[TheClimate.Vote] July 17, 2020 - Daily Global Warming News Digest
Richard Pauli
richard at theclimate.vote
Fri Jul 17 08:07:44 EDT 2020
/*July 17, 2020*/
[Vice has a question from 20 May 2020]
*The Obvious Government Mistake That Could Make Future Pandemics Even Worse*
Governments claim they're guided by "the science". So why are they
scrapping environmental regulations?
By Tristan Kennedy -
- -
Governments everywhere like to claim that they're being guided by "the
science" when it comes to their coronavirus response. Yet the science
suggests that, far from aiding economic recovery, the slashing and
burning of environmental regulations is likely to make things worse.
There's no proof of a direct link between global warming and the current
outbreak, but according to a slew of recently-published papers, the
climate crisis makes similar pandemics far more likely in the future.
Professor Arturo Casadevall is chair of the department of molecular
microbiology and immunology at John Hopkins University, the Baltimore
institution that's been spearheading global efforts to monitor the
spread of coronavirus. He's currently working flat-out on a project that
uses blood plasma from people who've recovered from the virus to treat
COVID-19. Back in January, he published an article in the Journal of
Clinical Investigation, warning of the ways in which climate change will
make outbreaks of new infectious diseases more likely.
It's long been known that changes in atmospheric temperature can affect
the range of disease-carrying "vectors", such as mosquitos, Dr
Casadevall explains, allowing them to thrive in areas where the cold
might once have killed them. But less attention has been paid to the
evolution of pathogens themselves. "There is concern that global warming
will select for microbes with higher heat tolerance," he writes. This
would allow new diseases to emerge that can beat our "endothermic
defences" and infect warm-blooded human bodies more easily.
- -
If governments were really listening to scientists like Dr Casadevall or
Professor Johnson, they'd be strengthening environmental protections,
not weakening them. "We need to take a more holistic approach," says Dr
Casadevall. "Our health, the climate, we need to realise that everything
on this planet is interconnected. We need to give more thought to how
small changes can have an enormous effect...
https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/dyz8gy/climate-change-link-pandemic-virus-coronavirus
- - -
[told us so in Jan 2020]
*Climate change brings the specter of new infectious diseases*
Arturo Casadevall
First published January 6, 2020 - More info
Climate change will bring major changes to the epidemiology of
infectious diseases through changes in microbial and vector geographic
range. Human defenses against microbial diseases rely on advanced
immunity that includes innate and adaptive arms and endothermy, which
creates a thermal restriction zone for many microbes. Given that
microbes can adapt to higher temperatures, there is concern that global
warming will select for microbes with higher heat tolerance that can
defeat our endothermy defenses and bring new infectious disease...
- -
Outlook*
*Whereas climate change will almost certainly bring new infectious
diseases and change the epidemiology of many existing diseases, it is
worthwhile to note with optimism that humanity has confronted new deadly
diseases in recent years, such as SARS coronaviruses and Ebola. Previous
successes should not be a cause for complacency, and these reflect
advances in science and clinical medicine that provide our species with
tools to cope with new microbial threats. Clearly, prior success is no
guarantee for future success, especially given that each new infectious
disease brings in its own set of challenges. The best insurance against
future threats is continued investment in surveillance, epidemiology,
antimicrobial therapeutics, and basic research into mechanisms of
microbial pathogenesis.
https://www.jci.org/articles/view/135003
[Climate change activism by letter]
*Pandemic shows climate has never been treated as crisis, say scientists*
Letter also signed by Greta Thunberg urges EU leaders to act immediately
on global heating
Pandemic shows climate has never been treated as crisis, say scientists
Letter also signed by Greta Thunberg urges EU leaders to act immediately
on global heating
Matthew Taylor -16 Jul 2020
A climate protest in Duesseldorf, Germany, last week
A climate protest in Duesseldorf, Germany, last week. Photograph:
Sascha Steinbach/EPA
Greta Thunberg and some of the world's leading climate scientists have
written to EU leaders demanding they act immediately to avoid the worst
impacts of the unfolding climate and ecological emergency.
The letter, which is being sent before a European council meeting
starting on Friday, says the Covid-19 pandemic has shown that most
leaders are able to act swiftly and decisively, but the same urgency had
been missing in politicians' response to the climate crisis.
"It is now clearer than ever that the climate crisis has never once been
treated as a crisis, neither from the politicians, media, business nor
finance. And the longer we keep pretending that we are on a reliable
path to lower emissions and that the actions required to avoid a climate
disaster are available within today's system … the more precious time we
will lose," it says.
