[TheClimate.Vote] March 19, 2018 - Daily Global Warming News Digest

Richard Pauli richard at theclimate.vote
Mon Mar 19 10:07:20 EDT 2018 

/March 19, 2018

/[MSN/Popular Science]
*The people of Cape Town are running out of water - and they're not 
alone 
<https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/the-people-of-cape-town-are-running-out-of-water-%E2%80%94-and-they%E2%80%99re-not-alone/ar-BBKaFgr>*
Amal Ahmed
Cape Town is one of the most dire cases we're seeing today. But across 
the globe, water troubles are already straining the lives of millions of 
people...
*Bolivia*
Disappearing Andean glaciers, increasingly rare rainfalls in the wet 
season, and a protracted drought dried up most of capital city La Paz's 
drinking water in 2017. Mining operations have also had a hand in 
depleting the scarce resource. The predictions of what could happen in 
Cape Town have already come true in this city of almost two and a half 
million. Military-guarded trucks deliver meager rations of water, while 
contamination and protests wreak havoc on the daily lives of citizens. 
Conservation, rationing, and limiting industrial usage can only go so 
far if the rains don't come soon.
*Morocco*
Farmers had been overusing water resources during what may have been the 
country's worst drought in 30 years to continue growing impractical, 
water-intensive crops, like watermelon. In October 2017, the government 
shut off water supplies in the rural town of Zagora in response to 
shortages. It's a town where residents report that clean drinking water 
is hard to come by, even when the taps are running, and they quickly 
took to the streets in protest. While the town got an official apology 
from the Prime Minister, the government hasn't done much to mitigate the 
problem or encourage conservation as the drought lingers on.
*Bangladesh*
Three-quarters of the earth's surface is covered in water, but most of 
it is undrinkable. In the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove 
forests located in coastal Bangladesh, that paradox defines the daily 
struggles of villagers who have to search further and further for clean 
drinking water. As climate change intensifies, melting ice in Greenland 
and Antarctica causes sea water to rise. In the low-lying Sundarbans, 
that means salty sea water encroaches on groundwater and reservoirs, 
rendering it useless for human consumption...
You'll die of dehydration if you drink too much salt water. The lack of 
freshwater drives climate refugees towards Dhaka, one of the most 
densely populated cities in the world. They may not get much relief in 
their new home-the city's infrastructure can't keep up with its 
ever-growing population, and millions of slum dwellers lack access to 
clean water.
*United States*
...the reality is that U.S. water access is far from equal. Climate 
change and extended droughts are slowly drying up the Colorado River, 
putting 30 million people in seven states in a precarious 
position...Unincorporated townships are often denied access to the water 
and sewer infrastructure of larger cities or towns. The community of 
Sandbranch, for example, sits right in the shadows of the Dallas's 
skyscrapers. But residents haven't had clean drinking water since gravel 
mining contamination in the 1950s. On Native American reservations, some 
24,000 households don't have running water, either.
But being connected to a municipal supply doesn't always ensure clean 
drinking water. Residents of Flint, Michigan have been drinking bottled 
water since 2015, when elevated lead levels were detected in residential 
tap water-despite city officials' insistence that the water was safe. 
Just this week, a new round of testing found traces of lead in water. 
Poor infrastructure, like climate change, will continue to exacerbate 
America's water woes.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/the-people-of-cape-town-are-running-out-of-water-%E2%80%94-and-they%E2%80%99re-not-alone/ar-BBKaFgr


[Climate Law DB]
*Climate Change Litigation Databases <http://climatecasechart.com/>*
This site provides two databases of climate change caselaw. Cases in the 
databases are organized by type of claim and are searchable. In many 
cases, links are available to decisions, complaints, and other case 
documents.

    Here
    <http://columbiaclimatelaw.com/files/2018/03/070031820-Arnold.pdf> is
    an article, "Patterns of Climate Change Litigation During Trump
    Era," that appeared in the New York Law Journal on March 8. A more
    detailed analysis, "U.S. Climate Change Litigation in the Age of
    Trump: Year One," was published in February 2018; it is available
    here
    <http://columbiaclimatelaw.com/files/2018/02/Adler-2018-02-U.S.-Climate-Change-Litigation-in-the-Age-of-Trump-Year-One.pdf>.


    Columbia Law School's Sabin Center for Climate Change Law maintains
    two databases that attempt to comprehensively post all climate
    change litigation. One has litigation in U.S. courts; the other has
    litigation in the courts of other countries. Both can be accessed
    here <http://climatecasechart.com/>. If any readers are aware of
    cases we have missed, please send them to me at the below e-mail
    address.

    We also issue a monthly update about new U.S. and non-U.S.
    litigation developments. To be added to the mailing list, please go
    here
    <http://columbia.us13.list-manage2.com/subscribe?u=9906c7202590aac6a8bdbb7b9&id=a721b41b2d>.

