Can Keir Starmer save us?

Hi friend,

I just emerged from the other side of a bout of “walking pneumonia” to find Joe Biden fossilising before our eyes, Donald Trump dodging bullets, and Ron DeSantis criminalising lab-grown meat.

The world has gone mad, and I want to retreat to the couch and continue binge-watching Bridgerton and Queen Charlotte for another two weeks, especially when it feels like Trump has already won the election.

At least some sanity has prevailed in the UK with the election of Keir Starmer as the new Prime Minister. Here’s hoping he can reverse some of the damage done by Rishi Sunak, because I don’t think the world can survive that and the environmental catastrophe that will come about from a second Trump presidency.

Maybe if there were some diversity in gender and race in the top ranks, things would look a lot different. Just saying.

— Tarryn ??

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The good news

???? The UK has a new Prime Minister: Keir Starmer from the Labour Party wants the UK to become a clean energy superpower, which is welcome news after outgoing PM Rishi Sunak’s disastrous reign in which he knocked back the UK’s climate progress. The Green Party also had its strongest ever general election performance, quadrupling its representation in parliament.

?? The Biden administration released a draft text ?of a proposed rule on preventing heat injury and illness among US workers. If finalised, the proposed rule would become the nation’s first-ever federal regulation on heat stress in the workplace .

?? Coldplay, the worst band in the world, will release a limited ‘Notebook Edition’ of its latest LP, manufactured using recycled river plastic intercepted by The Ocean Cleanup .

?? In a landmark ruling on fossil fuel projects, the UK has reversed a decision to grant permission for an oil drilling operation and dropped its defence to a legal challenge over a disputed new coal mine.

?? Australia wants to quadruple the protected oceans around the World Heritage-listed Heard and McDonald Islands, which are home to penguins, seals, whales, and albatross. The proposal recommends expanding this marine reserve by over 300,000 km2—an area larger than Italy—which would increase Australia’s marine protected areas to more than half of Australian oceans.

???? The Philippines will host the board of the "Loss and Damage" fund , marking another step towards providing financial help for developing countries to recover and rebuild from the impact of global warming.

???? The New Zealand government has released its climate change strategy, setting out its approach to how it will deliver on its climate goals. The strategy focuses on five pillars , including infrastructure, clean energy, climate innovation, and nature-based solutions.

???? Canada has passed a new bill that aims to develop a national strategy to address environmental racism.

??? The oil industry withdrew an effort to overturn a law aimed at curbing the deadly effects of neighbourhood oil drilling in California.

The bad news

?? Iceland's government has issued a licence?to the Hvalur company to kill 128 fin whales during the 2024 hunting season (up from 161 last year). An independent report by the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority on whaling revealed some whales killed in hunts take up to two hours to die, with 41% of whales suffering immensely before dying for an average of 11.5 minutes.

?? 83% of cities worldwide are dealing with significant climate hazards, up from 80% in 2022, with flooding and extreme heat being the most widespread challenges.

?? In 2019, the incomes of the top 10% of households were associated with about 40% of US emissions, according to research . The incomes of the top 1% were associated with 15-17% of national emissions, more than the lowest-earning 50% of US households. This is yet another reason why the rich should pay a carbon tax.

?? Florida has become the first US state to ban lab-grown meat . Governor Ron DeSantis made it illegal to sell, manufacture, or distribute cultivated meat. Those who do could face 60 days in jail and fines of up to US$500.

?? Wild weather:

• ??? Deadly heatwave in Greece .
• ?? Wildfires rip through 14,000 acres of grasslands in Los Angeles .
• ?? Hurricane Beryl blasted through the Caribbean, Mexico, and Texas as the earliest Category 5 storm ever to form in the Atlantic, fuelled by record warm waters. Beryl was also the fastest on record to become a Category 4 and 5 storm.
• ?? Floods and landslides in Nepal kill 15.
• ?? Scorching heat across five continents set 1,400 records last week.
• ??? Floods displace 15,000 in the Western Cape, South Africa .
• ?? Flooding and landslides in South Korea .

Business news

?? In a bid to boost electrification, Uber is offering drivers in London without electric vehicles ￡5,000 to help them switch to one.

?? General Motors has been fined US$148.5 million for selling nearly six million cars that emitted more carbon dioxide than the company had claimed.

One small thing you can do

Sign these petitions to ban whale hunting in Iceland and Japan.

?? Ban whaling in Japan ????

?? Ban whaling in Iceland ????

Because lots of little actions combined can add up to something remarkable.

I'll leave you on this happy note...

Marine scientists from Charles Darwin University (CDU) and Australian National University (ANU) have filmed a blue whale mother nursing her calf underwater for the first time.

And, in another feel-good story, a humpback whale that had become entangled in 800kg of fishing rope and buoys was rescued in Queensland last week. It’s thought the whale dragged the load all the way from Antarctica before being freed in Australian waters.

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