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
by Emily Holden, The Guardian Highlights The Small Business Administration (SBA) released data showing that oil and gas drillers, coal mine operators, refiners, and pipeline companies have taken advantage of federal coronavirus aid Companies include: Navajo Transitional Energy Company, CCU Coal and Construction, Sunflower Electric Power Corporation, and thousands more Four companies that received aid … Read more
by Matthew Brown, USA Today Highlights The shelter in place measures spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a drop of emissions, but this drop was not significant enough to significantly slow climate change Although The International Energy Agency projects global carbon emissions will fall by 8%, this year is set to be the hottest … Read more
From Bloomberg Highlights The coronavirus pandemic has caused oil markets to plunge into the negative due to a lack of storage for unused oil. Michael Tran, managing director of global energy strategy at RBC Capital Markets, says that there is little to be done about the market nose-diving even further: “Refiners are rejecting barrels at … Read more
By Rosanna Esparza and Ashley Hernandez, The Sacramento Bee ACTION ALERT: Send Governor Newsom a message now to reverse his decision and halt fracking. Highlights California Governor Gavin Newsom approved 24 new fracking permits for the state in the midst of shelter-at-home mandates as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on. Though Newsom is doing great at … Read more
By Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica Highlights Inevitable climate-change fueled catastrophes such as wildfires and hurricanes will increase the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Climate change has amplified the threats of natural disasters over the years and will prove disastrous as the pandemic rages on worldwide The U.S. National Climate Assessment warned that scientists and officials … Read more
by Damian Carrington, The Guardian Highlights New research from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health suggests that air pollution is linked to higher death rates for people that have contracted COVID-19 compared to those living in areas with cleaner air. Living in a polluted city in the past has an effect on death … Read more
by Naveena Sadasivam, Grist Highlights: Clean energy-based investments, known as Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) funds, are performing better than fossil fuel backed investments during the current financial decline. ESG funds were not considered safe investments by naysayers, but the hits taken throughout the year are not nearly as bad as their fossil fuel counterparts $30 … Read more
by Derrick Z. Jackson, Union of Concerned Scientists Highlights: Journalist Derrick Z. Jackson explains how the current administration is ignoring the science behind the COVID-19 outbreak, and jeopardizing many lives in the process. Wealthy corporations such as Target and Walgreens have offered support during this time as locations for potential drive-in style testing facilities The … Read more
by Tony Barboza, The Los Angeles Times Highlights: As the world shelters-in-place due to the pandemic of COVID-19, greenhouse gas emissions have lowered. However, this reduction in emissions is temporary and emissions will rise again once the pandemic reaches an end: Once self-isolation and quarantines end, more people will travel by car and airplane, ruining … Read more