    ​In conjunction with the Grantham Research Institute on Climate
    Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics and
    Political Science, we have produced a database, Climate Change Laws
    of the World, which has laws and litigation for ​most of the
    countries of the world. It is available here
    <http://www.lse.ac.uk/GranthamInstitute/research-theme/governance-and-legislation/>.

*U.S. Climate Change Litigation 
<http://climatecasechart.com/us-climate-change-litigation/>* 
http://climatecasechart.com/us-climate-change-litigation/
*Non-U.S. Climate Change Litigation 
<http://climatecasechart.com/non-us-climate-change-litigation/>* 
http://climatecasechart.com/non-us-climate-change-litigation/
http://climatecasechart.com/


[global water discussions]
*8th World Water Forum - March 18 to 23, 2018 
<http://www.worldwaterforum8.org/en/8th-world-water-forum-march-18-23-2018>*
The World Water Forum is the world's biggest water-related event and is 
organized by the World Water Council (WWC), an international 
organization that brings together all those interested in the theme of 
water. Its mission is "to promote awareness, build political commitment 
and trigger action on critical water issues at all levels, to facilitate 
the efficient conservation, protection, development, planning, 
management and use of water in all its dimensions on an environmentally 
sustainable basis for the benefit of all life on Earth".
Founded in 1996 with its permanent headquarters in the French city of 
Marseille, the World Water Council is an international multi-stakeholder 
platform organization bringing together nearly 400 institutions from 
every horizon, from nearly 70 countries around the world. By providing a 
platform to encourage debates and exchanges of experience, the World 
Water Council aims to reach a common strategic vision on water resources 
and water services management amongst all stakeholders in the water 
community.
In the process, the Council also catalyzes initiatives and activities, 
whose results converge towards its flagship product, the World Water 
Forum. The World Water Forum contributes to the dialogue of the 
decision-making process on water at the global level, seeking to achieve 
the rational and sustainable use of this resource. Given its political, 
technical and institutional scope, one of the Forum's main features is 
the open, democratic participation of actors drawn from different 
sectors, making it an event of the greatest importance on the 
international agenda.
http://www.worldwaterforum8.org/


[Trains a comin']
*Canada's Pipeline Challenges Will Force More Tar Sands Oil to Move by 
Rail 
<https://www.desmogblog.com/2018/03/18/canadian-pipeline-capacity-more-tar-sands-oil-rail>*
By Justin Mikulka • March 18, 2018
The Motley Fool has been advising investors on "How to Profit From the 
Re-Emergence of Canada's Crude-by-Rail Strategy 
<https://www.fool.ca/2018/03/13/how-to-profit-from-the-re-emergence-of-canadas-crude-by-rail-strategy/>." 
But what makes transporting Canadian crude oil by rail 
attractive to investors?
According to the Motley Fool, the reason is "… right now, there is so 
much excess oil being pumped out of Canada's oil sands that the 
pipelines simply don't have the capacity to handle it all."
The International Energy Agency recently reached the same conclusion in 
itsOil 2018 market report 
<https://www.iea.org/bookshop/768-Market_Series_Report:_Oil_2018>.
"Crude by rail exports are likely to enjoy a renaissance, growing from 
their current 150,000 bpd [barrels per day] to an implied 250,000 bpd on 
average in 2018 and to 390,000 bpd in 2019. At their peak in 2019, rail 
exports of crude oil could be as high as 590,000 bpd - though this 
calculation assumes producers do not resort to crude storage in peak 
months," the International Energy Agency said, as reportedby the 
Financial Post. 
<http://business.financialpost.com/commodities/energy/export-constraints-to-crimp-future-oilsands-gains-amid-rising-global-supply-risks-iea>
To put that in perspective, however, the industry was moving 1.3 million 
barrels per day at the peak of theU.S.oil-by-rail boom in 2014.
And Canada has plenty of capacity to load oil on more trains, which 
means if a producer is willing to pay the premium to move oil by rail, 
it can find a customer to do it. The infrastructure is in place to load 
approximately 1.2 million barrels per day...
- - - -
As the Canadian oil industry begins to ramp up its rail exports, has it 
learned anything 
<https://www.desmogblog.com/2016/12/21/what-have-we-learned-lac-megantic-oil-train-disaster> from 
the Bakken "bomb train" experiment (which in 2013 claimed 47 lives in 
Lac-Mégantic, Quebec)?
Unfortunately, the industry appears to have learned very little. While 
it no longer uses the most dangerousDOT-111 tank cars to ship oil, most 
of the major oil train derailments and fires actually have involved 
thenewerCPC-1232 tank 
<https://www.desmogblog.com/2015/07/23/most-recent-oil-train-accidents-and-spills-involved-safer-cpc-1232-tank-cars>cars, 
which make up the majority of the oil tank car fleet.
In addition, the rail industry has refused to use modern braking systems 
to improve safety and was able to getU.S.regulators torepeal a rule 
<https://www.desmogblog.com/2017/12/10/trump-admin-repeal-oil-train-safety-rule-electronically-controlled-pneumatic-brakes> requiring 
modern brakes on oil trains. The industry is also fighting proposed 
regulations requiringtwo-person crews 
<https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/railroads-want-one-man-crews-massive-freight-trains-n308541>for 
oil trains.
Furthermore, it remains unclear what exactly will be inside those 
tank cars...
- - - - -
With the Trump administration actively rolling back safety regulations 
for oil trains, someU.S.states and communities are taking the initiative 
to protect themselves from the risks of tar sands oil and oil trains.
Washington state has been a battleground in the fight against new 
oil-by-rail infrastructure. The recent decision to reject the 
proposedVancouver Energy oil-by-rail project 
<https://www.desmogblog.com/2018/01/29/washington-inslee-rejects-oil-rail-vancouver-energy-tesoro-savage>at 
the Port of Vancouver was a major victory for that movement and the 
latest in a string of such efforts on the West Coast.
Washington is also taking things a step further and is now requiring 
rail companies to have oil spill response plans. The state recently 
approved such plans for oil-by-rail leaderBNSF.
"This plan is a significant step forward for the protection of 
Washington's communities and environment," saidDale Jensen 
<https://www.lyndentribune.com/news/state-approves-oil-spill-response-plan-for-bnsf/article_0198de24-2789-11e8-a4a9-775b16c80d26.html>, 
the spills prevention program manager for the state of Washington. "Oil 
by rail has expanded significantly in recent years, and it's imperative 
railroad companies are prepared to work with the state to respond to a 
spill in a rapid, aggressive, and well-coordinated manner."
https://www.desmogblog.com/2018/03/18/canadian-pipeline-capacity-more-tar-sands-oil-rail


