Cop28 deal will fail unless rich countries quit fossil fuels, says climate negotiator | Fossil fuels | The Guardian

"The credibility of the Cop28 agreement to “transition away” from fossil fuels rides on the world’s biggest historical polluters like the US, UK and Canada rethinking current plans to expand oil and gas production, according to the climate negotiator representing 135 developing countries.

In an exclusive interview with the Guardian, Pedro Pedroso, the outgoing president of the G77 plus China bloc of developing countries, warned that the landmark deal made at last year’s climate talks in Dubai risked failing.

“We achieved some important outcomes at Cop28 but the challenge now is how we translate the deal into meaningful action for the people,” Pedroso said.

“As we speak, unless we lie to ourselves, none of the major developed countries, who are the most important historical emitters, have policies that are moving away from fossil fuels, on the contrary, they are expanding,” said Pedroso."

Continue reading the article at The Guardian (subscription may be required)

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/jan/19/cop28-fossil-fuels-climate-deal-pedro-pedroso-us-uk-canada-pollution

Pedro Pedroso in Havana, Cuba, in 2016. Photograph: Yamil Lage/AFP via Getty Images

Supreme court hears key case that could strangle power of US federal agencies | US news | The Guardian

"The US supreme court heard arguments on Wednesday in a dispute involving a government-run program to monitor for overfishing of herring off New England’s coast that gives its conservative majority a chance to further limit the regulatory powers of federal agencies.

The justices are weighing appeals by two fishing companies of lower court rulings allowing the National Marine Fisheries Service to require commercial fishermen to help fund the program. The companies – led by New Jersey-based Loper Bright Enterprises and Rhode Island-based Relentless – have argued that Congress did not authorize the agency, part of the commerce department, to establish the program.

Arguments were ongoing.

The companies have asked the court, with its 6-3 conservative majority, to rein in or overturn a precedent established in 1984 that calls for judges to defer to federal agency interpretation of US laws deemed to be ambiguous, a doctrine called “Chevron deference”.

Continue reading the Guardian article -> (subscription maybe required)

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/jan/17/supreme-court-overfishing-case-chevron-deference

What is the "Chevron deference"?  Resources:

• Harvard: https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2024/01/chevron-deference-faces-existential-test/
• Cornell: https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/chevron_deference
• Ballotpedia: https://ballotpedia.org/Chevron_deference_(doctrine)
• Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevron_U.S.A.,_Inc._v._Natural_Resources_Defense_Council,_Inc.

The supreme court has signaled skepticism toward expansive regulatory power. Photograph: Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA

"In each case, recent changes are rapid & unusual compared to before human influence on the climate"

Ed Hawkins (@ed_hawkins) posted:

"Detailed graphic showing observed changes for different aspects of our climate.

The context of the past 2000 years is included where data is available. In each case, recent changes are rapid & unusual compared to before human influence on the climate."

More visuals at -> https://t.co/WdOoR7znIf 

Shared from -> https://t.co/a3hFzgSfR7

"In each case, recent changes are rapid & unusual compared to before human influence on the climate"

350 Mass Greater Franklin Node: Meeting, Thursday, January 18, 2024 - hybrid session

The 350 Mass Greater Franklin Node will hold our next meeting this Thursday, January 18, 7:00-9:00 PM. Franklin residents, come to this meeting!  

This will be a HYBRID meeting: you can attend in person, or join on Zoom.  

Those of us who have been meeting in Franklin have enjoyed the chance to come together. Join us! 

 

• In-person meeting: First Universalist Society in Franklin, 262 Chestnut Street, Franklin. 

•  OPTION:   

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81930304274?pwd=Tm9VdGxYcDFaVTVDUkwyT3YvUnlFdz09

Meeting ID: 819 3030 4274    Passcode: 350ma

Dial-in +1 646 876 9923

 

ATTENTION Franklin residents! In addition to our regular agenda, we will hear about and discuss sustainability plans for the Town of Franklin. We will be joined in-person by Gino Carlucci, chair of the Sustainability Subcommittee of the Franklin Master Plan Update Committee, from 7:15-7:35. It will be primarily an introductory discussion to one or more public meetings scheduled over the next 2-3 months, at which everyone interested will have the opportunity to provide input to the master plan in general as well as the sustainability elements in particular. We look forward to our discussion with Gino.

 

The remainder of the Node meeting will focus on the two major 350 Mass campaigns: Emissions Free Buildings and Make Polluters Pay. Read about them here.

