marine cloud brightening geoengineering
Credit: T. L. Furrer/BigStock Photo ID: 22337366

Spraying salt in clouds to combat climate change comes with global risks

Marine cloud brightening could cool the Earth, but new research warns it might have unintended, global consequences.

Sean Mowbray reports for Mongabay.


In short:

  • Marine cloud brightening (MCB) is a proposed method to reflect sunlight and cool the planet, but it’s highly controversial and lacks proper regulation.
  • A recent study shows MCB could have severe global impacts, especially if used on a regional scale without careful oversight.
  • Experts stress the need for international governance to manage MCB experiments and potential deployments.

Key quote:

“It is extremely important to differentiate between [small-scale field] research...and impact-scale experimentation or activities related to using or marketing climate interventions.”

— Kelly Wanser, senior adviser to the University of Washington MCB program

Why this matters:

Nobody really knows what kind of ripple effects MCB could have on the planet's weather systems. It could lead to unintended consequences, like changes in rainfall patterns or impacts on marine ecosystems that could be just as damaging as the warming we’re trying to prevent.

Read more: Solar geoengineering: Scientists decry a 'foolish' idea

plastic industry’s covert PR  greenwashing
Credit: Mark Dixon/Flickr

Leaked documents expose plastic industry’s covert PR campaign

The plastics industry has deployed influencers, misleading messaging and covert tactics to push back against environmental criticism while nations negotiate a global treaty to address plastic pollution.

Hiroko Tabuchi reports for The New York Times.

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Senator Whitehouse puts climate change on budget committee’s agenda

For more than a decade, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse gave daily warnings about the mounting threat of climate change. Now he has a powerful new perch.
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Credit: Gage Skidmore/Flickr

Opinion: States must step up on workplace safety as federal protections erode

The incoming administration is expected to weaken federal workplace safety and public health regulations, leaving states and local governments to fill the gaps in protecting workers from hazards like toxins and extreme heat.

David Michaels writes for Bloomberg.

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Resident speaks at an event about the Midwest hydrogen hub organized by Just Transition NWI.
Credit: Jennifer Gazdick for Just Transition Northwest Indiana

What a Trump administration means for the federal hydrogen energy push

The incoming Trump administration could decrease the viability of the nascent U.S. hydrogen economy with changes in clean energy funding, trade, climate and environmental policies, according to legal and industry experts.

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Wealthy nations pledge limited climate funding despite growing debt crisis

Climate talks at COP29 concluded with a weak commitment to funding climate resilience in developing countries, falling far short of the global need.

Zoë Schlanger reports for The Atlantic.

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Paris

The Paris climate goals falter as fossil fuels thrive

A decade after the Paris Agreement, fossil fuel expansion and weak enforcement of climate goals have kept global warming on course to exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius, exposing the limits of current strategies.

Lylla Younes reports for Grist.

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pile of garbage

Global treaty to curb plastic pollution faces final negotiations

Delegates from more than 170 nations are meeting in South Korea to negotiate a treaty to reduce plastic pollution, but debates over production caps and enforcement could derail the effort.

Douglas Main reports for The New Lede.

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animated electric car charging

California plans EV subsidies to offset potential federal tax credit repeal

California Gov. Gavin Newsom pledged to revive state-level subsidies for electric vehicle purchases if the incoming Trump administration removes the federal EV tax credit, which provides up to $7,500 per vehicle.

Ian Duncan and Patrick Svitek report for The Washington Post.

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From our Newsroom
unions climate justice

Op-ed: The common ground between labor and climate justice is the key to a livable future

The tale of “jobs versus the environment” does not capture the full story.

Union workers from SEIU holding climate protest signs at a rally in Washington DC

El terreno común entre los derechos laborales y la justicia climática es la clave de un futuro habitable

La narrativa de “empleos vs. proteger el medio ambiente” no cuenta la historia completa.

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LISTEN: Pradnya Garud on the role of unions in climate justice

“They’ve been able to combine forces and really come forward to bring social and environmental change.”

People advocating against the US hydrogen hub build out

Hydrogen hubs test new federal environmental justice rules

A massive push for hydrogen energy is one of the first test cases of new federal environmental justice initiatives. Communities and advocates so far give the feds a failing grade.

photos of people protesting the hydrogen hub buildout

What’s hampering federal environmental justice efforts in the hydrogen hub build-out?

“Organizational change in large bureaucracies takes time.”

photos of people protesting the hydrogen hub buildout

Los obstáculos para garantizar la justicia ambiental en los centros de hidrógeno federales

“El cambio organizacional en las grandes burocracias lleva tiempo”.

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