FtF News #114 – 11th August 2021
Wildfires, the new IPCC report (and ways to turn apathy into action), and phytomining
Hello, and welcome to Forge the Future, your weekly rundown of the latest climate news.
Much of the climate news today (and likely for the rest of the week) is dominated by the release of the latest IPCC report. I’m not going to lie, it’s pretty strong stuff (there’s good coverage in the BBC and NYT should you want an overview), and I suspect there are going to be a lot of people feeling pretty down about the state of things right now.
However, it’s important to view this in context. IPCC reports tend to fuel action – the last report in 2018 fueled a massive upswell in climate awareness and action, and we still have time to act. Climate action is not a binary – it’s not 1.5°C of warming or nothing. 1.5°C is better than 1.6°C, which is better than 1.7°C… you get the idea. The more we do, the better things get. Turning that climate grief into action is vital, and as Mary Annaïse Heglar puts it – home is always worth it.
A quick correction: I mistakenly said last week that the US infrastructure bill was revised down to $550m, when the actual number is $550bn. Thanks to the kind reader that let me know about that slip-up!
State of the world
Climate research and findings, weather events and studies
Fire continues to be a feature of the weather across the northern hemisphere this week, with both Europe and the US continuing to suffer the impacts of wildfires. The Dixie Fire grew to become the third, then the second largest fire in California’s history over the past week, destroying the town of Greenville in the process. In Canada, another town was burned to the ground by an ‘exceedingly aggressive’ wildfire, which spread 18km in just 8 hours.
Meanwhile, southern Europe has been sweltering under a heatwave that has broken temperature records in Greece, and sparked wildfires in half a dozen countries. Turkey has seen fires with a heat intensity four times that ever seen before, with tens of thousands evacuated as fires swept through tourist regions. Athens has seen ‘apocalyptic’ scenes, with fires bearing down on the city, and ash and smoke blanketing the sweltering streets.
Unfortunately, this is just part of a wider trend, with extreme heat events occurring with greater frequency and intensity in the northern mid-latitudes. Record breaking heat waves and heat stress will more than double in these regions by the end of the century, according to a new study, though stabilising global warming will massively reduce the incidence of such events.
In Bolivia, the country’s second largest lake, Lake Poopo, has dried up completely due to a combination of diversion of water for irrigation and drought. Scientists increasingly think the lake may never recover. On the opposite end of the scale, a study of the global population living in flood-prone regions has found that more people than ever before are exposed to floods. 20-24% more people were vulnerable to floods in 2015 than in 2000, partly as a result of flood-prone areas expanding, but also because more are moving into such regions.
Planet positives
Moving towards a greener and more equitable world
Bikes are brilliant
A new study on cargo delivery has found that electric cargo bikes deliver around 60% faster than vans in city centres. The bikes excel in congestion that brings larger vehicles to a halt, as well as cutting emissions by 90% versus diesel vans, and even by a third versus electric vans. Estimates from Europe suggest around half of all freight journeys in cities could be accomplished via cargo bike, indicating that there’s a huge opportunity to clean up urban delivery. The future will likely see a mix of solutions for freight, but bikes definitely have a far larger role to play than they do currently.
Fossil Floundering
The API has been linked to much of the lethargy of climate action in the US and elsewhere. The industry body has helped lobby against emissions regulations and funded anti-climate misinformation for decades. However, times are changing, and it seems like the group is struggling, with internal tensions tearing it apart. Oil majors are now facing international pressure to act, and have in turn persuaded the API to soften its tone on key issues such as methane regulation. However, smaller members are pushing back hard, leading to increasing rifts. The API is finding that it can’t please anyone, with pro-climate groups saying it’s not doing enough, and pro-fossil fuel groups attacking it for not protecting their interests. Ultimately, the days of the API might be numbered, which can only be a good thing for climate legislation in the US.
Adverse circumstances
Events that move the needle in the wrong direction
Recycling as greenwashing?
Recycling is complex, the recycling of plastic exceedingly so. Time and again, studies have shown that most plastics can’t be meaningfully recycled. However, TerraCycle has emerged as a counter to this, working with manufacturers to recycle packaging for a number of common packaging types, from crisp packets to toothpaste tubes. Unfortunately, a new lawsuit alleges that the company mostly operates as a greenwashing operation for major manufacturers, who pay token amounts to brand their packaging as recyclable, whilst avoiding or actively lobbying against measures that would meaningfully reduce waste.
As with other similar efforts, the manufacturers are pushing the onus onto consumers, laying out a theoretical path by which customers could recycle packaging, even if that path is hard or impossible for most. This is hardly the first time that firms have co-opted recycling measures to avoid tackling their waste footprint, and likely won’t be the last.
Long Reads
Interesting deep-dives into climate-related topics
Degrowth is one of those concepts that constantly floats around the periphery of the climate conversation, especially given the often wanton excess of modern life in the developed world. However, as Vox explored recently, degrowth is actually quite a nebulous concept, and whilst some of the ideas within it are definitely worth incorporating into any climate-conscious future, degrowth alone is rather lacking as a climate solution.
Mining is another complex topic when it comes to environmental impact. On the one hand, many forms of mining are hugely polluting, but on the other, the minerals and resources extracted fuel the world, including the vast amounts of rare earth metals required for solar panels, batteries and more. However, various teams across the world have been exploring using plants to extract minerals from soils, known as phytomining. The good news? For some metals, such as nickel, the technology looks to be cheaper, greener and more efficient than strip mining.
Quick Headlines
Some quick climate news nuggets to sate your appetite
A major initiative by global financial institutions is aiming to speed the closure of coal-fired power plants in Asia.
ExxonMobil has been suspended from the Climate Leadership Council after recent leaked conversations revealing its anti-climate lobbying behaviour.
The White House has called for half of all vehicles sold in the US by 2030 to be emissions-free, backed by pledges from Ford, GM and Stellantis.
DHL has ordered 12 electric aircraft as part of efforts to lower its environmental footprint.