Climate Weekly

A weekly digest on impacts, politics and science of the climate emergency; from the Global South perspective. Access our extensive coverage on climate. You can find this newsletter in the web here.

March 30 - April 5, 2021

Dear readers,

This week we discovered how global warming has led to record high temperatures in Odisha, affected honey output from Similipal, and also contributed to low arctic winter sea ice in 2021. Studies also predict it will intensify cyclones in the next century. Yet responses to climate action have been politicized and thereby hindered.

US President Joe Biden's infrastructure plan promises too little in climate action, despite measures such as higher offshore wind targets. It also needs stronger protections against future extreme events such as hurricanes and flooding.

In India, the Talcher thermal power plant shut down recently. To keep up electricity sector emissions reductions, wind energy will be key. Globally as well, wind power needs to be accelerated to reach net zero emissions.

Lastly, we learn how using green transport can prevent over 38,000 deaths in Africa’s Accra.

EXTREME WEATHER TRACKER

Arctic winter sea ice in 2021 joint seventh-lowest on record, finds NASA, 02 April 2021 Read More

Intensity of tropical cyclones to increase next century due to climate change: Study, 01 April 2021

Not yet April, but mercury at 44.6 in Odisha’s Baripada, 31 March 2021

Some 18,500,748 trees were felled in Odisha in the last 11 years, according to the state government

COMMENTARIES

Joe Biden’s climate plan is investing too little in climate action, 04 April 2021

While the spending figure needs to be much higher, there is scope to keep up the pressure, both from domestic groups as well as international entities

How to make sure Biden’s infrastructure plan can hold up to climate change — and save money, 02 April 2021

Several US cities are now considering hurricane defense systems, and the future protection they will actually need to prevent flooding is unknown at this point

Decarbonisation in a fraught geopolitical landscape, 01 April 2021

The production of the technologies necessary to decarbonise and digitalise the global economy has unfortunately been drawn into the battlefield of geopolitics, the most prominent of which is the US-China rivalry

The US just set ambitious offshore wind power targets: What will it take to meet them?, 01 April 2021

The Biden administration calculates that its new wind power goal would avoid 78 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, roughly equivalent to takin cars off the road for a year

CLIMATE NEWS | SCIENCE| IMPACTS| POLITICS

Forest fires, soaring heat to affect honey output from Similipal, 02 April 2021

Honey gathering is one of the main occupations of tribal people in the Similipal Biosphere Reserve

Talcher thermal power plant shuts down, NTPC says modern unit will replace it, 02 April 2021

The 460-megawatt power plant was commissioned in 1967

Using green transport can prevent over 38,000 deaths in Africa’s Accra: WHO, 02 April 2021

Accra is one of the fastest-growing cities in Africa

Wind-dominated renewables will be key to limit electricity sector emissions: Report, 31 March 2021

India’s carbon emissions from electric power industry can be held at the 2018 levels in 2030 at costs comparable to a fossil fuel-dominated grid — without affecting the sector

Wind power capacity needs to grow at thrice the current speed to reach net zero: Report, 30 March 2021

The world needs to instal a minimum of 180 GW of new wind energy capacity every year

This Weekly Newsletter is published by Down to Earth and the Centre for Science and Environment, a Delhi-based global think tank advocating on global south developmment issues.

We would love your feedback on this newsletter. To speak to our experts for quotes and comments on the above stories. Please email to vikas@cseindia.org

If you like our work and would like others to join our climate network and the climate conversation, please forward this to your friends. Interested in Climate weekly? Sign Up here