[✔️] July 16, 2021 - Daily Global Warming News Digest

[👀 Richard Pauli]

/*July16, 2021*/

[little warning]
*How have dozens died in flooding in Germany? - BBC News*
Jul 15, 2021
BBC News
More than fifty people have died and thousands of others have been 
displaced by extensive flooding in parts of western Germany and Belgium.
In Germany - the most severely affected country - dozens of people are 
still missing.
The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, has called it a catastrophe, 
linking the events to climate change.
Ros Atkins looks at how the events unfolded and the impact across Europe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ANdYaMDJHM


[breathless tv report]
*Scientists Warn Of Climate Change Dangers As Extreme Weather Hits U.S.*
Jul 13, 2021
NBC News
Pennsylvania was hit with serious flooding, while historic heat fuels 
wildfires in the West. The extreme conditions show that the dangerous 
impacts of climate change are only intensifying, scientists warn.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxzNYbTslZI



[over-harvesting of trees - amazing ressource]
*The Amazon rainforest is the world’s carbon sink. Parts of it now 
release more carbon than can be absorbed.*
By Rachel Pannett - July 16, 2021
The Amazon is emitting more carbon than it can absorb, in what 
scientists say is a disturbing new signal that the Earth may be reaching 
a tipping point on climate change.

A study recently published in the journal Nature suggests that fire and 
deforestation, along with warmer temperatures and markedly drier 
conditions, mean the world’s largest rainforest is gradually losing its 
ability to be a carbon sink.

The impact of changes to the Amazon reach far beyond South America. For 
generations, the rainforest has stored an immense amount of carbon in 
its soil and enormous trees, playing an important role in keeping the 
global environment stable.

“When this study shows that the carbon budget from a believed carbon 
sinking area is actually a source of 0.3 billion tons of carbon per 
year, it sounds the alarm bells,” said Lucas Domingues, an environmental 
scientist and one of the paper’s co-authors. (The Southeast Asian 
kingdom of Thailand emitted roughly 0.3 billion tons of carbon in 2018, 
according to Our World in Data.)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/16/amazon-rainforest-climate-carbon/

- -

[tswitch from *sink to source* is a very big deal]
14 July 2021
*Southeast Amazonia is no longer a carbon sink*
Atmospheric measurements show that deforestation and rapid local warming 
have reduced or eliminated the capacity of the eastern Amazonian forest 
to absorb carbon dioxide — with worrying implications for future global 
warming...
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01871-6

- -

[Next comes a savanna]
*Carbon loss from forest degradation exceeds that from deforestation in 
the Brazilian Amazon*
Yuanwei Qin, Xiangming Xiao, Jean-Pierre Wigneron, Philippe Ciais, 
Martin Brandt, Lei Fan, Xiaojun Li, Sean Crowell, Xiaocui Wu, Russell 
Doughty, Yao Zhang, Fang Liu, Stephen Sitch & Berrien Moore III
Nature Climate Change volume 11, pages442–448 (2021)Cite this article

    *Abstract*
    Spatial–temporal dynamics of aboveground biomass (AGB) and forest
    area affect the carbon cycle, climate and biodiversity in the
    Brazilian Amazon. Here we investigate interannual changes in AGB and
    forest area by analysing satellite-based annual AGB and forest area
    datasets. We found that the gross forest area loss was larger in
    2019 than in 2015, possibly due to recent loosening of forest
    protection policies. However, the net AGB loss was three times
    smaller in 2019 than in 2015. During 2010–2019, the Brazilian Amazon
    had a cumulative gross loss of 4.45 Pg C against a gross gain of
    3.78 Pg C, resulting in a net AGB loss of 0.67 Pg C. Forest
    degradation (73%) contributed three times more to the gross AGB loss
    than deforestation (27%), given that the areal extent of degradation
    exceeds that of deforestation. This indicates that forest
    degradation has become the largest process driving carbon loss and
    should become a higher policy priority.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-021-01026-5



[KXLY local TV news video]
*‘Maybe things are even worse than we thought’: Local experts worry 
about climate change*
Posted: July 14, 2021 6:18 PM
by Esther Bower
SPOKANE, Wash. — Almost all of Washington is now under a drought state 
of emergency after dry conditions, extreme heat and little precipitation 
have plagued the state. Local experts have been studying these changes 
and are worried the path we’re on isn’t a good one.

“I’m surprised that we’re at this point now in 2021 that we were 
expecting to arrive at in 2050, which makes us wonder maybe things are 
even worse than we thought,” said Brian Henning, a member of the Spokane 
Climate Project and a professor at Gonzaga University in the Climate Center.
He says these high temperatures and extended periods of dry weather are 
on track to become what’s normal in our region.

“This is a little early, but this is consistent with what the climate 
models are seeing,” he said.

The Climate Project has analyzed changing climate models in our region. 
You can find their research HERE. Henning says these changes could mean 
less snow and more rain during the year, causing more floods. He also 
says these dry spells will be more frequent which will affect dryland 
farming severely, as we’re seeing now with hindered agriculture production.
The Lands Council is another organization committed to protecting and 
preserving our environment. Spokane is surrounded by nature, and the 
Spokane River is one of the many gems. The aquifer is the main water 
source for thousands of people in our community, but it’s also taking a 
hit from these conditions.

