[TheClimate.Vote] May 25, 2017 - Daily Global Warming News
Richard Pauli
richard at theclimate.vote
Thu May 25 11:23:28 EDT 2017
/May 25, 2017/
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/05/24/scientists-just-published-an-entire-study-refuting-scott-pruitt-on-climate-change/>
Scientists just published an entire study refuting Scott Pruitt
on*climate change*
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/05/24/scientists-just-published-an-entire-study-refuting-scott-pruitt-on-climate-change/>
(Washington Post) In a sign of growing tensions between scientists and
the Trump administration, researcherspublished a scientific paper
<https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-02520-7> Wednesday that was
conceived and written as an explicit refutation to an assertion by
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt about climate
change.
The study, in the journal Nature Scientific Reports, sets up a direct
test of a claim by Pruitt, made inwritten Senate comments
<https://www.epw.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/6d95005c-bd1a-4779-af7e-be831db6866a/scott-pruitt-qfr-responses-01.18.2017.pdf>
following his confirmation hearing, that "over the past two decades
satellite data indicates there has been a leveling off of warming."
After reviewing temperature trends contained in three satellite data
sets going back to 1979, the paper concludes that the data sets show a
global warming trend - and that Pruitt was incorrect.
"Satellite temperature measurements do not support the claim of a
'leveling off of warming' over the past two decades," write the authors,
led by Benjamin Santer of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Santer
co-authored the study with three Livermore colleagues and scientists
from MIT, the University of Washington in Seattle and Remote Sensing
Systems, which keeps one of the three satellite temperature data sets.
"In my opinion, when incorrect science is elevated to the level of
formal congressional testimony and makes its way into the official
congressional record, climate scientists have some responsibility to
test specific claims that were made, determine whether those claims are
correct or not, and publish their results," said Santer in an interview,
when asked about the framing of the research.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/05/24/scientists-just-published-an-entire-study-refuting-scott-pruitt-on-climate-change/
*Tropospheric Warming Over The Past Two Decades
<https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-02520-7>*
Abstract
Satellite temperature measurements do not support the recent claim of a
"leveling off of warming" over the past two decades. Tropospheric
warming trends over recent 20-year periods are always significantly
larger (at the 10% level or better) than model estimates of 20-year
trends arising from natural internal variability. Over the full 38-year
period of the satellite record, the separation between observed warming
and internal variability estimates is even clearer. In two out of three
recent satellite datasets, the tropospheric warming from 1979 to 2016 is
unprecedented relative to internally generated temperature trends on the
38-year timescale.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-02520-7
9 out of 10 people see*climate change*as a 'catastrophic risk'
<http://ewn.co.za/2017/05/24/9-out-of-10-people-see-climate-change-as-a-catastrophic-risk>
Reuters | about 5 hours ago
LONDON - Nearly nine in 10 people say they are ready to make changes to
their standard of living if it would prevent future climate catastrophe,
a survey on global threats found Wednesday.
The survey of more than 8,000 people in eight countries - the United
States (US), China, India, Britain, Australia, Brazil, South Africa and
Germany - found that 84% of people now consider climate change a "global
catastrophic risk".
That puts worry about climate change only slightly behind fears about
large-scale environmental damage and the threat of politically motivated
violence escalating into war, according to the Global Challenges
Foundation, which commissioned the Global Catastrophic Risks 2017 report.
But it indicates that many people now see climate change as a bigger
threat than other traditional or rising concerns such as epidemics,
population growth, use of weapons of mass destruction and the rise of
artificial intelligence threats.
http://ewn.co.za/2017/05/24/9-out-of-10-people-see-climate-change-as-a-catastrophic-risk
*Pope Francis politely shades Trump's climate ignorance with a parting
gift <https://thinkprogress.org/francis-trump-meet-c9c5a61617e8>*
Pope Francis and President Donald Trump had their much anticipated first
in-person meeting on Wednesday, a 30-minute conversation in which the
pope reportedly "did not smile" as he asked the president to work to
bring about peace in the world. Despite concern that the two leaders -
who hold diametrically opposite views on several issues - might spar
during the summit, the exchange appeared to be relatively free of fireworks.
