A perfect storm—in a good way. Electric vehicle growth has the potential to reach a 90% market share by 2030 if sustained, but only if strong policies support this direction. Real leadership on the climate crisis begins with you and we need your help. An initial signatory, the United States later announced its intent to withdraw from the agreement in 2017. Patrick J. Michaels is a senior fellow in Energy and Environment at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a free market public policy organization based in Washington, D.C. In 2015, world leaders from 196 countries came together in Paris to sign the first truly global deal to fight the climate crisis. For example, through installation of artificial nests it has helped recovery of the vulnerable shy albatross among others. Because of this, Pielke notes that the next climate compendium “is at risk of already being obsolete” because it relies on grossly inflated emissions scenarios. QAnon and those who believe that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Donald Trump are ridiculous. (10/13/16) – Today we are going to shift gears a little bit, and highlight a potential benefit of climate change. Nearly half of the largest companies in the US now recognize that it is everyone’s responsibility to tackle climate change and preserve our planet for future generations. Climate change has caused billions of dollars in flood damages, according to Stanford researchers Flooding has caused hundreds of billions of dollars in damage in … Top White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said he had few allies in the Trump administration to help push his free market, free-trade agenda and criticized many of his colleagues. Climate change activist Greta Thunberg attends a news conference during a Fridays for Future protest in Turin, Italy, December 13, 2019. Most of us don’t say to ourselves “I’m going to add CO2 and contribute to global warming” every time we … This is a problem because that literature forms the core of the most recent (2018) United States “National Assessment” of climate change effects, a sort of biblical resource for policymakers and the media. Recent analyses using satellite data or observations of temperature and radiation changes yield sensitivities about half of that, which means the actual increases this century are likely to be much lower than even the IEA’s projection. But make no mistake, the change in perspective that is implied by current expectations for energy consumption and the mix of technologies that comprise it, along with expectations for economic growth, provide welcome good news on climate. The high-end scenario used by the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change simply ignores the rapid fuel-switching that is occurring as hydrofractured natural gas displaces coal for electricity generation, especially in the U.S. It showed that everyone has a voice in our efforts to tackle the climate crisis. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. Coincidentally or by design, one can see echoes of their theory in the renewed stimulus effort from President-elect Joe Biden. Two important climate stories have somehow evaded media attention. In its revelation, the IEA relies heavily on a withering article by University of British Columbia’s Justin Ritchie in the journal Energy, showing that the United Nation’s future energy use scenarios generally employ what he calls a "return to coal hypothesis," in which coal use expands dramatically to the year 2100. Top White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said President Trump went too far in encouraging his supporters to overturn the results of the election, causing the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol earlier this month. Why’s that good? Too often in politics, elected officials call for “unity” and “coming together” when they really mean “shut up and do what I want.” If President-elect Joe Biden’s early plans for a left-wing policy push from day one are anything to go by, his calls for bipartisanship and unity are similarly empty. Zaichun Zhu of Peking University noted in 2016 that human activity is responsible for over 90% of this greening, with a whopping 70% being from the direct “fertilization” effect of increasing atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide. Does Biden think he can outsmart COVID-19? Businesses also recognize the importance of adapting to climate changes. By working together, we can change course. Not so long ago, the prospect of a world-class English wine industry was a pipe dream. What most people don’t know is that there is also a lot of good news. Low cost solar, wind, and battery technologies are on profitable, exponential trajectories that if sustained, will be enough to halve emissions from electricity generation by 2030. In the same way climate change hits the most vulnerable people first, it increases the stresses on endangered and vulnerable species. While the protests were led by younger people, the event brought together individuals of every age, every walk of life, across cultures, and even party lines. Washington, DC 20037. The 2013 report specifies a range of future emissions, but the scientific community pays undue attention only to the highest one. