Welcome to Planet Days, a green newsletter for a greenwashed Planet.
If you’re new to this newsletter, every Monday 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, a heat dome expanded over the United States, Brazil saw record deforestation, and Colombia moved to protect 30% of its ocean.
In case you missed it, here’s what else happened around the Planet.
Monday, July 4
Supreme Court fallout
The United States’ Independence Day, usually a cause for celebration, felt more like a cause for protest this year. The day came after several recent Supreme Court decisions pushed the country to the right and threatened domestic climate goals.
The Supreme Court’s recent ruling in West Virginia v. EPA made it a lot tougher for the EPA slash emissions from power plants. Notably, the Court's conservative majority ruled that the federal government lacks the authority to push power plants away from fossil fuels without clear authority from Congress.
Though the ruling is “another devastating decision that aims to take our country backwards,” according to President Biden, the federal government is not powerless — but it’ll have to get creative. The EPA, for example, can still regulate emissions, but must rely on layers of new policies rather than one sweeping program. The New York Times has more.
Historic drought, heat batter Western Europe
It’s a summer of extremes for much of Western Europe. Last month, Europe had its third-hottest June on record, and sweltering heat continued to torment countries into July:
In Spain and Portugal, a drought, the worst in 1,200 years, is drying up agriculture and tourism.
In Italy, record heat collapsed a glacier, killing seven people and leaving over a dozen unaccounted for; scientists say climate change is making such collapses more common.
And in the United Kingdom, a heatwave sent temperatures soaring, triggering health alerts in the south of England.
Meanwhile, a new study explains why Western Europe is especially vulnerable to heatwaves: Weaker, upper-level winds from the jet stream encourage heat domes, or high-pressure areas that trap hot air. Axios has more.
Tuesday, July 5
Sydney underwater
Of course, climate impacts aren’t limited to Europe. Last week, Australia dealt with record floods across its most populous city, Sydney. With torrential rains flooding homes and roads and overflowing dams and waterways, tens of thousands of people were told to evacuate.
Some areas saw a year’s worth of rain in three days. This is the fourth time in 18 months that residents of New South Wales have faced extreme floods, a trend linked to warmer oceans, climate change, and rapid development across the region. Reuters has more.
Methane is worse than we thought
New research suggests climate change is aiding a steep rise in methane emissions. In fact, global heating is four times more influential in the rise of methane than previously estimated, helping to produce more of it and slowing down its removal from the atmosphere.
What makes this feedback loop even scarier is the fact that methane is 80 times more potent than CO2 over a 20-year period. Researchers we have to stop overlooking this greenhouse gas. Read the full story from The Guardian.
Wednesday, July 6
Gas, nuclear energy get the greenlight
What counts as “green” in Europe may soon raise some eyebrows. On Wednesday, the European Parliament voted in favor of a proposal to label natural gas and nuclear energy as sustainable.
Practically, that means that nuclear and gas-powered plants will be considered a sustainable investment, so long as they meet specific requirements, like replacing a coal-powered plant or keeping emissions below a certain threshold.
But critics argue that the labels encourage the private sector to invest in polluting energy sources. Defenders, meanwhile, say the labels ensure energy stability in the transition from dirtier fuels like coal. CNBC has more.
Rains batter Asia
Last week, torrential rains continued across much of Asia, with water levels and death tolls rising to historic levels. Nearly 80 people have been killed in rain-related incidents over the last three weeks in Pakistan alone, The Guardian reports.
It’s monsoon season — and very heavy rains are typical — but experts say climate change has made storms extremely fierce and less predictable. And sudden downpours have caught millions of residents off-guard. The BBC has updates from India, while The Associated Press covers the rain (and heat) in Japan and China.
Thursday, July 7
Boris Johnson resigns
Amid internal party strife, Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned on Thursday, a move that will affect the global climate landscape. Like most Western countries, the U.K. under Johnson was a lot of talk and little action, but PM Johnson at least showed an outward regard for the environment, something at odds with many conservative counterparts.
Under his leadership, the U.K. pushed for rapid offshore wind expansion, grid decarbonization, gas-powered car bans, and countrywide emissions cuts. In November, Johnson’s country hosted the international climate summit COP26, where he delivered an impassioned call to action:
“Humanity has long since run down the clock on climate change. It’s one minute to midnight on that doomsday clock, and we need to act now. If we don’t get serious about climate change today, it will be too late for our children to do so tomorrow.”
The Independent has more on what’s next.
Bonus
Watts of Love
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed at the size of the climate issues we face today. But ordinary people can do extraordinary things: Like Nancy Economou, a single mom from Chicago, who’s delivering free solar lights to women in poor nations around the world.
Economou’s nonprofit Watts of Love started with her traveling solo, a box of lights held firmly in her hands, to remote villages around the world where light is expensive. Now, tens of thousands of women are able to work and learn at night. Axios has her story.
Have a great week,
Brandon and Sam