The Emissions Free Buildings (EFB) campaign works at municipal and statewide levels to replace building systems with proven renewable energy technologies to make our buildings and homes emissions free, in alignment with the Commonwealth's emission goals.     

 

Along with statewide legislation, the 350 Mass EFB campaign promotes local action to accelerate the transition with five Local Projects that can be undertaken by single communities. We'll discuss the choices for towns within the node:

• Better buildings: Achieving energy efficiency and electrification of buildings and homes; A project to implement Clean Green Schools; and New Building Codes to promote use of renewable energy.
• Municipal aggregation (aka Community Choice Aggregation) where a town or city purchases electricity in bulk for its residents.
• Opposition to proposed new gas pipelines.

Here is your opportunity to promote climate action in your town and get guidance to make that happen! The Greater Franklin Node encompasses 20 towns. We want to identify potential Local Projects for towns. Which projects make sense for your town? Who are the key players? How to engage local citizens? This is your chance to make a difference in 2024 and take on the challenges that we face in climate and energy. Join us!

 

Please sign up for the Climate Weekly email. 

Check out upcoming events on our website. 

 

Please try to join us for Thursday's meeting. We will maintain our schedule of meetings on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month. 

 

Note: We typically will hold a hybrid meeting on the 1st Thursday and a Zoom-only meeting on the 3rd Thursday, but this week's meeting is a hybrid event so we can welcome Gino Carlucci and residents of Franklin for an in-person discussion.  

 

If you have questions or items for the agenda, you can contact the Node coordinators, carolyncbarthel@gmail.com and/or ralph.halpern@comcast.net. We will send a reminder on Thursday.  

 

Thank you.

Node Co-coordinators,
Carolyn Barthel
Ralph Halpern

Ralph Halpern
ralph.halpern@comcast.net
781-784-3839 (h)

339-203-5017   

Human ‘behavioural crisis’ at root of climate breakdown, say scientists | Climate crisis | The Guardian

“We’ve socially engineered ourselves the way we geoengineered the planet,” says Joseph Merz, lead author of a new paper which proposes that climate breakdown is a symptom of ecological overshoot, which in turn is caused by the deliberate exploitation of human behaviour.

“We need to become mindful of the way we’re being manipulated,” says Merz, who is co-founder of the Merz Institute, an organisation that researches the systemic causes of the climate crisis and how to tackle them.

Merz and colleagues believe that most climate “solutions” proposed so far only tackle symptoms rather than the root cause of the crisis. This, they say, leads to increasing levels of the three “levers” of overshoot: consumption, waste and population.

They claim that unless demand for resources is reduced, many other innovations are just a sticking plaster. “We can deal with climate change and worsen overshoot,” says Merz. “The material footprint of renewable energy is dangerously underdiscussed. These energy farms have to be rebuilt every few decades – they’re not going to solve the bigger problem unless we tackle demand.”

Continue reading the article online at The Guardian (subscription may be required) ->  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/jan/13/human-behavioural-crisis-at-root-of-climate-breakdown-say-scientists

A globe at a CES technology consumer show in Las Vegas this week. Climate experts claim ‘creativity and innovation are driving overconsumption’. Photograph: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

NOAA Climate.gov: "Climate change rule of thumb: cold "things" warming faster than warm things"

NOAA Climate.gov (@NOAAClimate) posted  Wed, Jan 10, 2024:

Climate change rule of thumb: cold "things" warming faster than warm things.
- Colder places are warming faster than warmer places.
- Colder seasons are warming faster than warmer seasons.
- Colder times of day are warming more than warmer times of day.
https://t.co/S28VYdqpLY 

Shared from -> https://twitter.com/NOAAClimate/status/1745190344751485141

Climate change rule of thumb: cold "things" warming faster than warm things

EPA Funds Clean School Bus Program - Announces $1B in Grants

"The US has announced nearly $1bn in grants to replace diesel-powered school buses with electric and lower-emitting vehicles.

The Environmental Protection Agency will disburse funds to 280 school districts serving 7 million children across the country in an effort to curb harmful air pollution and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“Today we’re once again accelerating the transition to electric and low-emission school buses in America, helping to secure a healthier future where all our children can breathe cleaner air,” the EPA administrator, Michael Regan, said in a statement.

Diesel emissions have been linked to higher rates of asthma, cancer and school absenteeism. Communities of color and people living in low-income neighborhoods are more likely to suffer from higher rates of air pollution."

