[TheClimate.Vote] August 11, 2020 - Daily Global Warming News Digest

Tue Aug 11 10:07:07 EDT 2020

/*August 11**, 2020*/

[Boston Tea Party tactics]
*Activists scale Citgo sign, drape banner calling for climate justice now*
https://whdh.com/news/activists-scale-citgo-sign-drape-banner-calling-for-climate-justice-now/

[methane has 80 times the heat-trapping power of carbon dioxide]
*E.P.A. to Lift Obama-Era Controls on Methane, a Potent Greenhouse Gas*
The reversal is the latest move in the Trump administration's ongoing 
effort to weaken environmental rules, but it could be quickly undone 
after the November election.
By Coral Davenport - Aug. 10, 2020
WASHINGTON -- The Trump administration is expected in the coming days to 
lift Obama-era controls on the release of methane, a powerful 
climate-warming gas that is emitted from leaks and flares in oil and gas 
wells.

The new rule on methane pollution, issued by the Environmental 
Protection Agency, has been expected for months, and will be made public 
before Friday, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke 
anonymously to avoid publicly pre-empting the official announcement.

The rollback of the methane rule is the latest move in the Trump 
administration's ongoing effort to weaken environmental standards, which 
has continued unabated during the coronavirus pandemic.
- -
However, this and any other regulatory changes put forth by the Trump 
administration in the latter half of 2020 could be quickly undone in the 
first half of 2021, if, as polls now suggest, Joseph R. Biden Jr. wins 
the White House and Democrats take control of the Senate. That's because 
of a Senate procedure known as the Congressional Review Act, which gives 
lawmakers 60 legislative days to overturn major new regulations issued 
by federal agencies. In the early days of the Trump administration, 
Republicans used the procedure to undo 14 Obama-era rules.

The E.P.A.'s new methane rule eliminates federal requirements that oil 
and gas companies must install technology to detect and fix methane 
leaks from wells, pipelines and storage sites.
E.P.A. officials say the new, weaker methane rule is needed to free the 
oil and gas industry from what they call crippling regulations at a 
moment when companies are suffering from plummeting prices and falling 
demand driven by a sharp global economic slowdown. The weakening of the 
rule, however, has been in the works for more than a year.
Environmentalists called the move another blow by Mr. Trump to the 
planet's warming climate, coming behind reversals of rules on 
climate-warming carbon dioxide pollution from tailpipes and power 
plants, and the United States withdrawal from the Paris climate change 
agreement.
- -
Most climate change regulations target carbon dioxide, which is produced 
by burning fossil fuels and is the most damaging greenhouse gas. 
Methane, which is a close second, lingers in the atmosphere for a 
shorter period of time but packs a bigger punch while it lasts. By some 
estimates, methane has 80 times the heat-trapping power of carbon 
dioxide in the first 20 years in the atmosphere.

Methane currently makes up nearly 10 percent of greenhouse gas emissions 
in the United States. A significant portion of that comes from the oil 
and gas industry, although other sources include cattle and agriculture...
- -
In August, Andrew Wheeler, the head of the E.P.A., made public a draft 
of the methane rule, saying at the time that it "removes unnecessary and 
duplicative regulatory burdens from the oil and gas industry."
Peter Zalzal, an attorney with the Environmental Defense Fund, an 
advocacy group, called the new rule "a deeply misguided action" that "is 
manifestly inconsistent with the agency's legal obligations, and with 
the science that shows methane is a dangerous pollutant."...
- -
Several of the biggest oil and gas companies have called on the Trump 
administration to tighten restrictions on methane, not loosen them. 
Larger energy companies have invested millions of dollars to promote 
natural gas as a cleaner option than coal in the nation's power plants, 
because natural gas produces about half as much carbon dioxide when 
burned. They fear that unrestricted leaks of methane could undermine 
that marketing message and hurt demand.

In a 2019 public comment on a draft of the rule, Joe Ellis, a vice 
president at BP, urged the E.P.A. "to continue to regulate methane 
emissions from new sources and to adopt a rule for existing sources. 
E.P.A. regulation of methane across the value chain is the right thing 
to do for the environment, will support consistent regulation across the 
U.S. and can be cost-effectively achieved with new technology."

