Climate actions have often fallen into one of two strategies: mitigation efforts to lower or remove greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere, and adaptation efforts to adjust systems and societies to withstand the impacts of climate change. The separation has led to the misinformed view that addressing climate change means pursuing either mitigation or adaptation.
Getting to a net-zero-carbon energy system is essential. It will be a major effort, one that requires significant investment in new low-carbon infrastructure, from renewable power plants to electric vehicles, efficient appliances and better constructed buildings. While very few countries are on track, China, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ethiopia and the United Kingdom are further along than many others.
It seems like a lifetime ago when at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, I watched more than 100 heads of state and government queue to sign the original documents of the Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Biodiversity Convention and Agenda 21.
Negotiations had been tough, and some leaders were more enthusiastic than others.
According to a yearly in-depth report from the World Bank in June 2019, 57 countries have committed to implementing or scheduling carbon pricing initiatives, including a carbon tax. So far, 46 national and 28 subnational jurisdictions have adopted carbon pricing to help reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and keep in line with their 2030 objectives and the Paris Agreement. And since last year’s report, 11 more countries have committed to scheduling carbon pricing for implementation.
Biden’s climate plan is good on transportation and foreign policy, land use is adequate, but won’t get out the Democratic base or draw many Independents. It’s a plan to not lose votes, not a plan to get votes, and it’s not a sufficient plan for climate action.
Local Motors is about to bring Olli 2 — its second generation autonomous electric shuttle — to market, with first deliveries scheduled for later this year.
The vast majority of companies do not recognize or report how a significant portion of their revenue is dependent on commodities driving deforestation.
Meike describes herself as “an optimist by nature” and a “healthily impatient by nature”. She started her career at Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) in 1994, and has been contributing to the fight against poverty ever since.
Because of their contributions to the ecosystem, tapirs are thought of as landscape architects and engineers.
Thirty-six people died in traffic crashes in Washington, D.C., last year, a 20% increase from 2017. Eight people, six of whom were walking or biking, have already been killed this year, prompting a major public rally just two weeks ago. Residents are angry that the city isn’t succeeding in curbing road deaths, despite the fact that Mayor Muriel Bowser committed to end traffic fatalities entirely by 2024.
