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<p><i><font size="+1"><b>December 20, 2020</b></font></i> <br>
</p>
[Reuters]<br>
<b>Lloyd's of London steps back from coal in first climate change
policy</b><br>
By Carolyn Cohn<br>
LONDON (Reuters) -Lloyd’s of London is scaling back its exposure to
coal and oil sands, the commercial insurance market said in its
first sustainability report on Wednesday, in a reversal of its
traditional hands-off approach to climate change strategy.<br>
<br>
Lloyd’s acts as regulator for around 100 syndicate members, and
leaves decisions on underwriting and investment strategy to them.<br>
<br>
But other regulatory bodies, such as the Bank of England, have
stressed the risks of climate change for financial institutions.<br>
<br>
“This is the first time we have set an ESG (environmental, social
and governance) strategy for the Lloyd’s market and it represents an
important milestone on the journey towards building a more
sustainable future,” Chairman Bruce Carnegie-Brown said in a
statement.<br>
<br>
Lloyd’s has come under fire from activists because its members have
insured controversial projects such as Adani Enterprises’ Carmichael
thermal coal mine in Australia and the Canadian government’s Trans
Mountain oil pipeline.<br>
<br>
European insurers like AXA and Zurich have already pulled back from
underwriting fossil fuels such as coal and oil sands, though U.S.
and Asian insurers have mainly retained their exposure.<br>
<br>
The Lloyd’s Corporation and its members will end new investment in
thermal coal-fired power plants, thermal coal mines, oil sands and
new Arctic energy exploration activities from Jan. 1, 2022, Lloyd’s
said in a statement.<br>
<br>
It would phase out existing investment in companies which derive 30%
or more of their revenues from those sectors by the end of 2025.<br>
<br>
Lloyd’s also said it was asking members to stop providing new
insurance cover for thermal coal, oil sands, or new Arctic energy
exploration from Jan. 1, 2022, with a target date of Jan. 1, 2030 to
phase out the renewal of existing cover.<br>
<br>
Lindsay Keenan, European coordinator for activist group Insure Our
Future, welcomed the policy but said Lloyd’s should act sooner.<br>
<br>
“Lloyd’s’ 2030 deadline is not justified by climate science and the
urgent need for action,” he said.<br>
<br>
Lloyd’s also set a target for its members to derive 2% of their
premium income from sustainable insurance products by 2022 and said
it would set out a roadmap for transitioning to net zero for its own
operations by 2025.<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-lloyds-of-london-sustainability/lloyds-of-london-to-scale-back-coal-exposure-idUSKBN28Q2TK">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-lloyds-of-london-sustainability/lloyds-of-london-to-scale-back-coal-exposure-idUSKBN28Q2TK</a><br>
<br>
<p><br>
</p>
[Fossil Fuels]<br>
<b>Exxon Pledges to Reduce Emissions, but the Details Suggest
Nothing Has Changed</b><br>
Under investor pressure, the company retreated from its refusal to
join other oil giants in pledging reductions, with a plan that
suggests it will continue business as usual.<br>
- -<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/15122020/exxon-mobil-pledge-emissons-net-zero/">https://insideclimatenews.org/news/15122020/exxon-mobil-pledge-emissons-net-zero/</a><br>
<p><br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
[UN report]<br>
<b>Emissions Gap Report 2020</b><br>
Authors: UNEP, UNEP DTU Partnership<br>
What’s new in this year’s report<br>
<br>
The report finds that, despite a brief dip in carbon dioxide
emissions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the world is still
heading for a temperature rise in excess of 3°C this century – far
beyond the Paris Agreement goals of limiting global warming to well
below 2°C and pursuing 1.5°C.<br>
<br>
However, a low-carbon pandemic recovery could cut 25 per cent off
the greenhouse emissions expected in 2030, based on policies in
place before COVID-19. Such a recovery would far outstrip savings
foreseen with the implementation of unconditional Nationally
Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement, and put the
world close to the 2°C pathway.<br>
<br>
The report also analyses low-carbon recovery measures so far,
summarizes the scale of new net-zero emissions pledges by nations
and looks at the potential of the lifestyle, aviation and shipping
sectors to bridge the gap.<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.unenvironment.org/emissions-gap-report-2020">https://www.unenvironment.org/emissions-gap-report-2020</a><br>
<p><br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
[Opinion]<br>
<b>2020 Was Supposed To Be Our Best Last Chance To Save The Planet.
