[TheClimate.Vote] March 7, 2018 - Daily Global Warming News Digest
Richard Pauli
richard at theclimate.vote
Wed Mar 7 10:04:08 EST 2018
/March 7, 2018
/
[press release]
*Climate Ride <http://www.climateride.org/>*//
PEDAL YOUR BIKE.
POWER THE MOVEMENT
Some of you have joined Climate Ride in the past, and now we're gearing
up for 10 events around the world, including new events in Bhutan, Nova
Scotia, and more.
Climate Ride draws policy experts, advocates, scientists, sustainable
businesspeople and thought leaders, who join together to ride (or hike),
network, share ideas, and raise awareness while generating funding for a
multitude of organizations working on climate-related issues. This is a
sustainability conference where exploration and idea-sharing work hand
in hand.
Here's a sample of 2018 Rides & Hikes:
*Death Valley Ride*| February 24 - March 1, 2018
*California North Coast Ride*| May 20-24, 2018
NEW! *Bhutan Ride* | April 18-24, 2018
*Glacier National Park Ride *| July 17-22, 2018
*Glacier National Park Hike *| July 29-August 2, 2018
*Iceland Ride *| August 12-17, 2018
NEW! *Colorado Ride* | August 25-30, 2018
NEW! *Northern Michigan Ride* | September 15-18, 2018
NEW! *Nova Scotia Ride* | September 29-October 3, 2018
Climate Ride is the premier national ride to address climate issues,
renewable energy solutions, and green transportation (including bicycle
advocacy). The event also showcases that the bicycle is the ultimate
carbon-free machine and a viable form of everyday transportation.
Participants can explore events at www.climateride.org.
Questions? Contact Caeli at caeli at climateride.org or is email.
Kind regards,
Caeli
Caeli Quinn | Co-Founder and Executive Director | Climate Ride
caeli at climateride.org
http://www.climateride.org/
[Katharine Hayhoe]
*Climate changing more rapidly than many believe, says expert at
Edmonton conference
<http://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/climate-changing-more-rapidly-than-many-believe-says-expert-at-edmonton-conference>*
People who understand and live in the outdoors such as farmers or
ranchers will agree that something's different.
Hina Alam
Winters are warming faster than any other season and cold temperatures
are more rare than in the last 50 or 60 years, said an American expert
on climate change who made two presentations Monday at a conference in
Edmonton.
"We also expect there isn't going to be a big change in rainfall during
the growing season, but as it gets warmer, water evaporates more, and so
if it gets warmer and there is no change in rainfall, it gets drier,"
said Katharine Hayhoe <http://katharinehayhoe.com/wp2016/>, a Canadian
and director of the Climate Science Center at Texas Tech University.
People who understand and live in the outdoors such as farmers or
ranchers will agree that something's different, she said.
"They will tell you that tulips used to bloom at the end of April, but
now they are blooming in the beginning of April," she said."The birds
that they see migrating are migrating at different times of the year."
That is why she likes to call this "global weirding," she said. "Things
are different."
Hayhoe is the author of A Climate for Change: Global Warming Facts for
Faith-Based Decisions, which untangles the complex science and tackles
many long-held misconceptions about global warming. She spoke with
Postmedia at the Cities and Climate Change Science Conference at the
Shaw Conference Centre.
More winter precipitation will fall as rain and less as snow, with the
future holding more hot days, she said.
For thousands of years, climate has changed, Hayhoe said.
"Little ups and downs and ups and downs and then whoa - big change," she
said."We are not prepared for this rate of change."
Alberta is preparing for climate change in two ways, she said. The
province is working on reducing carbon emissions and is also preparing
to adapt to a changing climate.
Hayhoe is known to challenge the idea that faith and science are
incompatible.
"Science is not a religion," Hayhoe said. "You cannot choose whether you
want to believe in it or not and have your choice actually make a
difference. If you say you don't believe in gravity and step off a
cliff, you're going down just as fast as the person who does believe in
gravity."....
http://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/climate-changing-more-rapidly-than-many-believe-says-expert-at-edmonton-conference
[Two NASA Maps]
*A Dry Winter Brings Drought to the US
<https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=91790&src=eoa-iotd>*
Just nine months ago, the forests and farmlands of the continental
United States were well-watered, with just 5 percent of the nation
facing drought
<https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=90151>. By February
2018, after dry autumn and winter weather across many states, drought
has reached its highest levels since the spring of 2014.
The map
<https://eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/imagerecords/91000/91790/conus_drm_2018058.png>at
the top of this page was compiled from data provided by the U.S.
National Drought Monitor, a partnership of U.S. Department of
Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and
the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. It depicts areas of drought on
February 27, 2018, in progressive shades of orange to red. It is based
on measurements of climate, soil, and water conditions from more than
350 federal, state, and local observers.
