John Kerry says Earth has 9 years to avert the worst consequences of climate crisis: "There's no...
Source: CBS News
February 19, 2021, 10:56 AM
John Kerry says Earth has 9 years to avert the worst consequences of climate crisis: "There's no faking it on this one"
The wild winter weather this week has been called historic and unprecedented, and John Kerry, U.S. special presidential envoy for climate, wants to stop it from becoming typical.
"Obviously we want to prevent this from becoming the new normal to the degree that we can," Kerry told CBS News' Ben Tracy.
Many people wrongly believe that climate change only relates to temperatures increasing, not decreasing. Kerry said it threatens all weather patterns.
"I think it's a very appropriate way to think of it, so it is directly related to the warming, even though your instinct is to say, wait a minute, this is the new Ice Age. But it's not," Kerry said. "It is coming from the global warming and it threatens all the normal weather patterns."
Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/climate-change-9-years-john-kerry/
= new reply since forum marked as read
have been on climate issues. I remember voting and thinking we would be calling him President Kerry. I was crushed when he lost.
Now he's out there with the Paris Climate people and we're lucky to still have him. 
obviously. Esp. the rain forests. Freaking ridiculous what's happening there.
Meaningful action requires individual commitments to creating sustainable home environments.
Got trees? 
If not,
Any real effort to reduce energy for cooling of homes requires first stopping the sun's rays from hitting the house and turning it into an oven. Nothing else comes close. Newer houses now are well sealed to hold in the sun's heat, all summer, requiring the AC to run all day and in many areas all night to cool the ovens. Warming in winter starts with deciduous trees that let the sun through to heat the house, and supplementing that as needed.
Might be useful to buy a rake at the same time as the tree(s) and fencing for a compost bin to toss the leaves in. No room/not allowed, build shading. And of course community meetings are for discussing community issues and making changing attitudes felt.
https://www.rocketspace.com/corporate-innovation/24-innovative-startups-making-climate-change-impact-in-2019
Transportation
Transportation is shifting. Key trends combating climate change in transportation include increased adoption of electric vehicles and infrastructure, ride-sharing, and launching mass easeful adoption of environment-friendly bikes and scooters.
Changing the way we move: electric vehicle (EV) startups to watch
Weltmeister: One of the few EV companies targeting the mainstream (vs luxury) market with a well-designed, 100% electric vehicle, Shanghai-based Weltmeister is positioned to lead the charge. It has raised an impressive $1 Billion and is led by a former Volvo executive, Freemen Shen.
ChargePoint: This electric vehicle charging infrastructure startup operates the world’s largest and most open EV charging network. Based in California, ChargePoint has raised over $500MM from top automotive brands such as Daimler and BMW.
Hail away: top ride-sharing startups steal markets from Uber
Bolt (formerly Taxify): Estonia-originated ride-sharing company rapidly expanded in Europe and Africa and is challenging Uber in those markets with $170MM in funding.
Didi Chuxing: Backed by Chinese giant TenCent and having acquired Uber’s China unit, the company known as “China’s Uber” is valued at a whopping $56B, making it the 3rd most valuable startup in the world.
Urban transportation domination: which startups will win the bike-share wars?
Mobike: The Shanghai-based startup emerged as the winner of the China bike-sharing market while rival Ofo is on the verge of bankruptcy. Mobike exited successfully via a $2.7B acquisition by Chinese super app service Meituan-Dianping.
Lime (formerly Limebike): As the bike-sharing market becomes increasingly saturated, California-based Lime is differentiating itself by phasing out its signature electric bikes in favor of electric scooters.
Agriculture
The top ways to combat climate change within agriculture include reducing meat consumption, specifically from beef cattle to minimize greenhouse gas emissions, leveraging technology to reduce excessive land and vehicle dependencies, and optimizing water transportation and usage.
Tastes like meat: top plant-based or lab-grown meats
Impossible Foods: Along with Beyond Meat, Just, and Terramino Foods, this Bill Gates-backed, California-based startup is the most recognized brand in plant-based meat and is already in numerous restaurants, including popular chains such as the Counter, Umami Burger, and Dave and Busters.
Mosa Meat: Along with Memphis Meats, Aleph Farms, and Finless Foods, this Netherlands-based company is leading the way in lab-grown meats made from animal cells, significantly reducing land and soil depletion, methane emissions, and often inhumane practices caused by traditional cattle raising.
Smart farming: technology startups optimizing farming resource allocation
Bowery Farming: The leader in urban farming, this New York-based startup backed by GV (Google Ventures) builds warehouse farms that use proprietary computer software, LED lighting, and robotics to grow leafy greens without pesticides and with 95% less water than traditional agriculture.
TerrAvion: This California-based technology company uses aerial imagery along with heat and soil maps to identify problem areas across expansive farms and efficiently deploy targeted solutions.
Slow the flow: startups in water usage optimization
AquaSpy: Based in Australia, this water technology startup provides a soil-monitoring system that measures moisture, temperature, and electrical conductivity. This tells farmers specifically where to apply fertilizer and improves crop yields of up to 40%!
PowWow Energy: Another California-based startup turns existing smart energy meters into water flow meters that detect anomalies in water irrigation patterns to reduce waste. It also helps with tracking, monitoring, and reporting for regulatory compliance.
More at the link above.
