[TheClimate.Vote] September 15, 2019 - Daily Global Warming News Digest
Richard Pauli
richard at theclimate.vote
Sun Sep 15 09:29:43 EDT 2019
/September 15, 2019/
[Militants unnamed]
*Drone attacks set Saudi Aramco oil facilities ablaze*
Fires broke out at the kingdom's largest oil-processing plant and
another site following drone attacks. Online videos showed plumes of
smoke, although the Saudi Interior Ministry said the fires had been
"controlled."
https://www.dw.com/en/drone-attacks-set-saudi-aramco-oil-facilities-ablaze/a-50430391?maca=en-newsletter_en_bulletin-2097-html-newsletter
[Meanwhile in Louisiana]
*Fracked Gas Well Blowout in Louisiana Likely to Burn for the Next Month*
By Julie Dermansky
A fracked natural gas well in northwest Louisiana has been burning for
two weeks after suffering a blowout. A state official said the fire will
likely burn for the next month before the flames can be brought under
control by drilling a relief well.
DeSmog obtained drone video footage shot 10 days after the blowout,
which occurred early in the morning on August 30, the day after the well
was hydraulically fractured. A tower of flames reportedly shot into the
air that could be seen from more than 30 miles away. While the flames
are no longer as intense, the fire is still visible from a distance of
more than a mile. GEP Haynesville, LLC, the well's operator, told local
ABC affiliate KPVI that the fire started during flow-back operations,
but the exact cause has not been determined yet.
https://www.desmogblog.com/2019/09/12/fracked-natural-gas-well-blowout-haynesville-louisiana-burning-month
[BBC finds the worst is Sulfur Hexaflouride]
*Climate change: Electrical industry's 'dirty secret' boosts warming*
- - -
Sulphur hexafluoride, or SF6, is widely used in the electrical industry
to prevent short circuits and accidents.
But leaks of the little-known gas in the UK and the rest of the EU in
2017 were the equivalent of putting an extra 1.3 million cars on the road...
- - -
Each turbine would normally have contained around 5kg of SF6, which, if
it leaked into the atmosphere, would add the equivalent of around 117
tonnes of carbon dioxide...Across the entire UK network of power lines
and substations, there are around one million kilograms of SF6 installed...
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-49567197
- - -
[Regulated by EPA?, or What trade war? SP6 bought from Russia and China?]
*Sulfur Hexafluoride Export Data of Russia*
Get Sulfur Hexafluoride export data of Russia to view the market size,
price and sulfur hexafluoride market share of Russia. With the help of
export data you can track trading activities of Russian exporters of
sulfur hexafluoride.
https://www.russiaexim.com/russia-export-data/sulfur-hexafluoride.html
- - -
https://www.google.com/search?q=Russinan+manufacture+sulfur+hexaflouride&rlz=1C1SQJL_enUS792US792&oq=Russinan+manufacture+sulfur+hexaflouride&aqs=chrome..69i57j33.27399j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
- - -
[In 2013, we knew nothing is free]
*Department of Energy's Crusade Against Leaks of a Potent Greenhouse Gas
Yields Results*
Michael Wines
June 13, 2013
Every year, the United States Department of Energy's far-flung
operations generate millions of tons of climate-warming greenhouse
gases. By tightening valves, replacing worn gaskets and such, Josh
Silverman and the department's engineers have managed to cut the annual
leaks of one gas by about 35,000 pounds.
Which would seem a pittance. Except that this gas is sulfur
hexafluoride, the most potent greenhouse gas in existence -- in fact,
23,900 times more potent than carbon dioxide. In three years, they have
stanched leaks equivalent to 1.1 million tons of carbon dioxide.
It is as if 200,000 cars were taken off the road for a year. And that is
but the beginning...
https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/14/us/department-of-energys-crusade-against-leaks-of-a-potent-greenhouse-gas-yields-results.html
- - -
[In 2012, we knew what to do]
*NGO coalition demands ban on super greenhouse gas*
Arthur Neslen Jun 26, 2012
Six NGOs are calling for the European Commission to propose a ban on
some uses of the most potent greenhouse gas known to humankind, sulphur
hexafluoride (SF6), after a new report found that existing alternative
technologies were no more expensive.
