Public Health

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Heat waves are deadlier than hurricanes and fires. Maybe they should get names, too

Burning Sun by law keven

by Sammy Roth, The Los Angeles Times Highlights Washington D.C. based think tank Atlantic Council launched the Extreme Heat Resilience Alliance which aims to develop a worldwide standard for naming and ranking heat waves People who work outdoors, low-income residences without proper air conditioning, people without homes, and people with health conditions are vulnerable to … Read more

Categories Public Health
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Tired of wells that threaten residents’ health, a small California town takes on the oil industry

Committee For A Better Arvin / Comite para un Arvin mejor

by Julia Kane, Inside Climate News Highlights In the Central Valley of California, exhaust from semi-trucks, oil and gas fumes, plus pesticides from the agricultural sector are trapped in the valley, creating mass pollution that creates severe health problems Health effects include asthma, respiratory illnesses, preterm birth, low birth weight, and cancer  Pollution caused by … Read more

Categories Climate Justice Fossil Fuels Public Health
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New York is spending $1 billion to help residents conserve energy — and lower their bills

by Angely Mercado, Grist  Highlights As people shelter-in-place due to the ongoing pandemic, utility bills are rising as the summer heat intensifies  The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and the state’s investor-owned utilities are working to provide clean and energy-efficient solutions to more than 350,000 low-to-moderate income households  These services would include … Read more

Categories Clean Energy Energy Efficiency Public Health
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New report on climate impacts in SoCal makes urgent case for agricultural climate adaptation tools bill

Day workers by Linnaea Mallette from publicdomainpictures.net

by Brian Shobe, CalCAN Highlights A new study by the California Department of Food and Agriculture and Climate Science Alliance emphasizes the need for climate adaptation tools and training for farmers due to climate impacts Assembly Bill 1071, the Agricultural Climate Adaptation Tools Bill, would provide the tools and training needed in order for farmers … Read more

Categories Carbon Sequestration Public Health
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AB 345 will fight CA oil industry’s environmental racism

Oil drilling near homes by haymarketrebel

by Jane Fonda and Don Martin, The Sacramento Bee Highlights Politicians that allow pollution in our state’s most vulnerable neighborhoods, which are disproportionately communities of color, are signaling that this environmental racism is not a concern and that people of color are “disposable” Over 215,000 people in Los Angeles live within 2,500 feet of an active … Read more

Categories Climate Justice Fossil Fuels Public Health
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‘We essentially cook ourselves’ if we don’t fix air conditioning, major UN report warns

by Dharna Noor, Gizmodo Highlights A new report from the United Nations shows that 460 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions could be avoided worldwide by switching to energy-efficient, climate-safe air conditioning There are 3.6 billion cooling appliances, including refrigerators, freezers, and air conditioning units in use around the globe Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), chemicals that were … Read more

Categories Clean Energy Energy Efficiency Public Health
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A jobs program to plug abandoned oil wells sounds like a win-win. Is it?

by Emily Pontecorvo, Grist Highlights Abandoned oil wells across the country are leaking methane, a greenhouse gas that has 86 times the heat-trapping power of carbon dioxide The impending collapse of the oil industry around the world will only make matters worse, as more oil wells will be abandoned and the gas leaks will continue … Read more

Categories Fossil Fuels Public Health
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SoCalGas trying to prevent regulators from learning more about its anti-climate political tactics

by Emily Atkin, Heated Highlights SoCalGas recently failed to stop building electrification efforts in the coastal city of San Luis Obispo by creating a group to advocate against it, threatening to hold a non-COVID 19 compliant rally if the law passes, and are suspected to have pushed a story saying building electrification was racially discriminatory … Read more

Categories Fossil Fuels Public Health
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London’s Covid-safe commute idea: Open-air buses

Free photo - ST-Picturedesign from pixabay

by Feargus O’Sullivan, Bloomberg Highlights With the pandemic still raging and people still fearing public transportation, London is considering using their open-air double-decker tour buses as a means of everyday transport This comes as 70% of Londoners polled say that they no longer feel comfortable commuting by public transit Few tourists are in the city … Read more

Categories Public Health Transportation