By MIRIAM ACZEL Following the recently granted extension, the United Kingdom (U.K.) will soon trigger Article 50, officially “Brexitting” from the European Union (EU), a decision...
Archive for category: climate change
“L’Affaire du Siècle”: Over 2 Million Supporters of Groundbreaking Climate Lawsuit
By MIRIAM ACZEL Just weeks after the widespread Gilets Jaunes (Yellow Vest) protests swept across France for the better part of December, a petition commonly known...
Passive Housing: A Smarter Way of Living
My name is Helen O’Keeffe and I work for EZ Living Interiors – a home furnishings retailer based in Ireland and the UK. I enjoy...
The Grapes of Wrath: Global Warming and Wine
By MIRIAM ACZEL The global wine industry is not a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions—accounting for roughly 0.1% of global carbon emissions—but it is particularly vulnerable to...
Demystifying Impact Investment
By MIRIAM ACZEL Last month, I represented Leaders in Energy at the 2018 Youth Global Forum in Paris. The Youth Global Forum brought together over 100 participants, experts,...
Climate Change and Canada’s Carbon Tax: A Necessary Step
By BROOKE NEPO The most recent UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report highlights the future consequences of a warming planet if fundamental change is not...
Is Climate Change a Security Issue?
There is a significant yet still under-researched connection between climate change and security-related risks. The frequency of extreme weather events, including flooding, severe droughts and other associated impacts of global warming are contributing to the reduction of crop yields, diminishing water resources, and ultimately impacting human livelihood. In some cases, these events have contributed to the migration of ‘climate refugees’ in order to meet their basic human needs, including access to water, food, electricity, and shelter. As a result, climate change is increasingly entering the policy arena as a significant security issue.
Making Food Production and Land Use More Sustainable Could Yield $2.3 Trillion in Economic Benefits
There’s a “forgotten solution” for achieving major economic, development and climate gains—transforming the way the world feeds itself and manages its land.
At this week’s UN General Assembly, members of the Food and Land Use Coalition will meet with heads of state and CEOs to raise the profile of this issue and encourage greater action. They have new research to support their case. The food and land use chapter of the New Climate Economy’s Global Opportunities Report sets out how decisive action on food and land use is at the heart of the inclusive growth story of the 21st century. The report finds that more sustainable food and land use business models could be worth up to $2.3 trillion, and that they’re critical to delivering a more climate-secure and resilient world.
Recent Scientific Advancements Show New Connections Between Climate Change and Hurricanes
With Hurricane Florence making landfall in the Carolinas, Super Typhoon Mangkhut headed for the Philippines, and Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria fresh in our minds, many are asking what role climate change is playing in these disasters.
Scientists have known for years that global warming can exacerbate storms. But our understanding of the connection between hurricanes and climate change has evolved significantly in just the past year.
French Environment Minister’s Resignation: A Frustrated Call for Climate Action
On Tuesday, August 28, French environment minister Nicolas Hulot announced he was quitting Emmanuel Macron’s government—on live radio. During his interview with France Inter, a frustrated Hulot explained, “I don’t want to give the illusion that my presence in government means we’re answering these issues properly—and so I have decided to leave the government.”
Hulot, Macron’s most popular cabinet minister and former television presenter and environmental activist, said that his decision was “the most difficult decision of my life,” and was made on the spot—neither Macron nor Hulot’s wife were aware that he was going to resign.