September Sustainability News
- Rodrigo Batalha
- Sep 19
- 5 min read
Another month, another set of new from the different news outlets. These articles are taken from different sources and you can always find the whole article on the link provided at the end of the excerpt.
With little aid, Afghanistan's quakes spell 'inter-generational' crisis
"KARACHI/BAMBA KOT, Afghanistan, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Earthquakes that flattened villages in eastern Afghanistan this month destroyed homes and livestock, the only assets owned by most families, leaving survivors with almost nothing to rebuild as aid runs thin.
At least 2,200 people were killed and more than half a million affected when a powerful earthquake struck the region on the night of August 31 followed by a series of strong aftershocks. The quakes have left tens of thousands of people homeless, with some fearing further landslides."
Development banks' climate finance hit record $137 billion in 2024
"LONDON, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Multilateral development banks provided a record $137 billion in climate finance in 2024, up 10% from the previous year, and also helped boost private sector funding for climate-related investments by a third, a report by the banks showed on Tuesday.
The increase in investment comes as nations gear up for the next round of U.N. climate talks in Brazil in November, where developing countries are set to call for more help to pay for the impacts of climate change caused mainly by richer nations."
USA's Energy Secretary Attacks Offshore Wind and Dismisses Climate Change
"Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Friday defended the Trump administration’s decision to block a nearly completed $6.2 billion wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island by saying offshore wind increases electricity prices and by downplaying the jobs at stake.
Energy experts accused Mr. Wright of oversimplifying the economics of offshore wind energy, noting that while it requires a significant amount of upfront capital to build a project, it was expected to create more than 55,000 jobs by the end of the decade and enough electricity to inexpensively power 22 million homes before the Trump administration took steps to throttle the nascent industry.
A former fracking executive, Mr. Wright said the focus in the United States to transition away from fossil fuels had hurt the country. It’s a message he said he intended to take on a multileg trip next week to Europe, where he will encourage countries to buy more American gas. The United States is currently the world’s biggest exporter of liquefied natural gas as well as the largest producer of oil."
Source: New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/05/climate/wright-energy-offshore-wind-turbines.html)
More than scientists: How message and messenger attributes influence viewers’ climate change intentions (Research Paper)
"Effectively motivating public action on climate change remains a central challenge for science communicators. This study investigated how message and messenger attributes shape viewers’ motivation to act on climate change, and whether these effects vary as a function of political orientation. Using a policy-capturing design, 581 U.S. adults each viewed six randomly selected short videos from the More than Scientists website, in which climate scientists described the personal relevance of climate change. Linguistic features of the messages were analyzed using the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) software, and messenger attributes (e.g., age, sex, attractiveness) were independently coded. Multilevel modeling revealed that messenger characteristics—particularly being older, male, attractive, and filmed in natural settings—were the strongest predictors of viewer motivation, explaining over 21% of within-person variance. By contrast, linguistic message attributes had weak predictive power overall, though messages with future-focused language and greater length were modestly more motivating. Political orientation moderated some message effects: affiliation-oriented language increased motivation for left-leaning viewers, while achievement-oriented language was more effective for right-leaning viewers. These findings underscore the importance of peripheral cues in climate communication and support targeted messaging strategies that align with audience values and identities."
Actors, entertainers pledge to boycott Israeli film institutions over Gaza
"WASHINGTON, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Over 1,800 actors, entertainers, and producers, including some Hollywood stars, signed a pledge released on Monday, opens new tab to not work with Israeli film institutions that they see as being complicit in the abuse of Palestinians by Israel.
Some companies have faced calls for boycotts and protests over ties with the Israeli government as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza from Israel's military assault grows, and images of starving Palestinians, including children, have sparked global outrage."
Disney $233 million settlement with employees wins approval
"Sept 17 (Reuters) - A California judge has approved Walt Disney's (DIS.N), opens new tab $233 million settlement with 51,478 Disneyland employees who said the entertainment company denied them a living wage.
The class-action settlement won final approval on Tuesday by Judge William Claster of the Orange County Superior Court, who called the accord fair, reasonable, adequate and consistent with public policy."
Mayan forest reserve would become second largest in the Americas under new plan
"GUATEMALA CITY — Mexico, Guatemala and Belize have announced plans to create a huge reserve of tropical forest spanning across the three countries. Pushing out criminal gangs and protecting the land from ranchers, miners and loggers won’t be easy.
The nature reserve announced last week and called the Great Mayan Jungle Biocultural Corridor would stretch across jungle areas of southern Mexico and northern parts of the two Central American nations, encompassing more than 14 million acres. It would become the second largest reserve in the Americas, behind only the Amazon.
In interviews this week, the environment ministers of Mexico and Guatemala emphasized the need for security, while also expressing the intention of administrations in both countries to avoid destructive projects in the area."
Source: LA Times (https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2025-08-22/how-guatemala-mexico-and-belize-plan-to-protect-14-million-acres-of-mayan-forest)
First High-Tech Exploration of Argentina’s Mar del Plata Canyon Inspires Millions
"Palo Alto, California, USA — An Argentinian-led expedition on board Schmidt Ocean Institute’s R/V Falkor (too) has captured the attention of millions, inspiring a predominantly Argentine audience with live video feeds from the deep seafloor. Over the past three weeks, nearly 4 million people tuned in to Schmidt Ocean Institute’s divestream, or live video webcast, and watched the expedition unfold from their homes, classrooms, grocery stores, bars, and gyms. They witnessed deep-sea wonders alongside the scientists, including shimmering squids, pink lobsters, and a seastar that resembled the SpongeBob character, Patrick Star."
Source: Schmidt Ocean Institute (https://schmidtocean.org/first-high-tech-exploration-of-argentinas-mar-del-plata-canyon-inspires-millions/)
Fur going out of fashion as production hits decades-low
"Fur is increasingly falling out of favour, and that’s good news for animals. In 2023, global fur production plummeted by nearly 40% compared to the previous year, following a decade-long downward spiral that saw the industry shrink by a staggering 85%. These statistics are not just numbers: they represent millions of mink, foxes, and raccoon dogs spared a miserable life and painful death on a fur farm.
As top fashion houses gravitate away from animal fur and governments shut down cruel fur farms, the steep decline of the fur industry – once synonymous with luxury – is a testament to what can be achieved for animals with strategy and international collaboration."
Source: FurFree Alliance (https://www.furfreealliance.com/fur-is-going-out-of-fashion-lowest-production-in-decades/)
Federal judge questions merit of Trump permitting commercial fishing in Pacific marine monument
"Whether a president can change federal regulations established through government agency rule-making procedures was debated in a Honolulu courtroom Tuesday as a potential linchpin of a lawsuit over commercial fishing in a Pacific marine monument.
A U.S. Department of Justice attorney from Washington, D.C., could not cite legal precedent or other authority for such power, though a U.S. District Court judge hearing the case did not make an immediate ruling.
The case pertains to an April 17 proclamation from President Donald Trump allowing fishing by U.S.-flagged vessels in parts of the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument south and west of Hawaii."
Source: Pacific Islands Heritage Coalition (https://protectpih.org/news-media/)
