QUICK NEWS, May 14: Trees To Beat The Climate Crisis; The Fall Of Coal

Trees To Beat The Climate Crisis The simple yet elusive key to fighting the climate crisis: More trees It may get less press than more dramatic solutions, but planting trees–and protecting the trees we have–is a vital step in the climate battle.

Sarah Sax, May 10, 2019 (Fast Company)

“…Habitat destruction on land, overfishing in the seas, and overconsumption across much of the globe, [among many other human behaviors], now threaten to extinguish up to a million species in the near future…One of the major tactics at humanity’s disposal [to address and, hopefully reverse, this trend] is effectively managing and restoring the world’s forests–preservation and conservation efforts that could, quite literally, change the world…[Tropical reforestation holds the largest sequestration potential – but tropical deforestation is the largest contributor to land-use emissions globally because forests] can both sequester large amounts of carbon in things like trees and soil, but also be a huge source of CO2 when that carbon is lost through activities like agriculture, logging or wildfire…

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[New research shows warming can be limited] through technologies that exist today…[and] natural climate solutions…Agriculture, forestry, and other land uses contribute approximately one-quarter of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions but receive only a tiny fraction of climate mitigation dollars…[Meeting the Paris Climate agreement goals] is strongly dependent on not just cutting emissions from fossil fuels, but also avoiding deforestation [through conservation of actual forests, reforestation and sustainable management of forests] and reducing emissions from agriculture…[At least 477 companies have some form of voluntary zero-deforestation supply chain initiative…[but] a lack of definition over what zero deforestation means, as well as a lack of government regulation to hold companies accountable, are increasingly seen as major obstacles…” click here for more

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The Fall Of Coal Demand For Coal Slides As Renewable Energy, Natural Gas Fill In The Gaps

May 9, 2019 (Colorado Public Radio)

“…[Despite the president’s rhetoric,] U.S. demand for coal to generate electricity will keep sliding in coming months…Renewable energy sources including wind, solar and hydropower are expected to fill much of the gap left by coal's decline…It's particularly true for Western states, where renewables will provide almost a quarter of the power to households and businesses during the peak summer season…[Natural gas is expected to have a 40 percent share of U.S. markets this summer…[The White House has tried] to ease coal plant regulations and mining restrictions. But after production briefly bumped up in [2016, it is now falling in] almost all coal mining states…

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Wyoming, Kentucky and Texas have seen the biggest drops so far this year. Among the top 10 coal states, only Montana has seen a slight increase in the volume of coal mined in 2019…Coal's share of power generation is projected to be 25 percent this summer. That's down roughly half over the past decade and follows a wave of coal plant retirements by utilities seeking cheaper and cleaner-burning alternatives…[And, driven by economics,] plant retirements continue to stack up…Utilities this summer will pay about 3 percent more for coal and 12 percent less for natural gas compared with last year…” click here for more

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