[TheClimate.Vote] March 18, 2018 - Daily Global Warming News Digest

Richard Pauli richard at theclimate.vote
Sun Mar 18 09:31:51 EDT 2018 

/March 18, 2018/

[Exit of Rex Tillerson = Rexit]
*What Rexit could mean for climate change 
<https://www.axios.com/modeling-the-climate-effects-of-rexit-1521023786-d201afac-8e61-4f0a-9b77-3b1c296dafbb.html>*
Ben Geman
The firing of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson 
<https://www.axios.com/the-history-of-feuding-between-tillerson-trump-1520946730-41f6637e-7909-4f33-b11d-71f4f59f5381.html> 
yesterday might impact U.S. climate policy, especially as the 
secretary-in-waiting, Mike Pompeo, has openly questioned the dominant 
scientific view on human-induced global warming.
The big picture: The rapid-fire departure of White House aides George 
David Banks, Gary Cohn, and now Tillerson means the disappearance of the 
more moderate voices - by Trump administration standards - on climate 
policy from the president's orbit.
One emerging idea: Some observers speculated that Pompeo will simply 
lack bandwidth to pare back climate efforts much beyond the watering 
down that has already occurred.
- "Given the other issues on the plate of the State Department (North 
Korea, Iraq, etc.) and the need to hire key, unfilled positions, it's 
unclear that Director Pompeo would prioritize a major shift in the 
policy direction on climate," Kalee Kreider, a former adviser to Vice 
President Al Gore, tells Axios.
- "The best outcome on climate might be a sort of benign neglect on the 
part of Pompeo, which would allow the more knowledgeable career staff to 
continue to look out for U.S. interests within Paris agreement 
deliberations, in particular in the Paris agreement working group on 
transparency, where the U.S. and China share leadership," Livingston said.
- "I think Pompeo's views are fairly negative about the Paris agreement 
and climate action, particularly compared to Secretary Tillerson," said 
Sue Biniaz, a former State Department climate negotiator, tells the Post 
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2018/03/13/pompeo-who-has-raised-doubts-about-climate-change-would-lead-state-during-key-climate-negotiations/?utm_term=.b9034b20128f>.
She adds: "But I think it all depends on whether this becomes an area of 
focus, and whether people are brought in to change the policy."
https://www.axios.com/modeling-the-climate-effects-of-rexit-1521023786-d201afac-8e61-4f0a-9b77-3b1c296dafbb.html


[ouch]
*Climate change promotes the spread of mosquito and tick-borne viruses 
<https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/03/180316111311.htm>*
March 16, 2018
European Commission Joint Research Centre
Summary: Scientists find that global warming has allowed disease-bearing 
insects to proliferate, increasing exposure to viral infections.
Spurred on by climate change, international travel and international 
trade, disease-bearing insects are spreading to ever-wider parts of the 
world.
This means that more humans are exposed to viral infections such as 
Dengue fever, Chikungunya, Zika, West Nile fever, Yellow fever and 
Tick-borne encephalitis.
For many of these diseases, there are as yet no specific antiviral 
agents or vaccines.
Global warming has allowed mosquitoes, ticks and other disease-bearing 
insects to proliferate, adapt to different seasons, migrate and spread 
to new niche areas that have become warmer.
These are the findings of a JRC report that aims to raise awareness 
about the threat posed by the spread of arboviruses (arthropod-borne 
viruses)...
Zika virus - a serious concern for Europe
Zika virus has received a lot of media attention due to its association 
with neurological disorders such as Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) and 
the development of microcephaly (abnormally small head) in fetuses.
It is difficult to diagnose and there is no cure or vaccine. First 
identified in 1947 in the Zika forest of Uganda, its spread is a serious 
concern given the growing presence of its main vector, the mosquito 
Aedes albopictus, in temperate zones including Europe and America.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/03/180316111311.htm


