Sunny climate stormy climate | Weekly digest #57
Heated debate on human wildlife conflict in Kerala after a woman was killed by a Tiger, Trump declares an 'energy emergency' and Bloomberg steps in for the US govt.
Hello folks!
Welcome to your weekly dose of climate news where I bring one sunny story that gives hope and two stormy ones that are a cause for alarm. Hope you like them!
🌩️ Stormy news 🌩️
1. A tiger was declared ‘man-eater’ and shoot at sight orders were issued after it killed a woman in Wayanad; The tiger has since been found dead.
What are we talking about?
Last week, a 47-year-old tribal woman, Radha, was killed by a tiger while working in a coffee plantation in Mananthavady. This incident followed other recent attacks, including injuries to a forest officer and previous fatalities in the region
The locals organised large-scale protests saying they would go inside forests and hunt tigers if the government did not initiate a cull.
The Kerala forest minister promised agitating farmers in Wayanad that the government would soon seek the Supreme Court’s permission to sterilise or cull tigers and elephants that threaten life and property.
The Kerala Forest Department declared the tiger a ‘man-eater’ and issued shoot at sight orders
However, on January 27, the body of the dead tiger, which had sustained multiple injuries, was discovered.
Why does this matter?
This is yet another in a growing series of incidents of human wildlife conflict in Kerala.
In July last year, the CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General of India) released a report that said: “Kerala’s rising human-wildlife conflicts are the result of the state forest department’s significant failures in protecting and maintaining wildlife habitats”
According to experts, restoring vanishing wildlife corridors and eco-restoration inside forests are the urgent steps needed to address the human-animal conflict.
“In Wayanad, habitat destruction is the major reason for human-wildlife conflict. Without addressing the larger issue of habitat loss, the state government is now playing to the gallery by simply echoing the demand to sterilise wildlife,” said a veterinarian in a Down to Earth report
Sources for further reading
2. Trump declares ‘Energy emergency’
What is happening?
In one of his first orders after taking charge, Trump declared a national energy emergency to accelerate permitting of oil, gas and power projects.
The executive order is not an emergency for all forms of energy, it's mostly supporting the production of domestic fossil fuels.
He revoked the current target for EV adoption, suspended offshore wind lease sales, and lifted a freeze on LNG export permitting.
"We will bring (energy) prices down, fill our strategic reserves up again right to the top, and export American energy all over the world," Trump said.
Why does this matter?
The moves signal a dramatic U-turn in Washington’s energy policy to encourage a transition away from fossil fuels and if implemented will reverse a lot of the gains made in the transition to renewables.
Sources for further reading
🌞 Sunny news 🌞
3. Bloomberg Philanthropies pledges to fund UN climate body after the US exits the Paris agreement on Day 1 of Trump as Prez
What are we talking about?
On his first day in office, President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the Paris Climate Agreement. For a second time.
Later that week, Billionaire Michael Bloomberg announced that Bloomberg Philanthropies will step in to help fund the United Nations climate change work.
Bloomberg Philanthropies, along with other U.S. climate funders, will “ensure the United States meets its global climate obligations,” which the organization’s statement said includes “covering the funding gap left by the United States to UN Climate Change (UNFCCC) and upholding the country’s reporting commitments.”
Bloomberg—special envoy to the UN—also helped cover the U.S.’ portion of its climate commitments to the UN from 2017 to 2020 after Trump withdrew from the Paris Agreement for the first time.
Why does this matter?
The Paris agreement is so far the most important global agreement we have on addressing climate change.
As part of the agreement, the developed countries have committed to help developing countries in mitigation and adaptation through a cumulative fund of USD 100 bn/ yr. US is part of the coalition of countries contributing to this fund.
Sources for further reading
You can read previous editions of the newsletter -
Sunny climate, stormy climate | News Digest #56
Sunny climate, stormy climate | News Digest #55
Sunny climate, stormy climate | News Digest #54
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