16 February 2023 - NPWJ News Digest on Environmental Justice & Human Rights

Articles

Do people yet to be born have climate change rights?
BBC, 16 Feb 2023

Seven years ago, Sophie Howe became the world's first ever future generations commissioner. Tasked to be the guardian of the interests of future generations in Wales, she was made responsible for giving advice on long-term thinking to the Welsh government – including on climate. It's a role that at once both makes sense and raises a host of difficult questions. How on Earth can someone manage to represent people who will be born in five, 50 or 100 years, for example?

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Explaining Climate Change, With a Little Tech Help
The New York Times, 15 Feb 2023

Last fall, the Climate desk at The New York Times asked readers to submit their questions on a complex topic: climate change. Thousands poured in. Many of them were questions about the science of global warming and solutions. So editors and reporters narrowed the list to about 50 questions and began reporting out the answers.Those responses appear in an interactive project that was published online last week. Readers can use a search function to browse questions or ask one of their own.

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How Climate Change Is Spreading Malaria in Africa
The New York Times, 14 Feb 2023

Warming temperatures are chasing animals and plants to new habitats, sometimes with devastating consequences to ecosystems. But there is little evidence regarding how far and how fast the invaders might be moving. A new study offers a glimpse of the future by looking to the past. Mosquitoes that transmit malaria in sub-Saharan Africa have moved to higher elevations by about 6.5 meters (roughly 21 feet) per year and away from the Equator by 4.7 kilometers (about three miles) per year over the past century, according to the study.

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How to Make Climate Change a Bipartisan Priority
Politico, 14 Feb 2023

As a divided Congress gets underway, the environmental movement must confront a fundamental, and perhaps uncomfortable, reality: The U.S. will not be able to successfully address climate change without bipartisanship. This is not to discount last year’s passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which Democrats squeezed through Congress without any GOP votes. However, there is still much work to do on climate and likely a decade’s wait, or longer, until Democrats again secure unified control of government.

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Flowering into frost: Climate change is ‘destroying’ Spain’s treasured almonds
Euronews, 14 Feb 2023

Almond blossoms always used to be a welcome sign that spring was on its way in Spain. But the pretty pink flowers are no longer a reliable indicator, as climate change throws the seasons out of sync. 2023 was the third-driest year in Spain since records were started in 1964. The Mediterranean country also had its hottest summer on record.

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