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

[Richard Pauli]

/October 13, 2019/

[true cost accounting]
*The climate crisis and the failure of economics*
Why our economic model fails to explain how we got here on climate.
- - -
Sixteen-year-old Greta Thunberg put not too fine a point on this 
shortcoming in her speech to the United Nations last month: "We are in 
the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money 
and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!"
- - -
Good, socially minded economists, even Nobel laureates, have argued for 
pricing carbon more accurately, but thus far they've been ignored. 
Clearly, a different approach is necessary. Which is why we really 
should take the Green New Deal seriously.

The GND potentially works precisely because it does not try to hit the 
problem head-on. It doesn't adjust price signals by taxing carbon or try 
to convince people that there's a big problem out there beyond their 
discounting horizon.

Instead, the GND puts action against climate change in an immediate and 
broad social justice context that recognizes the urgency of present 
needs -- better jobs (many in green sectors, a way in which action on 
climate can be pro-growth, for the record) and health care -- while 
plotting an ambitious course to 100 percent renewable and emission-free 
electricity in the relatively near future.

This is not the place to debate the viability of the GND's goals. It is, 
of course, possible that the well-resourced politics that has blocked 
everything else so far will be able to block the GND's initiatives, too.

But what I take from the above analysis -- from the broken price 
signals, future discounting, and corrupt politics that have heretofore 
blocked the path forward -- is that something big, different, and 
oriented toward both future crises and present injustices is required. 
This is what it will take to override the powerful forces jamming the 
economic model and, in so doing, reveal the true scarcity of our natural 
resources and the sustainable path to preserve them.

Jared Bernstein is a senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy 
Priorities and was the chief economic adviser to Vice President Joe 
Biden from 2009 to 2011.
https://www.vox.com/2019/10/11/20906786/climate-change-economics-price-signal-future-discounting



[XR coverage]
*BBC Newsnight | Sarah Lunnon | Extinction Rebellion*
Oct 11, 2019
Extinction Rebellion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhVD5jWbaXs
- - -
[XR Activism]
*S3:E28 Extinction Rebellion Descends on New York*
https://www.facebook.com/YearsOfLiving/videos/558876144883171/
- -
*Extinction Rebellion NYC Times Sq. BOAT DROP*
Oct 11, 2019
Extinction Rebellion NYC
XR NYC shut down Times Square yesterday with the help of a sailboat. 
Rebels swarmed the boat as soon as it moored, attaching themselves to 
the bow like barnacles using chains and super glue.

Atop the vessel, superglued by the feet and handcuffed to the mast, was 
16-year-old Nathaniel. The NYPD were forced to close off the entire 
square for over two hours and 62 rebels were arrested.

100 rebels, buoyed by the freshly-formed XR NYC band, arrived just as 
the boat dropped anchor over in Times Square.

As night fell, a dozen members of Jail Support were waiting outside the 
local jail with vegan curry and hot tea for the released rebels.

We in NYC are not immune to the climate and ecological emergency. We 
stand here in solidarity with countries around the world that are 
suffering: Malawi, Bangladesh, Syria, The Bahamas, as well as 
communities in our own backyard: Puerto Rico, Houston, California, the 
Midwest.

We are here to demand that our governments ACT NOW to avert total 
climate and ecological devastation.
No more business as usual.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-WL1nTTtCQ&feature=youtu.be
- -
*Michael C. Hall Joins Extinction Rebellion*
Oct 10, 2019
The YEARS Project
Actor Michael C. Hall explains why he participated in an Extinction 
Rebellion direct action on Wall Street in New York City.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aq0ZCZfnhT0
Learn more at https://www.xrebellion.nyc/



[article]
*'I'm up late at night worrying about global warming - please can you 
put my mind at rest?'*
October 11, 2019
I'm up late at night worrying that my baby brothers may die from global 
warming and other threats to humanity - please can you put my mind at 
rest? - Sophie, aged 17, East Sussex, UK

Dear Sophie,
Thank you for asking this really important question. I know from my work 
as a psychotherapist and with the Climate Psychology Alliance that lots 
of other young people are worrying about global warming and the climate 
crisis, too. There's even a term for it: "eco-anxiety".

