[TheClimate.Vote] October 9, 2017 - Daily Global Warming News

[Richard Pauli]

/October 9, 2017/

*The psychological toll of natural disasters - and how mainland Puerto 
Ricans are coping 
<http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/psychological-toll-natural-disasters-mainland-puerto-ricans/>*
...after Hurricane Katrina, psychologists at the American Psychological 
Association found that nearly half of survivors developed anxiety, 
depression or another mood disorder, and rates doubled for suicide and 
suicidal thoughts. The association's report, released in March, also 
said that one in six met the diagnostic criteria for Post-Traumatic 
Stress Disorder.
Psychologists have since recognized the need for immediate mental health 
aid after natural disasters. The Texas Psychological Association, for 
example, has set up a network of more than 100 psychologists who are 
volunteering their time to help people cope with the aftermath of 
Hurricane Harvey.
...reassurance, support and spending time with loved ones are all part 
of an approach to disaster response called psychological first aid.
"Another thing is that sometimes people can be helped by a mild 
sedative, because you feel a lot better if you can sleep," North said.
"One night I was talking to my friends and was asking, 'Does anyone have 
like a Valium?'" she said, laughing. "One of them told me to just take a 
Benadryl, that's a poor man's Valium."
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/psychological-toll-natural-disasters-mainland-puerto-ricans/
*

Interior Department rejects 25 endangered species petitions, including 
several linked to climate change 
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/10/05/interior-department-rejects-25-endangered-species-petitions-including-several-linked-to-climate-change/>*
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/10/05/interior-department-rejects-25-endangered-species-petitions-including-several-linked-to-climate-change/*
-
Interior Department whistleblower resigns after reassignment from 
climate change duties 
<http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/05/politics/interior-whistleblower-resigns/index.html>*
http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/05/politics/interior-whistleblower-resigns/index.html


*UNB lecture questions impact of President Trump on climate change 
skepticism 
<http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/donald-trump-climate-change-unb-lecture-1.4317626>*
Could Donald Trump, a vocal skeptic of climate change, actually be 
helping the fight against it?
One expert on the subject thinks so, but certainly not because of his 
policies.
George Marshall, an internationally renowned researcher on climate 
change communications, is in Fredericton this week to deliver a public 
lecture entitled "Is Donald Trump Good for Climate Change?" at the 
University of New Brunswick.
Because the world is so fixated on the controversial U.S. president's 
actions, his statements on climate change have actually helped draw more 
attention to issue, Marshall explained....
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/donald-trump-climate-change-unb-lecture-1.4317626


*Suing oil companies to pay for climate change? 
<http://thebulletin.org/suing-oil-companies-pay-climate-change11168>*
...Testing public trust. Meanwhile, another ongoing lawsuit is taking a 
notably different tack. In this case- Juliana vs US- initially filed in 
2015, a group of children acting as trustees for future generations (in 
conjunction with a youth activist group and climate scientist James 
Hanson) have sued the United States government and a variety of federal 
agencies, alleging that they have failed to regulate carbon dioxide 
emissions from major sources such as power plants and vehicles over the 
past 50 years, despite knowing about the threat posed by climate change. 
The plaintiffs claim that the government has violated their 
constitutional right to a sustainable climate system, a right they say 
is grounded in the constitutional right to life and liberty. These 
plaintiffs also allege that the government has violated the so-called 
"public trust doctrine"- an ancient principle originating in Roman law 
that a sovereign government must hold common natural resources in trust 
and must preserve them for future generations. To redress the situation, 
these plaintiffs seek a court order to require the government to 
implement an enforceable national plan to phase out fossil fuel 
emissions to stabilize the climate system....
Most legal observers viewed this case as a long shot. But in 2016, a 
surprisingly forceful ruling in federal district court held that the 
plaintiffs do have legal standing to bring the case, and that there may 
well be a constitutional right to a stable climate system. Furthermore, 
the court ruled that the public doctrine does potentially require the 
government to act as a responsible steward of the oceans, if not the 
earth's atmosphere, and that the judicial branch does not have to sit on 
the sidelines in deference to the legislative and executive branches...
As the latest research shows, the field of climate attribution science 
is advancing rapidly and scientists are increasingly able to quantify 
climate damages from particular sources. A debate certainly looms over 
the scientific techniques used and the accuracy of these findings, not 
to mention their viability in court. Still, such research is undeniably 
sparking a long-overdue public conversation- in the courts, and in some 
policy circles- about the legal responsibility of fossil fuel companies 
for the climate damages caused by emissions from their products.
http://thebulletin.org/suing-oil-companies-pay-climate-change11168

