According to the
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the Tropics "account for 40 per cent of the world’s total surface area and are host to approximately 80 per cent of the world’s biodiversity and much of its language and cultural diversity." By 2050, the Tropics will host the
majority of the world's people. Although the Tropics hold more than half of the world's renewable water resources, almost half of those living in the region are
vulnerable to water stress.
Matthew recaps Citizens' Climate Lobby's most recent conference that
took place virtually on June 13th. Featuring climate leaders from around the country, the conference covered topics such as "Why Diversity Matters for Climate Advocacy" and "Inclusive Climate Outreach in the American South" in addition to breaking down the details of the group's signature bill:
The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act.
Eoin unpacks the
International Energy Administration's recent Sustainable Recovery Plan that warns policy makers that the decisions made in the next sixth months will determine weather or not climate goals, often decades away, will be met. Eoin asserts that we must not neglect the opportunity presented by coronavirus shutdown and rebuild a more sustainable and regenerative economy to tackle the climate crisis.
Donner, a researcher at the University of British Columbia, unpacks the West's portrayal of 'climate victims' as helpless Black and brown people in the tropics. He traces such thinking back to Greek philosophers reasoning that the Greeks were more advanced than other societies because they lived in a 'middle climate.' Such logic persists as warnings of climate-caused migrations and instability focus almost exclusively on the global south, despite current events. A necessary read ahead of International Day of the Tropics.
Volcovici explains DC attorney general Karl A. Racine's June 25th decision to file a lawsuit against Exxon, BP, Chevron, and Royal Dutch Shell for “systematically and intentionally misleading” consumers about the role their products play in causing climate change. Such an action follows a lawsuit brought by Minnestoa AG Keith Ellison earlier this week against the American Petroleum Institute, Exxon Mobil and Koch Industries for violating state laws barring consumer fraud, deceptive trade practices and false advertising.