I know that may not be much comfort, but it's important to remember when 
you are worrying about something - especially something as huge as 
climate change - that you are not the only one feeling this way. So, my 
first piece of advice to you is to carry on doing what you have done 
here - do not keep your worries to yourself: talk with people about 
this, because sharing worries does help to make them a little better.

If you are not sure who to talk to then maybe start by listening to 
these podcasts by young people talking about how they coped with their 
eco-anxiety, and there are lots of good blogs and advice online that can 
help as well.

I also want to say that I am really impressed by what a caring big 
sister you are. You are worrying about your baby brothers but do not say 
that you are worrying so much about yourself. They are lucky to have 
such a loving and protective big sister as you.

Our loving relationships with family and friends are important to 
remember when we're worrying about things. Make sure that you ask others 
to look after you sometimes, then you can look after them in return when 
they need it - that always helps.

*Understanding eco-anxiety*
Eco-anxiety is being felt more and more by people as they "wake up" to 
the climate and ecological problems that humanity is facing. But it is 
not just anxiety: people also experience feelings of grief, anger, 
guilt, fear, shame and panic - sometimes all in one day. This can be 
confusing, and create even more anxiety.

Sometimes, we worry about our feelings and tell ourselves that we should 
not be feeling them (or other people say this to us). But it's really 
important to remember that whatever feelings you're having - even if 
they're not nice to feel - are okay, you're not going crazy and there is 
nothing wrong with you. Your fears are a really healthy response to what 
is going on in the world.

I Need To Know is a series by The Conversation, which gives teenagers 
the chance to have their questions about the world answered by experts. 
Send your questions - along with your first name, age and the area where 
you live - to ineedtoknow at theconversation.com, or find out more ways to 
get in touch at the end of this article.

Do not be self-critical, be kind to yourself and be proud - because 
these feelings show how much you care about your brothers, and the state 
of the world. That's why I sometimes call it "eco-awareness" or 
"eco-empathy", rather than eco-anxiety.

*Taking action*
One of the best ways to deal with this anxiety is to take some action, 
so that we do not feel powerless and helpless. I suggest that you join a 
group that is organising discussions or taking action to help protect 
the environment.

The school strike for climate groups are very supportive, but you could 
also suggest to your friends or classmates that you get together to talk 
about these things - maybe with a counsellor or teacher or another 
adult, or maybe on your own.

Between you, I am sure you can support each other and discuss how you 
can take positive action to use these anxieties and worries to make 
yourselves feel more powerful in the world. These things can start 
small, but they do make a huge difference to us all. These worries can 
be put to good use - and that's often the best way to put your mind to rest.

*Remember to breathe*
Also - when you feel anxiety, it might sound silly, but remember to 
breathe. We often hold our breath when we are anxious, and that makes it 
much worse. Here is a list of things I suggest to people to remember 
when they feel anxious:

Stop: don't panic or let your thoughts run away with you into horrible 
fantasies. Do not let your fears control you, but do not shut them down 
either
Breathe: slowly in and out, count the breaths and count to ten on each 
in and out breath

Think: reassure yourself, ask yourself these sort of questions - am I 
panicking too much here? Can I calm my fears down? What can I do to help 
myself? Who else can I talk to?

*Connect: with other people, for example by joining a community or group*
Act: in some positive way, even if it is very small
Facing the future
The reason I have focused on how you can cope with your worries - rather 
than addressing your concerns about your baby brothers - is that we 
cannot promise that everything will be okay in the future. But what we 
can try do is make sure that you, me and everyone else is emotionally 
resilient enough to cope with whatever happens.

That means that we have to be good at listening to our feelings, be good 
at listening to other people too. We have to be kind to ourselves, to 
cope with a mix of feelings, to have empathy for other people and also 
ourselves, to be creative and also to be able to think when we are scared.

We also have to have a balance between thinking about worrying things, 
and also thinking about the good things that are around - these are just 
as important. So while I can't promise you that everything will be okay, 
I can promise that lots of people - including parents, psychotherapists 
and school strikers - will be working very hard and taking action to 
help people deal with things. And that means learning to build this 
emotional strength, together.

