Coldest wind chill. Valid ending Feb. 1, 2019 at 12 a.m. CST. National Weather Service
The upper midwest is bracing for some dangerously cold weather this week. Wind chills are expected to reach levels not seen since the 1990s in parts of Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and the Dakotas, the National Weather Service predicted.
Temperatures will dip 20 to 40 degrees below average Tuesday through Thursday, and wind chill temperatures could hit -60 degrees in the upper Midwest and -55 in the upper Mississippi Valley, U.S. News and World Report reported.
<p>"You're talking about frostbite and hypothermia issues very quickly, like in a matter of minutes, maybe seconds," NWS Weather Prediction Center meteorologist Brian Hurley told <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/polar-vortex-2019-midwest-northeast_us_5c4ef275e4b06ba6d3bf0402" target="_blank">The Associated Press</a>.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="455d9" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ULZI8Y1576662433"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1089543524037652482" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Wind chills will fall to dangerous levels in the Upper Midwest this week, and should be the coldest since the mid-1… https://t.co/d5mY5uRpMv</div> — NWS WPC (@NWS WPC)<a href="https://twitter.com/NWSWPC/statuses/1089543524037652482">1548602393.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>The Chicago NWS said the forecast was for "life-threatening extreme cold," <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2019/01/28/coldest-air-decades-arrives-tuesday-midwest-with-life-threatening-wind-chills/?utm_term=.95f0e72fe94c" target="_blank">The Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang</a> reported. The dangerous cold snap could potentially break records, with forecasts for Chicago, Des Moines, Cleveland, Detroit and Minneapolis putting temperatures within one degree of the coldest ever recorded. In Chicago, some forecasts on Monday put temperatures at -29 degrees, two degrees below the lowest on the books.<br></p><p>Minneapolis Public Schools are closing through Wednesday to protect students, as are some schools in eastern Iowa, and the Chicago Public School system is keeping an eye on the thermometer, The Associated Press reported. Homeless shelters are also gearing up for the onslaught. Organizations in Minneapolis are working to increase hours and beds.</p><p>"The charitable organizations responsible for operating shelters are adding emergency capacity as they do whenever dangerous extreme temperature events occur," Hennepin County emergency management director Eric Waage told The Associated Press.</p><p>The Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang explained why cold weather is so dangerous:</p><blockquote>"A recent <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr076.pdf" target="_blank">report</a> from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that cold weather is responsible for the majority of weather-related fatalities. The wind chill temperature is more than a catchy forecast term. The wind blows away the insulating layer of warm air around us generated naturally by our bodies. Wind chill attempts to quantify the effect in terms of how it feels on our skin, which is why you'll sometimes hear it called the "feels like" temperature. A wind chill of minus-20 degrees can cause frostbite in as little as 30 minutes."</blockquote><p>The freezing temperatures are caused by something called a polar vortex, an area of low pressure and cold air that circulates around the poles. As warm air from Morocco entered the <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/arctic" target="_self">Arctic</a> last month and caused it to warm about 125 degrees, this influx of warm air divided the polar vortex, sending one of its pieces down to freeze the Midwest, atmospheric environmental research expert Judah Cohen told The Associated Press.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="306a5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="LMSCWD1576662433"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1089927918518759424" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Here it comes! Thanks to 🛰 #GOESEast and #GOES17, we can visually see the #polar air set to bring potentially histo… https://t.co/VZJwnbFrFg</div> — NWS Grand Forks (@NWS Grand Forks)<a href="https://twitter.com/NWSGrandForks/statuses/1089927918518759424">1548694040.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>Some scientists also think that <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-change" target="_self">climate change</a> is making the polar vortex increasingly unstable, as warmer temperatures in the Arctic cause the jet stream to push more cold air further south, <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/01/climate-change-colder-winters-global-warming-polar-vortex/" target="_blank">National Geographic explained</a>.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="0f17f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="U4I8QZ1576662433"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1087450493419487239" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Earth is anomalously warm today, but North America is cold. A huge blob of icy Arctic air, usually corralled up no… https://t.co/ErPbwpQKnb</div> — Stefan Rahmstorf (@Stefan Rahmstorf)<a href="https://twitter.com/rahmstorf/statuses/1087450493419487239">1548103376.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>Despite this, President <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/donald-trump" target="_blank">Donald Trump</a> <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-climate-change-weather-2626613514.html" target="_self">once again</a> used the predicted cold snap as an excuse to deny climate science.<br></p><p>"In the beautiful Midwest, windchill temperatures are reaching minus 60 degrees, the coldest ever recorded. In coming days, expected to get even colder. People can't last outside even for minutes. What the hell is going on with Global Waming? Please come back fast, we need you!" he tweeted.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="f498a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7WZQVR1576662433"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1090074254010404864" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">In the beautiful Midwest, windchill temperatures are reaching minus 60 degrees, the coldest ever recorded. In comin… https://t.co/FnaCaBA5Nz</div> — Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump)<a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/statuses/1090074254010404864">1548728929.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>This prompted journalists to repeat the truth that climate and weather are not the same thing.<br></p><p><strong>"</strong>The globe as a whole is still much warmer than normal, and scientists say the cold snap in parts of the U.S. in no way invalidates the overwhelming scientific evidence showing global average temperatures are increasing due to the burning of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/chlorpyrifos" target="_blank">fossil fuels</a> for energy," <a href="https://www.axios.com/trump-climate-change-polar-vortex-global-warming-0bcadc4c-7c2c-4530-b2e7-39399e4476b3.html" target="_blank">Axios' Andrew Freedman wrote</a>.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="b7e9c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="FFBBOQ1576662433"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1089939019230863360" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Remember, if you're cold, they're cold. Some furry friends of the NWS are here to remind you that unless your pets… https://t.co/R48XCEWy9H</div> — National Weather Service (@National Weather Service)<a href="https://twitter.com/NWS/statuses/1089939019230863360">1548696686.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p><em>Correction: An earlier version of this story said that temperatures could hit -60 degrees in the upper Midwest and -55 in the upper Mississippi Valley. The story has been updated to specify that those are wind chill temperatures.</em></p>
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There's just something sublimely satisfying about dyeing your hair a vibrant shade of red in the middle of a cold, gray winter or bright blonde at the height of summer.
<p>
Fortunately, there are many cruelty-free hair colors available today to help you achieve the perfect look. No matter whether you prefer an all-natural dye, a quick pick-up box from the drugstore, a semi-permanent color or a salon service, there is definitely something for everyone.
</p><h3>Try one of these cruelty-free, vegan hair dye brands:</h3><p>
<strong>1. <a href="https://www.paulmitchell.com/our-products/professional-services/" target="_blank">Paul Mitchell</a></strong>
</p><p>
Free of animal tests since the company began in 1980, Paul Mitchell is a pioneer in the world of cruelty-free beauty. <a href="http://locator.paulmitchell.com/SalonLocator/?_ga=1.38808807.556201369.1458433888" target="_blank">Find a salon that uses Paul Mitchell hair dye.</a></p>
<div id="b7abf" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0FBK8T1576663779"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);
margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px);
width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:8px;">
<div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center;
width:100%;">
<div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);
display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;">
</div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BDGfbnlw-dg/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;
word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">Paul Mitchell on Instagram: “Talk about tough-girl chic. We are digging this look colored and styled by @tiffanymae_arcs. #IAmPaulMitchell #arobertcromeanssalon”</a></p>
</div></blockquote></div>
<p><strong>2. <a href="http://www.aveda.com/hair_color/index.tmpl" target="_blank">Aveda</a></strong><br></p><p>
This <a href="https://www.petamall.com/" target="_blank">PETA Business Friend</a> carries a large selection of hair-care products and hair color for professional use. Click here to <a href="http://www.aveda.com/locator/index.tmpl" target="_blank">find an Aveda salon near you</a>.</p>
<div id="30d62" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="QBVFKV1576663779"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);
margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px);
width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:8px;">
<div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center;
width:100%;">
<div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);
display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;">
</div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BDHSTHVymLg/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;
word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">Aveda on Instagram: “You can find #AvedaColor inspiration everywhere, from a springtime sky to your favorite pair of jeans. If blue is what inspires you, ask…”</a></p>
</div></blockquote></div>
<p><strong>3. <a href="http://www.sheamoisture.com/" target="_blank">Shea Moisture</a></strong><br></p><p>
You can find this company's products at Target stores, which carry 12 shades—huzzah!</p>
<div id="33002" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="NF80G71576663780"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);
margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px);
width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:8px;">
<div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center;
width:100%;">
<div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);
display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;">
</div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BaCLWaGAU6Y/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;
word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">SheaMoisture on Instagram: “Fall into color! Our Color Créme Hair Coloring kits are packed with all you need for luscious color, and a fresh start. #HairColoringKits”</a></p>
</div></blockquote></div>
<p><strong>4. <a href="https://www.limecrime.com/categories/unicorn-hair-semi-permanent-hair-colors" target="_blank">Lime Crime</a></strong><br></p><p>
Lime Crime's semi-permanent hair color is adorably called Unicorn Hair, and comes in 13 magical shades.</p>
<div id="77f16" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="UGZBW21576663780"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);
margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px);
width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:8px;">
<div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center;
width:100%;">
<div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);
display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;">
</div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BScC84jhFhb/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;
word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">LIME CRIME on Instagram: “🦄🌈 Your hair should be magical, #UNICORNHAIR does the trick 🌈🦄 #BeHueUR”</a></p>
</div></blockquote></div>
<p><strong>5. <a href="http://colormebykm.com/" target="_blank">Kevin Murphy</a></strong><br></p><p>
This company offers a hair color line for professional use. The hair dye formula uses extracts from Peruvian bark, baobab, bamboo and orange blossoms to moisturize hair as well as antioxidants from kakadu plums, orchids, lotus flowers and desert limes to help repair chemical damage naturally.</p>
<div id="1e533" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="VC1RVS1576663781"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
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margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px);
width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:8px;">
<div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center;
width:100%;">
<div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);
display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;">
</div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BR4KuGilzl9/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;
word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">KEVIN.MURPHY on Instagram: “Looking for a COLOR.ME salon? Head to kevinmurphy.com.au/locator to search salons in your area by 'COLOR.ME Only'! #lovekm #colormebykm…”</a></p>
</div></blockquote></div>
<p><strong>6. <a href="http://www.tintsofnatureusa.com/" target="_blank">Tints of Nature</a></strong><br></p><p>
Free of ammonia and parabens, Tints of Nature's hair color is infused with plant-derived extracts and vitamins C and E.</p>
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border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);
margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px);
width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:8px;">
<div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center;
width:100%;">
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display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;">
</div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/4Y9vEpgqJb/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;
word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">Tints of Nature on Instagram: “Holiday essentials ...”</a></p>
</div></blockquote></div>
<p><strong>7. <a href="https://greenhare.com/" target="_blank">Green Hare Mud</a></strong><br></p><p>
This company offers seven shades of vegan, nontoxic dye and a selection of aftercare products.</p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="3a2e7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7NS7BW1576663781"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="687853767396438016" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">https://t.co/xENnmgITmd</div> — Green Hare Mud (@Green Hare Mud)<a href="https://twitter.com/Green_Hare_Mud/statuses/687853767396438016">1452832092.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p>
<p><strong>8. <a href="http://www.primarysyn.com/" target="_blank">Primary Syn</a></strong><br></p><p>
This 100 percent vegan hair color line for professional use features semi-permanent and permanent color from a single tube.</p>
<div id="871fe" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6N65M21576663781"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);
margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px);
width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:8px;">
<div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center;
width:100%;">
<div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);
display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;">
</div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/2MMUpjK0Bs/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;
word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">Alisha Laroussi on Instagram: “On fire! #transitionalred#fireyredhead#primarysyn”</a></p>
</div></blockquote></div>
<p><strong>9. <a href="http://www.developlus.com/" target="_blank">Developlus</a></strong><br></p><p>
This vegan hair color brand offers various lines, including professional-grade traditional colors, washable fun colors, correctives to bad dye jobs and more.</p>
<div id="ecc6f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="FZ2MNV1576663782"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);
margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px);
width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:8px;">
<div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center;
width:100%;">
<div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);
display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;">
</div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/5zVNQRByQV/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;
word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">@madeupbykate on Instagram: “#madeupbykate ✨Color Oops hair color remover by @developlus #developlus #coloroops #oops #hairdye #hairdyeremover”</a></p>
</div></blockquote></div>
<p><strong>10. <a href="http://www.rusk1.com/" target="_blank">Rusk</a></strong><br></p><p>
With a line of hair color called <a href="http://www.rusk1.com/catalog.php?pcID=177" target="_blank">Deepshine Color</a>, Rusk offers a wide selection of color and aftercare products.</p>
<div id="82ea2" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="Y8ZJW81576663782"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);
margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px);
width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:8px;">
<div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center;
width:100%;">
<div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);
display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;">
</div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BAax6ibxc0K/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;
word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">RUSK HAIR CARE on Instagram: “Yellow may be mellow but it sure stands out! Hair via @venalove”</a></p>
</div></blockquote></div>
<p><strong>11. <a href="https://www.manicpanic.com/" target="_blank">Manic Panic</a></strong><br></p><p>
If you're looking for semi-permanent hair color without ammonia or peroxide, look no further. Manic Panic has wild and tame colors—whatever fits your mood.</p>
<div id="401b9" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="EGYNTB1576663782"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);
margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px);
width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:8px;">
<div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center;
width:100%;">
<div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);
display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;">
</div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BCimohQo9RT/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;
word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">Manic Panic on Instagram: “The gorgeous YouTuber 💻 @offbeatlook used #RocknRollRed 🎸 and #Sunshine ☀ for her lovely do! To get that perfect red pout 💋 like hers, try…”</a></p>
</div></blockquote></div>
<p><strong>12. <a href="https://gooddyeyoung.com/" target="_blank">Good Dye Young</a></strong><br></p><p>
This cruelty-free line of hair dye, developed by Hayley Williams of the band Paramore, features numerous shades of semi-permanent hair color and temporary hair makeup. Good Dye Young is now available online through <a href="https://www.sephora.com/product/poser-paste-temporary-hair-makeup-P437302?icid2=products%20grid:p437302:product&skuId=2161305" target="_blank">Sephora</a> and on the official <a href="https://gooddyeyoung.com/" target="_blank">Good Dye Young website</a>.</p>
<div id="ee6df" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="VPD5OX1576663782"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);
margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px);
width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:8px;">
<div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center;
width:100%;">
<div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);
display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;">
</div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BCk1vQ6hHbu/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;
word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">Good Dye Young on Instagram: “"I’ve never started anything but a band… but a little over 4 years ago, I decided I’d try my hand at starting a hair dye company. I've made…”</a></p>
</div></blockquote></div>
<p><strong>13. <a href="http://arcticfoxhaircolor.com/" target="_blank">Arctic Fox</a></strong><br></p><p>
This entirely vegan brand uses no drying alcohols, PPDs or harsh chemicals.