SF6, which is used in power line switchgears, is a fluorinated gas (aka
F-gas) that is 22, 800 times more potent than carbon dioxide, and has an
atmospheric lifespan of 3,000 years.
"A ban on SF6 use in medium volt switchgear is a no-brainer, like the
switch away from old fashioned light bulbs," said Ton Sledsens, a
spokesman for Natuur and Milieu, the Dutch NGO which commissioned the
report.
"It would prevent the use of a chemical with a gigantic climate effect,
and SF6-free alternatives have the same price and are already widely
sold by all producers."
The report by the Dutch consultancy firm CE Delft finds no evidence that
using air or solid insulation materials is more expensive, in contrast
to an EU impact assessment by the Oko-Recherche institute last year.
"In point of fact, SF6–free switchgear generally appears to be up to 10%
cheaper than the corresponding SF6–containing alternative [for Medium
Voltage switchgear]," says the report, titled 'Abatement cost of SF6
emissions from medium voltage switchgear'...
- -
F-gases currently make up just 1%-2% of greenhouse gas emissions, but
that figure could rise to between 9%-19% of all emissions by 2050 if
nothing is done.
Sledsens said his biggest worry was that quantities of SF6 vented today
would still be in the atmosphere three millennia from now, affecting
countless future generations.
"If the Coliseum had been built using SF6, we would still be measuring
it now, and so would the next 30 generations," he said. "It is not just
a technical issue, it is also a moral issue."
https://www.euractiv.com/section/climate-environment/news/ngo-coalition-demands-ban-on-super-greenhouse-gas/
- - -
[I really don't think so]
*Report: Europe could kick the F-gas habit by 2020*
Arthur Neslen May 30, 2012
Most fluorinated greenhouse gases (also known as F-Gases), used in
today's mobile air conditioning and refrigeration units, could
realistically be banned across the EU by 2020, a new report says.
The Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences study 'Availability of
Low-GWP Alternatives to HFCs: Feasibility of an Early Phase-Out of HFCs
by 2020' contends that Hydrofluorocarbons (also called HFCs, the most
common types of F-gas) could be replaced by energy efficient and climate
friendly alternatives in 20 different industrial sectors within eight years.
"Banning the use of HFCs in new equipment could prevent the release of
600 million tonnes [of] C02-equivalent by 2030, more than the UK's
entire annual carbon emissions," said Clare Perry, a spokeswoman for the
Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), which sponsored the report.
"At the same time, many of the alternatives are more energy-efficient
than existing technologies," she said.
But in a reflection of accelerated lobbying by both environmentalists
and industry ahead of imminent new EU F-Gas proposals, the report's
methodology was quickly challenged by Andrea Voigt, the director-general
of the European Partnership for Energy and the Environment (EPEE).
The report "can hardly be called new," Voigt said – as it relied on
existing data from the European Commission – and she pointed instead to
a report commissioned by EPEE and carried out by the French research
bodies ERIE and ARMINES.
"The results of this study clearly demonstrate that F-Gas emissions can
be reduced significantly by at least 15% and up to at least 60% without
the necessity of bans," she told EURACTIV. The report was published in
October 2011 but EPEE plan to release a follow-up study soon.
Fast-rising emissions
F-gases only make up 1%-2% of greenhouse gas emissions today, but that
number is rising by some 8%-9% annually, and some scientific studies say
that if nothing is done, they could account for between 9%-19% of all
emissions by 2050.
The most widely-used F-gas, HFC 134a, is over a thousand times more
potent than CO2 in causing global warming.
- - -
The EU is currently reviewing its F-Gas legislation and is expected to
bring forward proposals for a new policy regime this autumn.
One of the key debates hinges on whether F-Gas-use should be capped and
phased down – as favoured by the HFC industry – or whether 'placing on
the market prohibitions' (POMs) should apply to those with the highest
global warming potential (gwp).
