A (non-comprehensive) list of interesting and relevant climate change, climate policy, and environmental justice stories.
Assessing the macroeconomic effects of climate change transition policies. To meet the goal of reducing emissions in the European Union (EU) by at least 55% in 2030 compared with 1990 levels, governments have started implementing different sets of measures. (read the full story here)
Inaction at COP28 should motivate us to act locally. The recent UN Climate Change Conference COP28 in Dubai culminated with the UAE Consensus, a framework heralded by conference leaders for acknowledging fossil fuel’s role in climate change and calling for reductions in use. This was widely heralded as a success, but the agreement merely recognizes a long-established scientific consensus while failing to deliver actionable steps to phase out fossil fuels. Efforts for climate finance, carbon markets, and protecting frontline communities also fell short, resulting in little more than a status quo outcome dressed up in a splashy package. (read the full story here)
How Polarized Is America When It Comes To Climate Change? A lot in some ways, not so much in others. While most Republicans do not see climate change as an urgent issue, they are supportive of a number of ways of addressing it. They agree with some Democratic policies but not others. The reverse is also true. Let me make the case why there is more opportunity for bipartisanship on this critical issue than most people realize. (read the full story here)
Climate scientist wins $1mn in defamation case against rightwing bloggers. A prominent climate scientist who was accused by right-wing bloggers of academic fraud and compared to a notorious child molester has won more than $1mn in damages, ending a 12-year defamation case closely watched by campaigners. (read the full story here)
The world just marked a year above a critical climate limit scientists have warned about. Global warming surpassed 1.5 degrees Celsius over the past 12 months for the first time on record, new data shows, breaching a critical threshold that, if it continues, will push the limits of life on Earth to adapt. (read the full story here)
‘In a word, horrific’: Trump’s extreme anti-environment blueprint. Allies and advisers have hinted at a more methodical second term: driving forward fossil fuel production, sidelining scientists and overturning rules. (read the full story here)
Carbon Offsets Have a Fatal Flaw. They’re supposed to fight climate change. But climate change is coming for them too. (read the full story here)
SpaceX launched an environmental research satellite for NASA early Thursday, a nearly $1 billion spacecraft that survived multiple cancellation threats and is now poised to shed new light on climate change and the complex interplay of heat-trapping carbon, aerosols and sea life on global scales. (read the full story here)
Have we been talking about climate change all wrong? Greenhouse gasses are making the planet hotter, but some scientists argue focusing on temperature overlooks a more visible danger. (read the full story here)