[TheClimate.Vote] May 16, 2018 - Daily Global Warming News Digest
Richard Pauli
richard at theclimate.vote
Wed May 16 10:55:54 EDT 2018
/May 16, 2018/
[Hot, dry-weather flooding]
*Canada - Thousands Evacuated After Snowmelt Floods in British Columbia
<http://floodlist.com/america/canada-british-columbia-snowmelt-floods-may-2018>*
14 MAY, 2018 BY RICHARD DAVIES - IN AMERICAS
Thousands of people have evacuated their homes in British Columbia,
Canada, after major flooding in the province that began on Thursday, 10
May 2018.
British Columbia Premier John Horgan said, "The spring flood season is
upon us. Heavy rainfall, warm weather and rapid snowmelt have triggered
flood warnings and evacuations in the Interior. More than 4,000 British
Columbians have been forced from their homes, while thousands more
anxiously wait to see what rising flood waters will mean for their homes
and their livelihoods."
Evacuation orders affecting over 2,700 people were issued in parts of
Kootenay Boundary, from Christina Lake through the West Boundary,
including areas of Grand Forks. Firefighters rescued around 30 people by
boat in Grand Forks, located at the confluence of the Granby River and
Kettle River and one of the hardest hit areas.
http://floodlist.com/america/canada-british-columbia-snowmelt-floods-may-2018
- - - -
*FloodList - Reporting floods and flooding news since 2008
<http://floodlist.com/>*
http://floodlist.com/
- - -- -
*Insurance industry dangerously unprepared for extreme weather, study
finds <https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180515081720.htm>*
May 15, 2018 University of Waterloo
Summary:
As historic flooding caused by climate change devastates communities in
New Brunswick and British Columbia, new research reveals the insurance
industry hasn't considered a changing climate in their practices,
putting homeowners at financial risk.
The study which looked at data from 178 insurers, found that most
insurance companies assumed the risk to property from extreme weather is
static and based their premiums on historical data. However, as extreme
weather events are increasing in severity, frequency, and
unpredictability, insurers have not adjusted.
"As extreme events become more frequent, insurers that ignore climate
change will not put away enough money to cover their claims. To re-coup
those losses, they'll have to raise rates or pull coverage from high
risk areas," said Jason Thistlethwaite, a climate change economist at
the University of Waterloo. "When this shift happens, thousands of
people will lose coverage or it will be unaffordable."
Another finding in the report outlined how reinsurers, insurers for
insurance companies, have been better at reacting and adapting to
climate change-related financial risk. This dynamic could lead to
significant disruption in global insurance industry.
"Some insurers are better at understanding climate change than others.
These organizations will survive, and likely be able to sell climate
services to their counterparts struggling to understand the problem,"
said Thistlethwaite. "Those that don't, will fail. Insurers are supposed
to watch our backs by looking into the future and protect us from
unexpected events. We pay to not worry about these things."
A full version of the study, "Insurance and Climate Change Risk
Management: Rescaling to Look Beyond the Horizon," was published in the
British Journal of Management.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180515081720.htm
[News from the UN]
*Climate change: An "existential threat" to humanity, UN chief warns
global summit <https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/05/1009782>*
UN News
None of the world's challenges loom as large as climate change, the
United Nations chief told a major climate action summit on Tuesday
Both leadership and innovation are essential for climate action,
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in his keynote address to the
global gathering, known as the R20 Austrian World Summit - a long-term
initiative to help regions, States and cities implement the Sustainable
Development Goals and meet the Paris Agreement targets.
Mr. Guterres spelled out: "We must use all our resources to build a
sense of urgency", to raise ambition, while keeping temperature rises in
the years ahead, as close to 1.5 degrees Celsius as possible.