[Fake Climate News]
*Fake News: How Climate Science Communication is Failing on YouTube 
<http://climatestate.com/2018/03/17/fake-news-how-climate-science-communication-is-failing-on-youtube/>*
While climate denial at YouTube became rampant around 2007, with 
literally thousands of videos on themes ranging from Al Gore, 
Climategate, It's the Sun, or hoax theories – classic denial, in the 
past few years the major denial players have changed their narrative to 
the next Ice Age is near (Grand Solar Minimum), or some concluding that 
it is too late to do anything anyway.
Additional deniers have focused their efforts to build-up their own 
YouTube channels, filled with fake science, fake conclusions, fake 
subscribers, fake viewers. With all the recent talk in the mainstream 
media about fake news, somehow climate denial – fake science 
conclusions, have been ignored.
If you watch a controversial YouTube video, be it about Alex Jones 
latest conspiracy, or how climate change is a scam, user votes are 
usually positive. Generally this is normal, since people usually consume 
to satisfy their belief system, called confirmation bias. Then add in 
fake views, and fake upvotes, and the fake impression is perfect. 
Another indicator for organized fake activity is that users who consume 
climate denial content are very active on other channels – once a video 
starts trending. They usually begin down voting en mass, and commenting.
To get an idea how flawed YouTube's recommendation system is, visit the 
website AlgoTransparency.org, <https://algotransparency.org/%5C> it 
lists recommendations, for such topics as global warming.
http://climatestate.com/2018/03/17/fake-news-how-climate-science-communication-is-failing-on-youtube/
[AlgoTransparency.org]
*YouTube's most recommended videos from global warming*/(shameful 
disappointment)/
** 
https://algotransparency.org/?candidat=global%20warming&file=ytrecos-science-2018-02-01


[Authoring Media]
*Mashup Messaging: How To Create Effective Climate Change Communication 
<https://cleantechnica.com/2018/03/14/mashup-messaging-create-effective-climate-change-communication/>*
by Carolyn Fortuna
As climate change advocates, we know how important it is to connect with 
our audiences through effective messaging. Training and technical 
assistance for environmental decision-makers is typical, but many of 
these leaders crave communications management. They understand 
communication challenges and recognize the importance of the "mindset" 
in framing our climate change communications...
Jennifer West, coastal training program coordinator at the Narragansett 
Bay Estuarine Research Reserve, spoke at the Land & Water Conservation 
Summit at the University of Rhode Island campus in Kingston on March 10, 
2018. She started out by outlining what climate change advocates need to 
know prior to composing climate change communications.
Who is your target audience?
What does your audience know and think?
What would you like your audience to know, think, and do?
- - - - - - - -
Yes, quality climate change communications take lots of time. Sometimes 
the extent and depth of climate change conversations seem daunting, as 
they involve policy-based strategies and real-world applications. But 
there are some basic principles that bring together different texts and 
modalities (i.e. mashups) that can help you to design effective climate 
change messages.
- Put your idea into simplified, synthesize, colorful visuals.
- Photos get you far! Make sure you include people's faces, as they are 
proverbially windows to the soul. Before/ after photos really work.
- Make sure that your visuals are contextually-based, not just convenient.
- Show conceptual diagrams, maps, photos, and tables/figures.
- Use colors and symbols alongside visuals in flow charts to attract not 
distract your audience.
- Consciously review formatting.
Climate change advocates are increasingly recognizing that they have a 
mandate to discuss climate change with deniers. Want some additional 
information about creating effective climate change communication? The 
National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation offers lots 
of information from the studies they've conducted.
- - - - -
Persevere. Be patient. And be self-reflective about the ways you use 
your knowledge through language each time you discuss climate change.
https://cleantechnica.com/2018/03/14/mashup-messaging-create-effective-climate-change-communication/