But according to the National Catholic Reporter, Francis did offer Trump
a none-too-subtle parting gift as he left: copies of the pontiff's
published works on progressive economics, climate change, and nonviolence.
Almost all of the documents Francis presented to Trump conflict with the
president's agenda in some way (with the possible exception of Amoris
Laetitia, a 2016 work on the Catholic church's developing view of family
life).
For example, Francis gave Trump a copy of Laudato Si', the pope's famous
encyclical on the environment that was published in 2015.
Unlike Trump, who once claimed climate change is a hoax invented by the
Chinese, Francis' encyclical affirms that global warming has been
confirmed by a "very consistent scientific consensus" and that humans
are the cause. And while Trump has proposed budget cuts to climate
initiatives and threatened to rescind America's participation in the
historic Paris Climate Accords, Francis' Laudato Si' insists nations
take steps to reduce carbon emissions.
https://thinkprogress.org/francis-trump-meet-c9c5a61617e8
*the Jesuit Post An Overview of Laudato Si
<https://thejesuitpost.org/2015/06/an-overview-of-laudato-si/>*
An "urgent challenge to protect our common home … to bring the whole
human family together to seek a sustainable and integral development,
for we know that things can change" [13].
Thus introduces Pope Francis's plea of Laudato Si, a text of such
landmark significance that it may well become one of the most important
sources of Catholic Social Teaching since its inception with Pope Leo
XIII's Rerum Novarum in 1891. Both the title of the encyclical ("On Care
for Our Common Home") and its opening quote from St. Francis's canticle
establish the focus of this text.
It's all about relationships.
https://thejesuitpost.org/2015/06/an-overview-of-laudato-si/
*Top Ten Takeaways from 'Laudato Si''*
<http://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2015/06/18/top-ten-takeaways-laudato-si>
Pope Francis' revolutionary new encyclical calls for a "broad cultural
revolution" to confront the environmental crisis. "Laudato Si" is also
quite lengthy. Can it be summarized? In other words, what are the main
messages, or "takeaways" of this encyclical?
*1) The spiritual perspective is now part of the discussion on the
environment.*
The greatest contribution of "Laudato Si"... the encyclical firmly
grounds the discussion in a spiritual perspective and invites others to
listen to a religious point of view, particularly its understanding of
creation as a holy and precious gift from God to be reverenced by all
men and women. ...Francis highlights the teachings of his predecessors,
particularly St. John Paul II and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. But in its
systematic spiritual approach, this is a groundbreaking document that
expands the conversation by inviting believers into the dialogue and
providing fresh insights for those already involved.
*2) The poor are disproportionately affected by climate change.*
..near the beginning of "Laudato Si," the pope states that focus on the
poor is one the central themes of the encyclical, and he provides many
baneful examples of the effects of climate change, whose "worse impacts"
are felt by those living in the developing countries. .. the poor
themselves have fewer financial resources that enable them to adapt to
climate change. Additionally, the natural resources of those poorer
countries "fuel" the development of the richer countries "at the cost of
their own present and future" (No. 52). Throughout the encyclical, the
pope appeals to the Gospels, to Catholic social teaching and to the
statements of recent popes to critique the exclusion of anyone from
benefits of the goods of creation. ...he repeatedly calls for an
appreciation of the "immense dignity of the poor" (No. 158).
*3) Less is more.**
*Pope Francis takes aim at what he calls the "technocratic" mindset, in
which technology is seen as the "principal key" to human existence (No.
110). He critiques an unthinking reliance on market forces, in which
every technological, scientific or industrial advancement is embraced
before considering how it will affect the environment and "without
concern for its potential negative impact on human beings" (No. 109).
