7, 2020
- Why would a state that is extremely vulnerable to climate change vote for Donald Trump?
- Small Island Developing States lead the fight against climate change — and usually suffer the most.
- The president of the Oakland Firefighters Union talks about what it’s like to face wildfires firsthand.
- And more…
Climate Stories November 4, 2020
Key Biscayne, an island town in Miami-Dade County and one of Florida’s wealthiest towns, is also very vulnerable to rising seas. And last night, in the 2020 election, it soundly voted to approve a $100 million bond to protect itself from sea-level rise. Its decision driver? Staving off dropping property values.
Climate Stories October 31, 2020
Just in case you didn’t notice, the US election is next week, on Tuesday, November 3. We at Electrek ran a Climate Crisis Weekly roundup on October 10 with the headline, “Humanity’s future rests on American voters.” Someone on the subreddit r/JoeBiden declared, “Tech website Electrek backs Biden for president.” Our reaction to that? We’ll take it.
And here’s why. Electrek is for electric vehicles, green energy, slowing and eventually reversing climate change, and protecting and renewing the environment. And we’ll hop on whatever e-bus we have to ride in order to get closest to the goal of progressing those things.
So instead of rounding up the week’s climate change stories, we’ve done something different this week. Some of us in the 9to5 network explain — each with a unique perspective, from all over the US (and world) — why we back Joe Biden in the 2020 US presidential election. In short, it’s because he’s the e-bus that gets us closest to our destination. Because we believe, with a passion, in what we write about.
Climate Stories October 24, 2020
- Naturalist and TV presenter Steve Backshall illustrates animals’ evolution due to climate change.
- Air pollution killed a half-million newborn babies globally in 2019, according to a new report.
- Young people living in the Arctic Circle describe the climate change they see now in a BBC My World film.
- And more…
Climate Stories October 17, 2020
- Many Americans say they don’t quite understand the “Green New Deal,” so we demystify it here.
- The percentage of Americans that are alarmed about the climate crisis has doubled in five years.
- Regardless of how you feel about Greta Thunberg, the documentary I am Greta is a must-watch.
- And more…
Climate Stories October 10, 2020
- The US presidential election is almost here and voting has started. For the earth’s future, it’s everything.
- Vice President Joe Biden releases the first political ad exclusively about climate change in the US.
- Prince William and Sir David Attenborough launch the biggest environmental award ever, at $50 million.
- And more…
Climate Stories October 3, 2020
- Greenland’s ice is melting faster than at any time in the past 12,000 years, according to a new study.
- Sir David Attenborough’s A Life on Our Planet debuts on Sunday to help us better understand climate change.
- The Environmental Defense Fund launches the Climate Authenticity Meter to evaluate businesses’ climate goals.
- And more…
Climate Stories September 26, 2020
- The biggest climate summit of 2020 took place this week, with more than 350 events.
- Which countries take climate change the most seriously? The ones who’ve experienced it.
- What if the US joined the EU and China in making a pledge to fight climate change?
- And more…
Climate Stories September 23, 2020
California Governor Gavin Newsom has just announced a ban on the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles starting in 2035. The state will require all new cars and trucks sold after that date to be zero emission vehicles. Californians will still be able to operate gas-powered vehicles after that date, and will still be able to buy and sell used gas cars.
This move is the most aggressive yet-announced in the US, and will have major effects for the auto industry as a whole, given California’s leadership on clean air issues. But the thing is: it should be even more aggressive.
Climate Stories September 19, 2020
- The world’s wildlife population has declined by more than two-thirds in the last 50 years — WWF
- As much as 80% of the European Union’s electricity could be fossil fuel-free by 2030.
- Here’s why a new study of sea urchins will provide great insight into the effects of climate change.
- And more…
Climate Stories September 5, 2020
- The UN secretary-general urges G20 nations to ditch coal completely in a climate conference.
- Planting seagrass needs to play an important part in reducing emissions. Here’s why.
- Writer Andrew McCormick asks, “The sitting president has no climate plan. Why isn’t that headline news?”
- And more…
Climate Stories August 29, 2020
- Climate change is causing warmer waters, and it’s making hurricanes more dangerous.
- Pop-up “corona cycleways” in European cities could result in health benefits of $3 billion a year.
- What’s in the US Senate Democrats’ Special Committee on the Climate Crisis report?
