[TheClimate.Vote] February 9, 2018 - Daily Global Warming News Digest
Richard Pauli
richard at theclimate.vote
Fri Feb 9 09:52:34 EST 2018
/February 9, 2018/
[Europe Flood Risk]
*Climate change is increasing flood risks in Europe
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2018/feb/08/climate-change-is-increasing-flood-risks-in-europe>*
A new study finds strong agreement that flood risks in central and
western Europe are rising due to global warming...
...we want to know the consequences of warming so that we can make
informed decisions about what to do about it. We really have only three
choices: mitigate, adapt, or ignore and suffer the consequences.
A very newstudy <http://www.mdpi.com/2225-1154/6/1/6>was just published
that helps answer this question of "so what?" The research was conducted
by lead author Lorenzo Alfieri (European Commission - Joint Research
Centre, Italy),Richard Betts
<http://geography.exeter.ac.uk/staff/?web_id=Richard_Betts>(University
of Exeter and Met Office, UK), and their colleagues...
...the researchers are quite certain regarding increased risks in the
central and western parts of Europe but less certain about what will
happen in the east. But the authors went a step further; they calculated
the expected economic damage from future flooding for the three
different temperature increases. They found that regardless of which
model was used, there will be significant economic damage (in the range
of tens to hundreds of billions of Euros per year) in the warming
future. They also showed that the population affected in Europe by
future flooding will grow significantly in the future. Roughly
estimated, 500,000 to 1 million people are expected to be affected by
flooding in the future climate.
What I like about this study is it tries to tackle the problem of
quantifying a cost of climate change. We know humans are warming the
planet. What we really want to know is what the effect is. Only by
comparing costs of action to costs of inaction can we make wise
decisions. So far, the research is telling us that it is much wiser to
take action now to reduce warming (mitigation) than just ignore
greenhouse gases and try to adapt to a harsh future climate.
Studies like this give lie to people who claim that it is too expensive
to take action on climate change. What this study shows is it may be too
expensive to do nothing.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2018/feb/08/climate-change-is-increasing-flood-risks-in-europe
[Pruitt]
*The Energy 202: Democratic senators demand Pruitt recuse himself from
rewriting Clean Power Plan
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/the-energy-202/2018/02/07/the-energy-202-democratic-senators-demand-pruitt-recuse-himself-from-rewriting-clean-power-plan/5a7a2dd130fb041c3c7d7680/?utm_term=.0ef5230a382b>*
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/the-energy-202/2018/02/07/the-energy-202-democratic-senators-demand-pruitt-recuse-himself-from-rewriting-clean-power-plan/5a7a2dd130fb041c3c7d7680/
[Climate Liability]
*As San Francisco, Oakland Press Climate Cases, They Pay Homage to Tiny
Kivalina
<https://www.climateliabilitynews.org/2018/02/08/san-francisco-oakland-climate-lawsuit-kivalina-alaska/>*
By Dana Drugmand
When a remote native Alaskan village
<http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/27/us/27alaska.html?_r=1&oref=slogi>could
find no other relief from damaging coastal storms and erosion that
continuously swallowed its land, it filed a nuisance lawsuit against
major energy producers and carbon emitters in federal court. That 2008
suit, /Native Village of Kivalina v. ExxonMobil et al./
<http://climatecasechart.com/case/native-village-of-kivalina-v-exxonmobil-corp/>
was a landmark case in attempting to hold fossil fuel companies
accountable for the impacts of the global warming overwhelmingly driven
by its products. Even though the case ultimately failed, it holds
important lessons for the latest wave of tort-based climate litigation.
"The takeaway's pretty clear," said Matt Pawa
<https://www.hbsslaw.com/attorneys/partner/matthew-f-pawa-partner-co-chair-of-environmental-practice-group>,
lead attorney for plaintiffs in the Kivalina case. "It's time to focus
on state law."
