Environment

Caracas (TeleSur) – Temperate nations closer to the poles will escape the increased temperatures of climate change, compared to countries along the equator. The study published in the Geophysical Research Letters concludes that if average surface temperatures increase to the 1.5°C or 2°C cap set by nations in the Paris agreement, typically poorer nations – […]

Climate Change

Cities like Philadelphia make Progress toward Paris Goals in face of State, Trump Obstacles

Ivan Couronne

Philadelphia (AFP) – When President Donald Trump announced the US exit from the Paris climate deal one year ago, the mayor of Philadelphia was among those who vowed to keep carrying the torch. “Philly is committed to upholding at (the) local level the same commitment made by the US in the Paris climate agreement,” tweeted […]

Climate Change

Don’t forget to Duck! Advice to College Graduates in the Trump Apocalypse

Tom Engelhardt

New York (Tomdispatch.com) – Class of 2018, I’ve always been told that a joke’s a good way to launch any talk. It’s a matter of breaking the ice, though on your graduation day, with the temperature soaring into the upper eighties, that may not be the perfect image. Still, you know what I mean: an […]

Climate Change

If Earth Warms past Paris Limit, those Tropical Islands you Love are in Big Trouble

Andrew King

Co-author: Luke Harrington – Melbourne and Oxford (The Conversation) – Almost all of us are going to be worse off as climate change takes hold, whether through heatwaves, changing rainfall patterns, sea level rise, or damage to ecosystems. But it’s the world’s poorest people who will suffer the biggest disruptions to their local climate, as […]

Environment

Trump’s most Corrupt Cabinet Member is in Trouble, but the Environment is Worse Off

Tan Copsey

New York (China Dialogue) – Facing 12 investigations, the administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency is struggling to keep his job, writes Tan Copsey “Scott Pruitt is clinging on to his role as EPA Administrator following accusations of inappropriate dealings with lobbyists and unnecessary spending” The Trump Administration has been marked by scandal after […]

Green Transportation

Return of the Tall Ships: Sailing for Zero-Carbon Shipping

Christiaan De Beukelaer

Melbourne (The Conversation) – On May 10, the 43.5-metre schooner Avontuur arrived in the port of Hamburg. This traditional sailing vessel, built in 1920, transported some 70 tonnes of coffee, cacao and rum across the Atlantic. The shipping company Timbercoast, which owns and operates Avontuur, says it aims to prove that sailing ships can offer […]

Climate Change

Alabama Rep with Rocks in his Head blames Rocks for Climate Change

Juan Cole

Alabama representative for the 5th district Mo Brooks sits on the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, and spent his time harassing climate scientists at a hearing. He blamed sea level rise on rocks falling into the sea from coastal erosion. Sea levels are rising in part because surface ice is melting owing to of […]

Climate Change

Trump kills NASA program to Track Greenhouse Gases that cause Global Heating

AFP

Washington (AFP) – A NASA program that cost $10 million per year to track carbon and methane, key greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming, has been cancelled, a US space agency spokesman said Thursday. The end of the program — called the Carbon Monitoring System (CMS) — which tracked sources and sinks for carbon […]

Green Energy

Our Dirty Air is Killing us, and dumping Coal, Diesel is the Cure

Melissa C. Lott

New research published this week in “The Lancet Planetary Health” reveals a promising path towards clean, healthy air: strong climate change policy, writes Dr. Melissa C. Lott. We are regularly horrified by the photos we see of air pollution in cities like Beijing and New Delhi, but the reality is that many are suffering from […]