[TheClimate.Vote] September 11, 2019 - Daily Global Warming News Digest

[Richard Pauli]

/September 11, 2019/

[common sense suggestions]
*4 tips for selecting charities after disasters like Hurricane Dorian*
September 10, 2019
David Campbell - Associate Professor of Public Administration, 
Binghamton University, State University of New York
Hurricane Dorian's destruction in the Bahamas, North Carolina and up the 
Atlantic coast provides a terrible reminder of how these storms can 
upend lives and destroy homes. As with previous disasters, millions of 
Americans are trying to figure out the best way to use their money to 
help people recover.
As a scholar who has studied philanthropy after disasters, I'm hearing 
from friends and colleagues that the growing number of charities 
responding to these emergencies is making them unsure about which one to 
support. If you are feeling the same way, here's my advice.

*1. Decide what matters most to you*
Giving is a personal decision motivated by personal values and passions. 
So, before you search for the right charity, clarify a few things in 
your own mind.

Do you prefer to support local, national or global organizations? Would 
you rather give directly to individuals in need?

National and international organizations have specialized expertise. 
Local groups know the territory.

The Red Cross, the biggest disaster relief nonprofit, operates 
everywhere. It has the ability to be on the ground, making a difference 
right away. But debates crop up from time to time over its effectiveness 
due to concerns over how it dealt with some previous disasters.

National organizations, such as Team Rubicon and the Salvation Army, as 
well as the Grand Bahama Disaster Relief Foundation, a local 
organization, and GoFundMe, a platform for giving directly to people in 
need, are all responding to the emergencies created by Hurricane Dorian.

Also consider timing.

Do you care more about helping people immediately or over the long term? 
Hurricane survivors need food, shelter and other basics right away. But 
as the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and the 2012 hurricane 
widely known as Superstorm Sandy made clear, relief efforts may take 
many years.

Once you set these priorities, seek groups that do the kind of work you 
care about most...
- - -
*2. Consider several options*
No matter where emergencies arise, international organizations such as 
Red Cross, the Salvation Army, Americares and the United Nations 
Children's Fund (UNICEF) respond and provide relief.

But they aren't your only options. After an earthquake, hurricane or 
other tragedy, many established charities adapt their services to 
respond to the needs that emerge, as I learned in research I conducted 
about how nonprofits responded to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Many media outlets and specialty websites compile lists with good 
options. Following Hurricane Dorian, examples include The Washington 
Post, USA Today, PBS NewsHour and Charity Navigator.

After you find the groups aligned with your interests, visit their 
websites. Read their mission statements and look for descriptions of how 
they're helping...
- - -
*3. Focus on results*
Knowing what matters to you and what your giving options are a good 
start, but not enough. You also need to make sure a charity is likely to 
make a difference with your money.

Most people donate in the first two months following a disaster. That 
means that when you research your giving options, the best information 
you're likely to find is what an organization plans to do or is doing 
right now.

That's useful, but it doesn't tell you whether they'll do a good job.

    *Tips for giving well and avoiding scammers after disasters*
    Disaster relief experts recommend following these guidelines.
    1 - Donate money (via credit cards or checks), rather than clothes,
    food, water or other items. This lets relief organizations make the
    best use of your assistance.
    2 - Give directly to reputable, well established aid groups with
    experience working in disaster relief and recovery and with strong
    ties to local communities. They will know how to work together and
    be ready to coordinate with governmental agencies.
    3 - Consider immediate and long-term priorities. Some of the biggest
    needs will go on long after the media has gone home.
    4 - Avoid scammers by watching for sound-alike and look-alike
    fraudulent organizations. Some legitimate new charities may arise
    after a disaster, but that is also fertile ground for scams. The old
    faithfuls are more likely to deliver appropriate services more
    quickly and effectively.

The United Way, which often plays a major role in disaster relief, 
distributes the money it raises to community groups that help those 
affected. After major disasters, such as Hurricane Harvey, it releases 
updates about how it spent donors' dollars. The Robin Hood Foundation 
set another good example when it reported on its work following 
Superstorm Sandy.

Details about results can be hard to find on charity websites. But many 
organizations providing disaster relief do provide them.

For instance, the Red Cross website includes a long list of publications 
regarding its responses to disasters, and the Salvation Army has posted 
videos, with more limited information, that describe its efforts in 
response to Hurricane Katrina and the Haiti earthquake.

GuideStar is a good information source because it enables charities to 
upload results-related information on its site. For example, the Humane 
Society of the United States provides results information on its 
GuideStar page and also describes accomplishments on its website.

*4. Watch for red flags*
Finally, consult charity rating sites.

