The COP28 Agreement

There is much abuzz in the climate world as we come off the heels of COP28. The final COP28 Agreement signals the “Beginning of the End” of the fossil fuel era... but is there enough urgency in this agreement to keep us under the 1.5 C goal? This week, we're sharing more news out of COP28, along with more good, the bad, and the breaking news from the climate movement. Come along!

The Good Stuff

Wings of Change: The first transatlantic flight using 100% sustainable aviation fuel departed London for New York in late November as the aviation industry seeks to prove the viability of greener air travel. The sustainable fuel still produces emissions, but proponents argue the overall “lifecycle emissions” from the fuel are significantly lower than from regular petroleum-based fuel. Read more via NBC News.

A Just Investment: In a win for environmental justice, The EPA is making $2 billion available to community groups, states and tribes to clean up pollution and develop clean energy in traditionally under-resourced communities. Read more via AP News.

Bid Farewell to Fossil Fuels: At COP28, nearly 200 countries convened by the United Nations approved a milestone plan to ramp up renewable energy and transition away from coal, oil and gas. While past U.N. climate deals have urged countries to reduce emissions, they have shied away from explicitly mentioning the words “fossil fuels,” even though the burning of oil, gas and coal is the primary cause of global warming. But is it enough... Read more via NY Times.

The Bad Stuff

Troubled Waters: A new large oil spill hit the Gulf of Mexico on November 16, highlighting the constant and inherent risk that offshore drilling poses to wildlife, ecosystems, and coastal communities. This is the largest Gulf oil spill since the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon disaster. Read more via NRDC.

Climate Inequality Unveiled: Accordingly to a new study, the "polluter elite" are disproportionately driving climate change, with the wealthiest 1% of people in the world putting out as much carbon pollution as the poorest two-thirds. The report also found that the richest 10% percent of people worldwide made up roughly half of emissions that year. Read more via CBS News.

Between Lines and Limits: The COP28 agreement has us cautiously optimistic, because although nations finally wrote in a "transition away from fossil fuels," the text left much up for interpretation and made no real, actionable declarations. Scientists agree: If we are going to stay under the 1.5 C warming goal, we must take bold climate action immediately, and this, unfortunately, just was not that bold. Read more via MSNBC.

On the Horizon: New AI Tech Is Changing the Game for Wildfire Recovery

As wildfires grow in numbers and intensity, AI technology stands to change the game in wildfire containment and recovery. The Western Fire Chiefs Association (WFCA), a nonprofit that started in California during the 1800s, is seeing much potential in a new tool that can save substantial time and manpower in wildfire recovery missions.

"You could not hire enough firefighters," stated Brent VanKeulen, deputy director of the WFCA. "You can’t fly enough planes. You can’t get enough dozers on the ground to meet the challenge of what we’re facing now."

Learn more about the new technology and how it can aid wildfire containment and recovery more via GoodGoodGood.