- And more…
Climate Stories August 22, 2020
- The NOAA Weather Prediction Center thinks Death Valley may have broken a global heat record.
- An environmental science professor describes how climate change affects her students’ mental health.
- Trump plans to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. These animals would be destroyed.
- And more…
Climate Stories August 15, 2020
- Mauritius suffered a really bad oil spill — and as feared, it’s killing its marine life.
- Carbon dioxide emissions make oceans more acidic, and that’s not good for marine creatures.
- Maine’s lobster fishery lost its sustainability certification due to the endangerment of the Right Whale.
- And more…
Climate Stories August 8, 2020
- Most US states are cutting emissions without federal help. Here’s who’s succeeding and failing.
- A Chilean photographer’s images of Patagonia’s glaciers reveal a starkly different landscape from a century ago.
- Bill Gates posts a blog on lessons from the pandemic that should guide our response to the climate crisis.
- And more…
Climate Stories August 1, 2020
- Two new groundbreaking, comprehensive studies prove that reducing air pollution saves lives.
- UN Secretary-General António Guterres has new youth leaders to advise him on climate action.
- July 29 was International Tiger Day, which highlights the importance of protecting the species.
- And more…
Climate Stories July 25, 2020
- Polar bears live on Arctic sea ice, and it’s melting fast.
- Many African, Asian, and Latin American countries meet the UN’s sustainable development goals.
- Oceana launches Ship Speed Watch, an online tool to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales.
- And more…
Climate Stories July 18, 2020
- Influencers such as Greta Thunberg, Joaquin Phoenix, and Greenpeace call for EU leaders to “face the climate emergency.”
- The fast-food giant Burger King has taken a novel approach to reduce methane emissions.
- A new study finds that tree planting does not always boost ecosystem carbon stocks.
- And more…
Climate Stories July 13, 2020
Last week, the Joe Biden-Bernie Sanders climate unity task force put forward a number of recommendations to combat climate change, as Electrek reported on July 9. That followed a huge climate plan from the House Democrats in June to bring the US to net zero by 2050. But are they good preliminary plans?
Climate Stories July 11, 2020
- The latest IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has been released, identifying the species most at risk of extinction.
- Vermont becomes the first state in the US to pass a ban on food waste.
- Colorado State University raises its 2020 hurricane forecast in July from 19 named storms up to 20.
- And more…
Climate Stories July 4, 2020
- The Plastic Free Foundation launched Plastic Free July in 2011. Here’s how you can make a difference permanently.
- Think you’re not in a flood zone? Double check with this comprehensive new data website.
- Three things we can do to improve resilience efforts against rising sea levels — NRDC
- And more…
Climate Stories June 30, 2020
US House Democrats proposed a plan today to bring the US economy to net zero by 2050. This would include transitioning to EVs and green energy with tax incentives, new infrastructure, and government mandates.
Climate Stories June 27, 2020
- The Siberian town of Verkhoyansk set a high-temperature record last Saturday.
- It was also the warmest month of May on record, with temperatures of 1.1F (0.6C) above the 1981-2010 average.
- Facebook’s refusal to fact check has thrown the door wide open for climate-change deniers.
- And more…
Climate Stories June 20, 2020
- After a decades-long recovery program, giant tortoises return to their Galápagos island.
- Florida youths’ climate court case was dismissed, but they will appeal.
- Pandemics are a result of the destruction of our environment, says the UN, WHO, and WWF.
- And more…
Climate Stories June 17, 2020
Florida youths’ climate change lawsuit dismissed, will appeal
A circuit judge in Leon County, Florida, dismissed a lawsuit earlier in June that was filed by eight young people against the state of Florida over burning fossil fuels and thus causing climate change.
Climate Stories June 13, 2020
- The 2020 Environmental Performance Index is out — who’s No. 1?
- Here’s a roundup of great reads to learn more about links between racism and the environment.
- Germany, the largest emitter in Europe, submits its climate plan to the EU.
- And more…
Climate Stories June 6, 2020
- Electrek rounds up commentary from black experts on climate, COVID, and racism in the US.
- Tropical Storm Amanda batters El Salvador and Guatemala with heavy rain and flooding.
- New Jersey will become the first state to teach climate change in the K-12 curriculum.
- And more…
Climate Stories May 30, 2020
- Is planting trees enough to slow climate change? No. Here’s why.
- World health leaders wrote to G20 leaders asking them to address the climate crisis in recovery plans (and they did).