</p><div id="63f2d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6372C51576663783"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);
margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px);
width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:8px;">
<div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center;
width:100%;">
<div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);
display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;">
</div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BC-6guTqqbw/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;
word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">Vegan + Cruelty-Free Color on Instagram: “Top: Cosmic Sunshine, Sunset Orange + Arctic Mist ✖️ Sides: Purple Rain + Arctic Mist ✖️@nielslaigaard”</a></p>
</div></blockquote></div><p>
<br>
</p><h3>Henna</h3><p>
<strong>14. <a href="http://www.lushusa.com/Henna-Hair-Dyes/henna-hair-dyes,en_US,sc.html" target="_blank">Lush Henna Hair Dyes</a></strong>
</p><p>
These henna colors are blended with essential oils and cocoa butter, so your hair will be conditioned and feeling fabulous after use.
</p><div id="3c778" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="U6WDQA1576663783"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);
margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px);
width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:8px;">
<div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center;
width:100%;">
<div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);
display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;">
</div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BSymPF1lpLP/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;
word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">Ema on Instagram: “#henna #lush #lushhenna #cacarouge #hennacacarouge #natural #fightinganimaltesting #crueltyfree #haircolor #hair”</a></p>
</div></blockquote></div><p>
<strong>15. <a href="http://hennacolorlab.com/" target="_blank">Henna Color Lab</a></strong>
</p><p>
This company's organic vegan henna hair dyes bond with your hair (as opposed to chemically coating it), while Ayurvedic herbs condition the hair and scalp. The company also carries <a href="http://hennacolorlab.com/product-category/henna-beard-dye/" target="_blank">hair dye specific to beards</a>!
</p><div id="236ac" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="NJI50W1576663783"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);
margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px);
width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:8px;">
<div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center;
width:100%;">
<div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);
display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;">
</div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BBIbiSGwvPi/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;
word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">Hennacolorlab.com on Instagram: “Sherelle from @beautybuzzdaily recently used wine red and it looks beautiful! 😘 Check out the full article over on their site! ”</a></p>
</div></blockquote></div><p>
<strong>16. <a href="http://shop.morroccomethod.com/Natural-Hair-Color" target="_blank">Morroco Method Int'l</a></strong><br>
</p><p>
All of Morocco Method's henna hair dyes are sulfate- and gluten-free and use no synthetic chemicals.
</p><div id="361b5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="OJLWSJ1576663784"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);
margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px);
width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:8px;">
<div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center;
width:100%;">
<div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);
display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;">
</div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/94oAefQJ8Y/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;
word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top"></a></p>
</div></blockquote></div><p>
For a full list of cruelty-free hair dye companies, see our <a href="http://features.peta.org/cruelty-free-company-search/index.aspx" target="_blank">cruelty-free database</a> and choose your desired product type from the pull-down menu.<br>
</p>
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By Danielle Nierenberg, Katherine Walla and Hayly Hoch
This holiday season, we're highlighting 12 children's books that will educate and inspire future eaters, food producers and innovators. From stories exploring community gardens and ugly vegetables, to tales about feeding a hungry stranger and slaying "the climate dragon," these books discuss deep topics in a personalized and fun way. Happy holidays!
<p><strong>1. <a href="https://www.leeandlow.com/books/amelia-s-road" target="_blank"><em>Amelia's Road</em></a> by Linda Jacobs Altman, illustrated by Enrique O. Sanchez</strong></p><p><em>Amelia's Road</em> follows Amelia Luisa Martinez, a young girl who lives in a family that travels around the country as migrant farmworkers. Although her day-to-day is characterized by long work days, unfamiliar schools and bleak cabins, she one day finds an old tree that becomes a special place for her. Amelia's Road offers children a chance to reflect on the experiences of migrant farmworker families.</p><p><strong>2. <a href="https://www.monicawellington.com/apple-farmer-annie/" target="_blank"><em>Apple Farmer Annie</em></a> by Monica Wellington</strong></p><p>This book tells the story of Annie, a young apple farmer. As she picks, sorts and sells her apples, she enlists the help of readers with some small, challenging activities such as counting, object-naming and money counting. Author Monica Wellington includes her personal recipes for applesauce, applesauce cake and apple muffins.</p><p><strong>3. <a href="https://pajamapress.ca/book/community_soup/" target="_blank"><em>Community Soup</em></a> by Alma Fullerton</strong></p><p>Author Alma Fullerton tells the story of a young Kenyan girl, Kioni: her herd of goats followed her to school and began destroying the school's garden. Kioni and her friends join together to find a creative solution, making a tasty vegetable soup and saving Kioni's goats. <em>Community Soup</em> offers readers an uplifting story about the power of communal projects.</p><p><strong>4. <a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374327972" target="_blank"><em>Green Green: A Community Gardening Story</em></a> by Marie Lamba and Baldev Lamba, illustrated by Sonia Sanchez</strong></p><p>Through charming rhymes, this book tells the story of a city's dwindling green space—and the neighborhood children who inspire the community to recover it. Authors Marie Lamba and Baldev Lamba playfully highlight the power of collaboration among people of any age who want to improve their communities.</p><p><strong>5. <em><a href="http://www.capstonepub.com/library/products/little-seeds-2/" target="_blank">Little Seeds</a> </em>by Charles Ghigna, illustrated by AG Jatkowska</strong></p><p>As one of a four-part <em>My Little Planet</em> series, <em>Little Seeds</em> follows three children that celebrate spring by planting a seed. Readers find that while it is fun to garden, it is also fun to take care of the planet by doing activities like planting seeds.</p><p><strong>6. <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Our-Community-Garden/Barbara-Pollak/9781582701097" target="_blank"><em>Our Community Garden</em></a> by Barbara Pollak</strong></p><p>In <em>Our Community Garden</em>, Audrey Aubergine and her friends describe their favorite activities at their community garden. Together, the children get excited about everything from getting their hands dirty to exploring the bugs on their plants. The story offers children of all ages an opportunity to learn about the possibilities that can result from people who join to work—and have fun—together.</p><p><strong>7. <a href="https://www.lizzyrockwell.com/plants-feed-me" target="_blank"><em>Plants Feed Me</em></a> By Lizzy Rockwell</strong></p><p>This book celebrates the plants that grow all around us: the trees, roots, bushes and stems that nourish our communities. Author Lizzy Rockwell takes readers to the farm, orchard and community garden to discover the various parts of plants humans eat, revealing food's beauty.</p><p><strong>8. <a href="https://stonesoup.com/about-the-childrens-art-foundation-and-stone-soup-magazine/history-of-the-stone-soup-story-from-1720-to-now/" target="_blank"><em>Stone Soup</em></a>, a classic tale</strong></p><p>Originally a French tale from the early 18th century, Stone Soup tells the story of a hungry man who approaches the house of a woman seeking food. While the woman turns him away for begging, the man tricks her into cooking by showing her a stone that makes soup with simply fire and a pot of water. The man tricks the woman by asking her to add vegetables and herbs throughout the process, ending with a fantastic soup for everyone to enjoy.</p><p><strong>9. <a href="https://www.ipgbook.com/that-s-not-fair------no-es-justo--products-9780916727338.php" target="_blank"><em>That's Not Fair! / ¡No Es Justo!</em></a> by Carmen Tafolla and Sharyll Teneyuca, illustrated by Terry Ybáñez</strong></p><p>Authors Carmen Tafolla and Sharyll Teneyuca tell the true story of Emma Tenayuca, a young Mexican-American girl in San Antonio in the 1920s. After watching her community work unreasonably long hours for low wages and struggle with hunger, Emma begins to advocate for Mexican-American workers, eventually leading 12,000 in a struggle for justice. The story offers parents a starting point to talk about each individual's role in making a more just food system. </p><p><strong>10. <a href="https://www.lbyr.com/titles/peter-brown/the-curious-garden/9780316015479/" target="_blank"><em>The Curious Garden</em></a> by Peter Brown</strong></p><p>Authored and illustrated by Peter Brown, this book celebrates a discovery of a love for gardening. The main character, Liam, discovers a struggling garden, brings it back to life, and finds his efforts have a city-wide impact. The story opens the door for a conversation around the importance of green spaces in urban settings and the power of a single green thumb.</p><p><strong>11. <a href="https://www.charlesbridge.com/products/the-ugly-vegetables" target="_blank"><em>The Ugly Vegetables</em></a> by Grace Lin</strong></p><p>Author and illustrator Grace Lin tells the story of a young girl tending an ugly garden—one that lacks colorful flowers and stunning butterflies, yet produces the tastiest vegetables. Once the girl's mother harvests the vegetables for a tasty Chinese soup, the young gardener learns that everything has value: including ugly vegetables. Lin tops off the story with her recipe for ugly vegetable soup.</p><p><strong>12. <a href="http://whitneystewart.com/books/whats-on-your-plate-exploring-the-world-of-food/" target="_blank"><em>What's On Your Plate: Exploring the World of Food by Whitney Stewart</em></a>, illustrated by Christiane Engel</strong></p><p>This book, written by Whitney Stewart and illustrated by Christiane Engel, takes young readers around the globe, introducing them to new tastes and flavors in countries like Brazil, Ethiopia, Japan, Morocco and more. Each section includes an easy recipe for children to cook with a parent for an interactive way to learn about the diversity of ingredients each country and the role of culture in cuisine.</p><p><strong>Bonus: <a href="https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/hot-planet/slaying-the-climate-dragon/" target="_blank"><em>Slaying the Climate Dragon</em></a> by Kate Marvel</strong></p><p>Although not a book (yet), this short story authored by Kate Marvel is a wonderful resource for starting a conversation with young children on climate change. The story's open ending allows space for youth to brainstorm the ways they can join the good fight to slay "the climate dragon."</p>
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Even an increase of 2°C would cause significant sea level rise. pxhere
This past October, a widely disseminated United Nations report warned that far-reaching and significant climate impacts will already occur at 1.5˚C of warming by 2100.
