Hello and welcome back to The Doomer Dispatch’s weekly climate news roundups delivered every Friday.
This was a startling week for climate news, but all everyone seems to be able to talk about is still AI. At this point, I hope the robots do take over so everyone can shut the fuck up about it.
Kidding. Maybe. Enjoy this week’s roundup.
Top stories this week
July 5th was the hottest day in recorded human history according to climate scientists. They confirmed that climate change and warming weather patterns are behind the record-breaking temperatures, heat waves, and dry spells that are scorching the globe.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) programs like ChatGPT are highly energy intensive and likely emit significant levels of CO2, but cloudy data reporting leaves the exact numbers unknown. What researchers do know is that AI is being used by fossil fuel companies to streamline their supply chains and by right-wing media outlets to push climate disinformation.
Around 60 percent of the Midwest — from Ohio to Minnesota — is experiencing a moderate drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Almost 93 percent of the region is drier than usual for this time of year, and the lack of rain disrupts crop production — threatening the global food supply and Midwestern economies.
Delegates from nearly every country agreed to eliminate the global shipping industry’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 — an agreement in line with international climate goals. The shipping industry accounts for around 3 percent of global emissions.
Automakers like Ford and General Motors are racing to invest billions of dollars in lithium mining, hoping to establish new supply chains for the rare mineral that is essential to manufacturing electric vehicles.
The Biden administration approved the largest-ever offshore wind project. Ocean Wind 1 would be New Jersey’s first major offshore wind farm and could supply power to as many as half a million homes.
John Kerry, President Biden’s special envoy for climate change, plans to visit China to restart climate policy talks. As the two largest greenhouse gas emitters, Kerry believes China and the U.S. share a “special responsibility” to find common ground on issues like phasing out coal, deforestation, and reducing methane emissions.
Further reading
The Popular Information team investigates 1500 environmental lobbyists who also work for major fossil fuel companies.
Climate Monitor assesses TikTok’s progress on its climate misinformation pledge.
Announcement: there will be no climate news roundup next week. I’ll be in North Carolina for work and will be unable to get much writing done. Apologies in advance! (maybe I’ll release a personal essay though??)
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed.
OK doomers, that’s it for today.
Joey