[TheClimate.Vote] November 18, 2017 - Daily Global Warming News Digest

[Richard Pauli]

/November 18, 2017
/
*Trump Administration Bid to Stop Kids Climate Case Gets December Court 
Date 
<https://www.climateliabilitynews.org/2017/11/17/trump-climate-change-lawsuit-juliana/>*
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals announced on Thursday that it will 
hear oral arguments on Dec. 11 regarding a writ of mandamus filed by the 
government in Juliana v United States.  In that case, 21 young people 
are suing the Trump administration for failing to protect their future 
against climate change.
Attorneys for the government filed the writ of mandamus after U.S. 
District Court Judge Ann Aiken denied their request to have the case 
dismissed.
A writ of mandamus is a rarely used and even more rarely approved legal 
maneuver in which a superior court is asked to order a lower court or 
government agency to comply with the law. It is usually granted under 
extraordinary circumstances and is considered a legal last resort.
Appeals are normally filed after the trial is held and evidence is 
presented, but a mandamus appeal could allow the federal government to 
avoid the discovery process and have the suit dismissed. The case has 
been paused since July pending a decision on this and other motions.
"This Administration can respond to the limited discovery we seek, and 
put on its junk climate science at trial in a court of law," said Julia 
Olson, co-counsel for the plaintiffs. "What it can't do is shut the 
courthouse doors to real constitutional injuries brought by these young 
people."
In the suit, the young plaintiffs allege the federal government has 
failed to protect them, their families and future generations from the 
effects of climate change and say that the government must enact 
science-based plan to protect the planet.
Arguments will be heard at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San 
Francisco.
"While there is no set timeline for the Ninth Circuit panel to issue a 
decision, we hope the urgency of the climate crisis is dictating this 
fast-track briefing and argument schedule," said Gregory.
"We can't delay anymore because climate change is an ongoing problem," 
said 10-year-old plaintiff Levi Draheim.
"We need to deal with it right now and start reducing the things that 
are causing it," said Draheim."When we win the oral arguments, we can 
move on and start talking about how to fix the problem not just talk 
about it."
https://www.climateliabilitynews.org/2017/11/17/trump-climate-change-lawsuit-juliana/


*US Is Acting 'Like a 5-Year-Old' Over Global Warming, EU Official Says 
<https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-11-17/trump-s-america-first-foreign-policy-erodes-work-on-climate>*
"This is the worst moment for the Americans to start behaving like a 
five-year old all of a sudden," Christian Ehler, a German member of the 
European Parliament who speaks on EU and U.S. relations at the climate 
change talks, said in an interview. "The leader of the western world is 
stepping out of the multilateral framework used to tackle the most 
dramatic problem the world might be facing in the next 100 years."
Old divisions emerged between richer and poorer nations. India, whose 
pollution levels are rising faster than any other industrial nation, 
stressed the need to include "equity" in the discussions, allowing it to 
keep expanding its emissions. China sought to differentiate 
responsibilities between developed and developing countries, a move that 
would expand its wiggle room in meeting commitments.
Even the leaders of France and Germany showed a split as they attempted 
to lead a diplomatic charge to keep the global warming fight on track. 
French President Emmanuel Macron called for a minimum price on carbon 
pollution while German Chancellor Angela Merkel defended her country's 
use of coal and the need to preserve jobs in industry.
There was little progress from rich nations in saying when they'd 
achieve the goal of advancing $100 billion a year for developing-world 
climate projects, a target they've promised to achieve by 2020.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-11-17/trump-s-america-first-foreign-policy-erodes-work-on-climate


