[TheClimate.Vote] September 18, 2017 - Daily Global Warming News
Richard Pauli
richard at theclimate.vote
Mon Sep 18 09:25:13 EDT 2017
/September 18, 2017
/ *Neil deGrasse Tyson says it might be 'too late' to recover from
climate change
<http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/17/us/neil-degrasse-tyson-on-climate-change-cnntv/index.html>*
(CNN) Scientist and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson said Sunday that,
in the wake of devastating floods and damage caused by Hurricanes Harvey
and Irma, climate change had become so severe that the country "might
not be able to recover."
In an interview on CNN's "GPS," Tyson got emotional when Fareed Zakaria
asked what he made of Homeland Security Adviser Tom Bossert's refusal to
say whether climate change had been a factor in Hurricanes Harvey or
Irma's strength -- despite scientific evidence pointing to the fact that
it had made the storms more destructive.
"Fifty inches of rain in Houston!" Tyson exclaimed, adding, "This is a
shot across our bow, a hurricane the width of Florida going up the
center of Florida!"
"What will it take for people to recognize that a community of
scientists are learning objective truths about the natural world and
that you can benefit from knowing about it?" he said.
Tyson told Zakaria that he had no patience for those who, as he put it,
"cherry pick" scientific studies according to their belief system.
"The press will sometimes find a single paper, and say, 'Oh here's a new
truth, if this study holds it.' But an emergent scientific truth, for it
to become an objective truth, a truth that is true whether or not you
believe in it, it requires more than one scientific paper," he said.
"It requires a whole system of people's research all leaning in the same
direction, all pointing to the same consequences," he added. "That's
what we have with climate change, as induced by human conduct."
Tyson said he was gravely concerned that by engaging in debates over the
existence of climate change, as opposed to discussions on how best to
tackle it, the country was wasting valuable time and resources.
"The day two politicians are arguing about whether science is true, it
means nothing gets done. Nothing," he said. "It's the beginning of the
end of an informed democracy, as I've said many times. What I'd rather
happen is you recognize what is scientifically truth, then you have your
political debate."
Tyson told Zakaria that he believed that the longer the delay when it
comes to responding to the ongoing threat of climate change, the bleaker
the outcome. And perhaps, he hazarded, it was already even too late.
"I worry that we might not be able to recover from this because all our
greatest cities are on the oceans and water's edges, historically for
commerce and transportation," he said.
"And as storms kick in, as water levels rise, they are the first to go,"
he said. "And we don't have a system -- we don't have a civilization
with the capacity to pick up a city and move it inland 20 miles. That's
-- this is happening faster than our ability to respond. That could have
huge economic consequences."
http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/17/us/neil-degrasse-tyson-on-climate-change-cnntv/index.html
SEPTEMBER 15, 2017
*Warning Letter to Harvey and Irma Survivors From Katrina Survivor
<https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/09/15/warning-letter-to-harvey-and-irma-survivors-from-katrina-survivor/>*
by BILL QUIGLEY
*Dear Fellow Hurricane Survivors:*
Our hearts go out to you as you try to return to and fix your homes and
lives. Based on our experiences, here are a few things you should watch
out for as you rebuild your communities.
*One. * Rents are going to skyrocket and waves of evictions are likely.
With so many houses damaged and so many highly paid contractors coming
into your region whose companies will pay anything to house them,
landlords are going to start evicting people to make way for higher
paying occupants. Work with local organizations to enact a moratorium
on evictions and a freeze on rents to allow working and low income
people to come home and have a place to stay.
*Two. * Rip off contractors and vulture businesses are probably already
on the scene. Don't give money to anyone unless you know and trust them
and do not pay for everything in advance!
*Three. * Take pictures of everything that was damaged and hold onto
all receipts for all your disaster expenses. Get a special binder and
keep all your papers in it. Sadly, the process of getting assistance is
going to last for years for many people and you will need to prove what
damage you.
*Four. * Right after a disaster there is an outpouring of compassion,
support and solidarity. Take what you need for your community. But
realize the window of compassion and support shuts much quicker than it
should. Then people will start blaming the victims.
