[TheClimate.Vote] August 25, 2018 - Daily Global Warming News Digest
Richard Pauli
richard at theclimate.vote
Sat Aug 25 11:39:17 EDT 2018
/August 25, 2018/
[TV news video report]*
'Snow' days for heat wave?! District cutting days in half
<https://www.wcvb.com/article/snow-days-for-heat-wave-district-cutting-days-in-half/22828110>*
LAWRENCE, Mass. -
Schools across Massachusetts are returning to session just as another
intense round of heat and humidity is set to impact the Bay State.
With forecasted temperatures in the low 90s and heat index values close
to 100, the Lawrence Public School Distrct has elected to shorten the
first school days of the year.
"Due to heat wave, all Lawrence Public Schools will have early dismissal
Monday Aug. 27 through Thursday Aug. 30," a notice on the district's
website said. "No preschool classes all week."
We've reached out for comment from the school district.
https://www.wcvb.com/article/snow-days-for-heat-wave-district-cutting-days-in-half/22828110
[good news]
*U.S. Wind Power Is 'Going All Out' with Bigger Tech, Falling Prices,
Reports Show
<https://insideclimatenews.org/news/23082018/wind-energy-prices-market-growth-offshore-tax-credits-turbines-technology>*
Three new government reports detail how the wind industry is expanding -
offshore and onshore - and the role corporations, technology and tax
credits are playing.
BY DAN GEARINO, INSIDECLIMATE NEWS
Wind power capacity has tripled across the United States in just the
last decade as prices have plunged and the technology has become more
muscular, the federal government's energy labs report.
Three new reports released Thursday on the state of U.S. wind power show
how the industry is expanding onshore with bigger, more powerful
turbines that make wind energy possible even in areas with lower wind
speeds.
Offshore, the reports describe a wind industry poised for a market
breakthrough.
"Right now it's going full bore," said Mark Bolinger, a research
scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and co-author of
one of the new reports. "The industry is really going all out."
*Some of the key findings:*
The country's wind energy capacity has tripled since 2008, reaching
88,973 megawatts by the end of 2017. Wind contributed 6.3 percent of
the nation's energy supply last year.
The average price of wind power sales agreements is now about 2
cents per kilowatt-hour, down from a high of 9 cents in 2009 and low
enough to be competitive with natural gas in some areas.
State renewable energy requirements once were the leading
contributor to demand for new wind farms, but they were responsible
for just 23 percent of new project capacity last year due to rising
demand for clean energy from corporate customers, like Google and
General Motors, and others.
Offshore wind is going from almost nothing, with just five wind
turbines and 30 megawatts of capacity off Rhode Island, to 1,906
megawatts that developers have announced plans to complete by 2023.
"The short story is wind is doing well in the markets, has been doing
well, and looks like it will continue to do well," said Michael Webber,
deputy director of the energy institute at the University of Texas at
Austin, who was not involved with the reports...
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/23082018/wind-energy-prices-market-growth-offshore-tax-credits-turbines-technology
[New paper]*
An Assessment of the Relationships between Extreme Weather Events,
Vulnerability, and the Impacts on Human Wellbeing in Latin America
<https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15091802>*
A team of the International Climate Change Information and Research
Programme (IICIRP)
https://www.haw-hamburg.de/en/ftz-nk/programmes/iccirp/ as recently
completed a study on climate change and health in Latin America, which
led to the paper titled "An Assessment of the Relationships between
Extreme Weather Events, Vulnerability, and the Impacts on Human
Wellbeing in Latin America" published in the Int. J. Environ. Res.
Public Health 2018, 15(9), 1802.