Continue reading on The Guardian web page (subscription may be required)

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/jan/08/us-school-buses-diesel-electric

EPA press release -> https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/biden-harris-administration-announces-nearly-1b-awards-clean-school-buses-across

The details on the 67 grant recipients, 3 of which seem to be MA based. Lawrence, Fall River and a bus service for part of New Bedford. ->   https://www.epa.gov/cleanschoolbus/clean-school-bus-program-awards

EPA Funds Clean School Bus Program - Announces $1B in Grants

Healey-Driscoll Administration Announces Investment for Forests as Climate Solutions Initiative

"We've done the review – now we're following the science. 

Today's recommendations are the outcome of months of hard work and collaboration with the Climate Forestry Committee. 

We're proud to have resilience at the forefront of our forest management recommendations."

Press Release: 

"Healey-Driscoll Administration Announces $50 Million Investment and Milestones for Forests as Climate Solutions Initiative"

Climate Forestry Committee Issues Recommendations for Climate-Oriented Forest Management Practices

Shared from -> https://www.mass.gov/news/healey-driscoll-administration-announces-50-million-investment-and-milestones-for-forests-as-climate-solutions-initiative

Healey-Driscoll Administration Announces Investment for Forests as Climate Solutions Initiative

Town Council approves all alcohol license and sets work plan for next 2 years (video)

The Franklin (MA) Town Council met as scheduled on Wednesday January 3, 2024. All nine members were present in Chambers. The Council accomplished a bunch of business during the 2 hour session.

Quick recap:

• Approved a New Section 12 Restaurant Common Victualer All Alcohol License and Approval of Lisa Ann Truax as the Manager - L Truax King Street Cafe Inc. d/b/a King Street Cafe, Located at 390 King Street 
• Reviewed, took community input, and discussed adjustments to the work plan for the next 2 years. These Council "goals" are a mix of projects not completed in prior years (Historical Museum cupola), place holders for work coming (Objectives TBD from the Master Plan), and wordsmithing to better provide opportunity to accomplish the "aggressive" plan put forward by Town Administration 
• Community input could be summarized in 3 areas: affordable housing, addressing climate change, and finding a workable solution even if a flag policy can't be found
• Agreed to an increase for the ambulance rates. This is done annually to ensure the Town recovers appropriate costs as well as maintain competitive rates vis a vi neighboring communities. This was the first reading, the second reading will likely be the next Council meeting
• The Council also approved Acceptance of Parcel A, Drainage Lot, on Westerly Side of Maple Street

The Franklin TV video link (edited to remove the 20 second zoom bombing that briefly interrupted the session) -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSJhP-o9mKE

The agenda for th

e meeting (and associated documents) -> https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/agendas/jan_3_2023_town_council_agenda.pdf

My notes captured via Twitter and collected in one PDF ->

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PAyli8_q5IIawWv8HKWNHeOP8mrfaFwi/view?usp=drive_link

Franklin, MA: Town Council Agenda for Meeting - January 3, 2024

350 Mass Greater Franklin Node: Meeting, Thursday, January 4, 2024

The 350 Mass Greater Franklin Node will hold our first meeting of the new year, Thursday, January 4, 2024, 7:00-9:00 PM. 

This will be a HYBRID meeting: you can attend in person, or join on Zoom.  

Those of us who have been meeting in Franklin have enjoyed the chance to come together. We hope others will do the same. 

 

·    Location of the in-person meeting: First Universalist Society in Franklin, 262 Chestnut Street, Franklin. 

 

·    OPTION:  Join on Zoom   

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81930304274?pwd=Tm9VdGxYcDFaVTVDUkwyT3YvUnlFdz09             

Meeting ID: 819 3030 4274

Passcode: 350ma

Dial-in +1 646 876 9923

 

350 Mass Greater Franklin Node: Meeting, Thursday, January 4, 2024

With the start of the new year, 350 Mass and all the regional nodes are making plans to continue the work on the two major 350 Mass' campaigns: Make Polluters Pay and Emissions Free Buildings. Read about them here.  Then join our meeting to discuss options for activities across and within the communities that comprise the Greater Franklin region. This is your chance to make a difference in 2024 and take on the challenges that we face in climate and energy.

350 Mass invites everyone to two January events, listed here. 

• First, on this coming Sunday, January 7, the Make Polluters Pay Campaign will have an afternoon of strategizing and socializing to go over our accomplishments from 2023 and plan out our campaign strategy for 2024 over tea and cookies.
• Second, on January 17 join Climate Cafe. a supportive place to talk over your reactions to climate change, possible solutions, or climate activism.

