The EU hoped it would be a back slapping moment at being world leaders in fighting climate change. The EU Green Deal of self congratulation. Proof that the politicians were ‘serious’ about protecting the planet. Until 17-year-old Greta Thunberg, as the Huffington Post reports in this video, called them out. Elsewhere RTE reported how she branded the EU efforts a “surrender”. This piece in Canada’s The Star explains more about the issues while Bloomberg Green explains how it makes tax the union’s favourite new weapon.

Greta Thunberg condemns EU's climate change plans: 'We will not allow you to surrender on our future' pic.twitter.com/L4D6DELwWv

— The Independent (@Independent) March 4, 2020

Carbon Brief also carried this open letter to EU leaders from climate strikers. It makes for compelling reading.

So too does this article by Liberation’s Aude Massiot writing in The Guardian about how climate talks are the latest target of fossil fuel lobbyists.

It comes as “more than 90% of European citizens say protecting the environment is important to them and more than 80% believe it should be protected by legislation.” says Euronews. It comes with this package featuring EU Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius.

In the US Presidential elections, climate is to the fore, with people wringing hands over who is the front-runner to take on climate denier Donald Trump. Joe Biden emerging, despite some questionable funding partnerships. This piece by eenews.net offers a pretty comprehensive take on the discussions taking place.

When greenwashing meets greenbacks. Axios published this pretty handy take on the seemingly increasingly public fall-outs between the oil and gas majors on what direction the industry should go in, from screw the activists to going carbon neutral.

Aberdeen made a fortunes from oil and gas, of course, but now city leaders have voted on a £100m package of green initiatives to help tackle climate change. The Aberdeen Evening Express reveals details including widespread tree planting across the granite city, EV and hydrogen transport, cycling networks, sustainable heating and more.

In Orkney, meanwhile, debate continues as to whether or not the islands need their own climate change officer. The Orcadian reporting on discussions over whether or not to go ahead with the £70k a year post.

It may well be worth them reading this piece from The Guardian on how one in five children under 16 years old are having nightmares about the state of the planet. Here it produces a piece by Sam Wollaston on how grown-ups can play a role in reassuring them, and maybe ourselves too.

Reuters say we’re increasingly worried. It reports on a study by Cardiff University which reveals 40% of 1400 people questioned say they are very or extremely worried by climate change. That’s up from just 16% in 2016.

That led TedTalks to re-share this December 2019 clip from psychologist Renée Lertzman on how to turn climate anxiety into action.

Others aren’t prepared to wait. The Daily Record reports how police are hunting activists who succeeded in disrupting operations at two the Dundee and Perth branches of Barclay’s Bank as part of a wider action over its funding of fossil fuel investments. Police described the action as vandalism. By the activists, that is, not to be confused with the emissions causing fossil fuel drilling and exploration by firms funded by the bank. BBC News reported around 100 branches were hit.

The Ecologist, meanwhile, reports on action to halt activity at one of the UK’s few remaining open cast coal mines, which included protestors from Scotland and other parts of the UK congregating on a site in Durham.

No such shift in Asia where the China Energy Portal reports the country is preparing to restart the building of new plants. Unearthed carried details.

In apparently better news, though, there was much welcome for a UK Government reversal of a ban on new onshore wind subsidies. It is hoped to help kick-start the sector when a new auction scheme starts next year, reports The Guardian among many others.

Friends of the Earth Scotland director Dr Richard Dixon also hails the decision to afford free bus travel to those aged 18 and under as a step in the right direction. His article appeared in The Scotsman.

The Scotsman is also among many media outlets to question whether the CoronaVirus outbreak could throw Cop26 in Glasgow into doubt.

BBC News Scotlandcovered the ‘Blue Wave’ protest by Extinction Rebellion looking a little further ahead to the prospect of Glasgow becoming flooded along with other communities as a result of climate change.

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

The Scottish Event campus, one of the host venues for COP 26, has appointed Jennifer Ennis as environment and waste manager.

Environmental consultancy MacArthur Green revealed it has planted 30,000 trees in a bit to become carbon neutral.

VIDEO OF THE DAY

This report by Greenpeace Unearth on how pesticides are killing millions of bees in Brazil.

 

CREDITS: Main image by Mediamodifier on Pixabay.

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