bill mckibben
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Bill McKibben: Is the fight against climate change losing momentum?
A recent report suggests financial institutions are stepping back from emission pledges, potentially hindering efforts to combat climate change.
In short:
- Financial institutions are reconsidering their commitments to reduce emissions, potentially undermining global efforts to combat climate change.
- Several major banks have withdrawn from climate action groups, citing concerns about potential lawsuits and financial risks associated with supporting an energy transition.
- The retreat of financial institutions from climate commitments highlights the challenges in transitioning away from fossil fuels.
Key quote:
" ... weather seems not to matter as much as the political climate, and the people who run the world’s oil companies seem to feel that they’ve come out the other side of their latest heat wave intact."
— Bill McKibben, founder of Third Act
Why this matters:
The global response to climate change has also been hampered by the withdrawal of certain key players from international agreements and the reluctance of others to fully commit to ambitious targets. The lack of unified action at the governmental level has slowed progress and raised doubts about our ability to meet the objectives outlined in agreements like the Paris Agreement.
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Older voters are second only to young people in share of ’climate voters,’ new study shows
A report from the Environmental Voter Project says “gray is the new green," as voters who prioritize climate are numerous enough to swing elections in key states.
Bill McKibben: Is it hot enough yet for politicians to take real action?
The latest record temperatures are driving, again precisely as scientists have predicted, a cascading series of disasters around the world. Bill McKibben's commentary in The New Yorker.
In a nutshell:
We're crushing it, Bill McKibben says. He's talking about temperature records and he wonders from where the political will to meet the moment will come. The political strength to get behind and incentivize meaningful action on climate and energy, McKibben says, must come from us.
Key quote:
"But this moment feels as if it calls for something larger—comparable to the Earth Day demonstrations of a half century ago, which brought ten per cent of the American population into the streets. It’s eruptions on that scale that change the political reality."
Big picture:
Political weakness may well be our undoing, McKibben says. Although the Biden administration's efforts to enact effective energy and climate reforms easily surpasses previous measures by prior administrations, we've been staring into the headlights of a slow-motion train wreck for far too long and time is not on our side. Without massive public action to counter the political and financial might of industry sectors bent on business as usual, we risk a bleak future for life on Earth.
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What baby boomers can do about climate change, according to Bill McKibben
Bill McKibben is an activist, author, and most recently, founder of Third Act. The group, which launched in 2021, has grown to more than 50,000 members who address climate and racial justice issues. What’s unique about this group? Everyone involved is over the age of 60.
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
Bill McKibben on the next phase of climate activism
As America continues to grapple with political uncertainty and an uneasy relationship with the planet, the author and environmentalist makes the case for an expansive and inclusive grassroots movement.
U.S. Department of Agricult/Flickr/Public DomainUSDA photo by Christophe Paul
Bill McKibben: A case for climate optimism, and pragmatism, from John Podesta
The veteran political operative now has one of the nation’s top climate jobs. He speaks about the Willow oil-drilling project, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the Biden White House.
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Photo by Antoine Dautry on Unsplash
How to tackle climate change, according to math
It's our last shot to save the planet, and these are the numbers that could change the end of the story.
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