[TheClimate.Vote] December 10, 2017 - - Daily Global Warming News Digest
Richard Pauli
richard at theclimate.vote
Sun Dec 10 09:46:37 EST 2017
/December 10, 2017
/
[RollingStone]
*California's Climate Emergency
<http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/southern-california-wildfires-climate-change-emergency-w513659>*
That one of California's largest
<http://www.fire.ca.gov/communications/downloads/fact_sheets/Top20_Acres.pdf>
and most destructive
<http://www.fire.ca.gov/communications/downloads/fact_sheets/Top20_Destruction.pdf>wildfires
is now burning largely out of control during what should be the peak of
the state's rainy season should shock us into lucidity. It's December.
This shouldn't be happening.
The Thomas fire is the first wintertime megafire in California history.
In a state known for its large fires, this one stands out. At 115,000
acres, it's already bigger than the city of Atlanta. Hundreds of homes
have already been destroyed, and the fire is still just 5 percent
contained
<http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_details_info?incident_id=1922>.
In its first several hours, the Thomas fire grew at a rate of one
football field per second, expanding 30-fold, and engulfing entire
neighborhoods in the dead of night. Hurricane force winds have produced
harrowing conditions for firefighters. Faced with such impossible
conditions <https://twitter.com/latimes/status/938039980957622272>, in
some cases, all they could do is move people to safety, and stand and
watch...
There's a whole series of links
<http://www.climatesignals.org/headlines/events/thomas-fire-2017>
between climate change and this week's fires. Ten years ago, scientists
warned <https://twitter.com/KHayhoe/status/938951040631787522?s=03> of
possible lengthening of the Santa Ana fire season, and the data bear
that out. Fire season is more than a month longer now
<http://abc7news.com/calfire-wildfire-season-elongated-by-upwards-of-40-50-days/2743755/>,
and 13 of the state's top 20 fires in history have happened since 2000.
This year's "rainy" season has also been suspiciously absent so far,
with Los Angeles rainfall 94 percent below normal since October. Right
now, the atmosphere over the West Coast is the driest in recorded
history <https://twitter.com/NWSPortland/status/938858811917467650>.
There's no rain in the forecast for at least the next two weeks
<https://twitter.com/Weather_West/status/937821917779652608> – the
current fires could last until Christmas
<https://twitter.com/latimes/status/938943779096100877?s=03>. Combine
that with more people wanting to live in harm's way – more than a
million more people live in Southern California compared to 2000 – and
it's no wonder wildfire seasons are becoming increasingly catastrophic..
http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/southern-california-wildfires-climate-change-emergency-w513659
-
*Arctic sea ice loss could dry out California
<https://www.llnl.gov/news/arctic-sea-ice-loss-could-dry-out-california>*
Arctic sea ice loss of the magnitude expected in the next few decades
could impact California's rainfall and exacerbate future droughts,
according to new research led by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
(LLNL) <http://www.llnl.gov/> scientists...
Over the next few decades, the Arctic Ocean is projected to become
ice-free during the summer. A new study ... shows that substantial loss
of Arctic sea ice could have significant far-field effects, and is
likely to impact the amount of precipitation California receives. The
research appears in the Dec. 5 edition of Nature Communications
<https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-017-01907-4.pdf>.
The study identifies a new link between Arctic sea ice loss and the
development of an atmospheric ridging system in the North Pacific. This
atmospheric feature also played a central role in the 2012-2016
California drought and is known for steering precipitation-rich storms
northward, into Alaska and Canada, and away from California. The team
found that sea ice changes can lead to convection changes over the
tropical Pacific. These convection changes can in turn drive the
formation of an atmospheric ridge in the North Pacific, resulting in
significant drying over California.
"On average, when considering the 20-year mean, we find a 10-15 percent
decrease in California's rainfall. However, some individual years could
become much drier, and others wetter," Cvijanovic said....
California's winter precipitation has decreased over the last two
decades, with the 2012-2016 drought being one of the most severe on
record. The impacts of reduced rainfall have been intensified by high
temperatures that have enhanced evaporation. Several studies suggest
that recent Californian droughts have a manmade component arising from
increased temperatures, with the likelihood of such warming-enhanced
droughts expected to increase in the future.
"we should be aware that...the loss of Arctic sea ice cover is not only
a problem for remote Arctic communities, but could affect millions of
people worldwide. Arctic sea ice loss could affect us, right here in
California."
