Secretary Kerry Delivers Remarks About the Montreal Protocol in Kigali, Rwanda on October 14, 2016. | Credit: U.S. State Department
170 Countries Agree to Phasedown HFCs; USAID pledges $2.3M for Climate-Resilient Cities
The New York Times (10/15) said negotiators from 170 countries agreed to phasedown the production of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), an earth-warming refrigerant, through an amendment to the Montreal Protocol. According to scientists, the Kigali Accord amendment will stave off an increase of atmospheric temperatures by nearly 1 degree Fahrenheit.
The New York Times (10/16) reported that chemical companies were motivated to support the Kigali Accord so that their environmentally friendly alternatives to HFCs would be competitive on the global market.
A USAID press release (10/19) announced USAID’s pledge of $2.3 million to help developing cities access financing for climate-resilient infrastructure.
CBC (10/14) said Hurricane Matthew completely destroyed crops and livestock in some areas of Haiti and that it could be a decade or more before the country recovers economically.
The Washington Post (10/17) covered a new report from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, which says that climate change is affecting world food production and will increase food insecurity unless significant action is taken.
NPR (10/12) said coffee production in Brazil, the world’s largest coffee-producing nation, is suffering from climate change impacts, including a three-year drought affecting the country’s coffee belt region. A new report by Australia’s Climate Institute says global coffee production is threatened by climate change.