[Litigation]
*Three California Climate Suits Sent Back to State Court 
<https://www.climateliabilitynews.org/2018/03/17/california-climate-suits-san-mateo-marin-imperial-beach/>*
Unlike Alsup, Chhabria disagreed with the defendants' chief argument 
that federal common law should apply in these cases. The two judges 
differed in their comparisons of the current California lawsuits to that 
of Native Village of Kivalina v. ExxonMobil et al. Judge Alsup 
determined that Kivalina sought damages from domestic emitters, while 
the California plaintiffs "bring claims against defendants for having 
put fossil fuels into the flow of international commerce."
But Chhabria reasoned that the California cases are not distinct from 
Kivalina.
"Like the localities in the current cases, the Kivalina plaintiffs 
sought damages resulting from rising sea levels and land erosion," he 
wrote in his order. "Not coincidentally, there is significant overlap 
between the defendants in Kivalina and the defendants in the current 
cases." Because the Kivalina decision held that the Clean Air Act 
displaces the federal common law nuisance claim, Chhabria said, federal 
common law cannot govern the current nuisance claims...
"Kivalina stands for the proposition that federal common law is not just 
displaced when it comes to claims against domestic sources of emissions 
but also when it comes to claims against energy producers' contributions 
to global warming and rising sea levels…Simply put, these cases should 
not have been removed to federal court on the basis of federal common 
law that no longer exists," Chhabria wrote.
He also determined that state courts are capable of deciding ordinary 
preemption questions, and that complete preemption does not apply here.
"It may even be that these local actions are federally preempted," 
Chhabria wrote. "But to justify removal from state court to federal 
court, a defendant must be able to show that the case being removed fits 
within one of a small handful of small boxes. Because these lawsuits do 
not fit within any of those boxes, they were properly filed in state 
court and improperly removed to federal court."
- - - - - -
"While we expect these big fossil fuel corporations and their lawyers to 
keep trying to delay and distract from the merits of our case, we look 
forward to moving to trial so our communities can pursue the 
accountability and justice they are due," San Mateo County and Marin 
County officials said in a joint statement following the ruling.
https://www.climateliabilitynews.org/2018/03/17/california-climate-suits-san-mateo-marin-imperial-beach/


[Pop-Psy]
*4 Psychology Lessons That Can Teach Us About Inspiring Climate Action 
<https://cleantechnica.com/2018/03/17/4-psychology-lessons-can-teach-us-inspiring-climate-action/>*
Changing the behavior of one person is hard enough – let alone millions 
of citizens around the world. Find out what lessons psychology can teach 
us about inspiring climate action.
*1. CONNECT THE CLIMATE CRISIS TO WHAT'S HAPPENING IN REAL COMMUNITIES 
TO REDUCE PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTANCE.*
Climate change is a unique issue because although millions of people in 
the US and around the world feel the drastic effects of it in their 
daily lives, many people don't (yet).
Why does this matter? Because of a construct known as psychological 
distance 
<http://www.psych.nyu.edu/tropelab/publications/LibermanTropeStephan2007.pdf>. 

