Climate change news from the ground, in a warming world Was this forwarded to you? Sign up here [[link removed]] Laurie Goering [[link removed]]

Climate editor

How do you shift into high gear on climate action? Political leadership is crucial.

U.S. Senate Democrats this week finally passed a climate bill that would put hundreds of billions in spending toward everything from backing for electric cars and heat pumps to environmental justice and efforts to cut the risks from heatwaves and wildfires [[link removed]].

The measure, which now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives, unfortunately also opens the way for new fossil fuel drilling - a painful concession that's a sign of how hard it is in some countries to get effective climate change policies approved.

A view of Colombia's President-elect Gustavo Petro in Bogota, Colombia, July 22, 2022. REUTERS/Nathalia Angarita

In Colombia, new green-learning President Gustavo Petro has taken office promising to stop new oil exploration and wean his country off its heavy economic fossil fuel dependency [[link removed]] in favour of a greener and fairer society.

The change is what "science tells us" must happen, says the new president, who wants to step up use of wind and solar energy, get state oil firm Ecopetrol producing green hydrogen and crack down on illegal Amazon deforestation.

But in a country where oil and mining currently provide up to 8% of the economy's total value and more than half of its monthly exports, transformation will be a challenge, even if new political will provides the critical first step.

Anita Soina, a Maasai climate activist and the youngest parliamentary candidate in Kenya's general election this month, plants a tree during her campaign in Kajiado North, Kenya, July 19, 2022. Thomson Reuters Foundation/Dominic Kirui

In Kenya, 22-year-old Anita Soina, a climate change and environmental activist, is seeking to become the country's youngest-ever member of parliament [[link removed]] in elections Tuesday.

"I decided to go for it. It's the challenges that are pushing me not to wait any longer," she told our correspondent Dominic Kirui on the campaign trail.

Soina, a member of the Maasai ethnic community who has seen firsthand the Mara River drying in her home region of northern Kenya, said activism was important but perhaps not sufficient.

"I realised that fighting from outside may not really be the answer," she said.

In Britain, meanwhile, known for its pioneering net-zero promises and wind-power building push, political will to carry on the climate fight may be wavering [[link removed]], with the two Conservative party candidates vying to replace ousted Prime Minister Boris Johnson scarcely mentioning the issue in their campaigning.

Both Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss have signed a pledge committing themselves to the country's net-zero-by-2050 target, and climate policies are in place for nearly every sector of the UK economy, says Chris Stark, the head of Britain's independent Climate Change Committee.

The question now, he says, is "are they actually going to be delivered?"

See you next week!

Laurie

Can Kenya’s youngest MP candidate step up the climate fight? [[link removed]]

As Kenya's election nears, 22-year-old Anita Soina pledges to push climate action with the urgency she says is missing at the top

Solar power opens the door to banking for rural Indians [[link removed]]

In remote areas suffering frequent power cuts, solar panel systems help keep banks running as they curb climate-warming emissions

Can President Petro crack Colombia's reliance on oil and coal? [[link removed]]

A new president plans an unprecedented shift from fossil fuels to a greener economy. Experts warn it could take decades to achieve

U.S. wildfire and heat risks to get new spending under Biden plan [[link removed]]

As climate risks grow, a proposed U.S. legislative package would funnel money to help – and to cut emissions

Race for PM's job raises questions about UK climate leadership [[link removed]]

Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak both back net zero, but say little more about climate as they bid to succeed Boris Johnson as prime minister

Kenyan youth help climate-hit communities prepare for disaster [[link removed]]

Young volunteers in the east African nation are spreading the word about extreme weather such as drought as climate change worsens

World's biggest Amazon warehouse raises fears over toxic air [[link removed]]

Warehouses in California's Inland Empire are mushrooming in tandem with the nation's e-commerce habit, angering local residents

OPINION: Here’s how to keep Britons warm this winter [[link removed]]

Prime minister candidates to replace Boris Johnson must act now to avoid catastrophe later

OPINION: It’s time to cut the emissions from creating our homes and offices [[link removed]]

The first step is getting people as excited about cutting ‘built environment’ pollution as plastic or food waste

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