The Karlsruhe study describes POM limitations and prohibitions as "very
effective ways of reducing HFC emissions".
But Voigt said that a phase down of F-Gases was already starting to
happen "where it is technically feasible and where it makes sense from
an energy efficiency and safety point of view."
Industry figures also argue passionately that the costs involved in a
revamp of existing refrigerants-use would be expensive and
counter-productive.
In contrast, the Karlsruhe University report, which was authored by
Professor Michael Kauffeld, a refrigeration technology expert, disagrees.
"While investment costs are often higher for alternatives to HFCs, these
costs are often absorbed by lower running costs over the lifetime of the
equipment," it says.
"In addition these energy savings increase the amount of the total CO2
equivalent savings by 2%."
https://www.euractiv.com/section/climate-environment/news/report-europe-could-kick-the-f-gas-habit-by-2020/
[Interview with esteemed British climate psychotherapist]
*Deep Adaptation Q&A with Adrian Tait hosted by Jem Bendell*
Published on Sep 14, 2019
Jem Bendell
LInks: Deep Adaptation paper
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sq--UYV-lm0
- - -
[Bendell paper]
Deep Adaptation: A Map for Navigating Climate ... - Lifeworth
https://www.lifeworth.com deepadaptation
Jul 27, 2018 - instance, the first Occasional Paper, by Professor Jem
Bendell and Professor .... I outline a "Deep Adaptation Agenda" to help
guide.
https://www.lifeworth.com/deepadaptation.pdf
- - -
[the Climate Psychology Alliance]
*Climate Psychology Alliance - facing difficult truths about climate
change and ecological crisis*
https://www.climatepsychologyalliance.org/
[insurance business]
*First Major U.S. Insurer Begins Divestment from Fossil Fuels*
- - -
Earlier this summer, Chubb, the largest commercial insurance company in
the U.S., announced a new policy to address climate change. Saying that
it "will not underwrite risks related to the construction and operation
of new coal-fired plants," the company has become the first major U.S.
insurer to adopt a policy restricting coal insurance.
According to the new policy, Chubb "will not underwrite new risks for
companies that generate more than 30 percent of revenues from thermal
coal mining … [and] will phase out coverage of existing risks that
exceed this threshold by 2022."
https://www.ecowatch.com/insurance-divests-fossil-fuels-2640301685.html
[Nature]
13 SEPTEMBER 2019
*Arctic sea ice is at a near-record low -- but that's just one of the
north's problems*
From raging wildfires to melting ice in Greenland, the top of the world
is screaming for help.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02653-x
- - -
[Paul Beckwith]
*Variability of Arctic Sea Ice Thickness in Six Different Arctic Basins*
Published on Sep 14, 2019
Paul Beckwith
Continuing my Arctic sea ice loss videos, I examine a paper on sea ice
thickness variability that uses the PIOMAS model and a Community Earth
System Model. Dividing the Arctic Ocean up into 6 different basins:
Barents-Kara Seas, Laptev Sea, East Siberian Sea, Beaufort-Chukchi Seas,
Greenland Sea, and the Central Arctic Basin (CAB) it examines each
basins sea ice thickness history and projections, and timing as to when
basin thickness average falls below 0.5 meters. Greenland Sea lasts
longest (cushioned by cold glacier meltwater); the CAB lasts next longest.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1G1Z188WWQ
- - -
*Is Climate System Internal Variability Significantly Messing with
Arctic Sea Ice Demise Predictions?*
Paul Beckwith
Continuing my Arctic sea ice loss videos, I discuss a 2016 paper arguing
that internal variability of the climate system is very large, and
thinner ice is even more sensitive to internal variability. It suggests
that we cannot predict complete loss of Arctic sea ice within a time
window of less than 20 years; and that the difference in emissions
pathways between RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 adds 5 more years to uncertainty. I
am extremely skeptical of this result. To me, large variability means
when a large negative swing occurs the sea ice will unexpectedly and
rapidly vanish.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgoEkQVQKXE
[3rd of 3 reports]
*26 feet of water: What the worst-case hurricane scenario looks like for
Tampa Bay*
We're not prepared for the hurricanes that hit today. In the future,
they'll be worse.
