[Apr 21-27'25] 🌡️ From Sweating to Shivering

CO2 Levels Surge as Coffee Farmers Navigate EU Deforestation Rules

Welcome to this week's edition of The Weekly Climate 🎉

References: [1], [2], [3], [4], [5] and [6].

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‼️ News you can't miss

Here's one important scary/bad (🙀), good (😻), interesting (😼) and fossil (💩) news item.

🙀 [#co2crisis]: Atmospheric CO2 levels surged by a record 3.75 ppm in 2024, largely due to ongoing fossil fuel emissions and a weakened land carbon sink, raising concerns about meeting climate targets and indicating broader climate anomalies.

😻 [#xprizecarbon]: Mati Carbon won the Xprize for its enhanced rock weathering technology that locks carbon in soil, benefiting smallholder farmers by increasing productivity and income while aiming for affordable carbon credits. The company plans to expand its operations in developing countries to maximize impact.

😼 [#microseasons]: Japan's traditional calendar divides the year into 72 microseasons, each lasting a few days, reflecting cultural practices around food, celebration, and nature's changes, emphasizing harmony with the environment and seasonal transitions.

💩 [#oillobbying]: Public affairs firms in Europe are enabling pollution by lobbying for fossil fuel companies, despite these clients representing only a small fraction of their revenue. The analysis highlights a lack of accountability and public pressure on these firms, which continue to work with polluters while claiming sustainability commitments.

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👩‍⚕️ Status: Climate & Science

Let's look at how we're doing this week!

[#co2crisis]: Atmospheric CO2 levels surged by a record 3.75 ppm in 2024, largely due to ongoing fossil fuel emissions and a weakened land carbon sink, raising concerns about meeting climate targets and indicating broader climate anomalies.

[#renewabletransition]: Tim Flannery discusses the significance of geological history, climate change, and the transition to renewable energy, emphasizing the need for ambitious targets to reduce emissions and the importance of community action in environmental preservation. He expresses optimism about humanity's future despite the challenges posed by climate change and political resistance.

[#airpollution]: Approximately 156 million Americans live with unhealthy air quality, worsened by regulatory rollbacks and recent wildfires. Disparities persist, with communities of color disproportionately affected, while overall pollution levels have risen, highlighting the urgent need for effective air quality policies. Only two cities met clean air standards this year.

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📰 The 7 Grand Challenges

⚡️ Decarbonize Electricity

Clean electricity is the one do-or-die challenge we must solve.

[#giantwindplane]: The article discusses the world's biggest plane designed to harness wind energy, alongside various political updates including the Trump administration's deportation policies, declining approval ratings, and environmental regulatory changes for oil and gas projects.

🏘 Reduce impact of urban and rural areas

Lowering the impact of urban and rural areas.

[#greeninfrastructure]: Simple green infrastructure initiatives like rain gardens and bioswales in New Orleans are effectively reducing flooding by capturing stormwater, improving water quality, and enhancing community green spaces, despite the challenges posed by the city's geography and climate.