THE BRIEF [April 29-May 5'24]
THE BRIEF [April 29-May 5'24]
Carbon removal gap is too big, insights into Britains low energy mix, hardship makes societies more resilient and Exxon's own research confirmed fossil fuels role in 1970s.
Welcome to this week’s edition of The Weekly Climate 🎉
References: [1], [2], [3], [4] and [5].
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‼️News you can’t miss
Here’s one important scary/bad (🙀), good (😻), interesting (😼) and fossil (💩) news item.
🙀 The carbon removal gap is incompatible with 1.5C
😻 More insights into Britains low level of fossil fuels in energy mix
😼 Hardship makes societies more resilient (for the stoics among my readers this should come as no surprise)
💩 Exxon’s own research confirmed fossil fuels role in the 1970s
This week’s highlights
[#🇪🇺farmingpropapaganda] — DeSmog is launching an investigation into food and farming misinformation ahead of the EU elections. Conspiracy theories and misinformation on food and farming could influence voters and pull them towards far-right parties opposing climate-friendly laws. Agriculture accounts for 11% of carbon emissions in the EU, and addressing the sector's harms has become a divisive issue. The investigation aims to monitor the spread of misinformation, identify false claims, and uncover those spreading these narratives online.
[#CDRgap] — New research warns that current plans for carbon dioxide removal (CDR) fall short of the quantities needed to limit global warming to 1.5C. The study quantifies the "CDR gap" between national climate plans and the amount of CDR needed. While countries' national targets could increase CDR by up to 1.9bn tonnes of CO2 per year by 2050, the study finds a CDR gap in 2050 of 0.4bn-5.5bn tonnes of CDR per year. The reliance on CDR is debated, with concerns about ecological and societal risks and the potential to dilute incentives to cut fossil fuel use. The study highlights the lack of progress in CDR and the need for action.
[#fossilgashomes] — A study from Stanford University reveals that gas stoves in smaller homes pose the greatest risk of indoor pollution. The study found that short-term exposure to nitrogen dioxide from gas stove use often exceeded safety benchmarks, and long-term exposure in smaller homes was four times higher than in larger homes. Disadvantaged households and Black and Latino households were found to be more exposed. Health experts emphasize the significant health risks of gas stoves, including asthma in children. Some cities have taken measures to restrict gas hookups in new buildings. The study highlights the importance of reducing pollution at the source and considering cleaner alternatives like electric stoves.
That’s it for this week folks!
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See you all next week 👋