But in a study released Tuesday, researchers determined that the current climate polices of governments around the world will push Earth towards 3.3˚C of warming. That's more than two times the aspirational 1.5˚C target adopted by nearly 200 nations under the 2015 Paris agreement.
<p>
The report is an annual update of the <a href="https://climateactiontracker.org/" target="_blank">Climate Action Tracker</a> (CAT), an independent scientific analysis produced by three European research organizations. The CAT is based on policy movements made by governments since the Paris accord.
</p><p>
The report found that even if all governments achieved their Paris agreement commitments, the world will still likely warm 3.0°C.
</p><p>
Even an increase of 2°C—the upper warming limit adopted in Paris—would cause approximately 4 inches of <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/sea-level-rise" target="_self">sea level rise</a>, increase the chance of ice-free <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/arctic" target="_self">Arctic</a> summers from once-per-decade to once-per-century, devastate tropical <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/coral-reefs" target="_self">coral reefs</a> and push hundreds of millions of people from climate risk and poverty by 2050, the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said.
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Alarmingly, the majority of countries that were tracked in the CAT report have not yet fully aligned their policies to actually achieve their Paris commitments.
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</p><p>
However, Argentina, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, the European Union, India and Morocco have taken "significant steps in the right direction," the report says.
</p><p>
Meanwhile, the U.S., Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, Russia and the United Arab Emirates were singled out for making insufficient progress or even moving in the wrong direction in terms of greenhouse gas emissions reductions.
</p><p>The report notes that <span style="background-color: initial;">China's</span> coal consumption has risen for a second year in a row, and B<span style="background-color: initial;">razil "</span>appears to have turned away from its forest protection policies even before its recent change of government."
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<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODk5MzQxNi9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MDA5MDQ5NX0.VysxA667jOWxo0RXUofkRSxvcrzu_AfdonBiyhy1qzk/img.png?width=980" id="8651a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0002483e2bdfaa8defdfd60f62e638d1" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption..."><a href="https://climateactiontracker.org/" target="_blank">Climate Action Tracker</a> </small>
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The authors of the CAT report note that limiting warming to 1.5˚C is "feasible and has substantial economic and sustainable development benefits."
</p><p>
<span></span>They praised countries such as Norway and Costa Rica for their efforts to deploy renewable energy and plans to decarbonize their transportation sectors. They highlighted Chile's 2050 energy strategy which aims at decarbonizing the energy system, India's National Electricity Plan and South Africa's energy resource strategy that aims to shift away from coal toward renewables and gas.
</p><p>
<span></span>As for the U.S., despite the Trump administration's efforts to roll back climate policies, the country's emissions are "slowing as coal continues to exit the power market, driven by the declining costs of renewables and storage," the report says
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</p><div id="af691" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="JW0G8Q1576683779"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1070654629527121921" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">The move would lift an Obama-era rule that required newly built coal-fired plants to use carbon capture and storage… https://t.co/RsSH92oUEz</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/1070654629527121921">1544098930.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned in October that limiting warming to 1.5˚C above pre-industrial levels was possible but would require social and technological change on a scale for which "there is no documented historic precedent," <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/energy-environment/2018/10/08/world-has-only-years-get-climate-change-under-control-un-scientists-say/?utm_term=.15dbc3ec77a0" target="_blank">The Washington Post reported</a>.
</p><p>
"We have yet to see this translate into action in terms of what governments are prepared to put on the table," Bill Hare, chief executive of Climate Analytics, one of the three CAT research groups, told <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climate-change-accord-warming/climate-policies-put-world-on-track-for-3-3c-warming-study-idUSKBN1OA0Z2" target="_blank">Reuters</a>.
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</p><div id="e67e8" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="96KVAT1576683779"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1072439091222986752" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">With government #ParisAgreement commitments, global warming in 2100 will be 3.0˚C - twice the agreed 1.5˚C limit. W… https://t.co/f184t0ebRQ</div> — ClimateActionTracker (@ClimateActionTracker)<a href="https://twitter.com/climateactiontr/statuses/1072439091222986752">1544524378.0</a></blockquote></div>
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27 June 2016
A woman carries fresh drinking water at Noyapara, Jamalpur, Bangladesh. Jamalpur is a northern district of Bangladesh surrounded by river Yamuna and Brahmaputra and very close to India's Assam border. Recent rising temperature melted the Meghalay and the Assam's water floats towards Bangladesh through Jamalpur. Yamuna's water level have crossed 118cm more than the danger line. At this moment, 400k people are displaced and floating in the water as there are no disaster refugee camp. Its hard to access, for what relief aren't available. If there is, there is a huge mismanagement from local government. Due to the scarcity of medical team, children's are facing water related disease. Anik Rahman / NurPhoto / Getty Images
The final draft of a UN compact on migration published July 11 recognized the existence of climate refugees specifically for the first time, The Thomson Reuters Foundation reported Thursday.
<p><a href="https://refugeesmigrants.un.org/sites/default/files/180711_final_draft_0.pdf" target="_blank">The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration</a> acknowledged <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-change" target="_self">climate change</a> as a cause of migration, both due to <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/extreme-weather" target="_self">extreme weather</a> and "slow onset events" like <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/drought" target="_self">drought</a> after various advocacy groups pushed for the addition.</p><p>"It's the first time the international community has recognized that migration and displacement can be caused by climate change disasters and has made specific commitments on how to address that," Walter Kaelin from the <a href="https://disasterdisplacement.org/" target="_blank">Platform on Disaster Displacement</a> told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.</p><p>Weather disasters <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-migrants-2518914887.html" target="_self">displaced</a> an average of 26.4 million people a year between 2008 and 2015, according the UN. And in March the World Bank warned that more than 140 million people in Africa, South Asia and Latin America could be forced to migrate due to climate change unless the world acts quickly to lower emissions, according to Reuters. </p><p>Most of the climate change mentions in the current compact come under Objective No. 3, calling on signatories to "Minimize the adverse drivers and structural factors that compel people to leave their country of origin." </p><p>The compact lists investing in "climate change mitigation" as one way to minimize these forces. </p><p>The compact also calls on signatories to share information to better understand and predict climate-caused migrations, develop strategies to combat the effects of climate change, consider possible displacement when creating disaster response plans, coordinate at a regional and subregional level to make sure the humanitarian needs and rights of climate migrants are met and develop strategies to respond to the challenges posed by climate-based migration movements. </p><p>"After this compact, no one can say: 'We don't see a relation between climate change and displacement and migration,'" head of climate change and resilience policy at <a href="https://www.care-international.org/" target="_blank">CARE International</a> Sven Harmeling told The Thomson Reuters Foundation.</p><p>"But we'll have to see how fast and how many governments will sign up to this," he added.</p><p>The compact will be officially adopted at a meeting in Morocco in December. </p><p>The compact is non-binding and does not require countries to agree to targeted goals or to grant any climate migrant legal status.</p><p>It was first begun in 2015 in response to the refugee crisis in Europe, which saw the largest number of refugees enter the region since World War II. </p><p>The compact was originally agreed to by all 193 UN member countries, but the U.S. pulled out last year and Hungary also promised to withdraw Wednesday. </p><p>The U.S. government has since come under fire for its treatment of Central American asylum seekers at the country's southern border, some of whom are partly <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-refugees-trump-2580057839.html" target="_self">fleeing</a> drought and food insecurity linked to climate change.</p><p><em>Correction: An earlier version of this article misspelled the Thomson Reuters Foundation</em></p>
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- Climate Change Could Displace Half a Million Atoll Residents ... ›
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- New Report Documents How Climate Migration Could Reshape U.S. - EcoWatch ›
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By Andy Rowell
If Justin Trudeau didn't know before, he does now. If Canada's prime minister could blame ignorance before, he can't now.
Every day brings reports of new deaths and disasters as the intense heat wave which has gripped much of the Northern Hemisphere continues.
<p>The numbers do not lie. Some fifty dead in Greece, at least 44 dead in Japan, at least 70 dead in Canada. Sweden alight. Numerous other parts of the world are scorching, too.</p><p>Let's start with <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/greece-forest-fires-at-least-four-dead-as-country-declares-state-of-emergency-and-seeks-a3894556.html" target="_blank">Greece</a>. Many people awoke this morning to the distressing news that at least 50 people have been killed, including a six-month old baby and many children, with dozens more injured and hundreds rescued as devastating <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/wildfires-erupt-in-greece-2589562645.html">wildfires</a> swept through a small resort near Athens. The authorities have called a state of emergency, and has asked for international help.</p><p>Twenty-six people had reportedly died huddled together close to a beach in a town called Mati. Nikos Economopoulos, head of Greece's Red Cross, told the country's Skai TV, "They had tried to find an escape route but unfortunately these people and their kids didn't make it in time."</p><p>One Mati resident, <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2018/07/23/europe/athens-wildfires-intl/index.html" target="_blank">Kostas Laganos</a>, said that he escaped by diving into the sea: "Thankfully the sea was there and we went into the sea, because the flames were chasing us all the way to the water, it burned our backs and we dove into the water."</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/23/greeks-urged-to-leave-homes-as-wildfires-spread-near-athens" target="_blank">Greek</a> authorities urged residents at the coast west of Athens to abandon their homes as the tinder dry conditions continued, with temperatures over 40°C (104°F).</p><p>Greece is not alone. Yesterday I blogged on the heatwave in <a href="http://priceofoil.org/2018/07/23/as-japan-begins-olympic-countdown-it-swelters-in-41-1-degrees-heat/" target="_blank">Japan</a>. Today, the country's weather agency has declared <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-44935152" target="_blank">the heatwave</a> a natural disaster, saying that at least 65 deaths had been recorded in the past week. Experts believe there will be many more.</p><p>Meanwhile <a href="https://www.thelocal.se/20180723/sweden-heatwave-hottest-july-in-at-least-260-years" target="_blank">in Sweden</a>, where the country is experiencing the hottest July for 260 years, the country has asked for international help to put out <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/the-arctic-is-burning-2587826571.html">wildfires in the Arctic</a>.</p><p><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-44779367" target="_blank">In Canada</a>, the hot weather has reportedly caused the deaths of at least 70 people in Quebec alone. Earlier this month, in Ottawa, in Ontario, the humidity index—the method used there to measure the combined humidity level and temperature—hit 47°C (116.6°F) on July 2.</p><p>But the hot temperatures are back. Early this morning, the Canadian government issued another heat warning for the Montreal area, advising people that the so-called humidex values are expected to reach the high thirties.</p><p>"Heat warnings are issued when very high temperature or humidity conditions are expected to pose an elevated risk of heat illnesses, such as heat stroke or heat exhaustion," <a href="https://weather.gc.ca/warnings/report_e.html?qc67" target="_blank">it said</a>.</p><p>Parts of Canada too are alight. <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/british-columbia/article-wildfires-expected-to-intensify-this-week-in-both-bc-and-ontario/" target="_blank">As of last weekend</a>, there were more than one hundred fires burning in British Columbia, and a further 118 burning in Ontario, with 29 of them considered "out of control."</p><p>Finally, some in the media are waking up. One BBC journalist tweeted: "Climate change. It's here. It's catastrophic. This month alone: — '50 dead' in Greece wildfires — Arctic Circle ablaze — Japan heatwave, flooding and landslides kill hundreds — Record temperatures in Algeria, Morocco, Oman — Drought squeezes US lemons."</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="466bd" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="KPTVCB1576662441"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1021652233543331841" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Climate change. It's here. It's catastrophic.
