After the Arctic and Antarctica, which country has the most glaciers? Take a guess, and then read this news article to see if you were right.
Meanwhile in Europe, almost half the continent is on a drought warning, according to the latest report from the Global Drought Observatory. That’s the worst drought in 500 years in Europe, and terrible timing given other threats to world food production this year.
Carbon Brief and the Oxford Climate Journalism Network have started a Global South Climate Database to help improve representation in climate reporting. If you’re reading from the global south and are involved in climate work, you’ve invited to add yourself to the database.
The latest edition of my Zero Carbon Luton newsletter is out, with stories of local climate action.
Also newsletter related – David Roberts’ Volts newsletter has a nice interview with Melissa and Chris Bruntlett, authors of the book Curbing Traffic (reviewed here).
An event to mention for those in the Luton area – I’m taking part in the Utter Lutonia spoken word event next Thursday, 8th of September. I do public speaking all the time, but I’ve never read my poetry to anyone. It’ll be fun, and it may be both the first and last time I attempt it.
A children’s book I read this week that I wanted to mention: while I was doing some ‘children’s author market research’ in the library the other day, I came across Max Takes a Stand, by Tim Allman. It’s an easy read, full of sketchy cartoons from Nick Shepherd, about a boy who is stressed about climate change and who wants to do something about it. He has some good ideas and some bad ones – like hiding his family’s car keys so they have to get the bus, or going to school in his sleeping bag to save on heating bills.
The book deals, with a comedic touch, with eco-anxiety and how we build hope through action. My daughter read it in an afternoon and was particularly pleased with the bit about the school strike.
Some recent highlights from the blog:
France says non to fossil fuel advertising
When I was a child you could still advertise tobacco products, and I remember magazines and billboards with Joe Camel or the Marlborough man. Opportunities to tout cigarettes and other causes of early death were slowly restricted, and it’s now been 20 years since any tobacco billboard has appeared in the UK. The same will…
Two actions to take on loss and damage
Climate conversations in the UK tend to revolve around technologies, targets and tips. Little changes we can make to our lifestyles. Bigger changes that somebody else (the government? businesses?) will make to our energy and transport systems. In other parts of the world it’s all a lot more visceral. Climate change is a matter of…
Climate change action! (from everyone else)
There is widespread support for acting on climate change, according to some canvassing by Ipsos Mori. But support for climate policy is rather fragile. People are in favour until it affects them, and then it gets less positive. We’d much rather that other people make changes. Last year Ipsos asked over 2,800 adults around the…
The Earthbound Report 