This is not the view of a Luddite - in fact, Francis goes out of his way
to praise technological advances - but of a believer who resists the
idea that every increase in technology is good for the earth and for
humanity.... Christian spirituality offers a growth marked by
"moderation and the capacity to be happy with little" (No. 222). It is a
matter of nothing less than a redefinition of our notion of progress.
*4) Catholic social teaching now includes teaching on the environment.*
... Pope Francis explicitly states that "Laudato Si" "is now added to
the body of the Church's social teaching" (No. 15). .. an encyclical ...
enjoys the highest level of authority in the church, second only to the
Gospels and church councils like Vatican II. ... Pope Francis uses ...
the idea of the "common good," to frame his discussion. In keeping with
the practices of Catholic social teaching, the pope combines the riches
of the church's theology with the findings of experts in a variety of
fields, to reflect on modern-day problems. To that end, he explicitly
links St. John XXIII's "Pacem in Terris," which addressed the crisis of
nuclear war, with "Laudato Si," which addresses this newer crisis.
*5) Discussions about ecology can be grounded in the Bible and church
tradition.*
Wisely, Pope Francis begins the encyclical not with a reflection on
Scripture and tradition (the two pillars of Catholic teaching),..with an
overview of the crisis - including issues of water, biodiversity and so
on. Only in Chapter Two does he turn towards "The Gospel of Creation,"
in which he leads readers, step by step, through the call to care for
creation that extends as far back as the Book of Genesis, when humankind
was called to "till and keep" the earth. ...But we have done, to
summarize his approach, too much tilling and not enough keeping. In a
masterful overview, Pope Francis traces the theme of love for creation
through both the Old and New Testaments...
*6) Everything is connected - including the economy.*
One of the greatest contributions of "Laudato Si" is that it offers what
theologians call a "systematic" approach to an issue... "We are part of
nature, included in it, and thus in constant interaction with it" (No.
139). But our decisions, particularly about production and consumption,
have an inevitable effect on the environment. Pope Francis links a
"magical conception of the market," which privileges profit over the
impact on the poor, with the abuse of the environment (No. 190).
Needless to say, a heedless pursuit of money that sets aside the
interests of the marginalized and leads to the ruination of the planet
are connected. Early on, he points to St. Francis of Assisi, who shows
how "inseparable the bond is between concern for nature, justice for the
poor, commitment to society and interior peace" (No. 10). Far from
offering a naïve condemnation of capitalism, Pope Francis provides an
intelligent critique of the limits of the market, especially where it
fails to provide for the poor. "Profit," he says, "cannot be the sole
criterion" of our decisions (No. 187).
*7) Scientific research on the environment is to be praised and used.*
Pope Francis does not try to "prove" anything about climate change in
this document. He frankly admits that the church does not "presume to
settle scientific questions" (No. 188). And while he clearly states that
there are disputes over current science, his encyclical accepts the
"best scientific research available today" and builds on it, rather than
entering into a specialist's debate (No. 15)..."Laudato Si" draws upon
both church teaching and contemporary findings from other fields -
particularly science, in this case - to help modern-day people reflect
on these questions.
*8) Widespread indifference and selfishness worsen environmental
problems.*
Pope Francis reserves his strongest criticism for the wealthy who ignore
the problem of climate change, and especially its effect on the poor.
"Many of those who possess more resources seem mostly to be concerned
with masking the problems or concealing their symptoms…" (No. 26). Why,
he asks, .... because frequently decisions makers are "far removed from
the poor," physically, with no real contact to their brothers and
sisters (No. 90, 49)... In the world of "Laudato Si" there is no room
for selfishness or indifference. One cannot care for the rest of nature
"if our hearts lack tenderness, compassion and concern for our fellow
human beings" (No. 91).
