🌱 The Grumpy Optimists #16
Hello all 👋
Welcome back to Monday! The big question this week of course, is it coming home? We'll find out tomorrow night - it's going to be a huge evening at Wembley. Anyway, we hope you've all had a lovely week, and to help you get your next one off to a great start, we've rounded up the usual menu of good reads for you to get stuck into. So see what takes your fancy and let us know your thoughts!
George and Will 💚
Articles to read
🔥 Poorer households should get free heat pumps to replace gas boilers. 14% of the UK's carbon emissions come from heating homes. The introduction of air-source heat pumps (the opposite of air-con) for lower-income families would not only help decarbonise the UK's housing stock but will also reduce the cost of heating homes, reducing fuel poverty.
🐷 Concerning use of antibiotics in pig farms as amounts double. The number of antibiotics being used in the UK meat industry is soaring, with growing numbers of aminoglycosides being given to support the rearing of piglets.
Why it matters: This could have huge ramifications for human health - including an increased risk of zoonotic diseases emerging (and subsequent pandemics.) It also means fewer antibiotics will go to treat humans for meningitis and blood infections, meanwhile further heightening the wider risks associated with antibiotic resistance.
🚒 It's getting hot in here, so take...climate action seriously. A record-breaking heatwave across the west coast of the US along with dry conditions and dry lightning is threatening to cause major wildfires. Climate change is making the fires more severe as 40 million people are set to see 100F temperatures. That's probably a bit too hot.
♪ TikTok engaging young climate activists. Social media has enormous potential to engage its millions of users in the most pressing social and environmental issues of our time, and TikTok is the latest to join the trend. Playing to short attention spans and rising climate anxiety among its younger users, can the new team of 'green influencers' help contribute to positive climate action?
🐷 Should ministers urge the UK public to eat less meat? The Climate Change Committee (CCC) has accused the government of a number of shortcomings with the delivery of its climate change pledges. In particular its failure to encourage dietary shifts which could be critical for climate change. Check out last week's newsletter for more on this and the Planetary Health Diet - which spells out the benefits which plant-based diets have for the health of our bodies and our environment.
⏳ IPCC steps up warning on Earth's tipping points. The impacts of climate change are likely to be much closer than people realise and will fundamentally reshape life in the coming decades, even if GHGe are brought under control. The need to hit 1.5 degrees is critical!
⚖️ Acts of 'ecocide' to be written into international law. The definition, which is being drafted by the International Criminal Court, will aim to legally prosecute actors whose actions cause widespread and long-term damage to the environment.
Why it matters: This will offer climate change a seat at the top table of international governance - as one of only five issues the court tackles - with war crimes and genocide featuring among the other four. Prof Philippe Sands QC, who co-chaired the panel that drafted the definition, sums up just how significant this could be for climate action:
“For me the single most important thing about this initiative is that it’s part of that broader process of changing public consciousness, recognising that we are in a relationship with our environment, we are dependent for our wellbeing on the wellbeing of the environment and that we have to use various instruments, political, diplomatic but also legal to achieve the protection of the environment.”
Enjoy the week folks and as ever, and remember to share with anyone and everyone to spread the grumpy optimism.
We'll be back next week as usual, and have some exciting stuff in store over the next month or so, including some longer commentary pieces to get stuck into. Catch you soon!
Job Opening!
*PS - we're looking for a keen grumpy optimist to help out with the blog and drive it forward!! Let us know if you are interested. Send an email to thegrumpyoptimists@gmail.com if you want to know more. 💚
George and Will 👋