Neonics v. birds; Elections have consequences; UN climate talks

Quite a week. The election gave hope for climate action, but science again showed we're playing a dangerous game with our environment. Here's what you need to know.



Pesticides are putting migratory birds 'on life support.'

EHN founder & chief scientist Pete Myers (and several readers, thank you!) underscore the importance of a study showing that neonicotinoid pesticides and chlorpyrifos, both widely used, interfere with bird orientation and feeding.

A key finding from the study, published online this week in the journal Nature:

These results suggest that wild songbirds consuming the equivalent of just four imidacloprid-treated canola seeds or eight chlorpyrifos granules per day over 3 days could suffer impaired condition, migration delays and improper migratory direction, which could lead to increased risk of mortality or lost breeding opportunity.

Canada's National Post has strong coverage: "Research shows common pesticides starve, disorient birds"

Saturday climate watch: COP23 in Bonn

The annual United Nations climate talks opened this week in Bonn, and for the first time in the quarter-century history of the proceedings, the United States did not set up a pavilion at the summit – the only developed country not to do so.

The talks aim to hammer out the "rule book" for the 2015 Paris Agreement, an accord signed by 195 countries including the United States that President Trump has vowed to abandon.

U.S. absence has left a vacuum at the talks, and plenty are speculating who will fill it.

A group of U.S. governors, mayors, university and business leaders – the We are Still In coalition – has stepped forward to show how Americans are still taking climate action, even if Uncle Sam isn't.

Led by California Gov. Jerry Brown and former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the group on Saturday released a report showing the breathe and influence of U.S. non-federal action on climate change.

You can catch the livestream here starting at 4p CEST/10a EST featuring authors who will describe the report's findings.

Other coverage:

Our sister site, The Daily Climate, has more stories.

Four good reads

Grab a coffee. Or bookmark these for later if Saturday's chores await:

1. When did lunch become so complicated? Hakai Magazine on seafood labeling: The ecolabel fable: Sustainable seafood programs can't guarantee ocean-friendly choices.

"The server at the sushi restaurant hands me the menu, and I'm hit with a wave of anxiety as I count four pages, printed front and back. I was hoping the menu would be as minimalist as the modern decor. I have only 45 minutes, and I'd like to enjoy a conversation with my husband..." (read more)

2. Good news on environmental and social justice. Next City: Transforming a Bay Area brownfield into a green jewel.

"The city of Richmond is emerging as a leader in sustainable redevelopment and in the process, preserving its past..." (read more)

3. The Atlantic on Flint, children's health and the lead crisis: The 'horrifying consequence' of lead poisoning.

"The devastating health consequences of this lapse are now becoming clear. A recent paper finds that the city's lead crisis may have sparked a drop in birth rates and a precipitous rise in miscarriages..." (read more)

4. Seven trends that could beat global warming. The Guardian: There is reason for hope.

"It does not need to be all bad news: A series of fast-moving global megatrends, spurred by trillion-dollar investments, indicates that humanity might be able to avert the worst impacts of global warming..." (read more)

Election aftermath

"A good night for climate action at the ballot box," report ClimateWire's Josh Kurtz and Benjamin Storrow. (Blue wave seen as a rebuke to Trump's climate views.)

Seattle P-I's Josh Connelly weighs in on the suddenly sour prospects for North America's largest oil-by-rail terminal. (A big defeat for Big Oil on proposed Columbia River terminal)

Lest we forget, NBC offers this retrospective on how much the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has changed in one year since Trump's election.

Saturday's headlines

Peak Pig: The fight for the soul of rural America. ​

Head's up: Join us Monday as we launch our month's long investigation, in partnership with North Carolina Policy Watch, into the rapid rise of industrial agriculture and its environmental and social justice impacts in rural America, particularly North Carolina's hog country.

We'll take you to the frontline in the countryside as we uncover what it means to be rural in an age of mega-farms.

EHN.org: Journalism that drives the discussion.

Should hospitals be next to divest from fossil fuels?

Universities, foundations and the Church of England already made the move.

