THE BRIEF [Aug 14-20'23]
Climate change is here now, teaching birds migration routes and compounding climate risks at 2C.
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.
😻 Austrian biologist teaches endangered bird species a new migration route
😼 Compounding climate risks at 2C warning
💩 Fossil fuel companies are using granfluencers
This week’s highlights
[#evhealth] — A report by the American Lung Association suggests that switching to 100% zero-emission new passenger vehicles and clean, non-combustion electricity generation by 2050 could result in about 89,300 fewer premature human deaths by reducing air pollution. The switch could also provide $978 billion in public health benefits, with benefits ranging from reduced asthma attacks to premature deaths avoided because the air would be cleaner. The report highlights state-by-state findings that vary depending on local sources of pollution from power plants, refineries or the size of the on-road vehicle populations.
[#3Dprintseafood] — Researchers have developed a new approach to creating vegan seafood that mimics the taste and texture of real fish. They 3D-printed an ink made from microalgae protein and mung bean protein to create calamari rings that can be air-fried for a quick snack. The researchers hope that their plant-based seafood could help address the unsustainable fishing and aquaculture practices that are depleting fish populations and harming the environment. They plan to further optimize the product and assess its potential for large-scale food manufacturing.
[#hawaiilawsuit] — Maui County's 2020 lawsuit against Exxon, Chevron, and other oil and gas companies for concealing knowledge of the dangers of fossil fuels has gained renewed significance after wildfires linked to climate change devastated the Hawaiian island. The lawsuit is part of a growing trend of states and municipalities suing fossil fuel companies for climate damages, and legal experts suggest that the fires could be an important part of Maui's claim for damages if the case goes to trial. The fossil fuel industry has attempted to move the cases to federal court and argued that the plaintiffs' claims relate to a global issue, but the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a group of petitions asking it to take the lawsuits out of state court.
[#reinsurance] — Reinsurance companies (insurers of insurance companies) have raised prices as natural disasters like wildfires and storms intensify, leading insurance companies to pull back from offering coverage in certain areas or cut the kinds of damage they will pay to repair. Reinsurers' increased prices have accelerated changes in an industry grappling with a new sense of uncertainty, with the world warming, storms getting more intense, inflation increasing the cost of rebuilding after a disaster, and a global increase in interest rates making money itself more expensive. As a result, insurers may have to raise prices even in places where they meet the most resistance from regulators.
That’s it for this week folks!
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