[TheClimate.Vote] November 3, 2019 - Daily Global Warming News Digest

[Richard Pauli]

/November 3, 2019/

[power out]
*PG&E's Blackouts Are Making It Harder to Measure the 'Toxic Stew' in 
the Air From California's Wildfires*
The blackouts imposed by power company PG&E knocked at least six air 
quality monitoring stations offline, the EPA confirmed to VICE News...
- - -
The struggle to power air-quality monitors during fires likely won't go 
away anytime soon. After the first round of blackouts in California this 
fire season, PG&E said upgrading its infrastructure to a point where the 
company won't need to cut power again to mitigate the risk of sparking 
wildfires would take 10 years, according to the Wall Street Journal.

In the meantime, there's no easy solution for how best to operate 
air-quality monitoring stations in a blackout. Backup generators produce 
their own emissions, which can skew the monitors' readings, according to 
Randa
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/bjwa7v/pgandes-blackouts-are-making-it-harder-to-measure-the-toxic-stew-in-the-air-from-californias-wildfires



[not surprising]
*Trump Stymies California Climate Efforts Even as State Burns*
California is feeling the brunt of climate change with more intense 
fires. The Trump administration is blocking the state's efforts to fight 
it...
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/02/us/climate-change-california-fires-trump.html


[from Undark and Scientific American]
*A Scary Year for Climate Change*
Scientists' warnings about climate change have intensified over the past 
12 months. Will world leaders finally listen?
By Cristine Russell on November 2, 2019
NE YEAR ago, the international scientific community could hardly have 
expected that Greta Thunberg, a teenager from Sweden, would become one 
of its greatest allies. Since beginning her weekly "School Strike for 
the Climate," the petite 16-year-old has skillfully used her public 
appearances and powerful social media presence to push for bolder global 
action to reduce carbon emissions.

"Again and again, the same message," she tweeted recently. "Listen to 
the scientists, listen to the scientists. Listen to the scientists!"

Well, what are the scientists saying?

The answer, of course, is that they have been warning about severe 
global impacts from climate change for more than three decades. But over 
the past 12 months those warnings have intensified. Reports detailing 
the massive environmental, economic, and human consequences of 
unfettered global warming have come at a fast and furious pace. And, 
collectively, they are far scarier than the sum of their parts. (Click 
here to see a rundown.)...
- - -
So, where does this leave us? I'd argue that, more than anything, we're 
left with a heightened sense of urgency, as well as uncertainty, about 
immediate and forthcoming climate dangers. For many years, coverage of 
climate science reports had an implicit future tense, as in, "It's a 
problem for your grandchildren." Alas, the future came faster than 
science had predicted, and the world is now confronted with the reality 
of climate change-related extreme weather events and other threats. The 
frightening wildfires now racing through Southern and Northern 
California show what this climate-related new reality looks like for the 
country's most populous state.

The upcoming U.N. Climate Change Conference -- the 25th session of the 
Conference of the Parties (COP25) to the U.N. climate treaty -- will 
once again put pressure on delegates from nearly 200 nations to deliver 
concrete action on promises made under the 2015 Paris Agreement. (COP25 
was set to be held in Santiago in early December before the Chilean 
government abruptly pulled out of hosting the event.) The disappointing 
substantive and political outcomes of the September summit in New York, 
particularly the lack of stronger commitments from big carbon emitters 
like China, India, and the U.S., mean expectations are low. The 
leadership vacuum left by American President Trump, with his strident 
pro-fossil-fuel rhetoric and planned exit from the Paris Agreement, 
makes things worse.

But don't underestimate the persistence of Greta Thunberg and the 
growing Fridays for Future youth movement she inspired. An estimated 7.6 
million people protested worldwide during September's U.N. Climate Week. 
Strike organizers are planning a major global protest on Black Friday 
directed at COP25 decision-makers.

In her emotional speech at the U.N. Climate Action Summit, Thunberg 
chastised world leaders for failing to act on climate change: "For more 
than 30 years, the science has been crystal clear. How dare you continue 
to look away and come here saying that you're doing enough, when the 
politics and solutions needed are still nowhere in sight." Her angry 
phrase "How Dare You?" went viral on social media, and millions viewed 
the video of Thunberg's speech on YouTube. This plucky young activist is 
likely to deliver a similarly strong message at COP25, pushing the 
scientific case for significant government action now to help protect 
her generation and others in the future.

Will the world leaders at COP25 be listening, and what will they do?
https://undark.org/2019/10/31/scary-year-for-climate-change/

    *A YEAR OF DEVASTATING CLIMATE REPORTS*
    October 2018 – October 2019

    United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
    Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 °C, October 2018.

    U.S. Global Change Research Program. Fourth National Climate
    Assessment, November 2018.

    World Health Organization. COP24 Special Report: Health and Climate
    Change, December 2018.

    Global Carbon Project. Carbon Budget 2018, December 2018.

