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Keystone protest: An estimated 35,000 protesters called for a shift in US climate policy as they gathered on the National Mall in Washington DC. As well as citing their opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline that will carry bitumen from Canada to the south coast of the USA if it gains approval. The crowds also called for a US energy transformation ditching coal in favour of more renewables.
This is what democracy looks like. #forwardonclimate twitter.com/sierraclub/sta…
— Sierra Club (@sierraclub) February 17, 2013
Some Canadian media estimated that the crowd was closer to 10,000. The Canadian Press news agency quoted Canadian actresses Evangeline Lilly and Rosario Dawson telling the crowds they were “ashamed” of their country’s role in Keystone XL. (Global Edmonton)
Also addressing the crowd was billionaire investor cum environmentalist Thomas Steyer, a longshot to replace Steven Chu as US energy secretary. “For the last 30 years I’ve been a professional investor and I’ve been looking at billion-dollar investments for decades and I’m here to tell you one thing: The Keystone pipeline is not a good investment,” he told the crowds. (Washington Post)
World Bank: Jim Yong Kim, the head of the World Bank has said that climate change is already hurting the world economy calling it a “very real and present danger”. (RTCC)
Science: Removing the top predators from an ecosystem increases the greenhouse gas emissions from that area, according to new research. The study by the University of British Colombia focused on freshwater marine life and its results mirrored similar work on land mammals in New Zealand and along the US coast. (New Scientist)
Philippines: As the country rebuilds after Typhoon Bopha, the finger of blame for increasingly severe tropical storm seasons is being pointed at climate change. Mary Ann Lucille Sering, head of the Philippine government’s climate change commission said: “Extreme weather is becoming more frequent, you could even call it the new normal. Last year one typhoon [Bopha] hurt us very much. If this continues we are looking at a big drain on resources.” (The Guardian)