[TheClimate.Vote] May 31, 2020 - Daily Global Warming News Digest.
Richard Pauli
richard at theclimate.vote
Sun May 31 09:51:26 EDT 2020
/*May 31, 2020*/
[Why follow money]
*Why Is the Fed Spending So Much Money on a Dying Industry?*
It should not be directing money to further entrench the carbon economy.
By Sarah Bloom Raskin - Ms. Raskin is a former member of the board of
governors of the Federal Reserve.
The coronavirus pandemic has laid bare just how vulnerable the United
States is to sudden, catastrophic shocks. Climate change poses the next
big threat. Ignoring it, particularly to the benefit of fossil fuel
interests, is a risk we can't afford.
From my time as a Federal Reserve governor and then deputy Treasury
secretary, I've learned that times like this not only can determine our
ability to recover from a crisis but can also help inoculate us against
the next one. That's why it is imperative that we make investments now
that will increase the resilience of our economy.
The Fed is singularly poised to seed strategic investments in future
economic stability. Oil, gas and coal companies are set or are seeking
to receive billions in federal aid -- including at least $3.9 billion
from the Paycheck Protection Program and at least $1.9 billion in tax
credits tucked into the CARES Act passed by Congress. Their allies in
Congress and the administration have lobbied for changes to several of
the Fed's lending programs, including relaxing the Main Street Lending
Program. Among those eligible for government assistance are many fossil
fuel companies that were in deep financial trouble long before the
pandemic began...
- - -
Last week, five economists released a survey of more than 200 finance
ministers, central bankers and economists from Group of 20 countries.
Their recommendations were unequivocal: The best long-term recovery
plans will also be the plans that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In the United States, this dynamic has already become apparent.
Renewable energy in the past few years has been shown to directly and
indirectly generate roughly three times as many jobs as a comparable
investment in fossil fuels. Jobs in clean energy, such as wind
technicians and solar installers, are the fastest growing of any
industry in the country, and over the past five years, employment in the
clean energy industry has grown 70 percent faster than the economy overall.
This pandemic has illustrated the staggering costs of failing to prepare
for known risks. And the magnitude of the crisis has been made so much
worse by the flight from science and the elevation of narrow private
interests over the national common good.
But it also provides an unexpected opportunity to build an economy that
is stronger in the long term. The decisions that the Fed makes today
will go a long way to determining whether tomorrow's economy is one that
remains susceptible to more chaos and vulnerability or builds economic
security and resilience.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/28/opinion/fed-fossil-fuels.html#click=https://t.co/xOYUdhit3c
[Canadian courts rule]
*Canadian Court Slams Trump Climate Advisor in Successful Libel Case*
By Richard Littlemore - Wednesday, May 27, 2020
Climate science denier and Trump transition team advisor Dr. Tim Ball,
who a Canadian court earlier derided as incompetent, ill-intended, and
apparently indifferent to the truth, has been further rebuffed in the
British Columbia Court of Appeal and must now stand libel for a
9-year-old attack against prominent Canadian climate scientist (and
outgoing BC Green Party leader) Dr. Andrew Weaver.
Ball, a retired geography professor who for almost two decades has been
giving lectures and media interviews in Canada and around the world
denying the science of climate change, actually "won" this case when it
was decided in the British Columbia Supreme Court in 2018. In January
2011, Ball had attacked Weaver on the populist website, Canada Free
Press, in an article that BC Supreme Court Justice Ronald Skolrood later
described as "poorly written," and "rife with errors and inaccuracies,
which suggests a lack of attention to detail on Dr. Ball's part, if not
an indifference to the truth."
Yet, while finding that Ball had clearly set out to publicly question
Weaver's competence and trash his reputation -- "It is quite apparent
that this was Dr. Ball's intent" -- Justice Skolrood still let him off
the hook, saying, "Simply put, a reasonably thoughtful and informed
person who reads the Article is unlikely to place any stock in Dr.
Ball's views."
