[TheClimate.Vote] October 24, 2017 - Daily Global Warming News
Richard Pauli
richard at theclimate.vote
Tue Oct 24 10:10:11 EDT 2017
/October 24, 2017/
*Nicaragua Will Join Paris Climate Pact, Leaving US, Syria Isolated
<https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2017-10-23/nicaragua-will-join-paris-climate-pact-leaving-us-syria-isolated>*
(Reuters) - Nicaragua is set to join the Paris climate agreement,
according to an official statement and comments from Vice President
Rosario Murillo on Monday, in a move that leaves the United States and
Syria as the only nations outside the global pact.
Nicaragua has already presented the relevant documents at the United
Nations, Murillo, who is also first lady, said on local radio on Monday.
"It is the only instrument we have in the world that allows the unity of
intentions and efforts to face up to climate change and natural
disasters," Murillo said.
U.S. President Donald Trump said in June he would withdraw the United
States from the accord, and Nicaragua's decision to enter the pact means
only two countries will now be outside it - the world's No. 1 economy
and war-torn Syria.
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2017-10-23/nicaragua-will-join-paris-climate-pact-leaving-us-syria-isolated
*Ocean acidification is deadly threat to marine life, finds eight-year
study
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/oct/23/ocean-acidification-deadly-threat-to-marine-life-finds-eight-year-study>*
Plastic pollution, overfishing, global warming and increased
acidification from burning fossil fuels means oceans are increasingly
hostile to marine life
Ocean acidification is progressing rapidly around the world, new
research has found, and its combination with the other threats to marine
life is proving deadly. Many organisms that could withstand a certain
amount of acidification are at risk of losing this adaptive ability
owing to pollution from plastics, and the extra stress from global warming.
The conclusions come from an eight-year study into the effects of ocean
acidification which found our increasingly acid seas – a byproduct of
burning fossil fuels – are becoming more hostile to vital marine life.
Ocean acidification is another effect of pouring carbon dioxide into the
atmosphere, as the gas dissolves in seawater to produce weak carbonic
acid. Since the industrial revolution, the average pH of the ocean has
been found to have fallen from 8.2 to 8.1, which may seem small but
corresponds to an increase in acidity of about 26%. Measures to reduce
the amount of carbon dioxide reaching the atmosphere can help to slow
down this process, but only measures that actively remove carbon already
in the atmosphere will halt it, because of the huge stock of carbon
already in the air from the burning of fossil fuels.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/oct/23/ocean-acidification-deadly-threat-to-marine-life-finds-eight-year-study
- see also
*BIOACID Biological Impacts Of Ocean Acidification
<http://www.bioacid.de/?idart=895&changelang=22>*
Research on ocean acidification has seen a remarkable development over
the past decade and has become one of the fastest growing fields of
research in marine sciences. Today it is among the top three global
ocean research priorities.
As one of the largest national research programmes on ocean
acidification, BIOACID has contributed to quantifying the effects of
ocean acidification on marine organisms and their habitats, unravelling
the mechanisms underlying the observed responses, assessing the
potential for evolutionary adaptation, and determining how these
responses are modulated by other environmental drivers.
http://www.bioacid.de/ <http://www.bioacid.de/?idart=895&changelang=22>
*Study: Global warming raises threat of red tide off Hokkaido
<http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201710230010.html>*
By TATSUYUKI KOBORI/ Staff Writer
Phytoplankton are surviving and thriving in warmer-than-usual waters
around Hokkaido, raising concerns that red tide could harm the marine
ecosystem and fisheries of Japan's northernmost main island, a survey
showed.
Using a research vessel, the team surveyed waters off Nagasaki
Prefecture, the Sea of Japan and Hakodate Bay in Hokkaido by pumping
seawater up from a depth of 4 meters once every three hours.
They checked samples from 66 locations for plankton and other creatures
that normally live in warm seas.
The results showed an abundance of nutrient-depleting phytoplankton
species that can cause red tide, including a plantlike flagellate known
as Dictyocha messanensis, were found in Hakodate Bay and waters off
Akita Prefecture or farther north.
The average water temperature on the surface of Hakodate Bay for the
July-September period increased by about 0.1 degree annually between
2004 and 2015, according to data of the U.S. National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.