This month alone:
— '50 dead' in Greece wildfires
— Arctic Circle a… https://t.co/mEQ5iMMupj</div> — James Cook (@James Cook)<a href="https://twitter.com/BBCJamesCook/statuses/1021652233543331841">1532415848.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>But not, it seems, Justin Trudeau, who is asleep in the heat. All he has to do is switch on the news to see what is happening. As people die across the globe, his government was searching for a buyer for the controversial Trans Mountain pipeline, which will triple the amount of dirty <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/tar-sands">tar sands</a> exported from Alberta to Vancouver to <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/trans-mountain-pipeline-ownership-1.4757351" target="_blank">890,000</a> barrels a day.<br></p><p>The pipeline has become the most toxic political issue in Canada. It is vehemently opposed by the government of British Columbia and by a coalition of First Nations, community and environmental groups.</p><p>Despite all the warnings about the <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-change">climate</a> impact of the pipeline, Trudeau's government offered to buy it from Kinder Morgan after the company froze investment, to keep construction continuing. They had hoped to sell the pipeline quickly to a new buyer.</p><p>But that has not happened and no buyer could be found before the deadline, which was on Sunday. So Trudeau's government has no option now but to be the full-time owner of the tar sands pipeline.</p><p>As the <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2018/07/22/trans-mountain-pipeline-deadline-passes-ottawa-fails-to-find-new-buyer.html" target="_blank">Canadian Star</a> stated: "But with that date set to pass without a deal, it was expected the pipeline company will now take Ottawa's $4.5-billion offer to purchase the project to its shareholders."</p><p>On Saturday, the day before the deadline, protesters amassed in Parliament Hill wearing hazardous-materials suits and carrying a fake pipeline. One of the protesters, Aaron Thornell, said, "I think that this investment sets us down a completely wrong and long path that will not lead to the [clean energy] transition. Another, <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/trans-mountain-pipeline-kinder-morgan-deal-deadline-federal-liberal-government-justin-trudeau-canada-1.4756653" target="_blank">Pat Taylor</a>, added, "It's just crazy. And you know, I have a son. I think about my grandchildren to come and it just breaks my heart."</p><p>The formal sale now looks likely to be approved next month, or in September. It is undoubtable that more people will die from the global heatwave in the meantime. But that won't worry Trudeau who is on holiday. Ironically, in British Columbia.</p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="260d9" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="T6PZQ91576662441"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="999832538041417728" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">236 Civil Society Groups to Justin Trudeau: 'The Time for Investment in New Fossil Fuel Infrastructure Is Over'… https://t.co/MYATeBUbyc</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/999832538041417728">1527213627.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="http://priceofoil.org/2018/07/24/as-more-die-in-the-global-heatwave-canada-invests-in-climate-disaster/" target="_blank">Oil Change International</a>.</em><br></p>
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Why Plans to Turn America’s Rust Belt Into a New Plastics Belt Are Bad News for the Climate
29 October 2018
Climate
Smoke billows from one of many petrochemical plants in Louisiana's "Cancer Alley" on Oct. 12, 2013. Giles Clarke / Getty Images
By Sharon Kelly
The petrochemical industry anticipates spending a total of over $200 billion on factories, pipelines, and other infrastructure in the U.S. that will rely on shale gas, the American Chemistry Council announced in September. Construction is already underway at many sites.
This building spree would dramatically expand the Gulf Coast's petrochemical corridor (known locally as "Cancer Alley")—and establish a new plastics and petrochemical belt across states like Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
<p>If those projects are completed, analysts predict the <span style="background-color: initial;">U.S.</span> would flip from one of the world's highest-cost producers of <a href="http://www.plasticsindustry.org/sites/plastics.dev/files/PLASTICS%20Size%20&%20Impact%20-%20Summary.pdf" target="_blank">plastics</a> and <a href="https://www.americanchemistry.com/Policy/Energy/Shale-Gas/Infographic-Shale-Gas-and-New-US-Chemical-Industry-Investment.pdf" target="_blank">chemicals</a> to one of the cheapest, using raw materials and energy from fracked gas wells in states like Texas, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.</p><p>Those petrochemical plans could have profound consequences for a planet already showing signs of dangerous warming and a cascade of other impacts from <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-change">climate change</a>.</p><p>The gathering wave of construction comes as the Trump administration works to deregulate American industry and roll back pollution controls, putting the U.S. at odds with the rest of the world's efforts to slow climate change.</p><p>Trump <a href="http://climateanalytics.org/briefings/ratification-tracker.html" target="_blank">announced</a> in June 2017 that the U.S. had halted all implementation of the 2015 <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/paris-agreement">Paris agreement</a> and intends to fully withdraw. America is now the world's only state refusing <a href="http://climateanalytics.org/briefings/ratification-tracker.html" target="_blank">participation</a> in the global agreement to curb climate change (after Syria, the final holdout, <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/11/syria-is-joining-the-paris-agreement-now-what/545261/" target="_blank">signed</a> in November 2017).</p><p>This petrochemical industry expansion—much of it funded by foreign investors—makes America's refusal to participate in the Paris agreement all the more significant, because much of this new U.S. infrastructure would be built outside of the greenhouse gas agreement affecting the rest of the globe.</p><p>If American policy makers approve this wave of new plastics and petrochemical plants with little regard to curbing climate change and reducing <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels">fossil fuel </a>use, environmentalists warn, they'll be greenlighting hundreds of billions of dollars of investment into projects at risk of becoming stranded assets.</p><p><strong>From Rust Belt to Plastics Belt</strong></p><p>Some of the largest and most expensive petrochemical projects in the U.S. are planned in the Rust Belt states of Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and New York, a region that has suffered for decades from the collapse of the domestic steel industry but that has <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2018/07/01/state-regulators-struggle-keep-industry-pushes-multi-billion-dollar-fracked-petrochemical-projects" target="_blank">relatively little experience</a> with the kind of petrochemical complexes that are now primarily found on the Gulf Coast.</p><p>In November 2017, the China Energy Investment Corp., signed a Memorandum of Understanding with West Virginia that would result in the construction of $83.7 billion in plastics and petrochemicals projects over the next 20 years in that state alone—a huge slice of the $202.4 billion U.S. total. Those plans have <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2018/06/25/west-virginia-petrochemical-hub-china-trade-war-corruption-thrasher" target="_blank">run into snags</a> due to trade disputes between the U.S. and China and a corruption probe, though <a href="http://www.naturalgasintel.com/articles/115573-chinese-companies-said-still-honoring-us-agreements-despite-trade-war" target="_blank">Chinese officials said</a> in late August that investment was moving forward.</p><p>The petrochemical industry's interest is spurred by the fact that the region's Marcellus and Utica shales contain significant supplies of so-called "wet gas." This wet gas often is treated as a footnote in discussions of <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fracking/">fracking</a>, which tend to focus on the <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/methane">methane</a> gas, called "dry gas" by industry—and not the ethane, propane, butane and other hydrocarbons that also come from those same wells.</p><p>Those "wet" fossil fuels and chemical feedstocks are commonly referred to as "natural gas liquids," or NGLs, because they are delivered to customers condensed into a liquid form—like the liquid butane trapped in a Bic lighter, which expands into a stream of flammable gas when you flick that lighter on.</p><p>Ethane can represent a surprising amount of the fossil fuel from a fracked shale well, particularly in the Marcellus. For every 6,000 cubic feet of methane (the energy equivalent of the industry's standard 42 gallon barrel of oil), Marcellus wet gas wells can produce up to roughly 35 gallons of ethane, based on data <a href="https://www.aogr.com/magazine/cover-story/infrastructure-projects-connect-marcellus-shale-to-ethane-ngl-markets" target="_blank">reported by the American Oil and Gas Reporter</a> in 2011.</p><p>And U.S. ethane production is projected to grow dramatically. By 2022, the region will produce roughly 800,000 barrels of ethane per day, up from 470,000 barrels a day in 2017, <a href="https://marcellusdrilling.com/2017/10/poor-prospects-for-moving-marcellusutica-ethane-to-gulf-coast/" target="_blank">according to energy consultant RBN Energy</a>.</p><p>That supply glut is driving down ethane prices in the Rust Belt.</p><p>"The lowest price ethane on the planet is here in this region," Brian Anderson, director of the West Virginia University Energy Institute, told the NEP Northeast U.S. Petrochemical Construction conference in Pittsburgh in June.</p><p><strong>Chemicals and the Climate</strong></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODc3ODY0NC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyOTY3NjAwNH0.y5mLvv-mjYCjyZUluo_T0pjHSVLuzF12N37OVqZLQg4/img.jpg?width=980" id="ac72e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1867c0cf009fc3d02dfb8043dd294287" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Image projected onto Houston petrochemical plant during the Houston Toxic Tour, 2017.</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit..."><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/backbone_campaign/" target="_blank">Backbone Campaign</a>, CC BY 2.0</small></p><p>The petrochemical and plastics industries are <a href="http://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/pft/2017/9/29/fueling-plastics-new-research-details-fossil-fuel-role-in-plastics-proliferation" target="_blank">notoriously polluting</a>, not only when it comes to toxic <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/air-pollution">air pollution</a> and plastic waste, but also because of the industry's significant greenhouse gas footprint—affecting not only the U.S., but the entire world.<br></p><p>"The chemical and petrochemical sector is by far the largest industrial energy user, accounting for roughly 10 percent of total worldwide final energy demand and 7 percent of global [greenhouse gas] emissions," the International Energy Agency reported in 2013. Since then the numbers have <a href="https://6fefcbb86e61af1b2fc4-c70d8ead6ced550b4d987d7c03fcdd1d.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com/cms/reports/documents/000/002/683/original/CDP_Chemicals_2017.pdf?1507139412" target="_blank">crept up</a>, with the IEA finding petrochemicals responsible for an additional percentage point of the world's total energy consumption in <a href="https://6fefcbb86e61af1b2fc4-c70d8ead6ced550b4d987d7c03fcdd1d.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com/cms/reports/documents/000/002/683/original/CDP_Chemicals_2017.pdf?1507139412" target="_blank">2017</a>.</p><p>Carbon emissions from petrochemical and plastics manufacturing are expected to grow 20 percent by 2030 (in other words, in just over a decade), the IEA concluded in a <a href="https://webstore.iea.org/download/direct/2310?fileName=The_Future_of_Petrochemicals.pdf" target="_blank">report</a> released Oct. 5. A few days later, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/07/climate/ipcc-climate-report-2040.html" target="_blank">warned</a> that by 2030, the world needs to have reduced its greenhouse gas pollution 45 percent from 2010 levels, in order to achieve the goal of limiting global warming to a less-catastrophic 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit).</p><p>The petrochemicals industry has so far drawn relatively little attention from oil and gas analysts and policy makers. "Petrochemicals are one of the key blind spots in the global energy debate, especially given the influence they will exert on future energy trends," Dr. Fatih Birol, the IEA's executive director, <a href="https://www.iea.org/newsroom/news/2018/october/petrochemicals-set-to-be-the-largest-driver-of-world-oil-demand-latest-iea-analy.html" target="_blank">said in a statement</a> this month.</p><p>"In fact," he added, "our analysis shows they will have a greater influence on the future of oil demand than cars, trucks and aviation."</p><p>The new investments, which will rely on decades of continued fracking in the U.S, offer the oil and gas industry a serious hedge against competition from <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/">renewable energy</a>, even in the event that climate policies push fossil fuel energy to the margins.</p><p>"Unlike refining, and ultimately unlike oil, which will see a moment when the growth will stop, we actually don't anticipate that with petrochemicals," Andrew Brown, upstream director for Royal Dutch Shell, <a href="https://www.expressnews.com/business/eagle-ford-energy/article/As-gasoline-demand-wanes-oil-industry-looks-to-12741377.php" target="_blank">told the San Antonio Express News in March</a>.</p><p>The planned infrastructure could also help bail out the <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/finances-fracking-shale-industry-drills-more-debt-profit" target="_blank">heavily indebted</a> shale drilling industry financially by consuming vast amounts of fossil fuels, both for power and as a raw material.</p><p>The American Chemistry Council has <a href="https://www.americanchemistry.com/Media/PressReleasesTranscripts/ACC-news-releases/US-Chemical-Industry-Investment-Linked-to-Shale-Gas-Reaches-200-Billion.html" target="_blank">linked</a> 333 chemical industry projects, all announced since 2010, to shale gas—that is, gas that is produced using fracking. Forty-one percent of those projects are still in the planning phase as of September, according to the council, and 68 percent of the projects are linked to foreign investment.</p><p>State regulators in Texas and Louisiana have already issued permits that would allow a group of 74 petrochemical and liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects along the Gulf Coast to add 134 million tons of greenhouse gases a year to the atmosphere, an <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2018/09/27/texas-louisiana-new-petrochemical-oil-gas-projects-climate-change-29-coal-power" target="_blank">Environmental Integrity Project analysis found</a> in September. The group said that was equal to the pollution from running 29 new <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/coal">coal</a> power plants around the clock.