This Week on Earth Feb. 7-13

Government

A new report from the United Nations identifies “Superbugs” as a threat, saying that antimicrobial response is one of the top global health problems, which will likely be exacerbated by climate change.

During the state of the Union address on February 7, President Joe Biden celebrated the Inflation Reduction Act, calling it the “most significant investment ever in climate change.” It includes an investment budget of $369 billion toward climate action and incentives for both businesses and consumers. “The climate crisis doesn’t care if your state is red or blue. It is an existential threat,” he said.

• The bill has created more than 100,000 new jobs since its enactment in August 2022, according to a new analysis by Climate Power. Despite its name, the act is the largest step the U.S. congress has taken to tackle the climate crisis. It provides billions in tax credits for those who develop clean energy projects and aims to further decrease carbon emissions. The projects started since the act total $90 billion in investments, according to Bloomberg, and mostly include solar power factories and battery plants.  

Public Figures

Bill Gates has been under backlash for the use of his private jet, to which he admitted that he is part of the problem but also part of the solution, citing his investments in climate innovation (specifically, the company Climeworks) and his philanthropic contributions.

Companies

• Using more than $8.6 million, Enbridge quells protests and civil disobedience by paying Minnesota police and other agencies to clear its Line 3 tar sands pipeline expansion.

• BP, the British energy company, hit a record profit of $27.7 billion on Feb. 7, and announced it would be lowering its previous goal to cut fossil fuel emissions from 35-40% to 20-30% by 2030.

• Alaska Airlines has completed its transition to paper cups, making it the first airline to eliminate the use of plastic cups, partnering with Boxed Water in 2021. 

• Chick-fil-A recently unveiled its first plant-based sandwich, the Chick-fil-A Cauliflower Sandwich.

Natural Disasters

Toxic algae blooms in Argentina, worsening the country’s drought. The government issued an orange alert, meaning that there is a medium risk associated with the levels of toxins released by the algae.

Turkey and Syria’s earthquake last week has resulted in the deaths of at least 36,000 people, and counting.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 3 million Americans were displaced from their homes, at least briefly, in 2022 due to natural disasters.