*Abstract*
Climate change and variability are known to have an influence on
human wellbeing in a variety of ways. In Latin America, such forces
are especially conspicuous, particularly in respect of extreme
climatological, hydrological, and weather events (EWEs) and
climate-sensitive disasters (CSDs). Consistent with the need to
study further such connections, this paper presents an analysis of
some of the vulnerabilities of environmental health issues and
climate-related impacts that are focusing on EWEs and CSDs in Latin
American countries. The research includes an analysis of the (i)
human and socio-economic development; (ii) geographical and
socio-economic determinants of vulnerability and adaptability of
environmental health issues (exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive
capacity); (iii) occurrence of CSDs from 1988 to 2017 and their
direct impacts on human wellbeing (Total death and Affected people);
(iv) an online survey on the perceptions of the effects of EWEs on
human wellbeing in a sample of countries in the region; and (v)
discussion of possible solutions. The socio-economic and development
indices, and the International Disaster Database (EM-DAT) and
Climate-Risk Index (CRI) disaster statistics suggest that the
impacts of CSDs are primarily related to socio-economic determinants
of human wellbeing and health inequalities. Also, >80% respondents
to the survey say that the leading causes of climate-related human
impacts are the lack of (i) public awareness; (ii) investment and
(iii) preparedness. The paper concludes by adding some suggestions
that show how countries in Latin America may better cope with the
impacts of Climate-sensitive Disasters
The paper is Open Access and is hence freely available at:
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15091802
[press]
*'World On Fire': Climate Breakdown
<http://www.medialens.org/index.php/alerts/alert-archive/2018/875-world-on-fire-climate-breakdown.html>*
What will it take for society to make the deep-rooted changes required
to prevent the terrifying and awesome threat of climate breakdown? This
summer's extreme weather events are simply a prelude to a rising tide of
chaos that will be punctuated by cataclysmic individual events - floods,
heatwaves, superstorms - of increasing severity and frequency. How long
before people demand radical action from governments? Or, and this is
what is/really/needed, how long until citizens remove corporate-captured
governments from power and introduce genuine democracy?
Consider just someexamples
<https://insideclimatenews.org/news/27072018/summer-2018-heat-wave-wildfires-climate-change-evidence-crops-flooding-deaths-records-broken>of
this summer's extreme weather. In Japan, ferocious heat killed more than
80 people and flooding killed more than 200. In Greece, 80 people died
in terrible wildfires. In Canada, a heatwave killed more than 70. In
many places around the world, including northern Europe, central
America, Russia and parts of the US, extreme drought has put harvests at
risk. Across the globe,118 all-time records
<http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6000715/Science-Says-record-heat-fires-worsened-climate-change.html>were
broken or tied. In the United Arab Emirates, a record temperature in
excess of 51C was recorded, Montreal broke 36C, the Baltic Sea reached
25C and the Swedish polar circle saw temperatures in excess of 32C. The
Russian Arctic experienced'anomalously high temperatures'
<https://qz.com/1324838/an-unprecedented-arctic-heatwave-resulted-in-70-deaths-in-canada/>more
than 20C warmer than usual. And on and on.
To his credit, BBC News North America correspondent James Cookgave
<https://twitter.com/BBCJamesCook/status/1021652233543331841>a sense of
the scale of the climate disasters that were unfolding, with the
reported death toll in Greece still rising
'Climate change. It's here. It's catastrophic.
This month alone:
- "50 dead" in Greece wildfires
- Arctic Circle ablaze
- Japan heatwave, flooding and landslides kill hundreds
- Record temperatures in Algeria, Morocco, Oman
- Drought squeezes US lemons'
Under the heading, 'The world on fire', Assaad Razzouk, a commentator on
climate and clean energy, alsotweeted
<https://twitter.com/AssaadRazzouk/status/1022451665302183942>a
disturbing set of numbers:
'New July 2018 temperature records
UAE: 51.4C
Africa + Algeria: 51.3C
Tunisia: 49.2C
LA: 48.9C
Baku: 42.7C
Yerevan : 42.4C
Japan: 41.1C
Kabul: 40.5C
Tbilisi: 40.5C
Montreal: 36.6C
Lapland: 33.4C
Swedish polar circle: 32.5C
Baltic Sea: 25C'
Scientistsreport
<https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-44980363>that the
'signal of climate change is unambiguous' in these extreme phenomena. In
Europe, climate change driven by humans has made such eventsmore than
twice <https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-44980363>as likely
to occur, and possibly as much asfive times
<https://www.carbonbrief.org/climate-change-made-2018-european-heatwave-up-to-five-times-more-likely>more
likely.
