A weekful of climate solutions - thanks NPR!
A week of positive climate stories, warmest September on record, and an inspirational climate voice
GOOD NEWS
Most reporting on climate change emphasizes weather disasters; and while it’s important to understand the risks climate change poses, it’s inspiring and motivating to learn more about solutions that can help pave the way to a better future. That’s why, last week, I was so glad to see that NPR is focusing on creative climate solutions from across the U.S. and around the globe. More of this, please!
In her introduction to the series, NPR’s climate solutions reporter, Julia Simon, said: “I know that things are bad right now. But what if we reframe the conversation? With climate change, it’s not like this is a meteor hurtling toward Earth and there’s nothing we can do about it. Humans are driving global warming. And that means we humans can find solutions to change our trajectory.” I couldn’t agree more.
NPR’s stories cover a wide range of topics, from cutting healthcare’s carbon footprint to “spongy” urban flooding solutions to a robot that cleans seaweed off beaches. They even curated a post of solely good news. They also cover how you can implement solutions in your own life, including induction stoves, heat pump water heaters, and electric bikes.
You can listen to all the stories from the week here. And as always, please share what you learn.
NOT-SO-GOOD NEWS
September 22 marked the beginning of fall in the Northern Hemisphere, but, for many places, the weather has not gotten that memo. Global temperatures are off the charts, leading climate scientists like my colleagues
and to describe what we’re seeing as “flabbergasting, “mind boggling” and “absolutely gobsmacking bananas.”Much of Europe is still in the grips of record-breaking heat after experiencing the warmest September on record. Last week, the streets and subways of New York City saw flooding that was at least 10 to 20 percent worse due to climate change, according to a rapid attribution study. I made a short video explaining how global warming increases the risk of heavy downpours. And in Brazil, in the Southern Hemisphere, more than 100 Amazon river dolphins died after the water they were swimming in spiked to 39 degrees C - that's 102 degrees F.
INSPIRATION OF THE MONTH
My inspiration this month is Bill Weihl and the fantastic work he has been doing in the face of considerable challenges. I first met Bill at COP21, in Paris, when he was the sustainability director at Facebook. There, he convinced the city to allow him to project climate-friendly messages on the Eiffel Tower to support the climate negotiations that led to the Paris Agreement. Bill went on to found ClimateVoice, an organization that helps business employees speak up about climate action and catalyze change at their organizations.
Earlier this year, Bill was diagnosed with ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which is robbing him of his ability to speak. Despite this, he remains a stalwart voice on battling climate change, writing forcefully in a range of publications.
“Why on earth is my voice still louder on climate policy than that of the huge, mega-powerful, multi-billion-dollar global companies that claim to care so deeply about saving our planet?” he wondered recently.
Bill’s untiring advocacy illustrates how, even in the face of unimagined challenges, it’s still possible to find ways to envision and inspire climate action.
Mon., Oct. 16th at 12pm CET/6am ET - "What (more) can science contribute to catalysing meaningful climate action?" with PIK - Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research - in-person CLOSED, live-stream available
Tues., Oct. 17th at 17:30 CET/ 11:30am ET - "Barriers to Public Acceptance of Climate Science, Impacts, and Solutions" with Climate Change Center Berlin Brandenburg and Fakultät VII Wirtschaft und Management - in-person at TU Berlin
Thurs., Oct. 19th at 9:30am CET/ 3:30am ET - Event with CzechGlobe and Global Change Research Institute CAS - CzechGlobe - in-person in Brno, Czech Republic; live-stream information to come
Thurs., Oct. 19th at 4:15pm CET - "How to Catalyze Change in a Warming World" with the University of Vienna - in-person in Vienna, Austria; more information to come
Fri., Oct. 20th at 11:45am CET - Event with Central European University - in-person in Vienna, Austria; more information to come
Sun., Oct. 29th at 4pm CDT - "Blanton Live: Conversations for Now," a panel discussion at the exhibit at the Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, TX - in person
The actual science shows there’s no more carbon sulfides and dioxides in the air now then it was 100 years ago.
Did you know a volcano puts out more sulfides in the air than all the vehicles combined.? Yet we are here .
The scare tactics continue to be used as a threat towards business. Socialism in the background under that mask.
If you want to really fix things. Plant trees , they are and have been around since life began .
They are the earths lungs . Filters . Only uneducated people will argue over this.
The earths atmosphere has 19 - 21 percent oxygen which is derived from trees . Trees utilize Carbon dioxide turning into oxygen. The Main part of the atmosphere is Nitrogen at 73 percent. The other remaining 2-3 percent is miscellaneous gases .
Only an idiot can think they are saving the planet. In fact they enrich themselves in power and finnancial endeavors that are beneficial for themselves .
Solar fields destroy land and farming and trees. They put off a gas that is not talked about. I’m an industrial electrician . I’m very educated in this field .
I find it funny that green energy pushers never interact nor interveiw the professionals.
Solar and wind mills are a big problem with environmental destruction from taking habitat of wildlife to destroying wildlife itself ... I’ve seen the whales killed from ocean windmills . I’ve seen the dead eagles who perch at the top of windmills.
What people don’t know is that 1 out if 3 windmills don’t work. A good lot of windmills are being powered to turn by desiel generators.
Don’t fool your self by thinking your saving the planet when the destruction is being caused by the green projects.
Where there was nice lush pines now a waste of space with solar arrays. Tell me again how that is doing any good ?
Farmfeilds turning to solar fields . Trade your food supply for a crappy half azz energy supply. I’ve commissioned solar fields . You have no idea the falsehoods of the solar . It’s not a true continuous power supply never will be.
It’s failed many times . The panels made in china are not good they will go bad soon some have already. China and other countries are the biggest environmental destructors on the planet. They deforested 30 percent of all their forests already . But yet Oh America needs to save the Planet .
Hahaha.
Zeke's article in the NYTimes, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/13/opinion/climate-change-excessive-heat-2023.html , has solicited a lot of interesting reactions in the comments section. I have tried to push back against some of the misinformation regarding climate change and Zeke's credentials and expertise. Everybody thinks they know more than the experts. He is either not alarmist enough or too alarmist or they are critical of him for not conveying enough information within the constraints of a NYTimes op-ed. *sigh* You can lead a horse to facts but you can't make them think.