How climate change threatens to close ski resorts
BBC, 25 Jan 2023
Anzère is often hailed as Europe’s greenest ski resort. But the Swiss village had a difficult start to its 2023 winter season. Like many other Alpine ski resorts, low-lying Anzère was forced to close some of its pistes due to lack of snowfall and rainy conditions in late December and the first few days of January. The Alps experienced record high temperatures over Christmas and New Year, reaching 20.9C (70F) in northwest Switzerland.
New York City is about to set a snow-free record: Is climate change to blame?
Euronews, 25 Jan 2023
Blizzards engulfed part of New York State last month – but in New York City, there’s no sign of snow. The Big Apple has gone 321 consecutive days without snowfall, according to the US national weather service. If it there’s none in the next two weeks, the city will beat its all-time record for longest snow-free period. The current record of 332 days was set in 2020.
Climate Change May Usher in a New Era of Trade Wars
The New York Times, 25 Jan 2023
Efforts to mitigate climate change are prompting countries across the world to embrace dramatically different policies toward industry and trade, bringing governments into conflict. These new clashes over climate policy are straining international alliances and the global trading system, hinting at a future in which policies aimed at staving off environmental catastrophe could also result in more frequent cross-border trade wars.
UK competition watchdog to ease rules on climate change action
Financial Times, 24 Jan 2023
The UK competition regulator will ease the antitrust rules on climate change initiatives to tackle business concerns that collaboration on climate action could expose them to claims of collusion. The move comes after a wide range of groups, led by the financial sector alliance known as Gfanz, spearheaded by former Bank of England governor Mark Carney, said fears of antitrust enforcement action prevented them from taking a tougher stance on climate action.
Climate change: Bill Gates backs Australian start-up targeting cow burps
BBC, 24 Jan 2023
Billionaire Bill Gates has invested in an Australian climate technology start-up that plans to reduce the methane emissions of cow burps. The Microsoft co-founder has been outspoken about the environmental impact of meat production. Methane is the most common greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide (CO2). Livestock such as cows, goats and deer produce methane when their stomachs are breaking down hard fibres like grass for digestion.
A Plan for Blowing Up U.S. Climate Politics
Politico, 24 Jan 2023
A small band of political strategists gathered last September in a restaurant near Dupont Circle to meet a visitor from the other side of the world. Everyone at the table was immersed in the battle against climate change; nearly all had been involved in passing the Inflation Reduction Act, the clean-energy law Democrats enacted over the summer. Their guest was Byron Fay, an Australian operative who had arrived in Washington with an exotic political scheme in mind.