Then, in the future (whatever that looks like) you can teach these 
lessons to your baby brothers and help them deal with their fears. So, 
you will be helping them by helping yourself. That is the most important 
thing you can do to take care of them, and yourself, at the moment.
https://theconversation.com/im-up-late-at-night-worrying-about-global-warming-please-can-you-put-my-mind-at-rest-124940 




[interactive map]
*Scientist's Map Explains Climate Change*
What will climate where you live feel like in 60 years?
Over the next few decades, global climate is expected to undergo a 
dramatic transformation in an ongoing response to greenhouse gas 
emissions. What do we expect future climate to feel like and how might 
this change if we reduce emissions?
We answer these questions by finding the present-day location that has a 
climate most similar to that expected by the 2080's in each of 540 
cities (shown as purple dots on the map). We do this for different rates 
of emissions and a variety of climate models.
We used 12 different measures to describe climate, including minimum and 
maximum temperature and total precipitation for winter, spring, summer 
and fall. We considered two emissions scenarios - one that assumes high 
current emissions continue and one that assumes emissions peak 
mid-century and then decline. We also considered numerous future climate 
forecasts as generated by 27 different climate models.
An interesting, but not necessarily surprising finding is that there are 
no perfect matches. In other words, for no city did we find a 
present-day climate that is identical to a city's climate in 2080. In 
fact, because of the magnitude of expected climate change, for many 
cities the "best" match is not all that similar. This means that many 
cities could experience a future climate unlike anything present in 
North America today, especially if rates of greenhouse gas emissions are 
not reduced.
https://fitzlab.shinyapps.io/cityapp/



[Healthy mind]
*MIND MELT*
By Charu Sudan Kasturi
Climate change is spawning a mental health crisis. This OZY original 
series unpacks the phenomenon and the coming fixes.

Mind Melt: Climate change is spawning a mental health crisis.
The unprecedented heat wave burning Europe. Forest fires and ravaged 
crops. New diseases. Drying lakes and melting snowcaps. The disastrous 
physical manifestations of climate change are all around us. 
Increasingly, though, a less recognized but equally significant 
phenomenon is taking hold: an anxiety epidemic sparked by global warming.

A growing body of research and organizations ranging from the United 
Nations to the American Psychological Association -- the professional 
body of U.S. psychologists -- are concluding that climate change is 
taking us to the edge of a mental health crisis. With each degree of 
increase in temperature and every new shift in our traditional 
environments, humans are becoming more vulnerable to often debilitating 
mental health conditions. Popular culture is catching up. Season 2 of 
the HBO hit series Big Little Lies has a key subplot that revolves 
around children suffering from anxiety after their class discusses "the 
end of the world" because of climate change.

But no calamity affects everyone equally. And every challenge is also a 
crossroads that offers potential solutions and the thinkers behind them. 
OZY's Mind Melt takes you to the front lines of this latest mental 
health crisis, with original stories on who will be impacted most, how 
doctors and communities are preparing for what's coming next and what 
you can do.

*EVEN CLIMATE CHANGE DISCRIMINATES BASED ON GENDER*
You might imagine that a sweeping, global phenomenon such as climate 
change is blind to traditional biases. You couldn't be more wrong. Women 
are 60 percent more vulnerable to mental health conditions caused by 
climate change. And if they're from poorer communities, that 
disadvantage gets even further magnified.
*
**HE'S CRAFTING THE LANGUAGE OF ECOLOGICAL ANXIETY*
Australian ecological philosopher Glenn Albrecht is the man behind the 
concept of solastalgia -- a portmanteau of solace and nostalgia that 
describes the feeling of mental or existential distress caused by 
environmental change. It's an emotion that researchers are increasingly 
identifying in societies as far apart as Africa and Appalachia, Canada 
and China. Earlier this year, Albrecht defined the current generation 
that's facing climate change as Generation Symbiocene, or Gen S. And 
he's throwing them a challenge: curing solastalgia.

