Sunny climate, stormy climate | Edition #3
Welcome to the third edition of Sunny climate, Stormy climate - your weekly dose of climate news
Hello and welcome to the third edition of Sunny climate, Stormy climate! Here, every week I bring to you 5 stories about the climate
3 stormy ones - concerning stories that are a source of alarm
2 sunny ones - green shoots that tell you that all is not yet lost
So let’s look at what we have this week!
Stormy news
Private jet operations reached a new high with 5.3 mn flights in 2022
Why are we talking about private jets in a climate newsletter?
The aviation industry is a major contributor to green house gas emissions, contributing 2.5% to global C02 emissions according to a 2018 report. Within aviation, on an average private jets are 10 times more polluting in terms of greenhouse gases produced per passenger as compared to a commercial flight. This is even higher for shorter flights, as you can in this analysis for a 200 mile route.
Okay, so what has changed and why should we take notice?
Since the start of the pandemic there has been a marked increase in the operations and sales of private jets, reaching a new high of 5.3 mn flights in 2022, surpassing the previous high of 4.7 mn flights seen in 2007, before the Global financial crisis. Private jets now contribute to 17% flights and 23% emissions from flights. The total sales of private jets are expected to reach 34.6 bn in 2023 creating a new record.
For instance, one celebrity who has garnered a lot of attention for his use of private jets is Elon Musk. He took 171 flights, contributing to 2112 tons of CO2 i.e 132 times the avg. total carbon footprint of an individual resident of the Unites States! Check out this rather entertaining Twitter account that tracks his private jet movements.
What can we do about it?
The High flyers 2023 report published this week has a bunch of recommendations mostly around increased taxation of private flight operations and jet sales and a surcharge on shorter flights to disincentivize private flying and use the fund generated to finance investments in green aviation.
High probability of an El Niño event this year; UN warns heat records could be broken.
As the cooling La Nina streak comes to an end and the heating El Nino begins, scientists are worried we may see new records in global temperatures.
What is El Nino?
El Nino and La Nina are the warming and cooling phases of a recurring climate pattern in the tropical Pacific ocean. El nino years having a warming effect and La Nina years have a cooling effect. It is one of the most significant phenomenon affecting global climate and affects ocean surface temperatures, rainfall and wind across the tropics.
Scientists are predicting a 60% chance of an El Nino event in May, 70% in June and 80% in July.
This could result in temperature records being broken across the world. The last 8 years were the warmest 8 years in recorded history. This was inspite of a cooling La Niña for the last 3 years. With the La Nina coming to an end, we would see an end to the cooling streak and likely see a new spike in heating and new highs in global temperatures.
2016 which saw a very strong El Nino resulted in the warmest year on record.
Every El Nino is different, so it is difficult to predict the exact impact. However based on the past, it could result in a weakened monsoon in India, severe droughts in Australia and Indonesia, and could trigger extreme weather and climate events. On the positive side it may bring some respite from the 3 year drought in the horn of Africa as the La Nina recedes.
China ramps up coal power despite carbon neutral pledges
What is happening?
China has ramped up on Coal power approving more than 20 GW worth of projects just in the first quarter of 2023. It had approved 18 GW of projects in all of 2021. This increased to 90 GW in 2022 and 2023 appears to be following the same path with 20 GW sanctioned in the first quarter.
What is the trigger?
In their five year plan in 2016, China had laid a lot of emphasis on reducing the use of coal and developing clean energy sources. In 2020, Xi Jingping pledged that China would be carbon neutral by 2060.
However, in 2021 China suffered massive power outages due to increase in demand for electricity. In September 2021, prices of electricity soared as factories reopened post pandemic. China relies on coal for more than half its energy consumption. This resulted in a change in priorities for the government from going green to energy security.
The war in Ukraine was another event that further fueled the energy security myth. This change in focus to prioritise energy security is likely to have triggered the ramp up in coal power.
Sunny news
How South east Asia is fighting back to save its corals
Why do corals matter?
Well if you have ever gone diving or snorkelling and seen the beautiful corals or even seen them on National Geographic you would know how exceedingly beautiful corals are. But corals add much beyond their beauty.
Coral reefs are the most diverse ecosystems in the world. They provide a home to many fish, invertebrate and other marine life and are crucial for maintaining the health of the oceans.
They are also a massive carbon sink, absorbing 90% of all CO2 emissions.
What is happening to coral reefs?
Coral reefs are getting destroyed because of the rising temperatures and acidifciation of the oceans.
Further pollution due to agricultural run off and other human activity can also cause eutrophication which damages reefs.
What is this initiative to save coral reefs all about?
Scientists are working along with local communities on conservation and transplantation efforts. A transplantation initiative at Tidung island in Indonesia has seen growth of 10-15 cm every year. A dutch NGO Coral reef care has been doing another transplanting initiative near Bali since 2021.
For flat areas they use a modular system of concrete “cubes” and bricks that mimic the natural complexity of coral colonies, providing refuge areas for fish and invertebrates. On these structures they plant “corals of opportunity”, fragments broken off healthy corals (either naturally or by human impact). Planting corals speeds up the creation of the new reef and slows down settlement of other benthic organisms such as algae, which can quickly take over. To add to the diversity of the natural ecosystem, they also use pyramid-shaped steel structures that seem to suit branching corals.
Source: Guradian; Divers place concrete structures on the seabed in a new coral restoration site in Jemeluk, Bali, to restore the marine ecosystem damaged by unsustainable fishing
Jeff Bezos Earth fund committed to spend 10 bn to saving the climate within the decade; Donated 1.6 bn so far.
What is this fund?
Jeff Bezos set up the ‘Bezos earth fund’ in 2020 with a commitment to spend 10 bn on the saving the climate before 2030. It is the largest commitment to climate philanthropy ever made and, by most measures, a vast amount of money.
How big is 10 bn in terms of impact?
10 bn is a large amount of money, but it is still only a tiny fraction of the additional 3.5 tn dollars needed annually to hit the net zero goal by 2050. However, the hope is that with initiatives like these and the money spent strategically, we can attract more money and investment both from governments and the private sector.
Where does the Bezos earth fund spend its money?
So far the fund has made 100+ grants worth 1.6 bn dollars
The areas they have funded include - conserving ans restoring nature, future of food, environmental justice, decarbonizing energy and industry, data and accountability and new technologies.
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