The 2010s amounted to "a decade lost" for slowing climate change, as nations around the world failed to substantially rein-in the heat-trapping emissions generated by power plants, factories, cars and trucks, and other sources that burn fossil fuels, a United Nations report said Tuesday.
The Earth's average temperature is now on track to soar by close to 4 degrees Celsius – or 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit – by the end of the century compared to pre-industrial levels. Scientists have broadly concluded that the planet needs to keep warming to within 2 degrees Celsius, or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, to avoid the most catastrophic impacts of climate change.
Rapid rates of warming, meanwhile, are already essentially locked-in: Even ambitious new efforts to slash carbon emissions, as represented in nations' commitments under the 2015 Paris climate accord, will still produce 2.9 to 3.4 degrees of warming.
The report, from the UN's World Meteorological Organization, renewed calls for yet more urgent action to drastically reduce emissions around the world.
"There is no sign of a slowdown, let alone a decline, in greenhouse gases concentration in the atmosphere despite all the commitments under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change," WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said in a statement. "We need to translate the commitments into action and increase the level of ambition for the sake of the future welfare of mankind."
Despite rapid growth in renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, sharp declines in coal-fired power generation in developed nations, and recent high-profile investments in electric vehicles and EV charging infrastructure, global emissions are next expected to peak by the end of the next decade.
"The effects of climate policies have been too small to offset the impact of key drivers of emissions such as economic growth and population growth," the report said, characterizing the finding as a "rather bleak fact."
Already, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is comparable to 3-5 million years ago, when temperatures were roughly 2-3 degrees warmer and sea levels were 30-60 feet higher, the WMO said.
"In this critical period, the world must deliver concrete, stepped-up action on emissions," Inger Andersen, executive director of the UN Environment Programme said in a statement. "We face a stark choice: set in motion the radical transformations we need now, or face the consequences of a planet radically altered by climate change."
James Comey's tell-all book is based on a "history of mistruths," the former FBI director has been spreading since he was fired, said Kayleigh McEnany, the Republican National Committee spokeswoman. The RNC has responded forcefully to the accusations in Comey's book, "A Higher Loyalty."
The two black men who were arrested at a Philadelphia Starbucks store have agreed to meet with its CEO Kevin Johnson at some point. After their arrest, protesters took to the streets and the #BoycottStarbucks hashtag has been trending on Twitter.
The Republicans have launched a heavy-handed campaign to discredit Comey, which will likely backfire, says Jack Crowe, news writer at the National Review. Meanwhile, Democrats aren't too pleased with Comey either. In Comey's first public interview since President Trump fired him last year, he told ABC that Trump is "morally unfit to be president."
The way that President Trump has treated law enforcement, particularly his firing of former FBI Director James Comey, is "extraordinarily damaging," says Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA). His comments come days before Comey is set to release his tell all book about the Trump administration.
On Friday, House Speaker Paul Ryan endorsed Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy to replace him after he retires in January. But "given the extraordinary fracture" within the Republican party, the Speaker job would be incredibly hard, says Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA).
After Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's testimony on Capitol Hill this week, all eyes are on the kinds of regulation that may come for the tech industry. If Congress is serious about data protection, then questioning "Google is the next logical step," says Molly Wood, host of Marketplace Tech.
James Comey's new book "A Higher Loyalty" officially hits stores on Tuesday, but juicy details are already leaking out. The former FBI Director likens President Trump to a mob boss in the book. Trump criticized Comey on Twitter on Friday, calling him an "untruthful slime ball." Comey will do an interview this Sunday ahead of the book's release.
President Trump issued an executive order late Thursday night calling for a review of the U.S. Postal Service. The president wants a task force to look into the financial troubles facing the USPS. In recent weeks, Trump has criticized Amazon for contributing to the USPS's financial downfall. Even though Trump didn't specifically mention Amazon in the executive order, it's implied that he wants the task force to look into his claims against the tech giant.
And Cheddar CEO Jon Steinberg sits down with two-time NBA all-star Baron Davis to chat about his life as a tech investor. He's the founder of Sports and Lifestyle in Culture, or SLIC, a company that features and promotes original content from athletes.
Former FBI director James Comey is set to release his book "Higher Loyalty" on Tuesday. It could lead to more departures at the White House, says Kelly Macias, staff writer at the Daily Kos.
Meredith Kelly, the DCCC spokesperson, says the Speaker retired only after he pushed through a tax overhaul, which has been high on Ryan's agenda for the majority of his nearly two decade-long career. The bill, which Kelly claims "prioritized the very richest and the biggest corporations," was signed into law last year. Earlier this week, the CBO stated the bill could contribute to an increase in the deficit to about $1.85 trillion over the next year 10 years.
Michael Avenatti, the attorney for Stormy Daniels, says potential campaign finance violations could find their way to "the doorsteps of the White House."
