FtF News #157 – 22nd June 2022
Heat records falling like flies, the future of food and the importance of (climate) community
Hello, and welcome to Forge the Future, your weekly rundown of the latest climate news.
Community is a vital thread of human existence, but especially so in climate circles – the constant up and down of working on such a huge and unrelenting cause means we need the support of those around us more than ever. I really loved this piece from the ever-excellent Sarah Lazarovic of MVP on not only the importance of community, but the under-appreciated talent of those able to create and maintain communities – a vital and underappreciated skill.
I also wanted to say thanks to those who reached out through comments or directly after my request for feedback last week. So far, it seems like the most popular sections are State of the World and Long Reads, and so I’m trying out adding in a bit more of the latter today. If you didn’t reach out yet, I’d still love to hear from you about what you’re most enjoying here, as I suspect I’ll be gradually iterating things over the coming weeks – get your say in now!
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
Much of Europe and the US has been melting this week. France and Spain saw record temperatures, with Biarritz reaching over 42°C, and much of the west of France seeing well over 40°C. The US has also seen scorching weather, with Las Vegas reaching the hottest it has been since 1956, whilst Phoenix saw 45.5°C – the hottest in over a century. Heat and humidity is taking its toll, with at least 2,000 cattle succumbing to the conditions in Kansas, and many more likely suffering heat impacts.
It’s also been a week of floods, with Bangladesh and parts of India seeing major floods and landslides that have killed at least 59, and stranded millions more. The monsoon rains have been described by some Bangladeshi officials as the worst since 2004, with some regions still reeling from major floods in May – the worst in two decades. Over in the US, the Yellowstone region has seen massive flooding, with the entire park region closed off, and entire towns cut off from the outside world. This is just another example of compounding natural disasters caused by an ever warmer world, and likely there will be much more to come.
A new study has tried to put a price on the social benefits of a global phase-out of coal, suggesting the benefits could be as much as $78tn – around 1.2% of global GDP every year through to 2100. This figure not only massively outweighs the costs of the transition, but still likely underestimates the true benefits.
Planet positives
Moving towards a greener and more equitable world
Righteous Regulations
The US may be unable to pass substantive climate legislation, but at least environmental regulations are still moving forward. This week saw the EPA announce new advisory levels for four major PFAS ‘forever chemicals’, adding two new targets and tightening two others to ‘near zero’ levels. The chemicals have long been linked to health conditions, but rules have been heavily pushed back upon by industry and the military, which already faces a huge cleanup bill for the substances. The EPA also announced $1bn for PFAS decontamination in small and disadvantaged communities – not enough by far, but a start. The US DoE is also pushing for new rules on gas furnaces, forcing much higher efficiency standards, though the rules are only likely to affect new installations from 2029, far later than would be ideal.
Adverse circumstances
Events that move the needle in the wrong direction
Bonn chance
Two weeks of climate talks in Bonn were meant to serve as a bridge between COP26 and COP27, but have ended in stalemate. Developing countries have been fighting for more funds for climate adaptation and mitigation, pointing out the outsize historical emissions contributions of developed nations. However, wealthier countries (particularly the EU and US) are refusing to budge, fearful of huge reparations should their true impact be brought to the table. Equity and justice has remained an issue at numerous COPs, and looks to be no closer to a meaningful and fair outcome.
Electric, but only for the elite
A number of major EV makers have ramped up their prices in recent weeks, pushing the average US EV price above $60,000. Tesla, Ford and Rivian have all hiked prices of late, partly prompted by rising material costs, but also increased demand, as consumers look for cheaper alternatives amidst sky-high fuel costs. Tesla raised prices on some models by around $6,000, its third price increase this year. Unfortunately, this is pushing EVs still further out of reach for the majority of Americans.
Long Reads
Interesting deep-dives into climate-related topics
First up, a look at debates over the future of Poyang Lake, China’s largest freshwater lake. Authorities want to dam it to maintain water levels, but environmentalists are concerned that this could wreak havoc on the unique ecosystems of the area, reflecting the differing objectives of the two groups – does the natural environment serve humans, or do we live in concert with the environment?
Next, over to Ukraine, where volunteers and environmentalists at national parks have pulled together to pivot and help support the country during the Russian invasion. National parks have collectively helped home thousands displaced from war-torn regions, but are also supporting efforts to monitor air quality and track potential environmental war crimes committed by invading troops.
The water cycle is something many of us learn about in school – the cycle of water from oceans to clouds, then precipitation returning the water to rivers and so on. However, it turns out that there’s also another, deeper water cycle, where water is pulled deep into the Earth’s mantle, 400km below the surface, before re-emerging in a process known as ‘mantle rain’.
With the US stuck in legislative gridlock on the climate front, climate protest movements in the country have struggled. The Trump years saw incredible levels of activism, but many protesters who gave their all supporting Biden to power now feel jaded and disillusioned, unsure how and where to direct their efforts given that even a progressive Democrat president has been unable to effect change.
Researchers are finding more and more evidence that high temperatures kill pollen, raising worrying questions over the future of much of our food system. However, there are a host of efforts pursuing different strategies to try and combat this new worry, from crops that survive the winter and bloom early, to startups harvesting pollen and spreading when heatwaves pass.
And finally, another approach to the future of food – making meat from air. A small band of startups are using specific microorganisms to consume CO2 and turn it into protein. The technology is relatively unproven, with many questions still to be worked out, but promises a meat alternative that could be many thousands of times less intensive than livestock.
Quick Headlines
Some quick climate news nuggets to sate your appetite
Nearly half of Amazon’s shareholders backed a resolution that the company cuts down its use of plastic packaging in a recent vote.
A UK airship company has signed a deal with an Iberian airline to launch low emissions services from 2026.
A Galápagos tortoise species thought extinct for over a century has been rediscovered on a remote island in the chain.