Western megadrought worst in 1,200 years
Plus, sea levels will jump a foot in the next 30 years.
Welcome to Planet Days, 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, the campus divestment movement heated up, the Biden administration jumpstarted EV charging stations, and research found that one in 10 American homes was hit by a natural disaster last year.
In case you missed it, read on for what else happened around the Planet.
Monday, February 14
Western megadrought worst in 1,200 years
The American West’s 22-year megadrought is the driest stretch in at least 1,200 years — and we’re partially to blame. New research finds that the drought is 42% worse because of human-caused climate change.
“Without climate change, this would not be even close to as bad as one of those historical megadroughts,” Park Williams, the study’s lead author, told The Washington Post. “The thing that is really remarkable about this drought period is that temperatures have been warmer than average in all of the years but one.”
These hotter, dryer years are taking a toll. Water supplies are dwindling, and record wildfires are blazing across the arid landscape. Separate research, also published this week, finds that such conditions allow fires to burn through the night, when nighttime temperatures have historically given firefighters reprieve.
Oil prices skyrocket
The situation in Ukraine is shaky. Last week, Russia claimed to remove troops from the Ukrainian border, but the U.S. claimed the opposite, saying Russia actually added troops.
Meanwhile, yesterday Vladimir Putin ordered “peace-keeping” troops into separatist-held parts of eastern Ukraine, raising the pressing question: Did Russia just invade Ukraine?
Here’s the climate hook: Investors are wary of Russia, the world’s third-largest oil producer, which could cut off exports to Western powers that hit it with sanctions. All that uncertainty is pushing crude oil near $100/barrel, with gasoline and natural gas prices expected to skyrocket, reports The Wall Street Journal.
Tuesday, February 15
Sea levels to jump a foot
Oil prices aren’t the only thing going up. Updated projections from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA found that sea levels can rise up to a foot within the next 30 years in the U.S. — the same amount of rise as the last century.
First, the bad news: The change will affect many coastal communities that are already dealing with increasing damages from flooding and sea level rise. The report finds that by 2050, “moderate” flooding could happen 10 times more than it does today.
But here’s the good news: Since human-caused climate change is driving the trend, we can also limit the damage. By curbing future emissions, we can keep sea level rise in check, and by upgrading coastal infrastructure, we can better prepare communities for the future. Inside Climate News has the story.
Deadly floods devastate Brazil
At least 110 people are dead after floods and mudslides tore through regions of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, late Tuesday.
More than 130 people are still missing, and torrential rains continued through Thursday, forcing another neighborhood in the city to evacuate. The Civil Defense of Rio told CNN that rainfall on Tuesday afternoon alone was more than the historical average for all of February.
Wednesday, February 16
Big Oil greenwashes
When it comes to climate, Big Oil is talking a big game. But rarely is that talk backed up with action, a new study finds.
Despite a myriad of “climate” pledges, and a slew of buzzwords in annual reports like "low-carbon" and "decarbonization" in annual reports, oil giants like BP, Shell, Chevron, and Exxon are still almost wholly reliant on fossil fuel sales. In fact, less than 1% of their capital investment went into low-carbon technology last decade. CarbonBrief has the story.
Speaking of greenwashing: This week in Planet Days, Brandon wrote about the very shaky ways we categorize “green” (we’re looking at you, electric cars).
We’re financing the climate crisis
We’re paying for our own destruction. A new report finds that we spend at least $1.8 trillion every year, or 2% of global GDP, on subsidies that drive global warming.
By supporting cattle ranching, pesticide use, and fossil fuel extraction, governments are redirecting massive amounts of money that could instead help us hit climate targets and transition to net zero. The Guardian has more.
Thursday, February 17
Gas projects now under environmental scrutiny
Regulators in the United States will now consider how natural gas pipelines affect climate change before approving projects to build them, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) said in a press release Thursday.
But as with most climate wins, it’s not exactly what it seems. At face value, it looks like the FERC can block the construction of gas pipelines — but in practice, companies will simply be encouraged, not required, to propose ways of reducing their projects' greenhouse gas emissions. Read the full story from Reuters.
Bonus
The hottest celebrity in LA
This February marks 10 years since P22, a handsome mountain lion residing in Hollywood’s Griffith Park, was first discovered by scientists.
P22 has become quite the celebrity over the last decade, inspiring murals, songs, and even an exhibit about his life. Scientists say he symbolizes everything that’s unique about Los Angeles, as The Guardian puts it, “a city where wild landscapes rub shoulders with dense urbanism.”
Have a great week,
Brandon and Sam