An iceberg about five times the size of Manhattan has broken off the Pine Island Glacier in West Antarctica over the past 24 hours, an ominous sign of the continued retreat of this fast-flowing mass of ice. Like many other marine terminating glaciers in Antarctica, this glacier is retreating over time, and increasing the movement of ice into the sea.
Why it matters: While this iceberg itself is not record-breaking — it ranks as the sixth-largest iceberg to break off the Pine Island Glacier since 2001 — it illustrates the continued instability of marine-terminating glaciers in parts of the icebound continent.
A new study predicts that a sharp increase in energy-hungry Bitcoin use will cause a surge in emissions of greenhouse gases, potentially dooming the world to an amount of global warming that would exceed the targets set under the Paris Climate Agreement.
Why it matters: Bitcoin has an energy problem, requiring high amounts of electricity to process transactions. Determining the implications of such energy use is of concern for climate scientists, particularly if this new currency takes off in popularity.
Royal Dutch Shell is jumpinginto the high-stakes fight over auto regulations.
What they're saying: According to some newly available comments filed with regulators, the oil giant says U.S. policy should be "consistent with the aim of the Paris Agreement." Shell "does not support" the administration's proposal to weaken federal mileage and carbon emissions rules by freezing them in 2020 rather than letting them become increasingly stringent.
Jair Bolsonaro, a far-right candidate whose misogyny, racism and reverence for military dictators has made him one of Latin America's most polarizing figures, won Brazil's presidency yesterday with over 55% of the vote.
Why it matters: Brazil is already an important oil producer at roughly 3 million barrels per day, and has been auctioning offshore tracts thought to contain huge hydrocarbon resources to some of the world's largest energy companies.
Climate change is reshaping aspects of our environment that many of us thought were static — from where deserts begin and end, to what we can grow in backyard or community gardens.
Why it matters: These changes portend bigger shifts to come that may reshape the global food system and lead to insecurity, with major agricultural countries facing more challenges from pests, heat waves, droughts, floods and other threats that could affect crop productivity.
Two Latin American scooter rental startups, Grin in Mexico and Ride in Brazil, have merged and will operate under the Grin brand.
Why it matters: Just as happened in the ride-hailing industry, scooter (and bike) rental companies will likely consolidate as the global competition keeps intensifying.
MONGSTAD, Norway — This Nordic nation offers a window into how an economy fueled by oil and natural gas can attemptaggressive action on climate change.
Why it matters: It sounds contradictory, but given thatour world has remained 81% dependent upon fossil fuels for the past 30 years, cutting greenhouse gas emissions while using these fuels is probably going to be unavoidable. In two separate upcoming decisions, Norway will show the extent to which it’s committed toits climate ambitions and diversifying its wealth, which islargely derived from oil.
