[TheClimate.Vote] November 9, 2018 - Daily Global Warming News Digest

Richard Pauli richard at theclimate.vote
Fri Nov 9 08:47:19 EST 2018


/November 9, 2018/

[active fire]
*Large fires threaten Ventura County communities; 101 Freeway closed, 
more than 1,000 homes evacuated* 
<http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-fire-santa-rosa-20181108-story.html>
Portions of Ventura County were under siege Thursday evening as two 
large fires descended on neighborhoods, threatening numerous communities 
reeling from the massacre at a country music bar the night before.
The Hill fire was being whipped up by powerful winds that pushed it 
through canyons and to the edge of Camarillo Springs and Cal State 
Channel Islands, both of which were evacuated.
The blaze broke out in the Hill Canyon area and in just 12 minutes 
jumped the 101 Freeway. By Thursday evening, it had scorched up to 7,000 
acres and sent residents of more than 1,200 homes fleeing. Fire 
officials expect it will burn all the way to the ocean.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-fire-santa-rosa-20181108-story.html


[Significant news]
*In Blow to Pipeline Project, Court Invalidates Trump Administration's 
Keystone XL Environmental Review, Blocks Construction* 
<https://www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2018/11/blow-pipeline-project-court-invalidates-trump-administration-s-keystone-xl>
https://www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2018/11/blow-pipeline-project-court-invalidates-trump-administration-s-keystone-xl


[trying again 4th time]
*Ninth Circuit Pauses Kids Climate Suit to Hear Latest Government 
Appeal* 
<https://www.climateliabilitynews.org/2018/11/08/ninth-circuit-kids-climate-suit-appeal/>
By Karen Savage
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals once again postponed the landmark 
constitutional climate case, Juliana v. United States, on Thursday, 
granting a motion by the Trump administration for a temporary stay of 
District Court proceedings.

Despite halting the trial while it considers the government's latest 
appeal, the Ninth Circuit ordered trial preparations to continue. In a 
separate conference later in the day, U.S. District Court Judge Ann 
Aiken said she will quickly get the case back on the court schedule if 
the stay is lifted.

"The Court told us to continue getting our work done for trial so that 
we are all ready when the Ninth Circuit rules. That's exactly what we 
will do. And our briefs to the Supreme Court and the Ninth Circuit on 
mandamus will show that there is no basis to grant the Government's 
request of an appeal before final judgment,” said Julia Olson, 
co-counsel for the 21 young plaintiffs.

The Ninth Circuit's ruling came in response to a fourth petition for a 
writ of mandamus filed by the government on Monday. It is the latest in 
a continuing effort by the Trump administration to sidetrack the case, 
which was first filed in 2015. Thursday's ruling grants a temporary stay 
until that petition can be considered. The Ninth Circuit has already 
turned down three previous petitions for mandamus, a rarely used legal 
mechanism in which a higher court is asked to overrule a lower court 
before a trial or verdict.

The Ninth Circuit also said that the young plaintiffs and the District 
Court must file a response to the government's petition within 15 days. 
The government will then have five days to respond. The parties must 
also file a joint report on the status of discovery and any relevant 
pretrial issues within 15 days.

The young plaintiffs assert that the U.S. Government is depriving their 
constitutional rights to life, liberty and property by creating a 
national energy system based on climate-changing fossil fuels. They are 
asking the federal government to implement a science-based plan to curb 
climate change.

"Given the urgency of climate change, we hope the Ninth Circuit will 
recognize the importance to these young Americans of having a prompt 
trial date,” said Philip Gregory, co-counsel for the plaintiffs.

"We will continue to move the case forward by completing discovery and 
responding to the various petitions filed by the Trump administration. 
We are pleased this stay is only temporary. We want to commence 
presenting the climate science in court as soon as possible.”
https://www.climateliabilitynews.org/2018/11/08/ninth-circuit-kids-climate-suit-appeal/


[Perhaps the best graphics display of election data]
*US midterms 2018* 
<https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2018/nov/06/midterm-elections-2018-live-results-latest-winners-and-seats>
*live results* 
<https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2018/nov/06/midterm-elections-2018-live-results-latest-winners-and-seats>
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2018/nov/06/midterm-elections-2018-live-results-latest-winners-and-seats


[Activism requires a great motto]
*RESPECT EXISTENCE OR EXPECT RESISTANCE* <https://xrebellion.org/>
https://xrebellion.org/


