Co₂nsequences: ECCC December Newsletter
Message from the Chair
Wishing all of you a holiday season filled with gratitude and love…for one another and for the beautiful planet on which we reside.
As we assess the tectonic year of 2022, we observe both tragedy and progress apportioned to our world and country. Record-breaking climate events have littered the planet, from the cataclysmic floods covering 1/3 of Pakistan to severe heat waves, fires, and droughts across China, Europe, and Africa, and extreme hurricanes/typhoons in the U.S. and parts of Asia. And sadly, little was achieved at COP27 to help us limit temperature rise to the 1.5C goal.
On the promising side, consensus for a fund for Loss & Damage was reached last minute at COP27 in Egypt, and a Biodiversity Fund was established at COP15 in Montreal. In the U.S., the Biden administration passed the Inflation Reduction Act, with $370 billion earmarked for climate change mitigation, ratified the Kigali Amendment, moved to electrify the postal service fleet, and established the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights.
American publicly and privately subsidized research has born exciting breakthroughs in fusion technology, which promise to help decarbonize energy in decades to come, advancements in green hydrogen, with hopes of decarbonizing air travel, and progress in renewable energy storage.
In the U.S. midterms, Democrats actually grew the Senate majority with the final runoff victory of Rev. Warnock in Georgia. We defied historical trends by only narrowly losing the house and achieved trifecta victories in several key states.
We also celebrate this month’s landmark biodiversity agreement in Montreal, ’30 by 30’, promising to protect the globe’s frail remaining ecosystems, which is key to stopping climate change. Neither the climate crisis nor biodiversity loss will be successfully resolved unless tackled in tandem. The threat of mass extinction of plant and animal species led 195 nations to agree to protect and restore at least 30% of the Earth’s land and water by 2030. Rich nations shall pay roughly $30 billion annually by 2030 through a fund created under the Global Environment Facility.
As we close the circle on 2022 and mobilize for another round of political and environmental engagement, remember that healing and regenerating our planet starts with each of us. Please care for yourself as you help care for this planet.
Wishing you and your family a happy holiday season,
Dana Freling
Chair, DA Environment & Climate Crisis Council
Check out these news highlights from the last month!
🎄 DNC ECCC-Chair Michelle Deatrick at the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council Meeting
🎅 Al Gore on Climate Change and a Global Sustainability Revolution
☃️ Manchin’s Permitting Reform Could Lead to More Oil Spills Like Keystone’s, Safety Experts Warn
❄️ US scientists reach long-awaited nuclear fusion breakthrough, source says
⭐ Biden administration proposes new rule targeting methane emissions on tribal lands
🎁 Earthshot Prize Winners and Finalists
🎉 COP15: Five key takeaways from the UN biodiversity summit
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Climate Café - January 15th Screening 1: 4:00 AM EST/10:00 AM CET and Screening 2: 11:00 AM ET/5:00 PM CET. Grab some popcorn and join us for the celebrated documentary YOUTH v GOV, which details the journey of 21 American youth plaintiffs as they bring suit against the U.S. government for failing to act on climate change. |
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January 2023 Climate Café - Screening 1 |
January 2023 Climate Café - Screening 2 |
🌍 Watch our December Climate Café – Arts and Climate Activism, with special guest Michelle Deatrick
🌍 Watch our November Climate Café - COP27 Round up: Live from Sharm El Sheik with Sam Goodman
🌍 Watch our YOUTH v GOV Voices Webinar
🌍 Watch our October Climate Café – Climate Change and Environment Justice: Doing Right by Africa
🌍 Watch our September Climate Cafe on the Inflation Reduction Act
🌍 Read the ECCC Statement on the Inflation Reduction Act
🌏 Watch our August Climate Café on Climate and Disabilities
🌍 Watch our July Climate Café on Queer Ecology
🌍 Did you miss our Co₂nsequences: Global Climate Rally in April? You can watch it here. We had a lot of great speakers and performers.
🌍 Want to make your lifestyle greener? Boost your knowledge. Check out our Earth Care Toolkit.
Please consider donating to the Democrats Abroad Environment & Climate Crisis Council to help with our ongoing efforts to get out the green vote and connect all of you with the policies and people fighting for a more sustainable planet.
Click on the link to become a one-time or sustaining donor!
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