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Cop28 News Andrea T Edwards

#166 Weekend reads – the Cop28 shenanigans have begun

Are you enjoying the intensity of the news around Cop28? It’s coming in thick and fast, so surprise, surprise, it’s hard to keep up. There is both optimism and massive cynicism around the event this year, for very good reasons, but regardless, significant announcements must happen, including a path to ending fossil fuels.

It did kick off with some good news – the loss and damage fund was approved and announced at the UN’s COP28 opener in Dubai. Just that is an unusual start for a Cop, but they were obviously looking to kick proceedings off with a bang, although I’m not sure it landed that way!

This is what countries are contributing to this fund so far. You can find more details here:

  1. The UAE $100 million
  2. Germany $100 million
  3. EU €225 million (including Germany’s pledge)
  4. UK £40 million
  5. The United States $17.5 million
  6. Japan $10 million

Great news, except the United Nations estimates that up to $387 billion will be needed ANNUALLY to help developing countries adapt to climate change. So, if they want us to get excited, this number needs to ramp up exponentially.

The critical piece of this story – that does not get nearly enough attention – is what happens if we don’t raise this money for the countries on the front line of climate catastrophe? And there are two clear eventualities – we witness utter devastation and death of millions of people, along with ecosystems collapsing, OR we face millions if not billions of climate refugees on our doorsteps, and that migration has already started. Both are a disaster.

If the leaders at Cop28 want to get something right, focus on doing everything within their power to invest in poorer countries around the world, not just on adaptation (which is desperately needed), but also invest in energy infrastructure, which is heavily dependent on fossil fuels, especially coal, which means if this is not addressed, we are all going to get cooked. Emissions over there don’t stay there, right?

My despondence about whether or not we will get our actions right is really because of a lack of long-term thinking we are seeing in those who lead us today, which is also our responsibility, because we are voting them in.

We must look ahead and build a world for the future we have coming, and we need to think through all the implications we are facing, and plan ahead to ensure we don’t face absolute chaos. I am not seeing this yet, let’s hope Cop28 can deliver on a true vision that helps us radically prepare for a more challenging future, but we must also prepare our minds for this too. It’s not easy, I appreciate that.

Onto the reads…

Friends content and mine

Congratulations to Dr. David Ko and Richard Busellato for a successful launch of #Its4U – have a listen to understand what it’s all about.

It’s been a privilege to meet Inger-Mette Stenseth, co-founder of the World Climate School, and we discuss the importance of education and creativity.

If you haven’t checked in on Climate Courage, do have a listen to Elizabeth Ward-Sing, as she shares her passion for the ocean and sharks, and we went really wide in this conversation, because it’s all linked!

Donation time

If everyone gave #just10percent of their time, talent, money or voice, we’ll change the world. Can you donate? Why not make a regular donation to the World Food Programme. Or donate to the UN Refugee Program, Medicine Sans Frontier, PowerOf, Kiva.org, Red Cross, and so many more, including urgent fundraising and those supporting animals, like the Soi Dog Foundation. A fabulous organisation I support is B1G1 – check it out and set up an account. It’s a time for giving and taking care of each other.

Content to read

And here’s the content I’ve been reading, listening to or watching. Scan the headlines, read the ones that jump out at you, read, listen to or watch them all. It’s time to pay attention to the information that matters.

Cop 28

Leader’s Declaration on Food System a milestone moment in climate action, but global commitment must translate to local action | WWF (panda.org)

The Climate Summit Is a Sick Joke. You Should Be Angry and Afraid | Opinion (newsweek.com)

Loss and damage fund approved at UN’s COP28 climate summit in Dubai | Climate News | Al Jazeera (ampproject.org)

Nations Launch Loss and Damage Fund on First Day of COP28 | TIME

Eye-catching climate donations put spotlight on China at COP climate talks – POLITICO

Cop28: King Charles warns of ‘vast, frightening experiment’ on natural world | Cop28 | The Guardian

COP28: United Nations Calls 2023 Hottest Year Ever – Bloomberg

Southeast Asia’s voices of COP28 | News | Eco-Business | Asia Pacific

Here’s a question Cop28 won’t address: why are billionaires blocking action to save the planet? | George Monbiot | The Guardian

Australia set to face heat at COP28 climate summit (yahoo.com)

Plans to present meat as ‘sustainable nutrition’ at Cop28 revealed | Meat industry | The Guardian

Cop28 beckons: A hellish future is predicted, yet the world continues to take baby steps on climate crisis – The Irish Times

Everything you need to know about the COP28 climate change meeting : NPR

UAE planned to use COP28 climate talks to make oil deals – BBC News

Joe Biden will not attend the Cop28 climate meeting in Dubai, US official says | Joe Biden | The Guardian

Planetary emergency

ChatGPT – ClimatePal by Palau (openai.com)

4 in 5 people around the world support ‘whatever it takes’ to limit climate change | Grist

New York’s Near Zombie Apocalypse – WSJ

Our Global Economy Won’t Survive | Sandy Trust (planetcritical.com)

