Search Climate Insights Directory

The report finds that 70% of Coloradans believe global warming is happening, though only 48% attribute it primarily to human activities. While 59% are worried about global warming and 73% consider it personally important, there is significant uncertainty regarding scientific consensus, with 50% believing there is "a lot of disagreement among scientists". Residents have observed increased severity in wildfires (75%) and droughts (72%) within the state. There is broad support for clean energy, including tax rebates for energy-efficient vehicles or solar panels (79%) and renewable energy mandates for utilities (67%). Most respondents (69%) believe the U.S. should reduce greenhouse gas emissions regardless of other countries' actions. Individual engagement varies, with 51% rewarding climate-friendly companies through purchases and 39% punishing opposing companies by boycotting them.

The report finds that while a majority of Ohioans believe global warming is happening and support clean energy transitions, there is significant uncertainty regarding scientific consensus and the likelihood of successful collective action. A large portion of the population perceives increased flooding and heat waves in the state and believes that corporations, citizens, and government officials should all do more to address the issue.

The report finds that while 70% of Texans believe global warming is happening, there is significant uncertainty regarding its causes and the level of scientific consensus. A majority of Texans support clean energy transitions and believe the U.S. should reduce emissions regardless of other countries' actions, though they often view global warming as a greater threat to others than to themselves personally.

The report finds that while 70% of Columbus residents believe global warming is happening and many are worried about it, there is significant uncertainty regarding scientific consensus and personal experience with its effects. A majority support clean energy transitions and believe the U.S. should reduce emissions regardless of other countries' actions, though they remain skeptical about humanity's collective will to successfully reduce global warming.

A 2013 survey of 700 San Francisco adults reveals high levels of belief in human-caused global warming (67%) and significant concern for its impacts. While residents expect severe future effects, including the potential abandonment of parts of the city due to sea level rise (66%), they are uncertain if humanity will successfully reduce warming. There is strong support for clean energy transitions and a preference for the U.S. to reduce emissions regardless of other countries' actions.

Earthjustice argues that hydraulic fracturing (fracking) poses grave and irreversible risks to human health and the environment, citing extensive evidence from the United States. The organization contends that the Government of Mendoza's Decree No. 248/18 was issued without sufficient technical research or baseline data, violating the precautionary principle. Earthjustice requests the court to nullify the decree and suspend fracking activities until comprehensive scientific studies on air pollution, water contamination, radioactive waste, and induced seismicity are conducted.

The document provides a technical overview of shale gas and oil extraction, focusing on hydraulic fracturing (fracking). It details drilling methods such as vertical, horizontal, and rotary drilling, and explains the composition of fracking fluids, including the use of water, surfactants, and biocides. Additionally, it describes wellbore casing for aquifer protection and the processes of venting and flaring of natural gas.

The document critiques the promotion of hydrogen energy as a clean alternative to fossil fuels, characterizing it as a distraction from the deep systemic changes needed to address the climate crisis. It asserts that hydrogen production is inefficient and serves to support the fossil gas industry, which continues to cause environmental and social destruction globally.

Friends of the Earth International asserts that all forms of hydrogen—regardless of their color classification—are costly and inefficient, serving as a distraction from necessary systemic changes to address the climate crisis. The document claims that hydrogen deployment primarily benefits the fossil fuel industry, specifically the gas sector, and risks perpetuating environmental and social destruction in places like Colombia and Mozambique.

The document provides a comprehensive list of requirements for a successful Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). It advocates for a rights-based approach, the adoption of a 'Whole Government Approach' to mainstreaming, and the prohibition of destructive activities like deep-sea mining and fracking. It argues against voluntary commitments, biodiversity offsetting, and the use of high-risk technologies such as geoengineering and synthetic biology, while calling for public finance from developed countries to support biodiversity conservation in developing nations.

The document argues that the Global Biodiversity Framework must be based on binding norms rather than voluntary commitments and must address the structural economic drivers of biodiversity loss. It advocates for a rights-based approach that protects indigenous peoples and environmental defenders, the elimination of harmful subsidies, and the prohibition of high-impact industrial activities like deep-sea mining and Arctic oil extraction. The text explicitly rejects the commodification of nature, biodiversity offsets, and the use of geoengineering or synthetic biology as solutions to the environmental crisis.