- - - - - -
*2. MAKE CLIMATE ACTION A GROUP EXPERIENCE TO PROMOTE SOCIAL NORMS.*
Humans are pack animals. In 1943, American psychologist Abraham Maslow 
created his Hierarchy of Needs, which proposed that humans have certain 
needs that begin with the most basic needs (food, sleep, safety) and end 
with ego-centered needs (self-esteem, creativity).
- - - - - -
*3. TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GAINING, NOT WHAT WE'RE LOSING, TO AVOID LOSS 
AVERSION.*
The psychological concept of loss aversion is nothing new, but 
behavioral scientists have started thinking about it more as it relates 
to the climate movement. *One study examined how framing climate change 
impacts can affect attitudes and perceptions. 
<https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959378010000610>* 
In the experiment, researchers presented different climate change 
impacts to participants (sourced from the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel 
on Climate Change (IPCC) report), who then answered questions about what 
they saw.
- - - - - -
*4. GIVE YOUR FRIENDS REAL WAYS TO TAKE ACTION TO PREVENT "ENVIRONMENTAL 
MELANCHOLIA."*
We know that the climate crisis isn't just an environmental issue. Not 
only do the people who experience extreme weather, warmer temperatures, 
drought, rising sea levels, and other devastating impacts feel 
psychological effects, but many people are affected simply by hearing 
about the crisis or seeing unsettling images in the news.
Dr. Renee Lertzman, a researcher who promotes climate change activism 
inside the workplace, explains that people often experience 
"environmental melancholia. 
<https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/climate-change-psychology_us_5674272ee4b014efe0d52186>"
- - - - - -
Our blog post, "Four Ways Anyone Can Take Climate Action," 
<https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/four-ways-anyone-can-take-climate-action> 
is a great place to start.
*HOW YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE*
Humans are complicated and changing behavior is no easy task, but 
thinking about how to overcome apathy or powerlessness is the first step 
to getting others involved with the movement for solutions. If you're 
ready to make a difference in your community, download our Make It a 
Reality Action Kit 
<https://www.climaterealityproject.org/content/download-make-it-a-reality-action-kit> 
now to get started. Our climate action kit will give you a thorough look 
at the climate crisis and ways you can participate in the fight for a 
bright, sustainable future...
https://cleantechnica.com/2018/03/17/4-psychology-lessons-can-teach-us-inspiring-climate-action/
[Originally posted]
*FOUR LESSONS PSYCHOLOGY TEACHES US ABOUT INSPIRING CLIMATE ACTION 
<https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/four-lessons-psychology-teaches-us-about-inspiring-climate-action>*
https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/four-lessons-psychology-teaches-us-about-inspiring-climate-action
-
[4 Easy Steps]
*FOUR WAYS ANYONE CAN TAKE CLIMATE ACTION 
<https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/four-ways-anyone-can-take-climate-action>*
You don't have to be a super activist or a Climate Reality Leader to act 
on the climate crisis. Here are four ways that anyone can make a difference.
*1. CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES*
Contacting your elected leaders' offices is a useful way to communicate 
your opinions on the climate crisis, especially when an action (such as 
a vote) is pending...
- - - - - -
*2. WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR*
The opinions section of a publication is one of the most valuable places 
to discuss the climate crisis. By writing a letter to the editor, your 
insights and opinions on the topic will be out there for hundreds or 
even thousands of people to read....
- - - - - -
*3. TALK TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY*
When you talk, your friends and family listen. That's why talking about 
the facts of the climate crisis is one of the best ways to take climate 
action...
- - - - - -
*4. ENCOURAGE YOUR CITY TO GO 100 PERCENT RENEWABLE*
The administration has made its priorities clear: the climate crisis is 
not it's problem. But if the president won't lead on climate action, we 
will...
Taking action locally is one of the best ways that we can fight the 
climate crisis.
- - - - - - -
Download the Cities100 Guide for 100 climate solutions from cities 
around the world <https://www.climaterealityproject.org/cities100>...
*BONUS: SIGN UP FOR OUR ACTIVIST LIST 
<https://www.climaterealityproject.org/cities100>*
To change everything, we need everyone. That's why we need your help to 
continue the fight for climate solutions. *Join our activist email list 
<https://www.climaterealityproject.org/joinreality>*
https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/four-ways-anyone-can-take-climate-action