These sites score nonprofits by applying their own criteria, making 
comparison easy. What they rate varies but usually includes financial 
performance, management practices and transparency. Charity Navigator, 
the Better Business Bureau/Wise Giving Alliance and Charity Watch are 
among the best-known.

Before giving to a nonprofit, ensure that it has a high score with one 
or more of those groups and see if there are reasons for concern. One 
good resource is Charity Navigator's frequently updated donor advisory 
list. It catalogs everything from reports of embezzled funds and fraud 
to unclear financial reports.

Donate what you can spare after disasters. But, as the old adage 
suggests, good intentions don't always yield good results. Doing a 
little research and following these guidelines can help you feel more 
confident about your donations and the difference they will make.
This article contains information in an earlier article The Conversation 
US published on Sept. 26, 2017
https://theconversation.com/4-tips-for-selecting-charities-after-disasters-like-hurricane-dorian-123133



[After Dorian video commentary]
*Bahama Death Toll of 40,000 from Hurricane Dorian: My Estimate*
Paul Beckwith
Published on Sep 9, 2019
Just after Category 5 Hurricane Dorian stalled over the Grand Bahamas 
and Abaco Islands for 1.5 days, with 185 mph sustained winds (225 mph 
gusts) and a storm surge covering 2/3 of the islands, with up to 25 foot 
deep seawater, the world media reported an absurd death toll of exactly 
5 people. Over the next 10 days their insane number climbed to 7, 10, 
20, ..., 45. What really happened? I estimate a death toll of up to 
40,000 people; over 10% of the countries population. Most of these 
people were likely washed out to sea by the massive storm surge, never 
to be seen again.
[first of two videos] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFVUpk5VME8
Clearly, the northernmost Bahama islands have been essentially destroyed 
with tremendous loss of life; last video I estimated 40,000 dead; most 
people washed out to sea to never be seen again. The world faces many 
extremely difficult decisions on what to do moving forward, including 
should we even rebuild, to be destroyed again? Given that we do rebuild, 
I chat about how it should be done in the most resilient way possible, 
and suggest that the Caribbean Island's own their own cruise ships to 
greatly increase resiliency in the face of massive hot-water charged 
superstorms.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEVKV16PQYc


[Military view from Center for Climate and Security]
*Sherri Goodman: Preventing and Preparing for Devastating Storms*
Sherri Goodman, Senior Strategist with the Center for Climate and 
Security, recently spoke to TRT World about the effect of climate change 
on devastating storms such as Hurricane Dorian. She spoke about the the 
need to both prevent a future of more frequent and intense storms by 
reducing the scale and scope of climate change, and preparing for these 
changes through investments in climate resilience. Prevention and 
preparation will be key to saving more lives in the future, building 
resilient communities, and bolstering security. Watch the full interview 
here:

    *Hurricane Dorian: Interview with Sherri Goodman*
    TRT World Now
    Published on Sep 8, 2019
    Sherri Goodman, Senior Strategist, Center for Climate and Security
    Joins TRT World.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=77&v=Pu3Y_3hSqXw

https://climateandsecurity.org/2019/09/10/sherri-goodman-preventing-and-preparing-for-stronger-storms/



[my governor, got my vote]
*How Big Oil Blocked the Nation's Greenest Governor on Climate Change*
Publicly, BP supported carbon pricing. Behind the scenes, it extracted 
concessions from Gov. Jay Inslee, then dropped its support last minute, 
emails show.
By Marianne Lavelle
SEP 10, 2019
- - -
Inslee's fight for climate action in Washington state is a case study of 
the monumental political challenge that the drive for climate policies 
faces, even with Democrats in control of both houses of the legislature, 
a chief executive who has made climate a priority, and a major player in 
the fossil fuel industry pledging to be a part of the solution.

It is also a cautionary tale and preview of the battle ahead for climate 
action on a national level, where BP and other big oil companies are 
staking out a position similar to the one they adopted in Washington 
state--portraying themselves as partners, not adversaries, in addressing 
global warming. Based on the record so far, some who have watched the 
process closely question whether the oil industry can be a trusted ally 
in enacting a policy that is ambitious enough to effect the rapid, deep 
economy-wide cuts in carbon emissions that the science demands.

"The oil industry has done this double-speak dance," said Kristin 
Eberhard, director of climate and democracy for the Seattle-based 
nonprofit Sightline Institute, an environmental think tank focused on 
the Pacific Northwest. "They realize that most Americans know that 
climate change is happening, and they would look self-serving and out of 
touch if they tried to deny climate change. So they've just turned 
around and said, 'We know climate change is happening, we want to take 
action on it. Oh, but not this action,' any time action comes up."

"The problem in Washington," Eberhard said, "seems to be that BP wasn't 
coming to the table to work it out. They were coming to block it."...
- - -
Having dropped out of the presidential race, Inslee is turning his 
attention back to Washington state, where he is running for a third term 
as governor. He acknowledges that he has more work to do there on 
climate policy.