The document analyzes the French corporate duty of vigilance law passed on March 23, 2017, which requires large companies to prevent human rights and environmental violations in their supply chains. It uses case studies involving Total's palm oil biorefinery, Société Générale's financing of LNG terminals in the US, and French supermarkets' banana sourcing in Ecuador to demonstrate the law's necessity. The report concludes by advocating for a binding UN treaty to internationalize these standards and ensure victims' access to justice globally.

The report contends that corporate-driven trade deals, such as TTIP, TISA, and CETA, obstruct the transition to renewable energy and empower corporations to sue governments over environmental regulations. It highlights the role of the WTO and Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanisms in protecting polluting industries and criticizes 'false solutions' like carbon trading and REDD+. The authors call for a democratic economic approach that prioritizes local resources and sustainable development over growth-at-all-costs trade regimes.

The report contends that mega-regional trade agreements and the World Trade Organization (WTO) framework obstruct climate action by protecting fossil fuel interests and limiting the regulatory capacity of governments. It highlights the role of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanisms in allowing corporations to sue governments over environmental protections. The document criticizes 'false solutions' like carbon trading and REDD+, advocating instead for a democratic economic approach based on local resources, agroecology, and corporate accountability.

Colombia is planning at least nine major LNG import terminal projects and expansions between 2026 and 2030, which could create a capacity of 2,500 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d). This capacity is more than double the 1,000 MMcf/d gas demand projected by the Unidad de Planeación Minero Energética (UPME) for 2030. The report argues that overbuilding LNG infrastructure risks creating stranded assets, increasing dependence on volatile global markets, and undermining the country's roadmap to reduce fossil fuel dependence and emissions by 90% by 2050.

Argentina reduced direct budgetary transfers to oil producers, resulting in estimated savings of USD 780 million in 2017. While oil subsidies were cut to reduce the fiscal deficit and meet International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan conditions, the government maintained and prioritised subsidies for unconventional gas production in the Vaca Muerta field, viewing gas as a transition fuel. These reforms were accompanied by significant increases in electricity and natural gas tariffs for residential and commercial users.

Argentina reduced direct budgetary transfers to oil producers, saving an estimated US$ 780 million in 2017. However, the government maintained and prioritized subsidies for unconventional gas production, specifically targeting the Vaca Muerta reservoir through the 'Plan Gas'. These reforms were driven by fiscal pressures, including a US$ 50 billion IMF standby agreement requiring deficit reduction. While oil subsidies fell, the government continued to owe US$ 1.5 billion to oil companies as of January 2019. Environmental concerns persist as gas is treated as a transition fuel, despite the high greenhouse gas emissions and water contamination associated with fracking in Vaca Muerta.

This research paper examines the potential economic and environmental implications of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) for shale gas in South Africa, presenting three distinct scenarios to evaluate the trade-offs between economic growth and ecological preservation.

The analysis uses the International Futures (IFs) model and 2011 National Census data to simulate three population scenarios for South Africa by 2030 based on varying levels of in-migration: 64.4 million (rapidly declining), 66.4 million (stable), and 68.8 million (rapidly increasing). These projections are higher and exhibit greater variance than those in the National Development Plan (NDP) 2030. Extended analysis to 2050 indicates further increasing uncertainty for national planners. Provincial forecasts using the IFs Base Case also exceed NDP figures, particularly in the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western Cape, with implications for public policy in healthcare, education, employment, and service delivery.

The report argues that natural gas is more damaging to the climate than coal over a 20-year period due to potent methane leaks throughout its lifecycle. It highlights that 'top-down' measurements using satellites and aircraft reveal significantly higher emissions than traditional 'bottom-up' estimates. The author notes that shale gas and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) further increase these emissions, making gas expansion incompatible with a livable climate. This analysis is applied to the proposed Richards Bay power plant, which may source gas from the Karoo basin or via LNG imports from the US or Australia.