By the 2040s, heatwaves/even worse/than this summer's will likely occur
every other year, if not more often. This will lead to atripling
<https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/jul/26/uk-woefully-unprepared-for-deadly-heatwaves-warn-mps>of
annual heat-related deaths in the UK to 7,000. MPs say that the country
is 'woefully unprepared' for such deadly heatwaves, with 'the government
ignoring warnings from its official climate change adviser.'
Andrew King and Ben Henleynoted
<https://theconversation.com/its-a-savage-summer-in-the-northern-hemisphere-and-climate-change-is-slashing-the-odds-of-more-heatwaves-100582>in
an article on/The Conversation/website:
'The world has so far had around 1C of global warming above
pre-industrial levels, but at the global warming limits proposed in
the Paris climate agreement, hot summers like that of 2003 in
central Europe would be a common occurrence.
'At 2C of global warming, the higher of the two Paris targets,
2003-like hot summers would very likely happen in most years.
'Similarly, we know that heat exposure and heat-induced deaths in
Europe will increase with global warming, even if we can limit this
warming to the levels agreed in Paris.'
Climate scientists have ample evidence that human-driven global warming
is already 'making heat waves longer, hotter and more frequent'. Corinne
Le Quere, director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at
the University of East Anglia,describes
<https://insideclimatenews.org/news/27072018/summer-2018-heat-wave-wildfires-climate-change-evidence-crops-flooding-deaths-records-broken>the
evidence as 'really compelling'.
Michael Mann, one of the world's leading climate scientists,says
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jul/27/extreme-global-weather-climate-change-michael-mann>that:
'The impacts of climate change are no longer subtle. We are seeing them
play out in real time and what is happening this summer is a perfect
example of that.'
He added: 'We are seeing our predictions come true. As a scientist that
is reassuring, but as a citizen of planet Earth, it is very distressing
to see that as it means we have not taken the necessary action.
http://www.medialens.org/index.php/alerts/alert-archive/2018/875-world-on-fire-climate-breakdown.html
[A simple rant]
*Capitalism's Rough & Tumble Climate Affair
<https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/08/22/capitalisms-rough-tumble-climate-affair/>*
by ROBERT HUNZIKER
It's entirely possible that capitalism and climate change are not
compatible. They just cannot seem to live together, kinda like a
marriage on the rocks. Assuming the planet is headed for a 2C climate
event in the not so distant future, some kind of separation is probably
necessary to avoid planetary dystopia and chaos.
A solution of sorts is often whispered in the hallowed halls of
academia, and it is scribbled in obscure blogs, suggesting the
abolishment of capitalism as the best way to help rid the planet of an
existential threat of RGW (runaway global warming). But, that is kinda
outrageous and silly and, well, it just doesn't seem possible.
Still, capitalism plays too rough for the sensitive planet. In reality,
Earth doesn't stand a chance against the forces of capitalism. What to do?
In point of fact, the world order is deeply ingrained in unabashed
capitalism, the pandering, plundering type that chews up and spits out
any form of interference as quickly as one can say Milton
'laissez-faire' Friedman: Slash taxes, throw-out regulations, transfer
public assets into private hands, cut welfare benefits, degrade schools,
and infinite growth as the universal fixit.
But, it's worth noting as for Friedman's long-standing position that
government should not interfere with private biz, Allen Sinai chief
global economist for Decision Economics, Inc, discussing Friedman's
free-market dogma vis a vis the 2008 economic meltdown: "The free market
is not geared to take care of the casualties, because there's no profit
motive."
