Radar plots of urban types based on identified factors. For each city we collect information on 64 urban indicators, from which we identify nine dominant factors: metro, bus rapid transit (BRT), bikeshare, development, population, sustainability, congestion, sprawl, and network density (Oke, et al. 2018). We then cluster the 331 cities on these nine factors, producing 12 unique city types Radar plots indicate normalized factor scores (from 0 to 1) averaged for all cities in each type; adapted from Oke, et al. (2018). The “Congested Boomer” type represents rapidly growing megacities with severe congestion problems and low metro availability, particularly in India; notable members are Bangalore, Mumbai, and Delhi. Graphic: MIT

Why the electric-car revolution may take a lot longer than expected – MIT analysis finds steady declines in battery costs will stall soon

By James Temple 19 November 2019 (Technology Review) – A new report from the MIT Energy Initiative warns that EVs may never reach the same sticker price so long as they rely on lithium-ion batteries, the energy storage technology that powers most of today’s consumer electronics. In fact, it’s likely to take another decade just to eliminate […]

Graphs showing change in global human activities from 1979 to the present. Graphic: Ripple, et al., 2019 / BioScience

More than 11,000 scientists issue warning of climate emergency – “An immense increase of scale in endeavors to conserve our biosphere is needed to avoid untold suffering due to the climate crisis”

5 November 2019 (BioScience) – Scientists have a moral obligation to clearly warn humanity of any catastrophic threat and to “tell it like it is.” On the basis of this obligation and the graphical indicators presented below, we declare, with more than 11,000 scientist signatories from around the world, clearly and unequivocally that planet Earth […]

Screenshot showing the moment when Chlöe Swarbrick, a member of the New Zealand Parliament, shut down a heckler by saying, “OK, Boomer” during her speech on landmark climate legislation on Tuesday, 5 November 2019. She went on to say, “How many world leaders for how many decades have seen and known what is coming but have decided that it is more politically expedient to keep it behind closed doors? My generation and the generations after me do not have that luxury.” Photo: New Zealand Parliament

Video: 25-year-old NZ lawmaker shuts down heckler during climate speech with a quick, “OK, Boomer”

By Reis Thebault 5 November 2019 (The Washington Post) — The 25-year-old lawmaker was just 40 seconds into her speech about the dire importance of stricter climate change policy when a heckle rang through the mostly empty hearing room. “In the year 2050, I will be 56 years old; yet, right now, the average age […]

Country-specific total CO2 emission shares GtC per year of the biggest 5 emitters. Graphic: Nauels, et al., 2019 / PNAS

Just 15 years of post-Paris emissions to lock in 20 cm of sea level rise in the year 2300 – “Emissions today will inevitably cause seas to rise a long way into the future. This process cannot be reversed. It is our legacy for humankind.”

5 November 2019 (PIK) – Unless governments significantly scale up their emission reduction efforts, the 15 years’ worth of emissions released under their current Paris Agreement pledges alone would cause 20 cm of sea-level rise over the longer term, according to new research published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). […]

A house burns in the Kincade Fire on 23 October 2019 as a metal sculpture of an animal looks on. Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez / SF Chronicle

U.S. formally begins to leave the Paris climate agreement

By Rebecca Hersher 4 November 2019 (NPR) – The Trump administration has formally notified the United Nations that the U.S. is withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement. The withdrawal will be complete this time next year, after a one-year waiting period has elapsed. “We will continue to work with our global partners to enhance resilience […]

Members of security forces detain a demonstrator during an anti-government protest in Santiago, Chile. Photo: Edgard Garrido / REUTERS

Chile president cancels Apec and climate summits amid wave of unrest

SANTIAGO (30 October 2019) – Chile’s embattled president has cancelled the Apec trade summit in November and the Cop 25 climate summit in December, as his government struggles with the largest wave of political unrest since the end of the Pinochet dictatorship. Sebastián Piñera made the announcement on Wednesday after 12 days of massive demonstrations […]

The coal-fired Quezon Power Plant in Mauban, Quezon, the Philippines. The 511-megawatt power plant was commissioned in 2000 and is owned and operated by Quezon Power Limited Co. Photo: Acersteel

Coal power plants flourish in the Philippines despite “climate emergency” – “It is unfortunate that another coal plant has been inaugurated in the country”

By Leilani Chavez 28 October 2019 MANILA (Mongabay) – In 1996, when a community in the Philippine municipality of Pagbilao agreed to house a coal power plant a few hours’ drive from Manila, the residents had high hopes. The fishing town saw in the dominating edifice full-time jobs and food on the table, says Warren […]

Clip from BP’s “Energy Illustrated” web series. Graphic: Spencer Dale / BP

BP chief economist to youth conference: “The haves must remember the have nots”

By Spencer Dale 23 October 2019 LONDON (BP) – It’s a great pleasure to be here this morning. One Young World is a big deal in BP. As you just heard, Bob Dudley is a massive fan. And many friends and colleagues have been delegates in the past and raved about it. So I’ve heard […]

Greta Thunberg speaks to climate protesters in front of the Alberta Legislature Building, 18 October 2019. Photo: D. Chidley / Picture Alliance

Greta Thunberg calls for climate action in Canada’s oil heartland – “We’re doing this because our future is at stake”

19 October 2019 (DW) – Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg joined thousands of protesters marching in Alberta, Canada’s energy heartland, on Friday as a smaller counterrally of oil and gas workers converged on the provincial capital, Edmonton. While Thunberg steered clear of making any direct criticism of Alberta’s oil sands or of commenting explicitly on […]

Montage of photos showing Extinction Rebellion protesters in the UK demonstrations in October 2019. Photo: The Guardian

UK police seek tougher powers against Extinction Rebellion – Clampdown on climate protests sets “disturbing precedent”, says UN rights expert

By Vikram Dodd, Matthew Taylor, Damien Gayle, and Jessica Murray 19 October 2019 (The Guardian) – Government and police have held talks to strengthen public order laws to allow a tougher crackdown on future Extinction Rebellion (XR) climate demonstrations in what civil rights lawyers warn would be a “a shocking assault on the right to protest.” The […]

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