He said there was reason to hope, declaring that "the world is seeing a
groundswell of climate action", citing examples, including Morocco's
building of a solar farm "the size of Paris, that will power over a
million homes by 2020" and China's achievement in already passing it's
2020 goal of producing 105 gigawatts of solar power capacity.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/05/1009782
- - - -
[Hear it directly - video 1 minute]
*UN chief: Climate change poses 'existential threat' to humanity
<https://youtu.be/hREC4wKVVUs>*
United Nations Published on May 15, 2018
Addressing a global summit in Austria, Secretary-General Antonio
Guterres spotlighted the importance of clean and renewable energy as an
integral part of the efforts to combat climate change.
https://youtu.be/hREC4wKVVUs
[one part of the big picture]
*Toxic Algae Blooms Occurring More Often, May Be Caught in Climate
Change Feedback Loop
<https://insideclimatenews.org/news/15052018/algae-blooms-climate-change-methane-emissions-data-agriculture-nutrient-runoff-fertilizer-sewage-pollution-lake-erie>*
The blooms, primarily fed by farm runoff but exacerbated by warming,
release methane and CO2. Lake Erie is a 'poster child' for the challenge.
BY GEORGINA GUSTIN
Blooms of harmful algae in the nation's waters appear to be occurring
much more frequently than in the past, increasing suspicions that the
warming climate may be exacerbating the problem.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) published newly collected data on
Tuesday reporting nearly 300 large blooms since 2010. Last year alone,
169 were reported. While NOAA issues forecast
<https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/project/harmful-algal-bloom-hab-forecasting/>s
for harmful algal blooms in certain areas, the advocacy group called its
report the first attempt to track the blooms on a nationwide scale.
The study comes as scientists have predicted proliferation of these
blooms
<https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/news/climate-change-impact-harmful-algal-blooms/>
as the climate changes, and amid increasing attention by the news media
and local politicians to the worst cases.
Just as troubling, these blooms could not only worsen with climate
change, but also contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions....
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/15052018/algae-blooms-climate-change-methane-emissions-data-agriculture-nutrient-runoff-fertilizer-sewage-pollution-lake-erie
[A very big deal <http://www.ncwarn.org/about-us/mission/> in state
power monopoly]
*How Solar Panels on a Church Rooftop Broke the Law in N.C.
<https://insideclimatenews.org/news/14052018/north-carolina-rooftop-solar-panel-laws-duke-utility-monopoly-court-ruling-church-clean-energy>*
An environmental group and a largely African-American church tried to
challenge North Carolina's utility monopoly by generating cheap, clean
power. They lost.
By Dan Gearino
A North Carolina environmental group that tried to challenge the state's
utility monopoly by installing solar panels on the roof of a
predominantly African-American church and selling the church cheap,
clean power has lost its appeal to the state's highest court.
Advocates say they are disappointed in the ruling, but they aren't
giving up the fight to lift restrictions on clean energy.
The case involved an attempt to bust through restrictions that solar
advocates face in much of the Southeast
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/14052018/north-carolina-rooftop-solar-panel-laws-duke-utility-monopoly-court-ruling-church-clean-energy
- - - -
[see you in court]
*Solar Freedom Project <http://www.ncwarn.org/solarfreedom/>*
*NC WARN <http://www.ncwarn.org/>* is partnering with Faith Community
Church in Greensboro on an unprecedented test case that challenges Duke
Energy's blockade against competition from companies that install solar
systems on rooftops with little or no upfront cost to the customer. In
June 2015, NC WARN installed solar panels on the church roof and the
church began buying the solar power from NC WARN at a price far lower
than what it pays on its monthly bill to Duke Energy. The sale of power
was suspended after the NC Utilities Commission ruled that the project
was unlawful. NC WARN appealed the case to the NC Court of Appeals,
which ruled for the Utilities Commission on a 2-1 vote. NC WARN has now
appealed the case to the NC Supreme Court, supported by national groups
including Center for Biological Diversity, Greenpeace, Friends of the
Earth and Institute for Local Self-Reliance. Read more below.