So How Did We Do?</b><br>
As the coronavirus pandemic raged, hopes this year would be pivotal
for climate change action faded. But all is not lost. Yet.<br>
12/19/2020<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/climate-change-2020-last-chance-pandemic_n_5fdcc5dac5b650b99adbfb31">https://www.huffpost.com/entry/climate-change-2020-last-chance-pandemic_n_5fdcc5dac5b650b99adbfb31</a><br>
<p><br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
[gather round the table]<br>
A new phone app called "Cranky Uncle" uses a science-denying uncle
cartoon character to illustrate different methods of disinformation
on science topics like climate change. <br>
<b>How to Talk to Your ‘Cranky Uncle’ About Climate Change</b><b><br>
</b>What do you say to someone who says, “It’s cold. Global warming
doesn’t exist”?<br>
<br>
In “Cranky Uncle,” a free phone app game,
cartoonist-turned-scientist John Cook offers ways to identify and
combat misinformation on climate change and other topics.<br>
<br>
Cook, a researcher at the Center for Climate Change Communication at
George Mason University, combined his expertise in climate denialism
with the artistic skills he gained in his previous career as a
cartoonist to create the game.<br>
<br>
Players are guided by a science-denying Cranky Uncle cartoon
character through five disinformation techniques often used by
people who doubt the science of topics like climate change,
evolution, vaccines or Covid-19.<br>
<br>
“Games are a really powerful way to get people practicing critical
thinking,” Cook said. “So given that I’ve done cartooning in the
past, I could see that cartoons were a really powerful way to make
games engaging and funny.”<br>
<br>
The players in Cranky Uncle learn to spot fallacies and practice
confronting denialist arguments with logic and analogies. Cook said
he has tested how cartoons that use analogies compare to more
serious infographics as communication techniques. Both were
effective, but people spent more time looking at the cartoons and
were more likely to share them with others. <br>
<br>
The humor draws people deeper and deeper into the game, Cook said.
And “The deeper they get in the game, the more inoculated they
become against disinformation.”<br>
<br>
Cook also used the approach in a book published in February, “Cranky
Uncle vs. Climate Change: How to understand and respond to climate
science deniers.” <br>
<br>
The Cranky Uncle game is currently available only to iPhone users,
but it will soon be available on Android. Cook also wants to add
more denial techniques, including those used in conspiracy theories,
and a social element to the game, where players can add their own
questions and compete against others.<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/19122020/warming-trends-climate-denial-game-app/">https://insideclimatenews.org/news/19122020/warming-trends-climate-denial-game-app/</a><br>
<p> - -</p>
[for App Store]<br>
<b>Cranky Uncle game: building resilience against misinformation</b><br>
The Cranky Uncle game uses cartoons and critical thinking to fight
misinformation. The game was developed by George Mason University
scientist John Cook, in collaboration with creative agency Autonomy.
The game is now available for free on iPhone.<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://crankyuncle.com/game/">https://crankyuncle.com/game/</a><br>
<br>
<p><br>
</p>
[Digging back into the internet news archive]<br>
<font size="+1"><b>On this day in the history of global warming -
December 20, 1983 </b></font><br>
December 20, 1983: PBS airs "Climate Crisis: The Greenhouse
Effect," a "NOVA" special on global warming featuring Tennessee Rep.
Al Gore.<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://youtu.be/T8JlBkOe6HU">http://youtu.be/T8JlBkOe6HU</a><br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.nytimes.com/1986/06/24/movies/earth-s-climatic-crisis-examined-by-nova.html">http://www.nytimes.com/1986/06/24/movies/earth-s-climatic-crisis-examined-by-nova.html</a><br>
<br>
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