[TheClimate.Vote] November 10, 2017 - Daily Global Warming News Digest
Richard Pauli
richard at theclimate.vote
Fri Nov 10 09:17:16 EST 2017
/November 10, 2017
/
*Election Results a Warning for Climate Deniers
<https://climatecrocks.com/2017/11/09/election-results-a-warning-for-climate-deniers/>*
Washington Post:
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/canary-in-the-coal-mine-republicans-fear-democratic-wins-mean-more-losses-to-come/2017/11/08/15130b64-c4b0-11e7-84bc-5e285c7f4512_story.html?utm_term=.1c143a5e0843>
A wave of Democratic victories ignited a ferocious debate across the
Republican Party on Wednesday over whether President Trump's unorthodox
behavior and polarizing agenda are jeopardizing the GOP's firm grip on
power in Congress, governors' mansions and state legislatures.
The recriminations sparked by Tuesday's results - a decisive rebuke of
Trump and his policies in Virginia and elsewhere - threatened the
fragile GOP push to pass sweeping tax cuts by the end of the year and
raised deeper questions about Republican identity and fealty to a
historically unpopular president.
A year ahead of the 2018 midterm elections, Republicans are increasingly
uncertain about keeping their majorities on Capitol Hill and are worried
about how damaging Trump's jagged brand of politics may become to the party.
"Donald Trump is an anchor for the GOP," said veteran party strategist
Mike Murphy, a Trump critic. "We got that message in loud volume in
Virginia. The canary in the coal mine didn't just pass out; its head
exploded."
Inside Climate News:
<https://insideclimatenews.org/news/08112017/election-climate-change-winners-governor-mayor-new-jersey-virginia-washington-miami-carbon-markets>
Americans in many states and cities across the country elected leaders
on Tuesday who have pledged to address climate change despite-and even
rebuking-the recalcitrant Trump administration.
Newly elected governors, mayors and state legislators from the East
Coast to the West won on platforms including carbon pricing and clean
energy incentives that will bolster *ongoing efforts at city, state and
regional levels
<https://insideclimatenews.org/news/21092017/states-paris-trump-climate-change-alliance-leadership-jerry-brown-cuomo-inslee-nrdc-2050>*
to combat climate change.
These efforts have received newfound urgency in the wake of both
President Donald Trump's decision in June to *withdraw
<https://insideclimatenews.org/news/01062017/donald-trump-paris-climate-change-agreement-decided>*
from the Paris Climate Agreement and the extraordinary *damage
<https://insideclimatenews.org/news/25102017/climate-change-costs-gao-report-wildfires-hurricane-health-trump>*
from *hurricanes
<https://insideclimatenews.org/news/22092017/hurricane-maria-puerto-rico-congress-recovery-aid-poverty-climate-change>*
and *wildfires
<https://insideclimatenews.org/news/05092017/west-wildfires-california-canada-forests-record-heat-climate-change>*
this fall.
Perhaps of greatest significance is the boost regional carbon pricing
efforts are likely to get from Democrats who regained or solidified
control in New Jersey, Virginia and Washington state.
New Jersey Gov.-elect Phil Murphy has vowed to "*immediately
<https://www.murphy4nj.com/issues/protecting-the-environment/>*" bring
his state back to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a
coalition of 9 eastern states that*recently agreed
<https://insideclimatenews.org/news/23082017/rggi-northeast-states-tighten-power-plant-emissions>*
to cut global-warming pollution from the region's power plants by an
additional 30 percent between 2020 and 2030. His predecessor, Republican
Gov. Chris Christie, withdrew New Jersey from the coalition in 2011.
https://climatecrocks.com/2017/11/09/election-results-a-warning-for-climate-deniers/
*ClimateNexux HotNews
<http://mailchi.mp/climatenexus/us-is-still-in-at-cop23-epa-continues-to-embrace-industry-more?e=95b355344d>*
*#WeAreStillIn HQ Launches at COP23: *A physical headquarters for
subnational US action on climate launched at COP23 yesterday, creating a
focal point for the more than 100 state and local government officials,
business influencers and other community leaders from the US. The US
Climate Action Center (USCAC), a first-of-its-kind subnational pavilion,
was formed after the US government confirmed earlier this fall it would
not host its ordinary US event space
<https://climatenexus.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=18536e8912&e=95b355344d> at
this year's COP. The USCAC, the largest pavilion at COP23, opened with a
full day of programming, including welcome remarks from the Fijian
Foreign Minister. Events in the USCAC will be livestreamed
<https://climatenexus.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=89ba167c37&e=95b355344d> and
a full events list for programming through the end of COP23 can be found
here
<https://climatenexus.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=84f0d336c8&e=95b355344d>.
