Category: news

Journalism alert: Scientists now use “emergency” to describe the situation

Posted on by Mik Aidt

“The big climate news of the past week is that more and more scientists are now using the word “emergency” to describe the circumstances facing humanity,” writes Covering Climate Now – a collaboration of 400 news outlets worldwide – in their newsletter The Climate Beat on 5 December 2019.  Covering Climate Now writes: “Science has Read more about Journalism alert: Scientists now use “emergency” to describe the situation[…]

United Kingdom: Families declare a climate emergency

Posted on by Mik Aidt

In our globalised world, numerous families have members of the family living in different countries, and Christmas and New Year is often the one time of the year when they travel to be united again. This year, some families have a new idea they will be discussing when they meet: A family climate emergency declaration. Read more about United Kingdom: Families declare a climate emergency[…]

Climate emergency declarations in 1,216 jurisdictions and local governments cover 798 million citizens

Posted on by Mik Aidt

1,216 jurisdictions in 26 countries have declared a climate emergency. Populations covered by jurisdictions that have declared a climate emergency amount to 798 million citizens, with 55 million of these living in the United Kingdom. This means in Britain now over 80 per cent of the population lives in areas that have declared a climate Read more about Climate emergency declarations in 1,216 jurisdictions and local governments cover 798 million citizens[…]

European Union declares a climate emergency

Posted on by Mik Aidt

On Thursday 28 November 2019, the European Parliament declared a climate emergency, 429 votes in favour to 225. That vote covers a population of 500 million people. “We are today meeting the expectations of European citizens,” said Pascal Canfin, a French lawmaker who is chairman of the European Parliament’s environment committee. Canfin initiated the Parliament Read more about European Union declares a climate emergency[…]

Oxford Dictionaries: ‘Climate emergency’ is Word of the Year 2019

Posted on by Mik Aidt

Oxford Dictionaries has declared “climate emergency” the word of the year for 2019, following a hundred-fold increase in usage that it says demonstrated a “greater immediacy” in the way we talk about the climate. The dictionary’s word of the year is chosen to “reflect the ethos, mood, or preoccupations of the passing year” and should Read more about Oxford Dictionaries: ‘Climate emergency’ is Word of the Year 2019[…]

Australia: First teachers union branch declares a climate emergency

Posted on by Mik Aidt

As the first Tasmanian union to declare climate emergency, the Australian Education Union’s Tasmanian Branch has called for urgent action from state and federal governments to protect their students’ future. “Tasmanian teachers won’t sit by while governments burn our students’ futures. Where governments are failing, our students are taking action and we’re proud to join Read more about Australia: First teachers union branch declares a climate emergency[…]

11,258 scientists’ declaration of a climate emergency

Posted on by Mik Aidt

11,258 scientists agree with 1,180 governments: it’s time to declare a climate emergency. They write in a paper published in BioScience on 4 November 2019: “We declare, with more than 11,000 scientist signatories from around the world, clearly and unequivocally that planet Earth is facing a climate emergency.” “The declaration is based on analysis of Read more about 11,258 scientists’ declaration of a climate emergency[…]

Biggest parliamentary e-petition in Australian history is a call for a climate emergency declaration

Posted on by Mik Aidt

Australians, you can still add your names and join the call from 330,000 people on the federal parliament to declare a climate emergency. The e-petition closes on 16 October 2019. → www.aph.gov.au/petition_sign?id=EN1041 “On September 20th, more than 300,000 Australians protested around the country, uniting with millions worldwide to demand that our governments take serious and Read more about Biggest parliamentary e-petition in Australian history is a call for a climate emergency declaration[…]

United Kingdom: 60 per cent of Councils have declared a climate emergency

Posted on by Mik Aidt

Climateemergency.uk have registered 245 local authorities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that have declared a climate emergency. 149 of these have set a target of reaching zero emissions by 2030 or earlier. “It is a cross-party movement, illustrated by taking a look at the political control of the councils that have declared a Read more about United Kingdom: 60 per cent of Councils have declared a climate emergency[…]

Australia: Social worker launches petition calling for federal climate emergency declaration

Posted on by Mik Aidt

Watching councils, professional bodies and associations declare a climate emergency, and observing the power of the school strike, social worker Jacquelyn Johnson felt that her profession, which pursues social justice as a fundamental tenet, must act in a coordinated manner on what is the single biggest threat to life as we know it. “There are Read more about Australia: Social worker launches petition calling for federal climate emergency declaration[…]