Exxon urged the E.P.A. in 2018 to maintain core elements of the Obama 
administration's policy. Gretchen Watkins, the United States chairwoman 
for Shell, which has urged the Trump administration to regulate methane 
emissions, said, "The negative impacts of methane have been widely 
acknowledged for years, so it's frustrating and disappointing to see the 
administration go in a different direction."
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/10/climate/trump-methane-climate-change.html

[Post-Doom or Collapse? Hear a great conversation]
*Paul Ehrlich: Post-doom with Michael Dowd*
Aug 9, 2020
thegreatstory
This conversation with Paul Ehrlich was recorded in November 2019. For 
more information on Paul, see: https://earth.stanford.edu/people/pau... 
and https://ccb.stanford.edu/paul-r-ehrlich
Regenerative conversations exploring overshoot, grief, grounding and 
gratitude.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wY4IppGZXEw

[a new political fundraiser via Zoom]
*Zoom link to attend the August 12th FUNdraiser: 
https://zoom.us/j/95440521613*
Since Trump's inauguration a dedicated group of 20-30 political 
activists met for one hour each and every week to make phone calls to 
elected officials, to write letters and to send postcards to voters to 
resist this regime.  When we needed to go virtual due to the pandemic 
this small local group grew exponentially. We are now a nationwide force 
of over 400 committed volunteers!

Our next exciting, crucial action is a virtual fundraising event on 
Wednesday, August 12th from 8-9 PM (Eastern Time). Every penny raised 
will go toward defeating Trump and taking back the Senate!

Please join us for any or all of this event … not only are there great 
causes to support but it will also be fun, an hour of entertaining video 
clips, great live music, and inspirational speakers. Please help get the 
word out by cutting and pasting this email into a version of your own 
and sending it to friends and family!

You'll see from the event schedule below that we are focused on 3 
groups: The Lincoln Project, Movement Voter Project and Swing Left's 
'Swing the Senate' campaign. You can donate to one, two or all three 
organizations.
Zoom link to attend the August 12th FUNdraiser: 
https://zoom.us/j/95440521613

*PRO-DEMOCRACY, ANTI-TRUMP A VIRTUAL FUNdraiser IN THREE ACTS:*
Wednesday, August 12th, 8:00PM (EDT)
*Act I   8:00-8:20 PM The Lincoln Project*
We need as broad a coalition as possible to win decisively. We have 
great allies in the Never-Trump group of Republicans known as The 
Lincoln Project. The New York Times states that the Lincoln Project is 
"producing the most potent and creatively devasting anti-Trump ads of 
this election season." These former Republican campaign managers, 
pollsters and election strategists share our belief in the democratic 
norms and institutions that are the bedrock of the nation. Their mission 
is not only to defeat Trump but to defeat every elected Republican 
enabler who sold their soul to this ignorant narcissist. Hosted by Paul 
Spector leader of the Friday Group with special guest Steve Schmit, 
co-founder of the Lincoln Project and MSNBC political commentator. 
Musical Interlude with Jim Kweskin

*Act II   8:20-8:40 PM  Movement Voter Project (MVP)*
An amazing group supporting local progressive grassroots groups in their 
effort to register hard to reach voters.  We will be specifically 
raising money for MVP's campaign in the battleground states which will 
decide the outcome of the 2020 election. These local groups have been 
building trust with voters long before the current crisis. These groups 
have proven track records both in registering people and motivating them 
to vote. Hosted by activist and award-winning documentary film producer 
Larry Hott.     Musical Interlude with Jeff Olmsted

*Act III   8:40-9:00 PM Swing Left's 'Swing the Senate*
If our hopes of replacing Trump are to be realized our goal of 
rebuilding a just and sustainable society will still be impossible if 
Mitch McConnell remains in charge of the Senate. We need to pick up 3-4 
seats in order to win a Democratic Senate Majority Swing Left is raising 
money directly for the Democratic candidates in the 8 closest, most 
winnable Senate races. Swing Left's 'Swing the Senate' campaign helps 
people donate strategically to flip the Senate. Hosted by Tzipora 
Lederman, Director of Grassroots Donations at Swing Left and Paul Spector.