PITTSBURGH — Last year, a group of climate-concerned doctors at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center approached their bosses with a list of sustainability requests.

Keep reading...Show less
Senator Whitehouse & climate change

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.

EPA again blocks Colorado air pollution permit for Suncor

The regional EPA office agrees with Colorado air pollution officials’ demands for changes at Suncor in Commerce City.
north sea drilling rishi sunak
Image by Keri Jackson from Pixabay

Here’s the truth about Sunak’s plans for the North Sea: he will sell out the planet to the dirtiest bidders

Despite grave new warnings about the depth of the climate crisis, plutocrats are fighting to keep their profits – and Rishi Sunak is with them, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot

In a nutshell:

As environmental scientists and activists fight for the survival of the planet, the fossil fuel and other polluting industries are fiercely battling for their economic interests. Political leaders, like Rishi Sunak in the UK and Donald Trump in the US are making decisions that prioritize short-term economic gains over the urgent need to address climate breakdown. The consequences of these choices could lead to disastrous effects, from the collapse of crucial ocean currents to severe disruptions in global weather patterns and food production. The pollution paradox, where damaging companies wield significant political influence, perpetuates this dangerous course of action, putting the future of humanity at risk.

Key quote:

"The most damaging companies have the greatest incentive to invest money in politics (by making donations to political parties, funding lobbyists and junktanks, hiring troll farms and microtargeters and all the other overt or covert techniques). So politics, in our money-driven system, comes to be dominated by the most damaging companies" writes George Monbiot.

The big picture:

Burning fossil fuels releases harmful pollutants and greenhouse gases, contributing to air pollution, respiratory illnesses, and climate change. The resulting smog and fine particulate matter can lead to heart and lung diseases, while the escalating climate crisis threatens to exacerbate extreme weather events and disrupt ecosystems, impacting food security and public health on a global scale.

Read Monbiot's full commentary at The Guardian.

Hurricanes, algae blooms, rising seas and melting ice. How much more before climate denial fades away, asked former EHN columnist Peter Dykstra in 2018.

EV sales energy climate
Photo by myenergi on Unsplash

As EV sales soar, China to reach peak gasoline demand next year, experts say

With sales of electric cars surging, China is on track to hit peak gasoline demand next year, two new analyses find.

EV battery clean energy
Image by Paul Brennan from Pixabay

Why EV battery makers are so hungry for clean energy

A hunt for carbon-free electricity is raising questions about where the electric vehicle battery supply chain will get its power.
farmers food climate
Unsplash +

As the climate crisis escalates, here are 18 food and ag solutions

Climate change is here, and the news is dire. We share our recent stories of the many food system innovators finding ways to mitigate damage, increase resilience, and adapt to our ever-changing realities.
car-free community phoenix climate
Big Stock Photo

How a car-free community in Phoenix defeated parking minimums

A community in the Arizona suburbs is creating desert-friendly housing for more than 1,000 people, none of whom will park on site.

From our Newsroom
health care sustainability

Pittsburgh-area hospitals tackling climate emissions, pollution and waste

“We realized early on that we need to be part of the work, not just make an ask of the system.”

How utilities’ fossil fuel investments are driving up rates for the most vulnerable

How utilities’ fossil fuel investments are driving up rates for the most vulnerable

A proposed rate hike on gas in Chicago highlights a troubling nationwide trend.

oil drilling california

Oil and gas production responsible for $77 billion in annual US health damages: Study

Proposed EPA methane limits may help curtail 7,500 yearly deaths from oil and gas production sites.

Our annual summer reading list, 2023 edition

Our annual summer reading list, 2023 edition

Happy 4th of July! Here's some summer reading picks from our staff.

petrochemical pollution

Shell’s petrochemical plant in Pennsylvania hasn’t spurred economic growth: Report

The county that’s home to the plant has fallen behind the rest of the state and the nation in every measure of economic activity.

Opinion: Youth v. Montana — Young adults speak up

Opinion: Youth v. Montana — Young adults speak up

We are entitled to a ‘clean and healthful’ environment. Montana’s policies are endangering that.

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