*9) Global dialogue and solidarity are needed.*
Perhaps more than any encyclical, Pope Francis draws from the
experiences of people around the world, using the insights of bishops'
conferences from Brazil, New Zealand, Southern Africa, Bolivia,
Portugal, Germany, Argentina, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines,
Australia and the United States, among other places. (In this way, he
also embodies the Catholic principle of subsidiarity, which, in part,
looks to local experience and local solutions.) ... A global dialogue
is also needed because there are "no uniform recipes." What works in one
region may not in another (No. 180). The encyclical's worldwide scope
(as opposed to a more Eurocentric cast) makes it an easier invitation
for a worldwide community.
*10) A change of heart is required*
At heart, this document, addressed to "every person on the planet" is a
call for a new way of looking at things, a "bold cultural revolution"
(No. 3, 114). We face an urgent crisis, when, thanks to our actions, the
earth has begun to look more and more like, in Francis' vivid language,
"an immense pile of filth" (No. 21). Still, the document is hopeful,
reminding us that because God is with us, we can strive both
individually and corporately to change course. We can awaken our hearts
and move towards an "ecological conversion" in which we see the intimate
connection between God and all beings, and more readily listen to the
"cry of the earth and the cry of the poor" (No. 49).
*To use religious language, what the pope is calling for is conversion.*
http://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2015/06/18/top-ten-takeaways-laudato-si
*Global warming*helped increase US growing season by 13 frost-free
days
<http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/global-warming-us-growing-season-climate-change-frost-free-days-13-us-geological-survey-utah-a7753461.html>
The number of frost-free days in the northern United States has
increased by more than 13 days in the past 100 years, according to new
research.
The other main areas of the mainland US also saw significant increases
in the number of days without frost, essentially the growing season -
10.7 days in the west, 8.6 in a central region and 7.7 days in the south.
Global warming was one of the reasons for the trend, but the researchers
also found changes to local cloud cover and atmospheric circulation
patterns played a part.
Plants and animals are responding in different ways to the warming
across much of the northern hemisphere.
Previous research has shown leaves in the southeastern US are coming out
up to 22 days early. And in Greenland one species of sedge is emerging
form winter 26 days earlier than just 10 years ago - a pace of change
described as "eye-opening" by one academic..
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/global-warming-us-growing-season-climate-change-frost-free-days-13-us-geological-survey-utah-a7753461.html
Donald Trump's*climate change*stance under fire from world leaders
as Theresa May keeps 'pact of silence'
<http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/donald-trump-climate-change-world-leaders-theresa-may-paris-agreement-angela-merkel-emmanuel-macron-a7753001.html>
Angela Merkel, Emmanuel Macron and other world leaders - but not,
apparently, Theresa May - will try to convince Donald Trump that the US
should remain part of the international fight against climate change
when they meet at the G7 summit.
The Prime Minister has been accused of having a "pact of silence" with
the Republican billionaire over his description of climate change as a
"hoax", his plan to withdraw the US from the landmark Paris Agreement
and pledge to reinvigorate the US coal industry.
A petition by Greenpeace urging Ms May to "use your influence to save
the Paris climate deal" has attracted more than 155,000 signatures.
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/donald-trump-climate-change-world-leaders-theresa-may-paris-agreement-angela-merkel-emmanuel-macron-a7753001.html
*He Warned Us About Terror. Now He's Warning About Climate. Will We
Listen?
<https://climatecrocks.com/2017/05/24/he-warned-us-about-terror-now-hes-warning-about-climate-will-we-listen/>*
Remember that time when security experts warned the Bush administration
about the dire, imminent threat of a terrorist attack?
Those are some of the same experts warning about the security impact of
climate change. And some of the same people are not listening again.
"Charges of Russian meddling in the 2016 election, cybersecurity and
terrorism are topics that have recently dominated the national security
conversation.
But according to Richard Clarke, it's climate change that poses an
imminent threat to our nation's shores.
Clarke is the former U.S. national security adviser who gained notoriety
after criticizing the George W. Bush administration for the war in
Iraq, saying Bush is guilty of war crimes."