(Scientific American
<https://climatenexus.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=4b1572b534&e=95b355344d>,
The Guardian
<https://climatenexus.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=1d89d06fb7&e=95b355344d>,
Reuters
<https://climatenexus.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=d5fa1e0544&e=95b355344d>,
Independent
<https://climatenexus.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=240263b2d1&e=95b355344d>,
Deutsche Welle
<https://climatenexus.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=c1b11ff1ef&e=95b355344d>.
Commentary: Huffington Post, Tim Profeta op-ed
<https://climatenexus.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=3a59589732&e=95b355344d>)
http://mailchi.mp/climatenexus/us-is-still-in-at-cop23-epa-continues-to-embrace-industry-more?e=95b355344d
*No electricity, homes in ruins: A reporter goes home and finds misery,
hope and resilience in the U.S. Virgin Islands
<https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/11/09/no-electricity-homes-ruins-reporter-goes-home-and-finds-misery-hope-and-resilience-u-s-virgin-island/826573001/>*
But among the ruins, I also find grit, hope and a resolve to build back
the islands stronger than before.
Terence Thomas, a college classmate at the University of the Virgin
Islands, and his wife, Madelyn Lake-Thomas, rode out Irma at home, first
in a 4-foot wide closet in their hillside St. Thomas house and later in
a concrete storeroom as the hurricane ripped off chunks of the house.
The storm terrified them. The aftermath has been almost as bad. Trapped
by the debris in their driveway, they slept for three nights in their
car. In the weeks since, they've bunked with friends and relatives,
relying on a camping stove for cooking and a generator for power.
"For days after the storm, I said, 'I can't cry. I have to be the strong
one,' " said Thomas, a government IT manager, as he walks through his
wrecked house, rescuing bits of electronic equipment and clothing....
One day he sat outside his borrowed apartment, watching the sun rise,
and lost control of his emotions. "I was just bawling," he said. "Here
I was homeless … and nature had the audacity to put up this sunrise like
nothing had happened."
But like many of the islanders I spend time with, Thomas has no
intention of ever leaving home, no matter how hard the recovery.
"Caribbean people tend to be hardy people," he said. "If all of us
leave, what's here for subsequent generations?"...
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/11/09/no-electricity-homes-ruins-reporter-goes-home-and-finds-misery-hope-and-resilience-u-s-virgin-island/826573001/
*(video) Hair-raising drive through Delhi smog
<http://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-india-41917369/hair-raising-drive-through-delhi-smog>*
A BBC reporter films his drive to work as pollution levels soar in
India's capital.
All schools in Delhi have been closed for the rest of the week.
Filmed and edited by Vikas Pandey.
http://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-india-41917369/hair-raising-drive-through-delhi-smog
-
*Delhi smog: City's residents frustrated over car rationing
<http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-41939015>*
*Twitter users in the smog-choked Indian capital Delhi have criticised
the re-introduction of car rationing as a "tokenistic" effort to curb
pollution.*
Under the "odd-even" scheme, private cars with even and odd number
plates will only be allowed on the roads on alternate days from 13 to 17
November.
Experts say that two previous periods of car rationing reduced traffic
but had little impact on pollution.
India's environmental watchdog described the plan as "a farce".
The National Green Tribunal has called on the Delhi government to
demonstrate that previous use of the scheme had actually improved air
quality.
Delhi's air, among the world's dirtiest, worsens in the winter months.
This happens because farmers in neighbouring Punjab and Haryana states
burn crop stubble to clear their fields.
