#climate-action

#climate-action

Among many well-intentioned people working on the uneasy border between climate action and consumption-based capitalism, there's long existed a consensus that consumers of everything from coffee to dry shampoo are basically rational creatures.If you can label which particular brand of toilet paper isn't destroying the planet, you'll help that bath tissue win in the marketplace, and put the bad toilet paper brands out of business.

Make Sunsets, a company behind a recent controversial effort to cool the earth by releasing particles of sulfur dioxide (SO2) into the upper atmosphere to reflect incoming heat, is canceling its upcoming experiments in Mexico, following a rebuke from the Mexican government.We have decided not to do launches in Mexico until we come up with a way to collaborate with the Mexican government, Luke Iseman, the company's founder, tells TIME in reaction to Mexico announcing on Jan. 13 plans to ban geoengineering.

Plans by Rishi Sunak's government to boost carbon capture technology and offshore wind have been dismissed dangerous lacklustre by climate campaigners.Chancellor Jeremy Hunt unveiled the scheme billed as the first step in a response to the US' multibillion-dollar investment in green technology with a swipe at Joe Biden.

The United Arab Emirates on Thursday named the head of the national oil company as president of this year's United Nations climate talks.Sultan al-Jaber's appointment as president-designate of the conference known as COP28, prompted fierce criticism from environmental activists."I sincerely believe that climate action today is an immense economic opportunity for investment in sustainable growth," he was quoted as saying, promising a "pragmatic" approach.

The decision to approve a new 165m coalmine in Cumbria reveals an unpleasant truth about the government.It demonstrates, with brutal clarity, that No 10 has no credible green agenda and does not understand or care about the climatic peril our world is facing.Ministers are clearly focused only on short-term, tactical gain  in this case, to give a brief boost to local employment  at the expense of forming a strategy for reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and maintaining world leadership in the battle to limit the impact of greenhouse gas emissions on our climate.

R esidents in a south London conservation area are outraged by the sudden felling of trees for rail improvements.Joy Carter was shocked by the scale of the three-mile cull in habitats where 30 species of birds, rare insects and hedgehogs breed.Network Rail apologised for letting down locals who were initially told the latest work would begin this Sunday.

E aling has the highest number of people receiving care for asthma in outer London, according to new research.A study from charity Asthma + Lung UK, has found that Southall alone has nearly a quarter (23%) of the top 30 GP practices in London where asthma treatment is most prevalent.The data reveals 24 out of the 30 GP surgeries with the highest rates of asthma prevalence are in outer London, with 70% of these surgeries within just one mile of some of the busiest roads in the capital, including the A40, A127, and A41.

S everal London boroughs have told City Hall they are interested in creating zero emission zones, London's deputy mayor has revealed.The zones, proposed by London mayor Sadiq Khan in his 2018 transport strategy and re-committed to earlier this year, would require all vehicles not capable of operating with zero exhaust emissions to pay road user charges.

Lewisham Council unveils plan to reimagine the borough's streets (Image: Lewisham Council) Lewisham Council has unveiled proposals to reimagine the borough's roads and streets.The goal of these plans is to reduce air pollution, improve road safety and encourage more people to walk, cycle or use public transport.

P rotest groups have taken coordinated action across London on what they have called the Fuel Poverty Day of Action.Campaigners from the Don't Pay UK and Fuel Poverty Action groups held what they called a warm up at the British Museum and Stratford Westfield on Saturday afternoon.The groups held the protest against rising energy bills and sky-rocketing levels of fuel poverty.

Visitors are being urged to fill yer boots with entertainment this summer as the Edinburgh Festival Fringe unveiled its programme of more than 3,000 shows.Famous faces including Sir Cliff Richard, TV presenter Gail Porter and film director Ken Loach will be among those appearing during the course of the festival this August.

CLIMATEWIRE | The 1987 Montreal Protocol is known best for saving the ozone layer.Now scientists say it also delayed the disappearance of Arctic sea ice.The international agreement to phase out ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons is widely regarded as one of the most successful environmental treaties of all time.

