| Cities Call For Climate Action: More than 35 mayors of cities in red and blue states penned an open letter to Trump asking for his partnership in leveraging funds for infrastructure to combat climate change, expanding renewable energy sources, and embracing the Paris Agreement. “We write today to ask for your partnership in our work to clean our air, strengthen our economy, and ensure that our children inherit a nation healthier and better prepared for the future than it is today,” mayors of cities including Los Angeles, Boston, New York City and Seattle wrote in the letter. (Good Magazine, Politico Pro $, San Francisco Chronicle, E&E News $, Clean Technica, Patch, CBS, Salt Lake Tribune)
As Feds Call for Standing Rock Site Closure, Trump’s Involvement Raises Eyebrows: The Army Corps of Engineers told the Standing Rock Sioux tribe that Dakota Access pipeline protesters must vacate the property after Dec 5, citing escalating violence and harsh winter conditions. Protesters have vowed not to leave the premises despite the order and the Army Corps has said it wouldn’t forcibly remove them. As a New York Times Sunday front page article investigates the potential global conflicts of interestwith Trump’s presidency and his businesses, including plans to build a flood-prevention sea wall for his Irish golf course, Trump’s holdings in the pipeline’s parent company, Energy Transfer Partners (ETP), have also garnered scrutiny, especially as it becomes clear that the conflict over the pipeline may extend into his administration. The AP reports that, according to the most recent federal disclosure forms filed in May, Trump has up to a $50,000 investment in ETP and up to a $250,000 investment in Phillips 66, which has a one-quarter share of Dakota Access. Trump’s camp told the Washington Postthat the president-elect sold the ETP shares this summer. (Army Corps: NBC News, New York Times $, CNN, LA Times $, TIME, Washington Post $, Bismarck Tribune, The Hill, InsideClimate News, NPR, EcoWatch, Minnesota Public Radio News, Buzzfeed. Trump Finances: Washington Post $, AP, RT, Mic. Commentary: New York Times editorial $; Intercept, Alleen Brown analysis; Vox, Alli Moran interview)
Arctic Melt Near Tipping Point: Rapid ice melt could permanently alter the Arctic ecosystem and trigger catastrophic events as far as the Indian Ocean if greenhouse gas emissions are left unchecked, according to a new Arctic Resilience Report. The five-year study identified 19 climate tipping points – which irreversibly alter ecosystems due to sudden or overwhelming change – that “can and have occurred” in the Arctic, including increased vegetation on the tundra that could cause more heat absorption, the collapse of important fisheries, and higher methane release. In mid-November, temperatures in the Arctic region reached 36°F (20°C) above normal. (News: Guardian, Independent, WIRED, Christian Science Monitor, UPI, Phys.org. Commentary: Virginian-Pilot editorial)
Trump UN Ambassador Pick, Space Policies Signal Trouble: The nomination of South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley as the US ambassador to the United Nations has heightened concerns about the US commitment to the Paris Agreement. While Haley has never explicitly stated her position on climate change, she was once accused of burying a State Department report on climate change impacts in South Carolina and came under fire for refusing to acknowledge the climate link to the state’s devastating floods last year. She also opposed the Clean Power Plan. Meanwhile, Trump’s space policy advisor, Robert Walker, told the Guardian that the incoming administration plans to slash NASA Earth science research division in favor of deep space research, receiving strong pushback from the scientific community. (News: Politico Pro $, ThinkProgress, Bustle, Popular Science, Business Insider, Gothamist, Washington Post $, Huffington Post. Commentary: The Conversation, James Dyke op-ed) |