== *VIDEO Drought, Water, War, and Climate Change
<https://youtu.be/BbkNcvGHZwc>*https://youtu.be/BbkNcvGHZwc 5:42 ==
"Californians and anyone living on the coast need to be worried about
sea level rise, which can happen much faster than we anticipated," he said.
Clarke is concerned about chaos that will occur not just in California,
but around the globe from rising seas that could displace millions of
people.
He noted that the drought in Syria contributed to that country's refugee
crisis, and pointed to the situation as an example of how a changing
climate can lead to political instability.
"If sea level rise happens to the extent it could … when you have
millions of people who are on the move … that usually results, as we've
seen in the Syrian refugee crisis, in political disruption and security
problems."
https://climatecrocks.com/2017/05/24/he-warned-us-about-terror-now-hes-warning-about-climate-will-we-listen/
*Massive Landslide Covers Portion Of Highway 1 In Big Sur*
<http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2017/05/23/new-big-sur-landslide/>
BIG SUR (AP) - A massive new landslide along California's iconic
coastal Highway 1 has buried the road under a 40-foot layer of rock and
dirt, the latest hit in winter of crippling slides and flooding.
A swath of the hillside gave way in an area called Mud Creek on Saturday
night, covering about one-third of a mile of road and changing the Big
Sur coastline immediately below, Colin Jones, a spokesman with the
California Department of Transportation, said Monday night.
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2017/05/23/new-big-sur-landslide/
In Trump budget briefing, '*climate change* musical' is cited as tax
waste. Wait, what?
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2017/05/23/in-trump-budget-briefing-climate-change-musical-cited-as-tax-waste-wait-what/>
Tuesday morning, during a White House conference on President Trump's
proposed 2018 federal budget, Office of Management and Budget Director
Mick Mulvaney invoked a musical that, seven years ago, won a government
grant worth nearly $700,000.
When asked if the administration considered climate change programs to
be taxpayer waste, Mulvaney replied, "The National Science Foundation
last year used your taxpayer money to fund a climate change musical. Do
you think that's a waste of your money?"
Mulvaney said that the previous administration funded "crazy stuff" and
spent too much money in its climate change efforts. "Does it mean that
we are anti-science? Absolutely not," he said. "We are simply trying to
get things back in order."
When asked during an NSF budget briefing Tuesday afternoon, Director
France A. Córdova declined to say whether she felt that Mulvaney's
"musical" comment characterized the current White House approach to
climate research. "Just as a point of fact, that was actually awarded
and proposed in 2010," Córdova said, rather than last year, as Mulvaney
suggested.
The musical in question, "The Great Immensity," received $697,177 under
a continuing grant that was awarded in August 2010 and ended in
mid-2014. Brooklyn-based theater company the Civilians produced the
musical. "The play uses real places and stories drawn from interviews
conducted by the artists to create an experience that is part
investigative journalism and part inventive theater," according to the
grant's abstract published at the NSF website. "Attendance at the
performances is projected to be about 75,000."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2017/05/23/in-trump-budget-briefing-climate-change-musical-cited-as-tax-waste-wait-what/
*This Day in Climate History May 25, 1992
<http://www.nytimes.com/1992/05/25/opinion/on-global-warming-why-no-carbon-tax.html>
- from D.R. Tucker*
May 25, 1992: The New York Times editorial page calls for a price on
carbon, stating:
"The prudent course for the West is to impose taxes that help the
environment, and incidentally combat global warming. The best choice
would be a modest tax on carbon-based fuels.
"A carbon tax equivalent to, say, 25 cents per gallon of gasoline would
help reduce pollution. Incidentally, it might be enough to help cut back
greenhouse emissions in the West to 1990 levels by 2000 -- the policy
environmentalists fought, unsuccessfully, to have adopted at next
month's Earth Summit in Brazil."
http://www.nytimes.com/1992/05/25/opinion/on-global-warming-why-no-carbon-tax.html
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