*THE FIRST CLIMATE PSYCHOLOGISTS WILL SOON BE HERE*
Over the past five years, a growing volume of research has demonstrated 
how changing weather patterns are leading to a ballooning mental health 
burden for the world, in the form of increasing depression, anxiety, 
loneliness and more. Yet universities have lagged behind in 
incorporating the subject into their curricula. That's finally beginning 
to change. A growing number of schools are introducing the effects of 
climate change on mental health as part of their curriculum. The first 
set of specialists trained in identifying and treating the psychological 
impact of climate change will soon be with us.

*SHE'S BEHIND THE AA FOR CLIMATE CHANGE FEARS*
Laura Schmidt grew up with parents who were alcoholics and addicts, and 
she learned early how organizations like Alcoholics Anonymous work -- 
creating safe spaces where people with a shared suffering can articulate 
their experiences and struggles and learn from each other through a 
12-step process. Now, she's using the AA approach to help people 
suffering from climate-change-related anxieties. Good Grief is a 
one-of-a-kind support group where people can come, speak and figure out 
solutions to their anxieties about global warming.

*THE ALGAE RAINCOAT YOU CAN ALSO EAT*
Climate change is leading to droughts in some places and excessive rain 
in others. If you're stuck with the latter, and it's freaking you out, 
there's a smart fix that'll keep you dry -- and calm. Researcher 
Charlotte McCurdy has designed a biodegradable raincoat made out of 
algae that isn't just carbon-neutral but can also proactively combat 
climate change.
https://www.ozy.com/opinion/climate-of-fear/95184/



[Chief Investment Officer]
Asset Allocation - October 9, 2019
*Majority of Companies Not in Line with Paris Agreement Goals**
*Only 9% of 161 companies on Climate Action 100+watch list meet minimum 
climate change requirements.
About 160 companies found to collectively hold responsibility for about 
two-thirds of the world's greenhouse gas emissions are receiving stiff 
pressure to decarbonize from an organization representing $35 trillion 
in assets under management across more than 370 global investors.

Climate Action 100+ is a five-year initiative launched in December 2017 
that is out to ensure the world's largest corporate greenhouse gas 
emitters take "critical action" to align with the goal of the Paris 
Agreement to ensure the rise in global temperatures remains below 2 
degrees Celsius.

The group issued an initial progress report that found only 9% of the 
161 companies they're focusing on have emissions targets that are in 
line with (or go beyond) the minimum goal set forth in the Paris 
Agreement, "highlighting a crucial ambition gap to be addressed," the 
group said in a statement.
- - -
Those sectors also exhibited the same order of prioritization with 
regard to setting long-term quantitative targets for reducing greenhouse 
gas emissions.

The report also identified a few major instances where companies made 
stellar commitments to green initiatives in recent years. One such 
example was Volkswagen's commitment to launch nearly 70 electric vehicle 
models by 2028, and

Nestle's commitment to net zero emissions by 2050. Duke Energy, 
HeldelbergCement, and Xcel Energy made similar commitments to have 
net-zero carbons emissions by 2050.

"Climate Action 100+ is the most ambitious investor engagement 
initiative launched to date--and rightly so given the scale and urgency 
of the challenge we face," said Anne Simpson, director of board 
governance and strategy at the California Public Employees' Retirement 
System (CalPERS). The group was initially convened by CalPERS in 2016 
during a meeting at the United Nations.

Action on climate change initiatives is running at full speed, as 
awareness of the issue has now become mainstream and a number of 
investors are giving the attention real action. Recently a host of 
high-profile institutions in the UK pledged to determine an investment's 
impact on the climate before executing their deals. A proposed bill in 
the US would mandate companies to disclose climate risk guidelines.
https://www.ai-cio.com/news/majority-companies-not-line-paris-agreement-goals/



[The ClimateReady Podcast]
*AI for Adaptation: Addressing Climate Challenges with Data Science*
Climate change is the preeminent problem of the 21st century. Why not 
address it with 21st century solutions? While still in development, 
advances in data science -- specifically around big data and AI -- offer 
new and valuable tools for climate adaptation. How is this being 
deployed and who is leading the charge?

In the Season 3 premiere of ClimateReady, we are joined by Paul Fleming, 
Corporate Water Program Manager for Microsoft 
(microsoft.com/environment). We discuss some of the reasons why a 
company known primarily for computer software is leading groundbreaking 
developments for water management related to climate change. Paul 
discusses the potential for big data and AI with respect to utilities 
and smarter water management. We also hear about the CEO Water Mandate 
initiative (ceowatermandate.org) and the expanding role of the private 
sector in addressing the century's greatest environmental and 
sustainable development challenges.

