[TheClimate.Vote] Febuary 1, 2019 - Daily Global Warming News Digest

Fri Feb 1 08:41:11 EST 2019

/February 1, 2019/

[audio 16 mins]
CLIMATE SCIENCE TALK
*Warming Arctic On Thin Ice*
By Elizabeth Case, Steve Mirsky on January 31, 2019
Scientific American collections editor Andrea Gawrylewski talks to 
managing editor Curtis Brainard about how warming in the Arctic affects 
us all. And glaciologist Elizabeth Case takes us out near Juneau to 
study and live on the shifting ice...
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/warming-arctic-on-thin-ice
- -
[destabilizing Antarctic ice]
*Giant Void Hidden Under Antarctica's Ice Threatens Vast Glacier*
By Laura Geggel, Senior Writer - January 31, 2019
There's a giant void hiding under the Antarctic ice, and it's growing 
larger and more menacing by the day, a new study using satellite data finds.

The cavity is colossal, about two-thirds the area of Manhattan and 
nearly 1,000 feet (300 meters) tall. It's growing at the bottom of 
Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica, and it's rapidly enabling ice melt 
above it.

Scientists thought there might be some gaps between Thwaites Glacier and 
the bedrock below it, where ocean water could flow in and melt the icy 
glacier above it. But even they found the immensity and speed of the 
void's growth surprising.

For starters, the void is large enough to have once held 15 billion tons 
(13.6 billion metric tons) of ice, but much of that ice has melted 
during the past three years, according to NASA.

"We have suspected for years that Thwaites was not tightly attached to 
the bedrock beneath it," study co-researcher Eric Rignot, a professor of 
Earth system science at the University of California, Irvine, and a 
principal scientist for the Radar Science and Engineering Section at 
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, said in a 
statement.

Scientists spotted the concealed void thanks to a new generation of 
satellites, Rignot noted. These satellites, which are part of NASA's 
Operation IceBridge, have ice-penetrating radar. The researchers also 
used data from a constellation of Italian and German spacecraft that are 
equipped with an SAR (synthetic-aperture radar) instrument that can 
measure how ground surface has shifted between images.

These tools revealed that the ground had shifted substantially from 1992 
to 2017, the scientists found...
(more at- https://www.livescience.com/64645-giant-void-in-antarctica.html)
- - -
[research paper]
*Heterogeneous retreat and ice melt of Thwaites Glacier, West Antarctica*
Science Advances  30 Jan 2019: Vol. 5, no. 1, eaau3433
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aau3433
*Abstract*
The glaciers flowing into the Amundsen Sea Embayment, West Antarctica, 
have undergone acceleration and grounding line retreat over the past few 
decades that may yield an irreversible mass loss. Using a constellation 
of satellites, we detect the evolution of ice velocity, ice thinning, 
and grounding line retreat of Thwaites Glacier from 1992 to 2017. The 
results reveal a complex pattern of retreat and ice melt, with sectors 
retreating at 0.8 km/year and floating ice melting at 200 m/year, while 
others retreat at 0.3 km/year with ice melting 10 times slower. We 
interpret the results in terms of buoyancy/slope-driven seawater 
intrusion along preferential channels at tidal frequencies leading to 
more efficient melt in newly formed cavities. Such complexities in 
ice-ocean interaction are not currently represented in coupled ice 
sheet/ocean models.
http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/5/1/eaau3433

[About Russia, if we're listening]
*Russian port data show huge increases in Arctic shipping*
New figures from the Russian Ministry of Transport reveal that the 
volume of goods being shipped into the Arctic waterway are up by 25 
percent in Russia's ports along the Northern Sea Route...In 
January-December 2018, the volume of cargo transshipment in the sea 
ports of Russia amounted to 816.4 million tons, which is 3.8% more than 
what was obtainable in 2017 (Russian Ministry of Transport).
*- -
**Explosive growth in Russia's Arctic seaports*
Information obtained from the Russian Transport Ministry reveals that 
volumes of goods volumes in Sabetta increased by more than 130 percent 
and Murmansk had its best year as well as the biggest growth ever. 
Sabetta, the seaport handling liquified natural gas produced by Novatek 
in the grand Yamal LNG project, is located on the northeastern tip of 
Yamal Peninsula and has in only few years become one of Russia's most 
powerful infrastructure objects. In general, while goods volumes across 
the Russian Arctic were up almost 25 percent in 2018, a total of 92,7 
million tons was handled by regional seaports, of which almost 70 
percent was oil products and liquified natural gas. (The Barents 
Observer 
https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/industry-and-energy/2019/01/explosive-growth-russias-arctic-seaports).
https://thebarentsobserver.com/en

