A (non-comprehensive) list of interesting and relevant climate change, climate policy, and environmental justice stories.
For Louisiana’s ‘Cancer Alley,’ Study Shows An Even Graver Risk From Toxic Gases. Levels of ethylene oxide more than 1,000 times higher than what’s considered safe—and far greater than previous estimates—were identified by researchers at John Hopkins. (read the full story here)
‘Environmental Justice Nightmare’: FERC Approves Major LNG Export Terminal Despite Biden Pause. “Even with FERC’s reckless decision to approve CP2, the project cannot move forward without all federal permits, including those currently paused by the Department of Energy,” one climate advocate said. (read the full story here)
The Vanishing Islands That Failed to Vanish. Low-lying tropical island nations were expected to be early victims of rising seas. But research tells a surprising story: Many islands are stable. Some have even grown. (read the full story here)
UN action on gender and climate faces uphill climb as warming hurts women. At June’s Bonn talks, governments made little progress on gender equality while evidence shows women bear a heavy climate burden. (read the full story here)
Despite dilution, officials say new nature law can restore EU carbon sinks. To meet climate goals, the European Union needs to reverse the decline of its carbon-storing ecosystems like forests and peatlands. (read the full story here)
Common plastics could passively cool and heat buildings with the seasons. By restricting radiant heat flows between buildings and their environment to specific wavelengths, coatings engineered from common materials can achieve energy savings and thermal comfort that goes beyond what traditional building envelopes can achieve. (read the full story here)
Lawyers could charge big oil with homicide after 2023 Arizona heatwave. Charges are reasonable after July 2023 extreme weather event, advocates write in new memorandum. (read the full story here)
AI will be help rather than hindrance in hitting climate targets, Bill Gates says. Microsoft co-founder says efficiencies for technology and electricity grids will outweigh energy use by data centers.(read the full story here)
In North Carolina, a Legal Fight Over Wetlands Protections. A businessman in Elizabeth City who wants to build a sand mine and a soft shell crab farm near wetlands thought new EPA regulations were too restrictive. A federal judge ruled in the EPA’s favor. (read the full story here)