[TheClimate.Vote] May 19, 2018 - Daily Global Warming News Digest
Richard Pauli
richard at theclimate.vote
Sat May 19 05:47:52 EDT 2018
/May 19, 2018/
[On target]
*Big investors pressure oil companies on climate change
<https://www.chron.com/business/energy/article/Big-investors-pressure-oil-companies-on-climate-12925107.php>*
<https://www.chron.com/business/energy/article/Big-investors-pressure-oil-companies-on-climate-12925107.php>Kelly
Gilblom, Bloomberg
Some of the world's biggest fund managers are ratcheting up the pressure
on oil and gas companies, expressing fear that a lack of action over
tackling climate change could risk their investments.
The comments come days before Big Oil kicks off annual shareholder
meetings, where they are already facing calls from smaller investors to
set clear targets on climate change and even cut their investments in
fossil fuels. That could now gain momentum with the nudge from large
investors who manage trillions of dollars of funds.
Companies must take tougher action on emissions if they want to survive
the energy transition and make a success of the Paris climate deal,
according to a letter from a group of investors, including Standard Life
Aberdeen Plc and Legal & General Group Plc, which together oversee about
$10.4 trillion of funds. They plan to take up the issue with the world's
biggest oil companies at their upcoming AGMs, the investors said in the
letter published in the Financial Times on Friday...
- - --
The investor letter also said there could be increased regulation on
carbon, creating extra costs for the companies. The impact on the
environment could become serious enough to leave some oil and gas fields
stranded and uneconomical to exploit.
https://www.chron.com/business/energy/article/Big-investors-pressure-oil-companies-on-climate-12925107.php
[in court]
*Shell Documents Provide a New Boost for Climate Lawsuit in Rhode Island
<https://www.climateliabilitynews.org/2018/05/15/shell-climate-suit-conservation-law-foundation/>*
When the Dutch journalist Jelmer Mommers of De Correspondent dug up a
trove of internal documents from the oil giant Royal Dutch Shell and
published them last month, some of the most interested readers hailed
from the Conservation Law Foundation, a New England-based nonprofit
dedicated to protecting the climate and environment. CLF had filed a
lawsuit last year alleging Shell knew about the dangers of climate
change, but was not protecting the waters and communities around
Providence Terminal from climate impacts. Among the new documents
revealed by Mommers was one that showed Shell predicting those impacts
to its own facilities and even predicting future litigation over it. The
company was prophetic, but still didn't do much to prevent those
impacts. CLF alleges that storm runoff has increased because of climate
change-fueled extreme weather and routinely pollutes the waters around
Providence Terminal. One of the more interesting aspects of the lawsuit
is its potential to spark more of them: Hurricane Harvey, for one,
inundated countless petrochemical facilities and doused areas of Houston
in air and water pollution following the storm.
https://www.climateliabilitynews.org/2018/05/15/shell-climate-suit-conservation-law-foundation/
[distractions]
*Scientists Answer Wall Street's Sea Level Nonsense
<https://climatecrocks.com/2018/05/18/scientists-answer-wall-streets-sea-level-nonsense/>*
May 18, 2018
So much stupidity on display at theWall Street Journal, and in congress,
on sea level rise.
<https://climatecrocks.com/2018/05/17/wall-street-journal-congress-break-physics-with-new-theories-of-sea-level-rise/>
Fortunately, there is help.
Climate Feedback:
<https://climatefeedback.org/evaluation/wall-street-journal-commentary-grossly-misleads-readers-about-science-of-sea-level-rise-fred-singer/>
This commentary published by The Wall Street Journal, written by
Fred Singer, claims that warming (and therefore greenhouse gas
emissions) has no effect on global sea level rise. Although Singer
concedes the physical fact that water expands as its temperature
increases, he claims that this process must be offset by growth of
Antarctic ice sheets...
Chris Roberts
<https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=blMZobIAAAAJ&hl=en>,
Research Scientist, ECMWF/Met Office:
This article severely misrepresents the scientific understanding of
the processes responsible for observed changes in global sea level.
