Climate at the Ballot Box, Ozone-Killing Chemicals Declining, Extreme Wildlife Loss and more

California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom handily won re-election and now has 4 more years to work towards his goal of achieving carbon neutrality in the state by 2045. Mr. Newsom and other Governors have billions of dollars in climate funding at their disposal that was allocated by the U.S. Congress this summer. These state governments will play a crucial role in helping cities, universities, and the private sector make the most of it. Also, emissions of chemicals that tear holes in the protective atmospheric ozone layer have fallen dramatically, thanks to the Vienna Convention launched in 1985 and its related Montreal and Kigali protocols. NOAA recently reported that midlatitude atmospheric concentrations of ozone depleting chemicals have declined about 50% compared to peak historic levels. And wildlife populations have declined by nearly 70% since 1970 due to habitat loss, over harvest, and pollution. The climate crisis will put even more pressure on wildlife, but there are also signs of improvement and hope.