*Keystone Pipeline leaks 210,000 gallons of oil in South Dakota 
<http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/16/us/keystone-pipeline-leak/index.html>*
A total of 210,000 gallons of oil leaked Thursday from the Keystone 
Pipeline in South Dakota, the pipeline's operator, TransCanada, said.
The Keystone Pipeline debate in 2 minutes 01:47 *(video) 
<http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/16/us/keystone-pipeline-leak/index.html>*
Crews shut down the pipeline Thursday morning, and officials are 
investigating the cause of the leak, which occurred about three miles 
southeast of the town of Amherst, said Brian Walsh, a spokesman for the 
state's Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
This is the largest Keystone oil spill to date in South Dakota, Walsh 
said. The leak comes just days before Nebraska officials announce a 
decision on whether the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline, a sister project, 
can move forward...
http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/16/us/keystone-pipeline-leak/index.html


*(video) Climate Without Borders: Meet a Meteorologist Who Dares to Say 
"Climate Change" in Weather Reports <https://youtu.be/L-uTVhy7EwY>*
Democracy Now     Nov 17, 2017
https://youtu.be/L-uTVhy7EwY
-
*Climate Without Borders <http://www.climatewithoutborders.org>*
climate isn't only about the planet, it is about the people you care about
http://www.climatewithoutborders.org/#what
-*
World Meteorological Organization <https://public.wmo.int/en>*
WMO provides world leadership and expertise in international cooperation 
in the delivery and use of high-quality, authoritative weather, climate, 
hydrological and related environmental services by its Members, for the 
improvement of the well-being of societies of all nations.
https://public.wmo.int/en
*-**
**International Organization for Migration (IOM) <http://www.iom.int/>*
IOM is the leading inter-governmental organization in the field of 
migration and works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and 
non-governmental partners.
With 166 member states, a further 8 states holding observer status and 
offices in over 100 countries, IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and 
orderly migration for the benefit of all. It does so by providing 
services and advice to governments and migrants.
IOM works to help ensure the orderly and humane management of migration, 
to promote international cooperation on migration issues, to assist in 
the search for practical solutions to migration problems and to provide 
humanitarian assistance to migrants in need, including refugees and 
internally displaced people.
The IOM Constitution recognizes the link between migration and economic, 
social and cultural development, as well as to the right of freedom of 
movement.
http://www.iom.int/


*'We should be on the offensive' - James Hansen calls for wave of 
climate lawsuits 
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/17/we-should-be-on-the-offensive-james-hansen-calls-for-wave-of-climate-lawsuits?CMP=share_btn_tw>*
Veteran climate scientist says litigation campaign against government 
and fossil fuels companies is essential alongside political mobilisation 
in fighting 'growing, mortal threat' of global warming
One of the fathers of climate science is calling for a wave of lawsuits 
against governments and fossil fuel companies that are delaying action 
on what he describes as the growing, mortal threat of global warming.
Former Nasa scientist James Hansen says the litigate-to-mitigate 
campaign is needed alongside political mobilisation because judges are 
less likely than politicians to be in the pocket of oil, coal and gas 
companies.
"The judiciary is the branch of government in the US and other countries 
that is relatively free of bribery. And bribery is exactly what is going 
on," he told the Guardian on the sidelines of the UN climate talks in 
Bonn...
Hansen is putting his words into action. He is involved in a 2015 
lawsuit against the US federal government, brought by his granddaughter 
and 20 others under the age of 21. They argue the government's failure 
to curb CO2 emissions has violated the youngest generation's 
constitutional rights to life, liberty, and property.
A district court is due to hear the case in February in Oregon, though 
the federal government has tried to delay the case...
Three degrees would be disastrous. You can imagine the planet becoming 
ungovernable because we would lose the coastal cities where most people 
live … You'll see migrants from those parts of the world and also so 
much disruption to the centres of wealth. So we can't go down that path."
Hansen is a believer in direct action. "I've been arrested five times. 
The idea was to draw attention to injustice," he says. He has also 
testified on behalf of others who have lost their liberty during climate 
campaigns. On January, he will speak in defence of an activist who 
turned off the tar sands pipeline in North Dakota.
But he says litigation and political mobilisation are more effective 
than protests.
"Those are defence. We should be on the offensive. The lawsuits versus 
Trump and the fossil fuel industry are offence. People should use the 
democratic process," he says. "That's our best chance. It's better than 
getting arrested."
"We are entering a period of consequences and are in danger of being too 
late," he warned. "I have come to note that greenhouse gas climate 
forcings are accelerating, not decelerating, and sea-level rise and 
ocean acidification are accelerating. We confront a mortal threat, now 
endangering the very existence of island and low-lying nations in the 
Pacific and around the planet. Accordingly, ambition must be increased 
and enforced."
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/17/we-should-be-on-the-offensive-james-hansen-calls-for-wave-of-climate-lawsuits?CMP=share_btn_tw


