[TheClimate.Vote] July 5, 2018 - Daily Global Warming News Digest -
Richard Pauli
richard at theclimate.vote
Thu Jul 5 09:40:16 EDT 2018
/July 5, 2018/
*Weatherwatch: California's clearer skies raise fire risk
<https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/jun/25/weatherwatch-california-clearer-skies-fire-risk-cloud-cover>*
Cloud cover is plummeting on the state's south coast, leading to drier
vegetation and greater threat of wildfire
The Golden State is in danger of becoming the "Cinder State". New
research reveals that cloud cover is plummeting in southern coastal
California, increasing the chances of bigger and more intense wildfires.
- - - - -
A combination of global warming and increasing city sprawl (the urban
heat-island effect) are the main drivers behind the reduction in cloud
cover. And less cloud cover means drier vegetation and greater chance of
fire. To date firefighters have been swift to deal with summer
wildfires, but the increasing danger means they will have their work cut
out.
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/jun/25/weatherwatch-california-clearer-skies-fire-risk-cloud-cover
[complaint detailed decades-long malfeasance]*
Document: Judge Dismisses Climate Suit Against Oil Companies
<https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/06/26/climate/document-Judge-Dismisses-Climate-Suit-Against-Oil-Companies.html>*
JUNE 26, 2018
Judge William Alsup of Federal District Court in San Francisco said the
world had benefited from fossil fuels and held that the courts were not
the proper venue to balance those benefits against global warming concerns.
Based on the opinion presented by Judge Alsup on the municipal suit
in SF this week it seems that focusing more narrowly on company's
responsible for intentionally misleading of the public... might have
traction.
"At one point counsel seemed to limit liability to those who had
promoted allegedly phony climate science to deny climate change"...
Seems to me, either the judge was giving us a roadmap or trying to
cover himself for punting responsibility back to legislators.
It's a good read if you haven't had a chance. Starts out with a nice
history of climate science and on the record agreement by both
parties (oil companies and plaintiffs) on the facts of climate
change. "The issue is not over science." - Kaya Axelsson
Original Document PDF
<https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/4560042/Judge-Alsup-Dismisses-Climate-Suit-Against-Oil.pdf>
https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/4560042/Judge-Alsup-Dismisses-Climate-Suit-Against-Oil.pdf
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/06/26/climate/document-Judge-Dismisses-Climate-Suit-Against-Oil-Companies.html
[AG-WEB from the Farm Journal]
*When the Jet Stream is "Blocked" Catastrophic Weather Can Occur
<https://www.agweb.com/article/when-the-jet-stream-is-blocked-catastrophic-weather-can-occur/>*
The sky sometimes has its limits, according to new research from two
University of Chicago atmospheric scientists....
- - - -
The deadly 2003 European heat wave, California's 2014 drought and the
swing of Superstorm Sandy in 2012 that surprised forecasters - all of
these were caused by a weather phenomenon known as "blocking," in which
the jet stream meanders, stopping weather systems from moving eastward.
Scientists have known about it for decades, almost as long as they've
known about the jet stream - first discovered by pioneering University
of Chicago meteorologist Carl-Gustaf Rossby, in fact - but no one had a
good explanation for why it happens.
"Blocking is notoriously difficult to forecast, in large part because
there was no compelling theory about when it forms and why," said study
coauthor Noboru Nakamura, a professor in the Department of the
Geophysical Sciences...
- - - -
"It turns out the jet stream has a capacity for 'weather traffic,' just
as highway has traffic capacity, and when it is exceeded, blocking
manifests as congestion," said Huang.
Much like car traffic, movement slows when multiple highways converge
and the speed of the jet stream is reduced due to topography such as
mountains or coasts.
The result is a simple theory that not only reproduces blocking, but
predicts it, said Nakamura, who called making the cross-disciplinary
connection "one of the most unexpected, but enlightening moments in my
research career - truly a gift from God."...
https://www.agweb.com/article/when-the-jet-stream-is-blocked-catastrophic-weather-can-occur/
- - - - -
[RESEARCH ARTICLE]
*Atmospheric blocking as a traffic jam in the jet stream
<http://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2018/05/23/science.aat0721>*
Abstract
Atmospheric blocking due to anomalous, persistent meandering of the
jet stream often causes weather extremes in the midlatitudes.