    U.S. Energy Information Administration. Short-term Energy Outlook,
    January 2019.

    Jérémie Mouginot et al. "Forty-six years of Greenland Ice Sheet mass
    balance from 1972 to 2018." Proceedings of the National Academy of
    Sciences, April 2019.

    Noah S. Diffenbaugh and Marshall Burke. "Global warming has
    increased global economic inequality." Proceedings of the National
    Academy of Sciences, April 2019.

    United Nations Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on
    Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). IPBES Global Assessment
    Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, Summary for Policy
    Makers, May 2019.

    Andrew Freedman and Jason Samenow. "The Greenland ice sheet poured
    197 billion tons of water into the North Atlantic in July alone."
    The Washington Post, August 2019.

    IPCC. Special Report on Climate Change and Land, August 2019.

    World Meteorological Organization and the Science Advisory Group of
    the UN Climate Action Summit 2019. United in Science, September 2019.

    IPCC. Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing
    Climate, September 2019.

    --Cristine Russell

https://undark.org/2019/10/31/scary-year-for-climate-change/
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/a-scary-year-for-climate-change/



[rent is due]
*Climate change will break the housing market*, says David Burt, who 
predicted the 2008 financial crisis
Published: Nov 1, 2019
Risk to the housing market from underestimated climate change echoes 
lessons from the 2008 subprime-mortgage debacle -- as does the chance to 
capitalize on these miscalculations.

That's the view of David Burt, whose old firm and its timely escape from 
the financial crisis just over a decade ago featured in Michael Lewis's 
book "The Big Short."

Burt makes a climate change and subprime lending connection in a recent 
interview with Vice:
'There's a lot of parallels, it's a big real estate mispricing issue. At 
its core that presents a lot of the same risks. A lot of real estate is 
massively overpriced and there's a lot of risk associated with that and 
the big risk is another foreclosure crisis. Now, it's a very different 
dynamic that's creating the mispricing, but actually magnitude-wise it 
looks pretty similar, maybe even bigger.'
Burt sees opportunity but says he also wants to sound the alarm.

"I love the environment and nature and much of my joy in life comes from 
going for walks in the woods or on the beach with my family," he told 
Vice. "We have no idea how bad things really could get, there's far 
bigger risks associated with climate change than depreciating home 
values and some of them are just really, really scary."
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/climate-change-will-break-the-housing-market-says-david-burt-who-predicted-the-2008-financial-crisis-2019-11-01



[Monday video meeting free Nov 4th]
*3 Billion Birds Gone: The Bird Crisis and What We Can Do About It*
Bird populations in the continental U.S. and Canada have declined by 
almost 30% since 1970, a loss of 2.9 billion breeding adult birds. Join 
Ken Rosenberg and learn why these study results transcend the world of 
birds.
Sign in to watch this free event
https://academy.allaboutbirds.org/live-event/3-billion-birds-lost-the-bird-crisis-and-what-we-can-do-about-it/
- - -
[PDF research paper]
*Bird communities following high-severity fire: Response to single and 
repeat*
*fires in a mixed-evergreen forest, Oregon, USA*
by JB Fontaine - ‎2009
Abstract:
Fire is a widespread natural disturbance agent in most conifer-dominated 
forests. In light of climate
change and the effects of fire exclusion, single and repeated 
high-severity (stand-replacement) fires have
become prominent land management issues. We studied bird communities 
using point counting in the
Klamath-Siskiyou ecoregion of Oregon, USA at various points in time 
after one or two high-severity fires.
Time points included 2 and 3 years after a single fire, 17 and 18 years 
after a single fire, 2 and 3 years after
a repeat fire (15 year interval between fires), and >100 years since 
stand-replacement fire (mature/oldgrowth forest). Avian species richness 
did not differ significantly among habitats. Bird density was highest 17 
and 18 years after fire, lowest 2 years after fire, and intermediate in 
repeat burns and
unburned forest. Bird community composition varied significantly with 
habitat type (A = 0.24,
P < 0.0001) with two distinct gradients in species composition relating 
to tree structure (live to dead)
and shrub stature. Using indicator species analysis, repeat burns were 
characterized by shrub-nesting
and ground-foraging bird species while unburned mature forests were 
characterized by conifer-nesting
and foliage-gleaning species. Bird density was not related to snag basal 
area but was positively related to
shrub height. Contrary to expectations, repeated high-severity fire did 
not reduce species richness, and
bird densities were greater in repeat burns than in once-burned 
habitats. Broad-leaved hardwoods and
shrubs appear to play a major role in structuring avian communities in 
the Klamath-Siskiyou region. In
light of these results, extended periods of early seral broadleaf 
dominance and short-interval high severity fires may be important to the 
conservation of avian biodiversity.
https://www.fs.fed.us/psw/publications/kauffman/psw_2009_kauffman004_fontaine.pdf
- - -
[Classic Audubon paper 2008]
*How Wildfires Affect Birds*
Big burns are natural, but climate change could make especially 
destructive fire seasons the new normal.
By Andy McGlashen
October 11, 2017
Big burns are natural, but climate change could make especially 
destructive fire seasons the new normal.
- - -
Blazes aren't a boon for all avian species. Wildfire forces those that 
dwell in old-growth forests--including Pileated Woodpeckers, Townsend's 
Warblers, and Golden-crowned Kinglets--to go in search of new places to 
nest and forage. It also poses a serious risk to a bird that faces 
plenty of other threats: the Greater Sage-Grouse. Fire in the sagebrush 
ecosystem--upon which this iconic species depends--often gives invasive 
plants such as cheatgrass and juniper a leg up on slower-growing sage, 
and they provide fuel for future fires.