</p><p>The expansion of plastics manufacturing in America also has environmentalists worried over a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jul/19/plastic-pollution-risks-near-permanent-contamination-of-natural-environment" target="_blank">plastics pollution crisis</a>. "We could be locking in decades of expanded plastics production at precisely the time the world is realizing we should use far less of it," Carroll Muffett, president of the <span style="background-color: initial;">U.S.</span> Center for International Environmental Law, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/dec/26/180bn-investment-in-plastic-factories-feeds-global-packaging-binge" target="_blank">told The Guardian in December 2017</a>.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODc3ODY1Mi9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMTM5MzAxNn0.X8YtlBG8jx4JT4CQUQSo4px5hCaTCKckHBZMG-Du0w4/img.png?width=980" id="59935" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5d5f32decba6bf0c974c749636e944a2" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">This story is part of <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/fracking-plastics" target="_blank">Fracking for Plastics</a>, a DeSmog investigation into the proposed petrochemical build-out in the Rust Belt and the major players involved.</small></p><p><strong>Petrochemical Paradox</strong><br></p><p>The petrochemical industry transforms ethane and other raw material into a huge range of products, including not only plastic, but also vinyl, fertilizers, Styrofoam, beauty products, chemicals and pesticides.</p><p>The petrochemicals industry itself straddles an uncomfortable fence when it comes to renewable energy and climate change. A significant portion of its revenue comes from "clean" technology sectors, as it provides materials used to make batteries and electric cars.</p><p><a href="https://www.greenbiz.com/article/despite-innovation-chemicals-sector-slow-paris-goals" target="_blank">One report</a> last year concluded that roughly 20 percent of the industry's revenue comes from products designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, the American Chemistry Council cited the industry's role supplying "materials and technologies that improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions," as it <a href="https://cen.acs.org/articles/95/i23/Scientific-groups-disappointed-Trump-move-on-climate.html" target="_blank">opposed Trump's decision</a> to drop out of the Paris agreement.</p><p>But petrochemical manufacturers are also heavily reliant on fossil fuels. They need them to power and supply a dreamed-of "manufacturing renaissance," as the <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/exxon">ExxonMobil</a>-funded <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/competitive-enterprise-institute" target="_blank">Competitive Enterprise Institute</a> explained as it <a href="https://cei.org/blog/5-advantages-stepping-away-paris-climate-treaty" target="_blank">pushed</a> for Trump to abandon the Paris agreement.</p><p>Plans to use American shale gas would also link petrochemicals to the expansion of fracking, which carries its own environmental concerns. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's landmark study on fracking and drinking water <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/12/13/fracking-can-harm-drinking-water-in-some-circumstances-epa-says/?utm_term=.3c06d4173d93" target="_blank">concluded</a> in 2016 that fracking has led to water contamination and poses continued risks to American water supplies.</p><p>In addition, though conversations about climate change usually focus on carbon emissions, the gas industry has <a href="https://thinkprogress.org/nasa-study-fracking-global-warming-0fa0c5b5f5c7/" target="_blank">such a bad methane leak problem</a> that using natural gas <a href="https://thinkprogress.org/methane-leaks-erase-climate-benefit-of-fracked-gas-countless-studies-find-8b060b2b395d/" target="_blank">can be even worse</a> for the climate than burning coal.</p><p><strong>Pittsburgh and Paris</strong></p><p>Climate implications make a petrochemical build-out risky, not only from an environmental perspective, but also from a fiscal perspective, Mark Dixon, co-founder of<a href="https://nopetropa.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"> NoPetroPA</a>, which opposes fracking-based petrochemicals projects, told DeSmog.</p><p>One plant, Shell's $6 billion ethane "cracker" plant currently under construction in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, has permits to pump 2.25 million tons of CO2 equivalent per year into the air near Pittsburgh, roughly equal to the annual carbon pollution from 430,000 cars.</p><p>Industry advocates say the region can produce enough ethane to support up to <a href="https://marcellusdrilling.com/2018/03/m-u-could-support-8-crackers-why-dont-companies-build-more/" target="_blank">seven more ethane cracker plants</a> like Shell's.</p><p><span></span><span style="background-color: initial;">"</span>We're trying to drop our emissions 50 percent by 2030," Dixon said, referring to Pittsburgh's <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jun/01/pittsburgh-fires-back-trump-paris-agreement" target="_blank">highly touted plans</a> to comply with international climate targets despite the federal government's withdrawal from the Paris agreement. "The Shell cracker alone will decimate that."</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODc3ODY1Ni9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwODE1MTI5NH0.cvpiWX_zV38QrMc4T5pnQ6FcQ0JRIU4amYFQBrx3J-4/img.jpg?width=980" id="d701a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9f8bb4a7e0fcc01464402dcd3f28e71d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">A kayaker protests against Shell's cracker project outside the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in June 2018.</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit..."><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/9602574@N02/" target="_blank">Mark Dixon</a>, CC BY 2.0</small></p><p><strong>Stranding Assets</strong><br></p><p>International negotiators <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-accord/good-progress-at-bangkok-climate-talks-on-draft-paris-accord-rules-u-n-official-idUSKCN1LP0DN" target="_blank">met in Bangkok</a> in September to hash out details on how the Paris agreement will be implemented. The U.S., which participated in talks despite the Trump administration's intention to withdraw from the accord, faced <a href="https://www.firstpost.com/world/developing-countries-accuse-us-allies-of-stalling-progress-on-paris-accord-as-emergency-un-climate-talks-wrap-up-5150381.html" target="_blank">criticism</a> over working to <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/climate-negotiations-struggling-to-make-real-progress-ahead-of-poland-talks_us_5b96d740e4b0162f47300fa4" target="_blank">delay clarity</a> over the agreement's financing (nonetheless, a top UN negotiator <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-accord/good-progress-at-bangkok-climate-talks-on-draft-paris-accord-rules-u-n-official-idUSKCN1LP0DN" target="_blank">praised</a> "good progress" from the talks).</p><p>While the Paris agreement is not directly binding, globally there has been <a href="https://phys.org/news/2018-06-tariffs-paris-climate-commitments.html" target="_blank">discussion</a> of using trade agreements and tariffs to pressure countries that fail to keep up with their carbon-cutting commitments.</p><p>In February, the European Union (EU) <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/eu-trade-deal-paris-climate-change-accord-agreement-cecilia-malmstr-m-a8206806.html" target="_blank">declared</a> that it will not sign new trade agreements with any country that refuses to get on board with the Paris agreement.</p><p>"One of our main demands is that any country who signs a trade agreement with EU should implement the Paris agreement on the ground," France's foreign affairs minister <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/davekeating/2018/02/08/eu-tells-trump-no-paris-climate-deal-no-free-trade/#363586e437c7" target="_blank">Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne told the French Parliament</a>. "No Paris agreement, no trade agreement."</p><p>"They're already shooting across the bow, saying look, you've got to implement the Paris climate agreement," Dixon told DeSmog. "We could very well spend 10 years building an infrastructure to support fracking all over the region, crackers, ethane, plastics, everything, then have Europe say, 'sorry, you can't do that. You have to shut it down.'"</p><p>In other words, whether or not the U.S. puts its signature on the climate pact's dotted line, the pressure from trading partners to reduce greenhouse gas pollution—and the underlying concerns about the rapidly warming climate—could remain the same.</p><p>That said, while the U.S. is the only country to reject Paris on paper, it is far from the only country on track to miss its targets aimed at warding off catastrophic climate change. Only Morocco and The Gambia are projected to hit "Paris Agreement Compatible" targets, according to the <a href="https://climateactiontracker.org/countries/" target="_blank">Climate Action Tracker</a> (whose rating tracker includes many major polluters but not all countries worldwide).</p><p>The EU itself currently earns a rating of "insufficient" from the group (China is ranked "highly insufficient," while the U.S. and four other nations earned the worst "critically insufficient" grade).</p><p><strong>Closing Windows</strong></p><p>The next several years will determine the future of petrochemical production for decades to come, crucial years when it comes to the fate of the climate, if industry gets its timing right—particularly in the Rust Belt.</p><p>"The window to make this all work is not forever," Charles Schliebs of Stone Pier Capital Advisors told the NEP Northeast U.S. Petrochemical Construction conference in June. "It's maybe two to five years."</p><p>That means key decisions may be made while <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/donald-trump" target="_blank">Donald Trump</a> remains in office—though state and local regulators will also face important calls over permits and construction planning.</p><p>For some living near the center of the planned petrochemical expansion, the problem is readily apparent.</p><p>"We're not going to be able to double down on fossil fuels," Dixon said, "and comply with the Paris climate agreement."</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="acc2a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="FKE34F1576663323"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="992156876497448960" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">The Link Between Fossil Fuels, Single-Use Plastics and Climate Change https://t.co/dNvbx9e4r9 @PlasticPollutes @GreenNewsDaily</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/992156876497448960">1525383607.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p><em>Follow the DeSmog investigative series, <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/fracking-plastics" target="_blank">Fracking for Plastics</a>, and get your questions answered with the <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2018/10/21/field-guide-petrochemical-and-plastics-industry" target="_blank">Field Guide to the Petrochemical and Plastics Industry</a>.</em><br></p><p><em>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2018/10/28/petrochemical-industry-america-rust-belt-plastics-fracking-climate" target="_blank">DeSmogBlog</a>.</em></p>
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Plastic bags pollute the Crocodile River in South Africa. JMK / GNU Free Documentation License
The theme for this year's World Environment Day, the world's largest environmental celebration which takes place June 5, is "Beat Plastic Pollution." In honor of the occasion, UN Environment released the first ever "state of plastics" report, tracking government action against plastic waste, a UN Environment press release reported.
<p>The report, titled "<a href="https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/25496/singleUsePlastic_sustainability.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y" target="_blank">Single-Use Plastics: A Roadmap for Sustainability</a>," found that more than 60 countries have introduced bans or levies on single-use plastics, and that bans and levies are one of the most effective ways to reduce the use of disposable plastic items. </p><p>"The assessment shows that action can be painless and profitable—with huge gains for people and the planet that help avert the costly downstream costs of pollution," head of UN Environment Erik Solheim said in the report's foreword. "Plastic isn't the problem. It's what we do with it."</p><p>The report summed up the extent of the plastic pollution crisis: Only 9 percent of all plastics ever produced have been recycled, while 12 percent have been incinerated and a full 79 percent have ended up in landfills, dumps, or the environment. <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plastic-bags" target="_self">Plastic bags</a> are especially a concern and, with Styrofoam, have been the leading subject of plastic product bans. They have been found blocking waterways and worsening natural disasters, blocking sewers and providing a breeding site for disease-carrying insects, and blocking the stomachs and airways of animals like the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/whale-death-plastic-bags-2575100966.html" target="_self">whale that died</a> in Thailand this weekend after consuming more than 80 of them. </p><p>Fifty percent of the countries that have implemented bans or levies did not have sufficient data to assess the environmental impact of the policies; of the other 50 percent, 30 percent of the bans significantly reduced the use of plastic bags within a year and 20 percent had little impact, either due to poor enforcement or lack of alternatives. </p><p>One success story was Morocco, where 421 tonnes of bags were seized after a ban and replaced almost entirely by fabrics. A failed case was Botswana, where a levy on retailers was issued but not enforced, the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-44359614" target="_blank">BBC</a> reported. </p><p>The report also recommended that bans and levies be joined by positive measures such as improving waste management, moving towards a circular plastic production and consumption model and providing financial incentives for businesses and customers to develop and use alternative materials.</p>Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the report with Solheim in New Delhi Tuesday. <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/india" target="_self">India</a> is this year's host country for World Environment Day, which was established by the UN in 1972 and first celebrated in 1974.<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="7ca13" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="AISPK81576664276"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1002513869351346176" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">UN's #BeatPlasticPollution Tag Is the New Ice Bucket Challenge https://t.co/o3fIhtHEeW @savingoceans @PlasticPollutes</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/1002513869351346176">1527852906.0</a></blockquote></div>
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Chicago skyline on April 20, 2017. Chris Favero / CC BY-SA 2.0
By Dipika Kadaba
The amount of artificial lighting is steadily increasing every year around the planet. It's a cause for celebration in remote villages in Africa and the Indian sub-continent that recently gained access to electricity for the first time, but it is also harming the health and well-being of residents of megacities elsewhere that continue to get bigger and brighter every year.
