Heat Check: Post-COP26

By Jason Effmann

Coming out of the COP26—a terrible name for a climate conference if ever there was one, in that the C is not for “Climate” but “Conference” and the P isn’t “Planet” but “Parties”—it’s easy to feel frustrated that more wasn’t accomplished.

The ELC’s own Ocean Campaign Director, Michelle Bender—who was in attendance and opened a panel on Rights of Nature—summarized COP26 as business-as-usual. “Governments and the one-percent are failing to make the necessary changes due to a false assumption that climate action is a cost to our economy,” she said, “when in fact climate action is a win for all. One way or another the Earth will force us to change our behavior. We can either be proactive, or we can wait until we have no other option.” 

Future Prime Minister of Whatever’s Left of Sweden Greta Thunberg certainly agrees, remarking—and this is a direct quote—“Blah, blah, blah” to the new deal, which softened from “phasing out” coal to “phasing down” faster than an Indian factory can make a soccer ball. 

But Thunberg also said, “The real work goes on outside these halls.” And although it’s unfortunate that the halls largely made more of their catered lunches than they did of their opportunity to protect the planet, there is some real, good work going on outside. Let’s take a look at some recent examples while we think of the next nasty tweet to fire at Joe Manchin, shall we?

And while we’re here: For ways you can contribute to the real work we do at ELC, click here.

The River Thames: “Not Dead Yet”

In 1957, Britain’s most famous river (sorry, all you Avon stans) was so polluted scientists believed that it was incapable of supporting wildlife and declared it “biologically dead.” But a multi-faceted approach to improving that water quality has resulted in an uptick in wildlife since the 1990s, and now there’s a first-ever study by the Zoological Society of London that shows just how far the Thames has come. Turns out, the answer is quite far: sharks, sea horses, seals and more than 100 species of fish have now been catalogued as living in or around the waterway. Concerns still abound over the river’s rising water temperature and nitrogen levels, but improved oxygen rates are another promising sign of recovery. Just imagine how teeming with life the Thames might be once London’s proposed “super sewer” is built—it’s expected to capture 39 metric tons of untreated sewage that currently gets flushed into the river every year. 

California’s Kelp Forests Hit a Growth Spurt

After a 95-percent die-back related to surging heat and a population boom of seaweed-munching urchins, kelp forests on the north coast of California have suddenly returned with a vengeance, nearly doubling in size. According to what marine biologists knew, this shouldn’t be happening—once urchin barrens (areas of high urchin population, resulting in complete deforestation) are established, they tend to stick around. Craig Johnson, a researcher at the University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, compares an urchin barren to “taking a bulldozer to a rainforest.” But a return of cooler waters to the coast may have shorted that takeover, allowing the kelp to respond. How long it lasts may depend as much—or more—on water temperatures than a struggle for resources, but at least it’s not the death sentence once feared. Now: if only someone was working on keeping atmospheric and oceanic temperatures down...

$350 billion clean-up on Aisles 1-50

President Joe Biden’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes $350 billion to improve the air and water conditions of many communities hit hard by crumbling infrastructure. It’s not nearly what most had hoped for. It is in no way a “Green New Deal.” But given the narrow senate majority, some conservative stances taken by a couple of members of his own party, and the fact that this bill looked like it was going to have its spine completely removed at one point, we’ll take anything we can get. 

Britain Passes Substantial Environmental Law

After 3 years of campaigning, the UK’s first environmental law in 26 years has passed. The Environment Act places a cap on species decline, cracks down on illegal forestation, and sets targets for reduction in sewage discharge into rivers, waterways and coastlines—though timelines and rates are not yet determined. Activists in Britain are cautiously hailing the legislation as a solid step forward, while being mindful of the gaps; Environment secretary George Eustice spoke a little more bullishly, calling it “the most ambitious environmental program of any country on Earth.” Proving that while change like this is positive, clearly we have a long way to go. 

New York Voters Do the Same

New Yorkers spent election day this year overwhelmingly passing the Environmental Rights Amendment, a simple 15-word statement granting “the right of each person to clean air and water and a healthful environment.” Of course, that right only extends to the borders of New York State. Bad luck, New Jersey! (Side note: I feel like people probably say that to you a lot.) 

Borneo Forest Replanters have an 80% success rate

A decade-long project to reforest the banks of the Kinabatangan River has yielded extraordinary results. In a country that exports a massive amount of palm oil and bulldozes much of its ecological diversity in order to create palm oil plantations, local women have been creating a forest corridor to connect animals from one wildlife sanctuary to another. The women have planted 250 acres of forest—but more importantly, they have a success rate of keeping more than 80% of the planted trees alive. (Though information is spotty, a survival rate of reforested trees is typically closer to 40%.) Their secret is quite simple: Once they plant, they regularly return to nurture the trees until they reach adequate size. This whole saving-the-planet business is a marathon, not a sprint. 

Finally, an actual heat check

The hottest recorded temperature during the COP26 talks was in Tete, Mozambique, which hit a high of 113.9F (45.5C) on Tuesday, November 9. It tied the highest recorded temperature in the Southern Hemisphere so far this season. 

Find some shade if you can. I hear Borneo’s working on it.