We’re focusing on climate solutions for a week
Climate Solutions Across the Universe – From Brazil to South America – What Can We Learn About Climate Change? An Overview from the NPR Network
Climate change is here. And this week, NPR is doing something new. We are dedicating a week to focus on climate solutions, with stories from across the network.
I’m Julia Simon, NPR’s climate solutions reporter. I know that things aren’t going well. But if we change the topic? With climate change, it’s not like this is a meteor hurtling toward Earth There’s nothing else we can do about it.
Now is not the time to back away. This time is when the US faced past injustice like slavery, according to Robert Bullard, professor of urban planning and environmental policy.
“I push back against any individuals or organizations that will say, ‘Well, we can’t do anything about this challenge.’ We have the ability to do something about it. But it would mean that we have to make up our minds that this is a challenge that we must address on a societal basis and on a global basis,” he says. Climate change can’t be accepted as the norm.
Broadly speaking, climate solutions are things that reduce greenhouse gases — like solar and wind energy combined with batteries. Energy efficiency. Reducing the amount of land that can be used is a key factor. Individuals can play a role also — for example, eating less meat.
The agenda for climate policy can be set by governments. We saw this in Brazil; the current president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, is cracking down on deforestation in the Amazon. Jair Bolsonaro was the one who was responsible for the increase in Brazil’s deforestation. Some people see voting as a solution to the climate problem.
Infrastructure for rising sea levels and new precipitation will need to be rebuilt. Adapting to climate change doesn’t mean we’re giving up — adaptation is a necessary part of reducing the harms of climate change. Also, planting trees in warming cities provides shade and cools us down. And trees store planet-heating carbon dioxide.
“co-benefits” is the word. Making life better could be done by ways that curb greenhouse gases. Replacing coal and gas-fired power plants with renewable energy can reduce greenhouse gases. We end up making cities better because of the reduction in air pollution. Disadvantaged communities bear the brunt of pollution, so reducing fossil fuels would help communities of color.
Climate solutions should not repeat the inequalities of the past. As we make more batteries and electric vehicles, for example, how do we ensure that mining for the key metals in those technologies is done ethically? How do we avoid mining that pollutes water or grabbing land from Indigenous communities?
Some people and companies are more responsible for the climate change than others. So how do we hold them accountable? The climate lawsuit was won this summer by a group of young people. California filed a lawsuit against several oil companies. These cases could have major implications across the United States. Climate solution can be of accountability as well.
Up First Briefing: FTX fraud trial begins; how tech shapes our bodies. Part-I: Sam Bankman-Fried, 59, is due in court today
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Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of now- shuttered FTX, is due in court today. He’s pleaded not guilty to seven criminal counts and could spend the rest of his life in prison if found guilty. Everything you need to know about the trial is here.
The Russian occupied land is still being retaken by Ukrainian troops as winter approaches. The war is putting U.S. support in question. The stopgap spending bill Congress passed over the weekend to keep the federal government open did not include further aid for Ukraine. Here’s a look at key developments in the war in the past week.
Source: Up First briefing: FTX fraud trial begins; how tech shapes our bodies
Body Electric: Connecting Technology with Our Bodies to Climate Control and the Future of Church and Global Science, and How We Can Help to Reform the Status of Humanity
Pope Francis has suggested there could be ways to bless same-sex unions if the blessings aren’t confused with sacramental marriage. He responded to the conservative cardinals who had challenged him to explain his position on church teaching on homosexuality. The meeting will start tomorrow at the Vatican and is expected to last three weeks. LGBTQ+ Catholics will be a big topic, and it will be the first time women are allowed to vote on the future of the church.
The U.N. Security Council approved a resolution written by the U.S. and Ecuador yesterday that would send a multinational armed force led by Kenya to help combat gang violence in Haiti. A year ago, the prime minister of Haiti asked the international community for help.
Nearly all of China’s medium and large cities are susceptible to floods. Extreme weather driven by climate change has made the problem worse. Yu Kongjian wants to build moreponge cities. These places are designed to absorb water back into the Earth and are also known as green infrastructure.
Check out all of NPR’s Climate Solutions Week stories, including how villagers in one region of Northern India are learning to recharge the dried, groundwater-fed springs they depend on.
Body Electric is a 6-part investigation and interactive project with TED Radio Hour host Manoush Zomorodi exploring the relationship between our technology and our bodies…and how we can improve it.
Since the beginning of human history, our bodies have morphed to adapt to the type of work we do and the tools we use. The species began as hunter-gatherers. Now, nearly 85% of people in the U.S. have sedentary jobs, and the average U.S. adult spends 11 hours a day using some form of technology. Working out once a day isn’t enough to offset the harms of sitting and screen time, as it increases the risks of diabetes, heart disease, cancer and more. What should we do about it?
