Folks, the news is bad.
Humanity has crossed seven out of eight global thresholds needed to keep Earth stable and provide a good life for all, according to the Earth Commission report.
- 87.5% screwed (We Can Fix It, October 31, 2024)
- ‘No sign’ of promised fossil fuel transition as emissions hit new high (Guardian, November 12, 2024)
- Earth Will Exceed 1.5 Degrees Celsius of Warming This Year (Scientific American, November 6, 2024)
Also, yep, the United States once again voted for the Face-Eating Leopard Party–by a very narrow margin–and now we all have to live with the consequences.
- A Climate Scientist on What Trump’s Victory Means for Global Warming (The New Republic, November 8, 2024)
- Trump’s win is a tragic loss for climate progress (MIT Technology Review, November 6, 2024)
- Meet the ‘great deregulator’ Trump chose to lead EPA (E&E News, November 2024)
- Trump’s entire Cabinet misrepresents climate change (HEATED, November 20, 2024)
The 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) met in Baku, Azerbaijan, and nobody left happy.
- COP29 smells like oil (HEATED, November 21, 2024)
- COP29 ends with $300bn a year deal but is it enough? 5 key takeaways from Baku (Euronews, November 25, 2024)
- COP29: Key outcomes agreed at the UN climate talks in Baku (Carbon Brief, November 24, 2024)
- Overtime Deal at COP29 Falls Short of Global Climate Finance Needs (Inside Climate News, November 24, 2024)
And yet. What this means, more than anything, is that there is a lot to do. Even if you’re feeling despair–a valid emotional response–please know that there are still goals worth working for, and groups working toward them.
- 1.5C is dead. The climate fight isn’t. (HEATED, November 7, 2024)
- Climate Realism (Still) Means Climate Justice (The Nation, November 15, 2024)
On with the rest.
Climate impacts
Carbon Inequality Kills: Why curbing the excessive emissions of an elite few can create a sustainable planet for all (Policy and Practice, October 28, 2024)
Ladies and Gentlemen, the Northeast Is Burning (New York Times, November 18 2024)
Trash and pollution
World will be ‘unable to cope’ with volume of plastic waste in 10 years, warns expert (The Guardian, November 24 2024)
Microplastics! They’re everywhere! (HEATED, October 17, 2024)
Pollutants from gas stoves kill 40,000 Europeans each year, report finds (The Guardian, October 28, 2024)
Throw Out Your Black Plastic Spatula (The Atlantic [gift link], October 30, 2024)
Some good news
Because, good lord, do we ever need some wins. Never forget that not everyone wants to see the world burn.
Bees reportedly stopped Meta from building a nuclear-powered AI data center (Engadget, November 5, 2024)
Paris says ‘non’ to through-traffic in city center (CGTN, November 9, 2024)
The Society of Environmental Journalists announced the 2024 winners of the Rachel Carson Environment Book Award for Reporting on the Environment.
Robin Wall Kimmerer has released a new book on abundance and reciprocity in nature’s economy. I enjoyed this interview between the author and Jenny Odell, which ranges from picking serviceberries to birds and water and mutual flourishing.
Gift thinking (Orion, November 19, 2024)
Sara Davis 