The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) said in its 2023 report: “Any further delay in concerted global action will miss a brief and rapidly closing window to secure a livable future.”
Positive
1. The (EPA) Solar for All program has announced a $7 billion grant program to make rooftop solar more readily available for low-income and disadvantaged communities. It is estimated that the program will enable 900,000 households to benefit from solar.
2. American Airlines has entered into a conditional purchase agreement with hydrogen fuel cell aviation upstart Zero Avia for 100 hydrogen-electric engines intended to power regional jets with near zero in-flight emissions. The engines are being developed and are not yet available.
3. A new report has found that climate lawsuits being filed against companies are on the rise all over the world, and most of them have been successful. "Climate litigation has become an undeniably significant trend in how stakeholders are seeking to advance climate action and accountability," said Andy Raine, the UN Environmental Program's deputy director of law division.
4. The draft Democratic Party platform mentions “climate” or “clean energy” 141 times and includes a seven-page chapter devoted to climate solutions. The Republican National Convention formally adopted a platform that makes no mention of climate change.
Negative
1. Dozens of the most remote rivers and streams in Alaska are turning from clear blue to cloudy orange. Research has found that the discoloration is from the exposure of minerals from thawing permafrost. The researchers said that, with continued global heating, these contaminated rivers and streams will seriously impact fisheries and drinking water in Arctic watersheds.
2. The recent Supreme Court Chevron ruling will significantly impact the government's ability to create regulations to deal with the climate crisis. The ruling permits courts to overrule decisions made by experts within government agencies. The Washington Post predicted that the decision will “touch off years of lawsuits that could redefine the US government’s role in modern American life.”
3. The global average temperature for the period June 2023 to May 2024 — 12 consecutive months — was 1.63 degrees Celsius (2.93 F) above the pre-industrial average, making it the hottest on record. It was also the longest stretch above the 1.5-degree threshold of the Paris Agreement. July 22nd was the hottest day on earth since record keeping began and probably in at least 100,000 years. Also, in May, the average ocean surface temperature was the fourteenth record-setting month in a row. Ground temperatures in East Antarctica have soared more than 50 degrees F above normal in the second heat wave to afflict the region in the past two years.
4. Wildfires in the vast boreal forest ringing the Arctic Circle have erupted and reached unusually intense levels in Russia, Alaska, and Canada. Fires in this region threaten to turn a major carbon sink into a net carbon source through their emissions.
5. Studies suggest that 25% of US Congress seats are held by climate deniers, which is not representative of a country where less than 15% of the public hold similar views. Government policies are similarly unbalanced despite overwhelming public support for an energy transition.
6. Methane is a very strong greenhouse gas and a paper in Frontiers in Science finds an "abrupt and rapid increase" in the growth rate of atmospheric methane in the early 2020s. It cites two main reasons: higher levels from fossil fuel production, and wetlands releasing more in a warming climate.
Action Item
As most folks know, plastic has many serious environmental impacts. It is not as widely known that the plastic is made from fossil fuels. The extraction, transport, and use of natural gas in plastic manufacturing releases large amounts of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. For many reasons, it is important to reduce our use of plastic. One thing we can all do is stop using plastic bags and rely on reusable cloth bags for groceries. As my wife and I have discovered, the cloth bags are much easier to handle than the plastic bags, so it is a net positive for you and the environment.
Rod