HEAT IN THE NEWS
Heat on the fossil fuel industry
Following this spring’s flurry of developments forcing big oil to rethink its climate plans - from the groundbreaking IEA report on a 1.5 degree energy pathway to the forced addition of climate-smart board members at ExxonMobil, the fossil fuel industry continues to face pressure to transform for the climate.
GreenPeace UK conducted a sting operation on Washington lobbyist, releasing evidence of efforts to crush Biden’s climate agenda on behalf of Exxonmobil. The NRDC explains why in this article.
Shell has signed a 5-year contract with a Chinese company to supply carbon-neutral liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargos.
CNBC reported on Saudi Aramco’s response to recent pressure to address climate change by promoting the Saudi state oil company’s initiatives to advance hydrogen technology.
In a push to fight climate change, Greenland’s semi autonomous government has decided to suspend all oil exploration, including an estimated 17.5 billion undiscovered barrels of oil and 148 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
As the major oil companies divest their fossil fuel assets, some are asking if itw will just shift production to smaller players that can operate in the shadows with fewer environmental disclosures. Larry Fink cautions, “divesting, whether done independently or mandated by a court, might move an individual company closer to net zero, but it does nothing to move the world closer to net zero.”
Follow which banks are increasing and decreasing their investments in the fossil fuel industry and let’s hold them accountable. Tell your bank to change if it isn’t moving in the right direction, and ditch them if they won’t. Time is urgent and climate solutions investments are driving strong returns, so a lack of action is inexcusable.
Heat on nature
During this record-breaking summer of heat, scientists have made a direct causal link between man-made climate change and the extreme temperatures for the first time. The news is brutal, but we need to face it and act.
In response to the 70 wildfires burning across 1,061,516 acres in the United States, the National Interagency Fire Center has upgraded preparedness to Level 5 for the first time since 2008 - and a month earlier than that unprecedented fire season.
The recent extreme temperatures have been devastating to nature, threatening endangered salmon in Sacramento, burning swaths of forests across Oregon and California, and killing millions of marine creatures along the Pacific Northwest coast.
Global warming impacts the frequency and intensity of extreme weather such as the recent heat waves. Read more about this connection and extreme weather predictions through Climate Central’s resources.
Permafrost is in danger as ground temperatures in the arctic circle recorded as high as 118 degrees F.
Fossil fuels are driving extreme weather, and “Justin Trudeau’s love of fossil fuel will only make Canada’s extreme weather worse.”
Climate related news is trending more than ever, but weather coverage still takes the lead. This report explains why weather vs. climate news coverage matters.