Planet Week: Pipelines canceled
Good morning, and welcome to Planet Week. Each week, we’ll highlight the last week of environmental news and what it means for our planet.
Good morning, and welcome to Planet Week. Each week, we’ll highlight the last week of environmental news and what it means for our planet.
Last week, researchers found that COVID-19 can spread through tiny particles we breathe in. The United States saw its 10th billion-dollar weather disaster this year, in record time. And last month tied for Earth’s hottest June on record, thanks to Siberia’s unprecedented heat.
In case you missed it, here’s what else happened around the planet this past week:
Sunday, July 5–Monday, July 6: Pipelines canceled
Add pipelines to the latest thing canceled by 2020. After years of legal challenges and delays, companies Sunday canceled the $8 billion Atlantic Coast Pipeline, a 600-mile natural gas pipeline that was to cut through Virginia, North Carolina, and West Virginia.
Then on Monday, a federal judge suspended the Dakota Access pipeline, which spanned from North Dakota to Illinois, pending further environmental review. That decision was a major victory for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and environmental activists, who for years have protested the pipeline.
Also on Monday (not a great 24 hours for pipelines), the Supreme Court decided it won’t block a Montana ruling that halted construction on the Keystone XL pipeline, a high-profile pipeline that spans from Canada to Nebraska. In a silver lining for the natural gas industry, though, the decision also streamlined permits for pipelines not named Keystone, reports Bloomberg Law.
Monday: Diseases like COVID-19 are part of a rising trend
Unless we change our habits, we’re likely to see more diseases like COVID-19 in the future, according to a new report by the United Nations.
The report points to several drivers of the emergence of zoonotic diseases, or pathogens that jump from animals to humans: our growing appetite for meat, unsustainable farming, deforestation, wildlife and resource exploitation, and, you guessed it, climate change.
The report also outlines ways to curb the spread of diseases, for example, through investment in research, improved land practices, and wildlife protection and conservation. Read more at The Hill.
Tuesday, July 7: Facebook canceled, too?
More and more environmental groups are considering boycotting Facebook, over the social media platform’s reluctance to stop hate speech, and most recently, climate misinformation.
At the end of last month, HEATED reported that Facebook quietly allowed climate deniers to spread their claims, as long as individuals labeled their posts “opinion.” This development pushed environmentalists into the growing #StopHateforProfit movement, which includes nearly 1,000 businesses, institutions, and nonprofits from around the world.
“Hate speech, climate denial and health threats have tarnished the integrity of Facebook,” Climate Power 2020 wrote to Facebook’s Oversight Board on Tuesday, in a letter provided to Mother Jones. “If the company fails to enact any tangible oversight, we struggle to see the value of this Board as anything but a public relations stunt.”
Tuesday: Our burning Arctic
Fires in the Arctic (yes, you read that correctly) spewed 59 megatonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere in June — breaking a record set only last year.
While wildfires are expected in the region through spring and summer, this year’s consumed at least five million acres by May (an area three times the size of Delaware) and reached far-North locations that rarely burn. Experts say the unprecedented warming in the Arctic and drier soils are to blame. Read the full story by The New York Times.
Wednesday, July 8: 1.5 degrees within 5 years
The planet is heating up faster than we’d hoped: Global temperatures are expected to be 1 degree above pre-industrial levels each year in the next five years, according to a new report by the World Meteorological Organization. The report also predicts a 20% chance of hitting 1.5 degrees in one of those years.
To give some context: In 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned that 1.5 degrees of warming could cause a climate catastrophe. And the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement aimed to keep global warming “well below” 2 degrees by 2100.
“Failure to tackle climate change may threaten human well-being, ecosystems and economies for centuries,” WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said in a statement. “Governments should use the opportunity to embrace climate action as part of recovery programmes and ensure that we grow back better.” Read more in NBC News.
Wednesday: The Biden-Bernie plan
A week after House democrats proposed a comprehensive climate plan, the joint climate task force of Democratic presidential nominee lock Joe Biden and one-time rival Bernie Sanders sent their final recommendations to the Democratic National Committee.
This is important for several reasons: 1.) It increases ambition on Biden’s original climate plan, and 2.) It incorporates the Sanders camp, a constituency Biden is likely to need in November. Among the task force’s recommendations are 100% clean energy by 2035 and zero building carbon emissions by 2030, along with a focus on environmental justice.
Though the 110-page proposal lacks some teeth (no mention of fracking or pipelines), compared to President Donald Trump’s climate plan (ha), many fans of the planet should welcome it. Read more at Grist.
Thursday, July 9: Japan’s climate downpour
At least 60 people died and millions evacuated following torrential rainfall in Japan. Almost exactly two years ago, Japan saw its highest death toll caused by rainfall in three decades, after floods and landslides swept the country.
Over the last few years, climate change has increased extreme weather events in the region. And with Japan’s aging population, this deadly duo is only expected to be more frequent. Read more at The New York Times.
Planet weekend: Tropical Storm Fay
Tropical Storm Fay — the earliest “F”-named storm ever recorded — made landfall Friday afternoon, bringing heavy rains and flooding to the mid-Atlantic and northeastern regions of the U.S.
Fay supports projections that the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season will be more active and ahead of schedule than in year’s past. This year has been pretty wild already: Two tropical storms formed before the season officially began, and Tropical Storm Cristobal crossed from the Pacific to the Atlantic, pounding the American Southwest and Midwest on its way.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasts up to 19 storms before the end of the season on November 30, with up to six major hurricanes. Read more about Fay and the unusual hurricane season at Gizmodo.
Bonus: Trophy hunting for bears banned in Yellowstone
We all deserve a win. This week, a federal court upheld a 2018 decision reinstating protections for Yellowstone area grizzly bears, reports The Hill.
In 2017, the Trump administration stripped the bears of their endangered species protections, citing the improvement populations have made — almost immediately drawing outcry from local tribes and activists.
“This is a tremendous victory for all who cherish Yellowstone’s grizzly bears and for those who’ve worked to ensure they’re protected under the Endangered Species Act,” Andrea Zaccardi, an attorney for Center for Biological Diversity, said in a press release. “Hunting these beautiful animals around America’s most treasured national park should never again be an option.”
See you next week,
— Brandon and Sam