Other co-authors on the study include Benjamin Santer, Celine Bonfils,
Donald Lucas and Susan Zimmerman from LLNL and John Chiang from the
University of California, Berkeley.
https://www.llnl.gov/news/arctic-sea-ice-loss-could-dry-out-california
-*
**(video teaser) Governor Brown criticizes President Trump for climate
change position as California burns*
<https://www.cbsnews.com/news/governor-brown-criticizes-president-trump-for-climate-change-position-as-california-burns/>
California Governor Jerry Brown says President Trump is ignoring the
facts of global warming
California is reeling from its most destructive wildfire season ever,
exacerbated Governor Jerry Brown says, by the effects of climate change.
Brown says the fires show President Trump is making a mistake by
ignoring the facts of global warming. Governor Brown speaks to Bill
Whitaker for a report to be broadcast on 60 Minutes, Sunday, Dec. 10, at
7:00 p.m., ET/PT.
Brown told Whitaker that President Trump is wrong to withdraw the U.S.
from the Paris climate agreement and misguided for calling it a bad deal
for America. "That's a preposterous idea, not even a shred of truth in
that statement," Brown said. "I don't think President Trump has a fear
of the Lord, the fear of the wrath of God, which leads one to more
humility... and this is such a reckless disregard for the truth and for
the existential consequences that can be unleashed."
Brown has pushed California to take aggressive measures to reduce its
emissions. "We have a cap and trade system, which is a very efficient
way to reducing greenhouse gases. We have zero-emission vehicle mandate.
We have efficiency standards for our buildings, for our appliances.
California is showing that dealing with climate is good for the economy,
not bad," says Brown.
In a wide-ranging conversation on the ranch that Brown's
great-grandfather settled in the 1860s, Brown told Whitaker that
California is a model for the rest of the country. "It's a culture
that's on the move -- not pulling up the drawbridge out of fear and
economic insecurity."
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/governor-brown-criticizes-president-trump-for-climate-change-position-as-california-burns/
-
*(video) Climate & Extreme Weather News #85 (December 1st to 8th 2017)
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPJK-QgatIE>*
Understanding Climate Change Published on Dec 8, 2017
00:14 The USA: California wildfires
20:32 Brazil: Rio Casca flood
30:08 Panama: Panama City flood
31:32 Albania: Central Albania floods
36:26 The UK: Storm Caroline
37:43 India & Sri Lanka: Cyclone Ockhi
38:21 Indonesia: Lhoksukon flood
40:13 Australia: Victoria floods
43:26 November C3S Temp Data & December Temp Anomalies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPJK-QgatIE
*The 21 youth suing Trump in the Juliana v US lawsuit will be in court
on Monday <https://www.facebook.com/events/401656076918607/>***in the
9th Circuit in SF - working to stop the federal government's effort to
dismiss the case before the 2/5/2018 District Court Date.
If you haven't been following closely, the case and overall legal
strategy has made remarkable progress in establishing climate security
as within the purview of protected constitutional rights. The youth
plaintiffs are inspiring and courageous voices in speaking out for the
rights of their generation, and this is a big moment to show solidarity.
There's a solidarity rally outside the courthouse - if you are in SF or
can invite others:
https://www.facebook.com/events/401656076918607/
It looks like the hearing will be live streamed on ClimateMonitor.tv
(and will be available on demand after the hearing).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbMusuRVQqw&feature=share
[Climate Change in Bangladesh]
*(video) Deserving Climate Justice
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKJwuugcgGE>*
Greetings from Network on Climate Change, Bangladesh (NCC,B)! We are a
national level NGO in Bangladesh working in the sector of policy
advocacy in climate change and development. Recently, we have produced a
video documentary titled "Deserving Climate Justice: The Tale of
Climate-Induced Loss & Damage in Bangladesh." This video documentary
addresses climate change-induced loss and damage issues, particularly in
the context of developing countries like Bangladesh.
Thought you might be interested in this documentary. The entire
documentary is accessible here:
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKJwuugcgGE>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKJwuugcgGE
["Coping with Uncertainty: Normative Approaches, Current Practice" workshop]
*(video) "Unleashing Expert Judgment in Assessment: IPCC AR5 & Beyond"
Katharine Mach (Stanford University)
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2OEWvWFV3k>*
HEC Paris
Published on Jul 6, 2017
Talk given by Katharine Mach from Northwestern University at the "Coping
with Uncertainty: Normative Approaches, Current Practice" workshop,
22-24 May 2017 at ENS (Paris). Full information on this and related
activities available at http://desevun.org/.