“I think there’s a misconception that it will always be there,” said 
Amanda Parrish, the Executive Director for The Lands Council. “As more 
people come to our beautiful city and our beautiful region, we’re going 
to see more strains on that resource. With the effects of climate 
change, and with the effects of these droughts happening more often, 
that’s going to be another strain.”

More people are having to water their lawns and use water for irrigation 
purposes. She says it’s not a guarantee we’ll have all this water to 
freely use in the future.

“I think a lot of us want to increase our watering to keep our 
landscaping alive, but that is actually exacerbating the effects of low 
water levels in the Spokane River,” Parrish said. “We’re already at a 
pretty low level for the river, and we’re not seeing any more 
precipitation in the forecast.”

She says the current levels are what we would see in September which is 
concerning. The city is encouraging less household water use to help 
this problem. You can find resources to conserve water HERE.

Gov. Inslee declared a state of emergency on Wednesday to combat these 
droughts in every county, except the Seattle metro area. He made the 
declaration because water supply is 75% below average in most places 
throughout the state. Now, the Ecology Department has more flexibility 
and resources to fight these droughts that many hope won’t continue.

“It should be a wake-up call to all of us to try and take significant 
action to try and reduce those forms of pollution that are causing 
climate change and plan to be a resilient community,” Henning said.
https://www.kxly.com/maybe-things-are-even-worse-than-we-thought-local-experts-worry-about-climate-change/



[Long predicted opinion]
*Canary in the coal mine: Gaza, the Levant, and climate change*
The environmental degradation in Gaza should be an early warning for 
what is to come for the whole of the Levant.
Karim Elgendy - 7 Jul 2021
Sustainability consultant

Located on the dividing line between the Mediterranean climate to its 
north and the desert to its south, Gaza was first settled as an oasis by 
the sea. It was built to take advantage of the coastal groundwater 
aquifer as well as Wadi Gaza, into which several streams flowed from 
across the Negev Desert. It benefitted from fertile soils, access to the 
Mediterranean, and excellent trade links which made it a strategic and 
economic hub.

However, in the 19th century, Gaza’s significance declined, as it was 
eclipsed by the ports of Jaffa and Haifa, while the creation of Israel 
in 1948 disconnected it from the rest of historic Palestine. Today, the 
Gaza Strip is not only economically devastated but also considered 
“unlivable” by the United Nations, in large part due to repeated Israeli 
military assaults and a debilitating 13-year siege imposed by Israel.

Gaza’s limited freshwater resources are being pumped at an unsustainable 
rate, and 95 percent of its groundwater is deemed undrinkable due to 
contamination with wastewater and seawater. In addition, its 
agricultural land, constantly shrinking due to Israeli military 
encroachment, is increasingly insufficient to feed its rapidly growing 
population.

Climate change is expected to compound these challenges by making 
precipitation even more erratic and unpredictable, further weakening the 
depleted and contaminated coastal aquifer, upon which life in the strip 
depends. It is also expected to increase temperature and water 
evaporation, reducing agricultural productivity and further worsening 
food insecurity.

While the situation in Gaza may seem exceptional, it is the canary in 
the coal mine for the environmental and humanitarian disaster the whole 
of the Eastern Mediterranean region will face, if urgent climate action 
is not taken.

*A struggling region facing a changing climate*
While the precarious situation in Gaza is significantly intensified by 
the blockade and regular Israeli attacks, the rest of the Levant – 
including the occupied Palestinian territories, Israel, Syria, Lebanon, 
and Jordan – is also struggling with these environmental challenges.

The eminent geographer Tony Allan has pointed out that the region 
between the Mediterranean and the Jordan River already “ran out” of 
water and food self-sufficiency some 50 years ago. If one looks at the 
food imports of the region, it becomes apparent why he made that point. 
Even in Israel, which is often hailed as a pioneer of agricultural 
technology, more than half of the calories consumed are imported.

The Levant is struggling with scarce and overexploited water supplies, 
especially parts of Syria and Jordan. The region is no stranger to 
periods of drought, and has always experienced contraction of 
agricultural and pastoral land to its south and east during such periods 
– a pattern that has shaped its culture and history. But the intense 
droughts and desertification expected due to climate change could be far 
worse.

Global climate change is widely expected to bring wetter conditions to 
many places around the world. But due to the Eastern Mediterranean’s 
unique geography, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, and the island of Cyprus 
are all likely to experience the opposite. Climate models suggest that 
climate change will bring less rainfall and longer droughts to the 
region, with less groundwater available to help bridge dry periods.

The consequences of these changes cannot be overstated. Droughts 
currently experienced in the Eastern Mediterranean are already harsh. 
According to research by NASA, the dry spell between 1998 and 2012 was 
50 percent drier than the driest period in the past five centuries, and 
10 to 20 percent drier than the worst drought since the 12th century.