Zoom link to attend the August 12th FUNdraiser: 
https://zoom.us/j/95440521613

WAYS YOU CAN MAKE THIS FUNdraiser SUCCESSFUL!
1. Join Us on Zoom Wednesday, August 12th at 8:00PM(EDT)- It will be an 
inspiring and fun event.  Come for any or all of it!

2. Send This Email to Everyone-The primary way people will hear about 
this event is through an email sent to them by someone like you. Please 
cut and paste this email into your own version.  Make any changes you 
want!!  Add a personal touch and send it on to everyone of your email 
contacts, from YOU!!

3. Post the event on Social Media
If you CANNOT come on August 12th, use the link(s) below.  Clicking on 
the link will bring you to our special FUNdraiser donation page for the 
group(s) you wish to donate to:

*The Lincoln Project*
https://secure.anedot.com/the-lincoln-project/august12
*Movement Voter Project *
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/big5?refcode=westernmass081220
*Swing the Senate *
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/swing-us-senate-left?refcode=three_acts

[Technical Breakthrough]
*Perovskite Solar Cells: Game changer?*
Aug 9, 2020
Just Have a Think
Perovskite mineral was discovered over 150 years ago, but it's only 
recently that scientists have been able to synthesise the properties of 
the material in laboratories using commonly available chemicals. And 
what they're finding is that it can give a big boost to the performance 
of existing solar cell technology. This week we take at look at how it 
works.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkFf8kRwOo8

[Oh no, not my coffee too!]
*The global coffee crisis is coming*
Aug 10, 2020
Vox
It's becoming harder and harder to grow.
Coffee is one of the most popular commodities on Earth. It's grown by 
nearly 125 million farmers, from Latin America to Africa to Asia. But as 
man-made climate change warms the atmosphere, the notoriously particular 
coffee plant is struggling. Places like Colombia, which once had the 
perfect climate to grow Arabica coffee, are changing. Now, experts 
estimate the amount of land that can sustain coffee will fall 50 percent 
by 2050. It's not just a crisis for consumers but for the millions who 
have made a livelihood out of growing coffee.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IN4ZcZAUbA

[radar altimeter missions]
*Climate change: Satellites record history of Antarctic melting*
Twenty-five years of satellite observations have been used to 
reconstruct a detailed history of Antarctica's ice shelves.

These ice platforms are the floating protrusions of glaciers flowing off 
the land, and ring the entire continent.

The European Space Agency data-set confirms the shelves' melting trend...
- -
The fascinating aspect to this study is that the scientists can also now 
trace precisely where at depth the melting is occurring. Some of these 
floating platforms of ice (the biggest is the size of France) extend 
many hundreds of metres below the sea surface.

The researchers can tell from the satellites' data whether the wastage 
is happening close to the thinnest parts of the shelves or at their 
fronts, or deep down in those places where the glacier ice coming off 
land first becomes buoyant and starts to float...
"That kind of information can tell us a lot about the melting processes 
involved, how they're working - and the effects that meltwater can 
have," said Scripps' Prof Helen Fricker.

"So, it's not just that the shelves are melting. It's how they're 
melting - and where their meltwater is being injected into the ocean."
Thinning ice shelves do not contribute directly to sea-level rise. 
That's because the floating ice has already displaced its equivalent 
volume of water.

But there is an indirect consequence. If the shelves are weakened, the 
land ice behind can flow more quickly into the ocean, and this will lead 
to sea-level rise. This is happening, and has been measured by other 
satellites.

Prof David Vaughan is the director of science at the British Antarctic 
Survey. He was not connected with the study which is published in Nature 
Geoscience.

He told BBC News: "The Scripps team has produced a map of Antarctica 
that shows thinning around the margin in a strip of mottled red and blue 
colours. The detail at the coastline is absolutely phenomenal.

"We really can now identify the parts of ice shelves that are most 
crucial to the story of thinning. There'll be a lot of oceanographers 
spending a lot of time looking at where the melting and the thinning is 
actually occurring, and trying to work out exactly why those areas have 
been affected."
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-53725288

[Digging back into the internet news archive]
*On this day in the history of global warming - August 11, 2017 *
August 11, 2017: The New York Times reports on the machinations and 
secrecy of EPA head Scott Pruitt.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/11/us/politics/scott-pruitt-epa.html?mwrsm=Email 

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