[TheClimate.Vote] November 19, 2020 - Daily Global Warming News Digest

[Richard Pauli]

/*November 19, 2020*/

[still dry tinder]
*Several wildfires pushed by very strong winds break out in Northern 
California and Western Nevada*
AuthorBill GabbertPosted onNovember 18, 
2020CategoriesWildfireTagsCalifornia, Gulch Fire, Laura 2 Fire, Mountain 
View Fire, Nevada, Pinehaven Fire
Near Reno, Nevada and in California, Walker, Doyle, and Vinton
https://wildfiretoday.com/2020/11/18/several-wildfires-pushed-by-very-strong-winds-break-out-in-northern-california-and-western-nevada/ 




[sign of the times]
Capital Weather Gang
*Slew of rapidly intensifying hurricanes portends trouble in a warming 
world*
Ten storms rapidly intensified this Atlantic season, some to a record 
degree...
- -
Two of the storms that intensified at the fastest rates occurred in the 
past two weeks, which is unusually late in the hurricane season. 
Hurricanes Eta and Iota each intensified by 80 mph in 24 hours, a rate 
that had been achieved just eight times before this year, and never 
after October, said research meteorologist Sam Lillo of the University 
of Colorado at Boulder...
- -
This year also had three storms that intensified by 100 mph in 36 hours, 
something Lillo says previously happened with only eight storms.

There's another definition that captures how quickly a storm is growing 
more fierce, this one concerning the minimum air pressure reading in the 
storm. In general, the lower the pressure, the stronger the storm. Rapid 
deepening is defined as precipitous falls in atmospheric pressure of 42 
millibars in 24 hours, and this has occurred with only 23 Atlantic 
storms since 1979, when reliable air pressure records began.
Yet 2020 had the most storms of any year to meet or beat the threshold, 
including Hurricanes Laura, Delta, Eta and Iota, Lillo said.

Before 2020, only three other Atlantic storms had an observed air 
pressure drop by 59 millibars or more in 24 hours: Gilbert in 1988 and 
Rita and Wilma in 2005. "Then Eta dropped 59mb and Iota dropped 65mb; 
two weeks apart, a few miles apart, and both [were] the latest in the 
year to do so," Lillo said.

Epsilon shatters records as it rapidly intensifies into major hurricane 
near Bermuda

Gabe Vecchi, a climate scientist at Princeton University, said that 
while these statistics may come across as "kind of abstract," they 
convey a troubling message. "These are the types of events … that are 
hard to predict on a weather time scale and leave people with little 
time to react … which can be extremely dangerous," he wrote in an email.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/11/18/hurricane-season-rapid-intensification/ 




[CBS knew  - video and text]
*"Take action" or face a grim future, warns climate scientist after a 
year locked in Arctic ice*
- -
"As scientists, I think we need to be more outspoken about the crisis 
that we see in front of us," Fong told CBS News. "We know that what we 
have done is caused an increase in temperature and carbon dioxide on 
Earth, and that causes warming, and that warming is causing the melting 
of both the north and the south. And the loss of this ice, both in the 
north and the south, is causing major changes to the way the climate 
functions." ...
- -
"Some people think that perhaps because of this focus on the global 
pandemic, we also can't address the issues of climate and global 
warming. But they're not exclusive," said Fong. "We're trying to do 
things. But the reality is, trying is not enough anymore. We must take 
action."...
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/climate-warming-arctic-ice-scientists-spent-year-locked-in-ice-polarstern-research-mission/



[parenting]
*How Parents Can Tame the Stress of Climate Crises*
When pandemic parenting is topped off by wildfires, hurricanes and other 
extreme events, some stress-relieving measures are particularly suited 
to getting through the challenges.
By Ariella Cook-Shonkoff
Nov. 17, 2020

My 3-year-old awoke recently, chirping happily in her bed while it was 
still dark outside, so I was surprised to see that the clock read 7:45 
a.m. Normally, the autumn sun in Northern California would be fairly 
high by that time. But ash and smoke from raging wildfires dimmed the 
sun -- in what the news labeled "turbulent mixing." For four days, the 
sky remained a stubborn bruise of apocalyptic orange-gray.