Health impacts of this artificial illumination after daylight hours range from depression to cancer, including a range of sleep disorders.
<p>A less tangible effect: 80 percent of people on Earth have <a href="https://www.popsci.com/80-percent-people-live-under-light-polluted-skies" target="_blank">lost their view</a> of the natural night sky due to the overpowering glow of artificial lights.</p><p>The Revelator analyzed light pollution levels around the world, revealing the planet's worst affected cities as well as the most light-polluted metropolitan areas, where development is mixed and diffused over massive distances. The areas on our top 10 lists are all well above the global urban average, which you'd find in major American cities like Pittsburgh or Raleigh.</p><p>The results on the lists may surprise you. The brightest cities have large populations, of course, but in many areas lighting is also geographically or culturally influenced. For example, cities in northern latitudes, where the sun shines less, or in arid countries, where hot daytime sun inspires more evening activity, are often brightly lit. This means they can outshine the usual light-pollution suspects like New York and Tokyo.</p><p><strong>Top 10 Brightest Metropolitan Areas Compared to the Global Urban Average</strong></p><p>10. Miami, USA, <em>2.6 times brighter</em><br>9. Denver-Aurora, USA, <em>2.7 times brighter</em><br>8. Mexico City, Mexico,<em> 2.8 times brighter<br></em>7. Detroit, USA, <em>2.9 times brighter</em><br>6. Buenos Aires, Argentina<em>, 3.5 times brighter</em><br>5. Toronto, Canada<em>, 3.6 times brighter</em><br>4. Chicago, USA, <em>4.5 times brighter</em><br>3. Montréal, Canada, <em>4.8 times brighter</em><br>2. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia<em>, 6.7 times brighter</em><br>1. Moscow, Russia, <em>8.1 times brighter</em></p><p><strong>Top 10 Brightest Cities Compared to the Global Urban Average</strong></p><p>10. Tangier, Morocco, <em>5.3 times brighter</em><br>9. Helsinki, Finland, <em>5.9 times brighter</em><br>8. Medina, Saudi Arabia, <em>6.0 times brighter</em><br>7. Kazan, Russia, <em>6.1 times brighter</em><br>6. Edmonton, Canada, <em>6.5 times brighter</em><br>5. Calgary, Canada, <em>6.6 times brighter</em><br>4. Kuwait City, Kuwait, <em>7.0 times brighter</em><br>3. Chelyabinsk, Russia, <em>7.1 times brighter</em><br>2. Mecca, Saudi Arabia, <em>7.4 times brighter</em><br>1. Saint Petersburg, Russia, <em>8.1 times brighter</em></p><p>Light pollution isn't exclusive to the places on these lists. The problem is worldwide. Explore light pollution in this map of the world's highest populated urban areas and see how they compared to the global urban average.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-proxy-image">
<a href="https://dipika.carto.com/builder/02b1e660-ed4f-40d9-b79a-fe9aabaa0468/embed" target="_blank"><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vbWVkaWEucmJsLm1zL2ltYWdlP3U9JTJGZGlwaWthJTJGYXBpJTJGdjElMkZtYXAlMkZzdGF0aWMlMkZuYW1lZCUyRnRwbF8wMmIxZTY2MF9lZDRmXzQwZDlfYjc5YV9mZTlhYWJhYTA0NjglMkYxMjAwJTJGNjMwLnBuZyZobz1odHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRmNhcnRvY2RuLWd1c2MuZ2xvYmFsLnNzbC5mYXN0bHkubmV0JnM9OTQ4Jmg9MWRjZmU0NmRmYzY4MzYyYWZmZTg5ZGE2NDdhN2Y3NWEyNTdlMzk0ZWI0NjdmNDEzM2M5NzFmNjA4MjUwY2VhOCZzaXplPTk4MHgmYz0xMzIwODkyOTQzIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMTQ3ODYxN30.z4XKN9Oko3qykw_Hn63XZaLD6tRsphfwm7EF71I4W2o/img.jpg" id="c6448" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ccd6ca5e1c5a03c36b3febf62d03c046"></a>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">
<a href="https://dipika.carto.com/builder/02b1e660-ed4f-40d9-b79a-fe9aabaa0468/embed" target="_blank">dipika.carto.com</a>
</small>
</p><p><em>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="http://therevelator.org/cities-ranked-light-pollution/" target="_blank">The Revelator</a>.</em></p>
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Nicky Milne / Thomson Reuters Foundation
By Lucy Guanuna
The devastating storms of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 submerged more than 80 percent of New Orleans and left more than 1,800 fatalities in its wake. Meanwhile, rapidly melting glaciers and ice sheets have caused sea levels to rise by 3.2 millimeters a year since 1995, which some predict could leave New Orleans submerged by the end of the century. In both scenarios—the levee failures in the Lower 9th Ward and the flooding caused by sea level rise—the low-income communities of color along the water's edge are the first to go.
<p style="">
A new season of
<a href="https://www.kcet.org/" target="_blank">KCET</a> and <a href="https://www.linktv.org/shows/earth-focus?utm_source=profile&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=ecowatch" target="_blank">Link TV's</a> news-magazine series <a href="https://www.linktv.org/shows/earth-focus" target="_blank"><em>Earth Focus</em></a>, in partnership with the Thomson Reuters Foundation, explores how environmental change is forcing all living creatures to adapt in order to survive.
</p><p>
The first episode,
<a href="https://www.linktv.org/shows/earth-focus/episodes/sea-level-rising-living-with-water" target="_blank"><em>Sea Level Rising</em></a>, is an in-depth look at the movement brewing in Louisiana to help communities adapt to a changing environment. Community organizations are educating the people of New Orleans on <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-change">climate change</a> while residents are taking matters into their own hands by building homes elevated off the ground and planting rain gardens that hold rainwater and prevent stormwater runoff. Cameras follow New Orleans Councilman at Large Jason Williams, as he and architect David Waggonner walk through an industrial area of New Orleans that is dotted with green infrastructure and criss-crossed with canals designed to catch stormwater runoff and circulate it around the city as part of the state-funded Greater New Orleans Urban Water Plan.
</p><p>
The episode then shifts its focus to the
<a href="http://www.cantstopthewater.com/the-island/" target="_blank">Native American Cajun community of the Isle de Jean Charles</a>, which is being displaced as coastal erosion and rising sea levels submerge the island, making them the first climate refugees in the U.S. The world watches as they partner with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to develop and implement a <a href="http://isledejeancharles.la.gov" target="_blank">pilot program</a> for the relocation of an entire community.
</p><p>
The six episodes in the upcoming season of
<em>Earth Focus</em> feature stories of both humans and animals surviving and sometimes even thriving in their rapidly changing environments as close as Los Angeles and as far as Madagascar.
</p><p>
As
<a href="https://www.ametsoc.org/ams/index.cfm/publications/bulletin-of-the-american-meteorological-society-bams/explaining-extreme-events-from-a-climate-perspective/" target="_blank">global warming continues to drive extreme weather events</a> around the world, people are fleeing areas hit with unprecedented droughts and rain. <a href="https://www.linktv.org/shows/earth-focus/episodes/climate-migration" target="_blank"><em>Climate Migration</em></a>, episode two of the season, shines a light on how drought and extreme winters are eliminating a traditional, nomadic farming lifestyle in Mongolia. Farming communities are moving to the city, where the air quality is so bad that many children are too ill to attend school on peak pollution days.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNzU5NDkyMi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NDAyOTUxOX0.GQ6VFCWnPDe1jpi37df2VAhl7VwUe8F5pfmlGq8K0DI/img.jpg?width=980" id="8f72f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ce1a32884edb3908ca283d4deb3e43e3" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">Shanshan Chen / Thomson Reuters Foundation</small>
</p><p>
The episode also examines the way a chain of text messages on Whatsapp and Facebook lead to the migration of thousands seeking asylum from earthquake and hurricane-ravaged Haiti to the U.S.-Mexico border in Tijuana. The episode explores how a system of migrant shelters struggles to provide aid to the large influx of Haitian refugees and how thousands refugees have resettled in Tijuana after President Trump ended a temporary residency permit program for Haitian refugees.
<br>
</p><p>
Adaptation is a recurring theme this season with episode three,
<a href="https://www.linktv.org/shows/earth-focus/episodes/city-planning" target="_blank"><em>Urban Planning</em></a>, exploring the ways in which San Francisco and Freetown, Sierra Leone adapt to changing weather patterns that threaten communities built in areas susceptible to mudslides and flooding.
</p><p>
Developers in San Francisco are pouring billions of dollars into developments to keep up with the city's growing tech industry, but with nowhere left to build, they're looking to waterfront real estate that sits on San Francisco's floodplains, while city officials look for ways to fund repairs for a century-old cracking seawall. The episode then looks at how years of civil war in Sierra Leone caused migration from rural areas to hillside slums in urban Freetown. Rocks to build homes were pulled from hillsides and slums expanded without infrastructure, contributing to massive floods and mudslides as unprecedented rainfall hit Freetown in 2017.
</p><p>
While some parts of the world are facing torrential downpours, areas like Western Morocco and Fresno have faced unprecedented drought. Episode four,
<a href="https://www.linktv.org/shows/earth-focus/episodes/adaptation-to-global-water-shortages" target="_blank"><em>Adaptation to Global Water Shortages</em></a>, shows how 13 villages in Morocco are being taught to use the ancient method of gathering moisture from fog, giving villagers a level of local control over their own water sources.
</p><p>
The episode also looks at how small unincorporated farmworker communities of Fresno struggle with water contamination while they work in agricultural fields that use up 80 percent of California's water supply. The viewer will learn how researchers are working to develop innovative affordable water treatment plants for the area.
</p><p>
Episode five,
<em>Future of Food</em>, looks at how fishing villages in Madagascar dealt with overfished and underprotected oceans by developing sustainable fishing practices, particularly for sea cucumber, that are resilient to climate change and growing populations.
</p><p>
Shifting to San Diego, California, the episode explores how aquaculturists are exploring open ocean farming as a more sustainable model for the fishing industry and the implications of this model for the local fishing industry.
</p><p>
The season ends in Los Angeles with episode six,
<em>Urban Habitat</em>, which explores how the county's wildlife has been adapting and thriving in spite of urban sprawl and how people are learning to embrace wildlife by implementing city and county projects that expand and connect green spaces for Angeleno wildlife like bobcats, coyotes and mountain lions.
</p><p>
"This is not a hoax, this is real. Climate change is real, so how do we live with it?" asks William P. Walters, a resident of New Orleans' 9th Ward. "[In] this section of town, we started to understand that water and climate change goes hand in hand."
<br>
<em></em>
</p><p>
The Earth's changing environment is forcing living creatures to adapt in order to survive, but their experiences can provide blueprints for survival for others around the world. Tune in to the upcoming 2018 season of
<em>Earth Focus</em> to see just how resilient communities around the world can be.
</p><p>
<span></span>The new season of <em>Earth Focus</em> premieres April 25 at 8:30 p.m. on KCET in Los Angeles, April 26 at 9 p.m. on Link TV on Dish and DirecTV in the United States, with FREE streaming worldwide on <a href="http://link.org/earthfocus" target="_blank">link.org/earthfocus</a>.
</p><p>
Watch the new season of
<em>Earth Focus </em>below:</p><div class="rm-embed embed-media"><iframe allowfullscreen="" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//players.brightcove.net/136368194/cd172251-0c8f-4f1f-9979-1f1f18022ca8_default/index.html?videoId=5776400315001" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe></div>
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'I Don't Know How You Survive This One': Pruitt's Condo Scandal Could Be His Last
02 April 2018
Popular
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Scott Pruitt. The White House / Flickr
From premium airfare to round-the-clock security, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) head Scott Pruitt's receipts have raised alarm bells before, but could his latest controversy be the last straw?
During television appearances Sunday, several lawmakers and former Trump officials condemned the industry-friendly EPA administrator's alleged $50-a-night deal at a D.C. townhouse co-owned by an energy lobbyist and his wife.