The temperature rise likely allows plankton carried by ocean currents
from southern areas to survive in waters near Hokkaido, according to the
scientists.
When they show up in large numbers, the microscopic organisms deplete
nutrients in the water and can cause red tide.
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201710230010.html
*Japan, G7 and Climate Change and Fragility in the Asia-Pacific Region
Joint disaster drill
<https://climateandsecurity.org/2017/10/23/japan-g7-and-climate-change-and-fragility-in-the-asia-pacific-region/>*
By Shiloh Fetzek and Heather Messera
The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) released a regional
study in September on climate-related disaster vulnerability and
socioeconomic and fragility risks in Asia-Pacific, articulating their
view of climate change as one of the greatest threats to global security
and economic prosperity.
The report,'Analysis and Proposal of Foreign Policies Regarding the
Impact of Climate Change on Fragility in the Asia-Pacific Region – With
focus on natural disasters in the Region
<http://www.mofa.go.jp/files/000287344.pdf>', is the product of a
roundtable seminar, that included participation by the Center for
Climate and Security's (CCS) Shiloh Fetzek, and follow-up meetings
hosted by Japan in connection with theG7 Working Group on Climate Change
and Fragility <http://www.mofa.go.jp/ic/ch/page25e_000149.html>.
It details ways in which migration in the context of climate change can
exacerbate these challenges in Asia-Pacific, from brain drain to
inadequate infrastructure in destination communities.
The report's findings echo CCS's recent report "Epicenters of Climate
and Security: The New Geostrategic Landscape of the Anthropocene
<https://climateandsecurity.org/epicenters/>," which include a number of
cast studies Asia-Pacific region, and explore the need to enhance tools
and practices for managing systemic risks. The findings also add an
additional layer of substance to considerations of the intersection of
climate-human security risks and more geostrategic considerations in the
region, as covered in CCS's "The U.S. Asia-Pacific Rebalance, National
Security and Climate Change
<https://climateandsecurity.org/asiapacificrebalance/>."
One of the goals of the report is to share risk evaluation methodology,
so that it can be applied to areas and studies which focus on regions
outside of the Asia-Pacific. The report also concludes that there is a
need for more extensive scenario building and greater modeling
(including qualitative analysis) for better prediction of potential
future political, economic and social fluctuations or instability factors.
https://climateandsecurity.org/2017/10/23/japan-g7-and-climate-change-and-fragility-in-the-asia-pacific-region/
*Facing Public Outcry, New Mexico Restores Evolution and Global Warming
to Science Standards
<http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/10/new-mexico-reversal-science-education-standards-climate-change/>*
Students will learn the age of the Earth, too. ANDY KROLLOCT.
New Mexico's public education agency announced late Tuesday that it
would restore references to evolution, global warming, and the age of
the Earth that had been stripped out of the state's proposed science
education standards. The reversal comes after an outcry by teachers,
scientists, students, and others-the culmination of which was a day-long
public hearing on Monday in which scores of people spoke out against the
draft standards.
"Similar to the process in other states, our goal in holding a public
hearing is to ensure all those who wanted to discuss these proposed
standards would be heard," Christopher Ruszkowski, New Mexico's
secretary of education, said in a Tuesday statement. "We have listened
to the thoughtful input received and will incorporate many of the
suggestions into the New Mexico Standards."...
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/10/new-mexico-reversal-science-education-standards-climate-change/
*(video) Going to Extremes: The future of weather in the Pacific
Northwest <https://youtu.be/vsYQ-_xe9eM>*
Going to Extremes: The future of weather in the Pacific Northwest. How
is climate change impacting weather in our region? Will floods and
droughts be the new normal? And how will people and wildlife cope? This
Climate Science on Tap will examine the relationship between extreme
weather events and our changing climate. Three scientists (Joshua Lawler
[School of Environmental and Forest Sciences], James Rufo-Hill [Seattle
Public Utilities], and Rachel White [UW Department of Atmospheric
Sciences]) share the data and their perspectives in riveting
presentations and a lively panel discussion of the issue and the impacts
to the people and creatures that call the PNW home.
