THE BRIEF [Oct 16-22'23]

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.

🙀 Greenland ice sheet experienced it’s 27th consecutive years of ice loss

😻 New way to recycle batteries can recover almost 100% of materials

😼 A look at why some civilizations got killed by climate change and why

💩 Deep ties between Europe Right Wing and Big Agriculture

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This week’s highlights

[#powergrid] — According to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), governments and utilities need to upgrade or replace nearly 50 million miles of power grids worldwide by 2040 to meet climate goals and prevent climate-related disasters. The aging grids are already struggling, and with the increasing adoption of electric cars, heat pumps, and renewable energy, the grids are becoming the weakest link. Investment in power grids needs to double to over $600 billion a year by the end of the decade to ensure a smooth transition to clean energy.

[#methaneliteracy] — This article discusses the urgent need for methane literacy and highlights the planned expansion of exported liquified methane gas in the U.S. The article raises concerns about the environmental impact of this expansion and the misleading use of the term "natural gas" to downplay its harmful effects (we have been using fossil gas for almost the entire life of this newsletter). It emphasizes the importance of accurate terminology and the need to address methane illiteracy.

[#bigaglobbyism] — This article discusses the deep ties between big agriculture and right-wing politicians in Europe. It highlights the lobbying efforts of six lawmakers from the European People's Party who have consistently sought to weaken green farming reforms. These lawmakers have close ties to major farming unions and have met industry-linked groups more frequently than non-governmental groups. The document also reveals privileged access for pesticide companies to the European People's Party and their engagement with initiatives, think tanks, and advocacy groups. The influence of these ties is evident in the voting patterns and attempts to weaken pesticide regulations. The document emphasizes the need for transparency and addressing conflicts of interest in the European Parliament.

[#bigtobaccogas] — Gas stoves have been found to pollute homes with toxic chemicals, and a new investigation reveals that the gas industry has used tactics similar to those of Big Tobacco to downplay the health risks. The industry concealed knowledge of the hazards and hired PR firms and scientists to obscure the science. Bans on natural gas hookups in new buildings have been passed in some towns, and the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission is investigating the health hazards. The investigation highlights the need for more awareness and regulation of gas stoves

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That’s it for this week folks! 

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See you all next week 👋