[TheClimate.Vote] July 13, 2019 - Daily Global Warming News Digest

Sat Jul 13 12:03:44 EDT 2019

/July 13, 2019/

[- $500 billion over the past five years]
*Extreme weather could be an "outsized and unnoticed" force for stock 
markets, analyst says*
Published: July 12, 2019 7:00 a.m. ET
Extreme weather has beset the United States and Europe, with record heat 
waves in France and Spain, massive flooding and tornadoes in the 
American Midwest and an impending tropical storm barreling towards New 
Orleans' already flooded streets.

U.S. corporations have begun to take notice of the threats of the 
growing incidence of extreme weather to their businesses, but according 
to Michael Arone, chief investment strategist at State Street Global 
advisors, investors should be attune to the economy-wide effects of 
these disasters too.
- - -
Investors should also be paying attention to the changing climate as it 
produces longer periods of extreme heat, he argued, pointing to recent 
studies that show that worker productivity cools as temperatures rise. 
It has and will continue to lead to lower economic growth, he said.

"As Geoffrey Heal and Jisung Park point out in their review of research 
on climate and human health, this means that an 84°F day reduces the 
country's annual income by 0.065%, and 20 such days a year would reduce 
income by 1.2%, equivalent to a minor recession," Arone wrote.
Federal regulators are also expressing concern over the issue of climate 
change and financial markets, as Commodity Futures Trading Commission 
(CFTC) announced Wednesday that it would establish Climate-Related 
Market Risk Subcommittee that will seek to "identify and examine climate 
change-related financial and market risks.'

Though the CFTC is still seeking nominations to the subcommittee of 
"experts from industry, academia and the public interest," the findings 
of the committee could potentially lead to new guidelines or policy 
initiatives that encourage greater risk management and disclosure of 
risks to markets related to climate change...
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/extreme-weather-could-be-an-outsized-and-unnoticed-force-for-stock-markets-analyst-says-2019-07-11 

[Bloomberg]
*Macron's Dream of a Climate Bank Gets Boost From New EU Leader*
By Ewa Krukowska - July 11, 2019
European Investment Bank to discuss climate action next week
Ursula von der Leyen backs transforming EIB into climate bank
The leader designated to take over the European Commission endorsed the 
idea of creating a bank to concentrate on climate change, giving 
traction to a French proposal that would scale up green investment 
across the continent...
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-07-12/macron-s-dream-of-a-climate-bank-gets-boost-from-new-eu-leader

[Risk assessment - publication]
*The State of Climate Adaptation in Public Health: An Assessment of 16 
U.S. States*
*Abstract*
Climate change poses significant threats to the health of individuals 
and communities, as well as the delivery of healthcare services. Human 
morbidity and mortality rates are rising due to extreme heat events and 
changing patterns of water-borne and vector-borne diseases, and 
healthcare infrastructure is at risk from extreme events. Climate 
adaptation actions are taken to either avoid or take advantage of 
climate change impacts either by decreasing vulnerability or increasing 
resilience.

EcoAdapt was funded by the Natural Resources Defense Council to assess 
the state of climate adaptation planning and implementation for 
climate-related threats to public health in 16 U.S. states - Colorado, 
Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New 
York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, 
and Wisconsin. These states include a cross-section of areas in which 
the Natural Resources Defense Council is engaged in climate and clean 
energy advocacy work, states included in the Strong, Prosperous, and 
Resilient Communities Challenge program, and a subset of those in which 
the Building Resilience Against Climate Effects framework is being 
operationalized.
The project objectives were to

    - assess understanding among public health officials of climate
    change impact
    - document activities - planned and underway - to prepare for and
    respond to climate-related challenges;
    - synthesize findings in case studies to inform adaptation planning
    in other states; and
    - create a public health topic page on the Climate Adaptation
    Knowledge Exchange (CAKE) to share relevant resources, tools, and
    case studies.