[Video Arctic atmosphere and the polar vortex explained 2018]
*When the Arctic sky splits apart*
Simon Clark
Published on Feb 25, 2018
If you live in the northern hemisphere at the moment, you may be asking 
"why is it so cold?", and you might have heard of something called the 
"stratospheric polar vortex" splitting apart in something called a 
"sudden stratospheric warming". Confused? In this video I explain what's 
going on, using research from my PhD on the subject!
When the Arctic sky splits apart https://youtu.be/Y1sw5qLpuSU
Every year or two, the Northern Hemisphere gets treated to a bout of 
intensely cold temperatures thanks to the polar vortex. What you may not 
realize, though, is that it's not the polar vortex that causes this cold 
weather - it's the vortex breaking down. As Simon Clark explains in this 
video, the polar vortices (one at each pole) are intense and powerful 
regions of circulation in the stratosphere, or mid-atmosphere. They're 
largely responsible for keeping cold air trapped in the Arctic and 
Antarctic. But occasionally, this region of the atmosphere will suddenly 
get warmer - to the tune of increasing by 80 degrees Celsius in less 
than a week! When this happens, a polar vortex will deform and 
potentially even split into smaller vortices, as seen below. When this 
happens, the vortex loses its hold on the cold air near the surface, 
allowing Arctic air to sneak as far south as Texas. After a couple of 
weeks of affecting our weather, the polar vortex will typically reform 
and we'll return to normal. In the meantime, stay warm! (Video and image 
credit: S. Clark; submitted by Nikhilesh T.)
http://fyfluiddynamics.com/post/182191949049/every-year-or-two-the-northern-hemisphere-gets
- - -
[also nicely presented in the NYTimes$]
*A Closer Look at the Polar Vortex's Dangerously Cold Winds*
Chicago will be as cold as the Arctic on Wednesday. We'll show you why.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/01/30/science/polar-vortex-extreme-cold.html

[Climate Liability]
*States, Organizations, Scientists Urge Court to Keep Climate Suits in 
State Court*
Rarely does a remand hearing generate much excitement, but in the case 
of the California communities suing Big Oil to pay for climate impacts, 
the issue of where the cases are heard likely will determine their 
fate--and whether other communities will be eager to follow their 
example. That's why eight different groups filed friend-of-the-court 
briefs to the Ninth Circuit this week, imploring the suits be kept in 
California courts. They argued a range of issues on the communities' 
behalf, from the speciousness of the "public officer" claim the oil 
companies are pressing to the history of deception by the industry. How 
persuasive the arguments are won't be known until the appeals court 
holds a hearing and eventually rules, but the stakes are high. If the 
cases land back in federal court, where their fate seems sealed by a 
precedent of failure, it will have a chilling effect on other 
communities considering similar suits.
https://www.climateliabilitynews.org/2019/01/31/california-climate-suits-state-court/

[Extinction Rebellion - harsh message]
*CLIMATE CHANGE: Why we are heading for extinction and what to do about it*
Marney Brosnan - Mahi Pai Media
Published on Jan 15, 2019
Marcus Carambola from Extinction Rebellion Otautahi Christchurch
talks about the latest climate science and where our planet is headed; 
options for mitigating the worst effects are discussed and solutions 
through the study of social movements
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDWdH9YlfJY

[Extreme cold stresses energy grids]
*Keeping the lights on during extreme cold snaps takes investments and 
upgrades*
January 31, 2019
Author  Zhaoyu Wang - Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering, 
Iowa State University
Disclosure statement
Zhaoyu Wang receives funding from the U.S. Department of Energy Office 
of Electricity Advanced Grid Modeling Program, the U.S. Department of 
Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office, and the U.S. National Science 
Foundation.
Partners Iowa State University, which provides funding as a member of 
The Conversation US.
With climate change making extreme weather events more frequent and 
intense, it is getting harder to keep the lights on and HVAC systems 
running.
As a power system researcher, I believe utilities need to get better at 
withstanding disasters and the disruption they cause. Investing more 
heavily is key, especially in infrastructure upgrades, renewable energy 
and microgrids - small and self-sufficient sources of power that help 
consumers either stay off the grid by choice or simply stay connected 
during outages.

Different kinds of weather can obstruct access to electricity.

In extreme cold snaps, like the one that froze a large swathe of the 
U.S. in early 2019, crucial equipment like circuit breakers, switches, 
grid sensors and other electromechanical support equipment can operate 
slower or faster than normal, sometimes leading to plants shutting 
themselves down - potentially causing power outages.

Around 300,000 customers lost power in Michigan and New Jersey due to 
winter storms in 2018.

