1.5 degrees of warming may be locked in
Plus, the first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season.
Welcome to Planet Days, a green newsletter for a greenwashed Planet.
If you’re new to this newsletter, every Monday we curate a five-minute roundup of the latest climate news and what it means for our Planet. If this was forwarded to you, smash that subscribe button:
Last week, wildfires blazed near Athens, record heat swept across the American West, and climate groups mobilized $100 million ahead of the U.S. midterms.
In case you missed it, here’s what else happened around the Planet.
Sunday, June 5
Alex kicks off hurricane season
Last weekend, a tropical storm drenched Cuba then South Florida, dropping inches of rain across Miami, Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale, and Boca Raton. Downtown Miami saw nearly a foot of rain.
By Sunday, the storm — which flooded streets, triggered sewer overflows, and killed at least three people in Cuba — developed into Tropical Storm Alex, making it the first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season.
June 1 marked the start of hurricane season, one that experts predict will be the seventh consecutive above-average season. Climate change likely plays a part in this run of active seasons, as warmer waters fuel stronger and more frequent storms. NPR has more.
Monday, June 6
Biden’s solar push
U.S. President Joe Biden kickstarted the week with some big moves for solar. On Monday, Biden waived tariffs on solar panels from certain Southeast Asian countries and invoked the Defense Production Act to boost domestic clean energy.
The move aims to curb a months-long Department Commerce probe, which investigates whether certain solar imports are dodging tariffs on goods made in China and has significantly slowed the development of solar manufacturing in the U.S.
With the Defense Production Act invoked, Biden hopes to boost domestic manufacturing of solar panel parts, building insulation, heat pumps, electrolyzers, fuel cells, platinum metals, and transformers. Reuters covers the orders.
1.5 degrees may be locked in
What happens if we stopped emitting greenhouse gasses today? Will temperatures stop rising, or is some future warming inevitable? These are a few questions researchers sought to answer last week in a study published in Nature Climate Change.
The study finds that if we cut all emissions in 2021 and every year after, the Planet still has a 42% of reaching 1.5 degrees Celsius, the ideal target set by the Paris Agreement. If emissions don’t stop till 2029, that chance jumps to 66%. (For those keeping track: Temperatures have risen by about 1.1 degrees since the start of the industrial era.)
The study is yet another reminder of the urgency and money needed to meet climate goals and ensure a livable future. E&E News explains the findings.
Tuesday, June 7
Climate impacts get more expensive
And as temperatures have increased, the costs of climate impacts have soared. According to a new report by Oxfam, U.N. climate disaster appeals are now eight times higher than they were 20 years ago. Worse yet, many of these appeals are unmet:
Over the last five years, poor countries appealed for $63–75 billion in emergency humanitarian aid but have only received $35–42 billion.
To close this gap, the report calls for a “new finance facility… to help ensure that finance to address loss and damage is accessible and sustained.” The report also pressures rich countries to scale-up funding to poor countries for reducing emissions and adapting to a warmer world. The Guardian has more.
Microplastics in the Antarctic
Plastic pollution has infiltrated one of the most remote places on Earth: Researchers analyzed 19 samples of freshly fallen snow in Antarctica, finding microplastics in every single one, Earther reports.
Plastic has been found on the continent before but never in new snowfall. Experts worry that the smaller particles could enter the Antarctic food chain and speed up glacial melt. Speaking of which, some of Antarctica’s biggest glaciers have shrunk at an unprecedented rate, with much of the retreat likely irreversible, reports Bloomberg.
Wednesday, June 8
EU lawmakers ban gas-powered cars by 2035
After agreeing to Russian oil earlier this month, the European Union made another aggressive climate push on Wednesday. The E.U. assembly voted to ban sales of new gas-powered cars by 2035. The assembly also voted to enforce a 55% CO2 reduction from cars by 2030.
The gas-powered car ban and CO2 target are key parts of the E.U.’s Fit for 55 package, which aims to slash emissions 55% by 2030. Earlier that day, however, that package was delayed, as left-wing lawmakers helped strike down a proposal that would have reformed the bloc’s carbon market.
That reform, along with the creation of a carbon border tax and a Social Climate Fund, were sent back to committee to iron out details. The Associated Press has the story.
Dash for gas threatens climate target
Aggressive sanctions of Russian fossil fuels are causing an energy shortfall for much of the world. But rather than fill the gap with renewables, many countries, including the U.S., U.K., Germany, and Canada, are investing in new gas projects, according to new research.
This dash for gas could lock us into “another high-carbon decade,” destroying our chances of limiting global heating.
“Something has to change: We cannot go on responding to short-term shocks, be they pandemics or energy shocks from conflict, by taking steps that would increase emissions, ignoring the looming crisis of climate change,” Niklas Höhne of NewClimate Institute, one of the partners behind the report, told The Guardian.
Bonus
Finding fresh air
Earlier this year, research found more than 40% of Americans live in areas with poor air quality. Wildfires this summer won’t help our case, but a new feature on Google Maps may help you avoid the worst of it: A new layer with an Air Quality Index (AQI) overlayed directly onto the map grid.
The feature not only displays data from the national level but also details hyperlocal conditions at the street level. Find out more from The Verge, and get outside safely this summer.
Have a great week,
Brandon and Sam