Climate Armageddon is just around the corner, the United Nations said Monday in its starkest warning yet about environmental destruction - but it's not too late to stave it off, the body added."Humanity is on thin ice - and that ice is melting fast," said U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in remarks at the launch of the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

A sea turtle swims over corals on Moore Reef in Gunggandji Sea Country off the coast of Queensland in eastern Australia on Nov. 13, 2022.Sam McNeil/AP CANBERRA, Australia  Australia's environment minister said Tuesday her government will lobby against UNESCO adding the Great Barrier Reef to a list of endangered World Heritage sites, arguing that criticisms of government inaction on climate change were outdated.

Climate change, trade and quips about sporting rivalry were centre stage as Rishi Sunak held a series of meetings with world leaders ahead of the King's coronation.Mr Sunak, amid the backdrop of a difficult set of local elections results, continued with a calendar of pre-coronation diplomacy that saw him meet with the Australian and New Zealand prime ministers as well as the Emir of Qatar.

On Wednesday, March 1 at 19:30 GMT: Despite vows to pivot away from oil and gas, fossil fuel companies continue to make record profits, leaving those concerned with the environment to wonder if anything can force polluting corporations to reform their practices.Some see a path for change in climate litigation including a new shareholder lawsuit against Shell that says its corporate directors aren't transitioning fast enough to renewables.

Head of UN Climate Change says governments need to strengthen their climate plans and implement them in the next eight years.A new report by the United Nations has warned that the climate plans from governments worldwide remain insufficient to limit rising temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius as set out in the 2015 Paris Agreement.

Thousands of runners, cyclists and sailors will work together to pass a relay baton hand-to-hand from Glasgow across more than 7,000km to Sharm el-Sheikh as part of Running Out of Time.Glasgow will host the starting point for the world's longest non-stop baton relay ever attempted as it passes hosting duties to Egypt for Cop27, having hosted Cop 26 last year.The message contained within the relay baton will, I'm sure, continue to convey that strength of feeling that we saw here in Glasgow last year.

I have been trying for years to write today's story, but it was begging to be told with sound.So for Column One, the Times' signature series in creative storytelling, I'm switching it up today: My Column One for you is an episode of "The Times" podcast.Spoiler alert: It features Lucy Jones, Southern California's earthquake expert extraordinaire.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he does not think peace in Ukraine is possible "until it's very clear that Russia's military objectives in Ukraine have failed".peaking before a meeting of European leaders in Brussels where an ammunition deal would be discussed, Mr Varadkar said European support of Ukraine means increasing supply of ammunition.

Ring The Alarm
It's not over just yet, the United Nations' climate watchdog group said in its latest anxiety-inspiring report, but things are looking very, very bad.As the Associated Press notes in its write-up of the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, officials with the international body say they're sounding the alarm bells before it's finally too late.

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Young people in France including some who haven't even entered the job market yet are protesting Thursday against the government's push to raise the retirement age.

Two senior Australian ministers will fly to France next week to step up efforts to repair the diplomatic rift, with closer cooperation in the Pacific expected to be on the agenda.The defence minister, Richard Marles, and the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, will meet their French counterparts for what is known as a 2+2 meeting the first in this format since the 2021 diplomatic rupture sparked by Aukus, sources said.

Green Leader Mike Schreiner said Tuesday that he would not leave the party to run for the leadership of the Ontario Liberals, weeks after a group of veteran Grit insiders publicly encouraged him to do so.In a video statement posted to Twitter, Schreiner thanked the cohort of 40 Liberals who signed an open letter urging him to consider a leadership bid, and said he was "deeply moved" by support from Ontarians who wanted him to "unite the progressive movement."