EcoAdapt scientists examined if and how climate change is being 
integrated into activities at state public health departments and other 
agencies and organizations. The majority of initiatives at the state 
health departments surveyed are focused on capacity building, primarily 
environmental health monitoring; vulnerability assessment and adaptation 
planning efforts; public awareness outreach and communication campaigns 
related to climate change; and collaborating with local health 
departments, tribal agencies, and nongovernmental organizations. 
Eighteen full-length case studies are presented on how various 
practitioners are integrating climate change into public health....
Published On
Thursday, June 27, 2019
https://www.cakex.org/sites/default/files/documents/EcoAdapt_Climate%20and%20Health%20Report_June%202019_3.pdf
- - -
[taken from CAKE]
*Climate Adaptation Knowledge Exchange (CAKE) *
The Climate Adaptation Knowledge Exchange (CAKE) was launched in July 
2010 and is managed by EcoAdapt. It aims to build a shared knowledge 
base for managing natural and built systems in the face of rapid climate 
change. Just as importantly, it is intended to help build an innovative 
community of practice. It helps users to get beyond the limitations of 
their time and the unwieldy thicket of books, papers and articles by:

    - Vetting and clearly organizing the best information available,
    - Building a community via an interactive online platform,
    - Creating a directory of practitioners to share knowledge and
    strategies, and
    - Identifying and explaining data tools and information available
    from other sites.

It consists principally of four interlinked components:

    - Case Studies | Syndicate content
    - Virtual Library | Syndicate content
    - Directory | Syndicate content
    - Tools | Syndicate content

It also houses Community forums for the discussion of current issues in 
climate adaptation:

    - Opportunities Forum | Syndicate content
    - Calendar| Syndicate content

For more information, contact us at info at cakex.org.
https://www.cakex.org/

[Beckwith "2030 is the new 2100"]
*How 2030 is the new 2100: Global Food Yields Already Dropping from 
Abrupt Climate Change*
Paul Beckwith - Video published on Jul 12, 2019
2030 is the new 2100. Climate change is ALREADY reducing global food 
yields TODAY, with an average 1% annual reduction in the worlds top ten 
global crops, providing 83% of food calories to humanity: top ten food 
crops: barley, cassava, maize (corn), oil palm, rapeseed (canola), rice, 
sorghum, soybean, sugarcane, wheat. Most reduced: oil palm (-13.4%); 
increased: soybeans (+3.5%). Negatively affected regions are Europe, 
South Africa, and Australia; +ve is Latin America; mixed is Asia, North 
and Central America. Growing season temperatures over all harvested 
areas is up 0.5 to 1.2 C since the early 1970s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SModhHUpcj0
- -
[key findings]
*Climate change has likely already affected global food production*
Abstract
Crop yields are projected to decrease under future climate conditions, 
and recent research suggests that yields have already been impacted. 
However, current impacts on a diversity of crops subnationally and 
implications for food security remains unclear. Here, we constructed 
linear regression relationships using weather and reported crop data to 
assess the potential impact of observed climate change on the yields of 
the top ten global crops-barley, cassava, maize, oil palm, rapeseed, 
rice, sorghum, soybean, sugarcane and wheat at (about) 20,000 political 
units. We find that the impact of global climate change on yields of 
different crops from climate trends ranged from -13.4% (oil palm) to 
3.5% (soybean). Our results show that impacts are mostly negative in 
Europe, Southern Africa and Australia but generally positive in Latin 
America. Impacts in Asia and Northern and Central America are mixed. 
This has likely led to (about) 1% average reduction (-3.5 X 10 -13th 
kcal/year) in consumable food calories in these ten crops. In nearly 
half of food insecure countries, estimated caloric availability 
decreased. Our results suggest that climate change has already affected 
global food production.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333526012_Climate_change_has_likely_already_affected_global_food_production

[future seafood]
*Will jellyfish dominate the oceans? | DW Documentary*
DW Documentary
Published on Jul 12, 2019
Will jellyfish conquer the oceans of our earth in the future? Jellyfish 
can destroy entire fish farms and even bring coastal nuclear power 
stations to a standstill. Scientists are now investigating their 
meteoric rise.

Research is still in its early stages, but experts already agree: The 
global jellyfish population explosion indicates something is wrong in 
the oceans - a complex ecosystem is out of balance. Man could actually 
be responsible for this new state of affairs: Overfishing has wiped out 
many of the jellyfish's rivals, so fewer fish means a suddenly abundant 
supply of food that supports an ever growing jellyfish population. 
Wastewater discharged into the sea and the nutrients it carries also 
boosts the reproduction of animal plankton, the microscopic crabs that 
jellyfish feed on. Global warming is also stimulating jellyfish polyps 
to produce more offspring. Not only that: The increase in CO2 is making 
the oceans more acidic and that endangers organisms with calcareous 
skeletons because acid dissolves their bones, whereas jellyfish do not 
have skeletons at all. Jellyfish are also spreading across the seas by 
hitching a ride in the ballast tanks of large container ships. Combed 
jellyfish from the western hemisphere have now appeared in the Black Sea 
and are threatening some fish stocks. The documentary looks at the 
hotspots of jellyfish research in the Mediterranean, Atlantic, North Sea 
and Baltic, plunging deep into the fascinating world of jellyfish.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2CtQu85ZAM