Understanding and attributing the causes of changes in global sea
level is an area of active research and there are genuine
uncertainties, but there is a clear consensus on the important roles
for ocean thermal expansion and addition of mass to the oceans from
melting glaciers and ice caps during recent decades...
Stefan Rahmstorf <http://www.pik-potsdam.de/%7Estefan/>, Professor,
Potsdam University:
The article has almost nothing to do with the modern state of
sea-level science. The author tries to call into question that
global warming causes sea-level rise, and does so by cherry-picking
a short segment of data from 1915-1945, a time when data quality is
poor and the warming signal small—a bizarre approach that could
never pass scientific peer review and is apparently aimed at
misleading a lay audience.
Keven Roy <http://www.ase.ntu.edu.sg/content/keven-roy>, Research
Fellow, Nanyang Technological University:
This article is misleading, and presents inaccurate statements about
global mean sea level rise.
Benjamin Horton
<http://www.earthobservatory.sg/research-group/sea-level-research>,
Professor, Earth Observatory of Singapore:
If this were an essay in one of my undergraduate classes, he would
fail...
More at:
https://climatecrocks.com/2018/05/18/scientists-answer-wall-streets-sea-level-nonsense/
- - -
[insignificance on parade]
*Republican congressman explains sea-level rise: it's rocks falling into
the sea
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/17/republican-congressman-mo-brooks-sea-level-rise-rocks>*
Mo Brooks rejects notion that global warming is causing sea levels to
increase, and says: 'What about the White Cliffs of Dover?'
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/17/republican-congressman-mo-brooks-sea-level-rise-rocks
[momentum bias]
*The psychology of Miami's struggle to adapt to sea-level rise
<https://thebulletin.org/2018/may/psychology-miami%E2%80%99s-struggle-adapt-sea-level-rise11767>*
G. A. Treuer
Florida's Miami-Dade County is extremely vulnerable to rising seas, and
its options for adaptation are limited. One of the biggest challenges
facing residents of the region is to overcome psychological barriers to
climate action. Humans have natural biases that favor the present over
the future, strongly held opinions over new information, and certainty
over uncertainty. These biases make it easy for people to learn from
experience, but difficult for them to imagine and internalize future
threats such as sea-level rise. Nevertheless, South Florida is moving
forward with plans to address sea-level rise through new investments,
climate change projections, and partnerships. These are hopeful signs
that Miami and other communities are coming to rely on the best
available science, rather than on past experience, to cope with
sea-level rise.
https://thebulletin.org/2018/may/psychology-miami%E2%80%99s-struggle-adapt-sea-level-rise11767
[Psychiatric Times asks:]
*Can We Prescribe Resilience?
<http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/cognitive-behavioral-therapy/can-we-prescribe-resilience>*
J. Eric Vance, MD
May 16, 2018
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Neuropsychiatry
<http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/cognitive-behavioral-therapy/can-we-prescribe-resilience>
Common psychosocial protective factors
TABLE. Common psychosocial protective factor
<http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/sites/default/files/psy0518_20.jpg>s
http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/sites/default/files/psy0518_20.jpg
It is time for the psychiatric and wider medical world to embrace
lessons from the growing science of resilience to treat the wide range
of stress-related medical and psychiatric disorders more effectively.
Quite often, physicians admonish patients to lower their stress levels,
while patients quietly wonder how a lifetime of adversity can be undone,
or how to extricate themselves from stressful jobs, relationships, or
living environments. In these clinical situations, clinicians need to be
prepared to offer concrete suggestions to build protective factors for
resilience, rather than presuming that patients can magically get rid of
their stressors.
http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/cognitive-behavioral-therapy/can-we-prescribe-resilience
[Classic 101 climate lesson]
*The History of Climate Science by Spencer Weart (2013*)
<https://youtu.be/gZbeNI-6gZ0>
Climate State
Published on Apr 13, 2017
In this brief talk, Spencer Weart (Director Emeritus, Center for the
History of Physics, AIP), outlines the history of climate science, with
the scope on the public perception. http://aip.org/history/climate
AGU Chapman Conference on Communicating Climate Science: A Historic Look
to the Future
08 June 2013 — 13 June 2013, Granby, CO, USA
Presenter: Spencer Weart
Sunday, June 9, 2013, 8:25 a.m. - 8:50 a.m.
