[✔️] April 21, 2022 - Daily Global Warming News Digest

[Richard Pauli]

/*April 21, 2022*/

/[ Bug outs on insects - by BBC ]/
*Climate change and farming driving insect decline*
The combined pressures of global heating and farming are driving a 
"substantial decline" of insects across the globe, according to UK 
researchers.

They say we must acknowledge the threats we pose to insects, before some 
species are lost forever.

But preserving habitat for nature could help ensure vital insects thrive.

Lead researcher, Dr Charlie Outhwaite of UCL, said losing insect 
populations could be harmful not only to the natural environment, but to 
"human health and food security, particularly with losses of pollinators".

"Our findings highlight the urgency of actions to preserve natural 
habitats, slow the expansion of high-intensity agriculture, and cut 
emissions to mitigate climate change," she added...
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-61165279

/- -
/

/[ evaluating change ] /
*Climate change triggering global collapse in insect numbers: stressed 
farmland shows 63% decline – new research*
Published: April 20, 2022
Speed read
-- The world may be facing a devastating “hidden” collapse in insect 
species due to the twin threats of climate change and habitat loss.

-- UCL’s Centre for Biodiversity & Environment Research has carried out 
one of the largest-ever assessments of insect declines around the world 
– assessing three-quarters of a million samples from around 6,000 sites.

-- The new study, published in Nature, finds that climate-stressed 
farmland possesses only half the number of insects, on average, and 25% 
fewer insect species than areas of natural habitat.

-- Insect declines are greatest in high-intensity farmland areas within 
tropical countries – where the combined effects of climate change and 
habitat loss are experienced most profoundly.

-- The majority of the world’s estimated 5.5 million species are thought 
to live in these regions – meaning the planet’s greatest abundances of 
insect life may be suffering collapses without us even realising.

-- Lowering the intensity of farming by using fewer chemicals, having a 
greater diversity of crops and preserving some natural habitat can 
mitigate the negative effects of habitat loss and climate change on insects.

-- Considering the choices we make as consumers – such as buying 
shade-grown coffee or cocoa – could also help protect insects and other 
creatures in the world’s most climate-vulnerable regions.
https://theconversation.com/climate-change-triggering-global-collapse-in-insect-numbers-stressed-farmland-shows-63-decline-new-research-170738

- -

/[ From the Journal Nature -- book reviews ]/
*Disappearing insects, and forensics uncovered: Books in brief*
Andrew Robinson reviews five of the week’s best science picks.
11 April 2022
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-01016-3



/[ Major science blog considers how to evaluate truth ]/
*The modern demarcation problem*
19 APR 2022 BY GAVIN
Defining (and enforcing) a clear line between information and 
mis-information is impossible, but that doesn’t mean misinformation 
doesn’t exist or that there is nothing to be done to combat it.

I found myself caught in an ‘interesting’ set of exchanges on twitter a 
few weeks ago (I won’t link to it to spare you the tedium, but you could 
probably find it if you look hard enough). The nominal issue was whether 
deplatforming known bull******s was useful at stemming the spread of 
misinformation (specifically with respect to discussions around COVID). 
There is evidence that this does in fact work to some extent, but the 
twitter thread quickly turned to the question of who decides what is 
misinformation in the first place, and then descended into a 
free-for-all where just the very mention that misinformation existed or 
that the scientific method provided a ratchet to detect it, was met with 
knee-jerk references to the Nazi’s and the inquisition. So far, so 
usual, right?

While the specific thread was not particularly edifying, and I’ll grant 
that my tweets were not perfectly pitched for the specific audience, 
this is a very modern example of the classic Demarcation Problem 
(Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) in the philosophy of science...
- -
*Freeze Peach!*
Social media deplatforming is often strongly criticised as being against 
the ‘spirit’ of free speech (not the actual First Amendment, which only 
enjoins the US government). But should the free marketplace for ideas be 
a total free-for-all, where voices are drowned out by bot farms pouring 
sh*t onto everyone else’s stall? Creating and curating accessible spaces 
and environments that elevate information over misinformation seems to 
me to be an essential part of building an informed democracy (which is 
what we want, no?). This might not be completely compatible with 
platforms that are really optimized for engagement rather than discourse 
(this remains to be seen). But it is surely an impossible task if we 
don’t take the misinformers seriously.
https://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2022/04/the-modern-demarcation-problem/ 


- -

/[ From the Stanford Encyclopedia of philosophy  ]/
*Science and Pseudo-Science*
First published Wed Sep 3, 2008; substantive revision Thu May 20, 2021
The demarcation between science and pseudoscience is part of the larger 
task of determining which beliefs are epistemically warranted. This 
entry clarifies the specific nature of pseudoscience in relation to 
other categories of non-scientific doctrines and practices, including 
science denial(ism) and resistance to the facts. The major proposed 
demarcation criteria for pseudo-science are discussed and some of their 
weaknesses are pointed out. There is much more agreement on particular 
cases of demarcation than on the general criteria that such judgments 
should be based upon. This is an indication that there is still much 
important philosophical work to be done on the demarcation between 
science and pseudoscience...
much more at - https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pseudo-science/

- -

/[ Handling information is like nuclear fuel -- risks of spill and 
explosion ]/
With democracies across the globe under assault, the University of 
Chicago Institute of Politics and The Atlantic hosted *Disinformation 
and the Erosion of Democracy*, a groundbreaking three-day event 
exploring the organized spread of disinformation and strategies to 
respond to it.