EPA Announces Mandate to Replace All Lead Pipes Within 10 Years – Earthjustice

When to Give Up on Climate – by Kimberly Nicholas (substack.com)

The climate crisis explained in 10 charts | Climate crisis | The Guardian

Carbon dioxide becomes more potent as climate changes, study finds (phys.org)

Provisional State of the Global Climate in 2023 (wmo.int)

A Taste of an Approaching Dystopia: The Death of the Amazon River Dolphin – DER SPIEGEL

A habitable Earth can no longer afford the rich – and that could mean me and you – Climate Uncensored

‘A biodiversity catastrophe’: how the world could look in 2050 – unless we act now | Environment | The Guardian (archive.org)

What the U.S. will look like if the world heats up beyond 1.5 degrees : NPR

China launches three-year plan for promoting bamboo as an eco-friendly substitute for plastics, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration – Global Times

Major snowstorm spawns travel chaos in US – BBC News

New documentary ‘Wasted’ explores Asia’s mounting waste crisis — and how to tackle it | Videos | Eco-Business | Asia Pacific

The Climate Contradiction That Will Sink Us – The Atlantic

The Weirdest Reason the Poles Are Warming So Fast? Invisible Clouds | WIRED

We Traced the Forever Chemicals Getting Into Ocean Ecosystems | Scientific American

New research shows world’s most climate vulnerable countries could lose over 100% of GDP in 2024 from disasters that are insurable | Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL)

Scientists ‘Surprised’ by Antarctic Glacier Suddenly Doubling Its Speed (newsweek.com)

‘They Will Die’: Tesla-Linked Mining Project Is Devastating One of the World’s Uncontacted Peoples (vice.com)

Two Billion People Are Prepared to Lose Their Homes (newsweek.com)

The cost of climate policies: Hard-pressed consumers are pushing back | CNN Business

No easy way to communicate the impacts of climate change, says study (phys.org)

Opinion | The Aral Sea’s Demise Is a Parable of Our Environmental Hubris – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Climate change is happening. Why do we still act like it’s not? (fastcompany.com)

Extreme rainfall increases exponentially with global warming: Study (phys.org)

Opinion: We should listen to a renowned scientist’s warning on climate change – The Globe and Mail (ampproject.org)

Extinction Rebellion-linked Group’s Legal Battle Against Telegraph Over Climate Crisis ‘Denial’  – Byline Times

How did humans get to the brink of crashing climate? A long push for progress and energy to fuel it (msn.com)

The libertarian developer looming over West Maui’s water conflict | Grist

NOAA report says declining snowpack means worldwide food disruptions – UPI.com

Climate crisis and energy costs fuel £600 rise in UK household food bill, analysis finds | Inflation | The Guardian

Too little, too late: the desperate search for cod babies | Fishing | The Guardian (ampproject.org)

A climate of trauma – Prof Jem Bendell

‘We have to work urgently’: Mexican ecologists start campaign to save axolotl | Mexico | The Guardian

Fire Season in Australia Starts Early – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Opinion | Climate change: water scarcity is fuelling new crises across Asia | South China Morning Post (scmp.com)

Hit by floods and drought, quarter of Somali people at risk of ‘crisis-level’ hunger, WFP says | Reuters

Extreme poverty rendering Madagascar highly vulnerable to underreported extreme heat that would not have occurred without human-induced climate change – World Weather Attribution

Incredible images that show the true impact of climate change | loveexploring.com

High-ranking Climate Scientists Rebel against the IPPC (pressenza.com)

Deadly floods throughout history | loveexploring.com

Worst impacts of sea level rise will hit earlier than expected – AGU Newsroom

Suffolk holiday park evacuated after road collapse at beach | Suffolk | The Guardian

Americans think the American dream is dying (axios.com)

The “Keeling Curve” for the Earth Energy Imbalance – Watching the World Go Bye (climatecasino.net)

Global politics

Israeli strikes kill more than 175 people in Gaza as truce ends, health officials say | Euronews

Gaza’s fear and anger as ceasefire ends and fighting erupts – BBC News

Untreated diseases could kill more than bombings in Gaza, WHO warns – BBC News

Freed Hamas captives tell of fear, squalor and hunger – BBC News

Anger and despair as Palestinians queue for supplies during truce – BBC News

The Netanyahu doctrine: how Israel’s longest-serving leader reshaped the country in his image | Benjamin Netanyahu | The Guardian

Hamas offered ‘option’ to extend truce, says Israel | Euronews

Emily Hand among the 13 Israeli hostages released by Hamas – BBC News

Can Keir Starmer plant the seeds of growth? (prospectmagazine.co.uk)

Russia’s ominous warning about ‘next victim in war’ (msn.com)

Fundraiser by Colleen Hickman : Round-the-Clock Coverage of Ukraine (gofundme.com)

Argentina election: Javier Milei’s radical proposals face test of reality – BBC News

‘They feel they are being neglected’: why voters turned to ‘Dutch Trump’ Geert Wilders | Netherlands | The Guardian (ampproject.org)

In a Shaky Oil Market, OPEC Has Bitter Decisions to Make – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Undercover filming highlights Saudi plan to artificially raise oil demand – Channel 4 News

