climatechange
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Climate Transition in the Context of Biodiversity Conservation
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The United Nations (UN) held two flagship conferences of the parties (COP) at the end of 2022 to discuss a wide range of environment-related issues. The UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) engaged stakeholders from different areas in government, academia, NGOs, the private sector, and Indigenous communities to combat biodiversity degradation. The…
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The Inflation Reduction Act’s Big Bet on Electric Vehicles
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Electric vehicle (EV) sales in the United States grew by 85% between 2020 and 2021 – the largest increase to date. To continue this growth and promote additional investment in EV production, Democratic lawmakers passed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) in August, the largest piece of climate change…
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Why Our Brains Tune Out Climate Change
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In 2018, Climate Outreach, a leading climate-communications non-profit, released a handbook for scientists working under the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on how to effectively communicate climate change to the public. The handbook suggests that good science alone is not enough to motivate people to take action against climate…
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Technological Innovation: False Hope or Promising Solution to Combating Climate Change?
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From the wheel in Ancient Mesopotamia to modern artificial intelligence, technology has aided society for thousands of years. The most transformative era came during the Industrial Revolution, when machines allowed humans to produce massive quantities of goods at a fraction of previous costs. The revolution significantly increased living standards and…
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China Launches its Long-Awaited National Emissions Trading Scheme
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China just launched a long-awaited national emissions trading scheme (ETS). As the largest current emitter accounting for more than a quarter of world’s total carbon emissions, this move can potentially have major repercussions. The official commitment to the scheme was initiated in 2015 as part of China’s plan to peak…
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Do Carbon Offsets Work in Reducing Overall Emissions? Numbers Say No.
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The Clean Development Mechanism is central to the global movement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. According to the United Nations, the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) allows countries with emission-reduction or emission-limitation commitments under the Kyoto Protocol to implement an emission-reduction project in developing countries. Through these projects, high-income countries earn…
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Coal, Cash, Cars, and Trees: Cliff-Notes From the Glasgow Climate Summit
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In November, the United Nations convened its 26th global climate summit, the Glasgow Climate Change Conference, or COP26. Held in Glasgow, Scotland from Oct. 31-Nov. 12, 2021, COP26 saw attendance and discussion from delegates representing almost 200 countries, while 21,000 representatives from observer organizations, host city volunteers, and the general…
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A Quick-Reference Guide to Climate Change Terminology
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In November the United Nations held the 26th global climate summit, the Glasgow Climate Change Conference, or COP26. Delegates from almost 200 countries discussed items ranging from membership in the UNFCCC and compliance with the Paris Agreement to Green Finance. If you have difficulty keeping the terminology straight, check out…
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Put a Socket in It: Getting EV Charging into Multi-Unit Buildings
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Combatting climate change is an all-hands-on-deck emergency. To fully eradicate emissions by 2050 – the path that scientists agree will keep warming below 1.5ºC and mitigate the worst warming-induced catastrophes – the world needs to electrify practically everything and power the grid with carbon-free electricity. It’s an enormous task, and…
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Cleaner Electric Grid Key to Effective Electrification of Transportation
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Global efforts to mitigate climate change rely on strategies that dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The United Nations Environment Programme has assessed that global emissions must drop by 7.6% annually from 2020 through 2030 to achieve the Paris Climate Agreement’s goal of limiting temperature increases to 1.5 degrees Celsius above…
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Expanding Legal Protections for Climate Migrants
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In the past decade, the effects of climate change have resulted in the displacement of over 250 million people worldwide. The International Organization for Migration defines an environmental or climate migrant as a person who moves within their country or abroad “predominantly for reasons of sudden or progressive change in…