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn But there is good news: every day we see more individuals, organizations, businesses, and governments responding to the crisis. Chen’s numbers work out to close to 0.06 degrees Celsius cooling (caused by greening) over the 15-year period of study (2000-2014). All the latest news about Climate change from the BBC Video caption: Edwin Congreave from Foals talks about the impact of live music touring on the climate. On Sept. 22, 2019, an estimated 6 million people around the world joined the global climate strike making it likely the largest climate rally ever. Yet, the panel's future energy consumption model producing the greatest warming is based upon the primitive notion that oil will soon be depleted and there will be a massive switch to coal, as Ritchie notes. The American people have made it clear that they want to see swift and strong action on climate change. WWF works collaboratively with companies and cities to not only adapt their own business to the climate crisis, but also to take on leadership roles advocating for stronger government action. The worst-case scenarios that have dominated discussions over the past decade or more. But what does this mean to global surface temperature? This coalition spans all 50 states, represents 155 million people, over 9.46 trillion in GDP, and is growing every day. They are not the same as ISIS. WWF works with local communities, governments, and research institutions around the world to help people and species prepare for—and adapt to—the impacts of climate change. President Trump has wrapped up his administration with a relatively quiet speech, heralding his administration’s record, condemning violence, and speaking highly of this “republic of proud citizens.”. The Alliances for Climate Action is a global network of coalitions now spanning five continents. Donald Trump has been a disaster for conservatives, for Republicans, and for the country. However, we need governments to drive this progress and take us the rest of the way. The war on climate denial has been won, writes New York Magazine’s David Wallace-Wells, author of ‘The Uninhabitable Earth.’ And that’s not … Several developments have come into play at once, that together have made for this startling, climate-friendly transformation of India’s energy policy. Until the very recent publication of research by Chi Chen (formerly with Boston University, now with the Department of Energy), it was unclear whether greening the planet resulted in net warming or cooling. Watch the "Good News" video and share it with your network. View our inclusive approach to conservation, stresses on endangered and vulnerable species, first truly global deal to fight the climate crisis, now recognize that it is everyone’s responsibility to tackle climate change, works collaboratively with companies and cities, Join us to call on your member of Congress to prioritize climate action. All rights reserved. Current news and data streams about global warming and climate change from NASA. Also, working with global experts in climate and ecological modeling, we identify actions that help communities and nature continue to thrive in a warming world. (Henning Kaiser/AFP/Getty Images) They can be generally categorized as coming from two camps; one environmental and one financial. IEA says we are on an emissions path that will produce less than half of the high-end warming, around 2.5 degrees Celsius this century. A perfect storm—in a good way. It was the first government to do so globally. Wind and solar energy now regularly out-compete fossil fuels in most regions of the world. A mere glint in the eye of a geology professor, who noticed how the chalky soils of southern England resembled those of the Champagne region in France. Current news and data streams about global warming and climate change from NASA. As Biden enters office, some Republican-run states have already moved to push pro-life legislation, and others should be following their lead. President Trump wasn't begging the National Guard to go save his most loyal servant and his family, hiding for their lives, and immediately calling for the rioters to stand down on his (once) prolific Twitter account. What is more, as some of the world’s largest energy users, businesses have a unique opportunity to lead. © 2021 World Wildlife Fund. Is there a 97% 'consensus' on this? Amid the news of storms and fire, floods and drought President-elect Biden has given those concerned with climate change some hope, announcing that … Crucially, the government promised to accept the findings of the Climate Change Committee report which came out on 2 May. The best thing to be said about the exam is that it at least attempts to create an objective measure of merit. This appears to be news to a number of influential policy voices, including Facebook's former chief security officer Alex Stamos and Washington Post columnist Max Boot. Here are three actions you can take today to help protect life on our planet from catastrophic climate change impacts. One of the major outcomes of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change—agreed by all countries at the end of the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) … Two important climate stories have somehow evaded media attention. We can pave a path forward to a future in which businesses rely on renewable energy, cities rethink waste disposal and transportation, and work with communities and individuals to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. May people believe in that, Trump thanks Pence two weeks after inciting a violent mob on him, Red states must push pro-life legislation to push back on Biden's pro-abortion policies, Trump leaves a lasting legacy of horrific havoc, 'He went too far': Kudlow regrets Trump election fraud claims. The Paris climate talks were a pivotal moment. Help protect nature and tackle the world's greatest environmental problems, including threats like climate change. As President Trump's tenure comes to an ignominious end, the media have wrongly attempted to rewrite the history of his administration as a whole through the lens of recent events. Every year, the UK produces 500,000 tons of spent coffee grounds, most of which ends up releasing methane in landfill. But the 2.5 degree Celsius estimate is likely too high because it uses the default assumptions in the widely employed Model for the Assessment of Greenhouse-gas Induced Climate Change. As the world warms, more water evaporates, leading to more … A