Big Plastic: The New Big Oil

Plastics are everywhere. And while we’ve known for a long time that plastics and our environment aren’t a good mix, it's becoming apparent that they’re massive climate polluters too. The production of plastics alone produces about 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. And when it comes to single-use plastic used in takeout containers, utensils and shopping bags , the resulting waste continues releasing the greenhouse gasses ethylene and methane as it breaks apart. 

Yet, as petrochemical companies pay lip service to ending fossil fuel production, they keep pouring resources into plastics production – an effort to keep their toehold in a decarbonizing economy. How do we wrap up our reliance on plastics?

Diane Wilson

Founder and Director, San Antonio Bay Waterkeeper

Jane Patton

U.S. Fossil Economy Campaign Manager, Center for International Environmental Law 

Susannah Scott

Professor of Chemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara

Alexis Jackson

Ocean Policy and Plastics Lead, California Chapter, The Nature Conservancy 

Climate Heroes In Your Neighborhood with Matt Scott
Tuesday June 25 | 6:00 p.m.
There are climate heroes among us everywhere, but many go unnoticed in the thrum of everyday life. Matt Scott, director of storytelling and engagement at Project Drawdown, has been shining a light on the work of such people in cities across the country in his documentary short series “Drawdown’s Neighborhood.” In Atlanta, Pittsburgh, New Orleans and more, Scott lifts up underrepresented voices of those engaging in climate issues directly in their communities. And that diversity of voices — of women, Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color — is itself the point. “By passing the mic to underrepresented people working on the frontlines of climate change, we hope to share as many of these stories as possible while reshaping who society sees as climate heroes,” says Scott. 

The San Francisco Bay Area is the latest region in Drawdown’s Neighborhood, with full episodes premiering in August 2024. Join us for this unique Climate One event, as Scott hosts a live conversation with local climate heroes and showcases the diversity of people taking action all across the country to meaningfully address climate change.

A Commonwealth Club World Affairs Member-Led Forum Program
Climate Vanguard: Youth-Powered Litigation at Our Children’s Trust
Tuesday May 14 | 5:30 p.m.
In this conversation, you'll hear from Mat dos Santos, Our Children Trust’s co-executive director, and a youth plaintiff about how OCT is changing the conversation around climate by activating the courts in the face of political gridlock. Last year, OCT represented 169 young plaintiffs globally in landmark cases such as Juliana v. United States and Held v. State of Montana — the first cases to recognize the right to a climate system capable of sustaining human life, and to enshrine science-based protections for children’s fundamental rights into law.

On June 1, 2022, 14 youth in Hawai'i filed a constitutional climate lawsuit against the State of Hawai'i claiming that their operation of a transportation system that results in high levels of greenhouse gas emissions violates their state constitutional rights, causing them significant harm and impacting their ability to “live healthful lives in Hawai'i now and into the future.” The youth seek to ensure the Hawai'i Department of Transportation steps up to meet the state legislature’s goal to decarbonize the Hawai'ian economy and achieve a zero emissions economy by 2045.

The British think tank Ember released an encouraging report that found 30% of the world’s electricity came from renewable sources in 2023, with much of the growth coming from solar and wind power. If nuclear energy, which is carbon-free but poses other environmental challenges, is included in the total, then nearly 40% of the world’s electrical generation produced zero carbon emissions last year.

The record-level of renewable energy generation is extra significant when considering that last year was also the year with the most electrical use in history, with the world’s electrical consumption growing by 2% — the equivalent of the nation of Canada — from 2022. With the growth in both renewable and total energy use expected to continue in 2024, all eyes are now on China, as the nation uses both the most coal power and most renewable energy in the world.

Another technology contributing heavily to the growth in renewable energy use is heat pumps. Despite an overall decline in sales in 2023 in the United States, one of the largest markets for the appliance, heat pump installations outpaced gas furnace installations for the second year in a row, spurred on by government incentives from legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act.

PLUS:

More than 80% of Arizona is classified as arid or semi-arid, and Phoenix and Tucson are two of the hottest cities in the nation. With temperatures frequently rising above 100°F in much of the state from May through October, Governor Katie Hobbs named Dr. Eugene Livar, formerly of the state Department of Health Services, as the nation’s first statewide heat officer. 

There were at least 645 heat-related deaths in Arizona’s two largest counties last year, a tragedy Dr. Livar will work to keep from repeating. He can take cues from heat officers around the world, such as Eugenia Kargbo of Freetown, Sierra Leone and Eleni Myrivili of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme. They joined Climate One last summer to talk about why extreme heat disproportionately impacts women and children — and what they’re doing to keep people safe as temperatures climb. 

Source: CNN/Ember

Climate One is dedicated to providing a platform for climate leaders to share their work and insights. As we kick off our annual spring appeal, we’re asking you to consider chipping in to support our critical climate conversations.

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