*Five. * Insist on transparency, accountability and participation in all
public and private funding sources for disaster relief. The government
is yours and ours. We need them in times of disaster but they can also
be the biggest obstacle to a just recovery. Demand they tell the
public what is going on and consult with all parts of our communities,
not just the rich and well connected usual suspects. Same problems
arise when dealing with the private relief organizations from the
biggest private disaster relief organization to many other smaller groups.
*Six. * Insist on telling your own story. Your truth is a jewel that
shines brightest in your own hands. If you are going to work with
journalists or others make sure the real truth is told, not just the
sensational or heart rending stories of poor, powerless victims. You
may have been victimized by the hurricane but you are a powerful survivor!
*Seven. * Unless you are rich enough to try to go this alone, you have
to join together with others to make your voice heard. Many voices
together are loud enough to force those in power to listen. Groups of
people are far more effective than individual voices. Neighborhood
organizations, church organizations, community organizations, join and
work with others!
*Eight. * Work in statewide coalitions. Statewide coalitions are very
important because many disaster relief decisions are made on the state
level. You have to be able to influence those decisions.
*Nine. *Identify members of Congress who you can work with. Many
decisions are being made on the federal level. You have to make sure
your voice is heard. After Katrina, the best voice for poor people in
New Orleans was Congresswoman Maxine Waters from California! Now well
known nationally as Superwoman, she was terrific advocate for and with us.
*Ten. * Prioritize the voices of women. Men push to the front when the
cameras are on and when the resources are being handed out. But in the
long run, it is usually the women who are the most reliable family anchors.
*Eleven. * Don't allow those in power to forget about the people whose
voices are never heard. People in nursing homes, people in hospitals,
the elderly, the disabled, children, the working poor, renters, people
of color, immigrants and prisoners. There is no need to be a voice for
the voiceless, because all these people have voices, they are just not
listened to. Help lift their voices and their stories up because the
voices of business and industry and people with money and connections
will do just fine. It is our other sisters and brothers who are always
pushed to the back of the line. Stand with them as they struggle to
reclaim their rightful place.
*Twelve. * Realize that you have human rights to return to your
community and to be made whole. Protect your human rights and the human
rights of others.
Bill Quigley teaches law at Loyola University New Orleans and can be
reached at quigley77 at gmail.com.
https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/09/15/warning-letter-to-harvey-and-irma-survivors-from-katrina-survivor/
*
**The Weekend Wonk: Tony Seba on Disruptive Energy Technologies
<https://climatecrocks.com/2017/09/16/the-weekend-wonk-tony-seba-on-disruptive-energy-technologies/#more-49035>*
September 16, 2017
Get coffee and get comfortable. Prepare to have mind blown.
Tony Seba: Clean Disruption - Energy & Transportation
<https://youtu.be/2b3ttqYDwF0>
Stanford University futurist Tony Seba spent the last decades studying
technological disruptions. He argues that the Electric Vehicle, battery
storage, and solar power, along with autonomous vehicles, are a perfect
example of a 10x exponential process which will wipe fossil fuels off
the market in about a decade.
https://youtu.be/2b3ttqYDwF0
The above is an hour. If you're in a hurry, or just want a taste – see 8
minute piece below on solar energy.
The Solar Disruption - Why Fossil Fuels and Nuclear Will be Obsolete by
2030 <https://youtu.be/0L0JAnACdyc>
This is a clip from Tony Seba's "Clean Disruption" keynote presentation
at the Swedbank Nordic Energy Summit in Oslo, Norway, March 17th, 2016.
https://youtu.be/0L0JAnACdyc
https://climatecrocks.com/2017/09/16/the-weekend-wonk-tony-seba-on-disruptive-energy-technologies/#more-49035
*
Press regulator censures Mail on Sunday for global warming claims
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/17/press-regulator-censures-mail-on-sunday-for-global-warming-claims>
*Claims in the Mail on Sunday that global warming data had been
exaggerated in order to secure the Paris climate change agreement have
been criticised by the UK's press regulator.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/17/press-regulator-censures-mail-on-sunday-for-global-warming-claims
*British Press Watchdog Says Climate Change Article Was Faulty
<https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/16/climate/british-press-watchdog-climate-change.html>*
A self-policing group within the British news industry has forced the
tabloid The Mail on Sunday to acknowledge that an article it published
asserting that climate researchers in the United States had manipulated
data was inaccurate and misleading.