If you haven't already done so, please sign up for the Climate Weekly email. Also, check out upcoming events on our website. 

Please try to join us for Thursday's meeting. We will maintain our schedule of meetings on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month. If you have questions or items for the agenda, you can contact the Node coordinators,   carolyncbarthel@gmail.com    and/or       ralph.halpern@comcast.net. We will send a reminder on Thursday.  

Thank you.

 

Node Co-coordinators,
Carolyn Barthel
Ralph Halpern

Ralph Halpern
ralph.halpern@comcast.net
781-784-3839 (h)

339-203-5017   

Special episode on the MA Climate Leader Community program with Ted McIntyre & Cobi Frongillo (audio)

FM #1122 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1122 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares the output of The Climate Minute podcast episode hosted by Ted McIntyre, Franklin resident and climate activist, where he and I talked with Town Councilor Cobi Frongillo. We met to record via the Zoom conference bridge on Thursday, December 28, 2023.  

The key topic for this session is Cobi’s advocacy for Franklin to be part of the Climate  Leader Community program established by the State of MA. 

Our conversation covers the six criteria for this program:

• Be a Green Community in good standing 

• Have a local body (sustainability committee, energy committee, etc.) that advises the municipality on clean energy/climate initiatives 

• Commit to eliminate on-site fossil fuel use by 2050 (municipal buildings/operations) 

• Create a municipal decarbonization roadmap 

• Adopt a Zero-Emission Vehicle first policy 

• Adopt the Specialized Opt-In building code

This discussion continues our journey understanding the MA roadmap toward net zero and while it helps me “make sense of climate”, we hope it helps with your understanding as well. 

If you have climate questions or Franklin specific climate questions, send them in and we’ll try to answer them in a future session.  

The conversation runs about 53 minutes. Let’s listen to my conversation with Ted and Cobi. Audio link -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1122-making-sense-of-climate-37-12-28-23

--------------

Link to the MA page on Climate Leader Communities -> https://www.mass.gov/info-details/climate-leader-communities 

The Town Council agenda doc for the Jan 3, 2024 meeting contains supporting documentation as well as remote participation info ->   https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/agendas/jan_3_2023_town_council_agenda.pdf

Links to other places you can find The Climate Minute

https://massclimateaction.podbean.com/e/what-does-it-take-to-become-a-climateleader-community/ 

 

You can listen to the #ClimateMinute on Apple Podcasts

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-climate-minute/id589025783 

 

You can listen to the #ClimateMinute on Podbean

https://massclimateaction.podbean.com/ 

 

You can listen to the #ClimateMinute on Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/show/3UIZfLRoUQVLXUY2jMAsCk 

** See the page that collects all the “Making Sense of Climate” episodes -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/02/making-sense-of-climate-collection.html 

--------------

We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial.  

This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.

How can you help?

• If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors

• If you don't like something here, please let me know

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.

For additional information, please visit www.franklin.news/ or  www.Franklinmatters.org/ 

If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana"  c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

------------------

You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

Special episode on the MA Climate Leader Community program with Ted McIntyre & Cobi Frongillo (audio)

TED-Ed summarizes the climate challenge better than Ted & I have done with Making Sense of Climate

TED-Ed (@TED_ED) posted  Sun, Dec 17, 2023:

"The impacts of climate change are growing, but so are the world's attempts to stop them.

This TED documentary examines the rapid revolution underway — and the real possibility of a better future for all:  https://t.co/5F9Nw03n64"

Shared from -> https://x.com/TED_ED/status/1736423522962972883

Direct link to YouTube for video -> https://youtu.be/oF7UMeVQxHk

TED-Ed  summarizes the climate challenge better than Ted & I have done with Making Sense of Climate

The Guardian view on Cop28: a phase-out of fossil fuels is the only decision that makes sense | Editorial | The Guardian

"It was never really in doubt. But the first week of Cop28, which ended with a rest day on Thursday, made one crucial fact impossible to ignore: the fossil fuel industry is not planning to go quietly. Far more of its lobbyists are in the UAE than have attended UN climate talks before. One analysis counted 2,456 of them – nearly four times the number registered last year in Egypt.

The battle is hotting up over what next week’s report on progress towards the Paris goals, known as the global stocktake, will say. Fossil fuel interests – both corporate and national – are pushing hard to avoid references to the phase-out that would signal the end of their business model and vast profits. They don’t want an energy transition that leads to their demise.

