[TheClimate.Vote] November 22, 2017 - Daily Global Warming News Digest

Wed Nov 22 07:39:20 EST 2017

/November 22, 2017
/ *
Ice Apocalypse 
<https://grist.org/article/antarctica-doomsday-glaciers-could-flood-coastal-cities/>* 

*Rapid collapse of Antarctic glaciers could flood coastal cities by the 
end of this century.**
*By Eric Holthaus
In a remote region of Antarctica known as Pine Island Bay, 2,500 miles 
from the tip of South America, two glaciers hold human civilization hostage.
Stretching across a frozen plain more than 150 miles long, these 
glaciers, named Pine Island and Thwaites, have marched steadily for 
millennia toward the Amundsen Sea, part of the vast Southern Ocean. 
Further inland, the glaciers widen into a two-mile-thick reserve of ice 
covering an area the size of Texas.
There's no doubt this ice will melt as the world warms. The vital 
question is when...
Minute-by-minute, huge skyscraper-sized shards of ice cliffs would 
crumble into the sea, as tall as the Statue of Liberty and as deep 
underwater as the height of the Empire State Building. The result: a 
global catastrophe the likes of which we've never seen...
Instead of a three-foot increase in ocean levels by the end of the 
century, six feet was more likely, according to DeConto and Pollard's 
findings. But if carbon emissions continue to track on something 
resembling a worst-case scenario, the full 11 feet of ice locked in West 
Antarctica might be freed up, their study showed.
Previous models suggested that it would take hundreds or thousands of 
years for sea-level rise of that magnitude to occur...
"It could happen faster or slower, I don't think we really know yet," 
says Jeremy Bassis, a leading ice sheet scientist at the University of 
Michigan. "But it's within the realm of possibility, and that's kind of 
a scary thing."
Still, some scientists aren't fully convinced the alarm is warranted. 
Ted Scambos, lead scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center in 
Colorado, says the new research by Wise and his colleagues, which 
identified ice-cliff instabilities in Pine Island Bay 11,000 years ago, 
is "tantalizing evidence." But he says that research doesn't establish 
how quickly it happened...
"If you vastly increase the research now, [the cost] would still be 
trivial compared to the losses that might happen."
https://grist.org/article/antarctica-doomsday-glaciers-could-flood-coastal-cities/
-
*Sea-level response to melting of Antarctic ice  - The Cryosphere 
<https://www.the-cryosphere.net/11/1851/2017/tc-11-1851-2017.pdf>*
by F Pattyn
Aug 8, 2017 - DeConto and Pollard (2016) over a similar period (but with 
different forcing and ... mathematically confirming the earlier findings 
by Weertman.
https://www.the-cryosphere.net/11/1851/2017/tc-11-1851-2017.pdf

*Climate change is here. Can California's infrastructure handle it? 
<http://blog.ucsusa.org/jamesine-rogers-gibson/climate-change-is-here-can-californias-infrastructure-handle-it>*
JAMESINE ROGERS GIBSON
Climate-smart infrastructure is designed and built with future climate 
projections in mind, rather than relying on historic data that are no 
longer a good predictor of our climate future. It bolsters the 
resilience of the Golden State's communities and economy to the impacts 
of extreme weather and climate change instead of leaving communities 
high and dry, overheated, or underwater....
The Golden State is beginning tointegrate climate change into its plans 
and investments <https://www.gov.ca.gov/news.php?id=18938>and recently 
releasedhigh-level guidance for state agencies 
<http://opr.ca.gov/planning/icarp/resilient-ca.html>. These and other 
efforts underway at the state level must be accelerated and implemented 
in a consistent and analytically rigorous, climate-smart manner...
This is especially important in light of the billions of taxpayer 
dollars the state is planning on spending on new long-lived 
infrastructure projects. Many more billions will be spent on maintenance 
and retrofitting of existing infrastructure over the next few years. 
These projects must be able to function reliably and safely 
despiteworsening climate impacts over the coming decades 
<http://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/attach/gw-smart-infrastructure-table-life-expectancy.pdf>. 
Otherwise, we risk building costly systems that will fail well before 
their intended lifespans...
The UCS white paper includes several recommendations on how to overcome 
the barriers we identified. They focus on ways to improve and accelerate 
the integration of our climate-smart principles into public sector 
infrastructure decisions. For instance, they range from increasing state 
and local government staff's technical capacity and updating standards 
and codes to better incorporating climate-related costs and criteria, as 
well as climate resilience benefits, into project evaluations and 
funding decisions. Others include better planning in advance for more 
climate-smart disaster recovery efforts, ensuring better 
interjurisdictional coordination at the local and state government 
levels, and addressing the funding gap. Additional recommendations and 
specifics can be found in the paper. All infrastructure solutions should 
help advance more equitable outcomes, so equity is integrated throughout 
these recommendations...
California governments should grab hold of the opportunities before them 
to spend limited resources in climate-smart ways that increase our 
infrastructure's ability to provide California's communities and 
businesses with the needed services to thrive now and in a changing 
climate future.
http://blog.ucsusa.org/jamesine-rogers-gibson/climate-change-is-here-can-californias-infrastructure-handle-it

