The US rejoined the Paris Climate Accord and World Health Organization this week, following Biden’s inauguration. Other executive orders include reversing some of the previous administration’s attempts to loosen environmental regulations, extending a federal moratorium on evictions and foreclosures through March 31, including noncitizens in the US Census count to ensure a full and fair count, pausing student loan payments, lifting the previous administration’s restrictions on diversity trainings, and passing executive orders on immigration enforcement and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, including an executive order calling on Congress to provide a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
CalMatters reports that time is running out for California to extend a statewide eviction moratorium. “Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers are trying to reach an agreement by Jan. 31, when the current eviction ban expires. Without an extension, throngs of vulnerable renters could be thrown out of their homes during a pandemic and likely further exacerbate the state’s homeless crisis. “Californians are staring down a very dark eviction cliff if we don’t extend the eviction moratorium,” said Assemblyman David Chiu, who proposed legislation to extend the moratorium until the end of the year. At stake are between 240,000 and 700,000 California households at risk of eviction for failing to pay rent…”
The Guardian reports on efforts by young people around the world to prioritize climate resilience as part of the COVID-19 recovery. “Many of the measures needed to reduce people’s vulnerability to extreme weather are well understood and relatively cheap to implement, from early warning systems against storms, to planting trees that help prevent flooding and landslides, or regrowing coastal mangrove swamps that provide a natural barrier to storm surges and sea level rises. However, despite their proven efficacy, little funding is available for taking such preventive measures. A recent report from the UN Environment Programme found that the world was badly lagging behind on the actions needed. The youth document called for “a timely and innovative financing mechanism, and technical assistance to support youth-focused projects that build resilience and adaptive capacity among marginalised communities”, and for assistance to young people in vulnerable communities seeking to install adaptation measures.”