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Don’t fall for the hydrogen hype
The document critiques the promotion of hydrogen as a clean energy alternative, asserting that the vast majority of global production relies on fossil fuels. It categorizes different 'colors' of hydrogen, arguing that grey, blue, black/brown, and turquoise versions perpetuate fossil fuel dependency, while green hydrogen is inefficient and risks replicating neocolonial extractivism. The paper highlights the high water and energy requirements of electrolysis and the unproven nature of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). It concludes that hydrogen serves as a distraction from deep systemic change and recommends a coordinated phase-out of fossil fuels and a transition to community-owned renewable energy.
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Document type: Statement
What do Americans think is the biggest threat from global warming?
Based on a March 2021 survey of 1,037 U.S. adults, the report finds that 'Weather extremes and changes' is the most commonly cited threat of global warming, mentioned by 20% of respondents. Perceptions of these threats vary significantly by political affiliation, with Democrats more likely to cite extreme weather and inaction, while Republicans are more likely to view climate action itself as a threat or believe global warming is not a threat. Other identified concerns include pollution, environmental harms, and food and water shortages.
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Document type: Report
Ένας οδηγός για τη φροντίδα του πλανήτη μας
The document outlines the interconnectedness of the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, pollution, and social injustice. It argues that current economic and social systems based on fossil fuels and overconsumption are unsustainable, leading to severe impacts such as rising sea levels, water scarcity, and air pollution. The guide advocates for a fundamental shift toward circular economies, sustainable agriculture, and a 'just transition' that prioritizes the rights of the poor, women, and indigenous populations to ensure the planet's regeneration.
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Document type: Guide
To κοινό μας σπίτι
The document argues that the current climate and ecological crisis is driven by economic and social systems reliant on fossil fuels and overconsumption. It calls for a fundamental shift toward renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and circular economic practices to protect biodiversity and ensure social justice. The guide emphasizes that the poorest populations suffer most from environmental degradation despite being the least responsible, advocating for a 'just transition' and the protection of human rights to clean air and water. It urges governments and individuals to move from a relationship of exploitation to one of care for the planet.
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Document type: Guide
The Impacts of Cryptomining
Cryptocurrency mining in Texas has grown rapidly, with five of the ten largest Bitcoin mines located in the state as of April 2023. These operations consume vast amounts of energy, which the document claims drives up electricity prices for consumers and increases emissions from gas and coal plants. The report highlights how miners profit from Texas's deregulated energy market and ERCOT's demand-response programs, often receiving subsidies and tax exemptions while providing few local jobs. Additionally, the document notes negative local impacts, including significant noise pollution and the diversion of water resources in drought-stricken areas.
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Document type: Fact sheet
South African Youth Gender Action Plan
The South African Youth Gender Action Plan (SA YGAP) is a framework developed by youth aged 13-30 to address systemic gender inequalities in South Africa. It proposes specific interventions across seven pillars: education, health, safety, gender-based violence (GBV), identity and sexuality, the public/private sector, and sustainable transformation. Key demands include the national adoption of inclusive school policies, the provision of free menstrual products, the recognition of obstetric violence as a form of homicide, and the integration of marginalised genders into 'Just Transition' climate policies. The plan emphasizes an intersectional approach to dismantle patriarchal and heteronormative structures affecting women, youth, and the LGBTQIA+ community.
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Document type: Report
New National Monument Protects Grand Canyon Region from Uranium Mining
On August 8, President Biden designated the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument, providing permanent protection for nearly a million acres of land against uranium mining and industrial threats. This designation replaces a temporary 20-year ban on new mining claims that was set to expire in 2032. The monument protects ancestral homelands of multiple Native Tribes, safeguards the Colorado River watershed—which provides water for 40 million people—and preserves biodiversity, including the critically endangered California condor. While the designation prevents new claims, some existing mines in the region may still operate.
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Document type: Briefing
Apoyando transiciones justas hacia un sector de agua sostenible en Bolivia
The report analyzes the urgent water crisis in Bolivia, driven by population growth, increased consumption in agriculture, industry, and energy, and exacerbated by climate change and pollution. It argues that deep transformations in water management are necessary to meet national development and climate goals, emphasizing the need for 'just transition' planning to prevent adverse impacts on communities and governments. By reviewing projects under the Climate Resilience Pilot Program, the document seeks to provide guidance for future just transitions in the water sector both in Bolivia and globally.
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Document type: Report
Hydrogen Reality Check: Distilling Green Hydrogen’s Water Consumption
The report argues that scaling green hydrogen for a 1.5°C-aligned future will not severely impact global freshwater supplies, as its water consumption is comparable to or lower than fossil-fuel-based hydrogen and other energy production methods. It estimates that meeting 2050 hydrogen demand targets would require only 0.33% of current global freshwater. To mitigate local water stress, the document recommends using non-freshwater sources like desalinated seawater or treated wastewater, intentional project siting, and revising water pricing structures to incentivize efficiency.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Americans are becoming more worried about extreme heat
Analysis of survey data from March 2018 to April 2023 shows that Americans are increasingly worried about extreme heat harming their local areas. Concern grew by 9 percentage points over five years, outpacing increases in worry about other climate impacts such as wildfires and droughts. A majority of Americans also recognize the link between global warming and extreme heat.
