A (non-comprehensive) list of interesting and relevant climate change, climate policy, and environmental justice stories from the past week.
America’s Stewardship of one of its most precious resources, groundwater, relies on a patchwork of state and local rules so lax and outdated that in many places oversight is all but nonexistent, a New York Times analysis has found. (read the full story here)
Deep Rifts at UN Loss and Damage Talks Cast a Shadow on Upcoming Climate Conference. Developing countries oppose the U.S.-led plan for the World Bank to host the new climate fund, and question the credibility of developed countries that have failed to deliver on other climate promises. (read the full story here)
New Study Warns of an Imminent Spike of Planetary Warming and Deepens Divides Among Climate Scientists. James Hansen, the scientist who first sounded the climate alarm in Congress, sees a decrease in aerosol pollution driving a surge of warming and criticizes the U.N. climate science panel, drawing a backlash from other researchers. (read the full story here)
Oil and Gas Companies Spill Millions of Gallons of Wastewater in Texas. Analysis found companies have spilled nearly 150 million gallons of toxic, highly saline wastewater in Texas over the last decade. (read the full story here)
Shapiro Orders New Controls on the Oil and Gas Industry in Pennsylvania, Targeting Methane Emissions and Drilling Chemicals. The governor also announced a collaboration with CNX Resources, a gas driller, aimed at gathering and disclosing pollution data and increasing transparency. (read the full story here)
Politicians who delay climate action must live with consequences, says World Health Organization expert. Delegates at Cop are ‘negotiating with our health’, says Maria Neira, the doctor in charge of environmental health at WHO. (read the full story here)
Action to protect against climate crisis ‘woefully inadequate’, UN warns. International funding to shield people from heatwaves, floods and droughts only 5-10% of what is needed, report finds (read the full story here)
Less Pollution, More Global Warming. As we clean up the air, we also seem to making warming a bit worse. (read the full story here)
World ill-prepared to stop climate crisis reversing progress on health, says study. UN meteorological body finds health experts have access to heat warning services in only half of affected countries. (read the full story here)
Coal free by 2070? India’s push toward renewables won’t stop coal reliance for the next two decades. (read the full story here)