Recorded 10/16/17
https://youtu.be/vsYQ-_xe9eM
*
US ocean observation critical to understanding climate change, but lacks
long-term national planning
<https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/10/171020125758.htm>
*National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Summary: Ocean observing systems are important as they provide
information essential for monitoring and forecasting changes in Earth's
climate on timescales ranging from days to centuries. A new report finds
that continuity of ocean observations is vital to gain an accurate
understanding of the climate, and calls for a decadal, national plan
that is adequately resourced and implemented to ensure critical ocean
information is available to understand and predict future changes.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/10/171020125758.htm*
**Trump's pick for environmental job once called belief in global
warming 'paganism'
<http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/356281-trumps-pick-for-environmental-official-once-called-belief-in-global>*
"There's a real dark side of the kind of paganism - the secular elites'
religion now being, evidently, global warming," Hartnett White said on
the show.
Hartnett White is a fellow for energy and environment issues at the
Texas Public Policy Foundation. She was nominated last week to serve as
a member, and eventually chairwoman, of the Council on Environmental
Quality, the administration's environmental policy board.
The Trump nominee has a history of criticizing climate change policy
<http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/355281-trump-taps-climate-skeptic-to-lead-white-house-environment-office>and
has refuted evidence that carbon dioxide is a pollutant, saying it
"makes life possible on the earth and naturally fertilizes plant growth."
"Global warming alarmists are misleading the public about carbon dioxide
emissions," she said.
Hartnett White also slammed President Obama's environmental initiatives,
calling them a "deluded and illegitimate battle against climate change"
in anop-ed for The Hill
<http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/energy-environment/290840-barack-obamas-deluded-and-illegitimate-battle-against>last
year.
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/356281-trumps-pick-for-environmental-official-once-called-belief-in-global
*
*
**CHRISTIAN LEADERS DEMAND IMPLEMENTATION OF PARIS AGREEMENT AHEAD OF
CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE...
<http://www.joboneforhumanity.org/christian_leaders_demand_implementation_of_paris_agreement_ahead_of_climate_change_conference>*
*Christian leaders from various countries have signed a letter demanding
action on the Parish Agreement in 2015 as the next phase of the United
Nations Climate Change Conference (COP23) in Bonn, Germany, draws nearer...
Renew Our World, a partnership of several Christian groups, coordinated
the letter signed by five Anglican archbishops and several other
Christian leaders which called on governments to make good on the
promises they released during the Paris Climate Change talks. The
partnership said world leaders need to take action on the issue during
the COP23 next month or else it will be too late, the Anglican News
detailed.
The letter read in part: "As Christians across the globe we are calling
for action on climate change. The changing climate is causing great
damage to people and planet right now, and we are particularly concerned
about hunger and poverty hitting the most vulnerable communities, who
did least to cause it."
http://www.joboneforhumanity.org/christian_leaders_demand_implementation_of_paris_agreement_ahead_of_climate_change_conference*
-
**CLERGY and CLIMATE
<http://www.cdapress.com/local_news/20171022/clergy_and_climate>*
The four men present at the event and a fifth, more conservative
spiritual leader managed to find agreement on just two notions: The
world appears to be getting warmer, and common sense in everyday life
suggests that recycling and other "green" habits are good for everyone.
"I grew up on a farm just south of here," Bell said, "and truthfully, we
never thought about things like that. I know now that we were privileged
to be people of the land.
"It says in the Bible that the Earth is to be subdued to serve our
needs, and we took that literally - just throwing away buckets full of
toxic chemicals that later got into our water. We had no idea or
awareness of the results.
"It was only when I got to Whitworth (University) that I was exposed to
Franciscans and the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi that I began to
understand: We are not to subdue the Earth, but become stewards of it."
Bell admitted that most Protestant congregations are late-comers to the
idea of climate change, and its potentially catastrophic results.
But he also offered some hope on behalf of his theological brethren.
"Religious communities historically have usually come to these things
later than most," he said, "but once on board, we can be very effective.
"Around the early 1990s, the church began taking significant stands on
the environment. We must engage in changing minds, because we've not
always approached care of the Earth properly - or the universe, for that
matter."
PAUL'S POINT OF VIEW
Pastor Van Noy espoused a different view from any of the panelists,
while still maintaining both an overall care of the planet and the need
to behave correctly on an everyday basis.
