‘Becoming a green, sustainable society:’ Shorter work weeks is one of several strategies

A new study conducted by Autonomy, an independent, progressive think tank focusing on work, concluded that citizens throughout Europe needed to shorten their work weeks to avoid global warming, unless each country drastically reduces their carbon emissions.

Workers in the U.K., Sweden and Germany all need to reduce their work hours to somewhere around nine hours a week to avoid the planet from heating to more than 2 degrees Celsius research concluded.

“Becoming a green, sustainable society will require a number of strategies – a shorter working week being just one of them,” Will Stronge, the director of Autonomy, said. “This paper and the other nascent research in the field should give us plenty of food for thought when we consider how urgent a Green New Deal is and what it should look like.”

Read the starry from Nation of Change by Ashley Curtin - “‘Becoming a green, sustainable society:’ Shorter work weeks is one of several strategies.”

A Surge of Climate Lawsuits Targets Human Rights, Damage from Fossil Fuels

A climate denier is in the White House, pushing policies that will boost emissions. Congress is doing nothing to stop him. So citizens and local governments who are facing the impacts of rising seas, worsening heat waves and extreme weather are increasingly looking to the courts for help.

Rhode Island in 2018 became the first state to sue
the fossil fuel industry over climate change, citing the
growing risks from sea level rise and extreme weather.

The past year saw a surge in new lawsuits filed against fossil fuel companies, and major developments in cases pressing governments for action in the United States and abroad. And while the plaintiffs haven't secured any substantial victories in U.S. courts, they may be scoring a different victory by drawing attention to the inaction of Congress and the Executive Branch, said Michael Gerrard, faculty director at the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School.

"Lawsuits, even if unsuccessful, can help shape public opinion," he said. "Mr. Scopes lost the monkey trial, but it led to a lot more awareness about the issue of teaching evolution.”

Read the Inside Climate News story by Nicholas Kusnetz - “A Surge of Climate Lawsuits Targets Human Rights, Damage from Fossil Fuels.”

This Girl's Letter To Trump Telling Him Climate Change Is Real Is So Poignant

The Earth is warming up and the weather is changing. Say what you will, but this year has shown that global warming and climate change can't be stopped if world leaders and citizens keep ignoring it. It's frustrating to know that people — especially those with power to make actual change — refuse to believe science when so many people are asking them to listen, and that includes kids. Although President Donald Trump won't listen to it, this girl's letter to Trump telling him climate change is real could have the power to make him and other people want to listen.

The girl's letter and Donald Trump.

The letter, written by an 11-year-old Austrian girl, was reportedly handed to Trump during the United Nations General Assembly last week — yes the same United Nations General Assembly where Trump taunted North Korea and called Kim Jung Un "rocket man." Instead of speaking to the world in a way that, according to CNN, "no American President" has ever done, maybe Trump could have paid attention to the letter gifted to him by Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, according to NDTV.

Read the story by Casey Suglia on Romper - “This Girl's Letter To Trump Telling Him Climate Change Is Real Is So Poignant.”

Climate Change is Triple Risk to Europe

Researchers have just issued three separate climate warnings to the citizens of Europe on the same day, in three different journals – a triple risk salvo.

New studies confirm climate change’s triple risk
to Europe. The heat is on, lives are at risk and
the floods are arriving earlier.

One group warns that, if humans go on burning fossil fuels at an ever increasing rate, heatwave temperatures could reach an intolerable 55°C in many parts of the globe, including some parts of continental Europe.

A second study warns that by the century’s end weather-related disasters – floods, heatwaves, droughts, wildfires and windstorms – could claim a 50-fold increase in fatalities, and expose 350 million Europeans to harmful climate extremes every year.

And a third study points out that climate change is already at work: the spring floods in Western Europe now arrive up to 15 days earlier than they did in 1960.

Read the Desmog story - “Climate Change is Triple Risk to Europe.”

Intricacies and diffulties of discussion paper explained

The intricacies and difficulties of assembling a discussion paper about environmental matters and sustainability were outlined at today’s (Saturday, February 23) Beneath the Wisteria.

Travis Turner, the Environmental and Sustainability Officer with the City of Greater Shepparton, explained personal background and then outlined how he and his small team had created the impressive 144 page discussion paper.

Comments about the paper varied from praise to criticism, but all the nearly 20 at the gathering seemed delighted council had taken the initiative to first publish the paper, seek comments and then conduct a series of workshops throughout the city encouraging public input, from which a draft paper will be distilled and published.

Mr Turner, who had brought copies of the discussion paper with him, encouraged all Beneath the Wisteria supporters to comment, something they can do via writing on a form included with the paper, on online via the city council website at: http://www.greatershepparton.com.au/council/communityconsultation/consultation/environmentstrategypaper/.

Council has organized four workshops at which City of Greater Shepparton residents can comment on the discussion page with the first at Dookie on Monday, March 4, followed by similar workshops at Shepparton in the Senior Citizens Rooms at 5:30pm on Wednesday, March 6, followed by another the same day at Mooroopna at 7:30pm in the Sir Ian McLennan Centre, and with the final of the workshops at the Tatura Seniors Citizens Rooms at 5:30pm on Thursday, March 7.

Whether we feel this whole project is adequate or otherwise, we have a responsibility, not just as citizens of Greater Shepparton, but as citizens of the world, to involve ourselves helping make it say what we believe is necessary.