[Northwestern oil]
*Washington state is "allied" with B.C. on Trans Mountain pipeline: 
governor 
<http://www.canadianbusiness.com/business-news/washington-state-is-allied-with-b-c-on-trans-mountain-pipeline-governor/>*
Mar 16, 2018 Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
VANCOUVER _ The governor of Washington says his state is "allied" with 
British Columbia in questioning whether the Trans Mountain pipeline 
should be expanded.
The project poses a threat to waters off the West Coast, which 
Washington residents view as a treasure, and the state is looking at 
marine safety laws that would help mitigate the impact of a tanker 
spill, Gov. Jay Inslee said Friday at a meeting with B.C. Premier John 
Horgan and officials from Oregon and California.
"We are hopeful that the premier's efforts to allow the voices of his 
citizens to be listened to will be successful, because it is very much 
in common with our citizens," Inslee said, adding that residents in his 
state recently rejected proposals for both coal and oil ports.
Inslee commended British Columbia for leadership on climate protection. 
But he said Trans Mountain may be a federal policy that "shoots Canada 
in the foot" and reverses some of the work the province has done...
Alberta and B.C. have been locked in a battle over the future of Kinder 
Morgan's $7.4-billion plan to triple the capacity of the Trans Mountain 
pipeline, which runs from Edmonton to Burnaby, B.C...
"The 49th parallel exists on maps and on globes, but we've demonstrated 
today that working together, the people who populate this spectacular 
region have a common purpose. And that is to ensure that our environment 
is protected so our economy can flourish."
Horgan said his U.S. counterparts understand the urgent need to protect 
a shared environment and to slow climate change across a region that is 
home to 55 million people and represents the world's fifth-largest economy.
http://www.canadianbusiness.com/business-news/washington-state-is-allied-with-b-c-on-trans-mountain-pipeline-governor/
[ OIL ]
*AN OIL PIPELINE EXPANSION IN WASHINGTON? 
<http://www.sightline.org/2017/06/05/an-oil-pipeline-expansion-in-washington/>*
New evidence that Kinder Morgan may double its Whatcom and Skagit route.
There's much ado about expansion plans 
<http://crosscut.com/2017/03/if-canada-ups-its-oil-shipping-should-we-worry-trans-mountain-pipeline/>for 
Canada's Trans Mountain Pipeline, and with good reason: exporting tar 
sands oil through the Salish Sea poses huge spill risks to the region 
<http://www.sightline.org/2017/05/22/the-tar-sands-threat-to-northwest-waters/>. 
Now there's reason to think that Washington may see a giant pipeline 
expansion of its own.
Kinder Morgan, an energy goliathwith a checkered past 
<http://www.sightline.org/research_item/the-facts-about-kinder-morgan-2/>, 
owns the Trans Mountain as well as the connected Puget Sound Pipeline, 
which runs through Whatcom and Skagit Counties in northwestern 
Washington State. The company is planning to begin construction this 
year on a near-tripling of its Canadian Trans Mountain Pipeline's 
capacity-adding a new 590,000-barrel pipe alongside the existing pipe. 
The resulting "twinned" line would be bigger than the planned Keystone 
XL Pipeline. And south of the border, new financial disclosures indicate 
that Kinder Morgan may also be planning to more than double the size of 
the Puget Sound Pipeline, boosting its capacity from 240,000 to 500,000 
barrels per day.
The existing Trans Mountain line delivers300,000 barrels of crude oil 
daily <http://www.kindermorgan.com/pages/about_us>over a 715-mile route 
from Alberta to the Northwest. Some of it goes to a marine terminal at 
Burnaby, British Columbia, where it is loaded on vessels for exportto 
Tacoma 
<http://www.sightline.org/2017/04/10/is-canadian-tar-sands-pipeline-pointing-to-tacoma/>, 
Washington, several locations in California, and other refining centers. 
Yet most of the oil,about 191,000 barrels daily 
<http://sedar.com/DisplayCompanyDocuments.do?lang=EN&issuerNo=00042650>, 
is diverted to a branch line known asthe Puget Sound Pipeline 
<http://www.kindermorgan.com/business/canada/puget_sound.aspx>, which 
delivers the fuel along a 69-mile routeto four refineries 
<http://crosscut.com/2017/03/if-canada-ups-its-oil-shipping-should-we-worry-trans-mountain-pipeline/>at 
Ferndale and Anacortes, Washington.
http://www.sightline.org/2017/06/05/an-oil-pipeline-expansion-in-washington/


*This Day in Climate History - March 18, 2015 
<http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/18/us/as-california-drought-enters-4th-year-conservation-efforts-and-worries-increase.html> 
   -  from D.R. Tucker*
March 18, 2015 - The New York Times reports:
"The rainy season drove into California in December with wet and windy 
promise: soaking rain, snow, dark gray skies and a flash of hope that 
the drought that has scorched this region had run its course. And then 
came January - with record high temperatures and record low rainfall.
"And now, as the end of the official rainy season approaches - this 
state gets 90 percent of its water from December through April, most of 
it in December and January - California is facing a punishing fourth 
year of drought. Temperatures in Southern California soared to 
record-high levels over the weekend, approaching 100 degrees in some 
places. Reservoirs are low. Landscapes are parched and blighted with 
fields of dead or dormant orange trees. And the Sierra Nevada snowpack, 
which is counted on to provide 30 percent of the state’s water supply as 
it melts through early summer, is at its second-lowest level on record.
"The federal government has warned farmers for the second year in a row 
that it would not be providing any water from its Central Valley Project 
reservoir system. Any hope climatologists had that California would be 
rescued again by a wet El Niño winter weather system is fading with the 
arrival of spring."
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/18/us/as-california-drought-enters-4th-year-conservation-efforts-and-worries-increase.html 

• MSNBC's Ed Schultz denounces the GOP's absolute refusal to concede 
that human-caused climate change is real. 
<http://www.msnbc.com/the-ed-show/watch/ignorance-is-deadly-about-climate-change-41508358760>
http://www.msnbc.com/the-ed-show/watch/ignorance-is-deadly-about-climate-change-415083587604 


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