[Germany]
*Climate policy: German advisers recommend CO2 pricing as 'central 
instrument'*
A council of economic experts advising the government says the German 
government should put a price on CO2 emissions. It would be 
'economically efficient' and should be a key part of climate policy, 
advisers say...
- - -
Twelve countries in the EU have already introduced national CO2 pricing 
in addition to the trade of emissions already established for the energy 
sector and parts of industry at the European level, according to the 
development organization Germanwatch. The Netherlands will become the 
13th country in 2020, according to the organization.

In September, the German government intends to finalize measures aimed 
at ensuring that its 2030 goal of emitting 55% less greenhouse gases 
than in 1990 is achieved. Germany is lagging behind the climate targets 
to which it has committed both under the 2016 Paris Agreement and at a 
domestic level...
https://www.dw.com/en/climate-policy-german-advisers-recommend-co2-pricing-as-central-instrument/a-49565435?maca=en-newsletter_en_bulletin-2097-html-newsletter

[monthly book batch]
*Plastic, Insects, Salmon and Climate Change: The 13 Best Environmental 
Books of July*
New books this month also examine environmental racism, wildlife 
coexistence and the history lessons of acid rain.
Reviews
July 1, 2019 - by John R. Platt
Summer is officially upon us, which means it's time to pick the season's 
best beach reads. And there's no rule that says beach reads have to be 
frothy and lightweight. Why not choose compelling and informative 
instead? ... We've picked the best new environmentally themed books 
coming out this July, with titles covering everything from insects and 
salmon to climate change and plastic pollution. There are even a few 
eco-poetry collections for those of you who'd like a little art with 
your inspiration.

Our full list -- an amazing 13 titles -- appears below. Links are to 
publishers' websites, but you can also buy many of these titles at your 
favorite bookstore. We hope you find one near a beach.

Wildlife & Conservation:
*Buzz Sting BiteBuzz, Sting, Bite: Why We Need Insects* by Anne 
Sverdrup-Thygeson -- An ecologist provides an entertaining look at "the 
little creatures that make the world go round," something that's 
severely needed in this era of worryingly dangerous insect declines.

*Stronghold: One Man's Quest to Save the World's Wild Salmon* by Tucker 
Malarkey -- The true and inspirational story of Guido Rahr, who fought 
everyone from fossil fuel developers to Russian oligarchs to help save 
Pacific salmon from extinction.

*Humans and Lions: Conflict, Conservation and Coexistence* by Keith 
Somerville -- Cecil the lion wasn't an isolated occurrence. Humans and 
lions have been living together (and clashing) for millennia, and the 
existence of these two species will forever be intertwined -- unless 
lions get crowded off the planet. Somerville looks at history and the 
state of Africa today to explore how they can be saved from extinction.

*In Oceans Deep: Courage, Innovation and Adventure Beneath the Waves* by 
Bill Streever -- A vivid portrait of the pioneering explorers and 
scientists who broadened our understanding of the oceans' depths. Along 
the way, the book also shows how humans threaten these remote and 
important parts of the world.

Pollution:
*A Terrible Thing to Waste: Environmental Racism and Its Assault on the 
American Mind* by Harriet A. Washington -- This book will open your 
eyes, make you angry, and then point you toward solutions for ending the 
plague of pollution-related health problems in marginalized communities 
of color.

*Poisonous Skies: Acid Rain and the Globalization of Pollution* by 
Rachel Emma Rothschild -- You know, it almost feels quaint to be talking 
about acid rain these days, but sometimes you need to pay attention to 
history in order to better understand the present. Rothschild looks at 
the history of acid rain to explore what happened, how countries fought 
about it, how scientists led the charge against it, and how all of that 
offers lessons for the modern world of climate change. Essential 
reading, and not quaint at all.

*How to Give Up Plastic: A Guide to Changing the World, One Plastic 
Bottle at a Time* by Will McCallum -- Do you know to capture the 
microfiber plastic particles your clothes shed in the washing machine 
and stop them from ending up in the ocean? If not, this book offers info 
on how to do just that -- and plenty of other tips for leading a 
plastic-free life.

