[TheClimate.Vote] October 31, 2017 - Daily Global Warming News

Richard Pauli richard at theclimate.vote
Tue Oct 31 09:24:03 EDT 2017 

/October 31, 2017/

*Strong rainstorm rips Northeast, leaves 1.5M without power 
<http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/strong-rainstorm-rips-northeast-leaves-15m-power-50817572>*
A severe storm packing hurricane-force wind gusts and soaking rain swept 
through the Northeast early Monday, knocking out power for nearly 1.5 
million homes and businesses and forcing hundreds of schools to close in 
New England.
Falling trees knocked down power lines across the region, and some 
utility companies warned customers that power could be out for a few 
days. Trees also fell onto some homes and vehicles, but no serious 
injuries were reported.
New England got the brunt of the storm, which brought sustained winds of 
up to 50 mph in some spots. A gust of 130 mph was reported at the Mount 
Washington Observatory in New Hampshire, while winds hit 82 mph in 
Mashpee on Cape Cod in Massachusetts.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/strong-rainstorm-rips-northeast-leaves-15m-power-50817572


*Terrifying parallels between twin threats of climate change and nuclear 
ruin 
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/terrifying-parallels-between-twin-threats-of-climate-change-and-nuclear-ruin/2017/10/27/bc6058d2-af74-11e7-9e58-e6288544af98_story.html>*
American psychologist and author Robert Jay Lifton, best known for his 
pioneering investigations of the causes and psychological impacts of 
warfare, political violence, and coercive thought reform or 
brainwashing, has recently focused his attention on a newer existential 
threat to humanity: climate change. His slim volume, "The Climate 
Swerve: Reflections on Mind, Hope, and Survival," is a personal 
meditation on public perceptions of climate change and nuclear Armageddon.
Written shortly after his 90th birthday, the book expands upon an essay 
he published under the same title in 2014, and it reads more like a 
memoir than a scientific text. Its main premise is that most of 
humankind is now coming to accept the reality and dangers of climate 
change, despite delaying tactics by the fossil fuel industry and its 
supporters. Borrowing a term from Stephen Greenblatt's Pulitzer 
Prize-winning exploration of atomic awareness and cultural awakening, 
"The Swerve," Lifton applies it to an "evolving awareness of our 
predicament," in which modern civilization threatens the future of our 
species. Despite the menace posed by the "apocalyptic twins" of climate 
and nukes, however, he also believes that the current swerve in our 
climate awareness can lead to constructive action, as a similar swerve 
did for nuclear arms control.
Once we accept the harsh facts of climate change (or nuclear apocalypse) 
and acknowledge the fear that comes with them, Lifton reminds us to take 
a step further. We must unleash that primal fear, he argues, so we can 
then use our intellect to channel it into a more mature "anxiety of 
responsibility" that leads to concerted action. He mentions the Paris 
Climate Conference of 2015 and the climate action group 350.org as 
manifestations of such actions, but more examples abound. The insurance 
industry is now planning for a warmer, stormier future, the U.S. 
military considers climate change to be a national security threat, and 
even ExxonMobil expects the retreat of polar ice to facilitate its 
exploitation of fossil fuels in the Arctic. Equally important is an 
energetic new cohort of young people who consider climate change to be 
the great challenge of their generation...
*"Imagining massive destruction and death," he writes, is "a 
prerequisite for wisdom" and for maturing as a "talented species in deep 
trouble." *In taking appropriate, well-informed action now, we can 
experience "symbolic immortality" not only through our immediate 
descendants but also by "living on in humankind." "Whatever our age," he 
continues, "we are . . . part of a flow of endless generations that 
include forebears as well as children and grandchildren."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/terrifying-parallels-between-twin-threats-of-climate-change-and-nuclear-ruin/2017/10/27/bc6058d2-af74-11e7-9e58-e6288544af98_story.html


