The Paris Agreement on climate change became law so quickly because there is a significant national interest for each country in pursuing aggressive climate action and that fact has not changed because of the U.S. election.
—Speaking from the COP22 meeting in Morocco, Hilda Heine, the president of the Marshall Islands, comments on the fact that the U.S. just elected a climate denier.
Although wolves are native to the Golden State, they hadn't been seen in California since 1924—until last year when biologists spotted two adults and five pups. This week the California Department of Fish and Wildlife confirmed two more of the important predators. Times Standard
Urge President Obama to protect our coasts from new oil and gas drilling for good.
Officials declared an "emergency situation" in the city, whose citizens have been suffering under a cloud of toxic haze for a week. The smog—the result of farm fires in the northern plains and fireworks during Diwali celebrations—contains off-the-charts concentrations of dangerous particles. The Guardian
This is a moment to celebrate. It is also a moment to look ahead with sober assessment and renewed will over the task ahead.
—Patricia Espinosa, United Nations climate chief, comments on the Paris Agreement as it enters into force today, November 4.
A new paper encourages nations to recognize indigenous land rights and include input from tribes in their national action plans to protect forests and curb climate change. Only 21 of the 188 countries involved in the Paris agreement currently do so, and Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which have some of the world's largest forests, are not among them. The Guardian
There is a way for us to accommodate sacred lands of Native Americans.
—President Obama comments on the clashes between local authorities and protestors over the Dakota Access pipeline, which threatens the Standing Rock Sioux's drinking water and sacred sites. The president says the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is considering ways to reroute the pipeline.
Global carbon intensity (the emissions per unit of GDP) dropped by 2.8 percent in 2015—more than double the average from 2000 to 2014. The biggest driver was a significant drop in China's coal consumption. While certainly encouraging, the number is still far below the 6.5 percent required to stay below the 2-degree warming target outlined in the Paris agreement. The Guardian
It is a lot of people showing their support for Standing Rock...They can't be with us here physically, but they are with us in spirit and prayer.
—Protestor leader Mekasi Camp Horinek comments on the thousands of people who "checked in" to Standing Rock Indian Reservation on Facebook yesterday in an effort to support the protestors of the Dakota Access pipeline there. Though the Morton County Sheriff's Department says it is not using check-ins to target demonstrators, protestors say they appreciate the display of solidarity.
Last week the agency announced a five-year plan to improve environmental protections for minority communities. Low-income, minority, and indigenous groups are often disproportionately affected by environmental issues, and the EPA has been criticized for not finding solutions sooner. The Hill
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