Creation Care~
From Katharine Hayhoe’s newsletter:
For the good news this week, I wanted to take stock of some positive changes that have happened since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015 at COP21.
Ten years ago, the world was on a pathway to warm by up to 5C (that’s 9F) by the end of the century, according to the analysis I led for the last U.S. National Climate Assessment. Today, thanks to policies enacted since the Paris Agreement was signed, this magnitude of warming is “totally out of the picture. It will not happen," said NewClimate Institute scientist Niklas Hohne.
According to the Climate Action Tracker, current policies will limit warming to 2.7C (5F) and this number could fall even further with more aggressive climate action. It’s still not enough to avert dangerous levels of change: but as the science says, “every bit of warming matters.” The very real and quantifiable benefits of what we’ve achieved so far encourage us to keep going, and there’s plenty of positive momentum out there.
Last month, Carbon Brief crunched the latest figures put out by the International Energy Agency and found that global carbon emissions from energy use and industry could peak as soon as this year and definitely by 2025. Solar power has grown exponentially in recent years, and could triple again by the end of the decade, with the IEA calling this an ”ambitious yet achievable goal.” And sales of electric vehicles are growing. In Europe this year, more electric vehicles were registered than diesel-powered vehicles for the very first time.
So everything you do can make a difference!
Preparing for the 2024 Indiana General Assembly that will convene January 8th and adjourn by March 14th. The Nature Conservancy is supporting a comprehensive water plan so the state can understand its most precious resource and ensure it will do what’s necessary to ensure future Hoosiers have plenty of clean water. Look for a plan to protect existing wetlands and another to unlock the state’s efforts to recreate wetlands to mitigate those already lost. TNC is jumping aboard the effort to plant 250 million trees in the Great Lakes Watershed over the next 10 years. They’re working with the state to produce more than 30 million seedlings in that time that can be planted all over the state. These are topics that you can discuss with your legislator before the session begins. Every voice matters.
From the Trustees: Are there any grant writers in the House? Do you have a talent for grant writing that you would like to donate to the Meeting for a project? First Friends has an opportunity to apply for a grant with matching funds to improve our infrastructure to improve our mission to serve you and the community around us. If interested, please reach out to Phil Goodchild or Mary Blackburn via the office.
Act Now on the Farm Bill: The US Congress renews the Farm Bill every five years, a critical legislation impacting agriculture, nutrition, and rural development, with implications for farmers, food assistance, and sustainability. Congress passed a resolution to keep the Farm Bill's funding in place until the end of September 2024, just before the next presidential election. It is essential that we reach out to our elected officials to encourage them to pass a Farm Bill that promotes sustainable agriculture and makes climate action a priority. Find more information on the bill and how you can take action in the Hoosier Environmental Council’s newsletter here!