[TheClimate.Vote] November 19, 2017 - Daily Global Warming News Digest
Richard Pauli
richard at theclimate.vote
Sun Nov 19 11:08:41 EST 2017
/November 19, 2017/
Vatican Radio
*Pope Francis sends letter to COP23 climate conference in Bonn
<http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/11/16/pope_francis_sends_letter_to_cop23_climate_conference_in_bon/1349337>*
The Pope warned participants not to fall into "four perverse attitudes"
regarding the future of the planet: "denial, indifference, resignation
and trust in inadequate solutions."
/Please find below the official translation of the Pope's message:/
Excellency,
Nearly two years ago, the international community gathered within
this UNFCCC forum, with most of its highest government
representatives, and after a long and complex debate arrived at the
adoption of the historic Paris Agreement. It saw the achievement of
consensus on the need to launch a shared strategy to counteract one
of the most worrying phenomena our humanity is experiencing: climate
change.
The will to follow this consensus was highlighted by the speed with
which the Paris Agreement entered into force, less than a year after
its adoption.
The Agreement indicates a clear path of transition to a low- or
zero-carbon model of economic development, encouraging solidarity
and leveraging the strong links between combating climate change and
poverty. This transition is further solicited by the climatic
urgency that requires greater commitment from the countries, some of
which must endeavour to take a leading role in this transition,
bearing in mind the needs of the most vulnerable populations.
These days you are gathered in Bonn to carry out another important
phase of the Paris Agreement: the process of defining and
constructing guidelines, rules and institutional mechanisms so that
it may be truly effective and capable of contributing to the
achievement of the complex objectives it proposes. In such a path,
it is necessary to maintain a high level of cooperation.
From this perspective, I would like to reaffirm my urgent call to
renew dialogue on how we are building the future of the planet. We
need an exchange that unites us all, because the environmental
challenge we are experiencing, and its human roots, regards us all,
and affects us all. [...] Unfortunately, many efforts to seek
concrete solutions to the environmental crisis are often frustrated
for various reasons ranging from denial of the problem to
indifference, comfortable resignation, or blind trust in technical
solutions (cf. Encyclical Laudato si', 14).
We should avoid falling into the trap of these four perverse
attitudes, which certainly do not help honest research or sincere
and productive dialogue on building the future of our planet:
denial, indifference, resignation and trust in inadequate solutions.
Moreover, we cannot limit ourselves only to the economic and
technological dimension: technical solutions are necessary but not
sufficient; it is essential and desirable to carefully consider the
ethical and social impacts and impacts of the new paradigm of
development and progress in the short, medium and long term.
From this perspective, it is increasingly necessary to pay
attention to education and lifestyles based on an integral ecology,
capable of taking on a vision of honest research and open dialogue
where the various dimensions of the Paris Agreement are intertwined.
It is useful to remember that the Agreement recalls the "grave …
ethical and moral responsibility to act without delay, in a manner
as free as possible from political and economic pressures, setting
aside particular interests and behaviour" (cf. Message to COP-22).
This means, in effect, propagating a "responsible awareness" towards
our common home (cf. Encyclical Laudato si', 202; 231) through the
contribution of all, in explaining the different forms of action and
partnership between the various stakeholders, some of whom do not
lack to highlight the ingenuity of the human being in favour of the
common good.
While I send my greetings to you, Mr President, and to all the
participants in this Conference, I hope that, with your
authoritative guidance and that of the Fiji Islands, the work of
these days will be inspired by the same collaborative and prophetic
spirit manifested during the COP-21. This will enable an
acceleration of awareness-raising and consolidate the will to make
effective decisions to counteract the phenomenon of climate change
while at the same time fighting poverty and promoting true human
development as a whole. This commitment is supported by the wise
providence of God Most High.
(Devin Sean Watkins)
http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/11/16/pope_francis_sends_letter_to_cop23_climate_conference_in_bon/1349337
*UC releasing new Climate Lab videos after first six episodes hit 12
million views
<https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/press-room/uc-releasing-new-climate-lab-videos-after-first-six-episodes-hit-12-million-views>*
The University of California announced today (Nov. 17) that it is
releasing three more episodes of its innovative new video series,
Climate Lab, which seeks to change the way people communicate and think
about global climate change.
The first six episodes of the series, released this spring in
partnership with Vox, have been viewed more than 12 million times on
YouTube <https://youtu.be/5HOijUtExiM> (https://youtu.be/5HOijUtExiM)
and continue to be shared widely on social media...
Episodes can be found on UC's Climate Lab website,
<http://climate.universityofcalifornia.edu/> along with infographics,
quizzes and bonus content, and on Vox's YouTube channel.
