[TheClimate.Vote] May 31, 2017 - Daily Global Warming News

[Richard Pauli]

/May 31, 2017

/


    Another deadly consequence of climate change: The spread of
    dangerous diseases
    <https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/another-deadly-consequence-of-climate-change-the-spread-of-dangerous-diseases/2017/05/30/fd3b8504-34b1-11e7-b4ee-434b6d506b37_story.html>

With President Trump's decision on U.S. participation in the Paris 
climate accords expected in the next few days, there has been widespread 
discussion of the many consequences that climate change will have for us 
and our children, including extreme weather events, displacement of 
people, submergence of lands and devastation to our oceans. But one of 
the most potentially deadly effects has been far less discussed: an 
increase in the spread of dangerous epidemics and the risk of a global 
pandemic.
As the Earth/'/s climate alters, we are seeing changes in where and how 
humans live; these changes increase the risk that deadly diseases will 
emerge and spread more rapidly. While the interactions between climate 
change and disease are hard to predict with certainty, the scientific 
linkages are unmistakable. If we fail to integrate planning for the 
impact of climate change with planning for the prevention and management 
of pandemic disease, the consequences will be 
deadly.https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/another-deadly-consequence-of-climate-change-the-spread-of-dangerous-diseases/2017/05/30/fd3b8504-34b1-11e7-b4ee-434b6d506b37_story.html

*Majorities of Americans in Every State Support Participation in the 
Paris Agreement 
<http://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/paris_agreement_by_state/>*
22 Republican Senators sent a letter to President Donald Trump urging 
him to pull the United States out of the Paris Climate Agreement. 
Withdrawal from the Agreement would place the U.S. with Syria and 
Nicaragua as the only U.N. Framework countries to oppose it.
Our research shows that a majority of Americans in all 50 states support 
U.S. participation in the Paris Agreement. This includes the 15 states 
whose Senators urged President Trump to reject the agreement.
Using methods developed for the Yale Climate Opinion Maps, 
<http://climatecommunication.yale.edu/visualizations-data/ycom-us-2016/> 
we find that a majority of Americans in every state say that the United 
States should participate in the Paris Climate Agreement.
http://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/paris_agreement_by_state/
Opinion maps: 
http://climatecommunication.yale.edu/visualizations-data/ycom-us-2016/

*The Ghost of Climate-Change Future 
<https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/05/the-ghost-of-climate-change-future/528471/>*
As record-breaking high tides overwhelm Hawaii, people are getting a 
preview of what life will be like in the decades to come.
For the second time in a month, Hawaii's coastlines have been swamped by 
epic tides. The phenomenon, known as a king tide, is actually a 
convergence of a few different factors: high lunar tides, rising sea 
levels associated with last year's strong El Niño and climate change, 
swirling pockets of ocean eddies, and a robust south swell - that is, 
big waves rolling onto south-facing shores.
King tides happen routinely in the Hawaiian Islands - a few times a 
year, usually - but this year's batch have been particularly extreme. 
Data from federal tide stations around Hawaii show that water levels 
have been up to six inches above predicted tidal heights since early 
last year. In April, levels peaked at more than nine inches above 
predicted tides and broke the record high for any water level around 
Hawaii since 1905. Scientists say the record is likely to be broken 
again in 2017.
Several Honolulu roadways have been submerged. Beaches have been washed 
out. Beachfront hotels have canceled shorefront entertainment and 
readied generators. Property owners living near the coasts were told to 
move electronics and other valuables up to the second floor of their 
houses and park their cars elsewhere. People photographed fish swimming 
down the streets. And all around the islands, small mountains of sand 
have been deposited in parking lots and other strange places - spots the 
waves should never reach...
Hawaii officials are already in the process of developing statewide maps 
to predict and track Hawaii's most vulnerable areas for erosion and 
flooding, outlining how climate change will alter the Islands in 2030, 
2050, 2075, and 2100.
In the meantime, an even bigger king tide than the ones in April and May 
is forecast for June.
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/05/the-ghost-of-climate-change-future/528471/