Do birds ever start wildfires? When combined with electricity, yes. 
We've all seen birds perched harmlessly on power lines. But if they 
manage to touch two transmission lines at once, they form a circuit and 
get zapped. In two recent fires started by birds, hawks were carrying 
snakes. Chances are, those writhing meals-to-be touched the second power 
line, electrocuting dinner and diner both, and sparking the blaze below.

There are credible claims that birds intentionally spread fires, too. 
Audubon and other publications have covered anecdotal reports of 
northern Australia raptors picking up burning sticks and dropping them 
elsewhere on the arid landscape to flush out prey like lizards and 
snakes. Mark Bonta, the Penn State geographer behind those reports, says 
that he and colleagues have a forthcoming peer-reviewed paper with 
further evidence that Black Kites, Brown Falcons, and Whistling Kites 
all spread fires intentionally. The researchers haven't yet captured 
video or photographic evidence of the phenomenon, but Bonta says they've 
confirmed it by interviewing local experts and reviewing publications of 
aboriginal knowledge...
- - -
What climate-charged fires will mean for birds is hard to say. "More and 
more, the past is becoming irrelevant as we advance to the no-analog 
future climate," one researcher told Audubon in 2015. Saab, from the 
Forest Service, says she expects future fires to rearrange habitat types 
and the distribution of bird species. For now, the patchwork of habitat 
left behind by blazes helps maintain bird diversity in Western forests. 
"In the future?" she says, "I don't know."
https://www.audubon.org/news/how-wildfires-affect-birds



[wrangling watts and ampsHighly geeky video]
*Hacking my Tesla Model S for an Emergency 12v Power Source*
DIY Solar Power with Will Prowse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nMs_DwveqA&t=768s
- - -
[his book is well rated]
*Mobile Solar Power Made Easy!: Mobile 12 volt off grid solar system 
design and installation. RV's, Vans, Cars **and boats! Do-it-yourself 
step by step instructions. 1st Edition*
Official website: http://www.mobile-solarpower.com Finally an easy 
approach to mobile solar design and installation: -Add a solar system to 
your RV, Van, Trailer, Car or Boat -Step-by-step instructions that 
anyone can follow -Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced methods for 
calculating your solar system. You choose! -Tips and tricks that will 
save you time and money -You can read this book from start to finish, or 
use it as a reference -Large, easy to understand pictures And much more! 
I promise that this book will be worth your time, or you will get your 
money back. There are many solar system books on the market that are 
just too hard to understand, and impractical. Tired of googling every 
question you have about setting up your own solar system? Then give this 
book a chance. It will show you everything that you need to know, from 
start to finish.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1546567119/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl


*This Day in Climate History - November 3, 2010- from D.R. Tucker*
In a post-midterm election press conference, President Obama states:

    "With respect to the EPA, I think the smartest thing for us to do is
    to see if we can get Democrats and Republicans in a room who are
    serious about energy independence and are serious about keeping our
    air clean and our water clean and dealing with the issue of
    greenhouse gases -- and seeing are there ways that we can make
    progress in the short term and invest in technologies in the long
    term that start giving us the tools to reduce greenhouse gases and
    solve this problem.

    "The EPA is under a court order that says greenhouse gases are a
    pollutant that fall under their jurisdiction. And I think one of the
    things that's very important for me is not to have us ignore the
    science, but rather to find ways that we can solve these problems
    that don't hurt the economy, that encourage the development of clean
    energy in this country, that, in fact, may give us opportunities to
    create entire new industries and create jobs that -- and that put us
    in a competitive posture around the world.

    "So I think it's too early to say whether or not we can make some
    progress on that front.  I think we can.  Cap and trade was just one
    way of skinning the cat; it was not the only way.  It was a means,
    not an end.  And I'm going to be looking for other means to address
    this problem.

    "And I think EPA wants help from the legislature on this.  I don't
    think that the desire is to somehow be protective of their powers
    here.  I think what they want to do is make sure that the issue is
    being dealt with."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4F8e2Cye08 (35:15-38:48)
/-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------/

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