"The Bible says, 'God will destroy those who destroy the Earth,'" Van
Noy said in a Press interview Friday. "So, yes, I agree that we are
meant to be stewards in this life."
However, Van Noy stuck with a more evangelical approach to the reasons
why man's actions can impact the planet and its future.
"When nature rebels," he said, "it is because of the sins of man. Nature
is suffering, because our spiritual climate is our natural climate."
Despite the potentially dire consequences of ignoring climate change and
thus seeing the Earth put into mortal danger, all five of these
religious men seemed to share an optimism about the future.
Perhaps, as more than one suggested, that feeling is reflection of faith
itself.
Forsgren possibly put it best: "Martin Luther once said that if he knew
tomorrow would be the end of the world, he would plant an apple tree today."
http://www.cdapress.com/local_news/20171022/clergy_and_climate
ClimateNexus.org
*Solar Costs Set to Fall Further: *
<http://climatenexus.org/climate-change-news/>The
already-plummeting costs of installing solar power could fall an
additional 60 percent over the next decade, the head of the
International Renewable Energy Association said Monday. IRENA director
general Adnan Amin told Reuters that the organization expects an
additional 80 to 90 GW of solar capacity will be added worldwide each
year for the next five to six years, and that improvements in
technology, including batteries, will help drive down costs. Earlier
this month, a new solar project in Saudi Arabia set a record for the
lowest bid prices ever recorded for solar energy at 1.79 cents/kWh. A
report from the International Energy Organization earlier this month
hailed a "new era" for solar, naming it the fastest-growing source of
new energy in 2016. (Irena: Reuters
<https://climatenexus.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=304880e17a&e=95b355344d>,
PV Magazine
<https://climatenexus.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=63c60b0482&e=95b355344d>.
Saudi Arabia: Bloomberg
<https://climatenexus.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=70537d5c6c&e=95b355344d>.
IEA: Reuters
<https://climatenexus.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=696c774d50&e=95b355344d>,
CNBC
<https://climatenexus.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=7977c95d3a&e=95b355344d>,
The Guardian
<https://climatenexus.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=19caacbde9&e=95b355344d>,
Bloomberg
<https://climatenexus.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=2701a4dfcb&e=95b355344d>,
Mashable
<https://climatenexus.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=70f05da5a4&e=95b355344d>.
Commentary: ThinkProgress, Joe Romm column
<https://climatenexus.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=666b73c258&e=95b355344d>)
http://climatenexus.org/climate-change-news/
*Bill Nye on his climate change education efforts: "I am a failure"
<https://www.salon.com/2017/10/23/bill-nye-on-his-climate-change-education-efforts-i-am-a-failure/>*
"The Science Guy" looks back on his 1990s TV show, and why climate
change education has not reflected policy change
"I am a failure!" Nye exclaimed when reflecting back on the shows he
created over two decades ago about the Earth's warming.
Nye blamed the fossil fuel industry for creating the schism between
climate deniers and believers, saying "they have worked so hard to
introduce doubt." He went on to say that he believed climate change was
discovered in the 1970s, "and we've done virtually nothing about it all
this time."
This is partially because climate change has become a highly politicized
and polarizing topic in America: Republicans tend to deny the issue even
exists, while Democrats generally see it as a legitimate concern. Yet
like most science, it is not something that you "believe" in, but
rather, a tested observation based on overwhelming empirical evidence.
Nye implored the public to take a stand against climate deniers.
"What I tell everybody is vote," Nye told Salon. "We don't want
everybody to be a scientist; that would be unwieldy. We need accountants
and artists, filmmakers, journalists - but we want everybody to
appreciate science," and appreciate "the value of science to your
everyday life, to the economy of whatever country you live in and to the
future of humankind as we face the biggest challenge so far," he continued.
Visit billnyefilm.com to learn about where you can see the new
documentary "Bill Nye: Science Guy."
