[TheClimate.Vote] March 10, 2017 - Daily Global Warming News for All - Climate/Weather Link confirmed as deluges persist, fires rage
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Fri Mar 10 12:13:03 EST 2017
/March 10 , 2017 Climate/Weather Link confirmed as deluges
persist, fires rage/
http://www.climatesignals.org/headlines/events/great-plains-wildfires-march-2017
*Great Plains Wildfires March 2017
<http://www.climatesignals.org/headlines/events/great-plains-wildfires-march-2017>*
The record-breaking wildfires that erupted in early March in the
Great Plains are consistent with the long-term increasing wildfire
activity observed in the western U.S. grasslands, activity driven by
climate change trends in the Great Plains region.[1] Since the
1970s, large grass and shrubland fires have increased by more than
100,000 acres per decade. The frequency and intensity of wildfires
in the Great Plains are increasing as the combination of higher
temperatures, untamed underbrush and more extreme drought elevate
wildfire risk. Formal attribution work has identified the
fingerprint of global warming in the record hot temperatures that
swept across the US east of the Rockies in February 2017, as climate
change increased the likelihood of such heat by threefold. The heat
fueled worsening drought conditions in the Great Plains region,
contributing to the extreme fire conditions in early March that
precipitated major blazes in Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Texas.
One blaze, encompassing Clark and Comanche counties along Kansas'
southern border with Oklahoma, is the largest wildfire on record in
the state. The previous record was set just one year prior.[2]
Record-breaking events are a classic signal of climate change, as
records tend to break when natural variation runs in the same
direction as climate change, in this instance towards larger wildfires.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/does-the-trump-administration-believe-in-climate-change/2017/03/09/d2b9d6a2-0511-11e7-9d14-9724d48f5666_video.html
Does the Trump administration believe in*climate change*?
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/does-the-trump-administration-believe-in-climate-change/2017/03/09/d2b9d6a2-0511-11e7-9d14-9724d48f5666_video.html>
Washington Post -5 hours ago
March 9, 2017 4:41 PM EST - President Trump and many of his top aides
have expressed skepticism about*climate change*, while others say human
activity is to blame for global warming.
http://floodlist.com/climate/climate-study-intense-frequent-severe-rainstorms-likely-no-drop-off-expected
*Climate Study: More Intense and Frequent Severe Rainstorms Likely; No
Drop Off Expected
<http://floodlist.com/climate/climate-study-intense-frequent-severe-rainstorms-likely-no-drop-off-expected>*
BY FLOODLIST
Kevin Trenberth: "Moreover, it means there is no limit to the
changes that can occur, as otherwise might be suspected if there
were a fixed relationship."..
A University of Connecticut climate scientist confirms that more
intense and more frequent severe rainstorms will likely continue as
temperatures rise due to global warming, despite some observations
that seem to suggest otherwise...
In a research paper appearing this week in Nature Climate Change,
UConn civil and environmental engineering professor Guiling Wang
explains that data showing the intensity of severe rainstorms
declining after temperatures reach a certain threshold are merely a
reflection of climate variability. It is not proof that there is a
fixed upper temperature limit for future increases in severe rains,
after which they would begin to drop off...
"We hope this information puts things in better perspective and
clarifies the confusion around this issue," says Wang, who led an
international team of climate experts in conducting the study. "We
also hope this will lead to a more accurate way of analyzing and
describing climate change."..
Climate scientists and policymakers closely monitor severe and
prolonged rainstorms as they can have a devastating impact on local
environments and economies. These damaging storms can cause
catastrophic flooding; overwhelm sewage treatment plants; increase
the risk of waterborne disease; and wipe out valuable
crops...Trenberth explains the findings this way:
"In general, extreme precipitation increases with higher
temperatures because the air can hold more moisture — although that
depends on moisture availability. But beyond a certain point, it is
the other way round: the temperature responds to the precipitation,
or more strictly speaking, the conditions leading to the
precipitation, [such as extensive cloud cover or surface moisture].
The most obvious example of this is in a drought where there is no
precipitation. Another example is in cloudy, stormy conditions, when
it is wet and cool. By relating the changes in precipitation to the
temperature where the relationship reverses – instead of the mean
temperature as in previous studies — we can make sense of the
differences and the changes. Moreover, it means there is no limit to
the changes that can occur, as otherwise might be suspected if there
were a fixed relationship."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/03/09/this-climate-lawsuit-could-change-everything-no-wonder-the-trump-administration-doesnt-want-it-going-to-trial/
This*climate*lawsuit could*change*everything. No wonder the Trump
administration doesn't want it going to trial
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/03/09/this-climate-lawsuit-could-change-everything-no-wonder-the-trump-administration-doesnt-want-it-going-to-trial/>
Washington Post -5 hours ago
The Trump administration this week filed a motion to overturn a
ruling by a federal judge back in November that cleared the lawsuit
for trial — and filed a separate motion to delay trial preparation
until that appeal is considered...