http://www.ncwarn.org/solarfreedom/
http://www.ncwarn.org/about-us/mission/
- - - -
[Letter to radio news director]
Subject: Continuing news media failure in coverage of Duke Energy,
fracked gas and accelerating
climate urgency
<http://www.ncwarn.org/wp-content/uploads/ltr-4-20-18-WUNC-Connie-Walker.pdf>
http://www.ncwarn.org/wp-content/uploads/ltr-4-20-18-WUNC-Connie-Walker.pdf
- - - - - -
[pushing open energy commerce]
*Solar Freedom Project <http://www.ncwarn.org/solarfreedom/>*
*The question at the heart of the case was this: Who gets to provide
electricity in a warming world where demand for distributed solar power
is rising?*
According to the lower court's 2-1 ruling, the answer is that in North
Carolina only a utility company can sell electricity to end users. In
this case, the utility was Duke Energy, the Charlotte-based giant that
serves millions of customers in six states.
"It's very unfortunate that Duke Energy remains able to protect its
monopoly against clean competition and to keep stifling the growth of
cheaper solar power across North Carolina," Jim Warren, executive
director of NC WARN, said in an email. The group's name stands for North
Carolina Waste Awareness and Reduction Network, reflecting its original
mission.
Which States Restrict Third-Party Solar?
The key point in the case was that NC WARN was selling electricity on a
kilowatt-hour basis, which regulators found was a violation of rules
that Duke Energy has the exclusive right to sell electricity to end
users in its territory.
(Solar leasing, which became legal in North Carolina with a 2017 state
law, is a different financing method in which customers pay a flat fee
per month to lease the equipment and the fee is not tied to the amount
of electricity generated.)
NC Warn stopped charging the church for the electricity during the case
and has said it likely will donate the system to the church...
- - -
https://insideclimatenews.org/sites/default/files/styles/icn_centered_medium/public/Solar-States-Ranking-529px.png?itok=9K-d5Bq-
No. 2 in Solar, But Far Behind in Small-Scale
Duke Energy has been involved in several state-level fights over rooftop
solar, including current ones in the Carolinas. The outcome often has
been very close to what Duke wanted.
*"In a way, it has nothing to do with solar," Duke's Wheeless said of
the NC WARN case. "They could have a gas generator on the roof and be
selling electricity and it would still be illegal."*
http://www.ncwarn.org/solarfreedom/
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/14052018/north-carolina-rooftop-solar-panel-laws-duke-utility-monopoly-court-ruling-church-clean-energy
[stranding toxins]
*Arctic oil 'undrillable' amid global warming: UN's ex-climate chief
<https://www.reuters.com/article/us-oil-arctic/arctic-oil-undrillable-amid-global-warming-u-n-s-ex-climate-chief-idUSKCN1IG0LQ>*
Reuters
OSLO (Reuters) - An architect of the Paris climate agreement urged
governments on Tuesday to halt oil exploration in the Arctic, saying
drilling was ...
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-oil-arctic/arctic-oil-undrillable-amid-global-warming-u-n-s-ex-climate-chief-idUSKCN1IG0LQ
[adaptation verses mitigation]
*Could adaptation projects worsen global warming?*
<https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060081741>
E&E News [$]
As the U.S. prepares for this year's Atlantic hurricane season, the
Trump administration and Congress are pursuing long-range policies aimed
at shoring up highways, bridges and other infrastructure against climate
change-fueled extreme storms and rising seas with stronger,
disaster-resistant materials.
https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060081741
- - - - -
*Mitigation and Adaptation in the UNFCCC Debates | weADAPT
<https://www.weadapt.org/knowledge-base/adaptation-decision-making/mitigation-and-adaptation-in-the-unfccc-debates>**
*Adaptation and mitigation issues are both visible in the UNFCCC
negotiations. However mitigation has been from the very beginning a top
priority on the negotiations' agenda. In the first phase of the
negotiations little attention was dedicated to the actions of developing
countries to cope with the impacts of climate change. Except that the
most vulnerable members succeeded in putting the issue of financing
adaptation activities on the agenda from the first COP.
https://www.weadapt.org/knowledge-base/adaptation-decision-making/mitigation-and-adaptation-in-the-unfccc-debates
- - -
*Debate: Climate change mitigation vs adaptation - Debatepedia
<http://debatepedia.idebate.org/en/index.php/Debate:_Climate_change_mitigation_vs_adaptation>*
Should governments focus on adaptation to global warming over mitigation?