By Brian Resnick - Sep 11, 2019
This is part three in a three-part series about worst-case extreme
weather scenarios in three regions of the United States -- Arizona,
California, and Florida -- that are particularly vulnerable to the
effects of climate change. In this story, we'll consider why a Category
5 hurricane would be an especially catastrophic Big One for Tampa, Florida.
Tampa Bay is long and grows narrower and shallower as you move farther
away from the Gulf of Mexico and toward the cities of St. Petersburg and
Tampa, Florida. When a hurricane comes through Tampa Bay, its winds can
push a wall of water, known as storm surge, into this ever-tightening
container. So when a storm comes through, the bay rises.
Tampa Bay hasn't been directly hit by a major hurricane with dangerous
winds in excess of 111 mph since 1921. That hurricane pushed an 11-foot
flood into the bay, killing eight, demolishing homes, and destroying an
entire crop of citrus...
- -
There is not a single state on the East Coast or along the Gulf of
Mexico that has not seen a storm near its shore. There's geological
evidence that even New England has seen a Category 2-plus hurricane four
times every century (at least for the past 2,000 years.) Any of those
storms can repeat themselves, and when they come back, they're more
likely to be worse. The question that remains is how we will deal with them.
These storms are coming whether we are prepared for them or not. They
will hit densely populated areas as well as rural stretches of
coastline. They'll likely be coming long after humans have vanished from
the Earth. And from here on out, there's a greater chance they'll be
more intense and drop more rain when they make landfall due to climate
change.
- - -
Tampa may not be ready for the Big One
There's no getting around it: The Hurricane Phoenix scenario mentioned
above is a humanitarian crisis.
The strong winds will destroy or damage 1 million homes, the report
found. Another 100,000 buildings would be destroyed or damaged by
floods. Upward of 41 million pieces of debris -- bricks, concrete,
broken trees, etc. -- would have to be cleaned up. Nearly 2 million
people will be displaced from their homes. More than a dozen hospitals
will be damaged and possibly unusable for nine months to a year. In all,
the storm could cause $230 billion in damage.
And those numbers were based on Tampa as it existed in 2009. Today and
in the future, those numbers would likely be larger.
Yet, as the 2017 Washington Post investigation revealed, the area has
been slow to address sea-level rise and the many flooding risks that
come from storms. Namely, development continues at a huge pace and few
buildings are hurricane proof. Pinellas County "is growing so fast that
there's no land left to develop, and main roads and an interstate
connecting it to Tampa get clogged with traffic even on a clear day,"
the Post reported.
- - -
The more the Tampa Bay area grows, the more people will be at risk for
storms and sea-level rise. Again: We know that more storms are coming.
They've come before. And they'll keep coming, whether we're here or not.
https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2019/9/11/18485563/hurricane-florida-climate-change-tampa
[Sailesh Rao reacts to Franzen article in the New Yorker]
*What If The New Yorker Stopped Pretending On Climate Change*
When we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change
-- Wayne Dyer
Imagine if after sculpting David, Michelangelo had been berated by the
wealthy Medicis who funded him for the mess he made with the shards of
marble chips lying all around him on the floor! Imagine if the Medicis
made him crawl on all fours cleaning up the mess - using a hammer and
chisel! Imagine if they had refused to give him a bucket and a shovel
for the clean up work!
This is exactly how the mainstream media is treating the climate and
ecological crises. The New Yorker just posted an article by Jonathan
Franzen with the byline:
"The climate apocalypse is coming. To prepare for it, we need to admit
that we can't prevent it."
Just hold on a second! After a tremendous accomplishment and at the cusp
of the greatest transformation in human history, should we just throw up
our hands and quit?
