‘Whole meeting is doomed’: David Suzuki on COP26:

According to Climate Action Tracker research group, the national
pledges submitted so far to cut greenhouse gases by 2030 would allow the Earth’s temperature to rise 2.4 C from pre-industrial levels by 2100.

“Civilization simply will not be able to survive that,” Suzuki said.

He added that countries will be in “total climate chaos” if the Earth’s
temperature reaches 2.4 C, and says leaders aren’t dealing with that at
these meetings.

‘Whole meeting is doomed’: David Suzuki on COP26:
According to Climate Action Tracker research group, the national
pledges submitted so far to cut greenhouse gases by 2030 would allow the Earth’s temperature to rise 2.4 C from pre-industrial levels by 2100.
“Civilization simply will not be able to survive that,” Suzuki said.
He added that countries will be in “total climate chaos” if the Earth’s
temperature reaches 2.4 C, and says leaders aren’t dealing with that at
these meetings.Read More

FALSE HOPE: Countries’ Net-Zero Pledges Pay ‘Lip Service to Climate Action’, Analysts Warn – The Energy Mix:

The respected Climate Action Tracker team (CAT), delivering its annual global update Tuesday, said the present pursuit of a net-zero society simply pays “lip service to climate action.” It urges countries to come back next year’s UN climate conference, COP 27 in Egypt, with new and stronger targets.

FALSE HOPE: Countries’ Net-Zero Pledges Pay ‘Lip Service to Climate Action’, Analysts Warn – The Energy Mix: The respected Climate Action Tracker team (CAT), delivering its annual global update Tuesday, said the present pursuit of a net-zero society simply pays “lip service to climate action.” It urges countries to come back next year’s UN climate conference, COP 27 in Egypt, with new and stronger targets.Read More

Ditching fossil fuels will have immediate health benefits for millions – world leaders must seize the chance:

The same fossil fuels producing the greenhouse gases warming the
Earth’s atmosphere also form large quantities of air pollutants. The
pollutants most hazardous to health are small particles which can
penetrate deep into the lungs. These particles have diameters of no more
than 2.5 micrometers, so are called PM2.5. At least 800 of these
particles could fit end-to-end on the head of a pin. These fall out of
the air when it rains, so they persist in the atmosphere for a much
shorter time (just a few days) than CO₂.

In a study
we published earlier in 2021 in collaboration with researchers at
Harvard University, we estimated that exposure to air pollution from
using fossil fuels globally accounts for one in five premature deaths.
Our results suggest that at least 8.7 million early adult deaths could
have been avoided in a single year if countries had already abandoned
fossil fuels. This is equivalent to the population of Greater London.

Ditching fossil fuels will have immediate health benefits for millions – world leaders must seize the chance: The same fossil fuels producing the greenhouse gases warming the
Earth’s atmosphere also form large quantities of air pollutants. The
pollutants most hazardous to health are small particles which can
penetrate deep into the lungs. These particles have diameters of no more
than 2.5 micrometers, so are called PM2.5. At least 800 of these
particles could fit end-to-end on the head of a pin. These fall out of
the air when it rains, so they persist in the atmosphere for a much
shorter time (just a few days) than CO₂. In a study
we published earlier in 2021 in collaboration with researchers at
Harvard University, we estimated that exposure to air pollution from
using fossil fuels globally accounts for one in five premature deaths.
Our results suggest that at least 8.7 million early adult deaths could
have been avoided in a single year if countries had already abandoned
fossil fuels. This is equivalent to the population of Greater London.Read More

BREAKING: Canada to Phase Out Public Financing for Fossil Fuels – The Energy Mix:

“If confirmed, this will be one of [Prime Minister Justin] Trudeau’s
only climate commitments to date that concretely addresses our risky oil
and gas sector, and hopefully the beginning of many more,” said Bronwen
Tucker, Oil Change’s global public finance campaign manager. “If
implemented effectively, this will remove up to C$9 billion/US$7 billion
a year in preferential, government-backed finance for oil and gas that
Canada has been sending internationally.”

“If confirmed, we will applaud Canada for showing much-needed climate
leadership by joining countries promising to shift public finance away
from fossil fuels before the end of 2022,” added Julia Levin, senior
climate and energy program manager at Environmental Defence. “As the
worst provider of public finance in the G20, taking this important step
is critical for Canada to meet its emissions target.”

BREAKING: Canada to Phase Out Public Financing for Fossil Fuels – The Energy Mix: “If confirmed, this will be one of [Prime Minister Justin] Trudeau’s
only climate commitments to date that concretely addresses our risky oil
and gas sector, and hopefully the beginning of many more,” said Bronwen
Tucker, Oil Change’s global public finance campaign manager. “If
implemented effectively, this will remove up to C$9 billion/US$7 billion
a year in preferential, government-backed finance for oil and gas that
Canada has been sending internationally.”“If confirmed, we will applaud Canada for showing much-needed climate
leadership by joining countries promising to shift public finance away
from fossil fuels before the end of 2022,” added Julia Levin, senior
climate and energy program manager at Environmental Defence. “As the
worst provider of public finance in the G20, taking this important step
is critical for Canada to meet its emissions target.”Read More

Glasgow Forest Pact Runs Short on Funding while Canada ‘Gives Industrial Logging a Free Pass’ – The Energy Mix:

Governments are failing to report the annual release of more than 80
megatonnes (Mt) per year of greenhouse gases from boreal forests,
Environmental Defence Canada, Nature Canada, Nature Québec, and Natural
Resources Defense Council conclude, in a report [pdf] released
in the week leading up to the COP. That’s a significant increase over
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s economy-wide estimate of 730 Mt
per year.

The report says Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), the federal
department that does the carbon accounting for the forestry sector,
creates an artificial carbon sink by excluding the impact of major
wildfires in primary forest (areas undisturbed by significant human
disturbance) and annual clearcutting of 400,000 hectares. The NRCan
inventory in 2019 said managed forests were a net annual carbon source
of 5 Mt, but a more accurate assessment would be 85 Mt, according to
Jennifer Skene, natural climate solutions policy manager with NRDC’s
International Program.

Protecting forests is essential to avoid the worst impacts of climate
change because trees absorb one-third of human-caused carbon emissions
from the atmosphere. Canada’s boreal forests hold some of the world’s
last large stretches of primary forest, which plays a crucial role in
achieving a sustainable future, the report notes.

Glasgow Forest Pact Runs Short on Funding while Canada ‘Gives Industrial Logging a Free Pass’ – The Energy Mix: Governments are failing to report the annual release of more than 80
megatonnes (Mt) per year of greenhouse gases from boreal forests,
Environmental Defence Canada, Nature Canada, Nature Québec, and Natural
Resources Defense Council conclude, in a report [pdf] released
in the week leading up to the COP. That’s a significant increase over
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s economy-wide estimate of 730 Mt
per year.The report says Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), the federal
department that does the carbon accounting for the forestry sector,
creates an artificial carbon sink by excluding the impact of major
wildfires in primary forest (areas undisturbed by significant human
disturbance) and annual clearcutting of 400,000 hectares. The NRCan
inventory in 2019 said managed forests were a net annual carbon source
of 5 Mt, but a more accurate assessment would be 85 Mt, according to
Jennifer Skene, natural climate solutions policy manager with NRDC’s
International Program.Protecting forests is essential to avoid the worst impacts of climate
change because trees absorb one-third of human-caused carbon emissions
from the atmosphere. Canada’s boreal forests hold some of the world’s
last large stretches of primary forest, which plays a crucial role in
achieving a sustainable future, the report notes.Read More