[TheClimate.Vote] July 8, 2019 - Daily Global Warming News Digest

[Richard Pauli]

/July 8, 2019/

[somewhere on the planet]
*One climate crisis disaster happening every week, UN warns*
Fiona Harvey - Environment correspondent - Sun 7 Jul 2019
Developing countries must prepare now for profound impact, disaster 
representative says
Climate crisis disasters are happening at the rate of one a week, though 
most draw little international attention and work is urgently needed to 
prepare developing countries for the profound impacts, the UN has warned.

Catastrophes such as cyclones Idai and Kenneth in Mozambique and the 
drought afflicting India make headlines around the world. But large 
numbers of "lower impact events" that are causing death, displacement 
and suffering are occurring much faster than predicted, said Mami 
Mizutori, the UN secretary-general's special representative on disaster 
risk reduction. "This is not about the future, this is about today."

This means that adapting to the climate crisis could no longer be seen 
as a long-term problem, but one that needed investment now, she said. 
"People need to talk more about adaptation and resilience."

Estimates put the cost of climate-related disasters at $520bn a year, 
while the additional cost of building infrastructure that is resistant 
to the effects of global heating is only about 3%, or $2.7tn in total 
over the next 20 years.

Mizutori said: "This is not a lot of money [in the context of 
infrastructure spending], but investors have not been doing enough. 
Resilience needs to become a commodity that people will pay for." That 
would mean normalising the standards for new infrastructure, such as 
housing, road and rail networks, factories, power and water supply 
networks, so that they were less vulnerable to the effects of floods, 
droughts, storms and extreme weather.

Until now, most of the focus of work on the climate crisis has been on 
"mitigation" - jargon for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, and not to 
be confused with mitigating the effects of the climate crisis. The 
question of adapting to its effects has taken a distant second place, in 
part because activists and scientists were concerned for years that 
people would gain a false complacency that we need not cut emissions as 
we could adapt to the effects instead, and also because while cutting 
emissions could be clearly measured, the question of adapting or 
increasing resilience was harder to pin down.

Mizutori said the time for such arguments had ran out. "We talk about a 
climate emergency and a climate crisis, but if we cannot confront this 
[issue of adapting to the effects] we will not survive," she told the 
Guardian. "We need to look at the risks of not investing in resilience."

Many of the lower-impact disasters would be preventable if people had 
early warnings of severe weather, better infrastructure such as flood 
defences or access to water in case of drought, and governments had more 
awareness of which areas were most vulnerable.

Nor is this a problem confined to the developing world, she said, as the 
recent forest fires in the US and Europe's latest heatwave had shown. 
Rich countries also face a challenge to adapt their infrastructure and 
ways of protecting people from disaster.

"Nature-based solutions", such as mangrove swamps, forests and wetlands 
which could form natural barriers to flooding should be a priority, said 
Mizutori. A further key problem is how to protect people in informal 
settlements, or slums, which are more vulnerable than planned cities. 
The most vulnerable people are the poor, women, children, the elderly, 
the disabled and displaced, and many of these people live in informal 
settlements without access to basic amenities.

Regulations on building standards must also be updated for the climate 
crisis and properly enforced, she said. One of the governance issues 
cited by Mizutori was that while responsibility for the climate crisis 
and greenhouse gas emissions was usually held in one ministry, such as 
the economics, environment or energy department, responsibility for 
infrastructure and people's protection was held elsewhere in government.

"We need to take a more holistic view of the risks," she said.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jul/07/one-climate-crisis-disaster-happening-every-week-un-warns



[This video that will make you WANT an electric car]
*Top ten reasons NOT to buy an electric vehicle (and why each one is 
wrong!)*
Just Have a Think
Published on Jul 7, 2019
Electric vehicles. To buy or not to buy? That is the question! Many of 
us still labour under prejudices and misperceptions that are years or 
even decades out of date. Misperceptions that are enthusiastically 
reinforced by the fossil fuel industry! But with battery prices tumbling 
and governments around the world now beginning to enact legislation to 
ban the sale of internal combustion engine cars in the next few years, 
all the major manufacturers are investing billions in research and 
development to bring us some spectacular electric choices. In fact 
there's never been a better time to have a think about EVs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyZOLMeMYnI



[From The Guardian]
*Baked Alaska: record heat fuels wildfires and sparks personal fireworks 
ban*
Anchorage sees 80F weather with nearly 120 fires blazing across the state
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/02/alaska-heat-wildfires-climate-change
- - -
[popular page may be slow to load]
*Current Fire Information Alaska Interagency Coordination Center*
https://fire.ak.blm.gov/imf_fire/imf.jsp?site=fire



[link to YouTube audio]
*Thom Yorke says climate change is giving people anxiety*
Radiohead frontman said it was a positive thing that issues like anxiety 
were being discussed, but they were 'on the rise'
Roisin O'Connor
Thom Yorke has said he believes issues such as climate change are giving 
people anxiety.

The Radiohead frontman spoke with The Sunday Times in an interview about 
his new solo album, ANIMA, where he also spoke about his band, thoughts 
on current music, and ongoing social and political issues.

"It's good that depression and anxiety are being talked about more," he 
said. "But they're also on the rise… [there's] much less security about 
what may happen in the near future. Much less trust of institutions 
there to protect them, as well as wider issues like climate change. This 
all makes people anxious, and it's crazy that people don't just 
acknowledge that."...
- - -
ANIMA has received positive reviews from critics. A review for The 
Independent commented: "The tones here are stark and bleak, compared to 
the claustrophobia of 2014's Tomorrow's Modern Boxes. You can hear his 
paranoia in the stuttering techno opener "Traffic", which channels the 
heady grooves and pulses of electronic artist Floating Points (who, with 
his neuroscience background, seems like an entirely fitting reference 
point)."

"By the end of ANIMA, you're left wondering about those dreams that are 
just out of reach, but also what we risk losing when we look back."
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/thom-yorke-climate-change-anxiety-depression-radiohead-anima-interview-a8992031.html
- - -
[some - 2 cuts]
Thom Yorke [ANIMA] already shown off songs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CQclfEDYiw



[That's over 114.6 degrees F]
*France records all-time highest temperature of 45.9C*
Record for mainland France falls in southern commune of 
Gallargues-le-Montueux as Europe swelters in heatwave
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jun/28/france-on-red-alert-as-heatwave-forecast-to-reach-record-45c
- -
[Climate news this week]
*Six shocking climate events that happened around the world this week*
Heat waves, melting glaciers, and wasp "super nests."
KYLA MANDEL - JUL 6, 2019
Living in a warming world means experiencing a litany of unexpected events.

 From an increase in the population of iguanas in Florida and super 
nests of wasps in Alabama, to world-class soccer stars competing in 
record-breaking heat in France and torrential rainfall in India, this 
week has seen a slew of unprecedented and unexpected climate impacts.

*European heat wave linked to climate change*
Last month was the hottest June ever experienced in Europe. In France, 
where athletes are currently competing in the 2019 Women's World Cup, 
the country saw its highest temperature since records began -- a small 
town in the southern part of the country, Gallargues-le-Monteuex, 
reached 45.9 degrees Celsius (114.6 degrees Fahrenheit) on June 28. 
That's more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above the previous record set in 2003.

New analysis out this week by scientists trying to decipher the degree 
to which climate change played a role in these soaring temperatures 
revealed that global warming may indeed have made the heat wave "at 
least five times" more likely.

The 'scream' heat map over France has been swiftly followed by the 
country's highest temperature of all time - 44.3C 
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jun/28/france-on-red-alert-as-heatwave-forecast-to-reach-record-45c

Areas in Switzerland, Germany, the Czech Republic and Spain also 
experienced record-breaking heat, and Austria logged its warmest June on 
record, which was "in large part due to the heat wave," researchers said.

As a result, there were wildfires in Spain and 4,000 schools closed 
early in France. And in Toulouse, France, a conference on extreme 
weather and climate change was also disrupted.

*Deadly rainfall in drought-stricken India*
This week, at least 35 people died due to heavy rainfall in the Indian 
state of Maharashtra. On Tuesday, nearly 15 inches of rain fell in just 
24 hours -- the worst Mumbai had experienced in 14 years. Flights and 
trains were cancelled and around 1,000 people were left stranded in the 
city awaiting rescue.

India's monsoon season lasts from June until September. Typically, the 
country gets about 70% of its annual rainfall during this season -- 
water on which farmers rely.