*(book review) The title of a new book says it all  -  "A Farewell to 
Ice: A Report from the Arctic." 
<Melting%20polar%20ice%20poses%20a%20serious%20global%20risk>*
   Audio  - Listen to the full interview 
https://www.pri.org/stories/2017-11-18/melting-polar-ice-poses-serious-global-risk
The book, by Peter Wadhams, head of the Polar Ocean Physics Group at the 
University of Cambridge, is the result of nearly a half-century of 
personal ice research, mostly in the Arctic.
"The Arctic is changing from being a permanent ice cover to becoming a 
seasonal one," Wadham explains, "and that will cause big changes to 
ocean currents, to circulation of the atmosphere, to fisheries and 
especially to the air temperature, which will warm up because there 
isn't any ice cooling the surface anymore. That will have an effect, for 
instance, on air currents over Greenland, which will increase the melt 
rate of the Greenland ice sheet."..
The rapid rise in atmospheric CO2 levels is the main reason for the 
accelerating melt of sea ice, but the melting ice itself is causing the 
release of another greenhouse gas, methane, that could be even more 
damaging...
"Methane gets released from shallow waters in the Arctic... That cap is 
being removed as the permafrost melts, and the methane is being released."..
In the short-term, methane is a more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon 
dioxide…
Ice reflects about 80 percent of the radiation from the sun back into 
space. Dark water and dark tundra reflect only 10 percent of that 
radiation. ..
The polar ice cap also acts as a kind of "global air-conditioning 
system" that stabilizes temperatures  -  and that effect, too, is being 
lost...
While he paints a dire picture of Earth's future, Wadham also proposes 
bold, and, he believes, realistic technological solutions. Humanity must 
find geoengineering solutions, he insists, because "we can't depend on 
people's virtues for the solution of abstaining from emitting carbon 
dioxide."...
Wadhams describes two technological solutions he believes could work. 
One is called marine cloud brightening. In this scenario, a drone ship 
with very tall masts injects a carefully calculated size of tiny 
seawater droplets into the bottoms of clouds. This brightens the clouds 
and increases albedo (that is, the reflective capability of the clouds' 
surface), which could help hold back global warming...
"The [real technological] solution is to take carbon dioxide out of the 
atmosphere." ...
"CO2 removal is something that I think will work because it works 
already, but it just costs too much," Wadhams concludes. "But it will be 
made to be cheaper and when it's made to be cheaper, it can save us. So, 
I think we can save ourselves."
This article is based on an interview that aired on PRI's Living on 
Earth with Steve Curwood.
https://www.pri.org/stories/2017-11-18/melting-polar-ice-poses-serious-global-risk

*How to Spot Fake News. The Basics. 
<https://climatecrocks.com/2017/11/21/how-to-spot-fake-news-the-basics/>*
Survival tips for the attack on democracy. Worth circulating. 
International Federation of Library Associations: Critical thinking is a 
key skill in media and information literacy, and the mission of 
libraries is to educate and advocate its importance. Discussions about 
fake news has led to a new focus on media literacy more broadly, and the 
role […]
https://climatecrocks.com/2017/11/21/how-to-spot-fake-news-the-basics/
https://www.ifla.org/publications/node/11174
-
*The Future of Truth and Misinformation Online 
<http://www.pewinternet.org/2017/10/19/the-future-of-truth-and-misinformation-online/>*
Experts are evenly split on whether the coming decade will see a 
reduction in false and misleading narratives online. Those forecasting 
improvement place their hopes in technological fixes and in societal 
solutions. Others think the dark side of human nature is aided more than 
stifled by technology.
*Misinformation is not like a plumbing problem you fix. It is a social 
condition, like crime, that you must constantly monitor and adjust to.*
There are a lot of rich and unethical people, politicians, non-state 
actors and state actors who are strongly incentivized to get fake 
information out there to serve their selfish purposes.
This is a wake-up call to the news industry, policy makers and 
journalists to refine the system of news production.
The future will attach credibility to the source of any information. The 
more a given source is attributed to 'fake news,' the lower it will sit 
in the credibility tree.
We can't machine-learn our way out of this disaster, which is actually a 
perfect storm of poor civics knowledge and poor information literacy
Information is only as reliable as the people who are receiving it.
Overview