The EU unveiled its green new deal proposal this year, aiming to
transform the bloc from a high to a low-carbon economy without reducing
prosperity and while improving people's quality of life, through cleaner
air and water, better health and a thriving natural world.
But the authors of the letter dismiss its target of net zero emissions
by 2050 as dangerously unambitious. "Net zero emissions by 2050 for the
EU - as well as for other financially fortunate parts of the world -
equals surrender," they say.
They add that the target is based on a carbon budget that gives only a
50% chance of limiting global heating to 1.5C above pre-industrial
levels, the figure set out in the 2015 Paris agreement.
"That is just a statistical flip of a coin, which doesn't even include
some of the key factors such as the global aspect of equity, most
tipping points and feedback loops, as well as already built in
additional warming hidden by toxic air pollution. So in reality it is
much less than a 50% chance."
The letter also argues that the climate and ecological emergency can
only be addressed by tackling the underlying "social and racial
injustices and oppression that have laid the foundations of our modern
world".
It says the EU, with its political and economic clout, has a moral
obligation to lead the fight to create a fair and more sustainable world.
"We understand and know very well that the world is complicated and that
what we are asking for may not be easy. The changes necessary to
safeguard humanity may seem very unrealistic. But it is much more
unrealistic to believe that our society would be able to survive the
global heating we're heading for, as well as other disastrous ecological
consequences of today's business as usual."
Thunberg and the other signatories - including the scientists Michael
Mann and Johan Rockstrom - call on EU leaders to immediately halt all
investments in fossil fuel exploration and extraction and end subsidies.
They say the EU must advocate to make ecocide an international crime and
establish annual, binding carbon budgets.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jul/16/pandemic-shows-climate-has-never-been-treated-as-crisis-say-scientists
[both ends]
*The world's methane emissions are at a record high, and burping cows
are driving the rise*
By Jack Guy, CNN
Wed July 15, 2020
https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/15/world/methane-emissions-record-scli-intl-scn/index.html
[fully charged video ]
*Dirty Money, Banned Adverts & New EVs | FULLY CHARGED for Clean Energy
& Electric Vehicles*
Jul 14, 2020
fullychargedshow
LIKE if you think it's time to switch away from Fossil Fuels, and SHARE
if you think it's time for your friends & family to Stop Burning Stuff.
In this latest episode, Robert reveals the distressing story of 'dirty
money' for 'dirtier diesel' in Nigeria, and a counter-productive ban on
an advert in France, but don't worry, it's not all negative! There are
also positive updates on EV-only car factories in Germany, two new
electric cars, and the fact Royal Mail are slowly starting to deliver.
OK, so the last one might have resulted in an ever so minor Roberty rant!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scv62CbqYSQ
[See for yourself]
*France bans Dutch bike VanMoof TV ad for creating 'climate of fear'
about cars*
Jul 1, 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jrr5zVPFQY
[writer Mike Roddy]
*Timber hunger in the American Housing Sector*
SIXDEGREES on 07/13/2020
MIKE RODDY
AMERICANS CONSUME 23% OF THE WORLD'S WOOD PRODUCTS, WITH 4% OF GLOBAL
POPULATION. THIS IS FUELLED BY SUBSIDIZED TIMBER, ENTRENCHED IN A NEXUS
OF THE LUMBER, CONSTRUCTION, AND INSURANCE INDUSTRIES...
More at -
https://www.sixdegreesnews.org/archives/28698/timber-hunger-of-the-american-housing-sector
[discussing social media]
*Jonathan Haidt Explains How Social Media Drives Polarization | Amanpour
and Company*
Dec 4, 2019
Amanpour and Company
In a time of heightened political tension, Jonathan Haidt has a good
idea of what's driving this polarized atmosphere around the world. He is
a social psychologist who believes social media has transformed in
recent years to become an "outrage machine," spreading anger and
toxicity. He sits down with Hari to discuss this difficult problem and
what the possible solutions could be.
Originally aired December 4, 2019.
https://youtu.be/G9ofYEfewNE
[Digging back into the internet news archive]
*On this day in the history of global warming - July 17, 2014 *
Australia repeals its two-year-old carbon tax.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jul/17/australia-kills-off-carbon-tax
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/25/opinion/julia-baird-why-tony-abbott-axed-australias-carbon-tax.html
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