The Clim8
09.19.21-09.26.21
Fridays for the Future holds annual youth climate strike (Reuters)
This Friday, teenagers around the world came together to protest against climate change and its effects. Strikes were held in over 1,500 locations, from Bangladesh to Berlin. These demonstrations were held five weeks before the UN COP26, where world leaders hope to come to agreement on a plan for establishing more ambitious climate measures.
Biden administration finalizes its first climate policy (Washington Post)
On Thursday, the administration made the decision to restrict the use of the greenhouse gases used to operate home refrigerators, air conditioners, and supermarket freezers. The restriction, mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency, aims to cut the use of these gases and chemicals, known as hydrofluorocarbons, by 85% over the next 15 years.
Lifestyle changes you can make to combat climate change (ABC)
As temperatures continue to rise, people begin to find new ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through simple lifestyle changes. Eating more sustainably is one change people can make in their daily lives to help reduce their carbon foot. This doesn’t have to mean cutting out animal products completely, but rather reducing your meat intake and turning to more plant-based alternatives.
Late-night television show hosts host the first ‘Climate Night’ (CBS)
Late-night television show hosts team up to participate in Climate Night. Climate Night was hosted on September 22, where the tv show hosts dedicated a portion of their show to talking about climate change. The idea behind Climate Night is to communicate a complex idea like climate change through comedy, which can “help make the problem seem less intimidating” and “help reach people who otherwise might not be engaged on the issue.”
Greta Thunberg motivates Berlin crowd to put pressure on German politicians (The New York Times)
During Friday’s global climate strike, German activists protested with a unique urgency. Germany’s parliamentary elections occur on Sunday September 26th, so the Fridays for Future global protest on Friday served as an opportunity for German citizens to call for climate action. Over a hundred thousand people gathered on the lawn of parliament's meeting place, the Reichstag, hoping to pressure German politicians to make more aggressive plans to combat climate change and reduce Germany’s status as a main polluter and emitter. Greta Thunberg made an appearance and speech at the protest after successfully taking the German government to court over their plans to cut the country’s emissions.
Renewable energy may benefit from raised natural gas prices (Inside Climate News)
Hurricane Ida, a scorching hot summer, and economic growth after the pandemic have all caused an increase in gas demand while levels of gas reserve storage and supply remain low. In turn, gas prices soared putting gas fired power plants at risk, even more so if an “unusually cold winter” further increases gas prices. Although high prices for natural gas create opportunities for coal power plants which have a worse impact on the climate, clean and renewable energy also stand a chance to benefit. As gas prices and bills fluctuate, people want stability and longevity; investing in renewable energy begins to seem appealing to the everyday consumer, especially as weather disasters become more frequent and severe.
Climate Change Anxiety: Younger generations in distress over future state of the planet (CBS Miami)
A recent study determined that an increasing number of young people are experiencing anxiety due to climate change. Of the ten thousand 16 to 25 year olds surveyed across ten countries, 84% are somewhat worried and almost 60% are very or extremely worried about climate change, while 75% are terrified of the future. Researchers claim that the only way this climate change anxiety will be alleviated is if governments everywhere dedicate themselves to fighting the climate crisis, by setting policies and taking necessary actions to slow the change.
Engineers request that construction companies stop demolishing buildings (Yahoo! News/BBC News)
The production of bricks and steel generates significant amounts of carbon dioxide. Cement is attributed for eight percent of global CO2 emissions. Some of Britain’s renowned engineers urge the construction industry to employ clean energy machinery and to recycle buildings by reusing materials. They worry about “embodied emissions” — the CO2 emitted when structures are built. People may not be aware that building a new house, or even just extending their home, releases CO2 into the atmosphere.