Planet Week: US passes most significant climate bill ever
Welcome to Planet Week, where we highlight the last week of environmental news and what it means for our Planet.
Welcome to Planet Week, where we highlight the last week of environmental news and what it means for our Planet.
This is our last Planet Week for the year — we’ll return to your inboxes on January 11. We appreciate all the readers we’ve had in our first year of Planet Days, and look forward to another year of covering the latest climate news on our Planet. Thank you for reading every week, and have a happy New Year.
Now, onto the highlights from the end of 2020, a year we’re all eager to leave behind: Last week, several United States governors committed to reducing transportation emissions. Research showed that climate change is shrinking some of our largest lakes. And for the first time, plastics were found in the placentas of unborn babies.
In case you missed it, here’s what else happened around the Planet:
Monday, December 21
US passes “most significant“ climate bill ever
Holy shit, is that what we think it is? After months of environmentalists calling for a green recovery, Congress actually included some climate provisions into the latest $900 billion COVID-19 relief bill.
Axios breaks down the deal, which includes an 85% cut in hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), a highly potent greenhouse gas used in air conditioners and refrigerators; over $35 billion for research into clean energy technology and energy efficiency; and new commitments to CO2 capture and storage.
“This is perhaps the most significant climate legislation Congress has ever passed,” Grant Carlisle, a senior policy adviser at the Natural Resources Defense Council, told The Washington Post.
Tuesday, December 22
Norway rejects arctic oil appeal
Now, back to bad news. Last Tuesday, Norway’s top court rejected a lawsuit by climate activists to halt oil exploration in the Arctic. The case argues that 10 exploration licenses, awarded in the Barents Sea, violate the country’s constitution and commitments to the Paris Agreement.
Norway is currently Western Europe’s biggest petroleum-producer, and environmental groups have said they’re not quitting just yet. Read the full story by Bloomberg.
EPA loosens lead standards, keeps ozone standards unchanged
The EPA got a massive lump of coal in its stocking last week. On Tuesday, the administration rolled back yet another environmental regulation, reports The Wall Street Journal.
The new rule more than doubles the timeline for utilities to replace lead piping. The move also requires utilities to replace only 3% of piping annually from areas with high lead content, down from the previous rule of 7%.
“It basically will allow continued use of lead service lines for eternity,” Erik Olson, NRDC’s senior strategic director for health and food, told E&E News. “It basically assumes only a subset of the lead service lines are going to be replaced, even under the most optimistic scenarios.”
If that wasn’t enough, the next day, the EPA confirmed its decision to leave its ozone pollution standards unchanged, going against business groups fighting for tougher regulations.
Air pollution killed 1.67 million people in India last year
Air pollution prematurely killed 1.67 million people in India last year, accounting for 18% of all deaths. The numbers come from a sobering report by The Lancet.
Factors like biomass and coal burning, industrial emissions, construction, and traffic not only increased air pollution deaths — they hurt the economy, too. The report finds that premature deaths from air pollution accounted for economic losses of $36.8 billion, or about 1.4% of India’s gross domestic product. That could create long-term damage.
“The high burden of death and disease due to air pollution and its associated substantial adverse economic impact from loss of output could impede India’s aspiration to be a $5 trillion economy by 2024,” the report says. Read more at The Guardian.
Thursday, December 24
What the Brexit deal means for climate
The United Kingdom and the European Commission reached a deal for Brexit last week. The deal primarily governs future trade, but it also has some bearing on energy and climate policy, as Forbes shows.
Most notably, the agreement creates a framework for cooperation on clean and offshore energy and climate change, while holding both parties responsible for their commitments under the Paris Agreement. The U.K. will also be responsible for creating its own carbon pricing scheme and intends to take a bolder stance on nuclear energy in the coming years.
“It was worth fighting for this deal because we now have a fair and balanced agreement with the U.K., which will protect our European interests, ensure fair competition, and provide much needed predictability for our fishing communities,” Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said in a press release.
Friday, December 25
Japan ends gas-powered cars by 2035
Japan gave us a Christmas present this year. On Friday, the country announced its “green growth strategy,” a roadmap to achieving net zero emissions by 2050.
The strategy outlines several ambitious actions, including banning gas-powered vehicles within the next 15 years, tripling renewable power in its energy grid, and offering tax breaks to industry and others to accelerate the green transition.
“The government has set up ambitious targets to achieve a carbon neutral society in 2050,” University of Tokyo professor Yukari Takamura told Reuters. “Making clear goals and policy direction in the green growth strategy will give incentives for companies to invest in future technology.”
Sunday, December 27
Climate disasters cost the world over $150 billion in 2020
Climate disasters in 2020 were really expensive. A new report by Christian Aid found that the 10 costliest weather disasters fo the year topped out at $150 billion in insured damages, meaning the true number could be much higher.
The most expensive disaster was the Atlantic hurricane season ($40 billion), followed by China floods ($32 billion) and U.S. wildfires ($20 billion). Altogether, these disasters were catastrophic for millions of people.
“To prevent further disasters, countries must urgently cut greenhouse gas emissions,” the report finds. “While some countries have put forward ambitious plans, others need to come forward. Urgent implementation must be a top political priority.” Read more by the BBC.
Bonus
2020 in review
Planet Days covered a lot of important climate stories this year — go back to see what you missed. Several other publications helped round out the year, too: Grist compiled six reasons why 2020 wasn’t a total climate loss; The Washington Post and The New York Times wrapped up their top climate stories; and the Union of Concerned Scientists looked back at lessons learned.
Have a great (two) weeks.
— Brandon and Sam