This disdain Ball claimed as a vindication, calling the decision "a
victory for free speech and a blow against the use of the law to silence
people."
Weaver appealed the free pass and Ball's celebration ended late last
month, when a three-judge panel of the BC Court of Appeal found that
while the busy climate contrarian is free to speak, he is nevertheless
accountable for the sting in his words, giving Weaver ultimate
vindication...
more at -
https://www.desmogblog.com/2020/05/27/canadian-court-slams-trump-climate-advisor-successful-libel-case?utm_source=DeSmog%20Weekly%20Newsletter
[audio - Best of the Left - Michael Moore controversy precisely
deconstructed ]
*Bonus Edition #208 Planet of the Humans from Michael Moore, Explained*
Complete broadcast here
https://www.bestoftheleft.com/bonus_edition_208_planet_of_the_humans_from_michael_moore_explained
download -
https://podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/hippiesympathizer/Bonus_Show_208_Public_-_5-15-20_16.30.mp3
*SHOW NOTES*
00:00:00 Ch. 1: Intro and Index
00:06:12 Ch. 2: Planet of the Humans DEBUNKED Part 1:
Misrepresenting Solar Science - Now You Know - Air Date 5-8-20
00:11:44 Ch. 3: Planet of the Humans DEBUNKED Part 2: Ignoring New
Renewable Solutions to Intermittency - Now You Know - Air Date 5-8-20
00:17:12 Michael Moore, filmmakers respond to criticism of new
bombshell environmental film Part 1: No Defense of Their Bad Science
- The Hill Rising - Air Date 4-28-20
00:20:10 Ch. 4: Michael Moore, filmmakers respond to criticism of
new bombshell environmental film Part 2: All the Good Points the
Film Failed to Make - The Hill Rising - Air Date 4-28-20
00:24:03 Ch. 5: Michael Moore, filmmakers respond to criticism of
new bombshell environmental film Part 3: Population Control? - The
Hill Rising - Air Date 4-28-20
00:28:39 Ch. 6: The Climate Conversation has Been Imploded
00:31:04 Ch. 7: The Reason Population Reduction is Not the Answer to
Our Climate Emergency
00:33:01 Ch. 8: The Mechanics of Making a Bad Documentary -
Manipulative Editing
00:34:44 Ch. 9: The Mechanics of Making a Bad Documentary - Poor
Interview Sourcing
00:36:28 Ch. 10: Poor Interview Sourcing, Misleading Data: The GM
Volt Launch
00:39:02 Ch. 11: The Mechanics of Making a Bad Documentary - No
Follow-Up Interviews
00:46:12 Ch. 12: The Mechanics of Making a Bad Documentary - Bad
Data by Ignoring Innovation
00:47:21 Ch. 13: The Mechanics of Making a Bad Documentary -
Artificially Inflating Small Issues to Seem Large
00:48:52 Ch. 14: The Mechanics of Making a Bad Documentary - We're
Just Asking Questions
00:49:30 Ch. 15: The Mechanics of Making a Bad Documentary -
Terrible Graphs and Visuals
00:52:55 Ch. 16: The Mechanics of Making a Bad Documentary - Silly
Anecdotes
00:54:13 Ch. 17: The Mechanics of Making a Bad Documentary -
Assuming Makes an Ass Out of You and Me
00:57:16 Ch. 18: Comparing Mountain-Top Wind Farms to
Mountain-Top-Removal Coal Mining is Unconscionable
00:58:39 Ch. 19: The Mechanics of Making a Bad Documentary - Making
Arguments in Nonsensical Ways
01:00:58 Ch. 20: White Men Fail to Discuss Reproductive Justice or
Environmental Justice in Any Way
01:02:01 Ch. 21: EVs, Green Energy in Michael Moore's Confused New
Documentary Planet Of The Humans - Transport Evolved - Air Date 4-29-20
01:04:47 Ch. 22: The Film Leaves Viewers With a Conclusion the
Filmmakers Didn't Intend
01:05:43 Ch. 23: The Film Doesn't Speak to Anyone Advocating a New
Way of Living
01:07:53 Ch. 24: Who is Benefitting and Who is Being Hurt By This Film?
