Despite oil company ties, COP28 President-designate vows to uphold 1.5°C temperature goal & more environmental stories.

[View this email in your browser]( Friday, February 24, 2023 "The oceans are in trouble; the coasts are in trouble; our marine resources are in trouble. These are not challenges we can sweep aside." – James Watkins Despite Oil Company Ties, COP28 President-Designate Vows to Uphold 1.5°C Temperature Goal [Dr. Sultan Al Jaber]( the controversial COP28 President-designate, has said the [Paris agreement’s]( goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels is “non-negotiable.’ His remarks came as he spoke Wednesday at the [World Sustainable Development Summit]( in New Delhi on Wednesday, as The National reported. [Read More]( Related: [UAE Names Oil Company Chief to Head COP28, Worrying Climate Activists]( Australia to Triple Size of Macquarie Island Protection Zone to Shield ‘Remote Wildlife Wonderland’ in Southern Ocean [Australia]( Albanese Labor Government has announced its plans to triple the size of the Macquarie Island Marine Park to protect millions of [seals]( [seabirds]( and [penguins]( in the [Southern Ocean]( a [press release]( from Australia’s Minister for the Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek said. The expansion of the marine park would protect the entire Exclusive Economic Zone surrounding the island and expand Australia’s marine parks to 48.2 percent of its [oceans](. [Read More]( Related: [In National First, Australia Uses Environmental Law to Reject New Coal Mine to Protect Great Barrier Reef]( How Power Plant Emissions Affect Cloud Formation in Utah Mountains (and Likely Elsewhere) Humans have been altering the planet in many ways, from the [extreme weather]( of [climate change]( to the destruction of wildlife habitat and ecosystems. Now, human activity is affecting the chemistry of the [atmosphere]( and it could change when and how clouds form, even in the remotest of locations. [Read More]( Related: [Biden’s EPA Restores Rule Protecting Vulnerable Communities From Mercury and Other Toxic Power Plant Emissions]( Trees Become More Efficient at Saving Water as CO2 Levels Increase, Scientists Find Most of us know the service [trees]( and other [plants]( do for almost all living things on the planet by converting [carbon dioxide]( into oxygen. Now, scientists have discovered that when carbon levels have been made artificially higher, trees adjust and ramp up their absorption while increasing their rate of photosynthesis. [Read More]( Related: [Trees Are Getting Bigger in Response to Climate Change]( A Guide for the Eco-Friendly Beer Drinker Unlike wine – which has a lot more regulations and certifications that make purchasing a [sustainable bottle]( more straightforward – beer doesn’t have universal unique certifications or labels to indicate their sustainability efforts. Some smaller initiatives are taking place – Iowa launched the [Iowa Green Brewery Certification]( in 2017, for one – but choosing an eco-friendly beer usually requires more attention to the practices of individual breweries. [Read More]( Related: [‘Natural Wine’ Brings Artistic Sensibility to American Viticulture]( Do you get this newsletter daily? If not, [sign up here]( or forward to a friend. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Website]( [Instagram]( Copyright © 2023 EcoWatch, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you signed up for EcoWatch Top News of The Day Our mailing address is: EcoWatch 1122 Oberlin RoadRaleigh, NC 27605 [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. [Mailchimp Email Marketing](