Workshop organised by the ANR project DUSUCA: "Decision and Belief
Change under Severe Uncertainty : a Confidence-Based Approach", in
collaboration with GREGHEC (HEC Paris, CNRS), DEC-ENS Ulm, and the LSE
CPNSS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2OEWvWFV3k
-
[World Affairs]
*(video) Taking Climate Change Seriously
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2OEWvWFV3k>*
Published on Oct 13, 2017
Unprecedented hurricanes brought torrential rain and wind that
devastated many parts of southeastern Texas and Florida. Monsoon
flooding inundated entire neighborhoods in India, Bangladesh and Nepal.
Meanwhile, wildfires combined with record-breaking heat waves that
blazed across the Western US. And that was just last month's headlines.
While millions of people deal with the aftermath of these disasters, US
EPA head Scott Pruitt told CNN that now was not the time to discuss the
role of climate change in these extreme weather patterns. Climate
scientists say otherwise.
For Katharine Mach and Miyuki Hino, climate scientists at Stanford
University, it's time for us to address climate change head-on. Their
advice: we don't have to be sitting ducks. By taking collective action
now, we can be better equipped to weather tomorrow's storm. Join us for
this clear-eyed assessment of climate change and a discussion about how
we can better anticipate, plan for and mitigate the impacts of our
warming climate.
Miyuki Hino
Ph.D Student, Environment and Resources, Stanford University
Katharine Mach
Director of Stanford Environment Assessment Facility - Stanford Woods
Institute for the Environment; Senior Research Associate, Carnegie
Institution's Department of Global Ecology
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2OEWvWFV3k
[CounterPunch - a rant]
*The Burning Earth Bears Witness in California
<https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/12/08/the-burning-earth-bears-witness-in-california/>*
by PAUL STREET
And, for what it's worth – which may not be much in the homeland and
headquarters of petro-capitalist climate denial – there is no bigger
story in the world today than anthropogenic (really capitalogenic)
global warming. It's the biggest issue of our or any time. Nothing in
the news today comes close – not the pedophilia and (yet) forthcoming
election (to the "upper chamber" of the U.S. Congress) of the Alabama
super-freak Roy Moore, not the petulant creepiness of ex-Senator Stuart
Smalley, not the twists and turns of Russiagate and the Mueller inquiry,
not the arch-plutocratic Trump-GOP tax bill, not the imminent reversal
of net neutrality, not even the terrible plights of the Rohingya, Yemen,
the Congolese, the South Sudanese (among countless victims of horrific
violence and oppression) or the insane game of thermonuclear chicken
being played by the ICP in Washington and the Dear Leader in Pyongyang.
This is for the simple reason that life itself is slated to become
unsustainable on the planet in no short historical order if we do not
act quickly and massively to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy
sources and to fundamentally change our relationship with Earth's
natural systems and change our position in the global web of life.
Extreme weather is only the tip of the melting iceberg when it comes to
what's at stake. The climate disruption that homo sapiens has wrought
under the command of its capitalist class poses grave and frankly
exterminist threats to the species' ability to maintain access to basic
requirements of biological existence: food, water, and cooling. We are
on pace for the "human" melting of the Antarctic, the murder of the
planet's basic life support systems, before the end of the current
century – perhaps as soon as 2050 if not earlier. It's a crime that will
make the Nazis, Stalin, and Pol Pot et al. look like small-time
criminals by comparison.
The startling images of mansions burned and burning in posh Los Angeles
suburbs and other aristocratic zip codes is reminder that no special
caste or privileged class of humanity is ultimately exempt from the
ecocidal and anthrosuicidal logic of contemporary carbon- and
accumulation-addicted capitalism. There's no capitalist rate of profit
(either declining or ascending), no "free market" utopia, no social
democracy, no joyous reign of the "associated producers" (Marx's
phrase), no "storming heaven" (Marx's praise for the Paris Communards)
on a dead planet.
There's no bigger story than the environmental crisis that lay behind
this year's California fires and the extremity of this year's hurricane
season – and so much else almost too terrible to mention.