A statement saying the news organization "failed to take care over the
accuracy of the article" was posted on The Mail on Sunday's website
early Sunday and was to appear in the print edition as well.
Publication of the statement was required after the self-regulating
group, the Independent Press Standards Organization, ruled in favor of a
complaint that the article, which was published on Feb. 5, had
misrepresented the comments of a former scientist with the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration about a 2015 climate change paper
by a leading NOAA climate researcher, Thomas R. Karl, and others.
The Mail on Sunday, the statement said, also failed to correct
"significantly misleading statements" in the article, which was written
by David Rose and based on the claims of the former NOAA scientist, John
J. Bates. The press standards group, known as IPSO, was expected to
publish the full text of its ruling on its website.
Representative Lamar Smith of Texas, a Republican who heads the House
Committee on Science, Space and Technology, tweeted at the time that
"NOAA sr officials played fast & loose w/data in order 2 meet
politically predetermined conclusion on climate change."
Mr. Smith, who previously had accused the Obama administration of having
a "suspect climate agenda," also wrote to NOAA seeking more information
on Mr. Karl's study, which he said raised questions "as to whether the
science at NOAA is objective and free from political interference."
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/16/climate/british-press-watchdog-climate-change.html
*
"A Duty to Warn" and the Dangerous Case of Donald Trump
<https://www.commondreams.org/views/2017/09/15/duty-warn-and-dangerous-case-donald-trump>*
by Bill Moyers, Robert Jay Lifton
Renowned psychiatrist says despite "Goldwater Rule," mental health
experts have unique responsibility when someone in power may be dangerous.
/There will not be a book published this fall more urgent, important, or
controversial than The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump, the work of 27
psychiatrists, psychologists and mental health experts to assess
President Trump's mental health. They had come together last March at a
conference at Yale University to wrestle with two questions. One was on
countless minds across the country: "What's wrong with him?" The second
was directed to their own code of ethics: "Does Professional
Responsibility Include a Duty to Warn" if they conclude the president to
be dangerously unfit?/
It is an old and difficult moral issue that requires a great exertion of
conscience. Their decision: "We respect the rule, we deem it subordinate
to the single most important principle that guides our professional
conduct: that we hold our responsibility to human life and well-being as
paramount."
Hence, this profound, illuminating and discomforting book undertaken as
"a duty to warn."
*Lifton: *Yes. And that's what I call malignant normality. What we put
forward as self-evident and normal may be deeply dangerous and
destructive. I came to that idea in my work on the psychology of Nazi
doctors - and I'm not equating anybody with Nazi doctors, but it's the
principle that prevails - and also with American psychologists who
became architects of CIA torture during the Iraq War era. These are
forms of malignant normality. For example, Donald Trump lies repeatedly.
We may come to see a president as liar as normal. He also makes
bombastic statements about nuclear weapons, for instance, which can then
be seen as somehow normal. In other words, his behavior as president,
with all those who defend his behavior in the administration, becomes a
norm. We have to contest it, because it is malignant normality. For the
contributors to this book, this means striving to be witnessing
professionals, confronting the malignancy and making it known.
*Moyers: *And that should apply to journalists, lawyers, doctors -
*Lifton:* Absolutely. One bears witness by taking in the situation - in
this case, its malignant nature - and then telling one's story about it,
in this case with the help of professional knowledge, so that we add
perspective on what's wrong, rather than being servants of the powers
responsible for the malignant normality. We must be people with a
conscience in a very fundamental way.
*Moyers: *And this is what troubled you and many of your colleagues
about the psychologists who helped implement the US policy of torture
after 9/11.
*Lifton: *Absolutely. And I call that a scandal within a scandal,
because yes, it was indeed professionals who became architects of
torture, and their professional society, the American Psychological
Association, which encouraged and protected them until finally protest
from within that society by other members forced a change. So that was a
dreadful moment in the history of psychology and in the history of
professionals in this country.
*Moyers: *Some of the descriptions used to describe Trump - narcissistic
personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, paranoid
personality disorder, delusional disorder, malignant narcissist - even
some have suggested early forms of dementia - are difficult for lay
people to grasp. Some experts say that it's not one thing that's wrong
with him - there are a lot of things wrong with him and together they
add up to what one of your colleagues calls "a scary witches brew, a
toxic stew."