In 2019, 1,500 customers temporarily lost power when power lines snapped 
in Kenosha County, Wisconsin, and thousands more had to shiver through 
the coldest night in decades in Minnesota's Twin Cities region and parts 
of Illinois.

During hurricanes, high-speed winds can knock down transmission and 
overhead distribution power lines, as happened in 2018 with Hurricane 
Michael in Florida and Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico in 2017.

Unfortunately, there are no easy fixes...
- - -
One step anyone take to avoid losing power after big storms is 
installing solar panels on their rooftops and connecting them to large 
battery storage systems. These backup systems are gaining popularity 
because they often work better than relying on the diesel-powered 
generators that are more commonly used as backup systems in the U.S.

For example, in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy in 2012, one notable 
area in lower Manhattan did not go dark: the New York University campus. 
Those buildings were running on a microgrid powered by two gas turbines 
and a steam turbine.

Likewise, microgrids helped keep the lights on in Houston homes and 
businesses, the freezers cold in supermarkets and the power humming at 
the Texas Medical Center after Hurricane Harvey, while most nearby areas 
had no electricity.

Most microgrids run on solar power or natural gas, backed up by 
batteries. In addition to generating power locally, they are handy 
because they can be disconnected from the main grid during outages, 
through what the power industry and researchers call "islanding."

What's more, these generation resources can be networked so that they 
can exchange power to meet overall electricity demands. This means 
surplus power in one microgrid can support other microgrids that don't 
have enough.

In my view, deploying microgrids everywhere, including at hospitals, 
police stations, government buildings, schools and homes will make 
everything run more smoothly and safely during outages. Combined with 
the proliferation of other technologies, such as smart meters, and 
renewable energy, they are making the grid more resilient.
https://theconversation.com/keeping-the-lights-on-during-extreme-cold-snaps-takes-investments-and-upgrades-106950

[SAME TRAILER DIFFERENT PARK]
*Let's say I wanted to escape climate change. Where should I go?*
https://grist.org/article/lets-say-i-wanted-to-escape-climate-change-where-should-i-go/

[kids video begins https://youtu.be/0sdqNR_s6LQ?t=91]
*Watch kids break down climate change for President Trump*
By Claire Elise Thompson on Jan 31, 2019
No, despite the cold snap, the Midwest does not need more warming. Ever 
since President Trump's infamous "Global Waming" tweet, a lot of folks 
have been chiming in to set the record straight. NOAA. Cable TV hosts. 
Bill Nye. But two adorable kids just stole the freaking show.

On Jimmy Kimmel Live! Tuesday night, 10-year-old Kaitlynn and 8-year-old 
Apollo took turns breaking down basic science for the president of the 
United States. As Kaitlynn put it: "Don't get angry, Mr. President -- 
it's just science."

Kaitlynn handled the greenhouse effect, while Apollo patiently explained 
the difference between weather and climate: "Even though it's cold where 
you are, that doesn't mean the globe isn't heating up."

Kaitlynn stressed that the many consequences of climate change are going 
to make the world pretty rough for people her age -- and that includes 
Trump's 12-year-old son, Barron.

At the end, the kids said if there's anything else the president needs 
to know, he should feel free to ask. Pretty nice of them, considering 
their futures are on the line -- but as long as they're offering, maybe 
they could throw in a spelling lesson next time? Then at least we won't 
have to wonder what "Waming" is.
https://grist.org/article/kids-break-down-climate-change-for-president-trump/
https://youtu.be/0sdqNR_s6LQ?t=91

[upcoming Congressional hearing]
*HEARING ON "TIME FOR ACTION: ADDRESSING THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC 
EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE"*
Date: Wednesday, February 6, 2019 - 10:00am
Location: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building
Subcommittees:
Environment & Climate Change (116th Congress)
The Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change of the Committee on 
Energy and Commerce will hold a hearing on Wednesday, February 6, 2019, 
at 10 a.m. in room 2123 of the Rayburn House Office Building.  The 
hearing is entitled, "Time for Action: Addressing the Environmental and 
Economic Effects of Climate Change."
https://energycommerce.house.gov/committee-activity/hearings/hearing-on-time-for-action-addressing-the-environmental-and-economic

*This Day in Climate History - Febuary 1, 2007 - from D.R. Tucker*
February 1, 2007:
-The Guardian reports on a bizarre effort by the American Enterprise 
Institute to attack the credibility of the Fourth IPCC report, due to be 
released the next day.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2007/feb/02/frontpagenews.climatechange 

-NPR reports on the Bush administration's rhetorical shifts on climate 
change over the previous six years.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7115660
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