It's surreal to pretend otherwise. The Earth is our witness.
https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/12/08/the-burning-earth-bears-witness-in-california/
[humor]
*Melissa McCarthy and Jennifer Aniston Hilariously Debate Global Warming
While Filling in for Jimmy Kimmel
<http://www.cbs8.com/story/37027462/melissa-mccarthy-and-jennifer-aniston-hilariously-debate-global-warming-while-filling-in-for-jimmy-kimmel>*
Melissa McCarthy and Jennifer Aniston are feuding over science!
While filling in as a guest host for Jimmy Kimmel - who's out following
his son's most recent heart surgery - on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Thursday,
the comedian hilariously debated with Aniston over whether gravity is
real or just a hoax, mocking the issue of global warming.
"As you know, there has been a lot of talk these days about the
environment, our changing climate and global warming. As some people
say, it's real. And then the really smart people, they know it's a
rouse, invented by the Illuminati," jokes McCarthy, who was dressed as a
giant menorah. "But there is an even bigger issue facing our planet, one
that has gone undebunked for hundreds of years."
The clip then flashes to a video of "famous person Melissa McCarthy" who
explains, "There's a subject the mainstream media doesn't want you to
hear about."
"They say we shouldn't ask questions. They say it's 'settled science,'"
she continues. "They call people who disagree with them 'duh-nye-urz.'
Of course, I'm talking about gravity."
She continues on, saying the "so-called Theory of Gravitivity was
conceived by Isaac Newton."
"Every day, school children are brainwashed into believing they cannot
fly," she says.
That's when "less famous person" Jennifer Aniston joins in,
counteracting McCarthy's claims. "Melissa, what are you talking about?"
she asks. "People can't fly."
"Who told you that gravity is real?" McCarthy said in response, to which
Aniston replied, "Pretty much every scientist in the world told me that."
Watch the full video <https://youtu.be/ncHhjUllA7s>: Melissa McCarthy
vs. Jennifer Aniston – The Great Gravity Debate
Guest Host Melissa McCarthy knows that there's a lot of talk
about "Global Warming" these days but she feels there's an even
bigger issue facing our planet. This issue is actually real and it's
time to bring attention to it. It has gone un-debunked for hundreds
of years and Melissa is proud to lend her voice to the chorus
confronting it. Jennifer Aniston joins in and has a strong opinion
about this issue too. So please pay attention because it might just
save your life.
McCarthy is among one of the many celebrities who is filling in for
Kimmel while his 8-month-old son, Billy, recovers from heart surgery.
http://www.cbs8.com/story/37027462/melissa-mccarthy-and-jennifer-aniston-hilariously-debate-global-warming-while-filling-in-for-jimmy-kimmel
[NSFW music]
*Post-punk song 'Anthropogenic Climate Change Is Real' is a wake-up call
to Trump
<https://boingboing.net/2017/12/08/post-punk-song-anthropogenic.html>*
Follow the bouncing Trump head in this music video for "Anthropogenic
Climate Change Is Real" by Oakland, California post-punk band You Can't
Make This Shit Up Amerika.
Written by Tennessee Mowrey and Kevin Goldberg, the song is a wake-up
call to Trump and any other "fucking asshole" who doesn't believe that
climate change exists.
It was co-produced by my pal Ampersand, who writes:
"I immediately felt that these spirited and pissed off millennials
were giving voice not only to my feelings about our president and his
policies around climate change, but potentially to millions of others as
well, and that it was important that the song was out in the world."
I agree.
Give it a watch. Be forewarned, it's (rightly) sprinkled with NSFW
language."
(video) You Can't Make This Shit Up Amerika – Anthropogenic Climate
Change Is Real <https://youtu.be/lpP3qqzKexY>
https://youtu.be/lpP3qqzKexY
see also:
https://youcantmakethisshitupamerika.bandcamp.com/album/anthropogenic-climate-change-is-real
https://boingboing.net/2017/12/08/post-punk-song-anthropogenic.html
*This Day in Climate History December 10, 2008
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaGun1X8E2s> - from D.R. Tucker*
December 10, 2008: On MSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow Show," Brian Hardwick
of the Alliance for Climate Protection denounces a
borderline-blasphemous holiday marketing campaign by the coal
industry.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaGun1X8E2s
/
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