*Sometimes All It Takes Is One Horrible Photo to Summarize a 
Catastrophe. This is Puerto Rico's 
<http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2017/10/sometimes-all-it-takes-is-one-horrible-photo-to-summarize-a-catastrophe-this-is-puerto-ricos/>*
Surgery by flashlight is just the beginning of the public health crisis 
there.
First, there's the issue of clean water. Many wastewater disposal and 
clean water delivery systems are dependent on electricity. Without 
energy to power the systems, pumps don't work, allowing sewage to build 
up on site instead of draining away to treatment plants. On the other 
end, drinking water cannot be delivered to residents without electricity 
either because those pumps and filters are also offline. Obviously, a 
lack of access to freshwater is a big problem - people are at risk of 
dehydration or, if they turn to lower-quality water sources, infection. 
In countries without modern plumbing and wastewater management, 
water-borne diseases such as leptospirosis thrive. But when a strong 
enough hurricane hits, even wealthy nations are at risk, as evidenced by 
the rivers of toxic waters stirred by Hurricane Harvey in Texas and 
Hurricane Irma in Florida.
Electricity is also crucial for communication. And clear communication 
is essential for relief and recovery efforts. Last month, I wrote for 
Slate that Puerto Rico was receiving short-term aid in the form of oil, 
water, and food delivery and that representatives of the territory were 
satisfied with initial relief efforts. But the past few weeks have shown 
that the recovery was too small in scale.
http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2017/10/sometimes-all-it-takes-is-one-horrible-photo-to-summarize-a-catastrophe-this-is-puerto-ricos/
-
*Tesla's solar vision gets its first big test in Puerto Rico 
<https://grist.org/article/tesla-and-solar-groups-put-puerto-rico-back-on-the-grid/>*
Tesla announced today /(Oct 24) /that it has started constructing its 
first microgrid installation, laying out a solar field and setting up 
its refrigerator-sized Powerpack batteries to supply electricity to a 
children's hospital in the Puerto Rican capital.
More than a month after Hurricane Maria destroyed swaths of the island's 
electrical grid, 85 percent of Puerto Rico is still without power. Total 
grid repair costs are estimated at $5 billion  -  an especially steep 
price for a public utility already $9 billion in debt. The lack of power 
is especially dire for hospitals, where unreliable electricity may spoil 
medicines that require refrigeration and complicate crucial medical 
procedures. The results could be deadlier than the storm itself, but 
solar power could help head off further disaster.
https://grist.org/article/tesla-and-solar-groups-put-puerto-rico-back-on-the-grid/
-*
**FEMA Had a Plan for Responding to a Hurricane in Puerto Rico  -  But 
It Doesn't Want You to See It
<https://www.propublica.org/article/fema-had-a-plan-for-responding-to-a-hurricane-in-puerto-rico>*The 
Federal Emergency Management Agency, citing unspecified "potentially 
sensitive information," is declining to release a document it drafted 
several years ago that details how it would respond to a major hurricane 
in Puerto Rico.
The plan, known as a hurricane annex, runs more than 100 pages and 
explains exactly what FEMA and other agencies would do in the event that 
a large storm struck the island. The document could help experts assess 
both how well the federal government had prepared for a storm the size 
of Hurricane Maria and whether FEMA's response matches what was planned. 
The agency began drafting such advance plans after it was excoriated for 
poor performance and lack of preparation in the wake of Hurricane 
Katrina in 2005.
ProPublica requested a copy of the Puerto Rico hurricane annex as part 
of its reporting on the federal response to Maria, the scale and speed 
of which has been the subject ofscrutiny 
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/us-responded-to-haiti-quake-more-forcefully-than-to-puerto-rico-disaster/2017/09/28/74fe9c02-a465-11e7-8cfe-d5b912fabc99_story.html?utm_term=.c19f2e1ca61d>andcriticism 
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/09/29/san-juan-mayor-slams-trump-administration-comments-on-puerto-rico-hurricane-response/?utm_term=.4543dd5a1942>. 
More than a month after the storm made landfall,73 percent 
<http://status.pr/>of the island still lacks electricity.
Early last week, a FEMA spokesman said he would provide a copy of the 
plan that afternoon. It never came. After a week of follow-ups, FEMA 
sent a statement reversing its position. "Due to the potentially 
sensitive information contained within the Hurricane Annex of the Region 
II All Hazards Plan, there are legal questions surrounding what, if any, 
portions of the annex can be released," the statement said. "As such, 
the documents that you seek must be reviewed and analyzed under the 
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) by FEMA." The statement did not 
explain what legal questions apply.
As ProPublica has previously reported, FEMA's Freedom of Information 
process isplagued by dysfunction and yearslong backlogs 
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-federal-government-no-longer-cares-about-disclosing-public-information/2016/03/10/7e0bf1bc-e631-11e5-a6f3-21ccdbc5f74e_story.html?utm_term=.5be0c599ba8c>. 
For example, FEMA hasn't responded to a request for documents related to 
Superstorm Sandy that we filed more than three and a half years ago.
After FEMA declined to release the Puerto Rico hurricane plan, we found 
the agency'sequivalent plan for Hawaii 
<https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4117144-2015Hawaii-Cat-Plan.html>posted, 
unredacted, on the internet by the Department of Defense. The Hawaii 
plan includesgranular details 
<https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4117144-2015Hawaii-Cat-Plan.html#document/p82>down 
to, for example, how many specially outfitted medical aircraft the 
federal government would send to Hawaii after a Category 4 hurricane. It 
also describesan 85-step process 
<https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4117144-2015Hawaii-Cat-Plan.html#document/p109>to 
restore electricity on the islands.
Asked why the Puerto Rico plan was too sensitive to release publicly 
while the Hawaii plan was not, a FEMA spokesman said: "We aren't able to 
speak for DoD or the State of Hawaii."
Do you have information about FEMA or other agencies' responses to 
Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico? Contact Justin atjustin at propublica.org 
<mailto:justin at propublica.org>or via Signal at 774-826-6240.
https://www.propublica.org/article/fema-had-a-plan-for-responding-to-a-hurricane-in-puerto-rico


