The False Choice Between Economic Growth and Combatting Climate Change

xIn 1974, the economist William Nordhaus described the transition from a “cowboy economy” to a “spaceship economy.” In the former, he wrote, “we could afford to use our resources profligately,” and “the environment could be used as a sink without becoming fouled.” But, in the spaceship economy, “great attention must be paid to the sources of life and to the dumps where our refuse is piled.” He added, “Things which have traditionally been treated as free goods—air, water, quiet, natural beauty—must now be treated with the same care as other scarce goods.”

Article courtesy of The New Yorker by Carolyn Kormann

Sea level rise could affect $14bn NZ council infrastructure

Up to $14 billion worth of council-owned assets across New Zealand - not to mention the costs to central government and private interests - are at risk from sea level rise, according to the first report linking council infrastructure and climate data. https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/381337/sea-level-rise-could-affect-14bn-nz-council-infrastructure
Article courtesy of RNZ News

U.S. Midwest Freezes, Australia Burns: This Is the Age of Weather Extremes

In Chicago, officials warned about the risk of almost instant frostbite on what could be the city’s coldest day ever. Warming centers opened around the Midwest. And schools and universities closed throughout the region as rare polar winds streamed down from the Arctic.  https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/29/climate/global-warming-extreme-weather.html
Article Courtesy of The New York Times by Somini Sengupta

Increasing temperatures from climate change may harm babies' hearts

The report, released today, warns that heat exposure for mothers across the U.S. is set to rise. Previous research has found a link between pregnant women's heat exposure and congenital heart defects in their babies.  https://www.dailyclimate.org/climate-change-congenital-heart-defect-2627501731.html
Article Courtesy of The Daily Climate by Brian Bienkowski

Low-Carbon Diets Are Good for the Planet, and Your Health

For most of human history, sticking to a diet was pretty simple—you ate whatever you could get your hands on. But in this era of dietary excess, things have gotten extremely complicated. Conscious consumers need to consider the health implications of the foods they eat as well as the types of chemicals used in their production, the exploitation of farm labor, whether food animals are treated humanely, and just how much damage their afternoon snack is doing to the climate.  https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/low-carbon-diets-are-good-for-planet-and-your-health
Article courtesy of Sierra by Jason Daley

Brace for the Polar Vortex; It May Be Visiting More Often

Find your long johns, break out the thick socks and raid the supermarket. After a month of relatively mild winter weather, the Midwest and the East Coast are bracing for what is becoming a seasonal rite of passage: the polar vortex.  https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/18/climate/polar-vortex-2019.html
Article Courtesy of The New York Times by Kendra Pierre-Louis

World's Largest Wind Turbine to Test Its Wings in Rotterdam

Rotterdam's skyline will soon feature the world's largest and most powerful offshore wind turbine.

GE Renewable Energy announced on Wednesday it will install the first 12-megawatt Haliade-X prototype in the Dutch city this summer. Although it's an offshore wind turbine by design, the prototype will be installed onshore to facilitate access for testing.  https://www.ecowatch.com/offshore-wind-rotterdam-2626289210.html?utm_campaign=RebelMouse&share_id=4323168&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_content=EcoWatch

Article courtesy of EcoWatch by Lorraine Chow