Summary
This document contains some news highlights for current environmental news. More information will be added over time as it becomes available.
For additional context and background, read the Eco News 2023 report.
News
Washington Post (10 Sep 2024)
“One of the most potent greenhouse gases is rising faster than ever” — About a third of human-caused emissions comes from animal agriculture, particularly beef and dairy, the researchers found. Bacteria in the stomachs of Earth’s approximately 1.5 billion cows generate vast amounts of methane as they help the animals digest. More of the gas gets released by microbes as they break down the billions of tons of waste that livestock produce each year. Despite efforts to address these emissions by changing cows’ diets and capturing manure fumes for fuel, the Global Carbon Budget showed that methane from livestock increased 16 percent from 2000 to 2020. Emissions from landfills grew even more, exploding 25 percent to account for one-fifth of all human-produced methane. [Source]
PBS (24 Aug 2024)
“‘Enormous’ profits from avocado exports drive deforestation, water shortages in Mexico” — Demand in the United States for one popular food is driving deforestation in Mexico. Daniel Wilkinson, senior policy adviser at Climate Rights International, joins Stephanie Sy to discuss the environmental and human costs of skyrocketing avocado sales and what can be done to address the issue. [Source]
PBS (24 Aug 2024)
“Tangier Island residents work to preserve culture threatened by rising sea levels” — Rising waters due to climate change and erosion are diminishing the landmass of Tangier Island, Virginia, a tiny speck of land in the Chesapeake Bay, and threatening a centuries-old culture fostered by the island’s isolation. PBS News Student Reporting Labs’ Sabrina Tomei reports on how the community is trying to restore their land and preserve their history and traditions. [Source]
Deutsche Welle (29 Jul 2024)
“Philippines oil spill sparks fears of environmental catastrophe” — Fears of an environmental catastrophe in the Phillipines are growing, as oil from a sunken boat continues to leak into the ocean. The tanker sank in bad weather off Manila on Thursday, killing one crew member and creating the risk of a major oil spill. [Source]
Fox 26 Houston (23 Jul 2024)
“Survey: Houstonians eyeing relocation” — Recent polling by the US Hobby Center reveals 57% of Houstonians have considered moving, with severe weather being a significant factor. [Source]
BBC (20 Jul 2024)
“What happens when the permafrost thaws?” — Around 11% of the Earth’s land mass is covered by permafrost. But its delicate balance is being threatened by climate change. [Source]
CBS (19 Jul 2024)
“Climate change is making days longer, study finds” — This summer millions of people have experienced the fact that climate change is making our days hotter, but new research shows it is also making them longer. CBS News’ Lana Zak explains. [Source]
Bloomberg (18 Jul 2024)
“Bill Gates on AI, Elon Musk & Why 2050 Climate Goals Still Possible” — After making his fortune in computer software, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has dedicated most of his time to philanthropy, humanitarian causes and finding solutions to climate change. One of the world’s richest men, the billionaire climate tech investor has poured billions into green startups. Gates sits down with Bloomberg’s Senior Executive Editor for Energy, Climate and Equality, John Fraher to discuss the role of technology in solving the climate crisis, the AI boom, and whether net zero is achievable by 2050. [Source]
News Center Maine (17 Jul 2024)
“Climate change is altering the Earth to its literal core. Here’s how.” — As polar and glacial ice melts because of global climate change, water once concentrated at the “top” and “bottom” of the globe is getting redistributed. [Source]
Deutsche Welle (3 Jul 2024)
“Melting wetlands – How can nature slow down climate change?” — Bogs and swamps contain more carbon than all other ground vegetation. As the permafrost melts, greenhouse gases are released, which in turn accelerate global warming. Peatlands and wetlands play an important role in global warming because they influence the greenhouse gas cycle. But not all bogs are the same. Some bind carbon, while others release it into the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide and methane emissions. The film follows the work of two research teams investigating the influence of moors and swamps on the climate. [Source]
WSJ (7 Jun 2024)
“Inside the Extreme Plan to Refreeze the Arctic” — A method normally used to create ice-skating rinks is now coming to the rescue of melting sea ice in the Arctic. Since satellite records began in 1979, summer Arctic sea ice has shrunk by around 13% per decade. Could making more ice be a potential solution to this issue? WSJ got exclusive access to follow the team trialing the technology in the Arctic island of Svalbard, one of the coldest inhabited places in the world. [Source]
Big Think (31 May 2024)
If the video below does not play, view it directly on YouTube. [View]
“How we can revive Planet Earth in less than 20 years | Sean B. Carroll” — “If given a chance, nature can rebound, and nature can rebound dramatically.” Biologist Sean B. Carroll discusses the resilience of nature and how humans can help it thrive. [Source]
Deutsche Welle (31 May 2024)
“The mind-blowing thing we get WRONG about energy” — Fossil fuels still supply 80% of our energy. And people point to this number to say it’s impossible to switch to renewables, especially if we want to do it quick enough to stop climate change. But their argument overlooks just how much energy we waste – and how we could do it better. [Source]
Deutsche Welle (26 May 2024)
“Floods, heavy rain, extreme weather – Why we need to build differently” — Billions of people in cities around the world are affected by climate change. Sustainable urban planning can help reduce risks and improve life in urban centers. Thai landscape architect Kotchakorn Voraarkhom demonstrates how this can be achieved. Her home city of Bangkok is suffering greatly from climate change. For years, the metropolitan region with around 15 million inhabitants has been threatened by heavy rainfall and flooding. The risk of more flooding is constantly increasing: The megacity, located just above sea level, is sinking every year. To counteract this, Kotchakorn Voraarkhom is focusing on sustainable architecture and trying to bring nature back into the concrete jungle. Her approach is groundbreaking and has set an example for other regions. Georg Hofer, a pioneer of natural building materials, hails from Lower Bavaria. In times of climate change, he has turned to a centuries-old building material: clay. The list of clay‘s positive properties is long. Clay requires little energy to produce, produces hardly any CO2 and is free of pollutants. Used as a building material, clay can also regulate the temperature. In extreme heat, clay houses stay cool, while in winter clay houses benefit from a robust heat storage capacity. [Source]
Shannon Odell via TED-Ed (28 Mar 2024)
“What Earth in 2050 could look like – Shannon Odell” — What could our future world look like if we continue to do nothing about climate change? Take a look at the possibilities. While we’re already feeling the devastating effects of human-caused climate change, governments continue to fall short on making and executing emissions pledges that would help thwart further warming. So, what will our world look like in the next 30 to 80 years, if we continue on the current path? Shannon Odell offers a glimpse at Earth’s possible future. [Source]
Deutsche Welle (21 Feb 2024)
“New climate data shows global temperatures continuing to rise sharply” — For the first time the world was 1.5 degrees warmer compared to pre-industrial times. It was actually anticipated that this important threshold would only be reached in the next few years or the next decade. Recently, scientists expressed “alarm” over the latest findings that the so-called AMOC, a system of ocean currents in the Atlantic, is about to shift due to rapid ice melt. If it were to fail, Europe would see a dramatic drop in temperatures of up to 10 degrees on average. In southern hemisphere countries, warming could intensify, and in the Amazon region, the rainy and dry seasons could be reversed. Sea levels would rise at a speed that would make it impossible for humans to adapt in time. Have we already exceeded the key 1.5-degree limit agreed in the Paris Climate Accord for good? [Source]