**
**Build psychological capital now for strong society 
<http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/build-psychological-capital-now-for-strong-society>*
*Psychological capital enables individuals and groups to function 
effectively; to pursue aspirations and also handle shocks, failures and 
disappointments....To function effectively, solve problems and achieve 
aspirations, we need adequate psychological capital.
http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/build-psychological-capital-now-for-strong-society*


5 links between erupting volcanoes and climate change 
<https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060062893>*
The relationship between volcanoes and their effect on climate change 
has long been debated, but the two have some close links.
Two volcanoes threatening to erupt have prompted the evacuation of more 
than 160,000 people. In Bali, Indonesia, about 150,000 residents have 
fled from the vicinity of Mount Agung, which killed more than 1,000 
people when it last exploded 50 years ago. And in the Pacific nation of 
Vanuatu, everyone on the island of Ambae was evacuated after a volcano 
spit lava, ash and fire from its mouth in recent weeks. Evacuees 
numbered more than 11,000 people.
There are many myths about volcanoes and rising temperatures. One of the 
most persistent is a false claim that the ash disgorged by erupting 
mountains is the primary driver of current climate change. That said, 
there is a relationship between volcanoes and the changing environment. 
Evidence exists that rapid climate change has led to volcanic eruptions 
in the past and, conversely, that past eruptions have driven climate change.
*In the Earth's history, there are plenty of links between climate 
change and volcanoes*
Of course, human activity is not affecting the eruption of these 
volcanoes.  Still, rapid climate change has been linked to volcanic 
activity in some areas of the globe. A study published in September in 
the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that glacial 
retreat in Antarctica 17,700 years ago was connected to a series of 
volcanic eruptions over a 200-year period.
Ice and ocean water create pressure on the Earth's crust, capable of 
containing magma. If a glacier retreats in a relatively quick period of 
time, the magma is more likely to push toward the Earth's surface...
"After big glaciers melt, we see more volcanoes erupt, so not only do 
volcanoes affect climate, but climate also affects volcanism," he said.*
**Volcanoes contribute to long-term global warming and short-term global 
cooling*
For major eruptions, such as that of Mount Pinatubo in 1991, the cooling 
effects can last for years. That eruption lowered global temperatures 
for three years, by as much as 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit at its peak.
No, volcanic eruptions will not save us from human-caused global 
warming. Their cooling effect is temporary. And as they cool the Earth, 
they belch out significant amounts of greenhouse gases.*
**Volcanoes have driven dramatic but short-term changes to the climate 
in the past*
Ancient super-eruptions have affected modern humans. For instance, 
researchers have examined an eruption that occurred 37,000 years ago 
that caused changes near Naples, Italy. It might have helped kill off 
Neanderthals.
Still, volcanoes cause temporary changes that are eventually brought 
into balance by the atmosphere.
"We're changing our climate because we're changing the amount of carbon 
dioxide, and that's not something that recovers on short time scales, 
whereas the cooling effects of volcanoes, it's sulfur dioxide that gets 
into the stratosphere, and it rains out eventually over time, so those 
effects dissipate very quickly."*
**Climate change models should not ignore volcanoes*
To accurately forecast how climate change will transform the planet, 
researchers must account for temporary periods of cooling that come from 
volcanoes, according to Hawkins.
"Including some eruptions makes the changes in global temperature more 
variable, but as the effects of eruptions are only temporary they will 
not counteract the warming from greenhouse gases over the next century," 
he wrote in an email.
Hawkins and his colleagues have been careful to point out in their 
research that volcanic eruptions will not counteract climate change.
*Skeptics who claim that volcanoes are a significant driver of global 
warming are wrong*
Volcanoes are equivalent to less than 1 percent of the carbon dioxide 
released by humans, according to USGS.
One of the most frequent questions fielded by USGS's Terrence Gerlach is 
whether volcanoes emit more carbon dioxide than humans. "Research 
findings indicate unequivocally that the answer to this question is 'No' 
-  anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions dwarf global volcanic carbon 
dioxide emissions," he said in a statement.
For comparison, the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980 sent 10 million 
tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in just nine hours, according 
to USGS. Humans release about the same amount of CO2 in 2 ½ hours, 
according to the federal agency.
https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060062893