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Document type: Research paper
Worry about extreme heat
Analysis of U.S. public opinion shows a significant increase in worry about extreme heat harming local areas between 2018 and 2023, with heat now topping the list of climate-related concerns over wildfires, droughts, and flooding.
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Document type: Report
The Struggles of a Herder from Rasuwa, Nepal
The document details the struggles of Pasang Norchel Tamang, a herder in Rasuwa, Nepal, whose livelihood has been severely impacted since 2015 by decreasing precipitation and rising temperatures. These climate shifts have led to the depletion of water sources, reduced pasture productivity, and livestock health issues, including miscarriages and lower fertility rates. To maintain income, the herder has increased his livestock numbers, leading to higher debt and forcing his children to drop out of school. Additionally, hydropower projects have fragmented pastures and blocked access routes, further compounding the vulnerability of the ethnically marginalized Tamang community.
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Document type: Case study
The Unwavering Faith of Bora Imani: Lessons from Environmental Injustices
The document details how quarrying by H-Young for the Malindi-Lamu road project in Kilifi County, Kenya, exacerbated water scarcity and health risks for the Bora Imani community, despite promises of poverty alleviation. While interventions by Natural Justice led to temporary remedies from NEMA and the Public Health Office, the company's eventual decommissioning of the site in February 2023 left the community struggling with water scarcity. The case emphasizes the need for sustainable environmental remedies, robust decommissioning plans, and climate-sensitive Environmental Impact Assessments.
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Document type: Case study
Feeding Resilience
The document outlines the interconnected risks of climate change, food insecurity, and national security, specifically focusing on how these factors drive instability in the Horn of Africa. It argues that food insecurity acts as both a byproduct and a driver of conflict, creating opportunities for violent extremist organizations like al-Shabab to gain influence. Using Ethiopia as a case study, the briefing highlights the impact of drought, floods, and interstate disputes over resources, while noting that the U.S. national security strategy recognizes global food systems as being under threat from climate events and geopolitical conflicts.
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Document type: Briefing
Climate Change in the American Mind: Beliefs & Attitudes, Spring 2023
The report finds that a strong majority of Americans believe global warming is occurring and is mostly human-caused, with 66% expressing worry about the issue. While many perceive significant risks to their local communities and the United States—particularly from extreme heat, sea level rise, and wildfires—most Americans rarely discuss the topic with friends and family. The findings also indicate a general rejection of fatalism, with 66% disagreeing that it is too late to act, although a significant gap remains in public understanding of the strength of the scientific consensus on human-caused warming.
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Document type: Report
Environmental Justice Across the Lithium Supply Chain: A Role for Science Diplomacy in the Americas
The document analyzes the lithium supply chain for electric vehicle (EV) batteries, highlighting a distributive injustice where the 'Lithium Triangle' (Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile) suffers environmental degradation and water scarcity while North America gains from reduced urban pollution. It argues that science diplomacy—integrating scientific evidence into transnational policy—can establish sustainability thresholds and geochemical tracing methods to ensure responsible sourcing. The authors recommend using sustainability science to define mining standards and employing lithium isotope analysis to verify the origin of materials, drawing parallels from successful agricultural supply chain policies.
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Document type: Research paper
Promoting climate-smart water technologies and innovations for sustainable water resources and rice production under climate change in the Lancang-Mekong Region
The document describes a project aimed at building climate-resilient water resources and rice farming systems in the Lancang-Mekong Region. It focuses on technical exchange, capacity building for farmers and government agencies, and the implementation of pilot studies in Thailand and China to combat water scarcity and drought risks. The project intends to produce a State of Knowledge Report, joint research papers, and policy briefs while promoting public-private partnerships.
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Document type: Fact sheet
OBJECTION TO TETRA4’s WATER USE LICENCE AMENDMENT APPLICATION FOR CLUSTER 2 EXPANSION
This document is a formal objection letter from the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), on behalf of the Mining and Environmental Justice Community Network of South Africa (MEJCON-SA) and Mining Affected Communities United in Action (MACUA), regarding Tetra4's application to amend its Water Use Licence (WUL) for the Cluster 2 expansion of gas and helium production near Virginia, Free State. The document includes the original objections and the corresponding responses from Tetra4, focusing on risks to groundwater, radioactive contamination, waste management, and the impacts of climate change on water security.
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Document type: Report
Extreme April heat in Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Algeria almost impossible without climate change
A collaborative study by international scientists found that the extreme heatwave in the Western Mediterranean from 26-28 April 2023 was likely made at least 100 times more probable by human-induced climate change. The event, which saw temperatures up to 20 degrees higher than normal and broke national records in Spain and Portugal, would have been at least 2°C cooler in a world 1.2°C colder. The researchers note that climate models likely underestimate the increase in extreme heat in Western Europe, suggesting their findings are conservative.
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Document type: Research paper
Urban Wastewater Treatment and Reuse: Beijing Case
The study analyzes 175 wastewater treatment plants in Beijing, finding that most are small to medium scale and that energy intensity is highest in large-scale plants using membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology. It identifies five energy-intensive subprocesses and concludes that the existing four-layer policy system effectively supports departmental collaboration.
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Document type: Research paper