The conference, April 6 to 8, explored the roots and scope of the 
problem, the next-generation threats posed by new technological 
advances, and the tools and policies required to neutralize them. Panels 
also discussed the challenge presented when the term disinformation 
itself becomes fractious, and the tension between free expression and 
the need to combat wanton and willful disinformation aimed at eroding it.

To find additional details about participating speakers and our agenda, 
please visit disinfo2022.com.
https://www.theatlantic.com/live/disinformation-democracy-uchicago-conference-2022/

- -

/[ gasp, over 5 hours of YouTube video - use high speed settings for 
watching - or use the index ]/
*Ben Smith, Jonah Goldberg, Joan Donovan & More on Mis and Dis-information*
Apr 7, 2022
The Atlantic
Ben Smith of Semafor, Jonah Goldberg of The Dispatch, Lauren Williams of 
Capital B, CNN’s Brian Stelter, and others discuss political 
polarization, the power of mis- and disinformation, and the reach of 
algorithms. Presented by The Atlantic and the University of Chicago 
Institute of Politics as the second day of a conference on 
disinformation and the erosion of democracy. Day one’s conversations: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guO3_...
Jump to:

    2:46 - Welcome by Jeffrey Goldberg
    7:53 - Politics as Usual or an Insidious Attack on Our Democracy?
    1:02:15 - What Happens When We Can’t Tell What’s Real?
    2:01:04 - How Powerful Are Algorithms Really?
    2:53:06 - How Media Platforms Shape Consumer Realities
    4:44:32 - How Conspiracy Theories Capture the Mind

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cW9B8ue8vvo

- -

/[ misinformation ]/
*“Uniquely Stupid:” Dissecting the Past Decade of American Life | 
Amanpour and Company*
Apr 18, 2022
Amanpour and Company
In the decade since Facebook went public, social media platforms have 
transformed American society. Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt speaks 
with Hari Sreenivasan about what went wrong and how social media could 
become less corrosive.
Originally aired on April 18, 2022.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKRuvKtFvqo



/[  See a Disney Polar Bear movie tomorrow - ]/
*'Polar Bear' hopes to inspire awareness by showing how changing climate 
affects beloved animals*
By George Pennacchio
Monday, April 18, 2022
HOLLYWOOD -- The streaming service Disney+ is putting a focus on Earth 
Month. This week, we'll see a new Disneynature documentary that follows 
a mother polar bear who shows her cubs what it takes to survive.

"Polar Bear" tells the story of a family of bears who face increasingly 
tough challenges due to how the changes in climate have affected their 
habitat. Directors Alastair Fothergill and Jeff Wilson shot the film 
over three years in the ice cold Arctic.
It's so far north that for six months out of the year it's totally dark. 
But for six months of the year it's almost totally continuous sunlight. 
So during the summer we were working pretty much continuously," said 
Fothergill.

The directors say they would not have been able to make this film ten 
years ago; but advances in technology, including drones, allowed them 
and members of their team, to get closer than ever to the bears.

"It would be very easy for us to muck up their hunt simply by being too 
noisy or too close; but the lenses and the technology allows us to 
witness from a safe distance away not to disturb," said Wilson.

The film has several awe-inspiring moments, thanks to the beloved bears 
and Mother Nature; but the environmentalists hope their film inspires us 
to pay attention... sooner rather than later.

"The reason we wanted to make the film is people talk about climate 
change but it's hard to show it," said Fothergill. "In this film, 
through the eyes of our female bear you certainly see it. And I think 
Earth Day is a good time to question. You should question your own 
footprint on the planet, your own use of energy, as individuals we can 
do an enormous amount."

"Polar Bear" premieres Friday, Earth Day, April 22nd, on Disney+.
https://abc7.com/polar-bear-earth-day-month-disneynature/11766027/


/[ Yikes!!  Global Warming?  Bastyr?   Free Zoom meeting USA based ]/
*Mental Health and the Climate Crisis*
When April 23 2022 9:00 am
Location Online Event
Please come learn with us about the history, current state, and future 
of mental health in the climate crisis.
Anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicidality 
will continue to increase as temperatures rise and more people 
experience extreme weather events. According to research, for every 
single person affected by a climate disaster in a physical way, 40 
people are affected mentally and emotionally. Young people, elders, and 
people from marginalized BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) 
communities are particularly vulnerable to climate impacts and are 
disproportionately affected. Also, people from these communities often 
have special expertise, and practices for resilience.

Register for free: http://bastyr.edu/climatecrisis
Please come learn with us about the history, current state, and future 
of mental health in the climate crisis.

Speakers:
- Dr. Gerry Ebalaroza-Tunnell
CEO Co3 (Co-Creating Cohesive Communities, an ALOHA-based social justice 
and equity consulting company)

- Dr. Danielle Ung
Bastyr faculty and clinical psychologist specializing in working with 
young people, particularly those from BIPOC communities

- Jonass Placitis
Crisis Line Volunteer Services Manager, a non-profit connecting those in 
physical, emotional, or financial crisis with needed resources

- Megan Slade
Talk Climate co-founder, mental health counselor, and parent educator

- Deborah Parker
Tulalip tribal member and national Indigenous leader, policy analyst, 
and co-founder of Indigenous Women Rise
https://bastyr.edu/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=3511


/[The news archive - looking back significant events - one-at-a-time ]/
*April 21, 2007*

April 21, 2007: At the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, 
White House senior advisor Karl Rove reacts scornfully to a request by 
environmentalist Laurie David to have the George W. Bush administration 
reconsider its approach to the climate-change issue.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/22/AR2007042200353.html?hpid=moreheadlines 


https://www.huffpost.com/entry/karl-rove-gets-thrown-und_b_46501

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/23/washington/23rove.html?_r=0

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