*Every Breath You Take: A User's Guide to the Atmosphere* by Mark 
Broomfield -- Why read a romance or thriller that will leave you 
breathless when you could learn more about what you're actually 
breathing? And how to improve air quality?

*Purrmaids: Quest for Clean Wate*r by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen -- An 
ecological fable about cleaning up the ocean, for the kids in the 
audience. (But seriously, someone explain that mermaid cat to me.)

Public Lands:
*This Land: How Cowboys, Capitalism and Corruption are Ruining the 
American West* by Christopher Ketcham -- A full-force, book-length 
investigation of the forces destroying protections for public lands and 
wildlife, not just in the West but throughout the entire country. 
Illuminating and disturbing.

Eco-Culture:
*Republic of Apples My Ancestors Are Reindeer Herders and I Am Melting 
in Extinction* by Ron Riekki -- This collection of nonfiction, fiction 
and poetry explores the American landscape and disappearing wildlife 
from a nomadic Saami-American perspective.

*One Less River* by Terry Blackhawk -- A poetry collection about the 
Detroit River and its surroundings, written by an award-winning educator 
and activist.

*Republic of Apples, Democracy of Oranges: New Eco-poetry from China and 
the U.S*. edited by Frank Stewart -- Nearly 100 poets turn their pens 
toward looking for answers to the environmental destruction committed by 
their home countries: the planet's two most carbon-heavy nations.
That's our list for this month, but if you need more, check out dozens 
of other recent eco-books in the "Revelator Reads" archive.
https://therevelator.org/environmental-books-july-2019/
see batch by month - https://therevelator.org/tag/revelator-reads/

[Essay page]
*Green Buddhism and the Hierarchy of Compassion*
Alan Sponberg (Dharmachari Saaramati)
Buddhist perspectives on nature and the environment have a long and 
complex history, and it is thus not surprising that one finds within 
this rich and varied tradition much that resonates with contemporary 
concerns regarding nature and the place of humanity within it. While 
Buddhists of the past had little reason to formulate an environmental 
ethic per se, there is much within traditional Buddhist ethics that does 
indeed speak to the ethical aspects of the environmental crisis 
confronting us today, a fact that has been well noted and at least 
partially explored both by non-Buddhist environmental ethicists and by a 
growing number of contemporary Buddhists themselves, advocates of what 
is frequently referred to as 'Green Buddhism'.1 My approach in the 
present article seeks to bridge these two camps, and I shall thus be 
writing here both as a practising Buddhist and as an environmental 
ethicist, one with academic training in philosophy and in the history of 
Buddhism. I shall undertake a critique of certain features of Green 
Buddhism in this article, and it is important for the reader to realise 
that I do so from within the circle of this vital movement of 
contemporary Buddhism, seeking to identify the 'near-enemy' 
(aasanna-paccathika) within, which, as Buddhaghosa commented in the 
fifth century, is often more dangerous than the 'distant-enemy' 
(duura-paccathika) that remains more obviously (and safely) outside the 
fold.
http://www.westernbuddhistreview.com/vol1/green_buddhism.html

[BBC delivers poignant radio docu-drama]
*Our Trees*
Chestnuts on A roads, sycamores down alleys, rowans on roundabouts, and 
avenues of lime. Why do people care so much about urban trees? Perhaps 
they want to save the trees because the trees save them?
Frances Byrnes' docu-drama, narrated by Robert Glenister,  weaves the 
voices of Sheffield's tree campaigners into a dark contemporary fairytale.
The poem Heartwood, a charm-against-harm, was written for Sheffield's 
trees by Robert MacFarlane.
Cellist Tim Smedley played A Song For The Birds by Pablo Casals. The 
programme also features a recording of the same piece by Sheku 
Kanneh-Mason.
Sound Design: David Thomas
Director: Kate McAll
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m00066yq

*This Day in Climate History - July 13, - from D.R. Tucker*
July 13, 2006: On CNN's "Lou Dobbs Tonight," climate scientists Michael 
Mann, Gavin Schmidt and Alan Robock discuss the hazards of, and 
solutions to, human-caused climate change.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRc33Ow2di0
http://www.desmogblog.com/news-alert-cnns-lou-dobbs-says-discussion-is-over-get-on-with-solutions
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