When things go bad, capitalism puts its tail between its legs and heads
for the hills as the free market doctrine turns into a wet limp rag. FDR
understood this only too well and did something about it.
Whereas the global warming challenge cannot risk dependence upon a
socio-economic-politico order that shirks responsibility when the going
gets tough, especially because of a simple lack of profit motive. As
such, capitalism does not seem like a good candidate to help fight the
global warming leviathan.
Making matters worse, as well as a more compelling argument for some
kind of change of the socio-economic-political order, America, a hotbed
of capitalism, shows utter disdain for the threat of global warming,
rejecting the Paris agreement of 2015 and re-invigorating fossil fuels
at the expense of renewable energy. That kind of behavior by a country
responsible for 25% of global CO2 is reason enough to call for a major
change of some kind.
Along those lines, recent climate studies of significance, with powerful
names involved, "allude" to the need to change the world socio-economic
order to achieve a "Stabilized Earth Pathway."
For example, suggestions are alluded to within "Trajectories of the
Earth System in the Anthropocene," Proceedings of the National Academy
of Sciences, August 6, 2018, which suggests a deep transformation, to wit:
"The present dominant socioeconomic system, however, is based on
high-carbon economic growth and exploitative resource use. Attempts
to modify this system have met with some success locally but little
success globally in reducing greenhouse gas emissions or building
more effective stewardship of the biosphere. Incremental linear
changes to the present socioeconomic system are not enough to
stabilize the Earth System. Widespread, rapid, and fundamental
transformations will likely be required to reduce the risk of
crossing the threshold and locking in the Hot- house Earth pathway;
these include changes in behavior, technology and innovation,
governance, and values… We suggest that a deep transformation based
on a fundamental reorientation of human values, equity, behavior,
institutions, economies, and technologies is required."
A "deep transformation" based upon a fundamental reorientation of human
values, equity, behavior, institutions, economies, and technologies is
brainiac talk for throw out the existing order and start over. Deep
transformation doesn't just mean passing new legislation. It means
deep-sixing the body politic.
Accordingly, is it time for change? After all, the world is filling up
with billionaires and millionaires aka: transnationalists so rapidly
that it's a wonder there's enough room on the planet, buying islands,
offshore ocean cities, multiple homes in order to have at least one
residence in a no-tax state, gobs and gobs of offshore bank accounts to
avoid federal taxes and keep regulators off balance, gas-guzzling
private jets, maybe 2 or 3 and 10-car garages, and that's only for starters.
Along the way, plutocrats don't do anything to help the biosphere. But
they do use it!
It's no mystery and certainly no secret that rampant CO2, produced by
the bucketful by transnationalists and their assorted interests
blankets, and heats up, the atmosphere as an unintended consequence of
capitalism's massive infinite growth paradigm, whilst producing
billionaires and millionaires like rabbits in heat as the planet turns
red hot.
Similar to a final show-of-shows miserably failing, the capitalist
bandwagon has turned into a freakish sideshow that only pays lip service
to helping the planet. Solution: Maybe they could help via a wealth tax
(no problem getting 99% approval) that plows their excesses into
renewable energy and scientific studies aimed at correcting 200+ years
of capitalistic blissfulness cruising alongside denigration of the only
known biosphere in the universe that supports life.
*Give me my planet or give me death!*
Wait a moment; didn't America's founding fathers say something similar
to that when the Revolution of the Wealthy (1775) took place in a ground
war between America's landed gentry (George Washington) and the British
crown (George III). (As an aside: Patrick "give me liberty or give me
death" Henry, similar to General Washington, owned big estates and slaves.)
Sloganeering worked just fine back in those revolutionary days! But,
back then sloganeering had the backing of the rich landed gentry that
also controlled all of the news.
Nowadays it's unlikely that a silly slogan like "give me my planet or
give me death," which refers to a defaced planet that nobody can buy or
own, will survive this polemic. Fat chance!