[New theater opens]
*The US Navy is pushing north, closer to Russia in freezing conditions 
-- and it's planning on hanging around up there* 
<https://www.businessinsider.com/us-nato-navies-in-arctic-circle-in-harsh-weather-for-trident-juncture-2018-11>
Some 50,000 troops and thousands of vehicles are ranging across Norway 
and the Norwegian and Baltic seas for NATO's exercise Trident Juncture, 
which officials have said is the alliance's largest exercise since the 
Cold War.
The focus for the dozens of ships and planes taking part turned this 
week to the naval portion of the exercise.
All 29 NATO members and Sweden and Finland are taking part in Trident 
Juncture, but only about 16 countries are joining the naval drills, 
bringing 65 ships and submarines and eight maritime-patrol aircraft.
https://www.businessinsider.com/us-nato-navies-in-arctic-circle-in-harsh-weather-for-trident-juncture-2018-11
- - -
*NATO holds its biggest exercises since the cold war* 
<https://www.economist.com/europe/2018/11/07/nato-holds-its-biggest-exercises-since-the-cold-war>
Nov 10th 2018
The mock combat was part of Trident Juncture 2018, NATO's biggest 
military exercise since the cold war, lasting from October 25th to 
November 7th. The alliance is flourishing on the ground, building up 
forces, transforming its institutions and squaring up to Russia with 
confidence. The question is whether this progress can be quarantined 
from the transatlantic squabbling between political leaders.
https://www.economist.com/europe/2018/11/07/nato-holds-its-biggest-exercises-since-the-cold-war
- - -
*Russia to Respond to NATO Exercises with Missile Tests* 
<https://www.military.com/daily-news/2018/10/30/russia-respond-nato-exercises-missile-tests.html>
30 Oct 2018 - Agence France Presse - By Pierre-Henry Deshayes
Russia plans to test missiles off Norway this week in an area where NATO 
is carrying out its biggest military exercises since the end of the Cold 
War, a move seen as an escalation of tensions in the Far North.
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2018/10/30/russia-respond-nato-exercises-missile-tests.html
- -
[since 1991]
*US aircraft carrier enters Arctic Circle for the first time in nearly 
three decades* <https://www.rt.com/news/441829-us-aircraft-carrier-arctic/>
A US aircraft carrier strike group has entered the Arctic to join a 
massive NATO naval drill close to Russian border for the first time 
since the end of the Cold War.
Nuclear-powered carrier USS 'Harry S. Truman' will operate in the 
Norwegian Sea to display "the flexibility and toughness” of US forces, 
the Navy stated on Friday. A ship of its type hasn't conducted voyages 
into Arctic waters since 1991, and hasn't shown up near Norwegian shores 
since 1987.
https://www.rt.com/news/441829-us-aircraft-carrier-arctic/
- - -
[opinion theater review]
*NATO's Arctic Exercise is a Good Start to Standing Up to Russian 
Militarization of the High North* 
<https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/natos-arctic-exercise-good-start-standing-russian-militarization-high-north-35367>
Give Russia credit for being able to accomplish what not even Trump 
could do: awaken a newly invigorated NATO, able to mount a credible 
response to Russia...
Russia, more than any other country, has militarized the Arctic. It has 
revamped Soviet-era bases, built new ones, set up a new Arctic command 
and new Arctic brigade combat teams, and built new airfields and ports. 
It is beefing up its fleet of roughly forty icebreakers with nearly 
another dozen, some of which are nuclear powered...
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/natos-arctic-exercise-good-start-standing-russian-militarization-high-north-35367


[Warm clothing still required]
*Russia slackens ice-class demands for Arctic shipping* 
<https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/industry-and-energy/2018/11/russia-slackens-ice-class-demands-arctic-shipping>
With thinner Arctic ice comes softer regulations for vessels operating 
on the Northern Sea Route.
The Russian Transport Ministry aims for a revision of shipping 
regulations in Arctic waters. In a new normative act, the ministry calls 
for the introduction of new zones with lower ice-class requirements.
Currently, the Arctic sea route is divided into seven parts with 
different ice-class requirements. The new regulations will diversify 
those areas...
- - -
Ice conditions in the area have over the last years undergone dramatic 
change as water and air temperatures have increased. According to a new 
climate report from Roshydromet, Russia's state agency on meteorology 
and environmental monitoring, average temperatures in parts of the 
region have increased with up to 5 C degrees over the last 30 years.

In 2017, the biggest temperature deviations in all of Russia were found 
in the Kara Sea and the Chukchi Sea, and it was March month that was the 
most staggering. The temperatures that month were as much as up to 13 
degrees higher than average, the report reads.

According to Roshydromet, the ice coverage of the Northern Sea Route in 
the period 1998-2005 shrunk to about 200,000 square kilometres, which is 
a 7-fold decrease compared with previous years...
more at - 
https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/industry-and-energy/2018/11/russia-slackens-ice-class-demands-arctic-shipping
- - -
[less cold]
*This place on Russia's Arctic coast has most dramatic climate change* 
<https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/arctic-ecology/2018/10/place-russias-arctic-coast-has-most-dramatic-climate-change>
The town of Dikson and the surrounding Taymyr Peninsula has the most 
rapid temperature increase in Russia, as well as an aggravating melting 
of permafrost and nearby sea ice.
By Atle Staalesen - October 2, 2018
The new climate report from Roshydromet, Russia's state agency on 
meteorology and environmental monitoring, leaves no doubt about the 
serious changes now unfolding in the Arctic parts of the country.

According to the document, the year 2017 was the third warmest ever on 
record in the Arctic, and only 0.1 C degrees lower than the 
record-beating 2011. And the further north, the bigger the temperature 
increase. On altitudes of 70-85 North, the air was 2.7 C degrees warmer 
than the annual average since measurements started in 1936...
- - -
Consequences for the worst affected areas can be dramatic, the state 
agency on meteorology and environmental monitoring warns. All kinds of 
infrastructure, including roads, pipelines, buildings and industrial 
plants can loose functionality as the ground's ability to carry the 
weight dwindles and a string of destructive processes sets inn.

As a result, infrastructure objects can be partly or fully destroyed, 
and social-economic and environmental consequences can be numerous and 
unpleasant. That includes oil spills and pollution with dangerous 
chemical, biological and radioactive materials, the researchers say.
Among the objects most in danger are buildings and coastal installations 
along the shores of the Arctic ocean, they add.
https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/arctic-ecology/2018/10/place-russias-arctic-coast-has-most-dramatic-climate-change


*This Day in Climate History - November 9, 2011 
<http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/nov/09/fossil-fuel-infrastructure-climate-change> 
- from D.R. Tucker*
November 9, 2011: The Guardian reports:

"The world is likely to build so many fossil-fuelled power stations, 
energy-guzzling factories and inefficient buildings in the next five 
years that it will become impossible to hold global warming to safe 
levels, and the last chance of combating dangerous climate change will 
be 'lost for ever,' according to the most thorough analysis yet of world 
energy infrastructure." [https://www.iea.org/bookshop/?new=10&new=10]

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/nov/09/fossil-fuel-infrastructure-climate-change


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