FtF News #136 – 19th January 2022
Scorching temperatures, renewable records, and accountability for the fashion industry
Hello, and welcome to Forge the Future, your weekly rundown of the latest climate news.
I often struggle for something to put in this section each week, and this edition is no exception – it seems to have come around so fast from the last one that though the news itself has changed, I have little more to add to it myself. So, with that being said, I’m just going to leave it there and let this week’s news speak for itself!
Once again, this week’s issue was ably assisted by Syuan Ruei Chang, who contributed a number of the articles and stories featured this week.
State of the world
Climate research and findings, weather events and studies
A huge volcanic eruption has occurred in Tonga, sending shockwaves around the world, and blanketing much of the nation in ash and debris. It’s not clear what the impact of the event is just yet, as the eruption knocked out the Tongan communication cables, and the ash has prevented over-flights until recently. It may not be climate change-related, but it’s a scary reminder of what the planet is capable of.
Australia has tied the record for hottest southern hemisphere day, seeing temperatures of 50.7°C in Western Australia. The previous time the temperature was seen was all the way back in 1960, and the country as a whole had only passed 50°C three times in its history. With this current heatwave, that mark was passed in three places in a single day. Argentina is also seeing scorching temperatures, at one point briefly being the hottest place in the world. Ground temperatures exceeded 54°C, and extensive blackouts have left 700,000 without power temporarily.
New analysis has shown that the oceans contained the highest level of heat energy last year since measurements began 60 years ago. Much of the heat trapped by greenhouse gases goes into the oceans, which have been warming at a steady but increasing rate in the past decades.
A new study suggests that rich nations could see a ‘double climate dividend’ by switching to a more plant-based diet. The change would not only reduce agriculture emissions, but also free up land for capturing carbon, with emissions dropping by almost ⅔, and freeing up an area larger than the EU to return to nature. This study is important in that it quantifies the impact of richer nations, who generally consume more meat and dairy, making the switch, versus a broader global shift.
Climate Visuals
A picture tells a thousand words…
The Keeling Curve is a very well-known part of the climate data world, charting the levels of atmospheric CO2 as measured at the Mauna Loa observatory since 1958. This study covered by Carbon Brief looked at how this iconic curve, which has been steadily steepening over time as emissions increase, will have to curve back down to limit warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
Planet positives
Moving towards a greener and more equitable world
Growing Fast
Scotland has just completed the world’s biggest offshore wind auction, with the winning projects totalling nearly 25GW, over twice the UK’s total current capacity. This far exceeded initial expectations, and shows just how keen developers are to build out more wind in the UK. The new turbines may take some time to come online, as around half of the auctioned capacity is in floating turbines, which are still relatively new, and may take longer to roll out.
Over in Australia, the state of South Australia managed 6.5 days powered by renewables in December, sourcing an average of 101% of demand from wind, rooftop solar and solar farms. This doubles the previous record, and is potentially a global record amongst similar power grids, though hopefully not for long!
Fairer Fashion
The fashion industry is a vast, global business that has largely escaped close scrutiny over its environmental and social practices. That may be about to change, with New York proposing a major bill which would apply to apparel and footwear companies with more than $100m in revenues doing business in the state. The legislation would force the companies to map at least half their supply chains, and disclose publicly the sources of the biggest social and environmental impact, including fair wages, energy, emissions and more, and make plans to reduce those impacts.
Over in the UK, the competition watchdog has announced it will be cracking down on fashion brands making misleading claims about environmental credentials. It said it is prioritising fashion due to the size of the market and the scale of consumer concerns, though it is likely to also turn its attention to transport, food and drink, and beauty before too long.
Adverse circumstances
Events that move the needle in the wrong direction
Political Stagnation
Several NGOs have sued the UK government over what they call a ‘pie-in-the-sky’ net-zero climate strategy. They argue that the government has offered up a target but lacks concrete plans and policies to make it happen, and that failing to meet its goals will risk harm to young people, as well as already marginalised groups such as people of colour and those with disabilities. Many marginalised groups in the UK are already feeling the pain of huge energy bill hikes thanks to the gas price spike, which energy companies have passed straight through to customers whilst paying out huge dividends and buying back shares. Other governments in similar positions such as France, Germany and the US have cushioned the blow to consumers, but not the UK, which is studiously ignoring the issue.
Speaking of the US, more attention is coming on an upcoming Supreme Court case which could limit one of the few tools left to the US government on the environment. The case seeks to challenge the EPA’s authority to regulate how power is generated to meet environmental goals, and if it succeeds, could completely scupper a major means of tackling emissions at a federal level. More widely, current Supreme Court members are potentially pushing for a legal position that will effectively allow it a veto on almost all major federal legislation, from the Clean Air Act to recent vaccine mandates, introducing another stop into a system already packed with veto points.
Slotting in
Lufthansa has been rebuffed by the EU this week in an ongoing battle over slot rules at airports. Airlines buy slots to access given airports, but they must use those slots or face their slots being sold to another airline. When the pandemic first struck in 2020, many airlines found themselves running ‘ghost flights’ – empty aircraft flown simply to avoid losing access to key destinations. Rules were eventually updated to waive the slot requirement, but were reintroduced last year, with airlines having to fly 50% of their slots at minimum. Lufthansa said with lower winter demand and travel bans, this could lead to flying as many as 18,000 empty flights this season.
Long Reads
Interesting deep-dives into climate-related topics
Venezuela has made the headlines in the past few years for its complex political and humanitarian situation, with a major economic collapse and a bitter fight between current leader Nicolás Maduro and his US-backed opposition. However, the country is also seeing a major ecological crisis, with an epidemic of mining driving a massive acceleration in deforestation. The mining is a lifeline for many left high and dry by the scaling-back of the oil and tourism industries, but is rife with violence, looting and worker exploitation, to say nothing of the environmental cost. Mines are spreading into national parks, and mercury poisoning is impacting the indigenous Pemón community.
Shifting over to the Middle East, Kuwait is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, fuelled by a vast oil export trade. However, it is also facing increasingly unlivable temperatures, with June reaching 50°C last year (weeks ahead of the normal peak), and temperatures set to rise up to 4.5°C further by the end of the century. It’s so hot that wildlife is becoming rarer, killed off by the extreme heat. However, most Kuwaitis are shielded from the impacts, living indoor lives cooled by profligate air-conditioning use, all powered by oil, of course. Meanwhile, migrant workers, who do much of the grunt work of the Kuwaiti economy, face the heat with minimal protections, and pay a steep price. Will Kuwait change course and act to lower its impact, or steadfastly refuse to act? Only time will tell.
Quick Headlines
Some quick climate news nuggets to sate your appetite
The US saw 20 separate billion-dollar climate disasters last year, and the average has risen from around 5 annually in the 90s to 17 in the past five years.
Maersk is now planning to be carbon neutral by 2040, 10 years earlier than their previous goal, as they expand their methanol ship order to 12 from 4.
Ecuador has signed off on a nearly 50% expansion of the marine protected area around the Galapagos Islands to better protect the many unique species there.
Chrysler is the latest car brand to plan to go all electric, in their case by 2028, despite only offering their first EV in 2025.