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, Europe cut down on plastic waste, air pollution was linked to still births, and Chevron got approved to pump oil in Venezuela again.
In case you missed it, here’s what else happened around the Planet.
Monday, November 28
PNW’s heat warning
Remember that heatwave that killed hundreds in the Pacific Northwest last year? Such an event may be a preview of a new generation of extreme weather, according to a new study.
The heatwave, which would have been impossible before climate change, has a 1-in-200 chance of happening every year. But if the Planet heats up to 2 degrees Celsius — a very real possibility — such an unprecedented phenomenon could happen every 10 years.
"Our study supports a very direct conclusion that extreme heat like this will only become more and more likely — both in this region and across the globe, especially where heat stress is already extremely high — as more fossil fuels are burned," lead author Samuel Bartusek told Axios.
The Great Barrier Reef debate
The Great Barrier Reef should be classified as “in danger,” according to a United Nations-backed panel. The decision comes as the reef has suffered from frequent bleaching events, made worse by climate change, in recent years.
But Australia disagrees. With a new government, headed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the government has been taking greater climate action, and “there is no need to single the Great Barrier Reef out in this way," Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek told reporters.
Australia’s climate ambitions are up, compared to the previous conservative government. But even by their own metrics, the nation down under is behind on their goal to slash 43% of emissions by 2030. The Independent has more.
Tuesday, November 29
Qatar’s climate debacle
You’ve lately heard a lot about Qatar, host of the FIFA World Cup. And not all of it is great: The Arab Gulf nation has been criticized for its treatment of migrant workers, thousands of whom died from extreme heat while building venues for the tournament.
Such climate impacts are normal for Qatar, which routinely sees dangerously high temperatures — a trend that prompted FIFA officials to move the games to November to avoid Qatar’s brutal summer (though players are still facing unseasonable heat).
Though Qatar will likely see compounding heat waves, dust storms, and drought as the Planet heats up, the energy-rich nation seems intent on speeding up this trend: On Tuesday, Qatar agreed to a 15-year deal to supply Germany with liquefied natural gas. The Associated Press explains the dynamic.
Wednesday, November 30
Too little, and too much, water
Climate change is upending water security. According to a new World Meteorological Organization report, 3.6 billion people lack decent access to freshwater at least one month each year — a number expected to rise to more than five billion by 2050. Meanwhile, other regions are seeing too much water.
“The State of Global Water Resources report aims to… provide a concise overview of water availability in different parts of the world,” said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas in a statement. “This will inform climate adaptation and mitigation investments as well as the United Nations campaign to provide universal access in the next five years to early warnings of hazards such as floods and droughts.”
The news comes as African nations undergo disastrous impacts from water insecurity: Zimbabwe struggles with power shortages linked to a hydropower station, and East Africa faces its worst famine in decades, a situation made worse by prolonged drought. Agence France-Presse has more.
Deforestation in the Amazon
The Amazon rainforest saw an 11% decline in deforestation during the 12 months leading to July, retreating from a 15-year high the previous year, reports Al Jazeera.
It was unclear immediately what caused the drop, seeing as the past four years of Jair Bolsonaro’s presidency maintained roughly 60% more deforestation than the previous four years. But the recent election of Lula de Silva — who ran on getting Brazil back in the climate race — has brought renewed hope that the decline will continue.
The end of hurricane season
The 2022 Atlantic hurricane season has come to a close. Though the season, which saw 14 named storms, was quieter than expected, it was in no way peaceful, writes The Washington Post.
In September, Hurricane Ian struck Florida’s gulf coast, quickly becoming one of the deadliest, most expensive storms on record: The category 4 storm, with its 12-foot storm surge and 150 mph winds, killed 145 people and brought on $50–65 billion in damages. Ian was bookend by Hurricane Fiona, which slammed into Puerto Rico then Canada, and Hurricane Nicole, which hit Florida’s Atlantic coast.
“While the first two-thirds of the season were pretty anemic in an aggregate sense, it only takes one storm to make it an extremely damaging (and deadly) year,” Phil Klotzbach, research scientist at Colorado State University, told CNN.
Thursday, December 1
India takes G20 helm
On Thursday, India began its year-long presidency of the Group of 20 (G20) — a bloc of 19 countries and the European Union focused on issues that impact the global economy — with Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling for unity among the most powerful and often-ignored countries.
“Our G20 priorities will be shaped in consultation with not just our G20 partners, but also our fellow-travellers in the global South, whose voice often goes unheard,” Modi said in a declaration. “We will encourage an honest conversation among the most powerful countries — on mitigating risks posed by weapons of mass destruction and enhancing global security.”
India intends to host over 200 working group meetings across the Global South throughout the year, focusing on key issues like climate change, terrorism, and pandemics. Read the full story from The Hindustan Times.
Bonus
California condor comeback
Humans nearly drove the great California condor to extinction in the 1980s. Now, there are over 200 in the wild — thanks to a crucial conservation project launched in 1987.
Biodiversity stands at an all-time low, but the birds serve as a beacon of hope and a reminder of what we must do to save the species that are left. The Guardian has more.
Have a great week,
Brandon and Sam