01:12:00 Ch. 25: Planet of the Humans DEBUNKED Part 3: Emboldened
Deniers - Now You Know - Air Date 5-8-20
01:14:53 Ch. 26: Right-Wing Media LOVES This Film: The Left 'has
attacked' Michael Moore for his 'Planet Human' documentary - Sky
News Australia - Air Date 4-27-20
01:17:03 Ch. 27: Debunking the Idea that Anyone Ever Called for the
Film to be Banned
01:18:07 Ch. 28: The Damage to the Climate Movement: The Problem
With "Planet Of The Humans" Part. 1 ft. Joshua Kahn Russell -
Michael Brooks Show - Air Date 5-7-20
01:24:16 Ch. 29: Attempting to Make Good Points About the
Neoliberalism at the Heart of the Climate Movement but Completely
Botching it
01:28:28 Ch. 30: The Producers Defend the Use of Bad Science by
Asserting that Science Doesn't Matter
01:30:00 Ch. 31: Michael Moore in a live discussion with Extinction
Rebellion co-founder Clare Farrell Part 1 - Extinction Rebellion -
Air Date 5-5-20
01:32:03 Ch. 32: Science is Foundational to Their Arguments but Also
Doesn't Matter
01:34:14 Ch. 33: Michael Moore in a live discussion with Extinction
Rebellion co-founder Clare Farrell Part 2 - Extinction Rebellion -
Air Date 5-5-20
01:35:56 Ch. 34: Fostering Conspiratorial Thinking
01:37:50 Ch. 35: Scientists are Religious, Only we Know the Truth:
Michael Moore in a live discussion with Extinction Rebellion
co-founder Clare Farrell Part 3 - Extinction Rebellion - Air Date 5-5-20
01:40:43 Ch. 36: Naïve, Wishful Thinking is Not a Thesis
01:42:22 Ch. 37: How to Make an Argument that Centers the Need to
Reduce Consumption
01:44:50 Ch. 38: Michael Moore Proves His Profound Ignorance:
Michael Moore in a live discussion with Extinction Rebellion
co-founder Clare Farrell Part 4 - Extinction Rebellion - Air Date 5-5-20
01:45:54 Ch. 39: Explaining Moore's Deep Ignorance
01:50:32 Ch. 40: The Need to Trust in Experts, Not Buffoons
01:51:14 Ch. 41: Accidental Eugenics Leads Predictably to Deeply
Racist Outcomes
01:54:42 Ch. 42: Why Focusing on Over-Population is Not the Solution
to Our Climate Emergency
01:57:02 Ch. 43: Sunrise Movement Response to the Film
01:59:08 Ch. 44: Response to the Film by Michael Moore's Former
Fact-Checker
02:01:33 Ch. 45: Extinction Rebellion Response to the Film
02:02:57 Ch. 46: Why We Need to Debunk This Film
Complete broadcast here
https://www.bestoftheleft.com/bonus_edition_208_planet_of_the_humans_from_michael_moore_explained
[Plan ahead]
*A rising tide of marine disease? How parasites respond to a warming world*
by Dan Dinicola, University of Washington
Warming events are increasing in magnitude and severity, threatening
many ecosystems worldwide. As the global temperatures continue to climb,
it also raises uncertainties as to the relationship, prevalence, and
spread of parasites and disease.
A recent study from the University of Washington explores the ways
parasitism will respond to climate change, providing researchers new
insights into disease transmission. The paper was published May 18 in
Trends in Ecology and Evolution.
The review builds upon previous research by adding nearly two decades of
new evidence to build a framework showing the parasite-host relationship
under climate oscillations. Traditionally, climate-related research is
done over long timescales, however this unique approach examines how
increasingly frequent "pulse warming" events alter parasite transmission.
