Extreme weather batters the Planet
Plus, how to turn climate action into climate policy.
Happy first day of summer 🌞 And welcome to Planet Days, a green newsletter for a greenwashed Planet.
If you’re new to this newsletter, every week 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, new data revealed extraordinary heating in the Arctic, eight countries updated their climate goals, and Russia’s oil revenue continued to soar.
In case you missed it, here’s what else happened around the Planet.
Monday, June 13
Greenwashing among Planet's top companies
It’s all the rage for companies to have targets to reach net-zero emissions — but a new report finds that many companies fall short when it comes to actually cutting carbon.
The report looks at the 2,000 of the Planet’s largest companies, finding that over a third (702) of companies have net-zero targets — that’s up from one-fifth in December 2020. But it’s not all good news. Of these 702 companies…
Two-thirds lack any details for how to reach their targets.
Many lack near-term goals, such as halving emissions by 2030.
40% of them rely on carbon offsets, rather than reducing emissions directly.
As the Planet warms, these numbers highlight the troubling gap between aspiration and action. Fast Company has more.
Tuesday, June 14
Air pollution cuts global life expectancy
Consistent exposure to air pollution may now take more than two years off of your life — more time than cigarettes, alcohol, or conflict and terrorism, according to a new report.
The report, the Energy Policy Institute’s latest Air Quality Life Index, also found that a whopping 97% of the global population lives in areas where air pollution exceeds the World Health Organization’s recommended five micrograms per cubic meter. If global levels were kept under that level, however, life expectancy would rise 2.2 years. Read the full story by The Washington Post.
Liquified natural gas road bumps
Since Russia invaded Ukraine, energy prices have skyrocketed. As Western countries scramble to replace Russian fossil fuels and keep energy prices in check, they have turned more and more to liquified natural gas, much of which comes from the United States.
But liquified natural gas is no silver bullet: Following an explosion and fire at a Texas facility this month, a huge liquified natural gas plant in the U.S. will be offline until September. The shutdown caused natural gas prices to slump in the U.S. and soar in Europe and Asia, highlighting the volatility of the global energy market.
The other obvious cost of liquified natural gas is climate: New data finds the 25 proposed or in-development liquified natural gas terminals in the U.S. could emit more than 90 million tons of greenhouse gasses a year — equal to 20 coal-fired power plants or 18 million cars on the road. Grist has more on that.
Wednesday, June 15
Adaptable polar bears
Scientists have discovered a group of polar bears in a part of Greenland with little sea ice, suggesting certain groups of bears may fare better than expected as climate change melts the Arctic.
Polar bears typically use sea ice to hunt seals and move inland or head to other areas once it melts. But this newly discovered troop camped out in southeast Greenland, which already sees 250 days without ice each year, relying instead on freshwater ice from glaciers.
The catch? Climate change is coming for the Greenland’s glaciers, too. Read more from Axios.
Thursday, June 16
Australia sets tougher emissions target
Australia’s new government is backing its climate stance with formal commitments. On Thursday, the recently elected Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged to cut carbon emissions by 43% from 2005 levels by 2030 — up from the previous government's target of 26–28%.
The numbers align with pledges by other large democracies: Canada aims to slash emissions 40–45% by 2030, Japan 46% by 2030, the U.S. 50–52% by 2030, and the European Union 55% by 2030.
The news comes after years of devastating climate impacts — from raging bushfires to severe heat to record-breaking floods. But curbing these impacts won’t be easy: Australia remains a huge exporter of coal and gas. BBC News has the story.
Friday, June 17
Extreme weather batters the Planet
Stop me if you’ve heard this before: We’re already feeling the impacts of climate change. This was on full display last week, as climate impacts triggered deadly disasters around the globe:
In India and Bangladesh, heavy rains triggered deadly mudslides that killed at least 59 people.
In China, a cocktail of rainfall, heatwaves, and tornadoes displaced millions.
In Western Europe, a sweltering heatwave sent temperatures soaring, with some areas topping 104 degrees Fahrenheit.
And in the U.S., dry conditions fueled wildfires out West, extreme heat affected at least 60 million people, and historic flooding ravaged and closed Yellowstone National Park.
As the Planet warms, such cascading impacts will become more common, testing the limits of recovery and resilience, writes The Guardian.
Fossil fuels still king
A new report from Climate Tracker suggests we missed a “historic chance” to boost clean energy by failing to keep government promises of a green COVID-19 recovery.
“Governments largely failed to make decarbonization a focus in their post-pandemic economic recovery packages, with only a small fraction of the billions spent dedicated to accelerating the energy transition to bring down emissions,” the analysis read. “Instead, they missed a massive opportunity, spending the lion's share of those packages on maintaining the status quo.”
The status quo being fossil fuels, which still account for nearly 80% of our energy globally. Meanwhile, the share of renewables in global energy consumption grew just 3% in the decade between 2009 and 2019 and stagnated in 2021. Deutsche Welle has more.
Bonus
Turning climate action into climate policy
Climate action means climate policy. But in the U.S., with 435 House seats up for grabs every other year, it can get confusing. That’s why this week, we’re partnering with fellow Substack newsletter, Battleground, which uses maps and election data to track local politics and explain policy, so readers can be agents for change.
“This twice-a-week newsletter has helped its readers understand the redistricting process, election results, and hot-button political issues like racism and voting rights,” Justin Case Brown, Battleground’s author, told us. “If you’re looking to bring context to current voting trends and avoid conspiracy rabbit holes, subscribe to Battleground and start digging."
Have a great week,
Brandon and Sam