Low wind speeds, dust from construction sites, rubbish burning in the
capital and firecrackers used in festivals all contribute to increased
pollution levels.
Delhi is not the only Indian city with toxic air. Large parts of
northern India are also affected - in fact the air in some cities is
worse than in Delhi.
*Reports say that the air in Lahore, Pakistan's second-largest city, is
equally thick with smoke and particulate matter - tiny pollutants that
can lodge inside the lungs and enter the bloodstream.*
The Delhi government has also temporarily banned construction work in a
bid to improve conditions, and has increased parking fees to discourage
people from driving their cars.
A day before the government's announcement, pollution levels in the city
had reached 30 times the World Health Organization's recommended limit
in some areas.
*What are PM2.5 particles?*
- Fine particulate matter, or PM,2.5, is a type of air pollutant made up
of fine particles less than 2.5 micrometres (0.0025mm) in diameter
- A second type of particulate matter, PM10, is made up of larger
particles with a diameter of up to 10 micrometres.
- Some occur naturally - for example, from dust storms and forest fires
- while others are produced by industrial processes
- They often consist of particles that are small enough to reach into
the lungs and, in some cases, cross into the bloodstream as well
- A build-up of PM2.5 in the lungs has been associated with respiratory
illnesses and lung damage
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-41939015
*How to be resilient when things go wrong (Irish Times)
<https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/how-to-be-resilient-when-things-go-wrong-1.3285595>*
Mary McGuire sets out the principles which she believes are the building
blocks to not only survival, but success
The building blocks to resilience
*Having a healthy belief in ourselves*
This is the cornerstone to building resilience. We cannot achieve
anything if we do not believe in who we are and what we stand for.
Without this clarity, our self-worth is scattered to the four corners of
the world by the winds of fortune, forever running this way and that,
without a proper compass to guide our efforts. If you find it difficult
to identify what is important to you, start by writing down your goals
and dreams for the next two to three years. If it helps, build a vision
board, using pictures to paint an idea of what you want to achieve.
Resilience arises from having clarity about what we want from life, so
make a start on your vision today.
*Staying connected to the present moment*
Resilience comes from understanding that the only moment that is real is
the present moment. By connecting to this through our breathing and
through our awareness that all moments will pass, including the present
one, we can learn to release difficult and painful experiences more
easily. We can understand that our efforts are more effective when
undertaken mindfully and with a proper perspective of the bigger
picture. As soon as we connect to the present moment, we can quieten our
negative self-talk, release our fears and step out of the drama that our
thoughts might be creating.
*Learn to take criticism well*
Nobody likes being told that their idea is rubbish or their plan is
unrealistic and if we are caught up in the excitement of our own ideas
we tend to shy away from getting any realistic feedback. Yet criticism,
when offered constructively, can help us to avoid pitfalls and failures
which come down to our own lack of experience. Criticism can help us to
flatten our learning curve and make progress faster. We need to feel
comfortable not knowing it all and be gracious enough to accept
criticism when offered by an experienced person in a helpful manner.
*Be realistic*
In our keenness to try out a new idea, we might be over-optimistic about
how smoothly everything will go and how easily resources will become
available to us. At the other extreme, we might find ourselves being
hyper-critical when we are looking back on mistakes we have made that
might seem blindingly obvious after the fact. Somewhere between the
rose-coloured spectacles and the bleak shades of grey we can find what
is the most likely or probable outcome. Learn to be more self-accepting
and more gentle with your inner thoughts. A harsh inner critic is hardly
motivating if you are trying to pick up the pieces and move on.
Self-love will be a much kinder way to move forward.
If you want to start building your resilience today, start by connecting
to what really excites you in life and build your ideas around something
that matters to you. Your own belief and passion will take you further
and help you to cope with setbacks better than anything else.