"Much of what is known about how organisms and ecosystems can respond to
climate change has focused on gradual warming," said lead author
Danielle Claar, a postdoctoral researcher at the UW School of Aquatic
and Fishery Sciences. "Climate change causes not only gradual warming
over time, but also increases the frequency and magnitude of extreme
events, like heat waves."
Claar explained that both gradual warming and pulse warming can and have
influenced ecosystems, but do so in different ways. Organisms may be
able to adapt and keep pace with the gradual warming, but an acute pulse
event can have sudden and profound impacts.
A sea star ravaged by sea star wasting disease. Credit: Alison Leigh Lilly
The 2013-2015 "blob" is one such extreme heat pulse event which has been
linked to a massive die-off of sea stars along the Pacific coast of the
U.S. and Canada. Many species of sea stars, including the large
sunflower sea star, were decimated by a sudden epidemic of wasting
disease. Five years later, populations in the region are still
struggling to recover. The abnormally warm waters associated with the
blob are thought to have favored the spread of the sea star-associated
densovirus, the suggested cause of the disease.
The authors compare the prevalence of these marine diseases to a rising
tide, an ebbing tide, or a tsunami. Disease transmission can rise or ebb
in concert with gradual warming or a series of pulse warming events.
However, a severe pulse warming event could result in a tsunami,
"initiating either a deluge or drought of disease," as was observed with
sea stars along the Pacific Northwest.
However, not all pulse heat events will cause the same response. What
may benefit a particular parasite or host in one system can be
detrimental in another. Warming can alter a parasite's life cycle, limit
the range of suitable host species, or even impair the host's immune
response. Some flatworms which target wildlife and humans cannot survive
as long in warmer waters, decreasing their window for infecting a host.
Another recent UW study found that parasites commonly found in sushi are
on the rise with their numbers increasing 283-fold in the past 40 years,
though the relationship between heat pulse events and their abundance is
not yet clear.
"The relationships between hosts, parasites, and their corresponding
communities are complex and depend on many factors, making outcomes
difficult to predict," said Claar, who recommends researchers make
predictions on a case-by-case basis for their individual systems.
The authors conclude that rather than a straightforward tidal
prediction, they would expect pulse warming to cause "choppy seas with
the occasional rogue wave."
"It is important that we are able to understand and predict how
parasitism and disease might respond to climate change, so we can
prepare for, and mitigate, potential impacts to human and wildlife
health," said Claar.
The paper's co-author is Chelsea Wood, a UW assistant professor of
aquatic and fishery sciences.
https://phys.org/news/2020-05-tide-marine-disease-parasites-world.html
[rising to meet the challenge]
*The climate challenges facing the helicopter industry*
May 29, 2020 by Ed Brotak
It seems like every day, there is new data describing the climate change
our planet is experiencing. The latest five-year period, 2015-2019, will
almost certainly be the warmest on record (records go back into the late
1800s). According to figures from the World Meteorological Organization,
the global average temperature has increased by 1.1C since the start of
the Industrial Revolution, with nearly 20 percent of the increase in the
past five years. Scientists started using the term "climate change"
rather than "global warming" recently. This was to warn people that,
yes, the Earth is getting warmer -- but there are many other
environmental events occurring that must be acknowledged.
Although the Earth's climate has continuously changed throughout the
planet's history, the changes we are seeing today are, for the first
time, the result of human activities. These changes are also occurring
at a speed we have never seen before – an estimated 10 to 20 times
faster than previously observed.
Much of the attention has been focused on efforts to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions, which contribute to the warming and resultant
environmental impacts. As witnessed with the Paris Accord, political and
economic concerns have resulted in a less-than-maximum effort in this area.
The aviation industry has faced significant pressure to reduce emissions
from aircraft engines. It takes a considerable amount of power and fuel
to defy gravity and travel at great speeds. Consequently, aircraft
produce a disproportionate amount of carbon dioxide compared to
land-based vehicles.