Cedara, the carbon intelligence platform, announces today (January 20th, 2023) the release of Cedara Factors, which will play a critical role in helping media companies build emissions factors tailored to their industry and not supported by the major global emission databases today.Cedara Factors includes an automated emissions calculator that enables media companies and agencies to create bespoke emission factors to help align their sustainability & measurement strategy.

Cedara, the first end-to-end carbon intelligence platform empowering businesses and their employees to seamlessly take climate action, is announcing its collaboration with ShowHeroes, a global independent leader in digital video content, tech, and advertising solutions.By leveraging Cedara's Enterprise product, ShowHeroes will holistically measure its carbon footprint across business operations, as well as their ad tech and publisher partners, and ultimately share emissions data seamlessly to media buying partners such as brands and advertising agencies.

Legislators of the nation's least-populous state are taking a brave stand against modernity and climate action.They're sponsoring SJ0004, " Phasing out new electric vehicle sales by 2035," an uncomplicated bill that expresses the state's goal to phase out sales of new EVs by 2035 and asks Wyoming's industries and citizens to do their civic duty in resisting the EV.

In late 2020, we woke to find the sky a horrifying orange color, an image of dystopian hellscape from a sci-fi movie.As homes, livelihoods and ecosystems went up in flames, powerful gusts swirled smoky remains throughout the Bay Area.Two years after witnessing record-breaking wildfires ravage our home state, we have just watched officials scramble to protect us from record-breaking storms that flooded the Bay Area.

Conservation experts working with the UN warned on Monday recommended that the world's largest coral reef be added to the list of endangered World Heritage sites.The Great Barrier Reef, on the northeastern coast of Australia, has been on UNESCO's World Heritage List since 1981.But if the UN decides to designate the reef as endangered, it puts the Australian government on notice that the site could be removed from the World Heritage list altogether.

BERLIN - The United Nations says current pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions put the planet on course to blow past the limit for global warming countries agreed to in the 2015 Paris climate accord.Are you on Telegram?Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russia's war in Ukraine.ArrowRight The U.N. climate office said Wednesday that its latest estimate based on 193 national emissions targets would see temperatures rise to 2.5 degrees Celsius (4.5 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial averages by the end of the century.

A Labour government, the shadow foreign secretary added, would also work with international partners at the International Criminal Court to agree a new international law of ecocide, creating international criminal responsibility for large scale, wanton, and unlawful destruction of the environment.We will push for climate action to become a fourth pillar of the United Nations as recommended by my colleague Lord Collins' Review, and we will seek to work with allies and partners to create a new international law of ecocide to criminalise the wanton and widespread destruction of the environment.

More on Central Subway Opening (SFStandard)
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     How S.F.Will Pay for Climate Action (SFExaminer)
     Muni Operates Trains so Close They Crash (SFStandard)
     More on Infrastructure's Success on the Ballot (ENR)
     Joel Engardio Beats Gordon Mar, Wins Outer Sunset (SFChron)
     Pedestrian Attacked, then Struck by Driver in Tenderloin (SFGate)
     DMV Parking Lots Proposed for Affordable Housing (NBCBayArea)
     Bay Area Housing Prices High but Dropping (SFChron)
     Oakland Trees are Dying (Oaklandside)
     Relocation of Harvey Milk Plaza Lamp Posts (BayAreaReporter)
     Best Snacks While you Wait for your Ferry (SFChron)


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Egypt lit up the Khafre Pyramid, one of the three ancient pyramids of Giza, dating back 4,500 years, ahead of #COP27.Egypt is taking over the COP Presidency as more than 40,000 international delegates are expected to come together to advance the world's climate agenda by increasing ambition and accelerating climate action.

As world leaders clear their diaries to attend next week's COP27the UN's annual climate change summit, which will this year be hosted in EgyptAustralian prime minister Anthony Albanese will stay home, despite concerns over the issue reaching record highs.According to the Australia Institute's annual Climate of the Nation report, concerns about climate change in Australia are at all-time highs, as a growing number of voters start to throw their support behind a range of decarbonisation policies and climate action.