The hot topic of train derailments have been weaving in and out of discourse. Conversations on how the recent derailments correlate to our climate are intense—rightfully so. Here's the rundown. As many people are aware, East Palestine, Ohio experienced a severe train derailment on February 3, 2023. The Norfolk Southern train emitted toxic chemicals, leaving many of us in … [Read more...] about Let’s Talk About Trains
Climate & Energy
The categories of Climate & Energy are linked because it’s almost impossible to consider energy issues without considering their impact on the Climate.
Also see: Environment & Ecosystems, Food, Transportation
Urgent climate action can secure a liveable future
INTERLAKEN, Switzerland, March 20, 2023 —There are multiple, feasible and effective options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to human-caused climate change, and they are available now, said scientists in the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report released today. “Mainstreaming effective and equitable climate action will not only … [Read more...] about Urgent climate action can secure a liveable future
IPCC’s 6th Assessment Report
The long awaited AR-6 report was released a few days ago. There are no surprises for anyone who's been paying attention, but there's lots of confirmation of how serious the problem has become and that there are still possibilities for reducing the impact — with actions, not words! Sticking to the basics, here are some statements about AR6: “The world is in deep trouble … [Read more...] about IPCC’s 6th Assessment Report
Plastics — a ‘toxics crisis’ from cradle to grave
We knew plastics are harmful, but a new report by the Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health makes clear just how much harm plastics do at every step of their lifecycles. As reported in Inside Climate News, "…global plastic production, use and disposal patterns are responsible for significant harm to human health, the environment, and the economy, and are … [Read more...] about Plastics — a ‘toxics crisis’ from cradle to grave
Beyond Plastics – new video on train derailment
This morning, Beyond Plastics released an eye-opening new video that documents the reality on the ground in East Palestine, Ohio, where residents are dealing with the aftermath of the toxic train derailment. … [Read more...] about Beyond Plastics – new video on train derailment
Thacker Pass project — another travesty
Thacker Pass is a project to mine Lithium on sacred lands of the Shoshone & Paiute in Nevada — and it is a serious threat to the native people's health, culture, and environment. The Bureau of Land Management should never have approved it, but the administration pushed hard for its approval and is defending it in court. The Thacker Pass project not only fails the basic … [Read more...] about Thacker Pass project — another travesty
Open Letter to Kutztown Area School Board
On February 9, the Reading Eagle reported that the the district's One Book, One School program would be halted because the book, Two Degrees, a novel by Alan Gratz, centers on young people's efforts to deal with climate change. It was encouraging to read that Superintendent Temchatin and several others expressed strong support for the … [Read more...] about Open Letter to Kutztown Area School Board
Will Democrats shape real climate action?
On Christmas Day, a natural gas processing plant in southwest PA caught fire, and several sources said that anyone calling the DEP emergency line to report the incident got only a voicemail. DEP denied these claims. DEP critics said the agency is ineffective in dealing with industry and communicating with the public. “They could have provided a much more detailed and … [Read more...] about Will Democrats shape real climate action?
A Template for Climate Action and Community Energy
While this story is set in San Diego, the strategies and actions used there are equally applicable here. Please take a few minutes to read this — and then see what you can do to bring about the needed changes here. (With respect to Community Choice Aggregation [CCA], our challenge here might include enabling legislation at the state level.) Here's an excerpt that introduced … [Read more...] about A Template for Climate Action and Community Energy
Global warming outstrips predictions
An environmental writer said that worst-case climate scenarios are now obsolete, since “if countries achieve the net-zero pledges that they have already put on the table, warming will stay under 2°C.” What are the chances that countries will meet their pledges‽ So far, the worst GHG emitters, including the US, are nowhere near being on track with their pledges. According to … [Read more...] about Global warming outstrips predictions