The importance of urban tree canopy protection and restoration

Alex Boston, Fellow, MJ Wosk Centre for Dialogue; Executive Director, Renewable Cities, at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia writes on The Conversation website about the importance of green innovation in cities. What are your views? Cities need to embrace green innovation now to cut heat deaths in the future In late June 2021, … Continue reading The importance of urban tree canopy protection and restoration →

The options in Germany’s accelerated energy transitions

Without Russian natural gas, Germany will be facing an energy crisis. In an article on the Deutsche Welle website, Jeannette Cwienk discusses what the most realistic and climate-friendly options are. How can Germany realistically replace gas? As Germany scrambles to find a way to lower its reliance on Russian natural gas, the country has announced a … Continue reading The options in Germany’s accelerated energy transitions →

New EEA report on the pollutants causing over 10% of all cancer cases in Europe

Exposure to air pollution, second-hand smoke, radon, ultraviolet radiation, asbestos, certain chemicals and other pollutants causes over 10% of all cancer cases in Europe, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) report published this week. The good news is that these risks are preventable. Exposure to pollution causes 10% of all cancer cases in … Continue reading New EEA report on the pollutants causing over 10% of all cancer cases in Europe →

The Supreme Court limited the EPA’s authority on emissions, dealing a blow to efforts to address climate change

The EPA ruling means it may now be mathematically impossible through available avenues for the US to achieve its greenhouse gas emissions goal. Peter Kalmus, a climate scientist and author of Being the Change: Live Well and Spark a Climate Revolution, provides his views in an article on The Guardian website. The US supreme … Continue reading The Supreme Court limited the EPA’s authority on emissions, dealing a blow to efforts to address climate change →

Modernisation of Energy Charter Treaty seen as “a real threat” to the landmark Paris climate agreement

The members of the Energy Charter Treaty on Friday struck a deal to “modernise” the energy charter treaty. The 1994 agreement allows investors to sue governments for changes in energy policy that harm their profits. The compromise agreement, which was largely designed by the EU, reduces the protection afforded to companies that have invested in … Continue reading Modernisation of Energy Charter Treaty seen as “a real threat” to the landmark Paris climate agreement →

Now, listen here – special big brain series

A podcast on Mrs. Green’s World with John A. “Skip” Laitner, International Resource Economist, Past-President of the Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences (AESS) and University of Arizona Instructor. Skip is well known to EiD readers. Impact Earth: Special Big Brain Series, Episode 1 This is the first episode in a three-podcast series that they … Continue reading Now, listen here – special big brain series →

Recent research shows that the backfire strategies of the economic elites has had an impact over the past 50 years, leaving our environment in a perilous state

The reduction of the weight of fossil fuels and their harmful effects on the climate has been on the international political agenda since 1972, underlines historian Christophe Bonneuil, in an op-ed in 'Le Monde.' 'What has happened in the last 50 years that, despite hundreds of summits, conferences, treaties and conventions, global disruption continues … Continue reading Recent research shows that the backfire strategies of the economic elites has had an impact over the past 50 years, leaving our environment in a perilous state →

What is next for climate activism?

With less than 10 years left to avert climate catastrophe, climate campaigners Kumi Naidoo and Luisa Neubauer say activists need to ramp up civil disobedience. They discuss their views in article by Jennifer Collins on the Deutsche Welle website. Activists say they must up the ante as world edges closer to climate disaster Kumi … Continue reading What is next for climate activism? →

The UN sustainable development goals have infiltrated the things people say, think and write about global sustainability challenges but nothing has changed where it matters

Sixty-two academics analysed more than 3,000 academic studies that scrutinised aspects of the SDGs. Unfortunately, their findings were “disheartening”. One of the authors, Frank Biermann, Professor of Global Sustainability Governance at Utrecht University discusses their findings in an article on The Conversation website. UN sustainable development goals failing to have meaningful impact, our research … Continue reading The UN sustainable development goals have infiltrated the things people say, think and write about global sustainability challenges but nothing has changed where it matters →

The economic lockdowns imposed across many parts of the world to stop the spread of Covid brought clear skies to some areas only temporarily

Discouragingly, any improvements in air quality during the Covid lockdowns were only temporary according to recent analysis. Rebecca Ratcliffe discusses the developments in an article on The Guardian website. Air pollution got worse during lockdown in many countries, study finds Lockdowns imposed to stop the spread of Covid led to “virtually no change” in … Continue reading The economic lockdowns imposed across many parts of the world to stop the spread of Covid brought clear skies to some areas only temporarily →