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
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Scientists unveil a plan to prevent the next pandemic (and save nature at the same time)

by Shannon Osaka, Grist Highlights Preventing forest destruction, ending wildlife trading, and surveillance measures on emerging diseases before they spread are the tactics scientists are hoping will prevent the next pandemic, as published in the nature journal Science Forest destruction, particularly in tropical areas, causes animals to venture into human-populated areas in search of a … Read more

Categories Carbon Sequestration Public Health
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The rise of leaky wells and taxpayer liabilities

Fracking rig operates next to a walking and bike way for residents of Signal Hill drilling into the Los Angeles Oil Field. Photo by Sarah Craig.

A rapidly growing movement is underway in California to call out Governor Gavin Newsom for ramping up approval of fracking and drilling permits. This comes at a time when the effects of fossil fuel pollution on public health is of grave concern and many oil and gas companies may abandon leaky wells because of bankruptcy with falling demand for their products.

Categories Clean Energy Climate Justice Fossil Fuels Public Health
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It will take more than a few cycle lanes to make green, pandemic-proof cities

from Climate Home News Highlights Cities worldwide are looking at ways to reduce car transportation by increasing bike lanes and pedestrian-only areas Carlos Moreno, planning advisor to Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo, says that the transformation of cities needs to align with Paris Agreement targets within the next 10 years Though the pandemic reintroduced many people … Read more

Categories Public Health Transportation
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How wildfires make COVID more dangerous

by Julia Rosen, The New York Times Highlights With wildfire season fast approaching, concerns about fire smoke as it relates to the COVID-19 pandemic are rising Scientists worry that wildfire smoke will have effects for months as a recent study in Montana showed that smoky summers led to more severe flu seasons the following winter People … Read more

Categories Public Health
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What greater good? COVID is unmasking America’s collective action problem

Climate Action Now

by Shannon Osaka, Grist Highlights The failure of Americans to wear protective masks in order to keep themselves and those around them safe highlights a collective action issue the country faces The climate crisis is the world’s most notorious collective action problem because all countries would need to participate and lower emissions all together Political … Read more

Categories Public Health
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California set to require zero-emissions trucks but timeline lags science

by Hiroko Tabuchi, The New York Times Highlights The California Air Resource Board unanimously voted in a new rule requiring more than half of all trucks sold in the state to be zero-emissions by 2035 This rule is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality, and establish California as an EV manufacturing hub … Read more

Categories Climate Targets Public Health Transportation