The helicopter industry has joined with other branches of the aviation
business in taking steps to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. More
fuel-efficient engines have been developed and will have an increasing
effect as older helicopters are replaced with newer models. The
aerodynamics of the airframe can be improved to reduce drag. The
efficiency of the rotor blades can be improved. Internally, the electric
and heating systems can be designed to run more efficiently, decreasing
power consumption.
More efficient operations in terms of scheduling will also help. An
overall reduction in passenger air travel would certainly reduce
emissions, but this would go against recent trends and would have
serious economic effects on the industry.
One of the most anticipated advances is alternative propulsion. This
would encompass entirely electric powered or hybrid models. The major
challenge to date has been how to generate enough power to attain the
lift and speeds necessary for flight. Still in the developmental stage,
electric helicopters have proven the concept, but there is still the
problem of providing such power over extended time periods. For example,
a Robinson R44 converted into a purely electric helicopter set a world
record in December 2018 when it flew for 22 minutes, covering 34.5 miles
at a speed of 80 knots. Battery power and capacity will have to be
increased -- without requiring prohibitive extra weight -- for electric
helicopters to become a viable proposition.
*Adapting to the change*
The push to reduce the emissions that are fueling climate change is just
one aspect of the problem. The aviation industry is also having to adapt
to the significant environmental changes that are impacting operations
in a number of ways. And these changes will only become greater over time.
So, how has and how will climate change directly affect helicopter
operations?
The most direct impact of the rise in temperatures is on helicopter
flight performance. Warmer air is less dense, causing rotor blades to
produce less lift and engine power output to be reduced. In more extreme
situations, both passenger and cargo loads will have to be lessened,
while the hottest times of the day may become unusable for work. The
risk of high-density altitude incidents will increase.
Warmer air can also hold more moisture, and moist air is less dense than
dry air. Although not as important as air temperature, this can magnify
the effects described above. Warmer temperatures and more moisture in
the air mean that when precipitation does occur, rainfall and snowfall
rates will be greater, with subsequent reductions in visibility.
With more energy, storms will become more numerous and stronger. There
will be more and stronger thunderstorms with all their attendant
hazards; while winter storms will be more intense, with higher winds and
heavier precipitation. Tropical cyclones will become more numerous and
stronger, and we could see more dust and sandstorms in the subtropics.
In a previous article (Vertical, April/May 2018), I discussed how
turbulence may increase.
In terms of aviation facilities, although not dependent on long runways,
helicopters still need a stable, flat surface for take-offs and
landings. If the landing area is paved with asphalt, melting can occur
with the higher temperatures that are becoming more common. In high
latitudes, the melting of subsurface permafrost can cause buckling of
paved landing areas.
Another concern for any aviation facility along a coastal area is
sea-level rise. Thermal expansion of the increasingly warm water was a
major factor in rising levels in the past. But today, the rapid melting
of glaciers and polar ice sheets are seen as responsible for two-thirds
of the sea level rise since 2005. Sea levels are now at their highest
levels ever recorded (records go back to 1900). The rate of-sea level
rise is also accelerating.
*Sector outlooks*
We can speculate about the broader impacts of climate change on the
helicopter industry. For one, wildfires have been increasing around the
world. These are more numerous, more intense, and more destructive, as
witnessed recently in California and Australia. We are also seeing fires
where we have never seen them before, especially in higher latitudes.
The wildfire-fighting component of the industry should see increases in
demand.
With the increase in the number and severity of storms, there will be a
greater demand for search-and-rescue operations, as demonstrated last
year with Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas. In terms of relief efforts,
we have seen that often only helicopters can access affected areas to
transport people and supplies.
As for helicopter tourism, any increase in inclement weather would
certainly hamper operations. There is also a concern that some scenic
locations are being adversely affected by the changing climate. In lower
latitudes, coral reefs are struggling to survive in increasingly warmer
waters, while coastal flooding is occurring more frequently, even
without storms, in such diverse locations as Florida and Venice, Italy.