Background and context
This debate stems from some doubts as to whether it is possible or
worthwhile to attempt to mitigate climate change. Some believe that
climate change will happen, at this stage, no matter what we do.
Therefore, it is argued, perhaps it is best that humans simply focus
their limited resources on adapting to Climate Change. Or, there is a
more nuanced debate as to whether mitigation should be prioritized over
adaptation, even if approaches to both are pursued...
More at:
http://debatepedia.idebate.org/en/index.php/Debate:_Climate_change_mitigation_vs_adaptation
- - -
[plenty to discuss]
*Mitigation vs Adaptation - Which path to follow under uncertainty?
<https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/lancet-commission/2015/06/23/mitigation-vs-adaptation-which-path-to-follow-under-uncertainty/>*
Jun 23, 2015 -
Mitigation vs Adaptation - Which path to follow under uncertainty? ...
or non-action today and far in the future are, is a subject of fierce
debate...
However, mitigation actions bring a host of co-benefits that are
desirable, even without the decarbonisation imperative. Broadly
speaking, investments to close the substantial 'energy efficiency gap',
and that improve energy security (reducing import dependencies and
vulnerability to fossil fuel price fluctuations), and stimulate
innovation and the creation of new industries and markets, are likely to
boost GDP (although, various actions and investments may also have the
opposing effect). In addition, evidence suggests that the co-benefits
for human health, which in turn provide economic benefits, are
substantial. Reduced air pollution and increased active travel, for
example, would have substantially reduce pressure on existing healthcare
budgets - the subject of another blog post in this series. Indeed,
whilst climate change is the biggest global health threat of the 21st
Century, action to combat it is likely to be the greatest global health
opportunity of the 21st Century.
https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/lancet-commission/2015/06/23/mitigation-vs-adaptation-which-path-to-follow-under-uncertainty/
[elegant data visualization of the conversation the US has pulled out of]
*Absolute And Relative Visibility Of Countries In The UNFCCC
Negotiations, 1995-2013
<http://climaps.eu/#%21/map/absolute-and-relative-visibility-of-countries-in-the-unfccc-negotiations-1995-2013>*
FINDINGS
The diagram shows a remarkable stability. Most countries tend to
maintain their relative rank throughout the 19 COPs. The 10 most active
countries are represented by a rather stable, small group, which
includes the United States, China, Europe, Australia, and Japan. The
three leaders of the negotiations - China, the United States, and Europe
- are ubiquitous and heading the negotiations. China, often speaking in
the name of the G77 developing countries, never ranks beyond third
position whereas Europe's position varies between the first and fifth,
and the United States between the first and seventh ranks. It can also
be observed that countries tend to be more active when they host the
negotiations: Germany is first in Berlin 1995, Japan is fourth in Kyoto
1997; India is fourth in New Delhi 2002; Canada is fifth in Montreal 2005.
See it at:
http://climaps.eu/#!/map/absolute-and-relative-visibility-of-countries-in-the-unfccc-negotiations-1995-2013
*This Day in Climate History - May 16, 2013
<http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/05/16/intv-global-warming-study-cook.cnn.html>
- from D.R. Tucker*
May 16, 2013: On CNN, SkepticalScience.com's John Cook discusses the
scientific community's verdict on climate change.
http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/05/16/intv-global-warming-study-cook.cnn.html
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