On April 9th, Europe’s top human rights court delivered a landmark ruling, finding that the Swiss government had failed in its duty to safeguard the human rights of its citizens against the harmful impacts of climate change. The case originated in 2016 when a group of 2,000 Swiss women, all aged over 64, initiated legal […]
The UN climate summit raises concerns over the influence of the oil lobby and gender equity
Over the past two weeks, world leaders have been meeting in Dubai to discuss strategies to tackle climate change at the 28th annual UN climate summit (COP28). The aim of the conference is to reignite enthusiasm in achieving the goal of limiting global temperature increases to 1.5 degrees Celsius. However, the summit has not been […]
Congress Passes Infrastructure Bill, Biden to Sign Next Week
On Monday, November 15th, President Biden will sign the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the long-awaited bipartisan infrastructure bill, into law. Attending the ceremony will be members of Congress on both sides of the aisle, governors and mayors, and labor union and business leaders. The Senate passed the bill in August, and the House passed […]
House Approves $3.5 Trillion Budget Resolution
The House passed a $3.5 trillion budget plan on Tuesday that will enable Congress to pass legislation to address climate change, health care, immigration, and education. The budget, which is a legislative framework that does not require the president’s signature, was approved by a 220-212 vote along party lines. It will lay the groundwork for […]
Line 3 Protesters Persevere Despite Continued Police Arrests
Two women were arrested for protesting the Enbridge Line 3 oil pipeline yesterday by climbing into a section of the pipeline in Aitkin County, Minnesota. Temperatures reached 130 degrees inside the pipe, which was capped at one end. The women, ages 20 and 21, entered with respirators due to low oxygen levels. An officer […]
Deb Haaland Faces Difficult Confirmation Hearing
Deb Haaland, Congresswoman from New Mexico and President Biden’s Secretary of the Interior nominee, is facing the second day of her confirmation hearing today before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Haaland’s nomination is historic– if confirmed, she will be the first Native American Cabinet secretary. In her hearing so far, she has faced […]
US Officially Rejoins the Paris Climate Agreement
The U.S. has officially rejoined the Paris Agreement on climate change this Friday after President Biden issued an executive order last month initiating the move. Former president Donald Trump famously withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Agreement early in his presidency, using his tenure to roll back environmental protections put in place by the Obama […]
President Biden Issued 17 Executive Orders and Directives on His First Day in Office
Yesterday, within a few hours of his inauguration, President Joe Biden signed 17 directives and executive orders, many of which were aimed at undoing the harm left behind by the Trump administration. At the top of his priority list was racial justice and LGBTQ+ equality actions. Importantly, Biden will end the Trump administration’s 1776 Commission, […]
New Jersey Becomes First State to Include Climate Change in Curriculum
New Jersey public schools will become the first in the nation to incorporate climate change education into the K-12 curriculum. The 2020 New Jersey Student Learning Standards were adopted on June 3. The new standards will allow students to not only understand what climate change is, but also to explore necessary solutions. By implementing climate […]
Pandemic Will Be First of Many If Climate Change is Not Addressed Immediately
Recent reports by the World Health Organization state that human activity leading to climate change greatly affects the prevalence and spread of infectious diseases like the novel coronavirus that has thrown the world into a state of crisis. As humans continue to degrade the planet’s natural processes and systems life as we know it at […]
U.S. “Megadrought” Underway Showing Evidence of Climate Change
Researchers confirm that a megadrought is a “naturally occurring event” which began in 2000 and is still underway. Climate change has impacted the rising temperatures, and is making the drought even worse. What’s worse, researchers now believe that the severity of this drought may be equivalent to super-droughts which have not been witnessed in over 1,000 years. […]
The Great Barrier Reef Suffers Most Widespread Bleaching Yet
According to the American scientist monitoring global coral reefs, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef just underwent its third mass bleaching in the past five years. It appears that this is the reef’s most widespread bleaching on record. This bleaching is extremely concerning since the past two that took place in 2016 and 2017 devastated half of […]
Richest 10% Using 20 Times More Energy than Bottom 10% of the Global Population
An international study led by researchers from the University of Leeds studied global energy inequality of income classes from 86 countries. The study concluded that the richest ten percent of people consume nearly 20 times more energy than the bottom ten percent. The researchers combined World Bank and European Union data to analyze how diverse […]
Gender-Based Violence on the Rise as Climate Crisis Continues
The climate crisis is becoming increasingly linked to violence against women and girls, and gender-based exploitation is rendering attempts to curb the adverse effects of environmental degradation ineffective. There are increasing calls for more intersectionality in governments and institutions’ efforts to combat the climate crisis while centering girls and women in their strategies. Over the […]
Jane Fonda and Gloria Steinem Arrested at #FireDrillFriday Climate Action
Actress and activist Jane Fonda, along with Gloria Steinem, Ai-jen Poo, and Reverend William Barber II were arrested in Washington D.C. earlier today. Dolores Huerta (founder of United Farm Workers and Feminist Majority Foundation board member) was also in attendance. Fonda was arrested for the fifth time today at her ongoing climate action #FireDrillFriday, which began in […]
Series of Fires Spreading Across California
Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency as a series of wildfires are plaguing California. The National Weather Service has issued red-flag weather warnings for areas across Northern California and Southern California as these fires are spreading due to high winds. At least two hospitals have been evacuated. Pacific Gas & Electric Company […]
New Study Finds Pollution from Carbon Emissions Found in Placentas Could be Harmful to Fetuses
A new study reveals that black carbon, a result of air pollution, can be found in mother’s placenta, posing a potential health risk to unborn babies. The study examined the placentas of 25 non-smoking women who gave birth in Belgium. Researchers studied the side of the placenta previously facing the fetus and found black carbon […]
2020 Democratic Candidates Hold Climate Crisis Town Hall Forum
Yesterday, ten of the Democratic presidential candidates vowed to take unparalleled action on climate change in the first prime-time televised forum dedicated to the issue in a presidential race, promising to undo the current administration’s environmental policies, allocate trillions of dollars to promote renewable energy programs and pressure companies to pay new fees and taxes […]