THE BRIEF [Apr 15-21'24]
THE BRIEF [Apr 15-21'24]
20% global drop in GDP, optimal locations for wind power, new political technologies, take fossil fuels to court for homicide.
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.
🙀 Global GDP to drop by 20% by 2050 due to climate change
😻 New study identifies optimal locations for wind power
😼 We need new political technologies
💩 Could fossil fuel companies be taken to court for homicide?
This week’s highlights
[#kids] — A policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics urges pediatricians to discuss climate change with their patients, highlighting the disproportionate impact on children. However, research shows that this conversation is not happening frequently, with only 4% of parents reporting it occurring in the past year. Incorporating climate change into clinical practice poses challenges due to time constraints and the need for a mindset shift. Efforts are being made to include climate change in medical school curricula and provide resources for healthcare providers. The goal is to translate climate knowledge into practical advice for patients, considering both physical and mental health.
[#fossilfueldebts] — This article argues that fossil fuel debts should be considered illegitimate and cancelled. Many countries in the Global South are burdened with these debts, which hinder sustainable development and climate actions. The article calls for governments and financial institutions to cancel outstanding debts from fossil fuel projects and transform them into grants for renewable energy systems. The IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings are highlighted as an opportunity to address the debt crisis and promote debt forgiveness for developing countries. The World Bank and IMF are criticized for their loans and policies that have led to displacement, inequality, and environmental degradation.
[#GDP] — A study predicts that the climate crisis will cause average world incomes to diminish by nearly a fifth by 2050. The costs of damage are projected to be six times higher than the price of limiting global heating to 2C. Rising temperatures, extreme weather, and heavier rainfall are expected to cause $38tn of destruction annually by mid-century. The study emphasizes the disproportionate impact on countries least responsible for climate disruption, exacerbating inequality.
That’s it for this week folks!
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See you all next week 👋