Pawa is currently involved in the lawsuits filed by San Francisco and
Oakland
<https://www.climateliabilitynews.org/2017/09/20/san-francisco-oakland-lawsuit-climate-change-bp-exxon-shell/>against
five large petroleum companies last September in California state court.
And he is fighting to keep them there. Because the fossil fuel companies
also learned from Kivalina, they petitioned to move the cases to federal
district court, but plaintiffs are slated to argue that they should be
heard in state court where they were initially filed.
"State law typically applies to product-related type claims," Pawa said.
"In our current case, this products claim is focused on the production
and promotion of the product."
The jurisdictional battle may determine the cases' ultimate success.
That makes these hearings perhaps the most important in the case. The
first one comes Thursday, when San Francisco and Oakland will make their
case for remanding
<http://blogs2.law.columbia.edu/climate-change-litigation/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/case-documents/2018/20180115_docket-317-cv-06011_reply-1.pdf>to
state court in front of District Judge William Alsup in the Northern
District of California court in San Francisco. There are eight cities
and counties in California that have filed these suits, all in state
court. New York City is also suing Big Oil
<https://www.climateliabilitynews.org/2018/01/10/new-york-city-climate-lawsuit-liability-bill-de-blasio/>,
while Los Angeles
<https://www.climateliabilitynews.org/2018/01/13/climate-lawsuit-los-angeles/>and
Boulder, Colorado
<https://www.climateliabilitynews.org/2018/01/18/boulder-colorado-climate-lawsuit/>are
considering following suit.
To further understand theses current climate liability lawsuits, it
helps to look back at the Kivalina case for context.
http://climatecasechart.com/case/native-village-of-kivalina-v-exxonmobil-corp/
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/27/us/27alaska.html?_r=1&oref=slogi
Listed Claims against the Carbon Fuel Industry accepted in Federal
District Court 2007 <http://novote4energy.org/> http://novote4energy.org/
https://www.climateliabilitynews.org/2018/02/08/san-francisco-oakland-climate-lawsuit-kivalina-alaska/
[Kresge]
*Rising to the Challenge, Together
<https://kresge.org/content/rising-challenge-together>*
About this report
The challenges of adapting to and building resilience against
climate change are an everyday reality for decision makers across
the United States. Climate adaptation has begun to emerge as a field
of practice; however, it is not evolving quickly or deliberately
enough for communities to adequately prepare for the dangerous
shocks and stresses that increasingly will be introduced by climate
change. This report assesses the current state of the climate
adaptation field; provides a vision of what a mature, effective
field would look like; and recommends steps that should be taken to
realize that vision.
"This report highlights the urgency of building climate adaptation as a
field of practice,...It is critical to expand the number of people who
understand the imperative of acting quickly, which actions yield the
best and most effective protections against climate change-fueled
events, and how to approach climate resilience in ways that advance equity."
Executive Summary for Rising to the Challenge, Together
<https://kresge.org/library/executive-summary-rising-challenge-together>
https://kresge.org/library/executive-summary-rising-challenge-together
Full Report Rising to the Challenge, Together
<https://kresge.org/library/rising-challenge-together-0>
https://kresge.org/library/rising-challenge-together-0
Appendices for Rising to the Challenge, Together
<https://kresge.org/library/appendices-rising-challenge-together>
https://kresge.org/library/appendices-rising-challenge-together
We are an institution that is deeply committed to sharing the lessons
that result from our work with grantees and partners through
storytelling, research and convenings.
https://kresge.org/content/rising-challenge-together
[Ask Umbra]
*Climate Strange
<https://grist.org/article/embracing-do-gooders-weirdos-environmentalism-farmers-markets-composting/>*
The eco-obsessed often get labeled as weirdos - even by their peers.
Weird, however, is looking better and better.
By Eve Andrews
..."Great job!" so many would say. "You're doing such wonderful work!"
But the cars and the disposable coffee cups don't seem to diminish, so
the praise feels meaningless. "You try and you try and you try, and you
don't know what you can do, so you do what you can," he told me over the
phone. (We had to plan the call in advance, as Mitchell does not keep
his cellphone on unless he knows he needs to use it, to conserve battery
life.)