short time ago, the news media insisted that even acknowledging the caravan of some 5,000 impoverished Central American migrants marching toward the United States was racist fearmongering. The first is that the authoritative International Energy Agency now recognizes that the high-emissions (and therefore high-warming) scenarios associated with future energy use are flat-out wrong, and the second is that global greening is fighting global warming. In their popular 2012 treatise, The Dictator's Handbook: Why Bad Behavior is Almost Always Good Politics, political scientists Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Alastair Smith offer a cogent explanation of what it takes to be a successful politician. However, a growing coalition of more than 3,600 leaders from cities, states, tribes businesses, college, and university came together to ensure America’s continuing commitment to the Paris Agreement as part of the We Are Still In movement. There’s good news and there’s bad news. The outgoing presidential administration took heat for President Trump’s proposal to combat warming by planting more trees, but he was actually “following the science.” Coupled with the more realistic emissions scenarios, increased vegetation will produce some further reduction in heating, most likely resulting in a 21st-century warming around 1.5 degrees Celsius, something we can easily accommodate and an amount that some economic models indicate confers net benefits. Vital Signs of the Planet: Global Climate Change and Global Warming. World Wildlife Fund Inc. is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization (tax ID number 52-1693387) under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. This type of coalition across sectors, partisan lines, and even faiths was once unprecedented, but they now drive nations toward more ambitious climate action around the world. On Sept. 22, 2019, an estimated 6 million people around the world joined the global climate strike making it likely the largest climate rally ever. Unsurprisingly, the commission’s first report has been met with nothing but hostility. The vote in May marked the first climate change resolution at a European bank and demonstrates how addressing lenders’ contribution to global warming has become a top priority for investors. The SAT is a deeply imperfect test. We are being called to change the way we identify ourselves as a species in order to address the current situation. Thanks to the efforts of a research team from Virginia Tech (VT), it is now believed that warmer temperatures could bring good news to the population of Ethiopia. For the first time in history, nearly 200 countries agreed to take collective action on climate change. 2020 was supposed to be the year of climate action with grassroots momentum and ambitious domestic commitments revving up to bold emission … By an overwhelming 99.9%, the U.K. bank’s shareholders approved a plan to reduce its Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions to net zero by 2050. They are the new faces of climate leadership around the world and are speeding up the planning and implementation of critical action on climate. Developed responsibly, we can harness these technologies and potentially scale further unproven ones to reduce about nearly two thirds of potential emissions in 2030. WWF helped Walmart launch Project Gigaton, a first of its kind initiative that has the potential to mobilize its suppliers—the largest supply chain in the world—to avoid emitting one gigaton of carbon into the atmosphere by 2030. How much surface average temperatures actually changed in that period is subject to some debate because the temperature records themselves are in flux. We also know that solutions to the climate crisis are most effective when they’re led by people from those communities most deeply affected. The vote in May marked the first climate change … For example, the widely accepted “pause” in warming that began around 2000 disappeared with a controversial 2015 adjustment of the data by our National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Climate Change: Potentially Good News on Methane and Peat Carbon Details Professor Joel Kostka (back) and postdoctoral assistant Max Kolton collecting water and microbial genetic samples inside an enclosure that augments the climate scenario at the SPRUCE climate change experiment in … Sunstein, Cass R. and Bobadilla Suarez, Sebastian and Lazzaro, Stephanie and Sharot, Tali, How People Update Beliefs about Climate Change: Good News and Bad News (September 2, 2016). It is good news … With more frequent and extreme weather events, melting glaciers, and rising sea levels, there is no question that the climate crisis is here now and the impacts are felt by humans and nature alike. As an armed mob charged the Capitol while cheering, "Hang Mike Pence!" Climate change: Covid drives record emissions drop in 2020 By Matt McGrath Environment correspondent Published 11 December 2020 Share close Share … One of these assumptions is that the “sensitivity” of global surface temperature (the amount of warming calculated for doubling atmospheric carbon dioxide) is 3 degrees Celsius. People are coming together to take concrete steps to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change. And Now for Some Good News About Climate Plus, see the second issue of Bloomberg Green By Leslie Kaufman September 21, 2020, 12:26 PM EDT 4:31 And Now for Some Good News … observations of temperature and radiation, Pompeo was not the worst secretary of state, and it isn't close, 'Very few other good folks': Free marketer Kudlow lacked allies in Trump administration, Trump leaves saying, 'The best is yet to come.' There is a growing movement among the private sector to address the risks that climate change poses while acknowledging and using nature as a solution. 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