World breaches 1.5°C for an entire year for first time on record & more environmental headlines.

[View this email in your browser]( Monday, February 12, 2024 “The environment is where we all meet; where we all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share.” — Lady Bird Johnson World Breaches 1.5°C for an Entire Year for First Time on Record For the first time on record, the [average global temperature]( has exceeded [1.5 degree Celsius]( over a 12-month period, according to new data from the [Copernicus Climate Change Service]( (C3S). Last month was also the hottest January worldwide since C3S records began in 1950, with an average air surface temperature that was 0.70 degrees Celsius higher than the month’s average from 1991 to 2020. The previous heat record for January — set in 2020 — was 0.12 degrees cooler. [Read More]( Related: [Controversial Study Says 1.5°C Warming Target Already Breached, ‘Underscores Urgent Need’ to Phase Out Fossil Fuels]( In ‘Vital Victory for Farmers and the Environment,’ Arizona Court Cancels EPA’s Approval of Dicamba Pesticide In a win for farmers and [endangered]( [plants]( and [wildlife]( an [Arizona district court]( has revoked the approval of the destructive [pesticide]( dicamba, saying the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) broke the law when it allowed it to be on the market. [Read More]( Related: [Pesticides 101: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly]( Climate Scientist Michael Mann Awarded $1 Million in Defamation Lawsuit Climate scientist Michael Mann was awarded more than $1 million on Thursday in a defamation lawsuit against two conservative bloggers — Mark Steyn, a National Review contributor, and Rand Simberg, a former adjunct scholar — over comments about his work. The case goes back 12 years, during a time when [global warming]( existence was hotly debated in the “blogosphere,” reported The New York Times. [Read More]( Related: [Climate Change Lawsuits More Than Double in 5 Years, UN Report Finds]( Air Pollution Makes Flowering Plants Harder to Locate for Pollinators, Study Finds A new study has revealed that the chemicals in air pollution may be disrupting plant reproduction, as the pollutants mask the scent of flowering plants and make them more difficult for pollinators to find. The [study]( published in the journal Science, showed how nitrate radicals (NO3), which can form from combustion in gas-fueled vehicles and coal and gas power plants, and ozone pollutants can degrade the natural chemical scents of flowers. [Read More]( Related: [Pollinators 101: Everything You Need to Know]( USFWS Considers Restoring Grizzly Bears to Bitterroot Ecosystem in Idaho and Montana The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is in the process of considering plans for the restoration of grizzly bear populations to the Bitterroot ecosystem — which covers the western part of [Montana]( and Central Idaho — where they have not been spotted regularly for decades. [Read More]( Related: [Snow Leopard Population in India Surveyed for the First Time]( How to Choose Chocolate That’s Truly Sustainable Like with so many products, staring at the shelf of chocolate chips and baking bars can be overwhelming. What are the “right” labels to pay attention to: “Certified Compostable,” “Direct Trade” or “Fair Trade?” Does higher price mean better wages for the workers that produced it? Cacao is produced in humid regions near the equator — mainly Central and South America and West Africa. So unless you live in this region, the cocoa beans used to make your chocolate need to travel long distances. When choosing between different brands of chocolate, here’s what to pay attention to. [Read More]( Related: [What Is the Most Sustainable Way to Make Coffee? The Answer Might Surprise You]( Do you get this newsletter daily? If not, [sign up here]( or forward to a friend. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Website]( [Instagram]( Copyright © 2024 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](