*(opinion) Howard Stein: The social psychology of climate change denial 
<http://www.tulsaworld.com/opinion/opinionfeatured/howard-stein-the-social-psychology-of-climate-change-denial/article_ec458e39-ffde-5fef-a339-58b4582f9b40.html>*
For peoples around the world, culture largely serves as a huge glass or 
plastic bubble in which people dwell. For its inhabitants, it 
constitutes the world. To question the bubble is heresy. For many 
Americans, denial of climate change is that delusional protective bubble 
in which they find comfort and safety -- even as they endanger all life 
on earth. We might ask ourselves: What would the climate change deniers 
stand to lose if they gave up their convictions? We must take denial 
with utter seriousness, and not dismiss it as simply wrong-headed 
thinking, roll our eyes, and walk away. We must, I believe, listen for 
the fear that lies behind the protective shield of ideology.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/opinion/opinionfeatured/howard-stein-the-social-psychology-of-climate-change-denial/article_ec458e39-ffde-5fef-a339-58b4582f9b40.html


*Greenhouse gas concentrations surge to new record 
<http://climateandcapitalism.com/2017/10/30/greenhouse-gas-concentrations-surge-to-new-record/>*
'The last time the Earth experienced a comparable concentration of CO2  
was 3-5 million years ago, the temperature was 2-3°C warmer and sea 
level was 10-20 meters higher than now.'
Methane (CH4) is the second most important long-lived greenhouse gas and 
contributes about 17% of radiative forcing. Approximately 40% of methane 
is emitted into the atmosphere by natural sources (e.g., wetlands and 
termites), and about 60% comes from human activities like cattle 
breeding, rice agriculture, fossil fuel exploitation, landfills and 
biomass burning.
Atmospheric methane reached a new high of about 1 853 parts per billion 
(ppb) in 2016 and is now 257% of the pre-industrial level.
http://climateandcapitalism.com/2017/10/30/greenhouse-gas-concentrations-surge-to-new-record/


*Psychology may be key to changing attitudes toward environmental issues 
<http://daily-iowan.com/2017/10/20/psychology-may-be-key-to-changing-attitudes-toward-environmental-issues/>*
A lecture hosted by the UI Environmental Coalition explored how 
psychology can help change attitudes about environmental issues.
"I want people to know how to engage with others about climate change 
and threats to the environment in ways that are more productive," 
Koutsonikolis said. "It's about learning how to have that discussion 
with each other so we can actually move forward on these issues."
http://daily-iowan.com/2017/10/20/psychology-may-be-key-to-changing-attitudes-toward-environmental-issues/


*Trump's Gang of Climate Deniers Has Grown Into an Army 
<https://newrepublic.com/article/145547/trumps-gang-climate-deniers-grown-army>*
He keeps picking deniers for top government positions: NASA might soon 
be run by a GOP congressman who blames global warming on the sun.
BY EMILY ATKIN
It became clear early in Donald Trump's presidency that many of his top 
officials shared a common trait: They were climate deniers. Though 
"climate denial starts at the top," the New York Times' Coral Davenport 
wrote in March, it was trickling down into a variety of high-influence 
position: Vice President Mike Pence, who once called global warming a 
"myth" disproved by the fact that his home state once had a cold winter; 
then-senior advisor Steve Bannon, whose news site Breitbart remains one 
of the top destinations for climate misinformation; Environmental 
Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt, who believes carbon 
dioxide is not a "primary contributor" to global warming; and Department 
of Energy Secretary Rick Perry, who believes the same myth, saying in 
June, "No, most likely the primary control knob is the ocean waters and 
this environment that we live in."
https://newrepublic.com/article/145547/trumps-gang-climate-deniers-grown-army