  * *Theme 1: The information environment will not improve: The problem
    is human nature
    <http://www.pewinternet.org/2017/10/19/the-future-of-truth-and-misinformation-online/?utm_source=Pew+Research+Center&utm_campaign=9c71aa8d4f-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_11_15_INTERNET&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3e953b9b70-9c71aa8d4f-399506473#theme-1-the-information-environment-will-not-improve-the-problem-is-human-nature>*
  * *Theme 2: The information environment will not improve because
    technology will create new challenges that can't or won't be
    countered effectively and at scale
    <http://www.pewinternet.org/2017/10/19/the-future-of-truth-and-misinformation-online/?utm_source=Pew+Research+Center&utm_campaign=9c71aa8d4f-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_11_15_INTERNET&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3e953b9b70-9c71aa8d4f-399506473#theme-2-the-information-environment-will-not-improve-because-technology-will-create-new-challenges-that-cant-or-wont-be-countered-effectively-and-at-scale>*
  * *Theme 3: The information environment will improve because
    technology will help label, filter or ban misinformation and thus
    upgrade the public's ability to judge the quality and veracity of
    content
    <http://www.pewinternet.org/2017/10/19/the-future-of-truth-and-misinformation-online/?utm_source=Pew+Research+Center&utm_campaign=9c71aa8d4f-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_11_15_INTERNET&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3e953b9b70-9c71aa8d4f-399506473#theme-3-the-information-environment-will-improve-because-technology-will-help-label-filter-or-ban-misinformation-and-thus-upgrade-the-publics-ability-to-judge-the-quality-and-veracity-of-co>*
  * *Theme 4: The information environment will improve, because people
    will adjust and make things better
    <http://www.pewinternet.org/2017/10/19/the-future-of-truth-and-misinformation-online/?utm_source=Pew+Research+Center&utm_campaign=9c71aa8d4f-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_11_15_INTERNET&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3e953b9b70-9c71aa8d4f-399506473#theme-4-the-information-environment-will-improve-because-people-will-adjust-and-make-things-better>*
  * *Theme 5: Tech can't win the battle. The public must fund and
    support the production of objective, accurate information. It must
    also elevate information literacy to be a primary goal of education
    <http://www.pewinternet.org/2017/10/19/the-future-of-truth-and-misinformation-online/?utm_source=Pew+Research+Center&utm_campaign=9c71aa8d4f-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_11_15_INTERNET&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3e953b9b70-9c71aa8d4f-399506473#theme-5-tech-cant-win-the-battle-the-public-must-fund-and-support-the-production-of-objective-accurate-information-it-must-also-elevate-information-literacy-to-be-a-primary-goal-of-educat>*
  * *Responses from additional key experts regarding the future of the
    information environment
    <http://www.pewinternet.org/2017/10/19/the-future-of-truth-and-misinformation-online/?utm_source=Pew+Research+Center&utm_campaign=9c71aa8d4f-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_11_15_INTERNET&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3e953b9b70-9c71aa8d4f-399506473#responses-from-additional-key-experts-regarding-the-future-of-the-information-environment>*

http://www.pewinternet.org/2017/10/19/the-future-of-truth-and-misinformation-online/
-
*America is facing an epistemic crisis 
<https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/11/2/16588964/america-epistemic-crisis>**
*What if Mueller proves his case and it doesn't matter?
Updated by David Roberts at drvoxdavid@vox.com Nov 2, 2017, 8:40am EDT
The US is undergoing an epistemic breach
Epistemology is the branch of philosophy having to do with how we know 
things and what it means for something to be true or false, accurate or 
inaccurate. (Episteme... is ancient Greek for 
knowledge/science/understanding.)
The US is experiencing a deep epistemic breach, a split not just in what 
we value or want, but in who we trust, how we come to know things, and 
what we believe we know  -  what we believe exists, is true, has 
happened and is happening.
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/11/2/16588964/america-epistemic-crisis

