Articles include: Deadlines for action on Trump-era climate issues; 50 billion-dollar weather disasters in 2020; Study: Accounting for value of nature; Michael Mann’s book, ‘The New Climate War’; Poet Amanda Gorman’s ‘Earthrise’ climate change video; How long might the Arctic’s ‘Last Ice’ area endure?; home in Michigan produces more energy than it uses; COVID-19 lockdowns led to huge drop in global warming pollution; Climate change & Florida Everglades; Ice fishing; solar panels are making Puerto Rico communities more resilient.
Tag: films webinars videos podcasts radio
Kristina Marusic discusses the health effects of fracking on “In This Climate”
Environmental Health News: LISTEN: Kristina Marusic discusses the health effects of fracking on “In This Climate”. “People in communities with fracking are fearful about the exposures they’re facing from the industry.”
EHN’s Pittsburgh reporter Kristina Marusic recently appeared on the podcast In This Climate to discuss the impacts of fracking in southwestern Pennsylvania and beyond.
She shared the story of a community in Braddock, Pennsylvania, that’s been fighting to stop a fracking well from being drilled on the property of a U.S. Steel mill. After recounting a heated community meeting where residents heckled and shouted at representatives from the fracking company, she explained why people in similar communities are so concerned about having fracking wells nearby.
Marusic discussed studies she’s reported on for EHN that found fracking chemicals have built up in the shells of freshwater mussels, caused rare birth defects in horses, and have been linked to numerous health harms in humans.
“Fracking has been linked to a range of health effects in more than a thousand studies including low birth weights, asthma, migraines, heart problems and birth defects,” Marusic explained. “People in communities with fracking are fearful about the exposures they’re facing from the industry.”
More Money Is Flowing Into Green Energy Than Ever Before. Here’s Why.
Wall Street Journal discusses More Money Is Flowing Into Green Energy Than Ever Before. Here’s Why. Investors have been pouring more money than ever into renewable energies such as solar and wind. WSJ looks at how the pandemic, lower energy costs and global politics have driven the rally–and whether it can last.
Greenpeace signals alarm over growing amount of microplastics in Earth’s waters
CBS News discusses Greenpeace signals alarm over growing amount of microplastics in Earth’s waters.
Making sure climate solutions don’t make more problems
Marketplace discusses Making sure climate solutions don’t make more problems.
We’ve been looking at how technology can help us adapt to climate change as part of our series “How We Survive.” One big problem is the technology that could help us survive is not being evenly distributed.
Environmental justice is the idea that the effects of climate change are disproportionately felt in poor countries, poor communities, and often by people of color.
So building resilience can’t only be about one home, one tribal chapter, one town at a time. Melissa Roberts is the founder and executive director of the nonprofit American Flood Coalition. She says some people and communities will be able to pay to lift their homes or take other measures to avoid floodwaters. “And those with the least means who are often in harm’s way already won’t be able to do those things,” Roberts said. “That’s just not a system that makes our community or country resilient. And that just is not fair.”
Of course, the type of systemic change that Roberts and White-Newsome are calling for takes policy, awareness and the participation of business. And big tech companies are starting to make resilience and adaptation part of their portfolios. You can learn more about that in our hourlong climate special. Listen and read here.
Eagles Imperiled in Virginia
WVTF discusses Eagles Imperiled in Virginia.
40 years ago, bald eagles were endangered in this country due to lost habitat, illegal shooting and contamination of their food. Today, the national bird has made a comeback with more than 10,000 breeding pairs in the lower 48 states.
But here in Virginia, experts say one threat remains, and they’re hoping the problem can be fixed.
Study: The coronavirus pandemic drove life online. Is video streaming pushing up harmful emissions?
Thomson Reuters Foundation discusses The coronavirus pandemic drove life online. Is video streaming pushing up harmful emissions? A surge in video conferencing and streaming has fuelled concerns about the planet-heating emissions they generate – but that worry may be overblown.
With COVID-19 restrictions in place globally, our reliance on digital technology sky-rocketed this year as video calls, emails, instant messaging and virtual entertainment replaced face-to-face interactions in and out of the workplace.
Between February and April, at the peak of worldwide lockdowns, global internet traffic surged by nearly 40%, driven by video conferences, online gaming, streaming and social media, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Data centres that process and store data from online activities, such as emailing and video streaming, accounted for about 1% of global electricity use in 2019, IEA analysis shows.
Yet despite a 60% surge in demand for data centre services, the energy required to power this is estimated to stay flat until 2022, says the IEA, citing a February study led by U.S. engineering professor Eric Masanet at Northwestern University.
The Daily Climate, December 15, 2020
The Daily Climate discusses: Dairy farming and climate change; Exxon and its emissions; Alaska Governor and banks that won’t fund oil drilling; climate podcasts; grid-scale batteries; Paris Agreement; organic farming; mass transit.
Video on solar obstructionism
The Independent Lens program on distributed solar obstruction is available for streaming. If you didn’t get to watch the program on solar you should be able to stream it here:
Undark podcast series – episode on hazardous wildfire smoke and the coronavirus pandemic
Undark hosts a podcast, which will deliver — once a month from September to May — a feature-length exploration of a single topic at the intersection of science and society. In this episode, join environment and health reporter Eilís O’Neill and podcast host Lydia Chain as they hear from the people who are battling simultaneous catastrophes: hazardous wildfire smoke and the coronavirus pandemic.