Global News & Policy – Ecosystemic Magazine

SCOTUS and Climate Cases. Could they be overturned? What would be the harm in doing this?

22May

By Krish GuptaNo Comments

Global News & Policy

SCOTUS and Climate Cases. Could they be overturned? What would be the harm in doing this?

By Krish Gupta With the recent leak of the revised draft of Roe v. Wade, women all around the country have to worry about whether they will have the power to make decisions about their own bodies. It will soon be up to state governments to decide whether women can or cannot have abortions, which would control women even more than patriarchal governance already does. If the conservative Supreme Court can overturn such an important court case that affects people all across the country, what is stopping them from overturning other important cases? What if they overturn essential environmental decisions? Unfortunately, even before the overturning of Roe v. Wade became a possibility, necessary Supreme Court environmental cases mostly relating to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have...

One City Council at a Time: The Role of Local Leadership in Combating the Climate Crisis

1May

By Tara PrakashNo Comments

Global News & Policy

One City Council at a Time: The Role of Local Leadership in Combating the Climate Crisis

By Tara Prakash Mayors and city councils play crucial roles in combating the climate crisis — as the chief executive officers in a community, they direct the structure and focus of city councils, appointing and removing department heads as needed. Along with proposing, passing and ratifying laws, city councils represent the interests of their constituents by managing budgets and investigating local agencies when necessary. City councils are the central and chief policy-making bodies for their respective regions. For example, the D.C Council’s mission is “to provide strong, innovative and effective leadership for the benefit of residents across the city,” as stated on its website. By proposing and passing laws, city councils and mayors also serve as legislative bodies, ultimately cata...

16Apr

By William AshfordNo Comments

Global News & Policy

Corporate Lobbying Kills the Earth

By William Ashford Political lobbies are deeply ingrained in the American political system. From technology to pharmaceuticals, corporations and political action committees (PACs) strategically fund policymakers to bend their will into opposing progressive legislation, and in doing so, fighting public opinion. Despite overwhelming public support for policies included in legislation like Build Back Better, corporate bribing blocks favorable clean energy bills (Center for American Progress, 2021). In 2021, a staggering 60% of American voters supported the Green New Deal, and a mere 29% opposed it (Deiseroth and Blank, 2021). Despite this, the Senate defeated the bill, as all Republican senators voted in opposition along with Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. This opp...

My Speech on a GreenSteps School Program and a Green New Deal

16Apr

By Curran NeelyNo Comments

Global News & Policy

My Speech on a GreenSteps School Program and a Green New Deal

By Curran Neely With catastrophic, human-caused climate change looming, we must invest in every way possible to mitigate its effects. The Minnesota GreenStep schools program offers a framework for educators, community members, non-profits, and government agencies to collaborate to combat the climate crisis, and promote healthy communities and sustainable economies. They provide a set of “best practices” for schools to follow and recognize schools that succeed in implementing environmentally-friendly changes. This program could help us significantly on our path to environmental and community sustainability, and has already been endorsed by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the Minnesota Department of Education, both the Minnesota Design Center and the Institute on the Environment a...

How Americans View the Climate Crisis: Acting on a Problem Many Believe is Non-Existent

2Apr

By Anvi BhateNo Comments

Global News & Policy

How Americans View the Climate Crisis: Acting on a Problem Many Believe is Non-Existent

By Anvi Bhate Currently, around 60 percent of Americans view climate change as a major threat to the prosperity of the United States and two thirds of the country’s adults observe the federal government is not doing enough to reduce the effects of global climate change (Pew, 2020). The majority of Americans believe the government should try different approaches to reducing climate change such as planting more trees, placing tougher restrictions on power plant carbon emissions, and establishing tougher fuel efficiency standards for cars (Pew, 2020). However, even as more Americans begin to believe in climate change and its alarming need to be addressed, two thirds of the population refuse to quit fossil fuels (Forbes, 2021). While not all Americans are completely convinced with the li...

Will European Countries Retreat From Russian Gas and Use Green Alternatives?

20Mar

By Jasmine SinghNo Comments

Global News & Policy

Will European Countries Retreat From Russian Gas and Use Green Alternatives?

By Jasmine Singh According to Eurostat, Russia is currently responsible for roughly 40% of the EU’s natural gas imports. As Western nations continue to impose sanctions on Russia as a result of the Russo-Ukrainian War, finding alternative options for fuel becomes crucial. According to Deputy National Security Advisor Daleep Singh, “This crisis underscores the urgency of speeding our transition to cleaner, more secure, renewable sources of energy like solar, wind, and hydrogen.” Political Cartoon by Elson Bankoff Many have begun to call for companies and governments across the world to terminate their imports of Russian gas. Ultimately, this will further destabilize Russia’s economy. According to the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, 40% of Russia’s federal budget revenue...

20Mar

By William AshfordNo Comments

Global News & Policy

Europe Must Switch to Renewables Now

By William Ashford The current argument for clean and renewable energy sources is about more than just combating climate change; it is about nations’ independence from authoritarian states. According to the Columbia University Climate School, In 2021, the European Union (EU) imported 142 billion cubic meters (BCM) of Russian natural gas, accounting for 45% of its total natural gas imports. That same year, Europe (including Turkey) imported 185 BCM of Russian oil, 36% of the continent's total gas demand. In 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine; but the reliance on non-renewables persisted. On Thursday, Feb. 24, Russian troops, tanks, and armored cars rolled into Ukraine in the first European military land invasion since World War I. On Feb. 22, in response to Russian aggression on the U...

The Case for Climate Education in American Schools

19Feb

By Alix Nikolic de JacintoNo Comments

Global News & Policy

The Case for Climate Education in American Schools

By Alix Nikolic de Jacinto The climate emergency is the issue of the day, the headline scrawled across news outlets, and near the center of political discourse. Yet the topic still remains a point of contention in the United States, from federal climate policy to the role of climate action in our education system. This attitude has bred a powerful youth movement that skyrocketed in engagement over the past few years, largely due to mass-student support and emerging youth voices. This youth initiative exemplifies a key element of inequity that climate change provokes: the prior generations responsible for the crisis will escape the worst of its effects, leaving impossible odds to today’s youth. As time closes in on the climate emergency, we the youth find power in organizi...

5Feb

By Jaiden SaranNo Comments

Global News & Policy

The Nigerian Heat Crisis

Jaiden Saran McLean High School As months pass and global temperatures rise, West African climates are warming far faster than the global rate. In Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, the temperatures are reaching startling highs of up to 99 °F nearly every day. And these temperatures will continue to increase. For decades, people have used fossil fuels that contribute to climate change. However, with every generation, the use of fossil fuels has increased. The newest generation has polluted the most, resulting in a half-degree increase in temperature over the past century. In Nigeria, the rising temperature has led to alarming issues such as water scarcity, food shortages and poverty. Part of the reason Nigeria is affected by climate change is due to its abundant fossil fuels and oil-...

21Jan

By Abby KelsoNo Comments

Global News & Policy

Build Back Better Bill Overview

By Abby Kelso, Sidwell Friends School After President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better Bill passed in the House of Representatives on Nov. 19, the $2.2 trillion measure now faces a long and arduous path through the Senate before it becomes law. Speaking in a press conference about the importance of passing the bill, Biden said: “[W]e need Congress to finish the job, to come together and make a difference in people’s lives.” The overarching goal of the Build Back Better Framework is to reassess the economy to benefit the middle class. The bill includes provisions to offer free universal preschool, to provide tax cuts for families, to expand affordable health care and to invest in affordable housing. CBS News states that $550 billion of the bill goes to stopping the climate crisis, an ...