Some scholars have argued that this drought contributed to the uprising 
in Syria in 2011, which ultimately led to the Syrian civil war, although 
the role it played remains a subject of academic debate. What is not in 
doubt, however, is that climate change will lead to cascading 
socioeconomic and political challenges.

Rising temperatures and falling water supplies are expected to increase 
food insecurity and employment fragility, inevitably leading to 
migration. These impacts will be felt the hardest in areas struggling 
with conflict, displacement, military occupation, limited natural 
resources, and rapid population growth.

One of the Levant’s hotspots where many of these factors intersect is 
the Jordan Valley. In a forthcoming Chatham House paper, Glada Lahn and 
I concluded that climate change is unlikely to lead directly to conflict 
around the Jordan Valley, but will exacerbate existing social tensions 
and competition over resources. While adaptation on the Jordanian side 
is a matter of political coordination and financial resources, in the 
West Bank, climate action is restricted by the Israeli occupation.

*Collective action needed*
In the past, the Levant relied on Egypt’s food exports to weather 
periods of drought. For centuries, Egypt served as a shock absorber, 
supplying surplus grain when the Levant was hit by famine. This was only 
possible due to the independence of Egyptian food production from the 
Mediterranean climate and its use of the Nile River, fed by the monsoons 
of East Africa.

In fact, the Eastern Mediterranean’s reliance on two totally independent 
climate systems for food supply ensured the prosperity of various 
regional empires throughout history.

But this is no longer the case. Egypt today is no one’s breadbasket, 
having become the world’s largest wheat importer. The construction of 
the Aswan Dam in the 1960s reduced its soil fertility, while the Grand 
Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is expected to further diminish food 
production. Depending on the rate at which the dam’s reservoir is 
filled, as much as two-thirds of Egypt’s agricultural land could be lost.

To put this in perspective, the last time both Egypt and the Levant 
faced simultaneous water and food shortages was a millennium ago. Back 
then a series of droughts spanning more than a century gave rise to a 
famine every five years on average. This dark period in the region’s 
history includes a seven-year drought known as The Great Calamity 
(1065–72), that led to mass deaths, unprecedented economic crisis, the 
destruction of the city of Fustat, and even cannibalism.

Globalised trade has greatly diminished the chances of such famines 
happening today, and the growing global momentum for climate action 
holds out hope that climate change in the region can be managed. But the 
race to mitigate climate change is incredibly tight, and the region 
urgently needs to do more to adapt to changes already taking place. 
Conflict is currently preventing meaningful collaboration on this, but 
the region’s governments have to realise that it is in their common 
interest to take collective action. After all, what pollutes and damages 
natural resources in one area will soon affect everyone else around.

Gaza’s high susceptibility to changes in its environment is an early 
warning sign to the rest of the region about the impending risks of 
climate change. The region will survive, only if this early warning is 
acknowledged and appropriate action is taken.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not 
necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.
https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2021/7/7/canary-in-the-coal-mine-gaza-the-levant-and-climate-change



[ClimateCast audio interview SkyNews]
*The New Climate War - A conversation with Dr Michael E. Mann*
On this special episode of ClimateCast, guest host Samantha Washington 
is joined by Dr Michael E. Mann, Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric 
Science at Penn State University, in the United States, to discuss his 
new book The New Climate War.
Mann is one of the world’s most prominent climate scientists, who first 
shot to fame in the 1990s when he published possibly the most famous 
chart in all of climate science - now known as simply the hockey stick 
graph - which showed how burning fossil fuels and the resulting 
greenhouse gases, caused global temperatures to rise. Something most of 
us now take for granted.

Sky News' Climate reporter Victoria Seabrook also joins Sam in the 
studio to discuss all of this week's climate headlines, including a 
damning report published by the Climate Change Committee which said the 
government is failing to ensure the UK can cope with climate change 
already happening, how the UK is using renewable energy from Norway 
which could power over one million British homes using the world's 
largest undersea electricity cable, and how extreme weather has caused a 
worrying shortage of chocolate, coffee and wine.
https://news.sky.com/story/alaska-one-of-the-worlds-largest-oil-pipelines-threatened-by-thawing-permafrost-12354352



[The news archive - looking back]
*On this day in the history of global warming July 16, 1992*

July 16, 1992: At the 1992 Democratic National Convention, Senator and 
Vice-Presidential nominee Al Gore notes:

  “I've spent much of my career working to protect the environment, not 
only because it is vital to the future of my State of Tennessee, our 
country and our earth, but because I believe there is a fundamental link 
between our current relationship to the earth and the attitudes that 
stand in the way of human progress. For generations we have believed 
that we could abuse the earth because we were somehow not really 
connected to it, but now we must face the truth. The task of saving the 
earth's environment must and will become the central organizing 
principle of the post-Cold War world.

  “And just as the false assumption that we are not connected to the 
earth has led to the ecological crisis, so the equally false assumption 
that we are not connected to each other has led to our social crisis.”

  He also declares that President George H. W. Bush and Vice President 
Dan Quayle  “embarrassed our nation when the whole world was asking for 
American leadership in confronting the environmental crisis. It is time 
for them to go.”

http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/27161-1
http://www.speeches-usa.com/Transcripts/al_gore-1992dnc.htm

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