*As Arctic weather goes nuts, world meteorologists take on more joint 
forecasting 
<https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/arctic/2017/05/arctic-weather-goes-nuts-world-meteorologists-take-more-joint-forecasting>*
A two-year joint effort is to help the World Meteorological Organization 
enhance Arctic observation, modeling and weather prediction.
May 26, 2017    By Atle Staalesen
Something very serious is clearly happening with weather in the Arctic. 
Now, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) says it will intensify 
its activities in the region, one of the areas on the planet with the 
least weather data available.
Dramatic changes in weather, climate and ice conditions are currently 
leading to increased human activities such as transportation, tourism, 
fisheries and natural resource exploitation and extraction, the 
Meteorological Organization says. Therefore, accurate weather and 
sea-ice information will become increasingly vital in order to reduce 
risks and improve safety management in polar regions and beyond, a press 
release from the Norwegian Meteorological Institute reads 
<https://www.met.no/en/archive/the-year-of-polar-prediction--from-research-to-improved-environmental-safety-in-polar-regions-and-beyond>.
The project starts as data show a dramatic increase in temperatures in 
the region. The Hydrometeorological Center of Russia in a report from 
2016 underlined that "these kind of temperatures have never before been 
registered in the region".  In the northern part of the Barents Sea, the 
average 2016 temperature was as much as eight degrees above normal, 
information from the center show.
The trend is the same in 2017. Data from the Center shows that average 
January temperatures in parts of the Kara Sea were as much as 15 degrees 
higher than normal. Also in in the months February-April, there were 
"enormous temperature anomalies" in the area, the Center informs.
The two-year international meteorological initiative is launched as the 
WMO kickstarts the Year of Polar Prediction. It aims to close existing 
gaps in polar forecasting capacity, and will lead to better forecasts of 
weather and sea-ice conditions.
During special observing periods, the number of routine observations, 
for example through weather balloon launches from meteorological 
stations and buoy deployments from research vessels, will be enhanced; 
coordinated aircraft campaigns and satellite snapshots will be carried 
out; and new automatic weather stations will be installed at different 
polar locations.
https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/arctic/2017/05/arctic-weather-goes-nuts-world-meteorologists-take-more-joint-forecasting

*This was Russia's Arctic weather in 2016 
<https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/arctic-ecology/2017/02/was-russias-arctic-weather-2016>*
These kind of temperatures have never before been registered in the 
region», the country's Hydrometeorological Center says.
The year 2016 became the warmest on the northern hemisphere on record, 
and temperatures in the Arctic were by far the most extreme, the 
research center says in a sum-up of the year.
Among the most extreme examples is the Island of Vize, the land located 
north of Novaya Zemlya, where average temperatures in January was 17 
degrees Celsius above normal for the month.
Heat records were beaten one after another all over the region. In the 
northern part of the Barents Sea, the average 2016 temperature was as 
much as eight degrees above normal, information from the center show. 
Practically all Russian areas north of the Arctic Circle was an average 
of at least three degrees above normal.
The warm weather continued through all seasons. In winter, the average 
temperature in Siberia, Yamal and Taymyr was 7-8 degrees above the norm, 
while the Arctic archipelagos in the Barents Sea and the Kara Sea were 
between 10-12 degrees warmer than normal.
On some spring days, the thermometer in the region showed up to 29 
degrees, and in summer another heat wave rolled over the area. In the 
Nenets Autonomous Okrug, a temperature peak of more than 30 degrees was 
registered in July, while Salekhard, the regional capital in the 
Yamal-Nenets AO, the same month had a day with a record-beating average 
temperature of 25,6 degrees.
In fall, extreme temperatures continued in the Russian east Arctic and 
the Arctic archipelagos with warmth up to 12 degrees higher than normal.
Also Arctic waters heat up at record pace. In the Barents Sea and the 
Kara Sea, the average water temperatures were up to 2,5 decrees above 
normal, the meteorologists say. The Hydrometeorological Center does not 
exclude that the heat ultimately could result in almost ice-free Arctic 
water already in the course of this decade.
The data from the Russian center coincides with measurements made by 
other researchers. In neighboring Norway, data from Svalbard, the 
archipelago north in the Barents Sea show that all months of 2016 was 
far warmer than normal.
https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/arctic-ecology/2017/02/was-russias-arctic-weather-2016


