[TheClimate.Vote] May 22, 2019 - Daily Global Warming News Digest

Wed May 22 09:41:41 EDT 2019

/May 22, 2019/

[Video overview of recent weather conditions]
*Massive Tornado Outbreak Wreaks Havoc on US MidWest: 1 of 2*
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijG6N8uciS4
*Massive Tornado Outbreak Wreaks Havoc on US Midwest: 2 of 2*
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6E07_V61rE
Paul Beckwith
Published on May 20, 2019
Numerous intense supercell size storm systems are spawning large numbers 
of tornados, massive hailstones, and torrential downpours as I filmed 
this video and the next on the afternoon and evening of Monday May 20, 
2019. I chat about how a very strong and unusual jet stream trough, a 
long sharp dryline from confluence inflow of hot humid Gulf of Mexico 
air with hot dry southwest desert air, are clashing with cold air from 
the deep jet stream trough generating powerful convective updrafts, with 
large, actually explosive Convective Available Potential Energy values 
of 4-5 kJ/kg; providing atmospheric instability ideal for generation and 
maintenance of powerful, long track tornadoes, baseball to softball size 
hail, and torrential rains with flash flood risks. Take cover.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijG6N8uciS4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6E07_V61rE

[BBC report]
*Climate change: Global sea level rise could be bigger than expected*
By Matt McGrath Environment correspondent
20 May 2019
Scientists believe that global sea levels could rise far more than 
predicted, due to accelerating melting in Greenland and Antarctica.

The long-held view has been that the world's seas would rise by a 
maximum of just under a metre by 2100.

This new study, based on expert opinions, projects that the real level 
may be around double that figure.

This could lead to the displacement of hundreds of millions of people, 
the authors say.
- -
In the researchers' view, if emissions continue on the current 
trajectory then the world's seas would be very likely to rise by between 
62cm and 238cm by 2100. This would be in a world that had warmed by 
around 5C - one of the worst-case scenarios for global warming.
- - -
"For 2100, the ice sheet contribution is very likely in the range of 
7-178cm but once you add in glaciers and ice caps outside the ice sheets 
and thermal expansion of the seas, you tip well over two metres," said 
lead author Prof Jonathan Bamber from the University of Bristol.
- - -
According to the authors, this scenario would have huge implications for 
the planet.

They calculate that the world would lose an area of land equal to 1.79 
million square kilometres - equivalent to the size of Libya.

Much of the land losses would be in important food growing areas such as 
the delta of the Nile. Large swathes of Bangladesh would be very 
difficult for people to continue to live in. Major global cities, 
including London, New York and Shanghai would be under threat.

"To put this into perspective, the Syrian refugee crisis resulted in 
about a million refugees coming into Europe," said Prof Bamber.
- - -
"That is about 200 times smaller than the number of people who would be 
displaced in a 2m sea-level rise."

The authors emphasise that there is still time to avoid these type of 
scenarios, if major cuts in emissions take place over the coming 
decades. They acknowledge that the chances of hitting the high end of 
this range are small, around 5%, but they should not be discounted, 
according to the lead author.

"If I said to you that there was a one in 20 chance that if you crossed 
the road you would be squashed you wouldn't go near it," said Prof Bamber.

"Even a 1% probability means that a one in a hundred year flood is 
something that could happen in your lifetime. I think that a 5% 
probability, crikey - I think that's a serious risk."

Other experts in the field said that the findings of the expert group 
were significant.

"This kind of survey of experts is important, because computer models 
are not perfect at predicting the future," said Dr Tamsin Edwards from 
King's College London.

"Here they took the eight most accurate of 22 experts on Antarctica and 
Greenland and combined their judgements about the future. The ice sheets 
are losing ice at increasing rates, and we can't rule out high values of 
sea level rise, though it's also important to note they're unlikely - 
especially as we are starting to put policies in place to avoid such a 
high level of warming."
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-48337629

[New England Journal of Medicine]
*The Imperative for Climate Action to Protect Health*
- -
*Conclusions*
Climate change is causing injuries, illnesses, and deaths, with the 
risks projected to increase substantially with additional climate 
change, threatening the health of many millions of people if there are 
not rapid increases in investments in adaptation and mitigation. The 
recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report7 makes a 
powerful case for "rapid and far-reaching" transitions in land, energy, 
industry, buildings, transportation, and cities, with the aim of 
limiting global warming to 1.5C by reducing global net human-related 
emissions of carbon dioxide by approximately 45% from 2010 levels by 
2030. This would reduce the risks of exceeding critical thresholds 
damaging to natural systems and human societies while providing more 
time for adaptation.

Health professionals have leading roles to play in addressing climate 
change. They can support health systems in developing effective 
adaptation to reduce the health risks of climate change, promote healthy 
behaviors and policies with low environmental impact, support 
intersectoral action to reduce the environmental footprint of society in 
general and the health care system specifically, and undertake research 
and education on climate change and health. The pervasive threats to 
health posed by climate change demand decisive actions from health 
professionals and governments to protect the health of current and 
future generations.
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMra1807873

*This Day in Climate History - May 22, 2016- from D.R. Tucker*
MSNBC's Joy Reid and The Guardian's Suzanne Goldenberg cover the 
controversy over ExxonMobil's decades-long refusal to acknowledge the 
existence of human-caused climate change.
http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc-news/watch/when-did-the-oil-industry-know-about-climate-change-690590275515 

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/may/20/oil-company-records-exxon-co2-emission-reduction-patents 

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