Hi, Everyone!

I’m Amanda Magnani, a Brazilian (photo)journalist and OptOut News’ climate editor. Every other week, I bring you the most important climate news from our network—with an extra serving of decolonial perspectives. ✨🌿🌿🌿

With Kamala Harris replacing Biden as the Democratic presidential candidate, you may be wondering what her win could mean for climate. You’re not alone. Grist looked into how Harris dealt with climate change in her years as vice-president, presidential candidate and district attorney. Harris was the highest ranking U.S. official at COP 28, she defended the allocation of $20 billion for the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and created an environmental justice unit in San Francisco, among others.

Meanwhile, a possible GOP win and the likely implementation of policies from the controversial Project 2025 could represent a series of setbacks for climate. The initiative from the Heritage Foundation is a blueprint for a second Trump term. It envisions expanding oil and gas whilst ending financial support for renewables and repealing the Inflation Reduction Act. The 920-page document is adamant in dismissing the climate crisis, Atmos reports.

If you want to know more about Project 2025, our LGBTQIA+ editor Liana DeMasi has read all 920 pages, so you don’t have to. You can check out her videos about it on OptOut’s Instagram and TikTok.

And to hear more about how the 2024 election will shape climate policies and action, you can check out Your Call Podcast by Kawl Radio.

In the meantime, as the world tries to solve the climate crisis and avert the disasters that are already happening, an investigation bi Drilled has found out that Big Oil was very aware that Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is far from a viable climate solution. Considered a necessary step in phasing away from fossil fuels in the case of hard-to-abate industries, like steel and concrete, it is not only an extremely expensive alternative, but also highly inefficient. Yet, these realities haven’t prevented oil companies from investing in it and advertising CCS as a great solution.

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And More:

🛢️ “The Invisible Hand of Carbon Dioxide on Forest Productivity,” by EOS.

🛢️ “Gas taxes can’t pay for roads much longer, but Amazon deliveries might,” by Stateline.

🛢️ “New Oregon water boss targets difficult task of rapidly modernizing outdated laws,” by Oregon Capital Chronicle.

🛢️ “The electric utility screwing over Texans,” by Heated.

🛢️ “Chapel Hill struggles to redevelop a toxic coal ash mound,” by NC Newsline.

🛢️ “Amazon claims to power all its operations with renewable energy. If only that were true,” by Virginia Mercury.

🛢️ “California Isn’t Enforcing Its Strongest-in-the-Nation Oil Well Cleanup Law on Its Largest Oil Company,” Capital and Main.

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Decolonizing Climate Change

🌱 “How Israel’s war on Gaza unraveled a landmark Mideast climate deal,” by Grist.

🌱 “Despite some progress, Nevada workers still aren’t protected from extreme heat,” by Nevada Current.

🌱 “Q&A: The Farm Bill ignores ‘desperate cries’ for equitable land access and better climate programming,” by Prism Reports.

🌱 “The people who feed America are going hungry,” by Grist.

🌱 “Climate Change as Class War,” by Planet Critical.

🌱 “On Gulf Coast, an Activist Rallies Her Community Against Gas Exports,” by Yale Environment 360.

🌱 “Black Woman Dies In California Prison From Heat Over 110 Degrees,” by The Real News Network.

🌱 “In Tuktoyaktuk, nail art offers a novel record of climate change,” by The Narwhal.

🌱 “Six tribal water rights settlements for NM heard on Capitol Hill,” by Source NM.

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Around the World

🇨🇳 China: “China Building Twice as Much Wind and Solar as Rest of World Combined,” by Yale Environment 360.

🇳🇵 Nepal: “Fatal landslides in Nepal in 2024 to date,” by EOS.

🇨🇦 Canada: “Canada makes an unprecedented push for multifamily housing,” by Grist.

Tibet: “In Tibet, A Ceremony That Honors the Earth and the Divine,” by Atmos.

🇵🇪 Peru: “Peruvian Loggers Closing In on World’s Largest Uncontacted Tribe,” by Yale Environment 360.

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To Lighten Your Heart

💚 “Environmental advocates cheer as budget passes without controversial U.P. mine funds,” by Michigan Advance.

💚 “Salina partners with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to restore Smoky Hill River in downtown channel,” by Kansas Reflector.

💚 “Biophilia: Emulating Nature’s Artistry Through Fashion,” by Atmos.

💚 “Responding to Climate Change,” by Source NM.

💚 “Deep Ocean Producing ‘Dark’ Oxygen, Study Finds,” by Yale Environment 360.

💚 “Meet the scientists behind the ice sanctuary — a memory vault for dying glaciers,” by Grist.

💚 “For the Love of Alabama,” by Earth Island Journal.

And if you need some more climate lightness, I invite you to check out Climate Memewashing on Instagram.

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That’s all for now, folks! If you have any questions or suggestions, hit me up at amanda@optout.news.

Obrigada and have a great week!

The OptOut Media Foundation (EIN: 85-2348079) is a nonprofit charity with a mission to educate the public about current events and help sustain a diverse media ecosystem by promoting and assisting independent news outlets and, in doing so, advance democracy and social justice.

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