The Planet Today
2024’s Biodiversity outlook, COP29’s President named & more!
Best of 2023 - Part 2
por Matt Norden and Nick Gennusa
Episode 200! Matt and Nick talk about The Guardian’s biodiversity issues list for 2024 (Printable DNA to bird-bashing towers: 15 looming issues for biodiversity in 2024), Air pollution in Pakistan causes schools to close (Pakistan’s air pollution rivals India’s, so authorities try seeding clouds), Carbon capture wells in Louisiana (Biden administration grants Louisiana power to approve carbon capture wells), Changes for the Electric Vehicle tax credit in 2024 (The $7,500 EV tax credit will see big changes in 2024. What to know), COP29’s President has been announced (Azerbaijan names a former oil exec to lead climate talks), 2023’s wine harvest was the lowest in 60 years (World wine harvest 2023: Lowest volume in 60 years), And ice cover on the Great Lakes is the lowest it’s been in 50 years (Great Lakes ice cover is nearly non-existent, reaches 50-year record low)! Make sure to check out our sponsor for today’s episode at Vala Alta at www.valaalta.co/TPT for 15% off.
Matt kicks off 2024 with 3 more snippets of guest interviews from 2023! July 14, 2023: Martha Hunt Handler (Wolf Conservation Center) October 20, 2023: Tom Blue Wolf (EarthKeepers) July 21, 2023: Sean B. Carroll (Wild Hope)
Matt closes out 2023 with snippets from 3 guest interviews! January 16, 2023: Samantha Zwicker (Hoja Nueva) May 15, 2023: Carlton Ward, Jr. (National Geographic: Path of the Panther) July 7, 2023: Doug Tallamy (Nature’s Best Hope)
Matt and Nick talk about Christmas trees supporting wildlife (In Real vs. Fake Christmas Tree Debate: Consider the Wildlife), Reducing carbon emissions for airlines by rethinking contrails (Airlines are trying to curb the climate warming impact of contrails), Protecting salmon in the PNW (Tribes are celebrating a White House deal that could save Northwest salmon), Europe fighting packaging waste (EU countries back law to curb packaging waste), A new carbon tax in the UK (UK to implement carbon levy on imported goods by 2027), Reefs off of the Texas coast doing well despite warming waters (Climate change is hurting coral worldwide. But these reefs off the Texas coast are thriving), And exciting news for California’s kelp forest (From urchin crushing to lab-grown kelp, efforts to save California's kelp forests show promise)! Make sure to check out our sponsor for today’s episode at Vala Alta using this link” for 15% off.
Matt and Nick talk about this year’s UN Climate Negotiations held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The 28th annual Conference of the Parties (COP28) was scheduled to take place from November 30 to December 12, but went into overtime before a deal was agreed upon on December 13. Make sure to check out our sponsor for today’s episode at Vala Alta using this link” for 15% off.
Matt is joined by Dan Walsh and CJ Bonifati to talk about 2023 likely being the hottest year on record (Red hot October almost guarantees 2023 will be the hottest year on record), Worsening climate issues in the US (Effects of climate change worsening in every part of the US, report says), Wolverines receiving protections under the Endangered Species Act (Wolverines now considered threatened species under Endangered Species Act), The EPA’s goal to reduce methane in the next 15 years (EPA rules cut methane pollution from oil and gas operations), The EPA’s proposal to remove all lead pipes from the US within 10 years (EPA proposes requirement to remove lead pipes from US water systems within 10 years), Amazon reforestation (Brazil launches $204 million drive to restore Amazon rainforest), And COP28’s President stating that fossil fuels need to be part of the plan to limit warming to 1.5°C (COP28 president incorrectly says fossil fuel phaseout is not necessary)! Make sure to check out our sponsor for today’s episode at Vala Alta using this link” for 15% off.
Matt and Nick talk about the impact of climate change on human health (Lancet Countdown Report Shows Climate Change’s Impact on Health) Microplastics are impacting everything - even weather (Microplastics may affect the weather, new study finds) Arizona set to install solar panels over its canals (Arizona's Canal Solar Project: A blueprint for sustainable energy) The price of solar could drastically decrease next year (Solar module prices may reach $0.10/W by end 2024) Battery storage making gas power plants less economically viable (Giant batteries drain economics of gas power plants) Bayer ordered to pay for Roundup weedkiller’s link to cancer (Bayer ordered to pay $1.56 billion in latest US trial loss over Roundup weedkiller) And the push to save Mexico’s axolotl population (‘Adopt an axolotl’ campaign launches in Mexico to save the species)! Make sure to check out our sponsor for today’s episode at Vala Alta using this link” for 15% off.
Matt discusses the show’s success in 2023, some things TPT is looking to improve on, the schedule for the rest of the year, and what the team has planned in 2024.
Special episode today where Matt talks about some of the major environmental agreements in the past 50 years. He then dives intoa few of the recent UN Climate Change Conferences (COP21, COP 26, and COP27) before discussing the goals of COP28. Sources for today’s show: Montreal Protocol Kyoto Protocol COP1: downtoearth.org.in/climate-change/cop-01 Paris (COP21): Key aspects of the Paris Agreement | UNFCCC Glasgow (COP26): The Glasgow Climate Pact – Key Outcomes from COP26 Sharm el-Sheikh (COP27): What are the key outcomes of Cop27 climate summit? COP28 official page: UN Climate Change Conference COP28 goals: What will be on the COP 28 agenda? Here are 7 issues to watch He ends the show with a quick environmental policy roundup about Michigan’s new clean energy bill (Michigan just passed one of the country’s most…) and Cheetahs adapting to extreme heat (Cheetahs become more nocturnal on hot days. Climate change may trigger fights among predators). Make sure to check out our sponsor for today’s episode at valaalta.co/TPT for 15% off.
Matt and Nick talk about how Bison and other large herbivores improve their ecosystems (Why grazing bison could be good for the planet), The earthquake in Nepal (Nepal earthquake kills at least 128, toll could rise, officials say), School closures due to pollution in India (Delhi primary schools to close amidst high pollution levels), Potomac river clean up near Washington, D.C. (Alexandria settles lawsuit for coal tar clean up, Potomac river restoration), Ørsted canceling wind projects off NJ (Ørsted cancels two US offshore windfarm projects at £3.3bn cost), A new disease found in the US as a result of sand flies (Climate change has brought the 'tropical disease' leishmaniasis to U.S.), And “loss and damage” discussions before COP28 begins in 20 days(Impasse broken on climate fund before COP28 but tough road ahead)! Make sure to check out our sponsor for today’s episode at Vala Alta and use promo code “TPT” for 15% off.