*(video) Global Climate Change & U.S Interests: Dr John Holdren (October 
2017) <https://youtu.be/Ax9zaR2KUkM>*
Understanding Climate Change
Published on Nov 16, 2017
Global Climate Change & U.S Interests: Dr John Holdren (October 2017)
https://youtu.be/Ax9zaR2KUkM


*The Changing Colors of our Living Planet - NASA 
<https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2017/the-changing-colors-of-our-living-planet>*
Life. It's the one thing that, so far, makes Earth unique among the 
thousands of other planets we've discovered. Since the fall of 1997, 
NASA satellites have continuously and globally observed all plant life 
at the surface of the land and ocean.
(video) Our Living Planet From Space <https://youtu.be/3oIcJBiynvw> 
https://youtu.be/3oIcJBiynvw
Since the fall of 1997, NASA satellites have continuously and globally 
observed all plant life at the surface of the land and ocean. Twenty 
years of satellite data has helped scientists track phytoplankton 
populations in the ocean, study changing vegetation in the Arctic 
reaches of North America, monitor crop yields and more.
Credits: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Download this video in HD formats from NASA Goddard's Scientific 
Visualization Studio <https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12777>
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2017/the-changing-colors-of-our-living-planet
-
*From space, satellites can see Earth breathe 
<https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/mollweide_cycle.gif>*
A new NASA visualization shows 20 years of continuous observations of 
plant life on land and at the ocean's surface, from September 1997 to 
September 2017. On land, vegetation appears on a scale from brown (low 
vegetation) to dark green (lots
of vegetation); at the ocean surface, phytoplankton are indicated on a 
scale from purple (low) to yellow (high). This visualization was created 
with data from satellites including SeaWiFS, and instruments including 
the NASA/NOAA Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite and the Moderate 
Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer.
https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/mollweide_cycle.gif


*Scientists aim to fight climate change with super plants 
<http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-climate-change-plants-20171117-htmlstory.html>*
Friday, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San 
Diego launched a new initiative to improve on the ability of plants to 
suck carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and store it deep in the soil. 
They call it "Harnessing Plants."
All plants make a substance called suberin that protects their roots. 
You are likely familiar with suberin even if you don't know it. It's the 
same material as the cork in your wine bottle or on your corkboard. It's 
also the material that makes up the skin of a potato.
Michael Strano, a chemical engineer who works with plants at MIT, noted 
that there are several advantages of using plants to sequester carbon. 
The only energy they need to do their work is harvested from the sun, 
plus they can regenerate themselves and are capable of self-repair.
"We need to start thinking in the direction of carbon sequestration and 
I think plants are going to be a big part of that," he said.
Already the Salk Institute has invested more than $7 million in the 
initiative, including building six high-tech climate control rooms that 
will allow the researchers to test seeds in a variety of climates, and 
future climates, from around the world.
http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-climate-change-plants-20171117-htmlstory.html


*This Day in Climate History November 18, 2008 
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvG2XptIEJk> -  from D.R. Tucker*
November 18, 2008: President-elect Obama addresses the Global Climate 
Summit in Los Angeles, California via a pre-taped speech, declaring that 
his administration will be committed to reducing carbon pollution.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvG2XptIEJk
/
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