Last week, the Guardian revealed that Sultan Al Jaber, who holds the Cop presidency and leads the UAE’s state oil company, recently asserted that “no science” indicates that “a phase-out of fossil fuel is what’s going to achieve 1.5C”. Forced on to the defensive, he later said that “the phase-down and phase-out of fossil fuel is inevitable”. But it is the nations at Cop28 that will decide, and there is no guarantee that any such pledge will appear in the final text.

One of the key battlegrounds at Cop28 is that of language: whether fossil fuels will be phased “down” or “out”. The choice is either reducing carbon energy sources or getting rid of them entirely. The latter would be preferable, but there are many other battles to be won. There will be haggling over whether a transition to a cleaner future should see fossil fuels “unabated”, with greenhouse gas emissions released directly into the atmosphere, or “abated”, where carbon capture technology and carbon offsets reduce the harm caused. The latter have so far failed to deliver promised benefits, appearing more of a risk than a solution, in enabling the necessity of replacing fossil fuels to be ducked."

Continue reading The Guardian article online -> (subscription may be required)

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/dec/08/the-guardian-view-on-cop28-a-phase-out-of-fossil-fuels-is-the-only-decision-that-makes-sense

Credit: Kiara Worth | UN Climate Change

Mass. is on track to meet its near-term climate goals, but the hardest work lies ahead | WBUR News

"Massachusetts is legally required to zero-out planet-warming emissions by mid-century, and to get there the state must do several critical things: Replace fossil fuel-powered vehicles and home heating systems with ones that run on electricity; develop more renewable resources like wind and solar; and use nature-based solutions to sequester and store as much carbon as possible.

So how is the state doing on all of this? On Friday, the Healey administration revealed in its first annual climate report card that the state is on track for its 2025 goals.

But, when it comes to meeting the 2030 and 2050 goals, a lot more work (and funding) is needed. And success is far from a sure thing.

“Overall, this report card is an honest assessment of where Massachusetts is and where it needs to go. And it shows that there is a ton of work that needs to happen in a very short period of time,” said Jeremy McDiarmid of Advanced Energy United, a clean energy trade association group."

Continue reading the article at wbur.org ->    https://www.wbur.org/news/2023/12/01/report-card-climate-change-clean-energy-heat-pumps-ev-emissions 

You can find the MA Climate Report Card ->  https://www.mass.gov/report/massachusetts-climate-report-card

You can find the Making Sense of Climate series here (where we discuss the global report card, MA progress, and issues) ->   https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/02/making-sense-of-climate-collection.html

Mass. is on track to meet its near-term climate goals, but the hardest work lies ahead | WBUR News

Making Sense of Climate #36 gets into the National Climate Assessment 5 & COP 28 (audio)

FM #1109 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1109 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares my conversation with Ted McIntyre, Franklin resident and climate activist. We met to record for the first time in person, in the Franklin Public Radio studio on Monday, November 27, 2023.  

In this episode we cover two climate topics: National Climate Assessment 5 and COP 28. COP 28 refers to the United Nations Climate Change Conference taking place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from 30 November until 12 December 2023. We get to these topics after talking about the role of media, podcasting, and art in raising serious questions for discussion. 

This discussion continues our journey understanding the MA roadmap toward net zero and while it helps me “make sense of climate”, we hope it helps with your understanding as well. 

If you have climate questions or Franklin specific climate questions, send them in and we’ll try to answer them in a future session.  

The conversation runs about 53 minutes. Let’s listen to my conversation with Ted as we help ‘make sense of climate.’ Audio link -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1109-making-sense-of-climate-36-11-27-23

--------------

  

Links to the National Climate Assessment 5  https://nca2023.globalchange.gov/ 

Downloads (including PDFs) https://nca2023.globalchange.gov/downloads/ 

COP 28 -> https://unfccc.int/cop28

COP 28 links to news & media -> https://unfccc.int/cop28#news-and-media 

Recent Guardian article on COP28 -> https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/dec/03/back-into-caves-cop28-president-dismisses-phase-out-of-fossil-fuels

** See the page that collects all the “Making Sense of Climate” episodes -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/02/making-sense-of-climate-collection.html 

--------------

We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial.  

This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.

How can you help?

• If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors

• If you don't like something here, please let me know

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.

For additional information, please visit www.franklin.news/ or  www.Franklinmatters.org/ 

If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana"  c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

------------------

You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

Making Sense of Climate #36 gets into the National Climate Assessment 5 & COP 28 (audio)