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Climate Change

THE CLIMATE ROUNDUP 9.10.22

Sep 10 2022
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Hey climate heroes! Welcome to The Climate Roundup, where we round up the change, er the news about climate and the environment. As part of the Gen E community, we thank you for making climate action part of everyday life. (Reading this newsletter counts!)

In Pop Culture:

Jason Momoa shaved his head to raise awareness about single-use plastics. I’m not sure how much shaving his head will actually do to reduce plastic usage, but hey, at the very least, we all get to look at Jason Momoa for a little while.

Getting Down To Climate Business:

💁‍♀️ A new study indicates that we’re dangerously close to passing five climate tipping points, including the collapse of Greenland’s ice cap, causing massive sea level rise. But before you get too desperate, one of the study’s authors says, “There are grounds for grief, but there are also still grounds for hope. … We’re not saying that, because we’re probably going to hit some tipping points, everything is lost and it’s game over. Every fraction of a degree that we stop beyond 1.5C reduces the likelihood of hitting more tipping points.” That’s right! Now is the time to fight! And also the time to reconsider investing in beach-front property.

🪙 According to the White House, crypto mining could hinder America’s ability to combat climate change. The Office of Science and Technology Policy said that “Crypto operations in the U.S. now consume as much energy as all home computers or all residential lighting.” But hey, isn’t it worth it for a fictional currency that constantly fluctuates in value and has essentially no protections against being lost or stolen?

🖥️ In more news from the White House, the Biden Administration has launched a portal to help communities assess their exposure to climate hazards. The Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation (CMRA) portal, “integrates decision-relevant information from across the U.S. government, including climate maps and data; non-climate data such as building code standards, economic justice, and social vulnerability information; and federal grant funding opportunities.” Oh man, if I don’t have to spend hours navigating several complicated government websites and hundreds of esoteric documents just to find out what’s happening in my community, then what am I going to talk about at parties??

⛰️ Humans aren’t the only ones migrating. Appalachian and indigenous activists went to Washington to rally against the Mountain Valley Pipeline project, a concession made to Senator Manchin to ensure his support for the Inflation Reduction Act. Opponents argue that the pipeline, which would transport shale gas, would “gut bedrock environmental protections, threaten tribal authority, endanger public health, fast-track fossil fuel projects, [and] cut public input.”

🥅 A new study in Scientific Reports found that up to 86% of the large pieces of floating plastic in the garbage patch are items that were abandoned, lost or discarded by fishing vessels. According to Nature, “This suggests that ‘plastic emitted from land tends to accumulate along coastal areas, while plastic lost at sea has a high chance of accumulating in ocean garbage patches.” One of the key participants in this study? Our friends at The Ocean Cleanup! By using Gen E, you’re supporting their efforts to get fishing debris out of the garbage patch and research where it originally came from. I bet you never thought you’d pay money to learn more about garbage, but I bet you’re also glad you did.

🛥️ The United States Navy is increasingly factoring a warming climate into its exercises. What a coincidence, I’m also factoring a warming climate into my exercises. I wonder if the Navy has also decided to forgo hot yoga until winter.

Some Stats:

12%: HOW MUCH OF THE EU’S ENERGY WAS GENERATED BY SOLAR THIS YEAR, COMPARED WITH 9% LAST YEAR
(AL JAZEERA)

2000: THE NUMBER OF ESTIMATED SPECIES THAT WILL MIGRATE TO COOLER AREAS DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE.
(USC)

She’s A Byoot

Emily Atkin’s great newsletter Heated spotlighted the beauty industry and its connection to fossil fuels this week. As a frequent user of various goops and slimes, I’ve been trying for years to weed fossil fuel derivatives out of my beauty products. It’s definitely an uphill battle, but it can be done. These are not Gen E-endorsed, but some of my personal favorites are Common Heir’s Vitamin C Serum and Meow Meow Tweet’s Everyday Sunscreen. But as Jessica DeFino points out in the Heated interview, the best way to take care of your skin is to eliminate fossil fuel pollution in the air. So sunscreen up and let’s make some change!

Thanks for reading! – Nicole