The lawsuit — the first of its kind — argues the federal government
has violated the constitutional right of the 21 plaintiffs to a
healthy climate system...
Environmental groups say the case — if it's successful — could force
even a reluctant government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and
take other measures to counter warming...
"It would be huge," said Pat Gallagher, legal director at the Sierra
Club, who is not involved in the case. "It would upend climate
litigation, climate law, as we know it."...
Regardless of the final outcome, legal experts have highlighted the
lawsuit's importance as a novel approach to the climate issue in the
United States. "It could spawn a whole new universe of litigation
at both the state and the federal levels," Gallagher said.
https://wwa.climatecentral.org/analyses/us-heat-february-2017/
*Climate Change Link Confirmed in February Heat
<https://wwa.climatecentral.org/analyses/us-heat-february-2017/>*
Scientists with World Weather Attribution
<https://wwa.climatecentral.org/analyses/us-heat-february-2017/>, an
international program led by Climate Central, conducted a rapid
analysis and found that human-induced climate change increased both
the intensity and frequency of the kind of extreme heat experienced
last month in most parts of the United States.
The contiguous United States (CONUS) was exceedingly warm east of
the Rockies in February 2017. Figure 1 shows monthly mean
temperatures up to 6 °C (11°F) above normal. In contrast, the
Pacific Northwest was colder than normal. One of the most noteworthy
aspects of the persistent February warmth in the U.S. can be seen in
the ratio of record high to record low temperatures. According to
the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), more than
6,300 record daily highs were tied or broken compared to less than
130 record lows. As a result, February will go down as the 27th
month in a row with more record highs than lows. For every low
temperature record set there were 49 high temperature records set,
the highest such monthly ratio since January 1920.
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/15092016/faster-attribution-studies-scientists-zero-climate-change-role-louisiana-floods-downpours
*Hesitance to Link Some Weather Events to Climate Change 'No Longer
Appropriate'
<https://insideclimatenews.org/news/15092016/faster-attribution-studies-scientists-zero-climate-change-role-louisiana-floods-downpours>*
Fast study showed climate change's influence on Louisiana's
devastating floods. The method is being used to more quickly assess
some types of extreme weather.
While WWA was one of the first research teams to try rapid
attribution, and it remains one of the only teams to conduct these
analyses consistently, interest in the field is growing. "I think
it's going to become like weather forecasting––done routinely and
maybe in operational centers," said Adam Sobel, a Columbia
University professor who contributed to the National Academies' report.
http://www.climateinvestigations.org/trump_administration_pressing_for_appeal_dismissal_of_climate_lawsuit
*Trump Administration Pressing for Appeal, Dismissal of Climate Lawsuit
<http://www.climateinvestigations.org/trump_administration_pressing_for_appeal_dismissal_of_climate_lawsuit>*
Posted by Dan Zegart on March 09, 2017 ·
The Trump administration is asking
<https://static1.squarespace.com/static/571d109b04426270152febe0/t/58c08d521b631b9e64284395/1489014099526/Doc+120-1+Memo+in+Support+of+Fed+Motion+to+Certify+Order+for+Interlocutory+Appeal.pdf>
an Oregon federal judge in the Our Children's Trust case to let a
higher court review her decision to permit a historic climate change
lawsuit to proceed, and to halt the case pending the outcome of that
review....
In 2015, a group of 21 young plaintiffs aged 9 to 20 from all over
the United States, along with renowned climate scientist James
Hansen, who is acting as guardian for future generations, sued the
federal government for allegedly violating their constitutional
rights via policies that promote global warming...
The suit, filed by the non-profit Our Children's Trust organization,
claims there is a "public trust" obligation by the federal
government under the constitution to take necessary measures to
protect the climate. In a November 10, 2016 decision, federal
District Court Judge Ann Aiken agreed with the OCT plaintiffs, and
ruled they were entitled under the Due Process Clause of the Fifth
Amendment to a trial to decide if the government failed in that
duty, a startling decision...
In papers filed Monday
<https://static1.squarespace.com/static/571d109b04426270152febe0/t/58c08d521b631b9e64284395/1489014099526/Doc+120-1+Memo+in+Support+of+Fed+Motion+to+Certify+Order+for+Interlocutory+Appeal.pdf>,
in Eugene, Oregon, U.S. Department of Justice attorneys requested
permission from Judge Aiken to appeal her decision to the Ninth
Circuit Court of Appeals..