- see:
https://eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/imagerecords/91000/91790/conus_drm_2018058.png
The second map shows the water woes a bit deeper underground
<https://eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/imagerecords/91000/91790/conus_grc_2018057.png>.
Developed by scientists at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, this data
set combines observations from satellites and ground-based gauges to
model the relative amount of water stored in underground aquifers
<http://water.usgs.gov/edu/earthgwaquifer.html> in the continental
United States. The wetness, or water content, is a depiction of the
amount of groundwater on February 26, 2018, as compared to the average
from 1948 to the present. Areas shown in teal have more abundant
groundwater for this time of year than the long-term average, while
shades of brown depict deficits. The maps are an experimental product
<http://drought.unl.edu/MonitoringTools/NASAGRACEDataAssimilation.aspx>
used by the U.S. Drought Monitor.
see -
https://eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/imagerecords/91000/91790/conus_grc_2018057.png
As of February 27, 2018, an estimated 55 percent of the continental U.S.
was classified as abnormally dry, and 31 percent of the country was
affected by some level of drought-17 percent in severe to extreme
drought. The worst drought in recent history,
<https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=79228> 2012, saw
nearly two-thirds of the U.S. affected by drought.
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=91790&src=eoa-iotd
[video of panel]
*Past Societal Collapse & Climate: inc. Prof Harvey Weiss (February
2018) <https://youtu.be/rC8TSKsYWww>*
Book Review: Megadrought and Collapse
<https://global.oup.com/academic/product/megadrought-and-collapse-9780199329199?cc=us&lang=en&>
From Early Agriculture to Angkor
Edited by Harvey Weiss
- First book to treat global history of megadroughts and societal
collapses, from origins of agriculture to fall of Angkor Wat.
- With megadrought as primary causal agency, challenges previous
multi-causal endogenous theories of societal collapse
- Represents the most current primary research presented by its
principal investigators
- Potential for crossover appeal to contemporary audiences via present
and pressing global environmental concerns
https://youtu.be/rC8TSKsYWww
[Taxes - Solar batteries]
*Adding Batteries to Existing Rooftop Solar Could Qualify for 30 Percent
Tax Credit
<https://insideclimatenews.org/news/05032018/solar-tax-credits-2018-irs-homeowner-ruling-battery-energy-storage-powerwall>*
An IRS ruling in a homeowner's case marks a milestone, energy storage
experts say. It's 'like jumping ahead 5 years on the cost curve for home
battery systems.'
BY LYNDSEY GILPIN
Homeowners with rooftop solar tied into the grid like the way they can
roll back their meters by selling surplus electricity back to the power
company. But there's a drawback: when the grid goes down in a storm,
their lights go off too, unless they paid to install a bank of batteries.
Now, with battery prices getting cheaper, some homeowners are thinking
about beefing up their solar arrays with battery storage and possibly
cutting ties with the grid altogether.
The taxman just gave them another incentive to do so, making clear that
the improvement qualifies for another fat tax credit just like the one
they earned when they put up their panels in the first place.
The Internal Revenue Service released a private letter ruling on Friday
stating that a customer with an existing home solar array is eligible
for a 30 percent federal tax credit when they buy and install a battery
system, provided it stores only solar energy from their own roof...
The private letter ruling was issued to a single taxpayer; it applies
only to that specific case, and the IRS says it doesn't set a precedent.
Even so, it tells accountants everywhere how the agency is interpreting
the tax law.
It suggests that taxpayers can now rest easy taking the tax credit when
adding batteries to an existing solar setup, even if they claimed the
tax credit when they set up their grid-tied panels, as long as the
battery receives power only from the home's solar panels and none from
the grid...
The solar Investment Tax Credit
<https://www.seia.org/initiatives/solar-investment-tax-credit-itc> for
homes remains at 30 percent though 2019, then drops to 26 percent in
2020, and 22 percent in 2021 before ending at the end of that year....
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/05032018/solar-tax-credits-2018-irs-homeowner-ruling-battery-energy-storage-powerwall
[New Yorker]
*Donald Trump's Know-Nothing Science Budget
<https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/donald-trumps-know-nothing-science-budget>*
By Alan Burdick, March 4, 2018
...That's the obstacle, of course: this President trusts no one; he
can't abide to read even his intelligence reports. Science thrives on
curiosity, investigation, vigorous discourse, and flexibility of
thought. Donald Trump is a party of one, interested solely in hearing
the sound of his own voice, regardless of the veracity of what it has to
say. For now, the interim science adviser is Michael Kratsios, the
deputy assistant in the Office of Science and Technology Policy.
Kratsios, who is thirty-one, worked previously as chief of staff to
Peter Thiel, the Silicon Valley billionaire and Trump supporter, and has
a bachelor's degree in political science-the only kind of science,
perhaps, that Trump can understand.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/donald-trumps-know-nothing-science-budget
[Arctic]
*The fight for the Arctic | DW Documentary
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWBZs3Uypqw>*
Published on Feb 17, 2018
The Arctic ice is retreating due to climate change. The region's once
inaccessible raw materials have caught the attention of major world powers.