*(video) Kerry Emanuel: 2017 Hurricanes a taste of Future 
<https://youtu.be/wWP-Sc8DYh4>*
Climate scientist Kerry Emanuel describes physics behind expected 
increase in storm strength due to climate change. 
http://news.mit.edu/2017/kerry-emanuel-hurricanes-are-taste-future-0921
In a detailed talk about the history and the underlying physics of 
hurricanes and tropical cyclones, MIT Professor Kerry Emanuel yesterday 
explained why climate change will cause such storms to become much 
stronger and reach peak intensity further north, heightening their 
potential impacts on human lives in coming years.
"Climate change, if unimpeded, will greatly increase the probability of 
extreme events," such as the three record-breaking hurricanes of recent 
weeks, he said.
https://youtu.be/wWP-Sc8DYh4

*Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker Is a Climate Criminal - And I'm 
Willing to Go to Jail to Say So 
<https://www.thenation.com/article/massachusetts-governor-charlie-baker-is-a-climate-criminal-and-im-willing-to-go-to-jail-to-say-so/>**
*A big part of what makes nonviolent civil disobedience powerful is the 
willingness of those engaging in it to suffer the consequences.
By Wen Stephenson
"As his Nation colleague, I'm taking the liberty of sharing Wen's 
bracing tonic for all climate hawks in this challenging moment - about 
why going to jail matters"
A big part of what has made nonviolent civil disobedience powerful, 
historically, is the willingness of those engaging in the action to 
suffer the consequences - indeed, the very willingness to suffer at all, 
moved by conscience, for a principle or a principled cause. When 
protesters accept a deal offered by state law enforcement to take an 
easier way out of the situation - a way that not only spares themselves 
the inconvenience and hardship of a few hours in jail but also spares 
the state authorities the inconvenience and possible negative publicity 
of handcuffing ministers and grandparents - we fail to exercise our full 
power, the power of principled action.
https://www.thenation.com/article/massachusetts-governor-charlie-baker-is-a-climate-criminal-and-im-willing-to-go-to-jail-to-say-so/

*THE CLIMATE CRISIS? IT'S CAPITALISM, STUPID!  (NY Times)* 
<http://www.joboneforhumanity.org/the_climate_crisis_it_s_capitalism_stupidhttp://www.joboneforhumanity.org/the_climate_crisis_it_s_capitalism_stupid>
The real culprit of the climate crisis is not any particular form of 
consumption, production or regulation but rather the very way in which 
we globally produce, which is for profit rather than for sustainability...
  So long as this order is in place, the crisis will continue and, given 
its progressive nature, worsen. This is a hard fact to confront. But 
averting our eyes from a seemingly intractable problem does not make it 
any less a problem. It should be stated plainly: It's capitalism that is 
at fault.
As an increasing number of environmental groups are emphasizing, it's 
systemic change or bust. From a political standpoint, something 
interesting has occurred here: *Climate change has made anticapitalist 
struggle, for the first time in history, a non-class-based issue...*
The claim here is not that unintelligent people do not do unintelligent 
things, but rather that the overwhelming unintelligence involved in 
keeping the engines of production roaring when they are making the 
planet increasingly uninhabitable cannot be pinned on specific people. 
It is the system as a whole that is at issue, and every time we pick out 
bumbling morons to lament or fresh-faced geniuses to praise is a missed 
opportunity to see plainly the necessity of structural change.
But the burden of justification should not fall on the shoulders of 
those putting forward an alternative. For anyone who has really thought 
about the climate crisis, it is capitalism, and not its transcendence, 
that is in need of justification. And don't be surprised, or fooled, 
when its defenders point to the tireless work of intelligent people...
http://www.joboneforhumanity.org/the_climate_crisis_it_s_capitalism_stupid
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/20/opinion/climate-capitalism-crisis.html?_r=0

*Sharknado 5: Global Swarming (TV Movie 2017) - IMDb 
<www.imdb.com/title/tt6298780/>*
Comedy · With much of America lying in ruins, the rest of the world 
braces for a global sharknado, Fin and his family must travel around the 
world to stop them.
www.imdb.com/title/tt6298780/
-
*(video) Sharknado 5: Global Swarming Trailer #1 (2017) 
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAuIXCDd2Fw>*
Movieclips Trailers ...Video for Sharknado 5: Global Swarming
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAuIXCDd2Fw
Jul 27, 2017 - Uploaded by Movieclips Trailers
Sharknado 5: Global Swarming Trailer #1 (2017): Check out the new 
trailer starring Tara Reid, Dolph ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZmjq7l5aP4&list=RDH1CsdePN14Y&index=3

*This Day in Climate History November 22, 2009 
<http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/11/18/climate.change.women/>  -  
from D.R. Tucker*
November 22, 2009:
CNN reports on the disproportionate toll climate change takes on women.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/11/18/climate.change.women/

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