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EartherClimate ChangeA Quarter of All Climate Tweets Come From Bots—and They’re More Likely to Peddle Denial
The bots are taking over, man. Researchers have found that bots are largely fueling climate denial propaganda on Twitter. In a draft research paper, scientists at Brown University found that a quarter of all tweets about climate change come from bots on an average day. That’s especially the case when it comes to climate denial. … Continued
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EartherClimate ChangeWorld’s Biggest Fossil Fuel Funder Notes Climate Change Could End ‘Human Life as We Know it’
The finance industry is issuing some of the direst warnings about climate change while funding the industry most responsible for it. Today’s example: JP Morgan. The bank is the single biggest funder of fossil fuels in the world. But its economists wrote an internal report leaked to Extinction Rebellion on Friday stating that they “cannot … Continued
By Brian Kahn -
EartherClimate ChangeCoconut Oil Could Be the Next Disastrous Biofuel
In the Philippines, the coconut tree is called the tree of life due to its many uses and central role in the country’s economy. In Luzon, the most populated island in the country, coconut farms flush with green coconuts can be found on the coast, on top of hills, and in valleys alongside creeks and … Continued
Nithin Coca -
EartherClimate ChangeFloods Have Devastated Mississippi, and More Rain Is on the Way
This week, the Pearl River in Jackson, Mississippi crested at 36.67 feet, the river’s third highest crest on record. The deluge devastated the area, flooding the streets and thousands of homes. Entire neighborhoods went underwater, and residents canoed down avenues. Rainfall soared 400 percent above normal levels for the month so far, driving the flood. … Continued
By Dharna Noor -
EartherClimate ChangePlease, For the Love of All Things Holy, Stop Pretending Natural Gas Is a ‘Transition Fuel’
Look, the story of Wednesday night’s Democratic presidential debate is the very public evisceration of former NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg. But hey, some other stuff happened, too! Even some climate stuff, including letting Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Bloomberg’s mutilated corpse perpetuate one of the biggest myths in climate politics. The climate portion of the debate … Continued
By Brian Kahn -
EartherClimate ChangeLet’s Not Rely on Billionaires to Fund Climate Action
This week, the richest man in the world announced that he will give $10 billion dollars to the fight to stop the climate crisis. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced his new fund in an Instagram post on Sunday. “Climate change is the biggest threat to our planet,” Bezos wrote. “I want to work alongside others … Continued
By Dharna Noor -
EartherClimate ChangeUN Warns Kids Face ‘Ecological and Existential Threats’ in Every Country on Earth
All over the world, kids are saying world leaders’ weak climate policies are putting their futures at risk. They’re right, new research shows. Not a single country is doing enough to protect kids from the climate crisis and the degradation of ecosystems, along with war, inequality and predatory marketing practices, according to a report published … Continued
By Dharna Noor -
EartherClimate ChangeMany Plastics Aren’t Actually Recyclable, a New Report Shows
Companies say that a lot of single-use plastic items are recyclable: cups, trays, lids, cutlery, straws, stirrers. But it turns out those claims are misleading. American recycling facilities can only recycle a handful of the types of plastic being sent their way. That means many plastic products that Americans are tossing into recycling bins aren’t … Continued
By Dharna Noor -
EartherClimate ChangeHow Climate Change Could Bring About the Next Great Recession
Our weather is becoming more extreme, litigation is targeting fossil fuel companies—and our whole economic system is at risk of imploding if the energy sector doesn’t prepare for climate change, financial experts warn. In a series of commentaries published in Nature Energy on Monday, experts shared their concern for what extreme heat, stronger hurricanes, and … Continued
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EartherClimate ChangeThe Jeff Bezos Climate Superpower That’s Bigger Than $10 Billion
The richest guy on Earth has decided maybe spending a few bucks to save the planet isn’t such a bad idea. Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s CEO, decided to kick Earth $10 billion to stave off catastrophic climate change. And you know what, that’s fine. I remain deeply skeptical of billionaires and their motives for philanthropy, but … Continued
