2021’s record-breaking year for climate
Plus, pollution's deadly toll.
Welcome to Planet Days, 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, Tesla was booted from the S&P’s ESG index, Michael Bloomberg pledged $242 million for clean energy, and the Calf Canyon fire became the largest in New Mexico history.
In case you missed it, here’s what else happened around the Planet.
Monday, May 16
The American homes at risk from wildfires
As wildfires continue to rage in the American West, new data puts these burns in perspective for homeowners. The report by First Street Foundation charts wildlife risk over the next 30 years — the typical span of a mortgage — finding that risk is spreading across the United States.
The report, which includes a tool to determine your home’s fire risk, predicts that in 30 years, California will have the most properties with at least a 1 percent annual risk from wildfire , followed by Texas, then Florida. During that time, the number of existing properties facing at least a 1 percent risk will almost quadruple, to 2.5 million.
Already, about half of U.S. properties in the lower 48 states face some type of fire risk today, a number that increases to 56% by 2052. The New York Times has the story.
Ecofascism in Buffalo
The racially motivated shooting that left 10 dead in Buffalo, New York, last weekend may be part of a larger trend among rightwing extremists. In a 180-page manifesto, the suspected shooter labels himself an “eco-fascist,” justifying mass violence to curb overpopulation and protect the environment.
Such green racism, which blames environmental degradation on immigrants and minorities, has been invoked in the past — notably, by the white nationalist who killed 51 people in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019. And recently, conservative pundits and politicians in the U.S. have used similar rhetoric to justify policy and viewpoints. E&E News covers the story.
Tuesday, May 17
Pollution kills 9 million people/year
Pollution contributed to 9 million deaths in 2019, according to updates by the Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health. That’s higher than the impacts of malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, drugs, or alcohol.
Pollution accounts for about one in six deaths globally, disproportionately affecting the Global South. The main culprit is air pollution, causing more than 6.5 million deaths per year, but chemical and heavy metal pollution are also major problems.
Solutions, however, are within reach. Governments can put in place programs and policies to address the root of pollution, such as stricter auto emissions standards or a banning of certain chemicals. Grist has more.
Halve fossil fuel production to avoid climate chaos — like now
A new study says we must close half of all fossil fuel production sites if global warming is going to be limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius — a target, as we noted last week, we risk passing in the next five years.
Researchers found that burning and extraction of fossil fuels at already developed fields and mines would lead to 936 billion tonnes of CO2. That’s 25 years of global emissions at today’s rate. Read the exclusive from The Guardian.
How EU plans to phase out Russian fuels
As Russia's war in Ukraine rages on, the European Union continues to search for ways to get off Russian fossil fuels. Last week, the E.U. announced a formal plan to do so, while speeding the shift to green energy, reports BBC News.
The $221 billion plan, called REPowerEU, aims to completely cut off Russian energy “well before 2030,” by improving energy efficiency and expanding renewable energy. But the plan also boosts fossil fuel infrastructure — perhaps a nod to oil-depending Hungary, which is currently blocking an E.U. ban on Russian oil.
Separately, last week Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Denmark announced plans to build 150 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity — enough to power 230 million European homes — by 2050. That means increasing current capacity tenfold in under 30 years, Reuters reports.
Wednesday, May 18
2021’s record-breaking year for climate
The numbers are in: 2021 was a record-breaking year for climate. Four key climate indicators broke records last year, according to the World Meteorological Organization’s annual “State of the Climate” report — proof that humans are rapidly altering the Planet.
“Today's State of the Climate report is a dismal litany of humanity's failure to tackle climate disruption,” U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement. “Time is running out. To keep 1.5 alive and prevent the worst impacts of the climate crisis, the world must act in this decade.”
The report finds that:
Temperatures in 2021 were 1.11 Celsius above pre-industrial levels, and the past seven years have been the warmest seven years on record.
Greenhouse gas concentrations reached new highs in 2020, with carbon dioxide hitting 413 parts per million globally. CO2 recently hit 420 ppm for the month of April 2022.
Ocean heat and acidification also hit record highs, threatening ecosystems, food security, and more.
Global mean sea level rise increased an average 4.5mm per year between 2013 and 2021 — or more than double the rate of rise between 1993 and 2002.
To combat runaway climate impacts, Guterres announced a five-point plan, centered on boosting renewables and slashing fossil fuels. The Associated Press has the story.
Climate change made India heatwave 100x more likely
If you keep up with our newsletter, you know about the weeks-long, record-breaking heatwave scorching India and Pakistan. Now, a new analysis finds that climate change made this extreme hot weather 100 times more likely.
Researchers used the April and May heatwave of 2010 — which killed hundreds of people — as a benchmark, finding an event like that would only happen every 300 years without climate change. But the 2022 heatwave is set to surpass it just 12 years later, and a similar event may now happen every three years. The Washington Post has more.
Bonus
Kitty/climate litter
It’s hard to imagine kitty litter doing anything fancier than… well, you know. But researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that the clay used to soak up odors in kitty litter could also grab methane out of the air, Gizmodo reports.
Granted, the clay was added to a solution that “grabbed” the methane and released it as CO2, which isn’t exactly ideal. But methane is about 80 times better at locking in heat than carbon dioxide.
Have a great week,
Brandon and Sam