...It was the Ninth Circuit that killed
<http://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2012/09/25/09-17490.pdf>
another pioneering climate lawsuit, Kivalina v. ExxonMobil Corp. et
al, in 2012, by upholding a lower court's decision to dismiss the
case. In Kivalina, a native Alaskan fishing village sued a number
of energy companies, fossil fuel producers like Peabody Energy and
Shell as well as electric utilities like Southern Company, for their
role in causing climatic warming in the Arctic that eroded ice
barriers that protected village from encroachment by the ocean...
The Circuit Court decided that the case was asking the judicial
branch to take actions that were actually the province of the
Environmental Protection Agency, under powers granted by the federal
Clean Air Act.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/mar/08/how-climate-change-battles-are-increasingly-being-fought-and-won-in-court
*How climate change battles are increasingly being fought, and won, in
court
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/mar/08/how-climate-change-battles-are-increasingly-being-fought-and-won-in-court>*
Around the world courts are stepping in when politicians fail to
act, with South Africa's government the latest to lose a
groundbreaking climate lawsuit with judges ruling against its plans
for a new coal-fired power station
Since a landmark Dutch climate change case, filed by my colleagues,
resulted in an order that the government significantly reduce its
carbon emissions, lawsuits challenging inaction on climate change
have been filed in courtrooms in Europe, North America, and the
Asia-Pacific region. Some lawsuits target the inadequacy of policies
intended to reduce carbon emissions (as in the US, New Zealand,
Belgium and Switzerland) while others challenge individual projects
that have potentially catastrophic consequences for the climate (as
in Norway, where the government has permitted new drilling for oil
in the Arctic). ..
Climate change litigation is an invaluable strategy at a time when
governments have failed to live up to their repeated promises,
affirmed most recently in the Paris agreement, to prevent dangerous
interference with the climate system. Current pledges to reduce
emissions are projected to lead to warming of 3.2C above
pre-industrial levels – way above the agreed target of "well below
2C" and likely to lead to radical changes in the environment...
Aside from highlighting the obligations of governments to protect
their citizens from foreseeable harm, these cases have the
considerable advantage of putting the facts of climate change on the
public record. These facts, endorsed by governments through the
adoption of scientific reports at the UN, include that climate
change is real; that it is caused by human activity; that it will
dramatically affect every region in the world; and that it is more
cost-effective to act now than later. While it might be expedient
for politicians to obfuscate these facts, it is another matter
altogether to produce evidence to substantiate their position in court.
https://www.desmog.ca/2017/03/03/b-c-s-pipeline-spill-map-has-been-offline-over-eight-months
*B.C.'s Pipeline Spill Map Has Been Offline for Over Eight Months
<https://www.desmog.ca/2017/03/03/b-c-s-pipeline-spill-map-has-been-offline-over-eight-months>*
Since January 1, 2017 there have been more than 50 accidental
releases from pipelines and oil and gas facilities in Alberta. These
spills and leaks, ranging from large to small, from hazardous to
non-hazardous, happen almost every single day...
Don't believe it? You can check for yourself via the Alberta Energy
Regulator's incident reporting dashboard where spills are documented
and information about volume, location and response is made
available to the public...
In B.C., however, the provincial regulator's pipeline incident
reporting page has been offline for eight months (yes, you read that
correctly)...
DeSmog Canada has been reporting on the missing map since October
and the issue was recently taken up by the Globe and Mail...
"In a province where the public debate over increased oil pipeline
capacity has consumed so much energy, Tweet: "Lack of transparency
about BC's management of its existing system is surprising"
http://bit.ly/2mnqpLi @justine_hunter @maryforbc #bcpoli the lack
of transparency about the province's management of its existing
system is surprising," wrote Justine Hunter as politicians returned
for the spring sitting at the legislature.
https://www.desmogblog.com/2017/03/09/new-epa-chief-pruitt-odds-own-agency-over-carbon-dioxide-role-global-warming
*EPA Chief Scott Pruitt Disputes Carbon Dioxide's Role in Global
Warming, Contradicting His Own Agency's Research
<https://www.desmogblog.com/2017/03/09/new-epa-chief-pruitt-odds-own-agency-over-carbon-dioxide-role-global-warming>*
Today Scott Pruitt, the recently appointed head of the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, stated in a CNBC interview that he
does not believe that carbon dioxide is one of the primary
contributors to global warming...