For the past 12,000 years, humanity had organized effectively to heat up
the earth to the point where the earth can never go back into another
ice age as long as we are around. That is a tremendous accomplishment.
Now that we have achieved something so amazing, we have to choose
between two options for the future:
Option A: Transform how we organize our civilization so that we can
begin cooling the earth back to its "thermostat setting", thereby
ensuring the health and vitality of the planet and all its inhabitants; Or,
Option B: Don't change anything and continue to heat up the earth until
we bring on the climate apocalypse.
Personally, I'm going with Option A. Civilization is an engineering
project, with tools and processes for determining how we go about
feeding, clothing, sheltering and occupying ourselves and it badly needs
an upgrade. We need to cast aside our false stories (humans are separate
from nature - NOT!), barbaric attitudes (animals and nature are here for
us - NOT!), antiquated tools (our paper-based, fractional-reserve money
system is a 15th century, Gutenberg-era technology) and obsolete
decision-making processes (representative democracy was also invented in
the horse-and-buggy era) that were all designed for heating up the
planet. We can transform our stories, our attitudes and devise new tools
and governance structures that are suitable for cooling the planet and
stabilizing its climate and temperature for the well-being of all life.
Any engineering project based on marketing and lies will most definitely
blow up in our faces as the global industrial civilization is in the
process of doing. When we implement the self-evident truth, "All men are
created equal" so poorly that we have created the most unequal society
in human history, let's stop pretending that we couldn't have done any
better. When our governments provide our indigenous brothers and sisters
with such bad processed foods that they routinely get diabetes at the
age of 10, limb amputations at the age of 30, and die before the age of
50, let's stop pretending that we couldn't have done any better. When
our governments force children to consume dairy products in their school
lunches even though a vast majority of our children are lactose
intolerant, let's stop pretending that we couldn't have done any better.
When we burn down forests to grow more unnecessary animal products that
sicken us with chronic diseases, let's stop pretending that we couldn't
have done any better.
We can and will do better. The engineering upgrade will be based on
science and the truth, not marketing and lies, and will have the
adaptive feedback processes in place for it to be resilient and
sustainable. The inexorable rise in the Vegan movement, which the
mainstream media including the New Yorker steadfastly ignores, shows us
that the necessary attitude upgrade for this historic transformation is
already well under way. In 2018, Forbes magazine reported that between
2014 and 2017, the number of Vegans increased by a factor of 7 in the
US. At that rate of growth, it will increase by another factor of 7 by
2020, a factor of 49 by 2023 and a factor of 343 by 2026. Therefore,
even if we only maintain our current rate of growth and just 0.3% of
Americans were Vegan in 2017, 100% would be Vegan by 2026! In such a
Vegan world, we can actively reforest about 10 billion acres of land to
store the excess carbon in the atmosphere, thereby reversing climate
change and biodiversity loss. Shouldn't we be working on the engineering
tool and process upgrade we need to meet this beautiful, new
compassionate Vegan World civilization about to be birthed, instead of
listening to the doom merchants in the mainstream media?
https://www.climatehealers.org/blog/2019/9/10/what-if-the-new-yorker-stopped-pretending
[sarcasm is possible and even plausible]
*Trump Signs Executive Order Giving Him Control of Weather*
A beaming Trump pronounced "total victory" over the weather, which he
called "the enemy of the people."
https://www.newyorker.com/humor/borowitz-report/trump-signs-executive-order-giving-him-control-of-weather
https://portside.org/2019-09-13/trump-signs-executive-order-giving-him-control-weather
*This Day in Climate History - September 15, 2002 - from D.R. Tucker*
September 15, 2002: The New York Times reports:
"For the first time in six years, the annual federal report on air
pollution trends has no section on global warming, though President
Bush has said that slowing the growth of emissions linked to warming
is a priority for his administration.
"The decision to delete the chapter on climate change was made by
top officials at the Environmental Protection Agency with White
House approval, White House officials said."
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/15/us/with-white-house-approval-epa-pollution-report-omits-global-warming-section.html
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