- Indigenous leaders in Peru and Ecuador are calling for a halt to oil drilling in the Amazon.
- And more…
Climate Stories May 23, 2020
- A new analysis shows that CO2 has dropped 17% due to the pandemic lockdown.
- NOAA releases its hurricane predictions as Cyclone Amphan bashes India and Bangladesh.
- Yesterday was the International Day for Biological Diversity. What’s the significance?
- And more…
Climate Stories May 21, 2020
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) head Andrew Wheeler was questioned by members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee yesterday about rolling back environmental regulations during the coronavirus pandemic.
Climate Stories May 16, 2020
- NASA science writer Alan Buis explains why sea-level rise is real, even though you can’t see it.
- Joe Biden names Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and John Kerry as co-chairs of his Climate Task Force.
- Australian scientists say they have figured out how to make coral heat-resistant.
- And more…
Climate Stories May 9, 2020
- The New York Times compiled a list of all the environmental policies Trump has killed.
- The League of Conservation Voters board chair on why the 2020 US election is vital for Earth.
- Montana fossil-fuel leases are set aside by a federal judge because the BLM did no environmental analysis.
- And more…
Climate Stories May 6, 2020
Top US and British economists, including Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz and Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment chairman Lord Nicholas Stern, published a working paper on Tuesday that asserts that the most effective coronavirus stimulus packages will also focus on reducing carbon emissions.
Climate Stories April 25, 2020
- How did high-profile US politicians acknowledge Earth Day? Their responses are telling.
- The Florida Aquarium has reproduced coral, which may save the world’s third-largest coral reef.
- Climate change undercuts improvements in air quality, says the American Lung Association.
- And more…
Climate Stories April 18, 2020
- After its election, South Korea will be the first country in East Asia to pledge to reach net zero.
- High pressure caused a dramatic melting of Greenland’s ice sheet in the summer of 2019.
- Don’t want solar panels on your roof? Embed these cool recycled panels in your pavement instead.
- And more…
Climate Stories April 11, 2020
- New studies of our oceans see two potential pathways amid climate change — which will we take?
- India’s lockdown due to COVID-19 has resulted in some drastic pollution reductions.
- Bill Gates on the coronavirus and how learnings can help solve climate change.
- And more…
Climate Stories April 4, 2020
- A WHO climate change researcher explains how climate change and the coronavirus are linked.
- The crucial COP26 in Glasgow has now been postponed to mid-2021 due to the coronavirus.
- Sir David Attenborough: “The natural world produces the comfort that can come from nothing else.”
- And more…
Climate Stories March 30, 2020
Atmospheric pollution may be “giving a helping hand” to the coronavirus, according to a new paper by Italian researchers from the University of Bologna.
Climate Stories March 28, 2020
- Australia’s Great Barrier Reef has suffered its third mass bleaching in five years.
- The Welsh government will plant a national forest that will span the length and breadth of the country.
- Vehicle emissions drop in March due to COVID-19, but what happens when driving returns?
- And more…
Climate Stories March 27, 2020
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a suspension of the enforcement of environmental rules on Thursday, saying it “will generally not seek stipulated or other penalties for noncompliance with such obligations” during the coronavirus outbreak.
Climate Stories March 21, 2020
- Social distancing doesn’t have to be boring — it can also help the planet. Here’s how.
- Coronavirus masks are clogging up Hong Kong’s beaches and nature trails.
- It sounds more than a bit odd, but the coronavirus lockdown may save lives by reducing air pollution.
- And more…
Climate Stories March 20, 2020
The coronavirus lockdown could save lives by reducing pollution
This may sound controversial, but please stay with us. The coronavirus lockdown may actually save even more lives by reducing pollution due to factory shutdowns, reduced travel, and more.
Climate Stories March 14, 2020
- Bears across the globe are waking up from hibernation early due to warm temperatures.
- Greta Thunberg listens to the coronavirus science — and moves climate-crisis strikes online.
- Phones, tablets, and laptops will be included in Europe’s “Right to Repair” law to cut waste.
- And more…
Climate Stories March 7, 2020
- How a couple created a tiger reserve in India by buying land and letting forest grow back.
- Hey, New Yorkers: ’80s rocker Billy Idol wants you to stop “idling” your fossil-fuel cars.
- American station in Antarctica records the warmest February in 53 years.
- And more…