Countries like the USA, Russia and China are positioning themselves,
scouting out the land and securing the best sites for getting their
hands on the raw materials. The animals of the Arctic are also having to
fight - for their survival. Russia already has an ultra-modern
nuclear-powered icebreaker in operation. The Norwegian company Statoil
is conducting test drilling with its cutting-edge rig"Songa Enabler,"
which was designed especially for the Arctic; it's the most northerly
drilling operation in the world. Norway hopes to discover vast natural
wealth in the Arctic. But the borders in the Arctic have not yet been
set, and a war over resources is always a distinct danger. For the
animals of the Arctic, including seals and polar bears, the melting sea
ice is also having drastic consequences. They're losing their habitats
and their search for food is becoming increasingly difficult. In
addition, the rubbish that is piling up in the Arctic only degrades very
slowly and it's poisoning the animals. Seabirds and whales are dying
because they can't digest the plastic in their stomachs. International
fishing fleets are the main culprits when it comes to rubbish in the
Arctic. The ice used to be a natural barrier. Now the trawlers can
penetrate further and further into the icy ocean and, as a result, catch
greater quantities of fish. Overfishing is almost inevitable.
Furthermore the huge trawl nets used by the industrial fishing fleets
are destroying the ocean floor, an important habitat. For years,
environmental organizations such as Greenpeace have been complaining
about the problems caused by fishing and raw-material exploitation in
the Arctic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWBZs3Uypqw
[classic climate comedy video]
*Lewis Black 11/15/14 Climate Change
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYwSGiowEzs>*
Lew takes a couple of questions from the San Antonio audience about
climate change.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYwSGiowEzs
-
[a few days ago]
*"The Kids Are Marching" (2/24/18 Kingston NY) | Lewis Black
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMCmj3TjM9Q>*
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMCmj3TjM9Q
*This Day in Climate History - March 7, 2016
<March%207,%202016:,,MediaMatters.org%20reports:,,%22ABC,%20CBS,%20NBC,%20and%20Fox%20collectively%20spent%20five%20percent%20less%20time%20covering%20climate%20change%20in%202015,%20even%20though%20there%20were%20more%20newsworthy%20climate-related%20events%20than%20ever%20before,%20including%20the%20EPA%20finalizing%20the%20Clean%20Power%20Plan,%20Pope%20Francis%20issuing%20a%20climate%20change%20encyclical,%20President%20Obama%20rejecting%20the%20Keystone%20XL%20pipeline,%20and%20195%20countries%20around%20the%20world%20reaching%20a%20historic%20climate%20agreement%20in%20Paris.%20The%20decline%20was%20primarily%20driven%20by%20ABC,%20whose%20climate%20coverage%20dropped%20by%2059%20percent;%20the%20only%20network%20to%20dramatically%20increase%20its%20climate%20coverage%20was%20Fox,%20but%20that%20increase%20largely%20consisted%20of%20criticism%20of%20efforts%20to%20address%20climate%20change.%20When%20the%20networks%20did%20discuss%20climate%20change,%20they%20rarely%20addressed%20its%20impacts%20on%20national%20security,%20the%20economy,%20or%20public%20health,%20yet%20most%20still%20found%20time%20to%20provide%20a%20forum%20for%20climate%20science%20denial.%20On%20a%20more%20positive%20note,%20CBS%20and%20NBC%20--%20and%20PBS,%20which%20was%20assessed%20separately%20--%20aired%20many%20segments%20that%20explored%20the%20state%20of%20scientific%20research%20or%20detailed%20how%20climate%20change%20is%20affecting%20extreme%20weather,%20plants,%20and%20wildlife.%22,,http://mediamatters.org/research/2016/03/07/study-how-broadcast-networks-covered-climate-ch/208881>
- from D.R. Tucker*
March 7, 2016:
MediaMatters.org reports:
"ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox collectively spent five percent less time
covering climate change in 2015, even though there were more
newsworthy climate-related events than ever before, including the
EPA finalizing the Clean Power Plan, Pope Francis issuing a climate
change encyclical, President Obama rejecting the Keystone XL
pipeline, and 195 countries around the world reaching a historic
climate agreement in Paris. The decline was primarily driven by ABC,
whose climate coverage dropped by 59 percent; the only network to
dramatically increase its climate coverage was Fox, but that
increase largely consisted of criticism of efforts to address
climate change. When the networks did discuss climate change, they
rarely addressed its impacts on national security, the economy, or
public health, yet most still found time to provide a forum for
climate science denial. On a more positive note, CBS and NBC - and
PBS, which was assessed separately - aired many segments that
explored the state of scientific research or detailed how climate
change is affecting extreme weather, plants, and wildlife."
http://mediamatters.org/research/2016/03/07/study-how-broadcast-networks-covered-climate-ch/208881
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