[Feb 24-MAR 2'25] THE BRIEF
🌋 Fungal Networks & Doomsday Vaults: Climate Hope Amid Volcanic Warnings
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.
🙀 #volcano monitoring: Trump's budget cuts threaten Alaska's volcano monitoring systems as Mount Spurr shows increased activity, endangering air travel and losing critical real-time data.
😻 #seed preservation: The Svalbard Global Seed Vault has added 14,000 climate-hardy crop samples, strengthening global food security against climate threats.
😼 #fungi ecosystems: Mycorrhizal fungi networks function as "living algorithms," efficiently transporting nutrients to plants and sequestering carbon without a central nervous system.
💩 #BP strategy shift: BP abandons its climate commitments to invest $10bn annually in new oil and gas projects, claiming previous green strategies went "too far, too fast."
This week’s highlights
The past week has seen several critical developments in climate news, from concerning budget cuts to promising seed preservation efforts. Here are five key stories that caught our attention, highlighting both challenges and opportunities in our ongoing climate crisis.
Trump's Budget Cuts Threaten Alaska's Volcano Monitoring
Alaska's volcano monitoring systems are facing significant challenges due to the Trump administration's proposed budget cuts. This comes at a particularly concerning time as Mount Spurr is showing increased activity. The cuts could lead to a loss of real-time monitoring data, potentially endangering air travel over the Aleutian Islands, a critical corridor for international flights. Experts warn that without proper monitoring, volcanic eruptions could cause major disruptions to aviation and pose risks to nearby communities. Read more...
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault Adds 14,000 Climate-Hardy Crop Samples
In a positive development for global food security, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault has received over 14,000 new climate-hardy crop samples from various countries around the world. Often referred to as the "doomsday" seed vault, this facility plays a crucial role in preserving crop diversity amid increasing climate change challenges. These newly added varieties are specifically adapted to withstand extreme weather conditions, making them valuable resources as agricultural regions face rising temperatures, drought, and other climate-related stresses. This initiative represents one of our most important insurance policies for ensuring future food security. Read more...
BP Abandons Green Ambitions for $10 Billion Annual Oil and Gas Investment
In a significant reversal of its climate commitments, BP has announced plans to invest $10 billion annually in new oil and gas projects. The company's leadership claims that previous green strategies went "too far, too fast," signaling a major shift away from renewable energy investments. This decision has drawn sharp criticism from climate groups and raised serious concerns about BP's long-term financial health. The move comes amid rising fossil fuel profits and investor pressures, highlighting the ongoing challenges in transitioning major energy companies away from carbon-intensive business models. Read more...
Trump Administration Plans to Overturn California's Ban on Gasoline Cars
The Trump administration is moving to overturn California's landmark ban on new gasoline-powered cars by 2035, using the Congressional Review Act as its legal mechanism. Environmental groups argue this move is illegal and would significantly undermine climate progress. California's special waiver, which has historically allowed the state to set stricter clean air standards than federal requirements, is now under threat as Republicans aim to challenge multiple climate regulations. This potential policy shift could dramatically reshape national policy on electric vehicles and emissions standards, with far-reaching implications for the automotive industry and climate goals. Read more...
Mycorrhizal Fungi Networks Play Crucial Role in Climate Regulation
New research highlights the remarkable role of mycorrhizal fungi in regulating Earth's climate. These fungi form sophisticated underground networks that efficiently transport nutrients to plants while also sequestering significant amounts of carbon. Scientists describe these networks as "living algorithms" that adapt their pathways based on environmental conditions, demonstrating complex decision-making capabilities without a central nervous system. The study emphasizes how these fungal systems could be crucial allies in climate mitigation efforts, as they naturally capture carbon while supporting plant health and ecosystem resilience. Read more...
That’s it for this week folks!
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See you all next week 👋
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