| Calls for Climate Question in Debate: With more than 100 million Americans expected to watch the first presidential debate tonight, there are growing calls to question the candidates’ stance on climate change. Lester Holt “owes it to future generations” to talk about climate change this campaign season, wrote John Sutter of CNN. Shawn Otto, chairman of ScienceDebate.org, said climate change is the most urgent science question to ask during the debate. The issue also figured prominently in recent polls by the Washington Post and New York Times regarding questions the readers would like to ask the candidates. (Commentary: CNN, John D Sutter column; Washington Post, Greg Sargent column $; Newsweek, Shawn Otto interview; Grist, Emma Foehringer Merchant column; E&E News, Jennifer Yachnin analysis $; LA Times, David Lauter analysis $; Business Insider, Rebecca Harrington analysis; Columbus Dispatch, Jessica Wehrman analysis; Las Vegas Review-Journal, Ben Botkin analysis; Buzzfeed, Dino Grandoni analysis)
Planning for COP22: Morocco’s Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar, who will preside over the 22nd Conference of the Parties (COP22) for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Marrakesh, said a major focus of COP22 will be the details needed to mobilize $100 billion per year in climate finance. Mezouar expressed confidence that countries accounting for over 55 percent of global emissions will join the Paris Agreement by early November, thus triggering it to take effect. On Sunday, India — the world’s third largest emitter — announced it will ratify the treaty October 2nd. (COP22: AP, Wall Street Journal $, Morocco World News. India ratification: Business Standard, Times of India, AP, Hindu, Reuters, Wall Street Journal $, Mashable, Christian Science Monitor, Livemint, Economic Times. Commentary: Newsweek, Andrew Hammond op-ed; Huffington Post, Kelly Stone op-ed)
Climate Change Spurs Tern Migration to Alaska: The Wildlife Conservation Society has discovered that Caspian terns, usually found in Washington state, are breeding 1,000 miles farther north than previously recorded in Alaska. The significant expansion of locations where these birds can nest is driven by climate change, with Alaska warming at the twice the rate as rest of the US, and will likely put a stress on the region’s flora and fauna. “The arrivals of new species are mirrored by the challenges for existing ones adapting to new conditions such as walrus and polar bear,” Peter Zahler of WCS said. (Guardian, Zee News, UPI) |
