The Clim8
02.14.21-02.20.21
President Joe Biden formally re-enters the United States in the Paris Climate Agreement (CNN)
Reversing the climate policies of the Trump Administration, which exited the agreement in 2020 making the US the first and only country to leave the pact, President Biden signed an executive order beginning the month long procedure for the US to rejoin the global treaty. Countries under the agreement are held accountable for their individual efforts towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Scientists determine craters found in Siberian permafrost are linked to climate change (CNN)
Since scientists discovered the hole in 2013, 16 more have been located and contained methane, a more potent and devastating greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Rising temperatures have weakened the permafrost, which is a natural reservoir of methane, resulting in gas escaping more easily.
A new study finds that climate change is prolonging the pollen season (Verywell Health)
Pollen seasons are now around 28 days longer than before with the driving factor being rising temperatures. A longer pollen season also came with an increase in pollen concentrations, which can negatively affect the health of people with allergies or asthma.
Statistics show that fossil fuel air pollution now causes 1 in five deaths globally (NRDC)
The respiration of fossil fuel polluted air has been linked to many deadly health problems and around 8.7 million deaths every year. Reducing fossil fuel emissions will be key in saving millions of lives worldwide.
Scientists evaluate whether or not Texas’ winter storm, Uri, was directly caused by climate change (Vox)
Global warming may have reverse effects on our winter seasons, making them harsher and colder than ever before. The extreme cold wave in Texas may have been caused by sudden stratospheric warming that was observed in the Arctic earlier this year.
Donate to the Center for Disease Philanthropy's Winter Storm Uri Relief in Texas
Follow and donate to these accounts on Instagram: @feedthepeopledallas, @luchadallas, @hochtx, @austinmutualaidhotels, @austinmutualaid
A greener shipping industry could aid in reducing a significant amount of carbon emissions (BBC)
The shipping industry accounts for a relatively large portion of global emissions and a chief executive from Maersk, one of the largest shipping companies in the world, thinks that implementing more environmentally friendly practices into the industry is doable.
India, under political pressure, considers setting a goal of "net zero" (Climate Home News)
China's recent 2060 net zero pledge, Joe Biden's inauguration in the US, and the eventual COP26, which is scheduled to take place in November 2021, all add to the mounting pressure on India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to lay out a plan for national carbon neutrality in the next few decades. The UK's COP26 president-delegate Alok Sharma's recent visit to the country was an added stress on India -- a country where achieving net zero won't necessarily be an easy task, but it absolutely is possible.
Climate change fueling mass migration out of Central America (CBS)
This past fall alone, an estimated number of 10,000 people have attempted to flee their hometowns in Central America. This migration is a result of increased extreme climate events, including two recent, devastating hurricanes, Eta and Iota. Harsh winds and flooding brought on by these storms devastated infrastructure, drove up unemployment rates, and displaced over half a million people. Families are being torn apart as parents escape to countries such as the US in hopes of finding a sense of stability and source of income.
Donate to All Hands and Hearts' Central American hurricane relief