My husband, our two young children and I remained housebound as the air 
swirled with particulates, reaching the worst recorded air quality 
levels around the globe. Television images of catastrophic wildfires 
burning along the Pacific corridor added a further sense of confinement 
and despair to the pandemic gloom.

As a psychotherapist practicing in a national mental health crisis, I 
knew my clients were struggling to cope with new fears on top of the 
existing stresses from the grinding pandemic: health risks, economic 
instability and the strain of distance learning, overlaying racial 
violence and uncertainty about the election.

Unlike the invisibility of the coronavirus, evidence of extreme weather 
and climate events -- like wildfire smoke, trees bending and snapping in 
high-speed winds, flooding and flames -- contribute to collective 
"eco-anxiety" related to the climate crisis. A recent study by the 
Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science has identified a common 
denominator: "uncertainty, unpredictability and uncontrollability, all 
of which are classic ingredients in anxiety."

No matter how functional or resilient parents are, or what kind of 
resources they have available, it is normal to struggle under these 
conditions.

While in moderation, stress can motivate us, protect us and elicit 
growth, stress becomes problematic when it gains traction and escalates 
into panic or chronic stress.

"Uncertainty poses a tremendous challenge to our well-being," said Dr. 
Kenneth Ginsburg, director of the Center for Parent and Teen 
Communication at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and author of 
"Building Resilience in Children and Teens."

"We are designed to run from tigers and know what to do. But the most 
uncomfortable experience is wondering if a tiger is lurking behind the 
bushes -- and to have to be vigilant at all times."

Dr. Robin Cooper, co-founder of the Climate Psychiatry Alliance, noted: 
"A flood or hurricane occurs, which is massively destructive, but then 
it's over. Fires are different because they persist for months on end, 
shattering the foundation of stability and security that is essential 
for parents to instill in their children so they are able to navigate 
the world."

Parents expect a lot from themselves normally. But when the world is in 
a state of upheaval, it's no longer parenting-as-usual. How can 
overwhelmed parents keep their families afloat?

*Attend to Your Own Needs*
Kids take emotional cues from parents, so when parents calm themselves, 
they can help calm family members. Psychologists call this co-regulation.
Dr. Ginsburg said that during stressful times, the job of a parent of 
young children is "to look like a duck gliding on the water," creating 
an atmosphere of safety and comfort. Adolescents, though, "need to know 
what you are doing to stay afloat," he said. "You show them how you're 
paddling your feet underwater because you want to help build their skill 
set."

Classic stress relievers -- getting exercise, deep breathing, spending 
time in nature, and creative self-expression (art, music, dance, 
writing)-- are helpful. So are safety planning and emergency 
preparedness. But some additional stress-reducing behaviors are 
particularly suited for climate catastrophe and quarantine.

*Seek Connection*
Research tells us that social isolation is an acute stressor, while 
connection heals. But while physical distancing limits us, we must find 
ways to maintain social connections.

Merritt Juliano, co-president of Climate Psychology Alliance North 
America, plans to offer free, virtual "Climate Cafes" for parents to 
exchange supportive dialogue around the climate emergency. Climate cafes 
-- not just for parents -- are happening all over the world; in the 
pre-Covid era, they were held at cafes or other public spaces. 
Typically, a facilitator is present to encourage reflectiveness and 
sharing thoughts and feelings around the issue of climate change. Ms. 
Juliano said: "The single-most important thing parents can do to build 
resilience is their own inner work around climate change. Having 
processed their emotional reactions, and accepted the situation, they 
can then stay present with their kids."

