A delegation for the Biden administration "discussed the climate crisis" with Chinese counterparts during talks in Alaska this week, but the two sides did not form a working group on the issue, contrary to a Chinese media report, a State Department spokesperson tells Axios.
Driving the news: The report followed the first face-to-face diplomatic meetings between officials from the U.S. and China since the start of Joe Biden's presidency. The talks indicated Biden does not "plan to wholly abandon the Trump administration’s tough tone in discussions with Beijing" writes NBC News.
A volcano that had been inactive for roughly 6,000 years erupted on Friday night on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwestern Iceland, according to AP.
Why it matters: The eruption — which is relatively small for now — is the area's first in 781 years, the glow from which could be seen up to 20 miles away in Reykjavík, the country's capital. Iceland's Department of Emergency Management does not expect to issue evacuations since the Fagradals Mountain volcano is located in a remote area.
Some environmentalists and economists are pushing for "degrowth" — stabilizing or even shrinking the economy — to avert environmental catastrophe.
The big picture: Degrowthism may seem like the only reasonable response to the climate challenges we face, but the experience of enforced economic shrinking during the pandemic indicates the pain would outweigh the benefits — especially for the world's poorest.
