Living on Earth

At a recent UN meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, delegates from over 170 countries committed to come up with an ambitious cradle-to-grave, legally binding agreement to tackle the global plastic pollution crisis.

Also, northern California native tribes are now the permanent guardians of more than 500 acres of coast redwood forest in one of the latest examples of “landback.”

And the book Miseducation: How Climate Change Is Taught in America reveals the access fossil fuel companies have to American children and how that differs across red and blue states.

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A more conservative Supreme Court has taken up a case that could significantly limit the tools EPA can use to curb greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, even though those rules don’t even exist. Why West Virginia v. EPA poses big risks to environmental regulation writ large. 

Also, the latest UN climate report is an “atlas of human suffering” that warns of great peril for ecosystems and human civilization. 

And winter can be cold and dark, but the bright light reflected from frozen lakes, ponds, and streams can be cheery and warm. And that’s the secret of ice fishing. We’ll hear about the joys of ice fishing on a frozen river as the tides come in and out.

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The Congo Basin is home to one of the largest peatlands in the world and a massive repository of carbon dioxide. Locals have been sustainably hunting and fishing in the area for generations, but the threat of new development has scientists concerned.

Also, in honor of Black History Month, we bring agronomist and humanitarian George Washington Carver back from the past to talk about his famous peanut recipes as well as the intersections between race and agricultural development in the United States.

And the United Nations Environment Assembly meets in Nairobi, Kenya to begin drafting a treaty addressing the global crisis of plastic pollution.

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For Black History month: Black Americans rose up from sugarcane slavery and built thriving communities along the lower Mississippi River, only to have the petrochemical industry move in and pollute the air, land, and water in what’s been dubbed Cancer Alley. An environmental justice champion shares her memories of what her home of St. James Parish was like before industry turned it toxic and talks about the ongoing struggle to protect its residents.

Also, nearly 1 million environmentalists voted in the 2020 presidential election but didn’t show for the 2018 midterms. Why these so-called environmental drop-off voters could be decisive in the 2022 midterms if they show up at the polls.

And amid the restrictions and stresses of COVID, throngs of visitors seeking the solace of nature at many of our national parks threaten to overwhelm the chronically underfunded and understaffed park system.

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The blocked Build Back Better budget bill contains half a trillion dollars of renewable energy and climate resiliency investments. So House Democrats now aim to include them in a revised budget reconciliation bill that can get all Senate Democrats on board.

Also, when someone takes a bite of a hamburger or tofu or has a cup of coffee or hot cocoa, it’s hard to know if those foods added to the destruction of tropical forests that are so key for biodiversity and climate stability. So as part of the European Union’s Green New Deal the EU is moving to ban the importation of six key agricultural products from any newly deforested areas.

And beavers are moving north in search of new habitat as the Arctic rapidly warms. These big rodents known as “ecosystem engineers” are bringing big changes to the Arctic landscape.

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A federal Judge revokes the largest offshore oil and gas lease sale in U.S. history by the Biden Administration, citing environmental concerns. What the legal battle says about how seriously the White House is taking its promises to phase out fossil fuels.

Also, China and the International Olympic Committee say there are many sustainable aspects of the Winter Olympics in Beijing. But critics point to the environmental degradation caused by the creation of an alpine ski resort in an arid region, on the site of a nature reserve. And as Earth warms due to climate change, suitable places to host winter sports are disappearing around the globe.

Thanks to our sponsor this week:

INKL: curated, ad-free news from the world’s best sources. Visit Inkl.com/earth for 25% off your first year.

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Wildfires have been raging in South America’s Patagonia, where until recently fires were rare. But invasive species and heat, drought, and dry thunderstorms connected to climate change are altering the natural fire regime.

Also, children and adolescents are facing increasing health risks from extreme heat, and a new study looked at heat and pediatric emergency department visits and found that black and brown children are especially impacted.

And the hit Netflix movie “Don’t Look Up” uses humor and the metaphor of an impending, Earth-obliterating comet to satirize climate denial, the political obstacles to climate action and the false promises of future technological fixes.

Thanks to our sponsor this week:

INKL: curated, ad-free news from the world’s best sources. Visit Inkl.com/earth for 25% off your first year.

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When President Biden took office a year ago, he laid out bold goals to halt federal oil and gas drilling, reach carbon neutrality by 2050, and rectify environmental injustices. We’ll look at where progress has been made on these initiatives and where it’s lacking.

Also, the world’s largest financial institutions have formed an alliance to tackle climate change as pressure mounts to steer capital away from fossil fuels and towards ventures that can put the world on a path to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. 

And climate change in the form of things like wildfires, floods, and droughts can have devastating effects on mental health, and therapists are taking note. They are finding creative ways to tackle climate anxiety, often through community action and healing.

Thanks to our sponsor this week:

INKL: curated, ad-free news from the world’s best sources. Visit Inkl.com/earth for 25% off your first year.

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A conversation about how the Zen Buddhist practice of mindfulness can help us break out of a destructive cycle of consumption and live in harmony with the planet.

Also, lead contamination in drinking water can have serious impacts on growing brains and even contribute to mental illnesses years down the road.

And millions of Americans are breathing carcinogenic air pollution emitted from refineries and chemical plants, but EPA has failed to account for the cumulative cancer risk for people who live near several industrial facilities.

Thanks to our sponsors this week:

INKL: curated, ad-free news from the world’s best sources. Visit https://inkl.com/earth for 25% off your first year.

And Climate Talks, a new podcast from Meta. Learn more: https://sustainability.fb.com/blog/2021/10/29/introducing-climate-talks/

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Two leading naturalists who pioneered the field of conservation biology passed away at the end of December 2021. A look back on E.O. Wilson’s big idea to save half of the Earth for nature, and Tom Lovejoy’s gift for bringing people together to protect the planet.

Also, the wildfire that torched around a thousand homes in the suburbs of Boulder, Colorado in late December highlights the growing risk of wildfires to many neighborhoods year-round. As many as 60 million homes in America are within a mile of a wildfire zone, and we’ll discuss what residents can do to reduce their risk.

And scientists find that polar bears use tools to hunt formidable walruses as access to other food sources for the bears declines in a warming Arctic.

Thanks this week to our sponsor Climate Talks, a new podcast from Meta. Learn more: https://sustainability.fb.com/blog/2021/10/29/introducing-climate-talks/

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