*Climate change puts Cambodians at risk of mental health disorders 
<http://www.eco-business.com/news/climate-change-puts-cambodians-at-risk-of-mental-health-disorders/>*
Still traumatised from the turmoil of the reigns of Lon Nol and Pol Pot, 
Cambodians are gradually healing from a troubled recent past. But 
climate change threatens a mental health relapse.
Cambodia has been ranked among the most vulnerable countries in the 
region to climate change. In recent years, the Kingdom has been hit by 
prolonged droughts, floods and heat waves.
With more than half of Cambodians working as farmers in poor, rural 
settings, the threat to their livelihoods from hotter and more extreme 
weather is very high.
According to a recent research commissioned by the American 
Psychological Association this year, long-term climate change can 
indirectly cause mental health problems as the changes in weather 
patterns, storm and rising sea levels put people in danger of 
experiencing chronic psychological consequences such as trauma and 
shock, chronic depression, stress disorder and anxiety.
"High levels of stress and anxiety are also linked to physical health 
effects, such as a weakened immune system," the report explains. 
"Worrying about actual or potential impacts of climate change can lead 
to stress that can build over time and eventually lead to stress-related 
problems, such as substance abuse, anxiety disorders and depression."
Poor people, children, pregnant women and the elderly are at the 
greatest risk of mental health problems from exposure to climate-related 
disasters.
"Climate change affects health in three ways: The first is direct, the 
second is indirect through the environment and ecosystem changes, and 
the third is the indirect impacts mediated through societal systems such 
as malnutrition and mental illness," WHO Cambodia wrote in an email.
"Those who live in remote rural areas, who depend on rainfall for 
farming, find themselves experiencing more chronic concerns as they 
can't grow their crops to feed their families," says Sunbaunat. "When 
there are storms, poor people in the rural areas will be the most affected."
"The most important thing we can do is help people be mentally prepared 
for the impacts of climate change," Sovandara said.
http://www.eco-business.com/news/climate-change-puts-cambodians-at-risk-of-mental-health-disorders/


postcarboninstitute
*Think Resilience Lesson 17 Preview - Economic Relocalization 
<https://youtu.be/z_KNkoPpgt8>*
In Economic Relocalization, Lesson 17 of the Think Resilience course, 
Richard Heinberg examines why, even though the playing field is often 
tilted in favor of big business, local and small businesses are still 
the backbone of the American economy, and provide it with considerable 
resilience. And he'll explain why supporting small and local businesses 
makes sense on many levels, even beyond the resilience imperative.
Watch the first six videos of the Think Resilience course for free: 
http://bit.ly/2sGib06
https://youtu.be/z_KNkoPpgt8

*
**"It's All Connected." Jeff Goodell on Sea Level Rise 
<https://climatecrocks.com/2017/10/30/its-all-connected-jeff-goodell-on-sea-level-rise/>*
Book Review video  "The Water Will Come" https://youtu.be/-KMXWWxvuvs
Above, Jeff Goodell on PBS talking about his long-time-coming book, The 
Water Will Come.
Jeff talks about a visit to Greenland, which is featured early on in the 
book. That was part of the first Dark Snow expedition in 2013.
Here, in video from that trip, I talked to Jeff as we had just touched 
down at a point near the calving wall of Illulisat (Jacobshaven) Glacier 
in Greenland. Jeff mentions the moment in the book, as we were standing 
on bare rock that had recently emerged from the melting ice, and quite 
possibly no humans had touched before.
Jeff Goodell Near Ilulissat Glacier 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbOuCPh_34U
https://climatecrocks.com/2017/10/30/its-all-connected-jeff-goodell-on-sea-level-rise/


*(video humor) Louis CK - Explain The Meaning Of Being White 
<https://youtu.be/GPdqlROzgvg?t=7m57s>*
"What did you DO to the Polar Bears?   Who spilled this?"
https://youtu.be/GPdqlROzgvg?t=7m57s


*This Day in Climate History October 31, 1983 
<http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/doc/294226182.html>  -  from D.R. 
Tucker*
October 31, 1983: The Boston Globe reports on the risks of the
greenhouse effect:
"What's happening, scientists warn, is that additional carbon dioxide,
as it collects in the atmosphere, tends to block the outward flow of
heat. This, in effect, resembles wrapping the whole Earth in a
transparent thermal blanket; things have to get warmer.
"The first strong sign of global warming, as suggested by geologist
Dr. Kenneth O. Emery at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution,
might be an acceleration in the rate of sea level rise. Emery has
already seen what he suspects is a significant increase in the past 10
to 15 years, with sea level going up at a rate of one- quarter to
three-eighths of an inch per year. This may be an early sign that the
Greenhouse Effect is with us.
"An even scarier scenario - which scientists don't think is very
plausible - is the 'runaway greenhouse.' Warmer temperatures might
force more water vapor into the air, which would trap even more heat,
warming the air further, raising more water vapor, and on and on. The
result would be a Venus-like environment, where the temperature is so
hot - 900 degrees at the surface - that all gases and liquids have
been evaporated and are afloat in the dense atmosphere."
http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/doc/294226182.html

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