Climate

Stories from this unique moment on Earth ….  What’s happening with the climate?! Diane Shisk, Reevaluation Counseling leader, wrote: “The next few years are a critical time for action on the climate emergency. We all want to stay informed, stay hopeful, and stay active. To help with that, we’ve developed a resource: What’s Happening with the Climate? “ https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Puj4YXeBtpfS6DZuUFYXG5zL2oVP3iZECTfeXE7XwW4/edit#heading=h.9dz7msxy1o5e Check it out! It has updates on “The Good News” and “The Bad News,” with a short summary and a link to more information if you want to go deep. Great conversation starters, stories, and examples of actions people are taking in other places.”

Half of all global emissions come from the world’s richest 10% (which includes most of the middle class in the richer nations… that’s some of us)    The world’s richest 10% encompasses most of the middle classes in “developed” countries – anyone paid more than about $40,000 (£32,000) a year. The lavish lifestyles of the very rich – the 1% – attract attention. But the 10% are responsible for half of all global emissions, making them key to ending the climate crisis.   (The International Energy Agency data shows that the poorest 10% in the US still have a per capita footprint bigger than 90% […]

What’s happening around the world about climate? Selected moments from the collection of Reevaluation Counseling leader Russ Vernon-Jones and shared by local Omni member Dorothy Marcy In many nations the emissions of the top 10% exceed the emissions of the bottom 50% Data from the International Energy Agency (IEA) details the energy-related CO2 emissions per person in 2021 in a dozen major countries (including Japan, India, the U.S. , the UK, Russia, China, Mexico, and Brazil), plus the 27-nation EU. Within all these nations, the emissions of the top 10% are as high as those of at least the bottom 50%. In […]

Two big steps were taken at the just-concluded COP: Language was created that gave some of the most impacted nations (island and coastal nations) ability to make claims to a “loss and damage fund” for climate, but they didn’t fund it. And for the first time language acknowledging the need to get off of fossil fuels was included. Without a clear path forward the claims seem shaky. But some climate activists are encouraged that these are potential tools to make demands on an industry with inordinate power over our lives and economies. Check out the UN Interpress Service reports on […]

The Climate Moment …. What’s happening around the world about climate? Selected moments from the collection of Reevaluation Counseling leader Russ Vernon-Jones and shared by local Omni member Dorothy Marcy With great fanfare and angst on all sides the new COP – the Conference of Parties on climate change – gather this week. The clock is ticking on the enormity of the task and the potential for real action. There is great concern that this crucial meeting will be marred because the fossil fuel industry has forced itself into a leadership role in the organization of the COPs. This years […]

To Fix the Economy, Measure Something Better than GDP. Yes GDP. What’s beyond GDP and economic growth? (Oxfam report) Our addiction to economic growth is the foundational problem that keeps us from solving for climate disruption. But growth is just the way things work isn’t it? How can we stop that? Oxfam makes a case that it’s worth the effort. “… there is a strong case that this outdated metric should no longer be the dominant compass guiding policy making. It fails to distinguish whether economic activity is harming or benefitting people and the planet. Government policies and budgets should […]

Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global WarmingUnlock Your Inner Climate Superhero! Here’s the Superhero roadmap! The Drawdown Roadmap is a science-based strategy for accelerating climate solutions. It points to which climate actions governments, businesses, investors, philanthropists, community organizations, and others should prioritize to make the most of our efforts to stop climate change. Here’s a TED Talk by Project Drawdown CEO Johnathan Foley from last March. He lays out Project Drawdown’s master plan – their Roadmap for Drawdown that they feel confident could effectively let us come to terms with the climate disaster we face.Drawdown TED […]

What’s happening around the world about climate? Selected moments from the collection of Reevaluation Counseling leader Russ Vernon-Jones and shared by local Omni member Dorothy Marcy #221 Chinese courts backed to help with emissions reduction One of China’s top courts has encouraged judges to hear climate-related cases and weigh up carbon impacts to help the country achieve its emission reduction goals. Climate litigation has been difficult in China because, unlike many other countries, it does not have specific legislation to combat climate change. But the judiciary has signaled a willingness to engage with the issue. This new document gives courts across […]