Session: Perspectives on Communication of the Climate Science I
Abstract Title: History of Relations Among Climate Scientists,
Policy-makers and the Public in the 20th Century
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZbeNI-6gZ0
[Desmog Blog]
*Friend of Mike Pence and a Coal-Funded Lawyer Form 'Accountability'
Group to Attack Climate Lawsuits
<http://desmogblog.cmail20.com/t/t-l-uiiuuhy-dkhtjdmh-yh/>*
For a group apparently hooked on transparency, the latest organization
to spring from the loins of the fossil fuel–funded climate science
denial industry certainly manages to obscure one or two pertinent facts.
Government Accountability and Oversight (GAO) — the name of the group
given public charity status on March 20, 2018 by the Internal Revenue
Service — is promising to publish documents about the people and groups
behind ongoing court cases against the energy industry and its impact on
the global climate.
“We're not going to get into the science debate and other arguments.
We'll just show the public the documents, so you can decide,” lawyer
Chris Horner told a sympathetic Daily Caller about GAO's Climate
Litigation Watch (CLW) project.
Behind the group are three lawyers — one a Republican-elected district
attorney, another a former radio host and “longtime friend” of Vice
President Mike Pence, and Horner, who has been paid by coal companies
and works at the fossil fuel–funded Competitive Enterprise Institute.
While apparently not wanting to “get into the science debate,” Climate
Litigation Watch says the science linking fossil fuel producers to
climate change is “dubious” — a position at odds with every major
scientific academy on the planet.
So, who are these characters behind the GAO and its sole project,
Climate Litigation Watch?
http://desmogblog.cmail20.com/t/t-l-uiiuuhy-dkhtjdmh-yh/
[Arctic theater]
*U.S. leads anti-submarine exercise in Norwegian Sea
<https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/security/2018/05/anti-submarine-exercise-kicks-norwegian-sea>*
Five NATO countries participate with both navy vessels and surveillance
aircrafts.
Thomas Nilsen
May 14, 2018
Increasing Russian submarine activity in the North Atlantic makes NATO
countries more on the alert and focused on allied exercising. This week,
the U.S. 6th Fleet leads an anti-submarine drill designed to enhance
interoperability and tactical proficiencies.
The exercise takes place in the waters off the coast of Nordland,
Northern Norway.
Participating countries are additional to Norway and the USA, Canada,
France and the UK.
Norway's frigate KNM "Helge Ingstad" sails together with one U.S. Navy
attack submarine, a Arleigh Burke-class destroyer and navy vessels from
the other countries. In the air, maritime surveillance aircrafts Orion
from Norway and a P-8A Poseidon from the U.S. take part.
"This exercise is a key opportunity for U.S. and allied partners to
practice anti-submarine warfare skills in a tactically challenging
environment," says Capt. Roger E. Mayer
<http://www.c6f.navy.mil/news/us-asw-exercise-begins-norwegian-sea>,
commander of Taske Force 69 with the U.S. 6th Fleet.
Last June year, 10 NATO countries took part in a large-scale
anti-submarine exercise
<https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/security/2017/06/nato-trains-anti-submarine-warfare-northern-waters>
in the waters near Iceland. During a NATO naval exercise outside Tromso,
Northern Norway last May, a group of 12 Russian aircrafts were flying
tactical flights in what could have been a mock attack
<https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/security/2018/03/oslo-such-behavior-does-not-promote-good-neighborly-relations>
on the naval vessels.
