QUICK NEWS, September 23: Climate Stike Makes History; Coal No Longer Competitive

Climate Stike Makes History ‘We will make them hear us’: Millions of youths around the world strike for action; The strikes come three days before world leaders are set to gather at the United Nations for a much-anticipated climate summit

Sarah Kaplan, Laura Lumpkin, Brady Dennis, September 20, 2019 (Washington Post)

“In one of the largest youth-led demonstrations in history, millions of people from Manhattan to Mumbai took to the streets around the globe on Friday, their chants, speeches and homemade signs delivering the same stern message to world leaders: do more to combat climate change — and do it faster…From small island nations such as Kiribati to war-torn countries such as Afghanistan and across the United States, young people left their classrooms to demand that governments act with more urgency to wean the world off fossil fuels and cut carbon dioxide emissions…

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…[They called for transformative change] including a swift shift from fossil fuels toward clean energy, halting deforestation, protecting the world’s oceans and embracing more sustainable agriculture…Friday’s strikes, which spanned more than 150 countries, were largely planned by teenagers and arose as a grass-roots movement. They came three days before world leaders gather at the United Nations for a much-anticipated climate summit. U.N. Secretary General António Guterres has insisted that countries bring with them promises of meaningful action, such as vowing to reach net zero emissions by 2050, cutting fossil fuel subsidies and ceasing construction of coal-fired power plants…

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…The summit will offer a key test of whether the world’s nations, which came together to sign the Paris climate accord in 2015, can actually muster the resolve to scale back carbon emissions as rapidly as scientists say is necessary to avoid the worst effects of climate change…‘We will make them hear us,’ climate strike originagtor GretaThunberg said, adding, ‘Change is coming. Whether they like it or not.’” click here for more

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Coal No Longer Competitive The market has spoken: Coal is dying

Matt Egan, September 20, 2019 (CNN)

“…[The White House gutted regulations on the coal industry, falsely claimed that windmills cause cancer and installed a former coal lobbyist to lead the EPA…[but] America's aging fleet of coal-fired power plants continues to shrink. New coal plants are not getting built…Approximately 15% of America's coal fleet has been retired since 2017…Platts expects another 10% of the coal fleet will be shuttered between 2019 and 2020…Power companies that once relied on coal are promising to phase it out in favor of cleaner alternatives, including natural gas, solar and wind…

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…[Low-cost natural gas, the declining cost of renewables, and low interest rates] have paved the way for power companies to build natural gas, wind, solar, hydro and other more environmentally friendly plants…[and] cutting environmental rules hasn't tipped the scales…Natural gas and wind are expected to be the fastest-growing sources of US power generation through 2020…” click here for more

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