Tornadoes Torment Central States

Current conditions: An orange alert for severe thunderstorms is in effect across China’s southern provinces • More rain is expected in Kenya, where extreme flooding has killed at least 70 people • Bangladesh reopened its schools despite an ongoing heat wave.

THE TOP FIVE

1. Hundreds of tornadoes rip through central U.S.

Devastating severe thunderstorms wreaked havoc across the Midwest and Southern Plains over the weekend, spawning hundreds of tornadoes and threatening 47 million people. More than 80 tornadoes were reported across five states on Friday alone. Twisters tore through several towns in Nebraska and Iowa, damaging homes and leaving at least one person dead. An outbreak of some 22 tornadoes in Oklahoma killed at least four people and leveled neighborhoods Saturday and Sunday. In the town of Sulphur, Oklahoma, “it seems like every business downtown has been destroyed now,” said Gov. Kevin Stitt.

X/wxkylegillett

2. House heads into ‘natural resources week’

The House is voting this week on a bunch of legislation coming out of the Natural Resources Committee, E&E Newsreported. On the docket during “natural resources week” are bills that would give the green light to canceled Alaskan oil and gas leases, remove federal protections for the gray wolf, and let hunters use lead ammunition and tackle on public lands. The full list is here.

3. G7 leaders reportedly eyeing 2035 for closing coal-fired power plants

Environmental ministers from G7 nations (the United States, Britain, Italy, France, Germany, Canada, and Japan) meet in Turin, Italy, this week to “make the course set out by COP28 practical, real, concrete,” said Italy’s Environment and Energy Security Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin. The 2024 Meeting on Climate, Energy, and Environment is the first major political meeting since last year’s climate summit in Dubai, where nations pledged to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels. The hope is that the talks in Turin will serve as a “strategic link” between COP28 and this year’s COP29 in Azerbaijan. Already there are signs of progress:

• Ministers have reportedly “agreed in principle” to a goal of increasing electricity storage capacity sixfold to 1,500 gigawatts by 2030, in part by boosting battery storage development and supply chains, according to the Financial Times. Such a commitment would help fulfill the COP28 pledge to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030.
• Ministers are considering a target of 2035 for G7 nations to shutter their coal-fired power plants, Reutersreported. Japan “has pushed back against an ambitious shift away from coal,” the FT added.

Other topics up for discussion include new financing models for climate change adaptation, the future roles of nuclear and biofuels in the energy mix, and power grid investments. A report out last week found that no G7 nation is on track to meet 2030 emissions reduction targets.

4. Latest round of global plastics treaty talks end today

In Canada, talks on a global plastics treaty come to an end today. The nation’s environment minister Steven Guilbeault said delegates have been “making strides” toward hammering out the details of the international, legally binding treaty, ahead of a final meeting on the text in November of this year. “The treaty could include provisions for what kind of plastics would be controlled, how control measures would be implemented and paid for, and timelines for restricting or banning certain substances,” reportedThe Globe and Mail. Guilbeault hoped these talks would result in about 70% of the treaty’s text being agreed. Most plastic is made from fossil fuels, and major oil and gas producers see the plastics market as a “plan B” as the world looks to reduce the use of fossil fuels in energy production. According to analysis from the Center for International Environmental Law, nearly 200 fossil fuel and chemical lobbyists registered for this round of talks, a 37% increase from the last meeting in November 2023.

5. Red Sea conflict leads to rise in shipping emissions

More than 13 million tons of extra CO2 has been emitted from the shipping sector over the last four months as ocean freighters use longer routes to avoid Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, Bloombergreported. That’s about the same as the emissions from 9 million cars over the same time period. The statistics come from a report produced by consultancy INVERTO. “The extra emissions resulting from this crisis will increase companies’ carbon footprints – making it very hard to hit their net zero targets,” said Sushank Agarwal, a managing director at the company. About 80% of the world’s goods are traded by ship, and international shipping accounts for about 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have been attacking ships in the region in response to the Israel-Hamas war.

THE KICKER

In response to the recent deluge in Dubai, the crown prince, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed al-Maktoum, has approved an ambitious (and expensive) upgrade to the city’s drainage infrastructure.