"The future depends on us, not the climate."

Climate change impacts threaten billions, according to a UN report; Ukraine and Russian delegations meet in Belarus amid intensifying violence.

Tonight's Sentences was written by Jariel Arvin.

UN report: The impacts of climate change are here and now

 Lionel Bonaventure/AFP via Getty Images

• According to a new report from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the effects of human-caused climate change are already upon us, and unless we rapidly eliminate fossil fuels, further negative effects will be felt by billions of vulnerable people, ecosystems, and species. [CNN / Rachel Ramirez]
• The report, released Monday, finds unchecked greenhouse gas emissions will push global average temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels in the next decade unless governments take drastic steps toward green energy. [NYT / Brad Plumer and Raymond Zhong]
• Scientists believe warming of 1.5°C would result in irreversible climate change effects. Such warming would result in drastic sea-level rise that could consume entire island nations, lead to extreme heat that will destroy coral reefs and crops, and drive millions of people from their homes. [Washington Post / Sarah Kaplan and Brady Dennis]
• “I have seen many scientific reports in my lifetime, but nothing like this. Today’s IPCC report is an atlas of human suffering and a damning indictment of failed climate leadership,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement. [United Nations]
• Some 3.3 billion people are already “highly vulnerable” to displacement, sickness, and starvation due to extreme weather worsened by climate change. With every tenth of a degree of warming, the report’s authors predict many more of the world’s poorest — who contribute very little to global emissions — will die. [AP / Seth Borenstein]
• Although it’s too late to reverse some of the consequences of warming, the report’s authors stress that the worst can still be avoided if governments eliminate fossil fuels now and make transformational changes to how people live, consume energy, and grow food. [Reuters / Andrea Januta]

Ukrainian and Russian delegations hold talks in Belarus

• As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine grows more deadly, delegations from Kyiv and Moscow held their first round of talks in Belarus on Monday. [NYT / Valerie Hopkins]
• Prior to the talks, Ukraine said it was seeking an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of Russian troops; Moscow didn’t state any aims. Both delegations will return to their respective capitals with a second round of talks expected. [Reuters]
• Russia arrived at the talks with President Vladimir Putin facing intense international pressure due to growing economic sanctions. That pressure also includes increased international military support for Ukraine, with most of Europe, Canada, and the US offering lethal aid. [NBC / Rachel Elbaum, Josh Lederman, and Daniel Arkin]
• On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also signed a membership application to join the European Union in an ad hoc ceremony shared on social media. Though the application process is likely to take years, it represents the sort of embrace of Europe Putin hopes to end with his invasion. [AP]
• It remains unclear what course the war could take. Thus far, Russia has faced strong resistance from the Ukrainian military. However, Russian forces remain on the offensive, and appear to be attempting to surround the capital as intense fighting rages on in major cities. [CNN / Stephen Collins]

In a new memoir, former Attorney General Bill Barr writes a 2024 White House bid by Donald Trump would be “dismaying.” [Business Insider / John L. Dorman]

• FIFA has suspended Russia from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar over the invasion of Ukraine. [ESPN / Mark Ogden]
• One way to combat Russia’s aggression: Transition to clean energy. [LA Times / Sammy Roth]
• Senator Dianne Feinstein’s husband and longtime partner in California politics, Richard Blum, has died. [Politico / Jeremy B. White]

“One of the things that I think is really, really clear in the report is that yes, things are bad, but actually, the future depends on us, not the climate.” 

[Helen Adams, a lead author of the IPCC report, explains the future outlook.]

Sean Illing talks with journalist, author, and Russian disinformation scholar Peter Pomerantsev about the invasion of Ukraine. [Spotify]

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