    *Climate change*can alter the impact of forest pathogens in trees
    <https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/05/170530144758.htm>

"This study shows the potential for future climate changes to alter the 
impact of forest pathogens, and the need to incorporate disease effects 
into future forestry planning as of now.
The researchers found that future climate changes have the potential to 
increase disease severity in fungal infected trees, with the most 
distant projections likely to be the most detrimental to tree health. 
However, an interesting result was that the effects of climate change on 
disease severity can vary markedly among fungal strains i.e. genetic 
variations of the same fungal species.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/05/170530144758.htm

*Economist wants truth on real cost of fossil fuel 
<http://climatenewsnetwork.net/economist-demands-truth-real-cost-fossil-fuel/>*
By Alex Kirby           LONDON, 30 May, 2017
In forthright language seldom heard in international climate policy 
negotiations, a renowned German economist says it is time for the world 
to accept the truth about the real cost of fossil fuel, and to reject 
the lie that coal, oil and gas cost society nothing.
Professor Edenhofer said: "It is a dirty lie that CO2 emissions from 
fossil fuels have so far come with no cost – they cost us human health, 
damage to our climate, and billions of dollars in subsidies worldwide.
"Putting a clear price-tag on CO2 emissions means finally telling the 
truth. Pricing CO2 is key to climate stabilisation. It unleashes market 
forces that will punish coal use and incentivise clean innovation.
The report 
<http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2017/05/29/new-global-pathway-on-carbon-pricing-can-shift-finance-to-sustainable-investments-world-bank>is 
by the High Level Commission on Carbon Prices, which was set up by the 
Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition 
<https://www.carbonpricingleadership.org/leadership-coalition/> in 2016 
to identify the most effective pricing systems and policies.
http://climatenewsnetwork.net/economist-demands-truth-real-cost-fossil-fuel/

*New Global Pathway on Carbon Pricing Can Shift Finance to Sustainable 
Investments: World Bank 
<http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2017/05/29/new-global-pathway-on-carbon-pricing-can-shift-finance-to-sustainable-investments-world-bank>*
BERLIN, May 29, 2017 -  New conclusions from the High-Level Commission 
on Carbon Prices, led by Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz and Lord 
Nicholas Stern, provide the right advice at the right time to boost 
climate-friendly growth, investment and innovation, according to the 
World Bank's Senior Director for Climate Change...
"One of the strongest levers we have to shift financing toward climate 
action is putting a price on carbon," said the World Bank's Senior 
Director for Climate Change, John Roome.  "The Commission's report 
provides the range of prices we need to make this happen, and spells out 
the complementary policies that will be needed to ensure carbon pricing 
works effectively, while recognizing that each country will need to 
choose the policy mix that best meets its needs."...
...a strong, predictable carbon price trajectory, as called for in the 
report, would help provide the stability the private sector needs to 
move investment into long-term, climate-friendly projects and help guide 
governments to integrate climate risks and opportunities into their 
planning and budgeting.
The Commission's report also states that well-designed carbon pricing 
can be an efficient way of generating revenue. Such revenues can help 
governments strengthen social safety nets for poor and vulnerable 
communities and finance the infrastructure needed to provide access to 
basic services such as water, sanitation, and energy. They can also 
support reskilling for workers and green investments, or can be returned 
to households in the form of rebates or reduced taxes.
In 2016, governments across the world generated $26 billion in revenues 
from carbon taxes - an increase by 60 percent over the year before. 
According to the World Bank's just-released Carbon Pricing Watch 2017, 
the number of carbon pricing initiatives worldwide has almost doubled 
over the past five years.
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2017/05/29/new-global-pathway-on-carbon-pricing-can-shift-finance-to-sustainable-investments-world-bank

