[Feb 17-23'25] THE BRIEF
☕️ Coffee Prices Soar, GDP Could Pour: How Climate Change is Hitting Your Wallet
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.
🙀 #1.5DegreeThreshold: Global temperatures have already exceeded 1.5°C for 12 consecutive months, signaling an early breach of the Paris Agreement threshold with potentially irreversible consequences.
😻 #CleanAirZones: Clean air zones implementation shows immediate positive impact, saving thousands of lives and significantly reducing hospital visits while improving public health.
😼 #AtmosphericRivers: Unusual phenomenon of atmospheric rivers bringing rain instead of snow to West Antarctica, revealing new climate change impacts.
💩 #AlbertaEnergyRegulator: Alberta's energy regulator caught dramatically underreporting spills with only 3.2% inspected, while falsely claiming 75% perfect recovery rates.
This week’s highlights
This week's climate news paints a stark picture of economic impacts, from your morning coffee to global GDP projections. While the IPCC shows positive institutional change with its first female-majority report team, challenges mount in Europe's clean energy transition and global water security. Here are five crucial stories that deserve your attention:
Climate Change Could Halve Global GDP by 2070
A stark new economic analysis reveals that climate change could slash global GDP by half by 2070 if emissions continue unchecked. The study warns of cascading effects through extreme weather events and climate system tipping points, threatening food security, water access, and social stability. The report emphasizes that immediate collective action and transition to renewable energy are essential to prevent the worst economic impacts. Read more...
Historic Shift in Climate Science Leadership
In a groundbreaking development, the IPCC's upcoming report on cities and climate change will feature a majority-women authorship team - 51 women and 46 men. This milestone also includes significant representation from the global south, with 39 authors from developing nations, marking a crucial shift in climate science leadership and bringing diverse perspectives to climate research. Read more...
Coffee Industry Faces Climate Crisis
Coffee prices have hit a 50-year high as climate change wreaks havoc on global production. Farmers face a perfect storm of rising production costs and climate-induced crop damage, forcing many to consider reducing their plantations. This crisis highlights how climate change is directly impacting daily consumer goods and threatening traditional agricultural practices. Read more...
Europe's Clean Energy Transition Hits Hurdle
European heat pump sales have dropped 23% in 2024, returning to pre-Ukraine war levels. This decline, driven by political uncertainty and economic challenges, raises concerns about meeting climate goals. However, the UK's 63% increase in installations shows that with proper policy support, clean heating technology can still gain significant market share. Read more...
Water Crisis Looms Under Climate Change
New research predicts that global freshwater scarcity, already affecting four billion people annually, could worsen significantly with climate change. Under a 1.5°C warming scenario, the global water gap could increase by 6%, while a 3°C rise could lead to a devastating 15% increase. The study emphasizes the urgent need for both consumption reduction and enhanced water management strategies. Read more...
That’s it for this week folks!
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See you all next week 👋