Why keep it up? Why be such a weirdo? What can you possibly change?
Even within the environmental movement, there's a fraught and often ugly
debate over people like Mitchell, who radically change their lives to
fight climate change. Critics say they are wasting their time and
scaring away the critical audience of the unconverted. Major voices in
the climate movement are dismissive of the choice to, say, forego a
major flight. Why sacrifice, they chide; focus on what matters.
But Mitchell has also worked on the kind of systemic change that many
environmentalists would criticize him for distracting from. He's
volunteered for habitat restoration, worked at the local recycling
facility, run for local office, knocked on doors for voter registration
campaigns. He's just upset that for so much talk about wanting to fight
climate change, most people don't reflect it in their daily lives.
As much as policy shapes behavior, a mass shift in behavior can push
policy and change the world. The shift has to start somewhere - and it
starts with the weirdos....
Behavior normalization is a powerful driver of climate-conscious
lifestyles. A 2014 study in the International Journal of Psychology
examined the values, social forces, and personality traits that
correlate with pro-environment actions. "If one believes that the 'usual
thing to do' is to recycle, one is likely to recycle," the authors
write. (The most important "usual things" to change, according to a
major study last year, include our diets and transportation habits.)
*Basically, in "norm activation theory," we make decisions based on our
sense of personal moral obligation, expected consequences, and,
significantly, the expectations of our peers. It's why it's easier to
quit smoking if people around you quit smoking...*
Peter Kalmus, a climate scientist, has transformed his own lifestyle
based on moral obligation (save humanity from climate change) and the
consequences of his actions (everything we do makes the climate change a
tiny bit more). Now, he's working on changing that whole "expectations
of our peers" part...
That is the entire point of Kalmus' book, Being the Change: Live Well
and Spark a Climate Revolution. In his opinion, there wasn't a
satisfying discussion of what a regular person can do to fight climate
change so he set out to create a point of reference, a guide, for anyone
nervous and curious. When I told him it's currently on a deep wait list
at the Seattle library, he laughed delightedly...
This is what he did: He challenged himself to de-fossil-fuel his own
lifestyle in all the most important ways. First, flying less. ("Hour for
hour, there's no better way to contribute to climate change than to get
on a commercial plane," he says.) Then, vegetarianism. ("I felt lighter,
more energetic.") Then, even in the suburbs, giving up his motorcycle
for a bicycle. And after that, it became a sort of game. He asked: "What
are the most radically emissions-free lifestyle changes that I can make,
and still enjoy myself?"...
https://grist.org/article/embracing-do-gooders-weirdos-environmentalism-farmers-markets-composting/
[Book Blurb]
*Being the Change: Live Well and Spark a Climate Revolution - Paperback
<https://www.walmart.com/ip/Being-the-Change/55520409>*
Life on 1/10th the fossil fuels turns out to be awesome.
We all want to be happy. Yet as we consume ever more in a frantic bid
for happiness, global warming worsens.
Alarmed by drastic changes now occurring in the Earth's climate systems,
the author, a climate scientist and suburban father of two, embarked on
a journey to change his life and the world. He began by bicycling,
growing food, meditating, and making other simple, fulfilling changes.
Ultimately, he slashed his climate impact to under a tenth of the US
average and became happier in the process.
Being the Change explores the connections between our individual daily
actions and our collective predicament. It merges science, spirituality,
and practical action to develop a satisfying and appropriate response to
global warming.
Part one exposes our interconnected predicament: overpopulation, global
warming, industrial agriculture, growth-addicted economics, a sold-out
political system, and a mindset of separation from nature. It also
includes a readable but authoritative overview of climate science. Part
two offers a response at once obvious and unprecedented: mindfully
opting out of this broken system and aligning our daily lives with the
biosphere.
The core message is deeply optimistic: living without fossil fuels is
not only possible, it can be better.