*Maintain Routines*
Routine and predictability offset chaos. "There are so many things that 
we can't do, so it is important to find things that we can do right 
now," said Dr. Bonnie Goldstein, a clinical psychologist in Los Angeles. 
"The goal is to feel a little more in control." Establishing daily 
structure and maintaining routines encourages nervous systems to settle. 
As Dr. Ginsburg put it: "We cannot control the outside world, but we can 
be intentional about creating sanctuaries within our homes."
*Anchor in the Present*
Using our five senses as anchors is a simple tool for focusing on the 
present moment. When we are stressed, our minds grow noisy, we fall out 
of sync with the world around us. Natural surroundings are ideal 
anchors, chock-full of sensory stimuli, like a scented breeze or 
birdsong. But if we can't venture outside, we can anchor by finding 
something pleasurable inside: a painting, a soft pillow, tasty food. 
What emerges from this grounding is a sense of spontaneous gratitude. 
Dr. Goldstein suggests bringing something from nature -- a plant, bark, 
a shell, or even fruit -- inside and creating a visual display, or an 
altar of sorts, in a designated corner.

*Stand Up for Others*
Channeling worries and frustrations into community action is a potent 
eco-stress reducer; participatory action is productive, empowering and 
transformative. Finding ways, as Dr. Ginsburg put it, "to uplift the 
vulnerable" supports others and creates meaning and purpose at times of 
existential crisis.

The good news is that we can all learn to be more resilient. While some 
research suggests there may be a possible genetic predisposition to 
resilience, our brain's neuroplasticity allows us to learn and integrate 
new forms of resilience through practice and repetition. How we appraise 
a difficult situation also makes a difference. Do we feel overwhelmed, 
or buoyed by our own strengths and resources?

And what of the familiar trope that kids are resilient? Yes, there's 
truth to it, though we'd be wrong to think that's all they need.

Right after my youngest woke me that abnormally dark morning, my 
5-year-old flung open a door and announced: "Well, the birds are OK, so 
it's fine!" While there is naïveté in this response, there is also a 
seed of resilience. As her mother, I plan to water that seed, alongside 
my own.

Ariella Cook-Shonkoff is a licensed psychotherapist and art therapist 
based in Berkeley, Calif.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/17/well/family/parents-stress-climate-crises-wildfires-hurricanes.html 



[Climate Connections - text and audio]
*Arctic wildfires are lasting longer and burning more intensely*
They're also spreading in areas farther north than they did in the past.
The Arctic is known for cold and snowy winters. But in summer, wildfires 
can rage across the tundra.

"Fire is not something that we are surprised to see in the Arctic. What 
we're surprised to see is how much there is in the past two years," says 
Jessica McCarty, assistant professor of geography and director of the 
Geospatial Analysis Center at Miami University in Ohio.

"We're seeing fires start sooner," she says, "lasting longer, burning 
more intense, and appear to be burning in ecosystems that previously we 
thought were fire-resistant."

As these fires get bigger, so does the amount of global warming 
pollution they release to the atmosphere.

That's because there is a lot of carbon trapped in the Arctic. Much of 
it is in peat - thick layers of partially decayed plant material laid 
down over thousands of years. When the peat burns or heat from a fire 
melts the permafrost, the stored carbon is released to the atmosphere.

"The 2020 Arctic fire season has released more carbon dioxide than any 
of the years previous that we have on record," McCarty says.

So more extreme Arctic fires are not only a sign that global warming is 
here. They are making the problem worse.
https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2020/11/arctic-wildfires-are-lasting-longer-and-burning-more-intensely/



[Wall Street Journal]*
**Trump Administration Takes Final Steps to Auction Drilling Rights in 
Arctic Wildlife Refuge*
Interior Department seeks to complete land leases before Biden takes 
office in January

Timothy Puko - Nov. 16, 2020

WASHINGTON--The Trump administration is taking the final steps to secure 
oil development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, starting a 
leasing process to strike deals with drillers to operate in the 
pristine, 19-million-acre wilderness before Democratic President-elect 
Joe Biden can stop it.

Mr. Biden has vowed to block plans for oil drilling in this northwest 
corner of Alaska. Congress passed a mandate to lease oil rights in part 
of the refuge in its tax overhaul in 2017--when Republican majorities 
controlled both the...
https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-administration-takes-final-steps-to-auction-drilling-rights-in-arctic-wildlife-refuge-11605551187



[Digging back into the internet news archive]
*On this day in the history of global warming - November 19, 2010 *

In a Washington Post article, former Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) asks, 
"Can the party of Reagan accept the science of climate change?"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/18/AR2010111805451.html


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