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Today, we are looking at a report on how biodiversity loss could impact GDP and the latest round on winter weather’s effects upon flights and power.
We are Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk for The Hill. Send us tips: [email protected]And [email protected]. Follow us on twitter: @RachelFrazinAnd @BudrykZack.
Let’s get started.
Nearly half of GDP is at risk in cities
Loss of biodiversity and natural resources could lead to a drop in the cities’ gross domestic product (GDP). This could be up to $31 trillion. Research released Monday shows that 80% of respondents were satisfied with the results.The World Economic Forum.
According to the report, more than 70% of the 576 largest urban centers in the world, which includes more than 1.4 billion people are at high or extreme risk from environmental hazards such as pollution, water contamination, or heat.
These losses could affect approximately $31 trillion or 44 percent of their GDP. This is lower than the global average of 50%, but the losses could trickle down to other areas due to the many sectors that are headquartered within cities such as utilities and transportation.
What are the specific risks? Flooding was identified as the greatest natural risk in more than 1,600 cities around the world, according to the report. According to the report flooding is a significant contributor to this risk.
The most vulnerable residents are those living below the poverty line, according to the World Bank.
According to the report, pollution and lack thereof in urban green spaces are also major environmental threats and financial drains. Exposure to air pollution can result in regional GDP losses of approximately 7.5 percent in southern, eastern and Pacific Asia.
According to the report urban centers account more than 75 per cent of global carbon emissions. The capital allocated for urban climate financing is far below the necessary amount. The 2021 State of Cities Climate Finance Report showed that $384 Billion in climate finance was directed to urban areas in 2017-2018, against an estimate of $5 Trillion.
What’s the solution? The report estimates that these areas could see sustainable development, which could lead to enough jobs and capital in order to offset these risks.
According to the report, sustainable transportation infrastructure alone could create 21.6 millions jobs by 2030. Another 11.66 million could be created by more sustainable waste management.
Monday at US airports: ‘Miserable’
The recent winter storms that swept across the Eastern U.S. have resulted in thousands of flight cancellations as well as power outages throughout the region.
According to the US Airline Association, more than 5,000 flights flew into, out of, or within the U.S. on Sunday were cancelled and nearly 10,000 were delayed. FlightAware’s live cancellation statistic. On Monday morning, over 3,000 additional U.S. flight cancellations were reported and another 3,000 were delayed.
According to FlightAware’s “Misery Map”, East Coast airports, including North Carolina’s Charlotte Douglas International Airport and the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, were among the most “miserable” in Monday’s rankings.
Charlotte’s airport issues a Winter weather advisoryMonday morning, most airlines announced that they would resume operations throughout the day. However, customers were advised to check with their particular carriers and to be careful of black ice while traveling to the airport.
Learn more about cancellations here.
More than 170K with no power
After a severe winter storm that ravaged the region, more than 170,000 people were without power in the eastern United States on Monday morning.
According to, New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Kentucky were the top three reporting areas for outages at 10:15 Eastern time. PowerOutage.us.
South Carolina had the highest number of outages, at almost 30,000 According to Marc Chenard (Meteorologist), North Carolina’s mountains saw the most snow. The Associated Press.
According to the Associated Press, Florida was hit with a tornado by the winter storm. Winds reached 118 miles an hour.
According to the National Weather Service the winter storm is expected move into southeastern Canada by Tuesday. Light snow will continue to fall in some parts of the Central Appalachians.
Monday’s outages come after More than 750,000 people have lost powerThis was earlier in the month, when a winter storm ravaged the South and mid Atlantic.
Find out more about the outages.
WHAT WE ARE READING
Congress is blocking Biden’s climate agenda. One key component in Hawaii is moving ahead (NPR)
European sales of electric cars surpass those of diesel models for the first-ever time (Financial Times)
Texas Earthquakes Prompt New Fracking Rules (The Wall Street Journal)
Finally, something a little off-beat and unusual: A-dressing is a major concern
This is it for today. Thanks for reading. Visit The Hill’s website. Energy & Environment pageGet the most recent news and coverage. We’ll see you there You Tomorrow.