By Brian Kahn -
EartherClimate ChangeHow Coronavirus and Climate Change Show the Limits of Globalization
Over the past few decades, the world has become connected in unprecedented ways. And in 2020, we’re living with those impacts in full force. The most in-your-face example is COVID-19, which has spread with alarming speed to 26 countries, killed nearly 1,800, and led to widespread quarantines as health authorities struggle to contain the outbreak. … Continued
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EartherClimate ChangeThe Dangerous Seduction of a Trillion Trees
The arc of Republican climate politics has gone from supporting market solutions like cap and trade to outright denial over the years. The fetid nature of conservative climate politics has done wonders for short-term political gain and obscenely enriched a small cadre of fossil fuel executives and lobbyists. But it now leaves Republicans boxed into … Continued
By Brian Kahn -
EartherClimate ChangeNew York Fashion Week Isn’t Sustainable, But Neither Is The Fashion Industry
Fashion Week in over in New York, and it’s clear there’s a big trend afoot: sustainability. Designers showcased collections made with recycled fishing nets, models walked the runway with reusable water bottles, and one show was inspired by rising seas. A first-ever report also delved into how much the industry emits each year for travel … Continued
By Dharna Noor -
EartherClimate ChangeNASA Scientists Have Found Millions of Arctic Methane Hotspots
Scientists are taking to the skies to study methane emissions in the Arctic. In a series of more than 400 airplane rides in 2017, researchers with NASA’s Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment discovered 2 million methane hotspots. The findings point to one of the more disturbing aspects of climate change in the Arctic as frozen soil … Continued
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EartherClimate ChangeIt’s Straight Up Balmy in Antarctica
Picture this: It’s 68 degrees Fahrenheit. You’re comfortably rocking a light denim jacket. You’re sipping a gin and tonic. You’ve got a picnic blanket and a spread of raw veggies and dips. The wind is in your hair. So nice to be in…the Antarctic. Seriously, it’s straight up balmy in Antarctica right now. On Sunday, … Continued
By Dharna Noor -
EartherClimate ChangeThe New Frontiers of Farming Come With Huge Climate Risks
Not sure you’ve heard, but the planet is getting hotter. The heat is making farming harder in some places, but it’s also making it possible to bring agriculture into new areas. Farmers are growing food in northern Alberta, Canada. Russia plans to “use the advantages” of global warming to expand its agriculture northward. And by … Continued
By Dharna Noor -
EartherClimate ChangeTrolls Force Artist to Cancel a Planned Greta Thunberg Mural in North Dakota
Drama is afoot in the capital of North Dakota. The state is the site of both the famous Standing Rock protests of 2016 and some of the country’s greatest crude oil reserves. And it was going to be home to one amazing mural of 17-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg in Bismarck, North Dakota until a … Continued
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EartherClimate ChangePine Island’s Massive New Iceberg Is Already Cracking Up
Antarctic has been on one the past few weeks. It reached 65 degrees Fahrenheit last week, a new record high for the continent. Scientists have found warm water creeping farther under its most vulnerable glacier. Other researchers dropped a little remote-operated robot under the same icy “superhighway,” recording eerie footage of an under-icescape in flux. And … Continued
By Brian Kahn -
EartherClimate ChangeWe’re Drowning in Plastic. A New Bill Would Make Companies Pay to Fix the Crisis
Plastic is creating massive problems. Its production and disposal both release hundreds of millions of tons of greenhouse gases, which contribute to climate change and wreak havoc on public health, especially for the communities of color near which plastic production plants, incinerators, and landfills are often constructed. Plastic is also threatening the health of the … Continued
By Dharna Noor -
EartherClimate ChangeTrump’s Budget Proposal Is an Assault on Clean Air and Water
The Trump administration submitted its 2021 budget proposal to Congress on Monday, and folks, it’s great! Just kidding. It’s awful on many fronts, especially when it comes to the climate and environment. The plan would cut the Energy Department’s budget by 8 percent and the Department of the Interior’s by 16 percent. The Environmental Protection … Continued
By Dharna Noor