Robert Hunziker lives in Los Angeles and can be reached at
rlhunziker at gmail.com.
https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/08/22/capitalisms-rough-tumble-climate-affair/
[Irony of the week]
*'This is what climate change looks like': UW-Madison Center for
Limnology experiences flooding
<https://www.channel3000.com/news/photos-waters-rise-on-downtown-madison-streets/785283430>*
Center is flooded due to Lake Mendota's high water
Posted: August 23, 2018
MADISON, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Limnology
is experiencing flooding from lake levels on Lake Mendota rising, a blog
post from center said.
The blog pot written by Adam Hinterthuer from the Center for Limnology
said since all of the water couldn't get off the land fast enough in the
beginning, this caused extreme flooding in areas west of Madison. There
was anywhere from 3.92 inches by the Dane County Airport to 11.63 by the
National Weather Service in Middleton.
Now, the water is working its way downstream to the lakes, causing the
lake levels to rise.
Lake Mendota water is swamping the center's Wet Lab with ankle-deep
water. An Aqua Dam, or inflatable dike, is currently being used in the
Wet Lab.
The blog post said Facility Manager Dave Harring has used the device
before for days of sustained rain, not traditionally one event.
With the single event of rainfall, the editorial said the center will be
keeping a closer eye on the weather.
Floods like this one are becoming more common. "In other words, this is
what climate change looks like," the blog post said.
A report by the organization Media Matters for America, which was
mentioned by Emily Atkins in the New Republic, found out of 127 segments
aired about the summer's global heat wave, only one report mentioned
climate change.
"We know that it is impossible to pin a singular weather event on
climate change," the blog post. "There are too many variables at play to
say climate change caused the outbreak of 70 tornadoes in Arkansas,
Louisiana and North Carolina this April, or the costliest hurricane
season on record in 2017, or the rain that fell from last Monday night
to Tuesday morning."
Researchers and scientists across the country who have been documenting
weather events have noticed some trends including increased extreme
tornado outbreaks, more intense hurricanes and extreme precipitation
events are more common, especially in the Midwest and Northeast U.S.
"Global warming has changed the stage upon which the weather performs,"
the blog post said.
The blog post said the center has seen the impact of climate change in
its work "from shrinking lake ice to declining walleye populations to
increasing harmful algae blooms."
"Climate change is not just some future problem looming on the horizon.
It's here now. And we're dealing with its impacts," the blog post said.
https://www.channel3000.com/news/photos-waters-rise-on-downtown-madison-streets/785283430
[KUOW Radio show interview]
*Welcome to SeaCouver! Brenda Cooper envisions the Northwest of the
future
<https://soundcloud.com/kuow/welcome-to-seacouver-brenda-cooper-envisions-the-northwest-of-the-future>*
In the struggle to shape what life on earth will be like years from now,
visionary futurists inspire us with dread and hope at turns. Author
Brenda Cooper captures both in her books. Perhaps her day job as the
Chief Information Officer at the city of Kirkland helps her see clearly
how things are now and might change in the future.
https://soundcloud.com/kuow/welcome-to-seacouver-brenda-cooper-envisions-the-northwest-of-the-future
Start about 38 mins in - 40 mins in
http://kuow.drupal.publicbroadcasting.net/post/welcome-seacouver-envisioning-northwest-future
*This Day in Climate History - August 25, 2015
<https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/08/25/chris-horner-coal/> -
from D.R. Tucker*
In the Intercept, Lee Fang reports:
"Christopher Horner, an attorney who claims that the earth is
cooling, is known within the scientific community for hounding
climate change researchers with relentless investigations and public
ridicule, often deriding scientists as 'communists' and frauds.
"Horner is a regular guest on Fox News and CNN, and has been
affiliated with a number of think tanks and legal organizations over
the last decade. He has called for investigations of climate
scientists affiliated with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change and NASA, and inundated climate researchers at major
universities across the country with records requests that critics
say are designed to distract them from their work.
"New court documents reveal one source of Horner’s funding: big coal."
https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/08/25/chris-horner-coal/
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