The deadly rainfall this week, however, comes after a drier-than-normal 
start to the monsoon season. June ended with a third less rainfall than 
the 50-year average, according to the India Meteorological Department. 
This has sparked concerns about access to adequate drinking water as 
well as fears over crop production; 9.5% less land has been cultivated 
this year for summer crops so far.

Meanwhile, a report by the United Nations' International Labor 
Organization warns that India's agriculture and construction sectors are 
expected to be hard-hit by climate change. Global warming, it states, 
will likely lead to a productivity loss equivalent to 34 million 
full-time jobs by 2030.

*Warmer winters producing wasp 'super nests'*
Warmer winters could be leading to emergence of wasp 'super nests' as 
The New York Times reported recently.

In Alabama, at least four super nests -- huge colonies made up of the 
aggressive yellow jacket wasps that survive for a second year rather 
than dying-off in winter -- have been spotted so far. Typically, only 
about one or two such nests are spotted in a year, during June and July. 
However, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System issued a news release 
warning residents to expect more this year.

"Imagine a colony of yellow jackets the size of a Volkswagen Beetle, 
filled with 15,000 of the stinging insects. Now, imagine more than 90 of 
these super nests in Alabama," the news release states.

That's what the state experienced in 2006 and this year could be shaping 
up to be another record-breaker.

Yellow jacket wasps usually don't survive in the cold -- only the queens 
have an antifreeze compound in their blood that allows them to start a 
new colony in the spring. But with warmer winters and more queens 
surviving, that means more wasps are hatching.

*Rapid sea ice loss in Antarctica*
New satellite data reveals rapid sea ice loss in Antarctica. According 
to researchers, the continent has seen a "precipitous" fall in sea ice 
since 2014 with the rate of loss much faster than that experienced in 
the Arctic; as much sea ice was lost in four years in Antarctica as was 
lost in the Arctic over 34 years.

Scientists are still determining exactly what caused the dramatic loss 
in sea ice. In fact, the steep drop comes after 40 years of steady 
growth in Antarctica's sea ice, further puzzling researchers as it 
reached a record low in 2017.

Unlike melting land ice, sea ice loss does not contribute to sea level 
rise. However, the loss of the highly-reflective white ice does 
contribute to global warming -- darker surfaces such as open water 
absorb more heat than they reflect. The more sea ice is lost, the more 
heat is trapped, thereby leading to more ice loss in a vicious circle.

As Andrew Shepherd, a professor at Leeds University in the U.K., told 
The Guardian, "The rapid decline has caught us by surprise and changes 
the picture completely. Now sea ice is retreating in both hemispheres 
and that presents a challenge because it could mean further warming."

*Melting glaciers in Greenland are creating sand*
Everyone knows that Greenland's glaciers are melting. But with that 
comes a lot of erosion -- and a lot of sand.

According to scientists, 8% of the annual sediment delivered to the 
world's oceans comes from the Greenland ice sheet, and they expect that 
to increase with climate change.

And as The New York Times reported this week, scientists are starting a 
research project to see whether the "erosive power of ice" -- one that 
is set to continue with climate change as glaciers melt -- is enough to 
produce the highly sought after resource; sand is vital to the 
construction industry but it's increasingly hard to come by as demand 
grows with urbanization.

*More iguanas in Florida*
Iguanas thrive in warmer weather. And now Florida's Fish and Wildlife 
Conservation Commission has issued a notice encouraging homeowners to 
"kill green iguanas on their own property whenever possible."

As one local resident who used to love seeing the reptiles around his 
home told The Washington Post, "They aren't cute anymore…. They're a 
menace."

A proliferation of iguanas comes with a host of problems biologists say, 
including erosion, degradation of infrastructure (such as canal banks, 
sea walls, building foundations), and harm to landscaping and ornamental 
plants. They can also carry salmonella.

