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:
Before we get started, a quick update from Brandon: After being diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome in July, I spent the last three months with very little visual activity — an extremely frustrating situation for someone who loves reading books and watching movies, not to mention writing a climate newsletter.
After a several-month hiatus from Planet Days, I am FINALLY feeling good enough to resume the newsletter:
That means you can expect weekly climate news roundups (like this one) every Monday morning, while the occasional Friday morning thinkpiece on what it means to go green. If you’re new to Planet Days, that means posts ranging from recycling to lawns to electric vehicles.
Thank you for your patience and kind words during my recovery — and please forgive any rust as I try to catch up on three months of climate news (the U.K. has a new prime minister??). Head injuries are no joke!
Now, onto the week in climate news:
Sunday, October 9
Nigeria’s record floods
Last weekend, Nigeria saw its worst flooding in a decade. The West African country experienced heavy downpours that killed 500 people and left thousands more injured. As of Tuesday, over 1.4 million people were displaced.
Inadequate infrastructure, poor drainage systems and waste management, and unregulated urban expansion all made flooding worse. Though such floods aren’t completely avoidable, experts say damages can be limited through more coordinated planning and access to better data. The Conversation has more.
Hurricane Julia swamps Central America
On the other side of the world, Central American countries also felt the impacts of extreme weather. On Sunday, Hurricane Julia struck Nicaragua, bringing 85 mph winds and dumping inches of rain before moving inland to Guatemala and El Salvador. The storm was responsible for at least 28 deaths, The Associated Press reports.
Julia is the 10th-named tropical storm of the season, following Hurricane Ian, which swept through the Caribbean before making landfall as a Category 4 storm in Florida earlier this month. Ian’s 150 mph winds and record rainfall contributed to over 100 deaths, leaving behind a path of destruction that could take years to recover from.
Monday, October 10
World commits to “net-zero” aviation
The world just made a big step toward slashing emissions from flying — or did they? Last week, 193 nations adopted a pledge to reach net-zero aviation emissions by 2050. However, the goal lacks enforcement mechanisms and will likely face a steep climb.
Unlike other sectors, the climate impacts of flying lack a clear tech fix: Battery-powered planes are decades away (if ever), and sustainable aviation fuel, a lower-emitting jet fuel, is currently double the cost of diesel. The pledge then relies heavily on carbon offsets or buying carbon credits, through practices like tree planting, to cancel out emissions from flying. Grist has more.
Heatwaves test humans’ survival
If little is done to curb emissions, up to 600 million people could experience “recurring life-threatening” heat by the end of the century. That’s according to a new report by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
“The climate crisis is intensifying humanitarian emergencies all around the world,” Jagan Chapagain, IFRC Secretary General, said in a press release. “To avert its most devastating impacts, we must invest equally on adaptation and mitigation, particularly in the countries most at risk.”
The report stresses how heatwaves worsen inequality, hurting isolated and marginalized people most. And countries that did little to cause the climate crisis, such as those in West Africa and Southeast Asia, will bear the brunt of its impacts. The Washington Post covers the report.
Tuesday, October 11
New Zealand’s unique farm tax
In a world-first proposal, farmers in New Zealand may have to pay for their greenhouse gas emissions as soon as 2025.
The plan, put forth by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, would tax both methane emitted by livestock and nitrous oxide emitted from fertilizer-rich urine on certain farms. Combined, the two sources contribute about half of the country’s total emissions. The Guardian covers the proposal.
In other cattle news, a beef lobbying group in the United States is attacking Google over a new feature that would warn consumers of potential emissions of recipes on the tech giant’s search engine. E&E News has more on that.
The world’s climate finance mess
A new report by the United Nations’ Development Programme paints a bleak picture for developing countries. The report finds that some of the world’s poorest countries need immediate debt relief to avoid crippling poverty and stave off the worst impacts of climate change. Reuters covers that news.
To make matters worse, a separate report found that the World Bank — which holds the purse strings on much of this money — has been investing billions in fossil fuels, despite its commitment to fighting climate change.
The World Bank has been in especially hot water since its president, David Malpass, seemed to doubt basic climate science at a public event last month. Ten major countries, including the U.S., Germany, and the U.K., have since pressured the World Bank to take steps to better address the climate crisis. Climate Home News has more.
Wednesday, October 12
Wildlife populations plummet
According to a new report, Earth’s vertebrate populations (fish, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals) have seen an average 70% decline in just under fifty years.
Latin America and the Caribbeans are driving the decline, with a steep 94% drop in the last 48 years. But it’s not just a few regions pushing the average higher: Researchers tried removing 10% of the heaviest-hitting species, and declines were still around 65%.
So, what’s driving the biodiversity crisis? It mostly comes down to human activity, as people swap out forests for farmland or overfish the oceans. And then, of course, there’s climate change. The New York Times puts the findings into perspective.
Bonus
Orchid’s best friend
Two scent-trained pups have been working with scientists in Arizona all summer to find rare orchids, endangered by the ongoing western megadrought.
The plant has been endangered since 1997, but with the doggies’ help, scientists hope to collect seeds, grow flowers, and eventually reintroduce the orchids to the region. Axios has the story.
Have a great week,
Brandon and Sam
Glad to have you back Brandon!!
Welcome back Brandon! Here's to your continued recovery!