Despite its ubiquity, the onset mechanism of blocking is not well
understood. Here we demonstrate with meteorological data that there
exists a close analogy between blocking and traffic congestion on a
highway, and that they can be described by a common mathematical
theory. The theory predicts that the jet stream has a capacity for
the flux of wave activity (a measure of meandering), just as the
highway has traffic capacity, and when it is exceeded, blocking
manifests as congestion. Stationary waves modulate the jet stream's
capacity for transient waves and localize block formation. Climate
change likely affects blocking frequency by modifying the jet
stream's proximity to capacity.
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2018/05/23/science.aat0721
[local. regional govt is key]
*Solar Is Saving Low-Income Households Money in Colorado. It Could Be a
National Model.
<https://insideclimatenews.org/news/02072018/colorado-rooftop-solar-panels-clean-energy-utility-bill-savings-low-income-households-weatherization>*
The state's energy assistance programs are solving two challenges at
once: help people save money on electricity bills while expanding
renewable energy.
By Dan Gearino
Low-income households in Colorado are getting a new question during
visits from energy assistance agencies: Have you considered solar panels?
It's an innovative approach to solving two challenges at once: reducing
greenhouse gas emissions as the effects of climate change appear across
the state, and lowering low-income families' electricity bills...
- - - --
One key to Colorado's success is that much of the rooftop solar work is
being run by county and regional weatherization offices that already
provide insulation and other energy efficiency services.
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/02072018/colorado-rooftop-solar-panels-clean-energy-utility-bill-savings-low-income-households-weatherization
[Drought in Afghanistan - PBS report - 7 min video]
*Educated Afghan women offer economic resilience in the face of climate
change and conflict
<https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/educated-afghan-women-offer-economic-resilience-in-the-face-of-climate-change-and-conflict>*
PBS NewsHour - Published on Jul 4, 2018
Drought is drying up farms across Afghanistan, cracking the earth and
threatening the only way of life the majority has ever known. It's in
the fields where a new war is being waged between two forces the people
can't control: climate change and terrorism. But, as special
correspondent Beth Murphy of The GroundTruth Projects reports, some are
seeing greater reason to let their daughters be educated.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wyw8NpkLTeo
transcript at:
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/educated-afghan-women-offer-economic-resilience-in-the-face-of-climate-change-and-conflict
[Ice drama]*
****Film 'Arctic' Shot on an Icelandic Glacier
<http://glacierhub.org/2018/07/03/film-arctic-shot-on-an-icelandic-glacier/>*
Jade Payne - 3 July 2018
The endless expanse of white snow atop a glacier, framed by Icelandic
mountains, served as the set for the new movie "Arctic," which premiered
at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival in France. The film, a solo-survival
thriller shot in 2017, is director and screenwriter Joe Penna's feature
film debut.
The only survivor of a plane crash in the highlands of Iceland,
researcher and explorer Overgard must brave the frigid environment
during his decision to either stay with the relative safety of the plane
wreckage or venture into the unknown in search of help.
"Arctic" is the man versus nature genre in its purest form, with the
story and imagery speaking in place of the film's lack of dialogue. Mads
Mikkelsen, who portrays Overgard, told Variety that the landscape "is
the main character in many ways."
The environment is more than just visually striking, as its physical
challenges are not an easy hurdle. About 11 percent of Iceland is
covered by glaciers, and the winter temperatures average around 14
degrees Fahrenheit but can drop well into the negatives. This climate,
paired with sustained high winds made for a difficult shoot, but an
intense portrayal.
Despite these challenges, Penna maintains that "the tundra is the
precise place where 'Arctic' was to be shot - the harshest environment
on Earth."
The juxtaposition of a solitary human against the vastness of the Arctic
allows the courage and determination of Overgard to shine through.
"Nothing represents as much the fragility of a human as the sight of a
simple silhouette crossing an endless sea of snow," he states. This
scene, shot from above, specifically proved difficult when shooting in a
snow-covered landscape. "With virgin snow everywhere you look, it was
difficult to manage the sets so that they do not look like a
construction site where 30 people came and went," stated director of
photography Tomas Orn Tomasson.