Watch the full "Salon Talks" conversation with Nye on Facebook to hear
him discuss why he thinks his lessons on climate change failed to
convince the public. Also video
https://www.salon.com/2017/10/23/bill-nye-on-his-climate-change-education-efforts-i-am-a-failure/
*(rant/opinion) | Confessions of a Climate Change Denier
<http://cornellsun.com/2017/10/23/gorokh-sherman-confessions-of-a-climate-change-denier/>*
By Artur Gorokh & Ryan Sherman
It was in southern Utah in 2003 that Aron Ralston amputated his own arm
to escape the boulder that had crushed him against the wall of a slot
canyon. The only implement on hand was a small multi-tool, and in vain
he poked, jabbed and sawed at his arm, and hacked at the canyon wall and
dug at the boulder. Five days later, delirious and severely dehydrated,
he finally realized it had been his preoccupation with the useless tool
all along that prevented him from seeing what had to be done....
...The information isn't hidden, yet no one takes much notice. The
reality is that, if we are to replace coal and do it fast (say, by
2050), sunshine alone won't do the job. It won't even come close. An
invasive energy plan, full of government overreach and deals struck with
devils should be forthcoming. We might have to get over our nuclear
phobia and invest into a new generation of reactors. Natural gas is not
renewable nor all that clean, and fracking is controversial, but it
makes for a cheap and abundant resource that could be decisive in
temporarily replacing coal. Carbon tax very well may hurt the economy,
but it also is a powerful incentive for corporations to reduce their
emissions. (Stagnating economies also are much more environmentally
friendly, by the way.) These strategies would require us to compromise
our values, be they wealth, safety or even freedom, to help manage an
impending crisis. Any truly effective action is likely to entail such
compromise.
Distracting ourselves with impotent solutions might just prove to be
more dangerous in the long run than the outright detachment from reality
on the right. What it engenders is a sense of fighting the good fight by
creating an illusion of progress. This is evident in emerging tribal
culture based in sustainable garden living, anti-plastic-bag bags and
dietary changes. While meritorious on one level, these are activities
that don't meet the problem in reality, and the good feelings they bring
are examples the placebo effect.
Aron Ralston spent days in denial before accepting what he had to do to
achieve liberation from the boulder that had crushed his arm. Even when
faced with the spectre of death, perhaps the truth was just too
unpleasant. Severely dehydrated and delirious, he finally abandoned the
useless tool and leveraged his own weight to snap the arm in two,
freeing bone from boulder, and allowing himself to escape the canyon
(almost) in one piece. Before he was able to do what had to be done, he
had to recognize the situation for what it was. Climate does not care
from which side of the aisle our political rhetoric derives. It isn't
interested in soothing communication strategies. Until our conversations
describe facts, and our solutions target reality, we are all climate
change deniers.
http://cornellsun.com/2017/10/23/gorokh-sherman-confessions-of-a-climate-change-denier/
*Wanderlust polar bear cub is caught 700 km too far south, and will now
go to zoo
<http://siberiantimes.com/ecology/others/news/wanderlust-polar-bear-cub-is-caught-700-km-too-far-south-and-will-now-go-to-zoo/>*
By The Siberian Times reporter
Major operation to safely grab then female from her favourite spot on
the Kolyma River a long way from home.
The wandering polar bear is estimated at being only nine months old,
which makes her adventure all the more extraordinary.
As we reported earlier,
<http://siberiantimes.com/ecology/others/news/lost-but-happy-eating-fish-the-polar-bear-that-strayed-700-km-too-far-south/>
the animal - known to come as Umka but now likely to be renamed - had
strayed out of the ice shores of the Arctic Ocean, and headed some 700
kilometres south.
She had taken up residence near a fishing plant on the Kolyma River,
where locals fed her on throwaway fish.
Earlier it was thought the bear might be aged up to two but she is younger.
(... it is rare indeed for polar bears to venture this far away from the
Arctic seas and ocean.)
http://siberiantimes.com/ecology/others/news/wanderlust-polar-bear-cub-is-caught-700-km-too-far-south-and-will-now-go-to-zoo/
*
***
*This Day in Climate History October 24, 1992
<http://articles.latimes.com/1992-10-25/news/mn-1128_1_energy-bill> -
from D.R. Tucker*
October 24, 1992: President George H. W. Bush signs the Energy Policy
Act of 1992 into law; the legislation is intended to boost the
development of renewable power in the United States.
http://articles.latimes.com/1992-10-25/news/mn-1128_1_energy-bill
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=21653
/
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