"The science is clear--we have to transition away from fossil fuels and 
we have to do it soon," Inslee said in an email. "Every sector of our 
economy and every level of government plays a role in that transition. 
Our state is striding forward, and we will not be daunted or deterred 
from pursuing the policies necessary to protect Washingtonians and our 
planet from the ravages of climate change."

InsideClimate News reporter Phil McKenna contributed to this report.
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/10092019/big-oil-money-blocked-jay-inslee-climate-change-policy-carbon-fee-bp-washington



[Everyone, has to do everything]
*University of Cambridge: Removing meat 'cut carbon emissions'*
The University of Cambridge has said removing beef and lamb from its 
menus has cut food-related carbon emissions by a third...
- - -
Scientists have said beef and lamb produce most farm greenhouse gases 
and have argued the number of sheep and cattle in the UK should be 
reduced to help combat climate change.

Prof Balmford, professor of Conservation Science at the university, 
advised the catering service on the changes.

He said: "It is hard to imagine any other interventions that could yield 
such dramatic benefits in so short span of time."...
- - -
Nick White, head of the catering service, said: "This has involved 
making sacrifices, but is has been absolutely the right thing to do...
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-49637723




[Limnology is study of lakes]
*Warm on top, cold below: Uexpected greenhouse gas effect in lakes*
by University of Basel
- - -
Lakes worldwide are warming at the surface. However, they are also 
losing transparency due to increased algae production and enhanced 
turbidity of the lake water. "The surface-water warming and the loss of 
transparency have the effect that more heat is trapped in the upper 
layers of the lakes, leaving the deeper waters thermally isolated," says 
lead author Dr. Maciej Bartosiewicz from the Department of Environmental 
Sciences at the University of Basel. "Under some circumstances, this can 
even lead to the cooling of water masses near the bottom of the lake."

The subtle cooling slows down respiratory decay processes and carbon 
dioxide production in the lakes, increasing carbon burial within the 
sediments. Model simulations suggest that the observed effects are most 
pertinent to relatively small and shallow lakes, which make up 
approximately half of the global lake surface.

Less carbon dioxide, more methane

The increased differential warming in lakes has yet another effect: the 
pronounced thermal stratification entails that the deeper water layers 
do barely mix and are poorly ventilated, which can lead to prolonged 
anoxia. Under these oxygen-free conditions, methane production by 
anaerobic microorganisms is enhanced.

"All in all, global warming increases the greenhouse gas potential of 
lakes, as expected. However, this has less to do with the warming 
directly, and more to do with increased oxygen depletion at the bottom 
of these lakes," concludes Bartosiewicz....
- - -
https://phys.org/news/2019-09-cold-uexpected-greenhouse-gas-effect.html


*This Day in Climate History - September 11, 2015 - from D.R. Tucker*
September 11, 2015:
The Los Angeles Times reports:

    "The push for aggressive new state policies to fight climate change
    suffered another setback Thursday.

    "Legislation to put into law executive orders on long-term targets
    for reducing carbon emissions was pulled from consideration. It had
    failed to win enough support from lawmakers and faced objections
    from the governor's office.

    "The bill's author, state Sen. Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills), vowed
    to revive it next year.

    "The defeat came a day after Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative
    leaders withdrew a key portion of another proposal to combat climate
    change, one calling for California to cut its use of gasoline in
    half. They had been unable to overcome fierce opposition from the
    oil industry and resistance from some Democrats."

http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-pol-bills-legislature-20150911-story.html
/-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------/

/Archive of Daily Global Warming News 
<https://pairlist10.pair.net/pipermail/theclimate.vote/2017-October/date.html> 
/
https://pairlist10.pair.net/pipermail/theclimate.vote

/To receive daily mailings - click to Subscribe 
<mailto:subscribe at theClimate.Vote?subject=Click%20SEND%20to%20process%20your%20request> 
to news digest./

*** Privacy and Security:*This is a text-only mailing that carries no 
images which may originate from remote servers. Text-only messages 
provide greater privacy to the receiver and sender.
By regulation, the .VOTE top-level domain must be used for democratic 
and election purposes and cannot be used for commercial purposes.
To subscribe, email: contact at theclimate.vote 
<mailto:contact at theclimate.vote> with subject subscribe, To Unsubscribe, 
subject: unsubscribe
Also you may subscribe/unsubscribe at 
https://pairlist10.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/theclimate.vote
Links and headlines assembled and curated by Richard Pauli for 
http://TheClimate.Vote <http://TheClimate.Vote/> delivering succinct 
information for citizens and responsible governments of all levels. List 
membership is confidential and records are scrupulously restricted to 
this mailing list.