<http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJ8cMiYb3G5fP5oq01TBp9fgh70vDDSMe>
https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/press-room/uc-releasing-new-climate-lab-videos-after-first-six-episodes-hit-12-million-views
(video) UC Climate Lab
<https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJ8cMiYb3G5fP5oq01TBp9fgh70vDDSMe>
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJ8cMiYb3G5fP5oq01TBp9fgh70vDDSMe
*(video) Two Bills: Maher and Mckibben on Climate
<https://climatecrocks.com/2017/11/18/two-bills-maher-and-mckibben-on-climate/>*
https://climatecrocks.com/2017/11/18/two-bills-maher-and-mckibben-on-climate/
*Amid Trump climate change setbacks, US business can do good and do well
<https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2017/11/17/amid-trump-climate-change-setbacks-american-business-forges-ahead-karl-schmidt-column/867033001/>*
It doesn't take rocket science to make a difference, and a business
doesn't need to be a national corporate powerhouse to reap the benefits
of sustainability planning. It's about developing a vision, setting
goals and metrics, engaging employees and suppliers and being
transparent with customers on your progress. Environmental progress will
continue with or without the Trump administration, and if business
leaders want to stay ahead of the curve, more should consider
collaborating with academia.
That will help them create a more holistic approach toward
sustainability and take a longer-term view of ensuring that the needs of
the present are met without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their needs - or as stated in one concise sound
bite, "Enough, for all, forever." Our grandchildren await our decisions.
Karl F. Schmidt, the former vice president of global sustainability for
Johnson & Johnson, is a professor of practice and director of the RISE
Forum at Villanova University's College of Engineering.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2017/11/17/amid-trump-climate-change-setbacks-american-business-forges-ahead-karl-schmidt-column/867033001/
*Technology helped fake news. Now technology needs to stop it
<https://thebulletin.org/technology-helped-fake-news-now-technology-needs-stop-it11285>*
In October, representatives of Google, Facebook, and Twitter testified
before Congress
<http://money.cnn.com/2017/10/31/media/facebook-twitter-google-congress/index.html>
and pledged to improve their response to the problem. The companies have
even taken action to flag misinformation when it appears on their sites....
It is imperative that social media outlets push back against fake news,
both as it relates to future elections and on critical scientific issues
like vaccines and climate change. But it is also important to keep in
mind that with the wrong strategies, the fight against false statements
could be ineffective or even undermine its own goals. Efforts to counter
misinformation should be informed by scientific research into the
efficacy of various approaches. Fortunately, psychological research on
misinformation goes back decades. The solution lies in pairing
psychology with technology...
As fake news labels become more commonplace on social media outlets like
Facebook and Google, people are coming to expect fake news to be
labelled as such. As a result, when a fake news post is not tagged,
people are more likely to believe it is true than if they had not been
exposed to fake news labels in the first place. Researchers call this
the "implied truth effect"-a reminder of the psychological minefield
that is the human mind when dealing with misinformation....
Time for technocognition. While fake news rocketed into public
consciousness just over the last year, researchers have studied how to
counter misinformation for many years, discovering myriad potential
pitfalls along the way. When debunkings are designed poorly, they can be
ineffective or even make matters worse by reinforcing the
misinformation. For example, if a debunked myth is not replaced with a
fact-in the same way that a defense lawyer tries to provide an
alternative suspect in a murder trial-the myth is likely to return and
continue to influence people. When a debunking threatens a person's
personal beliefs, it can backfire and strengthen the misconception...
Without psychological research, we wouldn't know any of this. While such
research is essential, though, it cannot alone stop post-truthism from
swamping society. The tech world needs psychology to design effective,
evidence-based strategies, but psychology needs technology in order to
reach the masses. This has led to an interdisciplinary approach is known
as "technocognition." The idea behind technocognition is that
information architecture should incorporate principles from psychology,
behavioral economics, and philosophy to undo the damage and polarization
that fake news has inflicted through social media. Technology
contributed to the problem, and is an important part of the solution.
One of the most exciting areas of research into misinformation seeks the
holy grail of fact-checking: the ability to automatically detect a claim
in real-time and instantly assess its accuracy.
John Cook is a research assistant professor at the Center for Climate
Change Communication at George Mason University. In 2007, he founded
Skeptical Science, a website which won the 2011 Australian Museum Eureka
Prize for the Advancement of Climate Change Knowledge and 2016 Friend of
the Planet Award from the National Center for Science Education.
https://thebulletin.org/technology-helped-fake-news-now-technology-needs-stop-it11285
*If we act on climate change now, the economic prize will be immense
<https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/nov/17/economic-prize-climate-change-action>*
Acting on climate can certainly be driven by pure pragmatism: the
economics of it are clear. However, I believe that when 195 countries
held hands in Paris and committed to beat climate change together, it
also went beyond self-interest. We did it because the poorest and most
vulnerable among us don't deserve to lose their lives and livelihoods to
an increasingly hostile environment.
