Tag Archives: floods

After COP27, all signs point to world blowing past the 1.5 degrees global warming limit – here’s what we can still do about it

*Young activists have been pushing to keep a 1.5-Celsius limit, knowing their future is at stake.*
*AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty*

Peter Schlosser, Arizona State University

The world could still, theoretically, meet its goal of keeping global warming under 1.5 degrees Celsius, a level many scientists consider a dangerous threshold. Realistically, that’s unlikely to happen.

Part of the problem was evident at COP27, the United Nations climate conference in Egypt.

While nations’ climate negotiators were successfully fighting to “keep 1.5 alive” as the global goal in the official agreement, reached Nov. 20, 2022, some of their countries were negotiating new fossil fuel deals, driven in part by the global energy crisis. Any expansion of fossil fuels – the primary driver of climate change – makes keeping warming under 1.5 C (2.7 Fahrenheit) compared to pre-industrial times much harder. Continue reading →

Climate Crisis Pushing Up to 1 in 6 US Tree Species Toward Extinction: Study

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“Understanding the current state of trees within the U.S. is imperative to protecting those species, their habitats, and the countless communities they support.”

By Julia Conley Published 8-23-2022 by Common Dreams

Black ash trees are among the tree species identified in a new study showing that up to one in six tree species are being pushed toward extinction. Photo: Eli Sagor/flickr/CC

New research published Tuesday reveals both how chronically under-studied tree populations are in the U.S. and how the lack of resources devoted to trees has pushed as much as 16% of all tree species toward the threat of extinction.

After five years of study, a coalition of scientists from Botanic Gardens Conservation International, NatureServe, the U.S. Botanic Garden, and other groups revealed that as many as one in six U.S. tree species are in danger of becoming extinct due largely to disease and invasive insects—both of which have been quietly made more devastating to trees in recent years by the climate crisis. Continue reading →

UN Chief: IPCC Report a ‘Damning Indictment of Failed Climate Leadership’

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“The facts are undeniable. This abdication of leadership is criminal,” said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.

By Jake Johnson. Published 2-28-2022 by Common Dreams

The Holy Fire At Lake Elsinore, California August 9, 2018 Photo: slworking2/flickr/CC

A landmark scientific report published Monday warns that the human-caused climate crisis is driving a “dangerous and widespread disruption in nature” and impacting billions of lives across the globe, emergencies that can only be redressed by immediate and sweeping action that world leaders have thus far failed to take.

The product of years of collaborative research by scientists from around the world, the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report “emphasizes the urgency of immediate and more ambitious action to address climate risks,” said Hoesung Lee, chair of the IPCC. Continue reading →

234 scientists read 14,000+ research papers to write the IPCC climate report – here’s what you need to know and why it’s a big deal

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*With wildfires, droughts and extreme storms in many parts of the world, climate warnings are starting to feel personal.*
*Peter Parks/AFP via Getty Images*

Stephanie Spera, University of Richmond

Hundreds of scientists from around the world just finalized a new report assessing the state of the global climate. It’s a big deal. The report is used by governments and industries everywhere to understand the threats ahead.

So who are these scientists, and what goes into this important assessment?

Get ready for some acronyms. We’re going to take a closer look at how the IPCC report is made and some of the terms you’ll be hearing with the report’s release on Aug. 9, 2021. Continue reading →

Biden Already Facing Pressure to Tackle Backlog of ‘Unfunded’ Toxic Waste Sites Threatened by Climate Crisis

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More broadly, campaigners are calling on the incoming president to deliver on the environmental justice promises he made as a candidate.

By Jessica Corbett, staff writer for Common Dreams. Published 12-28-2020

Formerly an open pit copper mine, the Berkeley Pit in Butte, Montana is now part of the largest Superfund site in the United States. Photo: Kolopres/Wikimedia Commons/CC

A joint report on Monday highlighted the pressure that President-elect Joe Biden is already facing to deliver on his environmental justice campaign promises—particularly when it comes to the 34 Superfund sites nationwide for which there is no reliable cleanup funding—the largest backlog of “unfunded” sites in 15 years.

The federal Superfund program began with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), passed by Congress in 1980. While cleanup efforts were initially paid for by a trust fund created by taxing the chemical and petroleum industries, lawmakers let the tax expire 25 years ago. Continue reading →

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The Movement Continues – Globally

Tag Archives: floods

After COP27, all signs point to world blowing past the 1.5 degrees global warming limit – here’s what we can still do about it

Climate Crisis Pushing Up to 1 in 6 US Tree Species Toward Extinction: Study

“Understanding the current state of trees within the U.S. is imperative to protecting those species, their habitats, and the countless communities they support.”

234 scientists read 14,000+ research papers to write the IPCC climate report – here’s what you need to know and why it’s a big deal