[TheClimate.Vote] January 1, 2020 - Daily Global Warming News Digest

[Richard Pauli]

/*January 1, 2020*/

[Two Great G's on 12 min video]
*When Greta Thunberg met David Attenborough*
Greta Thunberg and Sir David Attenborough have met for the first time 
(via Skype as they did not want to add to their carbon footprints) to 
discuss the climate crisis and share their thoughts on how to make a 
positive impact.

Greta, who spoke to Sir David from Stockholm, was guest editor for the 
Today programme on Monday 30 December, 2019.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07ysljz
- - -
[US media forgot to understand this]
*10 things we learned when Greta Thunberg met David Attenborough*
She's the 16-year-old activist who's inspired people around the world to 
campaign for action on climate change. He's the acclaimed naturalist and 
broadcaster who's shown us just how much is at stake if we don't take 
urgent steps to protect the planet. But until now they had never spoken.
For Greta Thunberg's guest-edit of the Today programme, she met Sir 
David Attenborough (via Skype as they didn't want to add to their carbon 
footprints) to discuss the climate crisis and their hopes for the future.

    *1. Attenborough says we should all be grateful to Thunberg for
    waking up the world to climate change*
    David Attenborough describes what Greta Thunberg has done as
    "astonishing and admirable" in getting people to face up to the
    climate crisis. "She's achieved things that many of us who have been
    working on it for 20-odd years have failed to achieve," he says. But
    Thunberg insists the credit should be shared: "I'm a part of a very
    large group of people who have done it. And you are definitely a
    part of that group too," she says.

    *2. Programmes like Attenborough's inspired Thunberg to become a
    climate campaigner*
    Greta Thunberg says watching nature films and documentaries as a
    child was what first opened her eyes to the threat of climate
    change. She tells David Attenborough: "That was what made me realise
    the situation…so thank you for that, because that was what made me
    decide to do something about it."

    *3. Attenborough remembers first speaking about climate change 20
    years ago, but no one listened*
    To mark the start of the 21st century, Attenborough presented a
    programme from Easter Island, a place famous for its ancient carved
    stone figures. He recalls, "I stood in front of those great
    memorials to a broken civilisation and said: 'Look, this is an
    example of what happens if you don't care about the environment.'"

    He thinks this was the first time he spoke publicly about how, in
    order to protect the natural world, we need to change how we live.
    At the time, however, "nobody took a blind bit of notice, really."

    *4. The evidence of climate change is now harder than ever to
    ignore, says Attenborough*
    Sir David recalls how, 20 years ago, video footage illustrating the
    imminent climate crisis could often be dismissed by disbelievers as
    an isolated incident, but that has changed. "Now we're getting film
    of coral reefs being blighted and being turned to white skeletons,
    and that's universal," he says. "And we're also seeing people in the
    Pacific whose own homes and countries are being submerged by rising
    water. So the evidence and the urgency is greater now than it's ever
    been."

    *5. Thunberg says despite increasing awareness of climate change,
    progress in tackling it is still too slow*
    Greta explains that growing acknowledgement of climate change
    "doesn't necessarily translate into political action". What's
    needed, she says, is "to highlight the gap between what the science
    calls for, and what is actually being done."

    *6. Attenborough believes politicians' short-term thinking stops
    them taking the necessary action*
    "The trouble is, politicians are just concerned about tomorrow and
    the day after," he says. "And when you say, 'There's this big danger
    looming in 20 years' time, we've got to do something now,' they say,
    'Yes of course, we'll do it the day after tomorrow'."

    *7. They agree the generations should unite to tackle the climate
    crisis, but the young and old will have different perspectives*
    Greta explains that for younger people, "we see it as something that
    will affect us, while people of older generations see it as
    something that will affect their children or grandchildren. But
    there shouldn't be a divide, because it still affects all of us, at
    the end of the day."