Mary McGuire holds an MBA and MSc in human resources. Her early career
as a social worker led on to her becoming chief executive of a charity
for people with autism. For the last 20 years she has worked as an
international business consultant. Her first book Coming Home to You is
available on findyourjoyfullife.com and on Amazon. Email
Mary at findyourjoyfullife.com
https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/how-to-be-resilient-when-things-go-wrong-1.3285595
*Michael Bloomberg's 'war on coal' goes global with $50m fund
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/09/michael-bloombergs-war-on-coal-goes-global-with-50m-fund>*
Exclusive: Billionaire's campaign has seen half of US coal plants close
in six years. Now he is targeting Europe and beyond to fight climate
change and air pollution
Bloomberg, a UN special envoy on climate change and former mayor of New
York city, has funded a $164m campaign in the US since 2010, during
which time more than half the nation's coal-fired power plants have been
closed.
On Thursday, he announced a $50m (£38m) plan to expand the programme
into Europe and then the rest of the world. The money will support
grassroots campaigns, research on the health impacts of coal and legal
action against coal plants that are breaking pollution rules.
Bloomberg is attending the global climate change summit in Bonn,
Germany, where he is leading a group of states, cities and businesses
pledging action in the US despite President Donald Trump's opposition...
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/09/michael-bloombergs-war-on-coal-goes-global-with-50m-fund
*(3 videos) It's Carl Sagan Day. His Warnings on Climate Change Were
Clear and Urgent
<https://climatecrocks.com/2017/11/09/its-carl-sagan-day-his-warnings-on-climate-change-were-clear-and-urgent/>*
https://climatecrocks.com/2017/11/09/its-carl-sagan-day-his-warnings-on-climate-change-were-clear-and-urgent/
*Congress ordered destruction of obstructing satellite research into
climate change
<https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/nov/05/donald-trump-accused-blocking-satellite-climate-change-research?CMP=share_btn_tw>*
Congress ordered destruction of vital sea-ice probe
The Republican majority in the US Congress has been accused of
deliberately obstructing research on global warming after it emerged
that a critically important technique for investigating sea-ice cover at
the poles faces being blocked.
The row has erupted after a key polar satellite broke down a few days
ago, leaving the US with only three ageing ones, each operating long
past their shelf lives, to measure the Arctic's dwindling ice cap.
Scientists say there is no chance a new one can now be launched until
2023 or later. None of the current satellites will still be in operation
then.
The crisis has been worsened because the US Congress this year insisted
that a backup sea-ice probe had to be dismantled because it did not want
to provide funds to keep it in storage. Congress is currently under the
control of Republicans, who are antagonistic to climate science and the
study of global warming.
"This is like throwing away the medical records of a sick patient," said
David Gallaher of the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder,
Colorado. "Our world is ailing and we have apparently decided to
undermine, quite deliberately, the effectiveness of the records on which
its recovery might be based. It is criminal."
The threat to the US sea-ice monitoring programme - which supplies data
to scientists around the world - will trigger further accusations at
this week's international climate talks in Bonn that the Trump
administration is trying to block studies of global warming for
ideological reasons.
Earth's sea ice has shrunk dramatically - particularly in the Arctic -
in recent years as rising emissions of greenhouse gases have warmed the
planet. Satellites have been vital in assessing this loss, thanks mainly
to America's Defence Meteorological Satellite Programme (DMSP), which
has overseen the construction of eight F-series satellites that use
microwaves sensors to monitor sea-ice coverage. These probes, which have
lifespans of three to five years, have shown that millions of square
kilometres of sea ice have disappeared from the Arctic over the past 20
years, allowing less solar energy to be reflected back into space - and
so further increasing global temperatures - while also disrupting Inuit
life and wildlife in the region.
Such losses have serious consequences, say researchers. "Sea-ice data
provided by satellites is essential for initiating climate models and
validating them," said Andrew Fleming of the British Antarctic Survey.
"We will be very much the poorer without that information."
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/nov/05/donald-trump-accused-blocking-satellite-climate-change-research?CMP=share_btn_tw
*'Climate Stories' inspires conversations on climate change
<http://news.psu.edu/story/491443/2017/10/31/academics/climate-stories-inspires-conversations-climate-change>*
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State's Sustainability Institute has
announced the release of a curriculum guide and an upcoming speaker,
both aimed at getting people to talk about climate change. Both events
were spurred by the release on the institute's short film "Climate
Stories <https://vimeo.com/223813976>," which invites viewers into a
conversation on climate change.