*(video) Impacts of Global Warming & Ocean Acidification on Ocean 
Biology: Dr Bruce Monger (February 2017) 
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U84my14evls>*
Understanding Climate Change   Published on May 29, 2017
Impacts of Global Warming & Ocean Acidification on Ocean Biology: Dr 
Bruce Monger (February 2017)
Bio: http://www.geo.cornell.edu/ocean/web/people/monger.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U84my14evls


    Tracking *Climate Change* Through a Mushroom's Diet
    <https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/05/mushrooms-climate-change/528483/>

The mushroom Amanita thiersii dots American lawns from Texas to 
Illinois, a small white button on the grass's emerald expanse. Unlike 
similar mushrooms, A. thiersii does not live in a symbiotic relationship 
with nearby trees; instead, it gets its energy by feasting on the 
corpses of its neighbors - that is, dead grasses. That predilection 
means that the mushroom is uniquely suited to report on what those 
grasses were like before they perished, according to a new paper in 
Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences. In fact, an analysis of 
40-odd A. thiersii samples taken from lawns across the Midwest over 27 
years suggests that the mushrooms, as a result of the grasses they eat, 
may be able reflect the changing climate of the last few decades in 
their chemistry.
The reason it might be possible to trace climate change in grass at all 
is because plants can be distinguished by the different ways they handle 
photosynthesis. The new paper looks at two methods of photosynthesis in 
particular: C3 and C4, named after the structure of the molecules the 
methods produce. The majority of plant species perform C3, which 
produces energy at higher concentrations of CO2 and at lower 
temperatures. C4 plants, meanwhile - most of which evolved in hotter and 
drier climates - are more efficient in higher temperatures, but too much 
CO2 is hard for them to deal with...
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/05/mushrooms-climate-change/528483/
/
*This Day in Climate History May 31, 1992 
<http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/doc/294658433.html> -  from D.R. 
Tucker*
May 31, 1992: The Boston Globe's Ross Gelbspan report Abstract:
/

    *Racing to an environmental precipice
    Fear of future on deteriorating planet sets agenda for Rio de
    Janeiro summit

    */Scenarios like these are being forecast by more and more
    scientists. Unless skyrocketing rates of pollution and population
    growth are reversed soon, they warn, many biological systems needed
    to sustain humans will collapse within the lifetimes of today's
    children. Some scientists who monitor the spiraling rates of stress
    on the planet say it is already too late to avoid a slide into
    nightmarish conditions. They cite data indicating that the scale of
    human activity has already overwhelmed the ability of the Earth to
    absorb wastes, cleanse the air and water, and maintain a stable
    climate. Many of these trends will take a drastic toll within 30 to
    40 years, they predict.

    Many researchers believe that the most pressing global environmental
    problem is also the hardest to document and the most controversial -
    the potential for a catastrophic increase in the planet's
    temperature. Such scientists as Stephen H. Schneider of the National
    Center for Atmospheric Research predict that average temperatures,
    driven up by an exponential buildup of carbon dioxide and other
    heat-trapping gases in the upper atmosphere, will rise by 3 to 8
    degrees Fahrenheit by the year 2050. By comparison, temperatures
    were only 4 degrees lower at the end of the great Ice Age 10,000
    years ago./

    /While this 'greenhouse effect' is mostly due to the burning of oil
    and coal in power plants, factories and automobiles, its effects are
    multiplied by the dizzying rate at which carbon-dioxide-absorbing
    trees are being cut down in the tropical rain forests of Brazil,
    Borneo and Indonesia, as well as in dry forests in temperate
    latitudes. In Brazil alone, an area of rain forest as large as the
    state of Maine is leveled each year to make way for farming or
    economic development./

    /As a result, some researchers now expect that the amount of
    heat-trapping carbon dioxide, which has held steady at about 300
    parts per million throughout most of human history, will double in
    the next 50 years. /

    /That prospect has scientists depicting a range of dire scenarios
    occurring within the lifetime of today's children./

/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/doc/294658433.html
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