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, heavy rains triggered deadly landslides in Colombia, Big Oil continued to rake in record profits, and Australia declared koala bears an endangered species.
In case you missed it, here’s what else happened around the Planet:
Sunday, February 6
Devastation in Madagascar
Last weekend, Tropical Cyclone Batsirai slammed into Madagascar, bringing 146 mph winds and heavy rains to the African nation. The storm flooded agricultural fields and in some cases destroyed whole villages, displacing 61,000 people.
By Wednesday, the death toll climbed to 92, with humanitarian aid still struggling to keep up. The storm comes amid severe drought and famine for the island, with many still recovering from Tropical Storm Ana, which made landfall only a week earlier. Agence-France Presse has more.
Big firms fail on climate
Some climate pledges aren’t what they appear to be. New research examines 25 of the world’s largest companies, finding that many fail to live up to their net-zero pledges.
On average, the companies only commit to reducing emissions by 40%, in contrast to the 100% suggested by their “net zero” and “carbon neutral” claims. The report also ranks each company by the integrity and transparency of their pledges, with big names like Amazon, Google, and Unilever failing in both categories.
“As pressure on companies to act on climate change rises, [companies’] ambitious-sounding headline claims all too often lack real substance,” Thomas Day, lead author of the study, said in a statement. “Even companies that are doing relatively well exaggerate their actions.” CNBC has the story.
Monday, February 7
Glaciers may hold less water
It’s been a rough stretch for glaciers. Warming global temperatures are melting glaciers, contributing to sea level rise. But it turns out it could be worse than we thought, according to new research.
Using satellite images, the study finds that glaciers may hold up to 20% less water than previously thought. Though sea levels may rise slightly less than estimated, the findings also show that glaciers could melt faster, threatening communities that depend on them for fresh water. The New York Times has more.
Tuesday, February 8
Nord Stream 2 in trouble
Tensions are building in Eastern Europe. And as Russia inches closer to invading Ukraine, several Western countries are making threats of their own.
President Joe Biden vowed Monday to abandon Nord Stream 2, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s $11 billion natural gas pipeline to Germany, should Russian troops cross the border. On the same stage, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz agreed to join Western retaliation forces but stopped short of promising to halt the pipeline’s construction.
Nord Stream 2 would provide fuel to energy-hungry Europeans, while increasing the region’s dependence on Russia (which is a bad idea for the future, as we wrote this week). The Washington Post has more.
Wednesday, February 9
First, we cut methane
To adequately fight climate change, we must first tackle methane, a greenhouse gas 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide, according to a new study.
And so far, we’re not doing a great job. Researchers found that the Environmental Protection Agency has underestimated the potency of methane, and this discrepancy is three times too low to meet the goals set in the Paris Agreement. Read the full story from Inside Climate News.
Thursday, February 10
France goes nuclear
Only two weeks after the European Union labeled nuclear power as a green investment, France is calling for a nuclear “renaissance.” The country is building six new nuclear reactors and extending the life of existing plants.
The move comes in the middle of an energy crisis, with spikes in prices and an increasingly shaky relationship with oil and gas importers. Nuclear energy already provides France with 70% of its electricity, more than in any other country, and plans to add more renewables to the mix, too. The Associated Press reports from Belfort.
Army plans for climate change
Climate change is one of the biggest security threats to any nation, as climate impacts disrupt social order, undermine economies, and even trigger armed conflicts.
To brace for such impacts, the U.S. Army released its first climate strategy, a plan that aims to cut the Army’s emissions in half by 2030, electrify vehicles, and prepare officers for a hotter Planet and all that comes with it.
The U.S. military pollutes more than many medium-sized countries and is the country’s largest consumer of electricity. Despite this, the Navy and Air Force have yet to release similar plans. E&E News has more.
Bonus
Cleanup kid
2022 is going to be a trash-full year for 13-year-old Cash Daniels. In January, the teenager co-founded a club called the Cleanup Kids, a group that’s now encouraging young environmentalists around the world to pick up a whopping one million pounds of garbage.
“We just thought of a big number so that people would try to accomplish it,” Daniels told TIME Magazine. “And one million sounds like an even and large number.”
Have a great week,
Brandon and Sam