Earlier in May, government officials from Norway and the United Kingdom
discussed how to develop a better cooperation on maritime patrol
aircrafts in the North Atlantic, Jane's
<http://www.janes.com/article/79954/uk-and-norway-plan-anti-submarine-co-operation>
reports. A question is how the two countries can conduct maintenance,
training and operations of the new fleet of P-8A Poseidon aircrafts they
both are procuring. Norway has decided to buy five
<https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/security/2016/11/norway-acquires-five-new-maritime-patrol-aircrafts-arctic-waters>
of the new P-8A Poseidon to be based at Evenes airport in northern Norway.
https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/security/2018/05/anti-submarine-exercise-kicks-norwegian-sea
[activism]
http://civic.mit.edu/2018/05/14/natural-disasters-and-environmental-events/
This is a call for people who are working to cultivate resilience
in their communities in the face of crises, especially given the
intensification of natural disasters caused by climate change.
Please join us in Newark NJ for our "Crisis Convening," beginning
on July 13th and running through July 14-15th at Public Lab's summer
gathering.
We are a network of people with experience in collaborative
response to crises such as Sandy, Harvey, Irma, Maria, and the like. At
this “Crisis Convening,” we will gather between 30-60 people with such
experiences to share skills and lessons learned, consider ways to more
intentionally promote equity and justice through modern crisis response,
and build resources to support this work.
Here is our key question:
In times of crisis, how can disaster response efforts (from formal
'crisis response institutions,' to emergent networks of volunteers, to
remote 'digital responders') be more adaptive, equitable, and
accountable to vulnerable communities?
/What you can do:/
1. *Read morein this blog post
<http://civic.mit.edu/2018/05/14/natural-disasters-and-environmental-events/>.*
2. *Indicate your interest in attendinghere
<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdWDepJWMViDsLyZbGZY2ime9gWQsCPyJwBKHKt9xWVwAMuDg/viewform>.*
3. Support our efforts to ensure the participation of people from
communities who have been most impacted, and who would not otherwise
have the resources to participate.*Please contribute
<https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/3nIwYjmBXz_DdcttqymIuw>to
help with travel and accommodation costs for key participants.*
[from Oxfam]
*Mitigating poverty and climate change: How reducing short-lived climate
pollutants can support pro-poor, sustainable development
<https://policy-practice.oxfamamerica.org/publications/mitigating-poverty-and-climate-change/>*
Reducing emissions of methane, black carbon, and other short-lived
climate pollutants is critical to poverty alleviation and development,
and provides fast-action solutions to address climate change.
- - - -
These outcomes include, among others, enhanced food and water security;
improved health and productivity; greater livelihood resiliency,
particularly in rural communities; creating socio-economic opportunities
for women; and access to cleaner sources of energy.
more at:
https://policy-practice.oxfamamerica.org/publications/mitigating-poverty-and-climate-change/
[Activism from Christinge Pelosi CA]
Climate lovers, join me in getting #OilMoneyOut and more grassroots
power in the Democratic National Committee!
Knowing of the corrosive link between fossil fuel pollution and systemic
environmental health dangers and in support of the ongoing campaign
finance reform effort to rid our politics of corporate PAC dollars in
favor of people-powered grassroots activism, I have submitted the
following #OilMoneyOut Resolution to the Democratic National Committee
in advance of our June 2018 DNC Executive Committee meeting.
*DNC RESOLUTION REAFFIRMING OUR PRO-ENVIRONMENT PLATFORM, ENCOURAGING
GRASSROOTS ACTIVISM, AND REJECTING DONORS FROM THE FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRY
<https://medium.com/@sfpelosi/climate-lovers-join-me-in-getting-oilmoneyout-of-the-democratic-national-committee-e3fb54087a06>*
WHEREAS, we Democrats have the opportunity to reform and revive our
party by empowering diverse grassroots Democrats at the leadership table
and in our communities including building on our recent successes with
small donor fundraising programs; and...
