The world is running out of time to tackle the climate crisis, say leading experts, according to a Guardian article on November 09-11-2020. They argue that insufficient emphasis is being given to the greenness of the economic recovery from Covid. Another article in the Guardian on 9-11-2020 gives more detail on what proportion of recovery plans is “green” in each of 24 leading economies.

One of the dangerous feedbacks which rising temperatures may trigger is the release of methane from rotted vegetation, currently frozen under the artic tundra. Methane has a warming effect 84 times as strong as CO2.

This Guardian article from 27-10-2020 reports on evidence that it is beginning to be released.

The October 2020 World Economic Outlook report, from the International Monetary Fund IMF, warns that current emissions policies are grossly insufficient, and that “Without further action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the planet is on course to reach temperatures not seen in millions of years, with potentially catastrophic implications.”

This is particularly striking since for many years the IMF has been a pillar of neo-liberal economic orthodoxy. The Guardian article on 13-10-2020 gives the highlights.

Renewables or Nuclear? Which is a better path to decarbonisation? This article from The Conversation, on 29-10-2020, reports on a study which shows that countries which invest in renewables succeed in reducing their emissions more than countries investing in nuclear — and moreover the price advantage of renewables continues to grow.

Banks lent trillions of dollars in 2019 to finance ecologically destructive activities. The Guardian article on 28-10-2020 summarises a recent report.

An investigation by E&E News (“Essential News for Energy and Environment Professionals”) finds that, like the oil companies, the Ford Motor Company and General Motors knew about the dangers of climate change in the 1960s, but published disinformation to block action.