Peter Kalmus is an atmospheric scientist at Caltech / Jet Propulsion
Laboratory with a Ph.D. in physics from Columbia University. He lives in
suburban Altadena, California with his wife and two children on 1/10th
the fossil fuels of the average American. Peter speaks purely on his own
behalf, not on behalf of NASA or Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Being-the-Change/55520409
[O'Dwyer's PR and Mktg Communications]
Bridging the Chasm Between Perception and Reality
<http://www.odwyerpr.com/story/public/10146/2018-02-06/bridging-chasm-between-perception-reality.html>
Tue., Feb. 6, 2018
By Megan Fairchild Anderson
*Inoculate against misperceptions*
Current research related to perceptions and politicization of climate
change shows evidence that perception can be pre-emptively protected
against misinformation if people are given "cues" from experts. The
study reveals one promising way to counteract the politicization of
science is to convey a high level of consensus among experts about the
reality of human-caused climate change.
Credibility is the name of the game. As communicators, we often counsel
that if you don't tell your story, someone else will. I would append
this idiom, adding that if you don't tell your story first and support
it with clearly presented, credible expertise someone else will tell
your story with misinformation that people believe.
*Connection is key*
One of the truths that has come out in the conversations around
conventional agriculture, science and consumer cynicism is that people
trust farmers. They love farmers but are skeptical of conventional
farming practices. As we think about facts, expertise and the
complicated business of changing misperceptions, we need to remember the
power of a personal connection in delivering information. While human
brains are hard-wired to keep deeply rooted beliefs, we can overcome
this challenge by focusing on a connection strategy that both recognizes
the human behavior that determines which information channels are best
for each goal, and also reflects how channels interrelate, synchronize
and work with audience behaviors.
One final thought on bridging the chasm between perception and reality:
Execution is as important as strategy. Implement innovations and best
practices across each channel and use best-of-breed tools to communicate
efficiently and effectively.
Megan Fairchild Anderson is senior director at Padilla, where she
provides strategic oversight for Padilla's clients in the agricultural,
animal health and environmental sciences industries.
http://www.odwyerpr.com/story/public/10146/2018-02-06/bridging-chasm-between-perception-reality.html
[Work and Climate Change Report]
*The Work and Climate Change Report (WCR) is a free electronic
newsletter,
<http://www.adaptingcanadianwork.ca/work-and-climate-change-report/>*
begun in 2010 as a part of the Work in a Warming World (W3) research
programme. The WCR's goal is to provide updates on publications and news
about the green transition for the economy, emphasizing the workplace
and workers. Our focus is on Canada, but includes international
developments of relevance to Canadians as well.
For those interested in combating climate change at universities and
colleges, there is a new leaflet available called "Confronting Climate
Change on Campus" by our colleagues at the Canadian Association of
University Teachers (CAUT), a partner institution of the Adapting
Canadian Work and Workplaces to Respond to Climate Change (ACW) project.
The leaflet was created in response to growing awareness and concern
about climate change..
It presents a three-step plan of practical action to be followed by
academic staff associations and researchers across Canada:
1. Reduce the carbon footprint of campuses by improving building
energy conservation and promoting low-carbon transportation.
2. Take academic action such as expanding the offering of courses
dedicated to climate change and encouraging climate change research
through grants and awards.
3. Advocate for the creation of association or institutional
environment committees, or work with established committees, such as
collective bargaining or workplace joint health and safety, to push
climate change concerns.
"Our institutions are a significant source of carbon emissions," added
Foster. "The good news is that our members have the expertise to develop
and disseminate climate change solutions. Our campuses are the prime
proponents of critical inquiry and evidence-based decision-making, so we
are uniquely placed to lead the political transformation to a
sustainable future."