- - - -
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Democratic National Committee acts to
revive trust in our Party by reaffirming our progressive,
pro-environment 2016 Platform, encouraging grassroots donors, and
rejecting donors from the fossil fuel industry that conflict with our
DNC Platform in order to empower Democrats to walk our talk in harmony
with our stated beliefs and convictions.
https://medium.com/@sfpelosi/climate-lovers-join-me-in-getting-oilmoneyout-of-the-democratic-national-committee-e3fb54087a06
[An oh shit, study...]
*Sea Level Rise Impacts on Wastewater Treatment Systems Along the U.S.
Coasts
<https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2017EF000805>*
Michelle A. Hummel Matthew S. Berry Mark T. Stacey
Plain Language Summary
Wastewater treatment plants are susceptible to flooding resulting
from sea level rise. Previous estimates of wastewater exposure have
only considered the impacts of marine flooding at the local or
regional scale. In this analysis, we quantify the exposure to marine
flooding across the coastal United States and then consider the
relative impacts of marine and groundwater flooding at the regional
scale in the San Francisco Bay Area. We also estimate the number of
people who may lose access to wastewater services if no actions are
taken to prevent flooding at wastewater treatment plants. We find
that the number of people impacted by sea level rise due to loss of
wastewater services could be five times as high as previous
predictions of the number of people who experience direct flooding
of their homes or property. We also find that groundwater flooding
poses a significant threat to wastewater plants in the San Francisco
Bay region.
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2017EF000805
[1969 cultural opinion alive today]
The day after Woodstock 1969 - Jefferson Airplane and Joni Mitchell and
Stephen Stills appearing on the Dick Cavett TV show. Most interesting
was a brief comment David Crosby made https://youtu.be/wR_2uhWb5eU?t=34m28s
> *Dick Cavett*: Is there anything we left out? anybody? anything
> anybody wants to say or rap about?
> You kids are there at least a million...anything that we can use on
> the air?
> Anything you've always wanted to say on television that nobody ever
> gave you the chance to..?
> *David Crosby:* yes yes I got one...
> *Cavett:* What am i doing!? They just passed out in the executive
> room up there (laughter)
> *Crosby:* I got one and I don't even think it's wrong ...okay well
> like the air that we're all breathing is not clean...
> Right, you're aware that everybody, anybody looks up...
> consider the only way to solve it seems to be to convince GM, Ford,
> Chrysler, 76, Union, Shell, and Standard
> to go out of business ...which is merely a setup for the punchline
> which is "fat chance"
> *Cavett:* Yeah specially because four of them are my sponsors
> (laughter) we'll be back another season ...
It tells us how media sponsorship has managed to prevent free expression
and open consideration of carbon emissions - something that continues to
this day.
This is the earliest mention I found of that most pernicious type of
censorship..something that has been nurtured and managed for the past 5
decades.
*This Day in Climate History - May 19, 2008 - from D.R. Tucker*
May 19, 2008: The Guardian reports:
"A shareholder revolt at ExxonMobil led by the billionaire
Rockefeller family has won the support of four significant British
institutional investors who will call on Monday for a shakeup in the
governance of the world's biggest oil company.
"Guardian.co.uk has learned that F&C Asset Management, Morley Fund
Management, the Co-Operative Insurance Society and the West Midlands
Pension Fund are throwing their weight behind a resolution demanding
that ExxonMobil appoints an independent chairman to stimulate debate
on the company's board.
"Exxon is facing a rebellion from its investors over its hardline
approach to global warming. The firm has refused to follow rival oil
companies in committing large-scale capital investment to
environmentally friendly technology such as wind and solar power.
"The Rockefeller dynasty, whose ancestor John D. Rockefeller founded
the original oil business at the core of ExxonMobil, have sponsored
four shareholder resolutions demanding changes at Exxon. One of
these calls on Exxon's chief executive Rex Tillerson, to relinquish
his role as chairman in favour of an outsider to bring in an
alternative point of view."
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2008/may/19/exxonmobil.oil
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