[Day 7 Hunger Strike]
*Students in hunger strike over university's fossil fuels policy 
<https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/students-hunger-strike-over-universitys-14427660>*
Two students on hunger strike for seven days have vowed to continue 
until their university stops investing in fossil fuel companies.
Second yearCardiff 
University<https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/health/flu-vaccine-pill-form-been-14401840>students 
Frieda Lourken and Lucienne Billy say they feel weak but determined 
after a week living on nothing but water, herb tea and vitamin pills.
The university's council meets tomorrow, when the two psychology 
students hope members will agree to stop the investments within three years.
They are members of the university's People and Planet group which is 
campaigning against what it says is the university's "continued lack of 
commitment to fossil fuel divestment". The group says Cardiff 
University<https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/education/university-strike-talks-fail-putting-14406910>currently 
holds £10m of investments in four companies involved in fossil fuel 
extraction, which represents 4.5% of its total investment portfolio.
EU student Freida, 20, said: "I am feeling a but weak physically but we 
are going to go on until Cardiff does not invest in fossil fuel firms. 
We want them to commit to that in the next three years - that is 
financially possible. If they do we will stop our hunger strike.
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/students-hunger-strike-over-universitys-14427660


[positive]
*WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO INSPIRE POSITIVE ENVIRONMENTAL BEHAVIOR? 
<https://psmag.com/environment/inspiring-environmentally-conscious->*
While imagery of natural objects is often used to inspire climate 
action, appeals to ego and altruism prove more effective for some.
JOSHUA PARFITTMAR 16, 2018
- - - - -
MOTIVATING CLIMATE ACTION
In Helm's paper, the scientists reference a 2009 publication by WWF-UK 
whose authors, evolutionary biologist Tom Crompton and psychology 
professor Tim Kasser, dissuade campaigners from encouraging egoism as a 
means to engage climate action. This is because, they argue, egoistic 
concerns can often engender a separation from nature: one feels superior 
to, rather than a part of, the natural world.
Instead, Crompton and Kasser recommend that increasing awareness of the 
inherent value of nature and empathy for non-human animals-in other 
words, biospheric concerns-is best for long-term environmental 
improvement...
https://psmag.com/environment/inspiring-environmentally-conscious-


*This Day in Climate History - March 19, 2007 
<http://blogsofbainbridge.typepad.com/ecotalkblog/2007/03/congressman_hen.html> 
-  from D.R. Tucker*
March 19, 2007: James Hansen testifies before the House Committee on 
Oversight and Government Reform regarding government efforts to censor 
climate science. (Five days later, Rep. Henry Waxman [D-CA], chairman of 
the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, discusses the 
hearings on Air America's "EcoTalk.")
http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/2007/Testimony_20070319.pdf
http://youtu.be/7kqADotHvhk
http://blogsofbainbridge.typepad.com/ecotalkblog/2007/03/congressman_hen.html

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