<p style="">
"I don't know how you survive this one, and if he has to go, it's because he never should have been there in the first place," former Republican New Jersey governor and
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-watch" target="_blank">Trump</a> transition head Chris Christie said on ABC News'<em> This Week</em>.
</p><p style="">
He "may be on his way out," Democratic Senator Doug Jones of Alabama also said on the same show.
</p><p style="">
"I think he's in real trouble," Jones added. "People are just frustrated with
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/zinke-political-fundraising-2493247480.html">Cabinet members</a> who seem to want to use taxpayer dollars to fund their own personal lifestyle."
</p><p style="">
On CBS's
<em>Face the Nation</em>, Vermont independent Senator <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/zinke-political-fundraising-2493247480.html">Bernie Sanders</a> said, "You got a guy who's head of the EPA now who is nothing more than a front man for the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels">fossil fuel</a> industry, and that is a very serious problem and the Congress has got to stand up and oppose that line of policy."
</p><p style="">
Here's a breakdown of Pruitt's condo scandal, as extensively
<a href="https://www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2018/03/what-we-know-pruitts-fossil-fuel-lobbyist-housing-scandal" target="_blank">detailed</a> by the <a href="https://www.sierraclub.org/" target="_blank">Sierra Club</a>:
</p><ul class="ee-ul">
<li>Scott Pruitt <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/pruitt-arranged-condo-deal-energy-lobbyist-source/story?id=54121795" target="_blank">worked directly</a> with a lobbyist for the fossil fuel industry and automakers to arrange a <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/pruitt-arranged-condo-deal-energy-lobbyist-source/story?id=54121795" target="_blank">sweetheart deal</a> on a townhouse co-owned by the lobbyist's wife in a high-priced D.C. neighborhood.</li></ul><ul class="ee-ul">
<li>The lobbyist—Steven Hart—is the head of the D.C. lobbying firm <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/exclusive-cabinet-trouble-trump-epa-chief-lived-condo/story?id=54095310" target="_blank">Williams and Jensen</a>, which specifically lobbies the EPA on Clean Air Act policies, according to ABC. Hart represents Cheniere Energy, the company that owned the only operating Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) export plant in the U.S. at the time of Scott Pruitt's taxpayer-funded trip to <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/exclusive-cabinet-trouble-trump-epa-chief-lived-condo/story?id=54095310" target="_blank">Morocco where he advocated for LNG exports</a>.</li></ul><ul class="ee-ul">
<li>Hart's firm also represents the American Automotive Policy Council, which includes automakers such as Ford, who <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/09/22/epa-chief-pruitt-met-with-many-corporate-execs-shortly-before-making-decisions-in-their-favor/?utm_term=.e1942c01af28" target="_blank">lobbied</a> Pruitt's forthcoming decision to roll back clean car standards.</li></ul><ul class="ee-ul">
<li>Pruitt reportedly paid for just one room in the otherwise unoccupied townhouse, and declined to tell ethics officials his adult <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/exclusive-epa-chief-pruitt-joined-family-condo-tied/story?id=54125092" target="_blank">daughter</a> stayed in another room he was not paying for.</li></ul><ul class="ee-ul">
<li>Pruitt reportedly <a href="https://twitter.com/NormEisen/status/979701630470967297" target="_blank">paid far below market value</a> for the room he rented and ethics officials from both past <a href="https://twitter.com/RWPUSA/status/979755337212420096" target="_blank">Republican</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/NormEisen/status/979676000563933185" target="_blank">Democratic</a> administrations say he violated federal ethics rules for accepting gifts from lobbyists as a result, while ethics expert Norm Eisen noted the violations may "<a href="http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/381028-former-federal-ethics-officials-highly-concerned-over-pruitts-50" target="_blank">have crossed into criminal territory</a>."</li></ul><ul class="ee-ul">
<li>Here is a map of<a href="https://twitter.com/EricaMartinson/status/979735390792929280" target="_blank"> AirBnB rates</a> in the same neighborhood as the lobbyist's townhouse. Similar units cost<a href="https://twitter.com/RepDonBeyer/status/979772894959095813" target="_blank"> up to $5,000 a month</a>. Pruitt paid <a href="https://twitter.com/JenniferJJacobs/status/979674766645882880" target="_blank">$6,100 for his entire six month stay</a>.</li></ul><ul class="ee-ul">
<li>While living in the home, Hart <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-30/epa-chief-s-50-a-night-rental-said-to-raise-white-house-angst" target="_blank">continued</a> to have dinner parties and functions, raising questions about whether political fundraisers were held in the house while Pruitt was there. Hart and his <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00039206&cycle=2018" target="_blank">firm</a> have donated more than <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000276&cycle=2018" target="_blank">$600,000</a> to political candidates this year.</li></ul><ul class="ee-ul">
<li>To top it off, Pruitt's security detail broke down the door of the townhouse concerned that Pruitt was unconscious. It turned out <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/exclusive-pruitts-epa-security-broke-door-lobbyist-condo/story?id=54129080" target="_blank">Pruitt was merely napping ... on a workday afternoon</a>. The EPA reimbursed the lobbyist for the door, meaning he was likely paid with taxpayer dollars. (Speaking of taxpayer dollars—Pruitt has <a href="http://thehill.com/regulation/energy-environment/380962-dem-senator-pruitt-took-taxpayer-funded-security-detail-to" target="_blank">a habit</a> of <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-edit-pruitt-travel-first-class-20180216-story.html" target="_blank">wasting money </a><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/12/politics/epa-scott-pruitt-travel/index.html" target="_blank">when he's not</a> the one picking up the tab).</li>
</ul><p style="">
"This is not a simple conflict of interest—this is corruption, plan and simple," Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune said. "Pruitt got a sweetheart deal from a fossil fuel lobbyist and then pushed the agenda of that lobbyist at the EPA and on taxpayer-funded international trips—and that's just the latest scandal."
</p><p style="">
Brune continued, "The fossil fuel lobbyists Pruitt is taking favors and marching orders from are telling him to throw out the safeguards that keep our air and water safe from their pollution, and our kids are at risk as a result. The only way for this non-stop deluge of scandals and negative headlines to stop is for Pruitt to be fired immediately."
</p><p style="">
Congressmen Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) had a similar opinion, tweeting directly at President Trump: "Republicans who
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-denier">don't believe</a> in <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/">climate change</a> and want to dismantle environmental protections are a dime a dozen. You don't need Scott Pruitt, who spent taxpayer dollars on first-class travel, violated ethics laws and is deeply paranoid. You should fire him."
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed" style="">
</p><div id="f2159" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8CE1P41576662783"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="980139039679397888" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Dear @realDonaldTrump: Republicans who don't believe in climate change & want to dismantle environmental protection… https://t.co/hMzOVZwUDW</div> — Ted Lieu (@Ted Lieu)<a href="https://twitter.com/tedlieu/statuses/980139039679397888">1522518331.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p style="">
Pruitt has not commented on the reports. EPA spokesman Jahan Wilcox defended the arrangement.
</p><p style="">
"As EPA career ethics officials stated in a memo, Administrator Pruitt's housing arrangement for both himself and family was not a gift and the lease was consistent with federal ethics regulations," he told
<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-pruitt/environment-chief-pruitt-under-more-pressure-after-condo-reports-lawmakers-idUSKCN1H81GA" target="_blank">Reuters</a>.
</p><p style="">
The memo, from EPA ethics official Kevin Minoli, said such arrangements were not considered "gifts" if a federal official pays market value for them.
</p><p style="">
"Under the terms of the lease, if the space was utilized for one 30-day month, then the rental cost would be $1,500, which is a reasonable market price," the memo said.
</p><p style="">
However, Reuters reported that local real estate websites show that the average market price for a similar property in the area is at least three times as much.
</p><p style="">
Walter Shaub, the former Office of Government ethics director who resigned in July after clashes with the Trump administration, called the memo "total baloney."
</p><p style="">
He tweeted, "You cannot get a whole place to yourself in that prime location for $1,500 a month, nor will you find anyone willing to hold the place open for you all month and charge you only for the nights you use it."
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p>
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By Andy Sharpless
In the last several weeks, Oceana and its allies won five important victories that will help protect biodiversity and increase abundance in our seas:
<p style=""><span></span><strong>1. Belize bans offshore oil drilling in country's marine waters, home to the largest barrier reef in the Americas. </strong></p><p style=""><strong></strong><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/belize-offshore-drilling-wwf-2522728566.html">Belize made history</a> in late December when it signed into law a moratorium on <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/offshore-oil-drilling">offshore oil drilling</a> in the entirety of Belizean waters, which contain the second largest barrier reef system in the world (and largest in the Western Hemisphere). This decision was the culmination of more than 10 years of campaigning by Oceana and its allies, and by the tens of thousands of Belizeans committed to stopping drilling in their barrier reef. The Belize Barrier Reef—a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996—is home to nearly 1,400 species and is critical to the livelihood of more than half of Belize's population due to its central role in Belizean tourism and fishing.</p><p style=""><span></span><strong>2. Chile bans bottom trawling in 98 percent of its seas. </strong></p><p style=""><strong></strong>Liesbeth van der Meer, Oceana's leader in Chile, sat next to Chile's Undersecretary of Fisheries, Pablo Berazaluce, as the country announced—in a joint statement with Oceana—that the country would ban bottom trawling in 98 percent of Chile's waters (specifically in its Exclusive Economic Zone or EEZ). This decision puts Chile at the forefront of countries stopping this destructive fishing practice, by which large weighted nets are dragged across the ocean floor, clear-cutting and destroying ocean habitat while also netting tons of other life not targeted by fishermen. This win follows several others protecting Chile's ocean habitat. In fact, the country has now made 13 percent of its waters "no take" marine areas (up from less than one percent when Oceana began campaigning on these issues).</p><p style=""><strong>3.</strong> <strong>Canada acts to make the status of its fisheries transparent to its citizens. </strong></p><p style=""><strong></strong>Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans released—for the first time—a comprehensive review of the status of fisheries in Canada along with proposed rebuilding plans (and accompanying timetables) for 19 fisheries. While this effort is only a first step, it is a major leap forward in transparency and accountability for Canada's seas.</p><p style=""><span></span><strong>4. 21 countries and the EU protect endangered cold-water corals throughout the Mediterranean. </strong></p><p style=""><strong></strong>Four deep-sea coral species will now be protected in the Mediterranean. The Barcelona Convention, a multi-country regional sea convention, voted in favor of adding four additional coral species—cockscomb cup coral, yellow-tree coral, yellow coral and bamboo coral—to the list <a href="http://www.rac-spa.org/sites/default/files/annex/annex_2_en_2013.pdf" target="_blank">(Annex II)</a> of endangered or threatened species in the Mediterranean Sea. This action will protect these animals and also help to ensure the survival of marine life that live and depend on these underwater coral gardens. The members of the Barcelona convention include: Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, the European Community, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Slovenia, Spain, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey.</p><p style=""><span></span><strong>5. The Philippines appoints a special prosecutor to prosecute illegal commercial fishing in the country's largest marine protected area. </strong></p><p style=""><strong></strong>The government of the Philippines named a special prosecutor to pursue cases related to illegal fishing in the Tañon Strait, the largest MPA in the Philippines. Tañon Strait, a 161-kilometer strip dividing the provinces of Cebu and Negros Island, is one of the largest and most productive parts of oceans in the Philippines, accounting for 63 percent of the country's coral species and 14 types of whales and dolphins. Despite its nearly two decades as a protected area, Tañon Strait remained under constant pressure from illegal commercial fishing due to a lack of enforcement. The appointment of a special prosecutor follows several other new enforcement measures for Tañon Strait, including the use of vessel monitoring systems. The new special prosecutor has already received her first case.</p><p style="">These are significant victories, and only a fraction of the <a href="http://oceana.org/victories" target="_blank">more than 200 that Oceana has won since its founding in 2001</a>. In the ever-shifting political situations from Peru to the Philippines to the U.S., this has been our constant: Oceana will continue to campaign and win the victories we need to make our oceans truly biodiverse and abundant.</p>
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Katharine Hayhoe talks climate communication hacks at the Natural Products Expo West Convention. Climate Collaborative
By Katie O'Reilly
Katharine Hayhoe isn't your typical atmospheric scientist. Throughout her career, the evangelical Christian and daughter of missionaries has had to convince many (including her pastor husband) that science and religion need not be at odds when it comes to climate change. Hayhoe, who directs Texas Tech's University's Climate Science Center, is CEO of ATMOS Research, a scientific consulting company, and produces the PBS Kids' web series Global Weirding, rose to national prominence in early 2012 after then-presidential candidate Newt Gingrich dropped her chapter from a book he was editing about the environment. The reason? Hayhoe's arguments affirmed that climate change was no liberal hoax. The Toronto native attracted the fury of Rush Limbaugh, who encouraged his listeners to harass her.