Following our main interview, we introduce a new segment to the show. 
Underlying all of our work around climate adaptation is a sense of 
optimism. We can (and must!) create more resilient systems and 
societies. To support this idea, we are featuring short personal 
reflections about a "Climate of Hope." The episode closes out with a 
story from Nureen Anisha, an AGWA Research Fellow and graduate student, 
speaking of efforts in her native Bangladesh that give her hope for the 
future.
https://soundcloud.com/climatereadypodcast/sn3episode1



[carbon-free energy]
*The Paris Agreement Hinges on a European Hydrogen Economy *
By FRED VAN BEUNINGEN . Oct 04, 2019
- - -
Public sentiment, policy, and innovation in Europe suggests that a 
hydrogen economy, supported by a partnership of private and public 
actors, could help to decarbonise the economy without throttling growth. 
Hydrogen plays nicely with the assortment of green technologies already 
deployed, including electric vehicles, which are limited to 
short-distance, lightweight transportation.

The challenge for Europe is to decide how and where green hydrogen ought 
to be sourced. Barring a revolution in hydrogen technology, Europe will 
need to import green hydrogen from abroad. ..
- - -
Today, hydrogen comes in two forms: blue, which depends on fossil fuels, 
and green, the carbon-zero version. If hydrogen is to help the world 
meet the Paris Agreement targets, it must evolve from blue to green. 
That has implications for how Europe will build a hydrogen economy.

Blue hydrogen is produced through steam methane reforming (SMR), a 
process by which steam reacts with methane from natural gas to generate 
hydrogen--and some carbon dioxide. The Union of Concerned Scientists 
asserts that SMR-derived hydrogen used in automobile fuel cells has a 
smaller carbon footprint than hydrocarbons used in an internal 
combustion engine. To be clear, SMR requires carbon capture storage, 
which is an expensive, unproven technology.

Green hydrogen, on the other hand, is made through electrolysis, a 
process that splits water into hydrogen and oxygen with virtually no 
carbon emissions. Whereas SMR is proven at scale, electrolysis is not. 
The vision is that electrolysis powered by solar, wind, hydropower, 
geothermal, or another renewable source would change that.

One promising electrolysis technique is the Iodine-Sulphur Cycle (I-S 
Cycle), a proven, three-step process that splits water in a reactor 
heated to at least 850 C. The cost of renewable energy is the boundary 
condition for making it green. Renewable prices are falling at such a 
pace that I-S hydrogen could already be cost-effective in sun and 
wind-rich places.

It must be noted that other hydrogen production processes using algae, 
artificial photosynthesis, and biomass gasification (i.e., heating up 
plant material) are at the R&D stage. Toyota, for one, has partnered 
with the Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research to create a 
device that can use sunlight to produce hydrogen from humid air. Green 
hydrogen hopefully scales soon. In the meantime, blue hydrogen would 
form the backbone of a hydrogen economy.
https://www.energydigital.com/renewable-energy/paris-agreement-hinges-european-hydrogen-economy



*This Day in Climate History - October 13, 2004 - from D.R. Tucker*
In his third debate with President Bush, Democratic challenger and 
Massachusetts Senator John Kerry declares:

"Now, my faith affects everything that I do and choose. There's a
great passage of the Bible that says, 'What does it mean, my
brother, to say you have faith, if there are no deeds? Faith without
works is dead.' And I think that everything you do in public life
has to be guided by your faith, affected by your faith, but without
transferring it in any official way to other people. That's why I
fight against poverty. That's why I fight to clean up the
environment and protect this Earth. That's why I fight for equality
and justice. All of those things come out of that fundamental
teaching and belief of faith.

"But I know this, that President Kennedy, in his Inaugural Address,
told all of us that, 'Here on Earth, God's work must truly be our
own.' And that's what we have to--so I think that's the test of
public service."

(30:37--31:25)
http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/DebateFu (30:37--31:25)
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=63163
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