    *8. Attenborough says the whole world has to work together to combat
    climate change*
    The scale of the changes needed are, Attenborough says, "a world
    move - and that's never happened in history". He recognises that
    "you can't expect the entire population of the world to think the
    same way," but, he says, "we have to get some sort of consensus".

    I don't know why people are listening to me. I don't know how long
    it will last.
    Greta Thunberg
    *9. The next United Nations conference on climate change will be
    crucial*
    Attenborough says the recent UN meeting on climate change, known as
    COP25, didn't achieve as much as people had hoped. At the next UN
    conference, COP26, which will take place in the UK in 2020, progress
    needs to accelerate, he says. The meeting is crucial, Thunberg
    explains, because to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees we need
    to take action to drastically reduce carbon emissions in 2020. "I
    can't say enough how important it is," she stresses.

    *10. Thunberg will continue speaking out for as long as people
    listen to her*
    "I don't why people are listening to me," Greta says. "I don't know
    how long it will last. I just know that right now people are
    listening to me and I need to use that opportunity and to try to get
    out as much as I can during that time."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/270DpZjTRtdscc0qbQbmDH7/10-things-we-learned-when-greta-thunberg-met-david-attenborough 

- - -
[VOA]
*UN Chief: Young People Inspire Hope for Future of the Planet*
https://www.voanews.com/europe/un-chief-young-people-inspire-hope-future-planet



[Bloomberg news]
*Angela Merkel Issues Stark Warning on 'Real, Dangerous' Climate Change*
By Iain Rogers
December 30, 2019, 3:00 PM PST Updated on December 31, 2019, 5:26 AM PST

German chancellor comments in New Year's address in Berlin
Pledges Germany will do its part in tackling global warming

Chancellor Angela Merkel called global warming "real" and "dangerous" in 
her New Year's address, saying she will do everything in her power to 
ensure Germany makes a meaningful contribution to tackling it.

"Our children and grandchildren are the ones who will have to live with 
the consequences of what we do, or fail to do, today," Merkel said in 
the written version of a televised address to be broadcast on Tuesday...
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-12-30/merkel-issues-stark-warning-on-real-alarming-climate-change



[in fire, avoid downwind trap]
*Thousands Flee to Shore as Australia Fires Turn Skies Blood Red*
The country's east coast was dotted with apocalyptic scenes on the last 
day of the warmest decade on record in Australia.
By Isabella Kwai
Dec. 31, 2019
SYDNEY, Australia -- As the fire stalked toward the coastal town of 
Mallacoota, the daytime sky turned inky black, then blood red. Emergency 
sirens wailed, replaced later by the thunder of gas explosions. 
Thousands of residents fled their homes and huddled near the shore. 
There was nowhere else to go.

On the last day of the warmest decade on record in Australia, the 
country's east coast was dotted on Tuesday with apocalyptic scenes like 
the ones in Mallacoota, a vacation destination between Sydney and Melbourne.
Australia is in the grip of a devastating fire season, with months of 
summer still to go, as record-breaking temperatures, strong winds and 
prolonged drought have ignited huge blazes across the country.
The devastation is immense. In the state of New South Wales, which 
includes Sydney, more than 900 homes have been destroyed and nine 
million acres have burned since November. About 100 fires are currently 
raging in the state, with about three dozen more across the border in 
Victoria. At least 11 people have died.

Australia, the most arid inhabited continent, is uniquely vulnerable 
among developed nations to the effects of global warming, scientists 
say. The country recently concluded its driest spring on record. That 
was followed in mid-December by the hottest day on record, with average 
highs across the country of 41.9 degrees Celsius (107.4 degrees Fahrenheit).

The catastrophic fire conditions have put an intense focus on the 
Australian government's failure to abide by its promises to reduce 
carbon emissions. Prime Minister Scott Morrison, a conservative, has 
made it clear that Australia's economic prosperity comes first. Even as 
his country burned, he has said repeatedly that it is not the time to 
discuss climate policy.

