Author: cne4h

Samantha Harvey's 2024 novel Orbital won the first ever climate novel award. The award of £10,000 ($13,240) was organized by a storytelling organization called “Climate Spring” honors the British author's novel that solved the problem. “Many of us already think that responding to climate is important,” the organizer wrote on the prize website. “But we don't always know how we should respond. The novel can help us imagine what change will look like.” Situated on the International Space Station, the winning novel explores the day of six human life in space as they speed up the fragile blue planet below.…

These days, there are stories of extreme weather everywhere you look. However, crucial details are often overlooked: from the consequences of this weather, we are safer than ever. [emphasis, links added] There was a time when extreme weather events caused huge deaths in the United States that were frustrating However, in the past 85 years, only three such events have occupied more than 1,000 lives: Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Maria and the 1980 heat wave. There is a reason for this. The most important factor in determining the destructiveness of a natural disaster is not its intensity, but its degree of…

Despite the Trump administration’s attempt to establish U.S. energy dominance, Louisiana, a major energy country, is still dominated by another force: trial lawyers. [emphasis, links added] In an April verdict, a jury in Louisiana's 25th Judicial District ruled that Chevron had to pay $745 million in damages to the plaquemines parish government for environmental damage related to oil and gas activities Texaco received in 2001 by Chevron. The plaquemines case is the first case of litigation flooding, threatening to flood the industry in states where the national energy agenda is crucial. Louisiana's liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry has flourished since…

British gas boss says the UK's transfer to zero grid will not lower household electricity prices. [emphasis, links added] Chris O'Shea, CEO of British gas company Centrica, wrote on LinkedIn that the shift to renewable energy “will not lower UK electricity prices at current levels”. He added, “They may provide price stability and avoid future price peaks based on the international gas market, but they will definitely not lower prices.” Mr. O'Shea's conclusions are based on analysis, comparing the costs of renewable energy to natural gas, which shows that the cheapest renewable energy costs approximately the same as gas, while…

Xiye Bastida was only 15 years old when she spoke at the first international UN gathering in 2018. That same year, Ottomie-Mexican climate activist received the UN Spirit Award for his youth leadership and tenacity. She then worked with Greta Thunberg in 2019 to lead the climate strike, which had a lasting ripple effect around the world. Six years later, at the age of 23, her organization regained the initiative in a world where climate catastrophes and creative adaptation are part of the new normal, in which the next generation of activism and advocacy. The action actively supports frontline youth…

Transcript: In January, devastating wildfires destroyed more than 10,000 homes in Los Angeles. Firefighters strive to fight fires – In some areas, fire hydrants are dry. Rumors and error messages rotate online. Then, President-elect Trump claimed that he was stationed in Northern California. But Peter Gleick, co-founder of the nonprofit Pacific Institute, said the Los Angeles area doesn’t need more water. Gleick: “There is a lot of water in the reservoirs in Southern California. The reservoirs are actually relatively full at this time of year.” But the fires are so big and powerful that the city's water pipes, storage tanks…

Africannews (AN) worked with the Associated Press to recently published an article claiming the recent drought in Nigeria was caused by climate change. This is unlikely to be the whole story. [emphasis, links added] Although there is little data in the region, human activities are as likely to lead to desertification as drought cycles. Article “Nigerian farmers are interfering with water sources as climate change interferes with the fight against climate change,” said Climate change, the cause of recent drought in Nigeria, leading to crop decline. During the dry season, surface water becomes scarce, so some farmers are forced to…

Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Monday that the Department of Energy cuts 47 regulations that impose serious restrictions on consumer equipment, limits on buildings and energy production and drag taxpayer funds out of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) grants. [emphasis, links added] “While the Department of Energy usually takes years to remove a few regulations, the Trump administration has gathered a team that works around the clock to reduce costs and bring fruit to the American people in just 110 days,” Wright said in a statement. “Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, we bring common sense, cuts down on illusions…

EPA administrator Lee Zeldin announced on Monday that he will eliminate the “climate-friendly” in new vehicles to start technology. [emphasis, links added] Depending on when the driver releases the brake or impacts the accelerator, the technology automatically shuts down the car when it stops to save fuel and reduce emissions, and then starts backing up again. Newsweek. “Start/Stop Technology: Your car dies at every red light, so the company receives a climate participation trophy,” Zeldin posted on X. “The EPA approved it, and everyone hates it, so we’re fixing it.” This feature is included in 65% of new cars in…

Earlier today, the Colorado Supreme Court allowed Boulder's seven-year-old climate lawsuit to bend forward, even as the broader climate law-abiding movement faces an increasing number of bipartisan opposition nationwide. [emphasis, links added] While courts across the country are abandoning similar lawsuits, Boulder's case now relies on life, thanks to a Colorado Superior Court ruling. But even with this procedural step, the path forward is uncertain, and the plaintiffs are now facing additional grinding and meaningless lawsuits that do not help address climate change. Crucially, the decision did not address whether Boulder’s claim was valid. These issues are still available for…