*Lifton: *I think that's very accurate. I agree that there's an
all-enveloping destructiveness in his character and in his psychological
tendencies. But I've focused on what professionally I call solipsistic
reality. Solipsistic reality means that the only reality he's capable of
embracing has to do with his own self and the perception by and
protection of his own self. And for a president to be so bound in this
isolated solipsistic reality could not be more dangerous for the country
and for the world. In that sense, he does what psychotics do. Psychotics
engage in, or frequently engage in a view of reality based only on the
self. He's not psychotic, but I think ultimately this solipsistic
reality will be the source of his removal from the presidency...
So there is this apocalyptic influence in the Trumpean presidency: The
world is destroyed in order to be purified and renewed in the ideal way
that is projected by a Steve Bannon. And there is a sense of that when
Trump says we'll make America great again, because he says it's been
destroyed, he will remake it. So there is an apocalyptic suggestion, but
I don't think it's at the very heart of his presidency.
*Moyers: *So our challenge is?
*Lifton: *I always feel we have to work both outside and inside of our
existing institutions, so we have to really be careful about who we vote
for and examine carefully our institutions and what they're meant to do
and how they're being violated. I also think we need movements from
below that oppose what this administration and administrations like it
are doing to ordinary people. And for those of us who contributed to
this book - well, as I said earlier, we have to be "witnessing
professionals" and fulfill our duty to warn.
See more at:
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2017/09/15/duty-warn-and-dangerous-case-donald-trump
FFEWS Global | Global Weather Hazards
*Sudan, Nigeria, parts of Guinea, and Sierra Leone remain at risk for
flooding
<http://www.fews.net/global/global-weather-hazards/september-15-2017>*
The Global Weather Hazards report anticipates severe weather or climate
events in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Central Asia.
This product provides maps with current weather and climate information;
short and medium range weather forecasts (up to one week); and the
potential impact on crop and pasture conditions. It does not reflect
long range forecasts or food security conditions.
download:
http://www.fews.net/sites/default/files/documents/reports/Global%20Weather%20Hazard-17.09.14.pdf
http://www.fews.net/global/global-weather-hazards/september-15-2017
*(NPR Audio) Anab Jain: Can A Glimpse Of Tomorrow, Change Our Decisions
Today?
<http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=547886265>*
And I think, you know, the real challenge here is to understand where
power lies - because once we begin to understand that, we can understand
it in relation to our powerlessness and that actually every individual
does have some power. We do have the power of our voice, of our work, of
the decisions we make, of the things we choose not to buy. I think it's
just because those small actions have not been quantified to mean
anything. But they do.
http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=547886265
/[2 years ago - but still important]/
*(video) Lecture by climate psychiatrist Professor Paul Hoggett
<https://vimeo.com/123754997>*
"The catastrophic consequences of climate change are without precedent
for humanity. Paul Hoggett asks, how can we think in a realistic way
about something whose implications are unthinkable? This is not about
being morbid or apocalyptic. Only by being fully, mindfully, awake to
the facts and emotions can the real adaptive work begin to increase
resilience. And there is much work to do.
All else is perilous time-wasting pretence."
Paul Hoggett is Professor of Politics and Director of the Centre for
Psycho-Social Studies at the University of the West of England, Bristol.
He is a psychoanalytic psychotherapist and group relations consultant.
http://www.resilience.org/stories/2014-10-07/trapped-in-techno-scientism-is-this-hindering-our-becoming-an-eco-city/
https://vimeo.com/123754997
*Paul Schrader on the Extinction of the Human Race and His New Film
'First Reformed'
<http://variety.com/2017/film/news/paul-schrader-first-reformed-toronto-film-festival-1202560593/>*
It's no surprise that Paul Schrader, a filmmaker associated with such
dark classics as "Taxi Driver" and "American Gigolo," has a pessimistic
streak. But it's still bracing to hear him argue that humanity, as we
know it, is unlikely to last through the next century.