As Australia has seen a surge of climate activism in recent months, Mr. 
Morrison has gone so far as to suggest that the government should outlaw 
efforts by environmental groups to pressure businesses with rallies and 
boycotts. Other members of Mr. Morrison's government have answered calls 
for action with insults; the deputy prime minister called people who 
care about global warming "raving inner-city lunatics."
- - -
"We couldn't see a thing. It was pitch black," Ms. Dempsey said. "We had 
face masks; the smoke was very bad."

She commended fire officials for keeping people calm. "If we didn't have 
a plan, I would have panicked a bit more," she said.

In Batemans Bay, said James Findlay, who grew up there, the fire came so 
quickly that there was no hope to save his family home.

"Everything's gone," he said.

His parents, Mr. Findlay said, were in shock.

"People have lost their homes, their farms, and people have lost their 
lives," he said.

"If this isn't some kind of a sign that more should be done, then I 
don't know what is."
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/31/world/australia/fires-red-skies-Mallacoota.html

- - -

[pyro-meteorology]
*Fire tornadoes and dry lightning are just the start of the nightmare 
when a bushfire creates its own storm*
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-28/bushfire-storms-can-spark-fire-tornadoes-dry-lightning-and-more/10561832

- - -

[see video explanation]
*Weird Weather: Pyrocumulonimbus*
Aug 19, 2018
Bureau of Meteorology
If you're in a bushfire, the best thing you could hope for is a cloud, 
right? It cuts out the heat and promises relief with rain. But did you 
know that some of the most extreme bushfires are capable of creating 
pyromaniac clouds that make them that much more ferocious? They're 
called pyrocumulonimbus. Nate Byrne explains weird weather.
About Weird Weather
Weird Weather is a five-part series made in collaboration between the 
Bureau of Meteorology and the ABC. From pyromaniac clouds to space 
weather storms, ABC weather guru Nate Byrne explains weird weather 
phenomena.
https://youtu.be/pp7B7FohTCo
- - -
*When bushfires make their own weather*
*It's well known that weather conditions can increase the risk of 
bushfires and make them harder to fight. But the relationship between 
fire and weather goes further--bushfires can create their own weather, 
generating 'pyrocumulonimbus' clouds and storms. So how do these form, 
why are they so dangerous and how are our scientists working to be able 
to predict them?*
Seem Image of Pyrocumulonimbus cloud development - 
http://media.bom.gov.au/social/upload/images/Pyrocumulus_diagram_branded-resize.jpg

    A plume of hot, turbulent air and smoke rises.
    Turbulence mixes cooler air into the plume, causing it to broaden
    and cool as it rises.
    When the plume rises high enough, low atmospheric pressure causes
    its air to cool and cloud to form.
    In an unstable atmosphere a thunderstorm can develop:
    pyrocumulonimbus cloud
    Rain in the cloud evaporates and cools when it comes into contact
    with dry air, producing a downburst.
    Lightning may be produced and can ignite new fires.

http://media.bom.gov.au/social/blog/1618/when-bushfires-make-their-own-weather/

- - -

[VOA video Australia]
*Kangaroos Hop Through Smoke in Australia*
Dec 31, 2019
VOA News
An eyewitness shared footage of dozens of kangaroos hopping up a smoky 
hill as the bush fire crisis continued in Australia, Monday, December 30.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WarcdBKXZvk



[Military preparedness]
*U.S. Military Precariously Unprepared for Climate Threats, War College 
& Retired Brass Warn*
National security and service members' lives are at stake, and working 
under a president who rejects science and ignores climate risks isn't 
helping...
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/23122019/military-climate-change-unprepared-national-security-conflict-heat-risk-war-college-2019-year-review



[Tip of the hat to D.R. Tucker - looking into his link history]
*What happened in the history of global warming  - January 1, 2014 *
Media Matters reports on the "13 Dumbest Things Media Said About Climate 
Change In 2013."
WRITTEN BY DENISE ROBBINS - PUBLISHED 01/01/14...
...Climate doubters, in turn, became increasingly desperate, citing 
everything from a verified scam artist to the "Ouija board of weather."