You can learn more at
http://www.adaptingcanadianwork.ca/university-teachers-union-promotes-climate-action-campus/
If you are interested in climate change and the world of work, please
subscribe to receive a convenient email notification when we add new
information to our website: http://www.adaptingcanadianwork.ca/subscribe/
All the best,
Steven Staples | Communications Officer
Adapting Canadian Work and Workplaces (ACW)
York University - Ross North 821
4700 Keele St., Toronto, ON M3J 1P3
Office: 416 736 2100 ext. 22962 Cel: 647 327-7187
Email: sstaples at yorku.ca
http://www.adaptingcanadianwork.ca/work-and-climate-change-report/
[GOP denier solar with a Tesla]
*GOP congressman powers his off-grid solar home with a Tesla battery
<https://thinkprogress.org/gop-congressman-tesla-car-battery-to-power-off-grid-solar-home-8a8e6338ca86/>*
But libertarian, MIT grad Rep. Massie (R-KY) is still a climate science
denier
JOE ROMM Think Progress
Congressman Thomas Massie (Republican-Kentucky) is an MIT-trained
engineer and libertarian who has been living off-grid with his family
for over a decade and driving a Tesla Model S for five years.
On Sunday, he posted a YouTube video <https://youtu.be/qpPYkqpe-Ms>on
his "DIY battery quest" to replace the 12-year-old lead-acid batteries
with some new Tesla lithium batteries.
As he explains, while living off-grid is expensive, the new batteries
could cut his nighttime electricity costs in half, from $0.25 a kilowatt
hour to $0.12 a kilowatt hour, which is close to the price of retail
electricity.
Tesla doesn't sell one for off-grid use. And Tesla won't sell you Model
S batteries by themselves.
This 23-minute video <https://youtu.be/qpPYkqpe-Ms> documents what he
calls a "pretty dag-gone exciting" do-it-yourself adventure, in which he
travels to Georgia to buy a wrecked Tesla Model S for $15,000 and
successfully uses its lithium battery to replace the messy and high
maintenance lead-acid batteries...
"When you go off-the-grid, you have more choices for where to build your
house. Land that wasn't developable because of a lack of access to
public utilities suddenly becomes viable by going off the grid. Plus
homeowners won't have to run wires across their neighbors' land."
He told Science magazine back in 2012, "Most of the public is still
debating whether the earth is heating up. But I think the real question
is by how much? I'm still looking for an answer I can hold onto."
Massie added, "I honestly think that it's an open question… I think the
jury is still out on the contribution of our activities to the change in
the earth's climate."
In fact, the overwhelming majority of climate scientists - over 97
percent - understand that humans are the primary cause of climate
change, and that the best estimate is that humans are responsible for
all recent warming. And they have known that for years.
https://thinkprogress.org/gop-congressman-tesla-car-battery-to-power-off-grid-solar-home-8a8e6338ca86/
https://youtu.be/qpPYkqpe-Ms
*This Day in Climate History February 9, 2003 - from D.R. Tucker*
In a speech at Harvard University, Democratic presidential candidate and
Massachusetts Senator John Kerry declares:
"We should be the world's environmental leader. Our global
environmental policy should be driven by our convictions, not our
constraints. America has not led but fled on the issue of global
warming. The first President Bush was willing to lead on this issue.
But the second President Bush's declaration that the Kyoto Protocol
was simply Dead on Arrival spoke for itself - and it spoke in dozens
of languages as his words whipped instantly around the globe. What
the Administration failed to see was that Kyoto was not just an
agreement; it represented the resolve of 160 nations working
together over 10 years. It was a good faith effort - and the United
States just dismissed it. We didn't aim to mend it. We didn't aim to
sit down with our allies and find a compromise. We didn't aim for a
new dialogue. The Administration was simply ready to aim and fire,
and the target they hit was our international reputation. This
country can and should aim higher than preserving its place as the
world's largest unfettered polluter. We should assert, not abandon
our leadership in addressing global economic degradation and the
warming of the atmosphere that if left unchecked, will do untold
damage to our coastline and our Great Plains, our cities and our
economy."
http://www.gwu.edu/~action/2004/issues/kerr020903spenv.html
http://c-spanvideo.org/program/DemocraticPolicy
/
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