Environment

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – President Joe Biden addressed the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, laying out his vision of the global challenges facing the United States and the world. Biden, as expected, used his speech to announce a pivot by the United States away from its 20-year “war on […]

China

China Emerging as Competitor to Tesla: Will it build the best Cars in the World?

The Conversation

By Tom Stacey ” Europeans and other western nations have dominated automotive excellence for over a century. Whether it is the satisfying thud of the door closing on a Volkswagen from Wolfsburg, or the beauty of a Ferrari from Modena, these brands are iconic – and very lucrative for their manufacturers. When we think of […]

Climate Crisis

UN: Earth heading to 16% Increase in Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2030, Risking Climate Instability

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – A United Nations study of the greenhouse gas reduction targets announced by the 191 signatories to the Paris Convention has come up with an alarming result. If countries follow through on their stated plans, greenhouse gas emissions will actually rise. In 2025, they will be 15.8% higher than in 2010 […]

Mass Extinction

Human Activity is Threatening 1/3 of Tree Species with Extinction

The Conversation

By Adrian Newton | One in three of the world’s tree species are at risk of becoming extinct, according to a recent report by the Global Tree Assessment – the first attempt to estimate the conservation status of all of Earth’s trees. Well-known species, including magnolias, oaks and maples are among those at risk. More […]

Climate Crisis

Western fires are burning higher in the mountains and at unprecedented rates as we heat the climate

The Conversation

By Mojtaba Sadegh, John Abatzoglou and Mohammad Reza Alizadeh | – The Western U.S. is experiencing another severe fire season, and a recent study shows that even high mountain areas once considered too wet to burn are at increasing risk as the climate warms. With more than 5 million acres already burned by early September, […]

Climate Crisis

Zombie Wars v. Climate Cooperation

John Buell

Southwest Harbor, Maine (Special to Informed Comment) – New York’s new governor, Kathy Hochul – forced to deal with every political leader’s nightmare, a weather disaster, after just one week in office – called the rain “far more than anyone expected.” In fact, despite many residents getting caught unaware, the potential for high-end flooding was […]

Germany

With a Million Electric Cars on the Road, a Quarter of Germans have plans to Buy an EV

Clean Energy Wire

By Benjamin Wehrmann | – ( Clean Energy Wire) – Interest in electric cars is growing rapidly in Germany, according to a survey by the Technical Inspection Authority (TÜV). Nearly one in four respondents (23 percent) said they already have plans to buy an e-car or could “very well imagine” doing so. Another 30 percent […]

al-Qaeda

9/11 survivors’ exposure to toxic dust and the chronic health conditions that followed offer lessons that are still too often unheeded

The Conversation

By Roberto Lucchini | – ( The Conversation) – The 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York resulted in the loss of 2,753 people in the Twin Towers and surrounding area. After the attack, more than 100,000 responders and recovery workers from every U.S. state – along with some 400,000 residents […]

Climate Crisis

“That night, I became a climate Refugee:” The Dixie Fire and our Hot Future

Tomdispatch

ByJane Braxton Little | – ( Tomdispatch.com) – GREENVILLE, CA — At 10 a.m. on July 22nd, I interviewed a New York University professor about using autonomous robots, drones, and other unmanned devices to suppress structural and wildland fires. I sent the interview to an online transcription service, walked down the steps of my second-floor […]