The latest poll from Morning Consult says that half of U.S. voters now think climate change is a critical threat (Welcome, Noobs! Come on in, the water is … warm and slightly acidic!). I’m only somewhat envious that they arrived at this conclusion just as federal leaders are stepping up with meaningful solutions.
Today marks President Biden’s 100th day in office, and a lot has happened to make up for lost time. It’s always been on us to act on climate, but forging ahead with the wind at our back is refreshing as a spring breeze with low pollen counts and good air quality.
So please enjoy this recap of the most consequential Earth Month ever, and do check out our scholarship program to attend our Youth Climate Summit this summer.
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A CLIMATE POLICY BY ANY OTHER NAME SMELLS AS SWEET |
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Earth Month brought a flurry of announcements that give us a clearer view of the climate action the U.S. Government aims to take, including:
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Climate Diplomacy: Last week’s White House Climate Summit brought together 40 world leaders for a virtual event that lacked live-streamed butt injections but reaffirmed countries’ commitments to the Paris Agreement. TIME provides context for what went down at the Summit, and The Daily explores why winning back our climate credibility before COP26 in November is important.
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Emissions Pledge: President Biden pledged to cut emissions by at least 50% below 2005 levels by 2030 by creating jobs to decarbonize, build green infrastructure, and innovate new solutions. More details here, here, and here. For a peek at what this transition could mean for jobs, health, and households, click here. If you need a good theme song for never giving up, click here.
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A Clean Energy Standard: The Administration is backing a clean energy standard, which would require 80% of our power to come from clean sources by 2030. This new analysis from Energy Innovation and UC Berkeley says getting to 80% is possible, can be done without increasing costs to ratepayers, and would avoid 93k premature deaths.
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You can also vibe on these feel-good federal actions
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Methane: Yesterday the Senate voted to reinstate a rule requiring industry to monitor, plug, and capture methane leaks from oil and gas wells. A new study found that cutting methane—a greenhouse gas on steroids—could slow warming by 30%.
Energy transmission: On Tuesday the Department of Energy announced an $8 billion loans program to finance high-voltage transmission lines, connection to offshore wind farms, and building energy infrastructure in Western states. Zing!
Speaking of rolling back rollbacks: You can track the status of the Trump Administration’s rollbacks (29 overturned, 71 targeted) and new environmental protections (21 added, 8 proposed) in this handy tracker ($) for the great unwinding.
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IF YOU WATCH ONLY ONE DOCUMENTARY ABOUT CLIMATE, MAKE IT THIS ONE |
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Action Planet, a new series that explores how some of the world's most well-known figures are stepping up and inspiring action, debuted this month with Vice President Kamala Harris, ranking members of the Biden Administration, and our Director Dr. Aaron Bernstein. It's realistic and optimistic—a winning combination.
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NOW IS THE TIME TO TACKLE ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM |
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The Biden Administration is prioritizing environmental justice in its climate plans. This month, our team shed light on what environmental racism is, how it impacts health, and how to move quickly toward climate justice. |
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When our Health Equity Fellow Dr. Gaurab Basu thinks about climate change and air pollution, he thinks of his patients living in communities disproportionately threatened by both.
His must-read Q&A with Harvard Chan News explores how a long history of decisions rooted in structural racism has led to communities disproportionately impacted by economic, environmental, and health injustices—and how we can create “...a world in which climate action improves so many of the deeper structural barriers that have caused health inequities and structural racism.” Read now.
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Hurricane Laura’s impact on Louisiana in 2020 paints a vivid picture of what happens when environmental racism, climate change, and health collide. Dr. Renee Salas, our Climate MD Leader, explains to Harvard’s Unequal podcast:
- Imagine you’re in a damaged home with no clean water and no energy to boil it, for weeks. Some people who try using generators die from carbon monoxide poisoning.
- A 110°F heatwave moves in—you still have no electricity to keep cool, and toxic pollution from a fire in a nearby chemical plant means staying inside with your windows and doors closed.
- Going to a cooling shelter runs the risk of contracting COVID-19.
- Even before the storm you were exposed to some of the highest levels of toxic emissions in the country.
It was an impossible situation, but she remains more hopeful than ever that America is at a turning point. The 15-minute episode is worth a listen to hear why.
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Climate-related disasters also interrupt medical care, which is why we’ve just launched the first-of-its kind project to help community health clinics better serve their patients who are most vulnerable to climate change.
Working with Americares and with financial support from Biogen, our pilot project with clinics in CA, MA, NC, and TX will help under-resourced clinics become more resilient and reduce harm to patients when disasters strike.
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During the 2019 wildfires in CA, clinics had to choose between keeping their electronic records system online or running refrigerators to protect vaccines.
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Hurricane Maria’s landfall on Puerto Rico caused national shortages of IV saline due to supply chain disruptions.
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The flooding from Hurricane Harvey was so severe that a regional medical center permanently closed and 44 surrounding hospitals and clinics had to evacuate more than 1,500 patients.
"We decided to take on the biggest challenge possible at the clinics with the smallest resources, most vulnerable patients facing higher burdens of disease and other factors that already put them more at risk," said our Director Dr. Aaron Bernstein. Learn more.
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One opportunity for corporations to take the lead in climate justice is by prioritizing their neighbors’ health in climate plans, according to our Researcher Jonathan Buonocore in a new op-ed.
Many corporations are making climate pledges that include using carbon dioxide removal technologies and offsets—which are necessary to stem climate change. But using these technologies alone could result in continued harm to frontline communities, where residents suffer from health issues caused by their neighborhood’s chronic polluter.
Corporations serious about climate change and racial justice can choose to reduce emissions at the source, which will better protect the health of their neighbors, while also investing in climate solutions like forest growth or carbon removal. Read now.
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YOUR CLIMATE ACTION TO-DO LIST |
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Brush up on your climate science in this explainer ($) that tackles everything you need to know for crushing trolls in online arguments rousing dinner party conversations.
Help convert your area into a 15-minute city—where everything you need is within walking distance of your home—by engaging in civics at the local level.
Dare to find environmental hope in this poignant long-read that taps into the collective wisdom of philosophers, scientists, activists, and artists who come at hope from different angles.
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CLIMATE STORIES TO HELP YOU SLEEP AT NIGHT |
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