In an interview at the Toronto Film Festival, Schrader said he believes
that global warming is accelerating at such a rate that there's little
that can be done to arrest the ecological changes. His Cassandra-like
streak informs "First Reformed," his new drama that's been screening to
strong reviews at the fall festivals. The film grapples with issues of
faith while also sounding a warning about the destruction of the natural
world. It follows Ethan Hawke as a small-town priest who toys with
becoming a suicide bomber in the service of a radical form of
environmentalism. Schrader spoke to Variety about religion in film,
working with Hawke, and why he believes the world will be well rid of
the human race.*
**Your film doesn't just grapple with faith. It's also about the
environment. What interested you about that topic?*
We have this contemporary crisis of ecology, which takes all the
historic, philosophic questions of meaning and puts them in boldface.
Man has always wondered whether life has any meaning and what comes
after death. Now that we can sort of see the end of the role in the
physical world the questions have an added urgency.
*You've been screening the picture at Toronto and other festivals as the
U.S. is being buffeted by Hurricanes Irma and Harvey. Does that drive
the point home more for you?*
I wouldn't isolate these events. They're part of the new normal. It's
not just hurricanes. The icebergs are falling into the seas.
California's on fire. It's an accelerating process.
I would think that homo sapiens as we know them will not outlive this
century. When they create a great museum of the animal world, hopefully
the filmmakers will get a room.
*That's a very pessimistic view. Is there any reason to be hopeful or
are we just screwed?*
Anyone who is hopeful is simply not paying attention. There may have
been a reason to be hopeful ten or 15 years ago, but we've played our
hand now. We've indicated what our priorities are. Our priorities are
our immediate comforts and not the existence of future generations. I
don't think intelligent life will end with humans. There may even be
moral life after humans. But we have more or less soiled our nest. The
universe will be well rid of us.
http://variety.com/2017/film/news/paul-schrader-first-reformed-toronto-film-festival-1202560593/
*IMDB First Reformed (2017) <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6053438/>*
A former military chaplain is wracked by grief over the death of his
son. Mary is a member of his church whose husband, a radical
environmentalist, commits suicide, setting the plot in motion.
First Reformed presents a true account of modern times. The protagonist,
a relatively young priest, is faced with the dilemma of either following
the word of Jesus or welcoming the economic benefits that being
complacent with a polluting international company will bring to his
church. The film is full of profound thoughts, which are very true about
the aim of institutions, their core purpose and the difficulty in having
a wisdom capable of balancing and believing in the coexistence of
opposing values, at the same time. There is also a subtle critique about
the "new age" or "new economy" philosophy of optimism and abundance, at
all costs, as if belonging to such groups could provide the adept with a
magic pill that relives from thinking about modern injustices and global
challenges.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6053438/
*(YouTube) Ethan Hawke, Amanda Seyfried about First Reformed, John
Brown, protesting <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7qcaanbUK0>*
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7qcaanbUK0
*(YouTube) Ethan Hawke, Amanda Seyfried abour her child and the earth
slowly dying, First Reformed <https://youtu.be/TaO2Af5xrBM>
*https://youtu.be/TaO2Af5xrBM*
(YouTube) Paul Schrader, Ethan Hawke and Amanda Seyfried - FIRST
REFORMED - 74 Venice Film Festival <https://youtu.be/zoDRFfxomoQ>*
https://youtu.be/zoDRFfxomoQ
*(YouTube) Ethan Hawke talks about FIRST REFORMED at Venice Film
Festival 2017 <https://youtu.be/LeEMlGR4sjQ>*
Actor Ethan Hawke attends a press conference for his film FIRST REFORMED
where he discusses the question of faith and why he didn't become a
priest in real life.
https://youtu.be/LeEMlGR4sjQ
*This Day in Climate History September 18, 2006
<http://www.nationalmemo.com/moniz-mccarthy-fight-off-climate-change-deniers-at-house-hearing/>
- from D.R. Tucker*
September 18, 2006: Air America's "EcoTalk with Betsy Rosenberg" becomes
the first radio show focused on green/climate change issues to go to a
daily format in 40 markets.
http://blogsofbainbridge.typepad.com/ecotalkblog/2006/09/ecotalk_daily_s.html
September 18, 2013: The House Energy and Power Subcommittee holds a
hearing on the Obama administration's climate-change efforts, featuring
testimony from EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy and Energy Secretary
Ernest Moniz.
http://www.nationalmemo.com/moniz-mccarthy-fight-off-climate-change-deniers-at-house-hearing/
http://youtu.be/TEVQb8toc5M
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