We did it because we know that a more sustainable, prosperous and
inclusive future is within our grasp. And we did it because leaving the
world safer and healthier for our children's children is simply the
right thing to do.
President Felipe Calderón is the former president of Mexico. He is the
honorary chair of the Global Commission on the Economy & Climate
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/nov/17/economic-prize-climate-change-action
*(audio) New board game challenges players to confront rising sea levels
<https://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/2017/08/new-board-game-challenges-players-to-confront-rising-sea-levels/>*
The game's designers hope making the issue fun will help people learn
about it.
Imagine it's the year 2050, and you're the city planner of an island
that's threatened by sea-level rise and storms. That's the scenario in
"Game of Floods," a board game in which students and community members
confront these real climate change risks.
Pretend you're the city planner of an island that's threatened by
#sealevelrise and storms. CLICK TO TWEET
Westhoff: "We are particularly excited about bringing it to schools as
we feel that it's critical that the youth of today understand this
challenge that they're faced with."
That's Alex Westhoff, with the Marin County Community Development Agency
in California, which developed the game.
Players must decide how to protect the island from random floods and
ever-rising sea levels. Some players decide to move their roads out of
vulnerable areas like wetlands, while others choose to protect their
buildings with seawalls. For every choice, there are costs - some
financial, some social, and some environmental.
Westhoff: "This was intended to teach people about what the different
strategies are, in a way that's engaging and fun."
Westhoff says, so far, more than a thousand people have played Game of
Floods. And anyone who wants to try it out for themselves can download
the board for free, then print it and play.
https://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/2017/08/new-board-game-challenges-players-to-confront-rising-sea-levels/
-
*Game of Floods
<https://www.marincounty.org/depts/cd/divisions/planning/csmart-sea-level-rise/game-of-floods>*
The "Game of Floods" was developed by the County of Marin as a public
education activity on sea level rise adaptation, including traditional
flood protection measures such as levees and seawalls; green
infrastructure approaches including horizontal levees, wetland
restorations, and beach nourishment; and policy/zoning changes. The Game
of Floods is a small group activity, with 4-6 participants tasked with
developing a vision for 'Marin Island 2050,' a hypothetical landscape
that highlights the conditions that will be experienced in Marin in
coming years with sea level rise and increased storm impacts causing the
loss or deterioration of homes, community facilities, roads,
agricultural land, beaches, wetlands, lagoons, and other resources.
Host an adaptation planning party of your own! Email us[Word]
<https://www.marincounty.org/Global/Contact-Us-Form?id=wHfxVCZxf6ogPvXY4VsS5B5oO7EBQ32+D3eSSA54C3Y=&dn=Email+us>
to request a kit or download the complete Game of Floods materials[PDF]
<https://www.marincounty.org/%7E/media/files/departments/cd/planning/slr/game-of-floods/game-of-floods-materials.pdf?la=en>.
https://www.marincounty.org/depts/cd/divisions/planning/csmart-sea-level-rise/game-of-floods
*This Day in Climate History November 19, 1989
<http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8147909.html> - from D.R. Tucker*
November 19, 1989: Noting President George H. W. Bush's lack of a
"vision thing" with regard to climate change, Boston Globe columnist
Derrick Z. Jackson writes:
"So [Bush] cannot be driven into world leadership on the issue
merely because the United States is a world leader in producing the
greenhouse effect. He needs true incentive. He has to feel personal
loss. A man who was accused of moving too slowly when Hurricane Hugo
slashed up South Carolina clearly will not act on a matter of global
urgency unless doom hits in his backyard. If environmentalists, the
American people, scientists, fishermen and farmers want real action,
they must start chanting: Kennebunkport, Kennebunkport, Kennebunkport.
"Bush may not be terribly moved by the future of poor children. But
he is a man who understands real estate at risk. Kennebunkport is on
the ocean. Bush's house is practically in the Atlantic. His 26-room
mansion sits on a jut of land known as Walker's Point.
"Right now, Maine is a sanctum of clear, cold waters. But that could
change drastically when the temperature rises enough for tropical
hurricanes to supplant the occasional wimpy nor'easter, and the
algae blooms start choking Maine's estuaries. George surely does not
want to be known as the Bush who forced his great-grandchildren to
drive their cigarette boats in green slime."
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8147909.html
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