We may not be seeing trees of green—or red roses too—for much longer.

Happening in the World: A new report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change claims that many of the impacts of climate change on humans and the globe are now irreversible. The report finds that even under the best-case emissions scenarios, at least a billion people will be at risk from coastal-specific climate hazards, and over 40% of the world’s population will be “highly vulnerable” to climate hazards generally. The IPCC reasserted that keeping the global temperature rise under 1.5C is imperative if the damage is to be mitigated. (BBC)

Happening in the US: Today, the Supreme Court will consider the Environmental Protection Agency’s power to limit greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel power plants. A coalition of energy-producing states, led by West Virginia and aided by coal companies, argues that the EPA does not have the authority to shift the country away from coal-burning power plants and towards renewable energy sources. No pollution rule is currently in effect, complicating the case: the challengers are contesting a federal appeals court ruling which would allow the EPA to issue regulations in the future. (NBC)

Happening in NYC: On Sunday, Gov. Hochul signed an executive order barring any investments or purchases involving Russia. The order will remain as long as the federal government’s sanctions against Russia are active. Gov. Hochul’s order was signed as a condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and is particularly important as the state of New York houses the largest Ukrainian population in the United States. (Gothamist)

Happening in Our Community: On Wednesday, March 2, at 10 am, join World Scientific for a webinar on Our Warming Planet. The online seminar will discuss World Scientific’s new book Our Warming Planet: Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation, including key topics for the mitigation of climate change.

The elephant in the room via Pixabay