PRESS RELEASE: Close to $1 billion approved for environment and climate action at GEF meetings
Governments have approved programmes and projects worth almost $1 billion to tackle growing threats to the natural world - and to help some of the Earth's most vulnerable people adapt to climate change - at two consecutive Global Environment Facility (GEF) meetings in Washington DC this week. They range from an ambitious $232 million integrated programme aimed at a “transformational shift in the agriculture and land use systems that are major drivers of environmental degradat
Let’s secure Africa’s soils to tackle climate change and hunger
Soils hold 70 percent of the planet’s land-based carbon — three times the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. Not only is carbon-rich soil a crucial tool in mitigating climate change, it is also essential to meet the food needs of Africa’s population, which is set to grow by 1.3 billion by 2050. When soils are managed sustainably, they store organic carbon that locks in soil moisture and increases soil fertility; they also remove greenhouse gases from the atmosp
Himalayan glaciers are melting twice as fast as last century
Climate change is eating away Himalayan glaciers at a dramatic rate, a new study has revealed. Spanning 2,000 kilometers and harboring some 600 billion tons of ice, Himalayan glaciers supply around 800 million people with water for irrigation, hydropower and drinking. But they have been losing almost half a meter of ice each year since the start of this century -- double the amount of melting that occurred between 1975 and 2000 -- according to the Columbia University research
EPA rolls back Obama-era plan limiting coal-fired power plant emissions
The Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday said states can set their own carbon emissions standards for coal-fired power plants -- a rule that the agency itself says could result in 1,400 more premature deaths by 2030 than the Obama-era plan it will replace. The move fulfills part of President Donald Trump's promise to help the coal industry, but will likely face court challenges from environmental groups and several states who see the rollback as detrimental to clean a
12 Ways the Progressive Takeover Is Transforming New York
At 7:20 a.m., after an all-night marathon marked by the passage of dozens of bills and a rubber-band fight on the floor of the chamber, the Legislature on Friday finally ended a 2019 session that was nothing short of groundbreaking. During the six-month session, lawmakers approved a raft of legislation, large and small. The Legislature and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, a Democrat, reached expansive agreements on rent regulation, climate change, criminal justice, congestion pricing, s
David Gilmour auctioned his guitars and raised $21M for a climate change charity
Floyd's David Gilmour auctioned 126 of his guitars for a record-breaking $21 million at a New York charity auction Thursday to fight against climate change. The auction lasted eight hours and had bidders from 66 countries around the world, according to British auction house Christies, which handled the sales. "The Black Strat," a 1969 Fender Stratocaster which Gilmour used to record Pink Floyd albums "The Dark Side of the Moon," "Wish You Were Here" and "The Wall," sold for $
Climate Change Drives Bigger, Wetter Storms — Storms Like Florence
Hurricane Florence is moving relentlessly toward the Southeastern U.S. It's a large, powerful cyclone that will likely bring storm surge and high winds to coastal communities. But climate scientists say one of the biggest threats posed by Florence is rain. "Freshwater flooding poses the greatest risk to life," explains James Kossin, an atmospheric scientist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Wisconsin, Madison. And Florence could cau
California just struck a major blow against Trump’s offshore drilling plans
The war between coastal governors and the Trump administration over offshore drilling escalated this weekend, as California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a pair of bills that would effectively prevent new drilling projects off the state’s coasts. The bills would accomplish its goal by “prohibiting new leases for new construction of oil and gas-related infrastructure, such as pipelines, within state waters if the federal government authorizes any new offshore oil leases.” Governor B
On the Path of Climate Progress
The world has encountered few threats as severe as climate change, and it will take a concerted global effort to change our current dangerous course. But the 2015 Paris Agreement has put the world on a new path. While there have setbacks, the last three years have seen significant progress on climate action—and not just at the national level, but on the ground, where thousands of organizations, businesses and communities are carrying the world forward on this path. As we appr
How much will rising temperatures affect your community?
The past few summers have brought some of the hottest months on record. Unfortunately, things are only projected to get worse as climate change continues to push temperatures up around the world. The global impacts of rising temperatures — including more hurricanes, sea-level rise and drought — will probably sound familiar. But a temperature change of just a couple of degrees can also have dramatic effects locally. Studies have shown that a single-degree rise in temperature c