Climate change policy

This story was originally published by Grist. Sign up for Grist’s weekly newsletter here.“Even AI Rappers are Harassed by Police” | AI UnlockedMore than 70,000 delegates from around the world are gathering at the U.N. climate talks in Dubai this week to negotiate (ostensibly) how to tackle the climate crisis. Many of the important conversations at COP28 will revolve around “loss and damage,” rules for “carbon markets,” and whether to “phase down” or “phase out” fossil fuels. Not exactly kitchen-table topics.“There will be…

Some Republicans are seemingly no longer denying that climate change isn’t real, and they have a plan to tackle greenhouse gas emissions. Not, it’s not supporting a transition towards renewable energy. They want to plant more trees. What Is Carbon Capture? With Gizmodo’s Molly Taft | TechmodoHouse Speaker Kevin McCarthy visited a natural gas drilling site in Ohio last month to promote House Republicans’ plan to push domestic energy production. He claimed that the U.S.’ natural gas was “cleaner” than Russia’s. “God has…

The European Union is calling for international talks on a potential worldwide framework on how to treat and regulate deliberately atmosphere-altering tech, aka geoengineering. What Is Carbon Capture? With Gizmodo’s Molly Taft | TechmodoIn a statement released today, the European Commission argued that the risks and long-term impacts of geoengineering aren’t well understood and that necessary regulations haven’t been developed. “could also increase power imbalances between nations, spark conflicts and raises a myriad of…

When Queen Elizabeth II died September 2022, her son Charles III became the new king of England. Immediately, headlines advised on how he could brand himself as the climate king. Publications lauded him as the potential “activist king” or recalled his works as the “climate prince.”Lower Drought Conditions In California | Extreme EarthIt’s true that, compared to other public figures or wealthy celebrities, Charles has a pretty impressive resume of caring about the environment. He’s been championing environmental causes…

Solar geoengineering is a controversial proposed strategy to block sunlight from reaching Earth in order to slow down climate change. One of the leading geoengineering ideas involvesadding reflective particles to the stratosphere. But before humanity makes any more big changes to our atmosphere, it would probably be a good idea to try to understand it. At least, that’s the idea behind a recent National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration mission involving a retrofitted bomber aircraft from the 1950s.The U.S. In For A…

Screenshot: InstagramWe’ll end on a surreal note. In 2020, carmaker Hyundai partnered with Korean pop sensation BTS for Earth Day. The brand encouraged fans to take a selfie with the lights off, then tag the Hyundai account on Instagram for a chance to win BTS-themed prizes.If you’re wondering what a selfie in the dark has to do with Earth Day, you’re not alone. I looked through a lot of the campaign materials, and there are scant mentions of Earth, nature, conservation, what have you. Heck, there’s barely anything having…

This story was originally published by Grist. Sign up for Grist’s weekly newsletter here.A Transformer Is Headed to the MoonFossil fuel projects require money — and that money is coming from the world’s top private banks, including many with net-zero climate pledges. That’s according to a new report from the Rainforest Action Network, which looked at the major financial institutions funding oil and gas infrastructure since the 2015 Paris Agreement.“Banks and financial institutions need to be held accountable for their…

The world’s most important climate meeting this year is going to be headed up by one of the world’s most oil-reliant countries. It sounds like the plot of an absurdist play, but it’s reality, and the cracks are already starting to show ahead of an especially crucial year for climate action.What Is Carbon Capture? With Gizmodo’s Molly Taft | TechmodoEach year, the UN hosts what’s known as a Conference of Parties, or COP, in a different country to keep the world on track in working toward halting runaway climate change.…

The United Nations wants Big Oil to have a seat at the table when it comes to climate solutions—an idea kind of like inviting a fox into a henhouse.On Monday, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released its blockbuster new report, which sets some firm goals. To stave off the worst impacts of climate change, we need emissions to peak over the next two years and to cut emissions a whopping 65% by 2035. We’ve, essentially, got a little over a decade to seriously move away fromfossil fuel use. Longer-term…

Photo: Spencer Platt (Getty Images)This story was originally published by Grist. You can subscribe to its weekly newsletter here.Block-Lite is a small concrete manufacturer in an industrial corridor of Flagstaff, Arizona. The third-generation family business makes bricks and other masonry materials for retaining walls, driveways, and landscaping projects. The company was already a local leader in sustainability — in 2020, it became the first manufacturer in Flagstaff to power its operations with on-site solar panels. But…