With winds 30 to 40 knots throughout the 20-day winter shoot, continuity
was difficult with the weather in Iceland's highlands, where the largest
ice caps are located.
"Throughout the filming, weather conditions changed every hour,
destroying the continuity of our catch," said Penna in an interview.
The film, with a 97-minute run-time, was a "Golden Camera" nominee at
Cannes. It claimed one of the midnight showings where it received an
extended standing ovation. Reviews overall have been favorable. It
received a 7.3 out of 10 on IMDB and a 100 percent "Fresh" rating on
Rotten Tomatoes by critics.
The film will be released in the United States in 2019 by studio Bleeker
Street where a wider audience will have the chance to witness the
frozen, glacial world of "Arctic."
Video clip of movie Arctic
*Cannes 2018: Mads Mikkelsen in ARCTIC Clip
<https://youtu.be/3XqgqV9gf1c>*
Screen Anarchy
Published on May 8, 2018
A man stranded in the Arctic is finally about to receive his
long-awaited rescue. However, after a tragic accident, his
opportunity is lost. He must then decide whether to remain in the
relative safety of his camp or to embark on a deadly trek through
the unknown for potential salvation.
https://youtu.be/3XqgqV9gf1c
Penna encourages the audience to "admire our main character's silent
performance," which allows them to "take something different away from
the film than the person sitting next to [them] in the theatre."
Glaciers are an excellent way to achieve this effect, and filmmakers
have taken notice of glacial settings for many years. Glaciers are able
to stimulate the imagination of all those involved by providing a truly
unique and striking environment sure to capture the attention of the
audience.
http://glacierhub.org/2018/07/03/film-arctic-shot-on-an-icelandic-glacier/
[Just what are you denying?]
*Beating the Heat is not Funny. Ok, Sometimes its Funny.
<https://climatecrocks.com/2018/07/04/beating-the-heat-is-not-funny-ok-sometimes-its-funny/>*
July 4, 2018
Seven years ago this week, @USATODAY gave us the best newspaper graphic
of all time
<https://twitter.com/BrettKelman/status/1013792835366277121/photo/1>. It
will never stop being funny.
https://twitter.com/BrettKelman/status/1013792835366277121/photo/1
https://climatecrocks.com/2018/07/04/beating-the-heat-is-not-funny-ok-sometimes-its-funny/
<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/05/opinion/a-carbon-tax-sensible-for-all.html>*This
Day in Climate History - July 5, 2912
<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/05/opinion/a-carbon-tax-sensible-for-all.html>
- from D.R. Tucker*
July 5, 2012: Economist Yoram Bauman and law professor Shi-Ling Hsu
point out the benefits of a federal carbon tax in a New York Times article.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/05/opinion/a-carbon-tax-sensible-for-all.html
/-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
//Archive of Daily Global Warming News
<https://pairlist10.pair.net/pipermail/theclimate.vote/2017-October/date.html>
//
/https://pairlist10.pair.net/pipermail/theclimate.vote//
///
///To receive daily mailings - click to Subscribe
<mailto:subscribe at theClimate.Vote?subject=Click%20SEND%20to%20process%20your%20request>
/to news digest. /
*** Privacy and Security: * This is a text-only mailing that
carries no images which may originate from remote servers.
Text-only messages provide greater privacy to the receiver and
sender.
By regulation, the .VOTE top-level domain must be used for
democratic and election purposes and cannot be used for
commercial purposes.
To subscribe, email: contact at theclimate.vote with subject:
subscribe, To Unsubscribe, subject: unsubscribe
Also youmay subscribe/unsubscribe at
https://pairlist10.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/theclimate.vote
Links and headlines assembled and curated by Richard Paulifor
http://TheClimate.Vote delivering succinct information for
citizens and responsible governments of all levels. List
membership is confidential and records are scrupulously
restricted to this mailing list.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://pairlist10.pair.net/pipermail/theclimate.vote/attachments/20180705/2fea2d7a/attachment.html>
More information about the TheClimate.Vote
mailing list