George Santos expelled from Congress in historic vote – BBC News

George Santos: Former allies speak of their disillusionment with the Congressman – BBC News

The Daily: Ending Roe Was Supposed to Reduce Abortions. It Didn’t. on Apple Podcasts

Koch network endorses Nikki Haley for president as it looks to stop Trump – The Washington Post

Henry Kissinger: Divisive diplomat who shaped world affairs – BBC News

Quiet Competence Could Cost Joe Biden the Election – The Atlantic

Trump’s second term would be a climate change disaster (ampproject.org)

My 1994 warning about Trumpism, and the crap I got from the White House for it (substack.com)

Why My Disdain for Trump Won’t Stop Me From Being a Republican (thedailybeast.com)

Trump is Booed Pulling Up to Clemson-SC Game – MeidasTouch Network

Gen Z Sparks Viral Movement To Re-Elect President Biden and Vice President Harris – MeidasTouch Network

The viral $16 McDonald’s meal that might explain voter anger at Biden (ajc.com)

Rachel Maddow Reveals A Secret Nazi Campaign In America In ‘Prequel’ (rollingstone.com)

Business and technology

The Natural History Museum and Bloomberg Team Up to Make the Museum’s Biodiversity Intactness Index Available to Financial Markets for the First Time | Press | Bloomberg LP

Elon Musk launches profane attack on X advertisers – BBC News

Nearly 40% of conventional baby food contains toxic pesticides, US study finds | Pesticides | The Guardian

What is fast fashion, and why is it so controversial? | CNN

The Mega Trends That Will Shape Our Future World (ampproject.org)

Social issues

Precarious finances: 38% of Europeans no longer eat three meals a day | Euronews

Reports Say Pope Francis Is Removing Cardinal Burke’s Vatican Home and Salary – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

‘Brutal’ cold virus that ‘lasts for weeks’ sweeps across UK and is ‘worse than winter bug’ – Mirror Online

Don’t press ‘pandemic panic button’ scientists caution on China pneumonia report | Reuters

Opinion | A Battle Over China’s Reproductive Future Is Underway – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Do not ignore the suffering of Sudanese women | Women’s Rights | Al Jazeera

The homeless handyman and the wealthy widow: Love or something darker? – BBC News

Philly ‘Moms For Liberty’ Leader Is Convicted Sex Offender – Comic Sands

Passion/humour/history/celebs

Shane MacGowan: Pogues singer dies aged 65 – BBC News

Ancient structure twice the size of world’s tallest building discovered deep in the pacific (msn.com)

Dr. Warns Not To Put Target X-Mas Decor ‘Where They Don’t Belong’: VIDEO – Comic Sands

The last of their kind: The unique life of Pakistan’s Wakhi shepherdesses – BBC News

So, what did you read? What jumped out at you? Or share with me what you’re reading? I love that!

Cheers

Andrea

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Environment education

Four environment resources to help you navigate this challenging territory.

  1. Knowledge, constantly updating
  2. Individual action and awareness, so we do our part
  3. Resources for those struggling with eco-anxiety. Please share with your community.
  4. Finally, more than 100 mini-videos on many topics regarding the multiple crisis’ we face. Feel free to download and use as your own. No credit necessary.

Uncommon Courage: an invitation

Uncommon Courage is an invitation to be your courageous best self every day. It’s also an antidote to the overwhelm, fear, and rage rolling around the world. But it’s more than a book; it’s an invitation to join an inclusive community that wants to better understand humanities challenges – both global and personal – in order to take courageous action and create a better world for everyone. If Covid19 has given us the time and space to reflect, Uncommon Courage gives us the nudge we need to create lasting change.

You can buy it on AmazonApple BooksBarnes & Noble, Book DepositoryBooktopia, SmashwordsKobo, Gardners, Odilo, Indie Bound, BookShop by BookTrib and Scribd.

Better yet, order it from your local bookstore, so you can #SupportLocal.

You can read the reviews, including a new five-star review on Book Commentary, another five-star review on ReaderViews, a review on BookTrib, and three more on Booklife, another on Book Commentary and Blue Ink Reviews. I’m also collating reviews on my Website too. Have a look and grateful to everyone who has written or recorded one.

Come and join the conversation in my Facebook Group Uncommon Courage.

Listen in to the Uncommon Courage, the podcast on Apple, Spotify and everywhere podcasts are published.

The Know Show

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Climate Courage

A fortnightly conversation on issues that matter to you and I, focusing on the actions we can all take.

18 Steps to an All-Star LinkedIn Profile 

Listed by Book Authority in the 100 Best LinkedIn Books of All Time and 22 Best New LinkedIn eBooks To Read In 2021 and 2022 categories. Grab it today if you want to take your professional presence to the next level! When it comes to LinkedIn, it really is time to ask — can you really afford not to have this book in the hands of every employee?

Are you a Social CEO? The Social CEO: How Social Media Can Make You A Stronger Leader. 

Want to claim your stage? Unleash Your Voice – Powerful Public Speaking for Every Woman 

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