According to a partial excerpt of Pruitt's interview posted on The
Hill, Pruitt stated the following:
"I think that measuring with precision human activity on the
climate is something very challenging to do and there's
tremendous disagreement about the degree of impact. So no, I
would not agree that it's a primary contributor to the global
warming that we see … But we don't know that yet … we need to
continue the debate and continue the review and the analysis."
The Hill also points out that Pruitt gave the interview outside of a
fossil fuel industry conference that he will be speaking at this week...
What Pruitt is effectively doing is acting as a "non-denying
denier." He is casting doubt over the scientific consensus — which
scientists have used science to confirm, again and again — while
still claiming that he accepts the science...
Unfortunately, those two points of view cannot coexist because they
directly contradict each other. You cannot claim to accept the
science of climate change while at the same time spreading doubt
about the scientific consensus. Yet this common approach among
climate science deniers is exactly what Pruitt is doing with his new
role as the head of the EPA.
(video) EPA Chief Scott Pruitt Denies Carbon Dioxide Is Driving
Global Warming <https://youtu.be/U4U-URPEo3U>
https://youtu.be/U4U-URPEo3U
https://www.facebook.com/DeSmogBlog/videos/10158425095565422/
https://twitter.com/DeSmogBlog/status/839943302870790145
video on this with a bunch of children showing that they know more
about climate change than Pruitt does:
https://www.facebook.com/CREDO/videos/10155897354610968/
http://www.popsci.com/how-we-know-that-climate-change-is-happening
How we know that*climate change*is happening—and that humans are
causing it
<http://www.popsci.com/how-we-know-that-climate-change-is-happening>
Popular Science -5 hours ago
So is Earth past the point of no return? Maybe. Last year, carbon
dioxide concentrations passed a critical threshold of 400 parts per
million. Scientists now predict that we'll never go below that
threshold again during our lifetimes. And even if we stopped
emitting carbon today, it could take thousands of years for the CO2
to be neutralized.
That's not to say that cutting emissions won't help; the lighter the
load, the closer recovery will be, and reduced CO2 levels will make
it easier to mitigate other, shorter-lived greenhouse gases like
methane.
https://soundcloud.com/positivefeedbackpodcast/clive-hamilton-talks-trump-turnbull-climate-denial-and-the-dangers-of-false-hope
*(audio) Clive Hamilton talks Trump, Turnbull, climate denial and the
dangers of false hope
<https://soundcloud.com/positivefeedbackpodcast/clive-hamilton-talks-trump-turnbull-climate-denial-and-the-dangers-of-false-hope>*
Author Clive Hamilton has been engaged in the climate debate for
more than 20 years, with books selling worldwide. Always fearless,
Hamilton explains his "disgust" at Australia's Prime Minister and
the events in the U.S that are galvanising climate science deniers.
He reveals the frustrations that led him to quit the Australian
Government's Climate Change Authority.
"Hope is a form of evasion"
"It's real, it's starting now and it is only goning to get worse....
we are going to have serious climate disruptions... anything we can
do to delay. .. this won't be solved by changing our lightbulbs "
*Positive Feedback Podcast
<https://soundcloud.com/positivefeedbackpodcast>*
https://soundcloud.com/positivefeedbackpodcast
https://futurism.com/humans-caused-100-of-the-past-centurys-global-warming/
Humans Caused 100% of the Past Century's*Global Warming*
<https://futurism.com/humans-caused-100-of-the-past-centurys-global-warming/>
Futurism -2 hours ago
100 percent of*global warming*over the past century has been caused by
humans. In 2013, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth
Assessment Report stated a clear expert consensus that: "It is extremely
likely [defined as 95-100% certainty*...*
https://www.media.mit.edu/disobedience/
*MIT Media Lab Disobedience Award Nomination Form
<https://www.media.mit.edu/disobedience/>*
"You don't change the world by doing what you're told."
— Joi Ito, Director, MIT Media Lab
MIT Media Lab Disobedience Award Nomination Form
We are now accepting nominations for the first-ever MIT Media Lab
Disobedience Award, which carries a $250,000 cash prize, no strings
attached.
The MIT Media Lab Disobedience Award seeks to highlight effective,
responsible, ethical disobedience across disciplines, and around the
world. Disobedience Award objectives are to build awareness and
support of disobedience-robust work being done, and to promote role
models for younger people.
Deadline for submissions is May 1, 2017. Award recipient will be
announced live on July 21, 2017.
http://video.msnbc.msn.com/up/51123230
*This Day in Climate History March 10, 2013
<http://video.msnbc.msn.com/up/51123230> - from D.R. Tucker*
MSNBC's Chris Hayes observes that Planet Earth's temperature is at a
height not seen in 4,000 years.
/
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