Time for Climate Action

The recent COP26 climate talks on accelerating action towards the Paris agreement have left many questioning whether enough was done by our world leaders to help avoid the very worse impacts of climate change. A sentiment felt strongly by those who are most vulnerable, and on the frontline of the consequences. Countries revisited and strengthened their climate targets, albeit vaguely. Devastatingly, the climate finance goal remains unmet by the world's wealthiest nations. It seems that loopholes and 'COP' outs were the order of the day. Major coal producing countries have not yet committed to a phase out of the industry, there is still a huge need for fossil fuel divestment, and for the removal of fossil fuel subsides. 

NGOs, youth groups, indigenous communities, scientists, universities, and activists became a united voice in the climate movement. 2022 is set to be a year of record public pressure and activism, from influential public figures such as David Attenborough, to the biggest climate movement yet, Fridays for Future. The momentum continues to grow - consider your part, and join the movement today.

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Global CLIMATE CRISIS

Hot Topics

Glasgow Climate Pact

This global agreement was created as a result of the COP 26, it includes some of the strongest commitments to combat climate change ever agreed in history, including agreements on emissions cuts, reduction of carbon use, monetary aid to developing countries, measures to curb deforestation, reduction of methane emissions and investment in clean technologies. This new agreement was welcomed as a promising step forward, but faces criticism for not including immediate actions. Find all the information about the summit here!

Glasgow Climate Pact

IPCC climate report

The first part of the sixth assessment report of the IPCC was published on August 9, 2021. It deals with the latest scientific findings. In it you can read what should now be clear to everyone: Man-made climate change is advancing and accelerating. The consequences such as droughts, heat waves that trigger forest fires or floods, as most recently in Germany, will be even more devastating in the future - if we do not act as quickly as possible.  

IPCC climate report

Fridays for Future

After sitting in front of the Swedish parliament for 3 weeks protesting her country's inaction towards the climate crisis, Greta Thunberg decided to strike every Friday. The #FridaysForFuture movement spread, mobilising children and adults worldwide to protest locally every Friday noon. With reports of key demonstrations having 1.4 million people marching globally.

Fridays for Future

Extinction Rebellion (XR)

Although they faced much opposition, including a government ban on protest, for two consecutive weeks' activists took to the streets with demonstrations of civil disobedience in order to urge the government to take action against climate collapse, loss of biodiversity and the risk of social and ecological collapse. Find here what's next for this international rebellious movement. 

Extinction Rebellion (XR)

US-Canada "Heat Dome"

An unusual phenomenon, known as a "heat dome", which traps heat in one area, is currently affecting the north-western United States and southwestern Canada, with temperatures reaching up to 49.6C (121F). The intense heat has caused more than 180 wildfires, the melting of power lines and the breaking of roads. Such extreme weather is unusual for the region, so many homes have no air conditioning, which has unfortunately led to an increase in deaths related to the severe heat.  And it has caused many others to abandon their homes and seek shelter in cooling centres.

US-Canada "Heat Dome"

2021 Floods

Climate scientists have long warned that global warming would cause extreme flooding, and we are already seeing it. In China's Henan province, in just 3 days the annual rainfall level has been exceeded, causing several deaths, thousands of people evacuated and infrastructure destroyed. In Germany and Belgium, heavy rains dropped 15 cm of rain in 24 hours, at least 196 people have died and many more are missing. The scale of the destruction exceeds even the wildest forecasts, so action is urgently needed.

2021 Floods

2021-2030 UN Renewal Decade

The UN declared a bold initiative to restore the world's ecosystems over a ten-year period. The UN says that humans are using 1.6 times the resources the planet can sustainably provide, and that this must urgently change.  This initiative aims to help achieve the climate targets of the Paris Agreement, the Sustainable Development Goals, and to keep global warming below 2°C. And, above all, it aims to achieve a balanced relationship between humanity and ecosystems. It is a nature-based solution, which requires individual to global efforts, because to really make a difference, restoration must happen on a large scale.

2021-2030 UN Renewal Decade

CO2 levels in atmosphere

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's annual measurement, in 2021 the amount of CO2 has reached its highest level in more than four million years, approaching a Pliocene-like level. Despite last year's decline due to pandemic shutdowns, greenhouse gases are increasing as economies and people resume their "pre-pandemic routines".As we already know, CO2 levels will continue to rise, due to human activity, especially the burning of fossil fuels, unless we take urgent action.

CO2 levels in atmosphere

Climate Change Deniers

Climate change denial or skepticism involves denying and dismissing the scientific knowledge on climate change. The deniers dismiss the fact that climate change is caused by humans and deny its impacts on human society and nature.

Climate Change Deniers

Must read

Leaked IPCC Climate Report:

'Reads Like a 4,000-Page Indictment' of Humanity's Failure.

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Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Plastics

How are they harming the planet&why recycling isn’t the solution you think it is.

Suggested Blog

InsideClimate News

Pulitzer Prize

Hero of the Month

David Attenborough

Sir David Attenborough is the people's voice in the UNFCC and has also briefed the British government. He mentioned that government "can not be radical enough" on climate action and said that he feels society is going through a new transition on its views of morality, as it did with slavery, this time on climate change. That the question for the government, is how do they take the electorate with them? He highlights that every time we breathe we are dependant on nature and that never before have we been so powerful that we can crush nature without even realising it.

Featured Organisation of the Month

The Climate Reality Project

The non-profit organization was formed in 2006 by the American politician and environmentalist Al Gore. The Climate Reality Project is specialized on education on climate change, campaigns against climate change denial and building a global climate protection movement. In recent years it has attracted attention through numerous campaigns such as the I AM PRO SNOW campaign to draw attention to snow as a basis for leisure and work or the 24 Hours of Reality campaign with a focus on a specific region of the world.

Featured Online Resource of the Month

Real Climate

 

The online blog is specialized on texts, discussions and comments about climate science. The contributions range between Carbon cycle, Geoengineering, Hurricanes or Reports on climate skeptics. The authors are working climate scientists, so many of the texts are very specific but also very informative and fact-based. Detailed data sources can also be found on the blog, for example on the current Antarctic weather situation.