From London to Los Angeles: Tailoring climate policy to meet cities’ needs
Great research to assist cities, which contribute 75% of total emissions, to reduce their footprint. Findings show that wealthier cities emit more and ‘three factors contribute to the amount of emissions: how tightly packed together residents are, how the city’s residents get around, and where each city gets its electricity from.’ These factors need to shape cities’ climate policies. Research even provides diagram showing which strategies: electric vehicles, ground source heating pumps, heavy rapid transit, import renewable energy, or district energy will fit better for each of 22 cities. Story by The Carbon Brief Paper by C. A. Kennedy, N. Ibrahim & D. Hoornweg published in Nature Climate Change.
Latin America applies the weight of law to confront climate change
Summary of the impressive national level climate legislation in Latin America from World Bank news:
- Mexico: The government announced the adoption of a national climate change strategy, which focuses on reducing emissions and promoting multi-sectoral public policies on climate.
- Costa Rica: Congress adopted the Framework Law on Climate Change, which mandates the teaching of the subject in schools. A ministerial decree creates voluntary carbon emissions trading.
- Ecuador: The legislature established the national inter-sectoral strategy on climate change. The National Good Living Plan promotes sustainable development.
- Bolivia: The government has enacted the Mother Earth Law, which broadly redefines national management of natural resources, climate and the ecosystem.
- El Salvador: The country adopted a national climate change strategy to reduce the social and economic impact of global warming.
U.S. Scientists Launch Wake-Up Campaign on Climate Change
Article highlights the recent attempt of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) to get the American public to wake up to the realities of climate change. The AAAS report tries to make climate change and its effects easier to understand and relate to. Recent and troubling Gallup statistics show that only 57 percent of US adults believe that humans are responsible for global warming, while 40 percent say they believe it results from natural causes. When asked to choose among 15 issues that worried them the most, respondents found that climate change ranked 14th, just ahead of race relations. Only 10 percent of Republicans said they worried about climate change, the lowest percentage among all 15 issues.
The Sustainability Co-Op 