We've compiled the 13 dumbest things media said about climate change in 
'13 -- you might be surprised to find which mainstream media outlets 
made the list.

    *13. Rush Limbaugh: Carbon Emissions "May Actually Be Making Things
    Cooler, Not Warmer."* In April, Rush Limbaugh claimed that carbon
    dioxide in the atmosphere "may actually be making things cooler,"
    going on to say that manmade global warming is a "political hoax." 
    But the Economist article Limbaugh cited actually examined how much
    the Earth is warming from emissions of carbon dioxide and other
    greenhouse gases, which by definition trap heat in the atmosphere.

    *12. Fox News Questions Whether Hottest Year On Record Was Just
    Faked.* In January, a FoxNews.com article asked whether the U.S.
    government had manipulated temperature data to fake the hottest year
    on record (2012) in the contiguous U.S. The article quoted climate
    "skeptics" including birther Steve Goddard who wrote that the 2012
    data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Center was
    "meaningless garbage" and the U.S. only "appears" to have warmed due
    to data adjustments. However, temperature data typically has to be
    adjusted to account for flaws in the raw data that occur, for
    example, when temperature measurement stations are moved. These
    adjustments are publicly documented in peer-reviewed literature.
    Furthermore, satellite data from climate "skeptic" Roy Spencer, who
    was quoted criticizing the data, also found 2012 to be the United
    States' hottest year.

    *11. Sean Hannity Says We're Heading Into "Period Of Prolonged
    Global Cooling"* Based On A Scam Artist's Claims. On his radio show,
    Sean Hannity promoted the claim that solar "hibernation" will soon
    bring a period of dangerous "global cooling" and "end the rise of
    the oceans," saying the information came from a scientist. What
    Hannity didn't realize, however, is that these claims came from a
    man who even climate "skeptics" have labeled a "scam artist" : John
    Casey, who published his book on solar hibernation with the help of
    an astrologer who claims to be the illegitimate daughter of Ernest
    Hemingway. Hannity was, essentially, duped.

    *10. Fox News Cites Cold Winter Forecast From The "Ouija Board Of
    Weather" *To Mock Global Warming. Fox News hosts seized on a weather
    forecast predicting an especially cold winter for 2013 to cast doubt
    on global warming. However, the forecast came from the Farmer's
    Almanac, which makes predictions with a "secret formula" based on
    "tides, astronomical events, and sunspots," and which meteorologists
    have called "the Ouija board of weather." Even if the Almanac's cold
    winter prediction were true, however, they would not negate the
    trend of warming temperatures in the United States and globally.

    *9. Limbaugh: "If You Believe In God, Then Intellectually You Cannot
    Believe In Manmade Global Warming."* Rush Limbaugh advised his
    religious listeners to choose between God and science on his August
    12 radio show, saying "if you believe in God, then intellectually
    you cannot believe in manmade global warming ... You must be either
    agnostic or atheistic to believe that man controls something he
    can't create." Yet several religious institutions acknowledge man's
    role in the climate crisis, and have launched initiatives to fight
    global warming as a moral imperative. In response to Limbaugh's
    statement, the Evangelical Environmental Network published an open
    letter asking him to "refrain from your harmful rhetoric on climate
    change."

    *8. Fox Guest: "For Every One Scientist" That Accepts Climate
    Consensus "I'll Give You 10 Scientists That Said It's Not Manmade."
    *A Fox News guest made up statistics on February 4, denying that 97
    percent of climate scientists agree that climate change is real and
    manmade. Discussing climate change, Republican strategist Brad
    Blakeman said, "for every one scientist that says there is, I'll
    give you 10 scientists that said it's not manmade."

    *7. Fox Host: Only "Corrupt" Scientists Believe In Climate Change.*
    On Fox News Radio, Brian Kilmeade harangued a caller for commending
    President Obama's statement on climate change, saying that
    climatologists who accept the scientific consensus on climate change
    are "the corrupt ones." Kilmeade went on to ask the caller, "How do
    they make their living, climatologists? Telling everyone their
    industry has to be addressed."

