Weekly Climate News

March 25, 2021 

  • Many companies are advocating for the profitability of conservation, sustainable fishing and carbon sequestration. 

  • Research has found that farmed fish are consuming more vegetables than wild fish stocks. 

  • Flooding in Australia has forced about 20,000 Australians to evacuate and has caused the closure of over 150 schools. 

  • In the face of political turmoil, COVID-19 and economic crisis, Lebanon is becoming more ambitious in its climate policy with the goal of cutting carbon emissions 20 percent by 2030. 

  • A new NASA satellite has been designed to track natural disasters, melting ice and other climate change-related effects. 

  • A new study in the journal Geophysical Research Letters indicates that summer in the Northern Hemisphere is lengthening. In response to global heating, the end of the century could see the extension of summer by nearly six months. 

  • NASA has recently joined the White House National Climate Task Force. 

  • Tropical rainforest used to cover 13 percent of Earth’s surface. Today, 34 percent of that area is gone while an additional 30 percent is degrading.

COVID-19 reveals the relationship of climate change with public health

COVID-19 reveals the relationship of climate change with public health

As the world contends with over a year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the stability of environmental systems on health, well-being and quality of life have been brought to global attention. The pandemic has shown that public health hinges on the effectiveness of numerous medical, biological and ecological systems. These systems will change further as our planet continues to warm in response to environmental degradation and increasing carbon dioxide levels.

A year in review: COVID-19 impacts the environment

The past year has shown how public health crises can become woven into every aspect of our world, including the environment. The following events showcase how both natural and built environments have become interconnected with COVID-19.

Talcott Greenhouse turns the annual flower show virtual using social media

Talcott Greenhouse turns the annual flower show virtual using social media

The Mount Holyoke Botanic Garden is adapting to COVID-19 restrictions by substituting its annual flower show, which has been a tradition since 1971, with the March into Spring series on the garden’s Instagram page. Talcott Greenhouse is one of many campus buildings to remain closed during the spring semester, leading to the cancellation of the 2021 Flower Show and making social media an important way for students to connect with the greenhouse.

Weekly Climate News

March 4, 2021

  • The U.N. has suspended climate projects in Myanmar after the military seized control of the Myanmar government in a coup executed on Feb. 1.  

  • Claude Nyamugabo, environmental minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo, has been brought to court on accusations of illegal allocation of logging claims in the Congo rainforest to a Congolese cleaning company and two Chinese firms. 

  • The U.S. said it will terminate funding for “carbon-intensive” fossil fuel projects overseas. 

  • Environmental racism has impacted the health of marginalized communities for decades. Read this article on environmental justice advocates fighting pollution in Black communities by calling for civil rights protections to be included in the National Environmental Policy Act. 

  • Arkansas, Kansas, Minnesota and Montana, among other U.S. states, have proposed stricter penalties for protests against fossil fuel and pipeline projects. 

  • The gulf stream is weakening as a result of climate change. Check out this interactive article.

  • Mexico City initiated a plastic ban, which has raised concerns for women’s access to period products. 

  • New initiatives in the travel industry suggest a future of sustainable travel for the post COVID-19 world. 

  • More than 100 Chicagoans, motivated by environmental justice concerns, are involved in a hunger strike in protest of the city’s proposed location for a scrapyard in Southeast Chicago.

  • Seville, Spain, is using oranges to generate electricity. 

From conservation to polarization: The political history of environmentalism in the US

From conservation to polarization: The political history of environmentalism in the US

“As a case of partisan polarization and politics, environmentalism, broadly speaking, is one of the most curious and important ones out there,” Adam Hilton, assistant professor of politics at Mount Holyoke College, said. The transformation of environmental issues’ place in the political sphere over the past century is unique, from its bipartisan origins to the Republican Party’s reversal of support for sustainable initiatives.

Winter storm Uri barrages Texas, leaving many without heat, electricity and running water

Winter storm Uri barrages Texas, leaving many without heat, electricity and running water

An unusual snowstorm hit Texas and nearby states with sub-freezing temperatures on Feb. 12, 2021, and has since led to the death of 26 people. President Joe Biden announced a state of Emergency as Texas faced the chilliest temperature on record in the past three decades. Snowfall at around 10 inches and low temperatures have disrupted the state’s energy grid, jeopardizing the lives of over 4 million Texans, many of whom were forced to live without heat, electricity and running water for several days.

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