<p>After the ensuing deluge of hate mail, Hayhoe made a habit of reaching out to climate foes. Along with her husband Andrew Farley, she wrote <a href="http://climateforchangethebook.com/" target="_blank"><em>A Climate for Change: Global Warming Facts for Faith-Based Decisions</em></a>. She also authored 2014's third National Climate Change Assessment for the National Academy of Sciences. Last year, <em>Fortune</em> magazine named Hayhoe one of the world's <a href="http://fortune.com/worlds-greatest-leaders/katharine-hayhoe-15/" target="_blank">50 greatest leaders</a>. While she frequently gives talks on climate science and faith, she often makes a point of keeping science <em>out</em> of her talks.</p><p>"Often our instinct is to think that if our climate skeptic uncles or neighbors just knew the facts, they'd change their mind—that they just need more information," Hayhoe told a room full of environmentalists earlier this month at the Natural Products Expo West convention in Anaheim, California. "But that's assuming that people are blank slates waiting to be written on with the correct information—that if we go and find the talking points and write more reports and make more videos and use cool communication tools to get our facts across, they'll say, 'Oh, thank you very much!'"</p><p>When it comes to climate change denialism, Hayhoe tends to defer to social scientists. "They've found that more education doesn't change people's perceptions—that in fact, the people with the highest degree of science literacy aren't the ones who are most concerned, but rather, the most polarized. Because those people can muster evidence to explain why they're right, too."</p><p>Hayhoe vehemently advises against engaging with the "smokescreens" skeptics tend to offer as the reasons they couldn't possibly agree with or act on the issue of climate change. "There'll be no progress that way," she insists. "It's a lot easier for people to say, 'I have a problem with the science' than it is to talk about what the real problem is."</p><p><em>Sierra</em> sat down with the scientist and mother to discuss what climate skepticism <em>really </em>boils down to, the best ways to counter it, and why we should probably all stop framing the climate crisis as an environmental issue.</p><p><strong><em>Sierra</em></strong><strong>: From a global perspective, the United States stands out for our considerable contingent of vocal climate change deniers. Why do you think this attitude is so uniquely American?</strong></p><p><strong>Katharine Hayhoe: </strong>There's some of that sentiment in Australia as well, and in Alberta, the province known as the "Texas of Canada." Interestingly, if you look across all countries' fossil fuel resources and political positions on climate, you'll find that economics doesn't account for all of it. Fossil fuel influences certainly have an influence, but look at Norway—oil made them rich! One recent study concluded that the U.S. Republican Party is an anomaly. Social scientists study the characteristics of different cultures—some, for instance, are very hierarchical, some are very communal, and some are very independent.<em> I can do it myself</em>. If you correlate the predominance of rejection of climate science with the independence of the culture, I'd bet you anything you'd find a significant correlation. The U.S. is the most culturally independent country in the world, followed by Australia, and then Alberta is much more independent-minded than other Canadian provinces.</p><p><strong>Where does this independence stem from?</strong></p><p>It comes from the ruggedness of the terrain and the challenges that people had to overcome and endure—and the <em>recency</em> of those struggles. Where I live in West Texas, lots of people's great-grandparents—people they knew personally—lived in dugout homes and adobe huts and had 12 children and were the pioneers who broke ground on the land their grandchildren still farm. Now look at people in Massachusetts, who are generations removed from those who broke the ground—they're detached. But people in Australia are new to their land, too, and have a strong anti-climate-change segment. You <em>need</em> resilience and toughness to succeed in those environments, but those same characteristics can cause you to reject communal action. Of course, fighting climate change requires people to work together for the benefit of the entire community—to not just <em>go it alone</em>. When you try to talk climate action to resilient pioneer types, they're often hearing that the government is gonna be their nanny and pick their car, set their thermostat, limit their water, and tell them what they can and can't do. And rugged individualists do <em>not</em> need a nanny. They believe the government wants to take away their freedom, and what's more American than freedom? The solutions are often presented to us as if they're <em>un-American</em>. And you just can't talk about these issues in ways that make people feel like their identities are under attack.</p><p>But of course, some of America's most enduring values are prosperity and security—and climate action fits squarely into both of those. I think one of the greatest disservices ever done was framing climate change as an environmental issue. Because it's an economic issue, a public health issue, a national security issue, a humanitarian issue. It's an issue of whatever it is that any given person already cares about. So rather than feeling like we have to instill <em>new</em> values into people—and if you come at it that way, people sense subliminal judgment, that you're saying they don't have the right values and you <em>do</em>—you need to enter the conversation as if the person you're speaking with has <em>exactly</em> the right values they need to care about climate change; that in fact, they're the perfect person to care and act.</p><p><strong>So how can you make tough, self-reliant, freedom-loving types care about climate change?</strong></p><p>That's the real problem because <em>no one</em> thinks it really matters. Even the people who think it's really important don't tend to think it affects them. Particularly if you're not already a dyed-in-the-wool environmentalist, climate action has be be framed as something that's a natural expression of something you already are—something that makes you feel like a better version of yourself. Why do people buy one brand of food or car over another? Because one makes them feel more like who they are and inspires positive emotions. So when we have these conversations, we need to start from a place of genuine appreciation of values we share with that person or that group.</p><p>Yesterday, I spoke to a club for young Albertan women in the petroleum industry, and we started our conversation with an appreciation for everything fossil fuels have brought us. Because after all, we'd be leading short, brutal lives if not for the industrial revolution! In Texas, you could start from a shared appreciation for water, because we always either have too much of it or not enough. With certain groups, and I know the Sierra Club is good at this, you can start from a shared appreciation for the outdoors.</p><p><strong>Can you talk about exactly how you've managed to bridge that gap with the faith-based community?</strong></p><p>Religious skeptics are known for claiming the climate has been in flux since God created it, and for writing off the arrogance of people who think they can affect God's will for the planet. But you know what? Every major world religion believes in stewardship for every being on this planet, and that we should care for people who are poor, suffering, vulnerable. I grew up in mission communities in South America, and you know, a lot of Christians are concerned about building wells and eradicating disease in the developing world—they care a lot about those things. Someone recently told me, "I've been trying to talk to my church about climate change and I'm just not getting through." I asked whether they'd considered proposing an energy audit of the church—one aimed toward savings that could specifically be used to increase the church's support for missions. You have to frame it to people in ways that give their values <em>more value</em>. Maybe people claim they don't agree with the science, but if you ask, "Do you think a changing climate is going to harm people in developing countries," they'll indeed agree with you.</p><p><strong>What about bridging the political gap? The 2016 presidential election showed that people's political affiliation is a huge indicator of whether they do or don't care about climate change. How do you move that conversation forward in a positive way?</strong></p><p>Climate change has absolutely become one of the most polarized issues. I'm going to offer a three-step strategy. First, figure out what we actually have in common, what values we share. Don't ever start from what divides but what unites us. Do we fish? Ski? Parent? Are we Rotarians? I ask that because I recently spoke at a Rotary Club chapter. Rotarians' guiding principles to build common purpose and direction are based on the "Four-Way Test," which asks: <em>Is it the truth? Is it fair? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned?</em> So, I took my presentation and organized it according to the four-way test. Afterward a local banker came up to me and said, "I'm not really on board with climate change, but it passed the four-way test. What can I do?"</p><p>We can always talk about how hurricanes are getting stronger and wildfires bigger, how heavy rainfall events are increasing and they're resulting in poverty and tropical diseases and refugee crises. But then we have to pivot to solutions. Because the number one reason people reject these issues is because global warming is depressing and stressful and divisive and raises fear, and because people often don't think there are any palatable, sensible solutions—but of course there are, in spades!</p><p><strong>What are some of the best ways you've found to discuss solutions?</strong></p><p>It sounds nerdy, but I <em>love</em> my LED lightbulbs and my solar shingles and my little plug-in car. I have great conversations with people about how much money I save. We can have cool conversations about not only individual actions, but about interesting corporate actions and what our community and our state is doing. You might say, "But Katharine, you live in <em>Texas</em>!" but I love talking to my neighbors about how we got 12 percent of our energy from wind in 2016 and then 18 percent of it from wind in 2017. I'll say, "Did you know we added 25,000 jobs in the wind industry last year? That Fort Hood, our biggest military base, went solar last year to save millions of dollars?"And this often leads to conversations about what the world is doing—look at China and Morocco and the U.K. China's installing giant offshore wind farms, solar roads, even panda-shaped solar farms! They flooded an open-pit coal mine and put floating solar panels in it. There are plenty of great conversations to have with people about all the great stuff that's happening, and how we can join in. But remember, you want to talk about solutions that will make people feel like the better versions of themselves—more pragmatic, more competitive, more innovative, maybe even more fiscally conservative! The ones that'll make them feel like they're making a difference and that are entirely consistent with their identities. Because nobody <em>wants</em> to be the bad guy.</p><p><strong>It feels like a lot of work to find that common ground before getting to the discussion of solutions. Are there any shortcuts?</strong></p><p>I'm not advocating for finding the people <em>most</em> different from you and starting these conversations. Only a small percentage of the climate denial community is straight-up dismissive—and that tends to be because it's part of their identity to dismiss everything. They may be the loudest, the ones who flood the comments sections and send the nasty mail, but they're only about 10 percent of the population. Don't try with them. Start with the people whose values you can appreciate—and through that genuine connection, you can start to understand what would make people want what you're selling, and you can broaden from there. I was recently at a conference and a fellow scientist came up and said, "I've been trying to reach out to churches in my community, but I can't get in the door." So I said, "Start with your own denomination," and he said, "I'm an atheist." Well, OK then, maybe churches are <em>not</em> where you should be starting.</p><p><strong>What about when you get stuck? Say you've landed on shared values—you and a climate denier agree the weather has been wild, but they just insist, "Oh, it's just part of the natural cycle." What then?</strong></p><p>Here's where you pivot and move on, beyond what they disagree on, to something you both agree on. You might offer one phrase of dissent—perhaps, "According to natural cycles we should be cooling down right now, not warming." But then, before the conversation becomes a game of whack-a-mole, change the subject. Try, "Did you know that China and India have more solar energy than any other countries in the world? I'm a little worried the U.S. is falling behind; aren't you worried, too?" At this point you've moved the conversation beyond what they don't agree on. Because whether it's a natural cycle or not, a lot of people are worried about losing the fight in the nuclear energy field. You want to acknowledge what people have to say but not to engage.</p><p><strong>What's the most common mistake environmentalists make when talking about climate change?</strong></p><p>The most dangerous way to present it is as a niche issue, one that only matters to a certain type of person with a narrow set of values. I mean, the number one symbol of a changing climate is a creature none of us have ever seen in the wild: a polar bear on a melting ice cap! How does that communicate that climate change needs to be <em>your</em> priority? But it's not about whether it's your third or your fifth priority. It shouldn't be a priority; it should matter precisely because it's already affecting <em>everything else</em> on your priority list: your kids, your recreation, what you eat, whatever industry you work in.</p><p>Farmers are intuitively connected to this issue on a deep level, but it's about how you cut through the noise and get down to the practical. After this last hurricane season, the housing industry finally wants to talk about this. The oil and gas industry sees different ways the market's being affected, and the end of the bridge suddenly looks a lot closer than it used to. We're starting to see the impacts, so by talking about them and sharing, we can look forward. Take emerging economies, where climate change is absolutely <em>not</em> a niche issue. They're suffering the brunts of the impacts and leading the world in renewable energy—they don't have the luxury of caring about environmental issues. For them, it's a future issue. As it should be for us all.</p><p> <em>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/katharine-hayhoe-reveals-surprising-ways-talk-about-climate-change" target="_blank">S</a></em><em><a href="https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/katharine-hayhoe-reveals-surprising-ways-talk-about-climate-change">IERRA Magazine</a>.</em><em></em></p>
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