Notations From the Grid (Special Climate Weekly Edition): An Inconvenient sequel & a Snapshot on Climate News

 

More than a decade after former US Vice President Al Gore helped get millions talking about the climate crisis with An Inconvenient Truth, he returns to the big screen next week with the exciting new film An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power.  An Inconvenient Sequel arrives at a critical moment in our movement’s history, as Americans fight back against an administration that prioritizes the interests of fossil fuel corporations over the health of our planet.    The film follows Vice President Gore as he travels the world and works with scientists, activists, and ordinary citizens to build an international coalition ready to confront the greatest challenge of our time.  We’re thrilled to share that An Inconvenient Sequel also showcases our Climate Reality Leadership Corps trainings, reminding us what can happen when regular citizens stand up and speak out to protect our shared home.  The film will be released in New York and Los Angeles on July 28, before hitting theaters nationwide on August 4. To watch a preview of An Inconvenient Sequel, check out the trailer below. WATCH Please also note this latest on climate news: Updates from Today's Climate 07/21/2017 Trump Administration Canceling Hundreds of Obama-Era Regulations The White House Office of Management and Budget detailed yesterday how it would eliminate hundreds of regulations, upending federal policies designed to protect labor, the environment and public health as part of its push to reduce restrictions on business and industry. (Washington Post) Whistleblower Case Shows How Trump Tries to Silence Science The case of Joel Clement, a senior Interior Department scientist who was reassigned after speaking up about climate change, appears to be part of a pattern, a new report suggests. Clement says the administration "has abused a long list of rules and procedures to purge scientists and experts that don't agree with their political views." (InsideClimate News) Judge Says Energy Trade Group Can Weigh in on Dakota Access Pipeline North Dakota's main energy trade group will be allowed to weigh in on the decision on whether to temporarily shut down the Dakota Access oil pipeline, a judge said yesterday. National energy and manufacturing groups may also be able to have a say. (Associated Press) Paying People to Stop Cutting Down Trees Pays Off, Study Finds Researchers found that "payments for ecosystems services" in Ugandan villages had climate and economic benefits. In two years, where landowners were paid to leave trees standing, forests lost 4.2 percent of trees, while forests in villages where landowners received nothing lost 9.1 percent. (InsideClimate News ) What Will It Take to Reach the Climate Change Goals Set by Colorado’s Governor? Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper signed an executive order last week calling for cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 26 percent by 2025. For all the praise, there is just as much skepticism over the fact that the plan did not outline concrete steps to achieve the goal. (Colorado Independent) Environmental Groups Sue EPA Over Lax Texas Air Pollution Permits Environmental groups are suing the EPA, alleging that it isn't properly policing air pollution permits in Texas. They say a loophole in Texas law allows oil refineries and power plants to release emissions when machinery malfunctions or undergoes maintenance. (Texas Tribune) Asia's Coal-Fired Power Boom 'Bankrolled by Foreign Governments and Banks' An activist group found that the coal power boom in Southeast Asia is being funded by foreign governments like Japan and China. The analysts examined 22 deals in Indonesia and found that 91 percent had backing from foreign governments. (The Guardian ) UK Slams Trump For ‘Walking Out When the Heat Is on’ Michael Gove, who leads the UK's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, criticized Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement and pushed for international cooperation, saying the U.S. "can't simply walk out of the room when the heat is on." (Newsweek)