*Rebuilding After the Hurricanes: These Solar Homes Use Almost No Energy 
<https://insideclimatenews.org/news/02102017/hurricane-rebuilding-net-zero-energy-solar-construction-florida-keys-virgin-islands>*
Builders of prefabricated, zero-energy homes built for storm resilience 
have seen a spike in calls, particularly from the Florida Keys and 
Virgin Islands.
BY LYNDSEY GILPIN, INSIDECLIMATE NEWS
In the Asheville, North Carolina, offices of Deltec Homes- one of 
several builders of prefabricated, energy efficient houses- the phones 
have been ringing insistently with questions about the 
hurricane-resistant, net-zero-energy homes the company manufactures and 
ships around the world. The homes are designed to reduce energy loss and 
are built ready for solar panels to allow customers to go off-grid and 
still power up when the grid goes down in a storm.
The company has seen a rise in interest in the past month, from the 
Virgin Islands and the Florida Keys in particular, company President 
Steve Linton said. "It's an insane jump," he said.
Nearly a decade ago, net-zero-energy homes were rare, usually 
custom-built for wealthy homeowners who wanted to incorporate energy 
efficient appliances and rooftop solar panels. Now, that's starting to 
shift: within the last year, the zero-energy home market has grown 33 
percent, said Shilpa Sankaran, executive director of the Net-Zero Energy 
Coalition.
"That's a tiny fraction of new home construction, but in terms of 
growth, we're seeing the kind of numbers solar saw in its early days in 
2011 and 2012," she said.
For that market to really take off, net-zero homes have to become 
cheaper- particularly in low-income communities, which are 
disproportionately affected by extreme weather. That's a challenge 
companies like Deltec are trying to meet by designing modular, 
prefabricated, net-zero homes that reduce energy usage, cut costs and 
can withstand extreme weather and power outages.
"Nobody wants to see a repeat of damage that's been done [by Hurricanes 
Harvey, Irma and Maria], and scientists said certainly it was worse 
because of climate change," Sankaran said. "If that's the case, not only 
do we need buildings that won't exacerbate the problem, but also ones 
that last longer."...
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/02102017/hurricane-rebuilding-net-zero-energy-solar-construction-florida-keys-virgin-islands


*Twins of the Apocalypse: What Hiroshima and the Climate Threat Have in 
Common [Excerpt] 
<https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/twins-of-the-apocalypse-what-hiroshima-and-the-climate-threat-have-in-common-excerpt/>*
The psychiatrist who chronicled the effects of nuclear war, terrorism 
and genocide explores the psychological impact of a warming planet
By Robert Jay Lifton on October 6, 2017
 From my interviews in Hiroshima I learned of rumors that circulated 
immediately after the atomic bomb struck, rumors that revealed 
survivors' anxious sense of the vulnerability of their habitat. The most 
persistent of these rumors, and for many the most disturbing, was that 
trees, grass, and flowers would never again grow in Hiroshima.
There was also the sense among survivors that the bomb had so altered 
the natural world that the Americans were capable of further altering it 
in any imaginable way.
"The state may collapse, but the mountains and rivers remain."...We 
learned that, whatever our destructive power, mountains and rivers may 
indeed remain.
What may not remain, however, are precisely the elements of nature 
necessary to human life: an atmosphere surrounding the earth that is not 
overheated, and oceans that are not rendered acidic and dangerous to the 
land around them. In other words, it is precisely the human habitat, and 
that of other plant and animal species- just a small part of nature -  
that is threatened.
...realm of bioethics, gave powerful expression to what I have come to 
call an animating relation to guilt. What I mean by that is the 
converting of self-condemnation into the anxiety of responsibility. That 
in turn can result in considerable achievement.
Rather than a theoretical projection of a possible future, I came to see 
global warming as a source of ever-increasing human suffering.
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/twins-of-the-apocalypse-what-hiroshima-and-the-climate-threat-have-in-common-excerpt/


*(humor archive video) 11/15/14 Climate Change  Lewis Black - San 
Antonio <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYwSGiowEzs>*
Lew takes a couple of questions from the San Antonio audience about 
climate change.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYwSGiowEzs


<http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/74250-1>*This Day in Climate History 
October 9, 1996 <http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/74250-1> -  from 
D.R. Tucker*
October 9, 1996: Vice President Al Gore and former Representative Jack
Kemp discuss the environment in the Vice Presidential debate, with
Kemp bizarrely accusing Gore of promoting "fear of the climate" and
embracing an "anti-capitalistic mentality," while Gore defends the
Clinton administration's first-term environmental accomplishments.
http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/74250-1 (60:13--70:50)

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