    *6. Ben Stein On Fox News: Despite What "Global Warming Terrorists
    Will Tell Us, The Science Is Not Clear On" *Climate Change. On the
    Fox Business Network, Ben Stein said that "there is no cost that is
    too high to pay to save the earth," but that regulations should not
    be enacted because the consensus on manmade climate change "is not
    100 percent unanimous, despite what the... global warming terrorists
    would tell us."

    *5. Weather Channel Founder: Polar Bears Have Increased Because
    "Eskimos" Are Now "More Civilized."* The founder of The Weather
    Channel, now a weatherman for a local San Diego television station,
    claimed that polar bear populations are increasing because "Eskimos"
    are hunting them less and have "become more civilized." In fact,
    most polar bear populations are on the decline, and face an
    existential threat from global warming and declining Arctic sea ice.

    *4. Fox News: Climate "Deniers" Are Those Who Accept Climate
    Change*. Fox News tried to reclaim the phrase "climate denier" to
    refer to those who accept the scientific consensus on manmade
    climate change. Fox host Steve Doocy promoted National Review Editor
    Rich Lowry's co-option of the term "climate denier," which Lowry
    previously condemned as a way of equating climate "skeptics" with
    Holocaust deniers. Lowry argued that those who support action on
    climate change are ignoring that temperatures "have been flat for 10
    or 15 years," which Doocy labeled an "inconvenient truth." A recent
    study rebutted that "inconvenient truth," finding with 94 percent
    probability that there has been warming during that short time frame.

    *3. CBS: Global Warming "Pause" Is An "Inconvenient Truth" That
    "Emerged On The Way To The Apocalypse."* This year, mainstream media
    were not immune from pushing the type of foolish rhetoric that
    regularly crops up in the conservative media. Echoing the Fox News
    segment above, CBS said the speedbump in global warming was an
    "inconvenient truth" that "emerged on the way to the apocalypse."
    CBS' Mark Phillips called it "ammunition" for "skeptics" and
    immediately proved it by interviewing Benny Peiser, who used the
    pause to cast doubt on the urgent need to address climate change.
    But the alleged "pause" may have never actually happened: the rate
    of atmospheric temperature increase over the last 16 years proceeded
    at the same pace as it has since 1951 according to a recent study.
    And in any case, none of this contradicts the long-term trend of
    global warming, especially as oceans are warming 15 times faster
    than in the past 10,000 years.

    *2. Bloomberg News Publishes Claim That Carbon Dioxide Emissions
    Lead To "Happy Plants." *Bloomberg News published a claim from Marc
    Morano, who is paid by an oil industry funded organization to
    confuse the public about climate change and has no scientific
    background, that catastrophically high levels of carbon dioxide
    should be "welcome[d]" because "plants are going to be happy."
    However, his argument ignored carbon dioxide emissions' contribution
    to global warming, which is connected to rapid changes in rainfall
    patterns, severe drought and increased risk of plant species extinction.

    *1. CNBC Co-Host: "CO2 Is Not A Demon." *On May 17, CNBC's Squawk
    Box featured the co-author of a Wall Street Journal op-ed that
    claimed that people should be "clamoring for more" carbon dioxide,
    as it is a "boon to plant life" -- an article which led to
    widespread criticism. Co-host Joe Kernen celebrated the op-ed,
    saying he wanted to "make the point that CO2 is not a demon." But he
    ignored top climate scientists' warnings that CO2 levels above 350
    parts per million (ppm) will eventually result in catastrophic
    climate change -- and CO2 levels have already passed 400 ppm this
    year. Kernen's misleading argument fit right in with this year's
    climate skeptic narrative, and the absurd claims to which media
    turned to dismiss climate change.

http://mediamatters.org/blog/2014/01/01/13-dumbest-things-media-said-about-climate-chan/197331

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