Are you ready to save the world?

Hi friend,

So, it turns out that we can’t rely on politicians and other powers-that-be to fix the climate crisis or empower others to.

Joe Biden is throwing billions of dollars at carbon capture and storage, a technology that doesn’t work very well, is stupidly expensive, and is a classic case of treating the symptoms instead of the cause.

Injecting carbon underground is like shoving your toys under the bed and telling your parents your room is clean. Just because you can’t see the mess doesn’t mean it’s not there.

We can’t rely on the rich to solve the climate crisis, either. With their fast cars, private jets, and sprawling mansions, the income from the richest 10% of Americans generates 40% of US carbon emissions.

That’s right. Nearly half of all US emissions are generated by the only people who can afford a seat on Elon’s rocketship to Mars, while everyone else burns, drowns, or starves to death (the truth is hard to hear).

That US$3.5 billion that Biden is funnelling into carbon capture would have a bigger impact if it were split between restoring damaged ecosystems, helping poor countries prepare for and respond to extreme weather events, and relocating and resettling those already impacted (told you that Hawaii would be old news this week).

So, if not the rich or the politicians, who will save us?

Me.

And you.

And every other person who gives a shit about what state the planet will be in when our kids are old enough to realise that we did everything possible to fuck it up and as little as possible to turn things around (there’s the truth biting, again).

The climate war can be won from our homes and communities. We can all make small changes in our lives and lifestyles, like rejecting single-use plastic, cutting down on meat consumption, and replacing chemicals in our homes with eco-friendly alternatives. It takes some effort and thought, but once it becomes a habit, you do it without thinking. Then you move on to the next thing.

Small changes at home can create ripple effects throughout our communities, which can expand into massive waves of influence that eventually force our politicians, corporations, and billionaires to sit up, take notice, and be forced to change, to do better, and to actually do something worthwhile.

We need to use our voices, our votes, and our purchasing decisions to force change. No one is too young, too old, or too busy to make a difference.

We should be celebrating small victories, like the one in Montana, where a judge ruled in favour of a group of young people who sued state officials for violating their rights to a healthy environment.

And we should be furiously opposing plans by public schools in Florida to teach children AS YOUNG AS FIVE that climate change is natural and that climate activists are like Nazis.

Clearly, I’m worked up. It’s hard not to be when there’s a bunch of morons out there making life-altering decisions for our children and our planet.

So, if I can get just one person to think differently and do differently, then this newsletter has done its job. Think ripple effects!

— Tarryn ✌️

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This week's climate and sustainability news worth noting

🐬 Ukraine is building a case of ecocide against Russia. Harbor porpoises are washing up in droves on the shores of the Black Sea, and scientists are convinced that Russia’s war is to blame. Russian warships use acoustic sonar signals that can interfere with dolphins’ sense of direction since they use their own natural sonar for echolocation. Explosions, rocket launches, low-flying fighter jets, and pollutants from explosives and fuel leaks are wreaking environmental havoc in the Black Sea. Now, scientists are developing a strategy for the prosecution of environmental war crimes and ecocide against Russia by collecting and documenting data related to more than 900 cases of dolphin deaths in Ukraine, Turkey, and Bulgaria.

🤑 The richest 10% of Americans' income has generated 40% of US carbon emissions. The income of the top 1% was responsible for 15%-17% of emissions. Then there were the "super emitters." Almost all are in the top 0.1% of US earners. Those households — more than 26,000 of them — earn about US$11 million per year on average. For them, 15 days of income generates as much carbon pollution as a lifetime of income for a household in the bottom 10%. This, say the study’s authors, should be a good enough reason to impose a carbon tax on the wealthy and fossil fuel companies. Hear, hear!

👏 A judge in Montana has ruled in favour of a group of young plaintiffs who had accused state officials of violating their right to a healthy environment. Judge Kathy Seeley said that by prohibiting government agencies from considering climate impacts when deciding whether or not to permit energy projects, Montana is contributing to the climate crisis. The ruling has been described as the first of its kind and a “game-changer” for similar climate cases.

🌎 The hole in the ozone layer has opened weeks earlier than usual this year and could grow to near-record size due to the delayed effects of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption last year.

🪸 The coral reef off southeast Florida is experiencing an unprecedented and potentially deadly level of bleaching this summer because of rising ocean temperatures caused by climate change. Some sites around the Florida Keys are being exposed to twice the amount of heat stress that causes corals to die – and earlier in the year than ever before. The phenomenon is likely to affect the Caribbean very soon and a global bleaching event could be just around the corner, say researchers.

💸 US President Joe Biden is throwing US$3.5 billion at the development of carbon capture and storage technology, despite the fact that the technology is extremely expensive, contentious, and cannot deliver zero emissions.

🏞️ A new study has confirmed that rivers and streams produce a lot of methane and play a major role in climate change dynamics. Researchers found that freshwater ecosystems account for half of global emissions of methane. The findings will improve methane estimates and models of climate change, and support land-management changes and restoration opportunities that can reduce the amount of methane escaping into the atmosphere. One implication is that freshwater conservation and restoration efforts could lead to a reduction in methane emissions.

💊 Air pollution may be spreading antibiotic resistance. For every 10% increase in PM2.5 – the most dangerous type of air pollution – there was a 1.1% global increase in antibiotic resistance and 43,654 deaths from antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections.

👩‍🏫 Public schools in the state of Florida will show young children videos that compare climate activists to Nazis, portray solar and wind energy as environmentally ruinous, and claim that current global heating is natural. Experts say the videos could expose the children (between kindergarten and Grade 5) to a form of rightwing indoctrination that conforms to the worldview of the organisation’s funders but bears little resemblance to reality.

⚡️ The state of Victoria, in Australia, has banned the installation of gas connections in new homes. Residential planning permits approved from the beginning of 2024 will only allow electrical connections.

🌀 Wild weather: Floods and landslides kill at least 65 in India. Unprecedented heavy rains from Typhoon Lan in Japan force nearly 200,000 people to evacuate. Twenty-thousand flee wildfires in Yellowknife, Canada. Wildfires burn through 1,800 hectares of a national park in Spain in 24 hours. Hurricane Hilary dumps a year’s worth of flooding rain over California, Nevada, and Arizona. Hilary is the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years.

And in business news

❌ More than half of the world's top fossil fuel producers will fail to meet climate targets unless they ramp up decarbonisation plans. Researchers from multiple universities found that over 60% of the top 142 oil, gas, and coal companies weren't aligned with targets to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. In fact, they are on track to EXCEED Paris Agreement-compliant production of oil by 42%, gas by 53%, and coal by 68% by 2050. Go figure.

One small thing you can do

Choose broccoli over asparagus.

Broccoli uses 64 litres of water per kilogram (around the same as cauliflower and Brussels sprouts, other good options); asparagus requires 488 litres of water per kilogram.

Check out this article for more food swaps that can help the planet.

Because lots of little actions combined can add up to something remarkable.

I'll leave you on this happy note...

Dog rescues injured parrot. Now they’re best buds ❤️

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