Climate Change News Digest for 4/5/23

This digest provides a selection of recent news articles relating to climate change and other environmental issues. Click on the title to read the full article from its original source. US renewable power surged ahead of coal for the first time last year By Akielly Hu (Grist) Combined wind and solar generation increased from 12 percent of national power production in 2021 to 14 percent in 2022. Hydropower, biomass, and geothermal added another 7 percent — for a total share of 21 percent renewables last year. The figure narrowly exceeded coal’s 20 percent share of electricity generation, which fell from 23 percent in 2021. How the climate movement learned to win in Washington By Eli Stokols (Politico) After a staggering defeat, environmentalists needed a plan they could sell. Thus began a decade-long climb propelled by mass protests, heavy campaign spending and intense lobbying. Then came a final assist from Mother Nature herself. The perfect storm: the US city where rising sea levels and racism collide By Susan Crawford (The Guardian) In Charleston, South Carolina, cross-currents of denialism, boosterism, broken governance systems and deep-seated racism will meet with rapidly accelerating sea level rise Eco-anxiety: climate change affects our mental health – here’s how to cope By Matthew Adams (The Conversation) In a recent survey, out of almost 5,000 respondents, 19% of students and 25% of staff said they were “extremely worried” about climate change, while 36% and 33% stated they were “very worried”. The author offers some tips for coping with eco-anxiety whenever the despair gets too much. Why Kentucky Is Dead Last for Wind and Solar Production By James Bruggers, Dan Gearino (Inside Climate News) Coal industry influence and climate change denial paved the state’s race to the clean energy bottom. As one lawmaker put it: “God created coal for people.” About the Digest: Articles included here are selected from several organizations which consolidate climate change related news from many sources around the world. These organizations include Carbon Brief and Inside Climate News. Accessing the full articles from the links provided here may sometimes not be possible due to access restrictions of the originating publications.