According to scientists, climate change is helping iguanas spread 
further north and more quickly. Between 2000 and 2018, for example, 
Grand Cayman island saw its iguana population expand from almost none to 
an estimated 1.6 million. Now, Florida is trying to take control before 
things in the state become similarly explosive.
https://thinkprogress.org/six-shocking-climate-events-that-happened-around-the-world-this-week/


[For the basic mass media television audience Michael Mann speaks on 
Trump and climate science]
*Atmospheric Scientist: We're just getting a taste of how bad climate 
change can get*
TheHill - Published on Jul 3, 2019
Professor of Atmospheric Science at Penn State, Michael Mann, says the 
Trump administration has done nothing when it comes to acting on Climate 
Change.
About Rising:
Rising is a weekday morning show with bipartisan hosts that breaks the 
mold of morning TV by taking viewers inside the halls of Washington 
power like never before. The show leans into the day's political cycle 
with cutting edge analysis from DC insiders who can predict what is 
going to happen. It also sets the day's political agenda by breaking 
exclusive news with a team of scoop-driven reporters and demanding 
answers during interviews with the country's most important political 
newsmakers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgBPOopDeIw



[video Paul Beckwith]
*Game of RISK in Real Life: Abrupt Climate Casino Disruption*
Paul Beckwith
Published on Jul 7, 2019
Going to Hades in a Handbasket?? No wall could stop Mexican Hail, over 3 
feet deep clogging streets of Guadalajara. European Heatwave broke; new 
report details climate change root cause. Massive flooding inundated far 
northern Irkutsk (remember this "Game of Risk" country!); unprecedented 
numbers/sizes of wildfires scorched many places within Arctic Circle; 
Baked Alaska had record heatwave; species at risk are migrating; seaweed 
blooms 5,000 miles long appeared, running from west Africa all the way 
to Mexico. Eco-anxiety is a public crisis; nice to have company. Mussels 
cooked in their shells. Sea ice collapsing; I am fighting off shingles. 
Please, no sympathy but donations at http://paulbeckwith.net are 
gratefully encouraged. Live long and prosper:)!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYY0o9XhkAM
- - -
[Part 2]
*Our Climate Casino: The Ultimate Reality Game of RISK*
Paul Beckwith
Published on Jul 7, 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdkp6hNFdOA



[Video - book talk "The End of Ice"]
*Dahr Jamail, Conversation, 13 March 2019*
Lannan Foundation
Published on Mar 14, 2019
Dahr Jamail in conversation with William Rivers Pitt.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2S46evll8I
- - -
[Q&A]
*Dahr Jamail, Conversation, 13 March 2019*
Lannan Foundation
Published on Mar 14, 2019
Dahr Jamail in conversation with William Rivers Pitt.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAPXUMZg_Pc


[See serious climate scientists discuss their work at RealClimate.org]
*The International Meeting on Statistical Climatology*
Filed under: Climate Science -- rasmus @ 6 July 2019

"The weather forecast looks sunny and particularly hot from Sunday to 
Friday, with afternoon temperatures above 30C every day, and likely 
exceeding 35C by the middle of the week. One consequence is that the 
poster sessions (Tuesday and Thursday) have been moved to the morning as 
they will be held outside under a marquee."

I have never received a notification like this before a conference. And 
it was then followed up by a warning from the Guardian: 'Hell is 
coming': week-long heatwave begins across Europe.

The heatwave took place and was an appropriate frame for the 
International meeting on statistical climatology (IMSC), which took 
place in Toulouse, France (June 24-28). France set a new record-high 
temperature 45.9C on June 28th, beating the previous record 44.1C from 
2003 by a wide margin (1.8C).

One of the topics of this meeting was indeed heatwaves and one buzzword 
was "event attribution". It is still difficult to say whether a single 
event is more likely as a result of climate change because of model 
inaccuracies when it comes to local and regional details...
- - -
A major hurdle facing decadal predictions is to design climate models 
and give them good enough information so that they are able to predict 
how temperature and circulation evolve (see past post on decadal 
predictions). It is hard enough to predict the global mean temperature 
(link), but regional scales are even more challenging. One question 
addressed by the posters was whether advanced statistical methods 
improve the skill when applied to model output....
http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2019/07/the-international-meeting-on-statistical-climatology/


*This Day in Climate History - July 8, 2012 - from D.R. Tucker*
July 8, 2012: On MSNBC's "Up," Chris Hayes points out the key role of 
right-wing media in furthering climate denialism.
http://mediamatters.org/video/2012/07/08/msnbcs-up-with-chris-hayes-explains-how-conserv/186989 

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