[GWSG] Suing fossils; Lancet on climate & health; PhysOrg on Lancet; 2/3 want action, ignorant; IEA: peak C in 2025

[Tilley, Al]

1. Cities and states are finding it expensive to deal with the altering climate. Fossil fuel companies, which knowingly caused and are causing the damage, might be expected to pay the bill, but you must sue them if you want them to do that. This series deals with the suits being brought against corporations for incurring climate liability partly by operating a public nuisance. Other grounds include failure to warn and duty to care. The companies’ first tactic has been to delay action by trying to move the cases to federal courts and away from juries.  On the assumption that if you are interested you will follow the series, I won’t ordinarily run further installments. Billions of dollars and our climate policies are at stake. Thanks to Patrick Parenteau for putting me onto Drilled, which is publishing the series.  https://outlook.office.com/mail/inbox/id/AAQkADY3M2IwNjNlLWY1ODItNGUxMi04MGY0LTE4OWQxNGM3ZWNlNAAQALuEQSbewbdDp7dGrWpACjA%3D

2. The Lancet has published a comprehensive public access report on the health costs of the climate crisis. The emphasis is on Europe, though the report includes global conditions. “ With a world dangerously close to reaching climate-driven points of no return and an increasing energy crisis, and with the health of populations increasingly undermined by global warming, Europe is at a crucial point for change. If climate mitigation and adaptation plans are designed and implemented with health, wellbeing, and equity as the main focus, this could represent the biggest public health policy opportunity of the century.” (Executive Summary)  https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(22)00197-9/fulltext

3. PhysOrg summarizes the Lancet report. Opening paragraph: “ Extreme weather from climate change triggered hunger in nearly 100 million people and increased heat deaths by 68% in vulnerable populations worldwide as the world's ‘fossil fuel addiction’ degrades public health each year, doctors reported in a new study.” https://phys.org/news/2022-10-doctors-fossil-fuel-addiction-starves.html

4. About 2/3 of Americans believe that the government should take stronger action, but then about 61% know little or nothing about the Inflation Reduction Act, our major climate legislation. https://apnews.com/article/inflation-biden-technology-trending-news-government-and-politics-e734337636b6dba18840649e3c9db73b

5. The International Energy Agency expects carbon pollution to peak in 2025 as renewable energy development overtakes the demand for fossil fuels. One factor spurring the transition to renewables is the Ukrainian invasion. Projected annual investments in renewable energy will have to double by 2030 to $4tn if we are to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, necessary to achieving a 1.5C heating maximum. Current policies will lead to 2.5C. (A separate UN study has also come to that conclusion.) New fossil fuel development jeopardizes our climate goals and must cease.  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/27/carbon-emissions-to-peak-in-2025-in-historic-turning-point-says-iea

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