Further poleward, snowpacks are diminishing and glaciers are melting,
impacting winter sports and tourist attractions.
The fossil fuel industry is, of course, directly tied to the climate
change issue. If there was a major push to replace fossil fuels with
renewable energy sources, the supporting industry would suffer.
Currently, there is little indication that this will happen on a large
scale. Although offshore operations have been reduced in recent years,
they remain a significant part of the helicopter industry. This could
well be "ground zero" for climate change effects. Energy infrastructure,
including offshore drilling sites and coastal refineries, will be at
risk. The relentless and accelerating rise in sea level will bring
flooding concerns to the refineries and various problems to the drilling
rigs. More frequent and stronger storms will add to these risks.
In researching a previous article on agricultural operations (Vertical,
August/September 2017) I spoke to several operators who told me they
have already noted the effects of climate change. Growing seasons have
begun earlier, some by a month or more; frost prevention assignments
have had to change accordingly. Aerial applications (spraying of
chemicals) was noted to be extremely dependent on temperature, which is
changing constantly. Even the type of crops grown may have been or will
be altered to fit new climate norms.
What about the future? The Earth's temperature is rapidly approaching
what it was over 100,000 years ago, when there were no permanent ice
caps and the sea level was eight meters higher than today. Historical
data indicates that recently measured CO2 levels of 400 ppm last
occurred three million years ago. Not only was it much warmer, but the
world itself was not as we know it today -- the sea level was estimated
to be 32 to 130 feet (10 to 40 meters) higher than now. If this occured
today, every coastal city on the planet would be flooded.
"A multi-disciplinary research effort by scientists, meteorologists,
climatologists, engineers, biologists, and epidemiologists is needed to
understand better the impacts of the changing climate on the entire
aviation system, including aircraft and infrastructure," the
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) concluded in its 2016
Environmental Report. "Thereafter, dedicated guidance material by ICAO
could target climate adaptation correlated issues, based on models of
best practice. It will be important for that guidance material to be
regularly revised and updated, to keep it in sync with the evolving and
non-stationary climate statistics."
The aviation community, including the helicopter component, has been
slow to address the issue of climate change's effects on operations. But
the reality is that, no matter what steps are taken now to reduce global
warming, the effects of this climate change are already occurring and
will only get more pronounced.
https://www.verticalmag.com/features/the-climate-challenges-facing-the-helicopter-industry/
[Digging back into the internet news archive]
*On this day in the history of global warming - May 31, 1992 *
The Boston Globe's Ross Gelbspan reports:
"Many researchers believe that the most pressing global
environmental problem is also the hardest to document and the most
controversial -- the potential for a catastrophic increase in the
planet's temperature. Such scientists as Stephen H. Schneider of the
National Center for Atmospheric Research predict that average
temperatures, driven up by an exponential buildup of carbon dioxide
and other heat-trapping gases in the upper atmosphere, will rise by
3 to 8 degrees Fahrenheit by the year 2050. By comparison,
temperatures were only 4 degrees lower at the end of the great Ice
Age 10,000 years ago.
"While this 'greenhouse effect' is mostly due to the burning of oil
and coal in power plants, factories and automobiles, its effects are
multiplied by the dizzying rate at which carbon-dioxide-absorbing
trees are being cut down in the tropical rain forests of Brazil,
Borneo and Indonesia, as well as in dry forests in temperate
latitudes. In Brazil alone, an area of rain forest as large as the
state of Maine is leveled each year to make way for farming or
economic development.
"As a result, some researchers now expect that the amount of
heat-trapping carbon dioxide, which has held steady at about 300
parts per million throughout most of human history, will double in
the next 50 years.
"That prospect has scientists depicting a range of dire scenarios
occurring within the lifetime of today's children."
[Check the Boston Globe archive or see more Ross Gelbspan at -
http://www.heatisonline.org/
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