The curriculum guide, titled "Climate Stories: Connections for
Discussion
<http://sustainability.psu.edu/fieldguide/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Climate_Stories_Assignments1.pdf>,"
works in concert with the film. It is available to faculty and community
members interested in using the film to explore climate change in their
courses and communities. The guide, part of theField Guide to Teaching
Sustainability
<http://sustainability.psu.edu/fieldguide/assignments/climate-stories/>,
teaches basic climate change science, the sociopolitical context of
climate change in the United States, methods for communicating about the
topic, and ways to develop listening and speaking skills. The guide also
directs users to relevant resources.
Additionally, Seamus McGraw will speak and read from his book "Betting
the Farm on a Drought," which informed the making of the film. The event
will take place at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 14, in Foster Auditorium,
Pattee Library. McGraw will talk about the importance of storytelling,
listening and the need for good dialogue about climate change in a
polarized political environment.
"Political division, some bad actors, a lot of passion and
misinformation have prevented people from taking the action needed to
address climate change," said Peter Buckland, academic programs
coordinator at the Sustainability Institute and author of the guide.
"But with a common understanding of the science, by focusing on common
values and by sharing and listening, solutions can be developed."
In the film, McGraw; Richard Alley, notable climate scientist and
professor of geosciences; Janet Swim, professor of psychology; and Steve
Sywensky, a local angler, discuss the challenges of human-caused climate
change and the importance of people talking about it.
"Climate change is one of the most polarizing subjects, but if our
democracy is going to tackle the problem of climate, then we have to
really talk about it," Buckland said.
For more information on the film, curriculum guide or McGraw's talk,
contact Buckland atpdb118 at psu.edu <mailto:pdb118 at psu.edu>.
http://news.psu.edu/story/491443/2017/10/31/academics/climate-stories-inspires-conversations-climate-change
*Records from Ancient China Reveal Link Between Epidemics and Climate
Change
<https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/records-from-ancient-china-reveal-link-between-epidemics-and-climate-change/>*
A new study suggests that long periods of cold, dry weather helped drive
epidemics in ancient and pre-modern China
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/records-from-ancient-china-reveal-link-between-epidemics-and-climate-change/
*This Day in Climate History November 10, 2014
<http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/11/10/fuel-divestment-movement-grows-boston-campuses/uOKCKYo71b6QhMVaKmQQNK/story.html>
- from D.R. Tucker*
November 10, 2014 The Boston Globe reports:
"Professors at Boston-area colleges are adding their voices to a
student-led movement that is pressing higher education institutions to
shed investments in fossil fuel companies.
"The growing faculty involvement has not only galvanized the effort with
increased support but also added an important and unique perspective,
activists say."
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/11/10/fuel-divestment-movement-grows-boston-campuses/uOKCKYo71b6QhMVaKmQQNK/story.html
/
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
//Archive of Daily Global Warming News
<https://pairlist10.pair.net/pipermail/theclimate.vote/2017-October/date.html>
//
/https://pairlist10.pair.net/pipermail/theclimate.vote//
///
Send email to subscribe <a%20href=%22mailto:contact at theClimate.Vote%22>
to this mailing. /
*** Privacy and Security: * This is a text-only mailing that
carries no images which may originate from remote servers.
Text-only messages provide greater privacy to the receiver and
sender.
By regulation, the .VOTE top-level domain must be used for
democratic and election purposes and cannot be used for
commercial purposes.
To subscribe, email: contact at theclimate.vote with subject:
subscribe, To Unsubscribe, subject: unsubscribe
Also youmay subscribe/unsubscribe at
https://pairlist10.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/theclimate.vote
Links and headlines assembled and curated by Richard Paulifor
http://TheClimate.Vote delivering succinct information for
citizens and responsible governments of all levels. List
membership is confidential and records are scrupulously
restricted to this mailing list.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://pairlist10.pair.net/pipermail/theclimate.vote/attachments/20171110/c1ce6851/attachment.html>
More information about the TheClimate.Vote
mailing list