[✔️] December 6, 2022 - Global Warming News Digest
Richard Pauli
Richard at CredoandScreed.com
Tue Dec 6 14:09:19 EST 2022
/*December 6, 2022*/
[ Oh yuk... but it is important to continue to define dangers ]
*From Fires to Floods, 'Weather Whiplash' Could Be Our Disturbing New
Normal*
After praying for rain for weeks, the US state that saw some of 2022's
biggest wildfires soon found itself suffering a deadly deluge.
Eric Mack
Dec. 5, 2022
- -
There's a term for this remarkably rapid turnaround in weather patterns
that an increasing number of scientists have begun to use, both in the
mainstream media and academic publications: weather whiplash.
"The huge shift in weather you experienced in New Mexico this summer is
a perfect example," Jennifer Francis, acting deputy director at the
Woodwell Climate Research Center in Massachusetts tells me...
- -
A July heatwave immediately followed exceptionally wet, cool weather in
the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies in June. This turnaround was
most dramatic in the Yellowstone region, where historic flooding in the
first month of summer took many by surprise and claimed hundreds of
homes but, somewhat miraculously, no lives. Shortly afterward,
temperatures soared several degrees above average and the region dried out.
- -
"If you get 20 inches of rainfall distributed as half an inch a day for
40 days, it's a very different picture than getting 20 inches of
rainfall because it rains 10 inches one day and 10 inches the next,"
Swain suggests. "The average might be the same, but you're living in a
completely different world."
In other words, our experience of climate change can't be fully captured
by talking about how much temperatures or sea levels or rainfall are
rising. It's the extremes and the weirdness and the chaotic swings from
one state to another that tell the real story and inflict the most trauma.
At the point this summer when wildfires were burning on both sides of
our community, I had a weird flashback to my childhood. One of my
favorite things to read as a kid in the previous century was Choose Your
Own Adventure books. They had this intoxicating ability to provide both
an escape and agency at the same time.
It feels like we could use a little more of both things right now. Life
today has the feel of all the potential adventures in those books
happening back to back and often simultaneously. The only choice is to
be ready for anything.
https://www.cnet.com/science/climate/from-fires-to-floods-weather-whiplash-could-be-our-disturbing-new-normal/
/[ Ask your local library ] /
*Fictional ‘Two Degrees’ aims to engage 8 to 14 year olds on climate*
Alan Gratz’s ‘subversively educational’ book mixes science talk with
action and adventure in a kids’ climate change page-turner.
by BUD WARD
DECEMBER 5, 2022
That’s how fiction writer Alan Gratz describes his focus on those
generally eight- to 14-year-olds and in the fifth-to-eighth middle
grades, between their elementary and secondary school years.
Gratz has written a number of books for what he prefers to call “young
people” or “kids” – including, most recently, “Two Degrees” focusing on
climate change. Gratz, a resident of Asheville, N.C., sat for a Zoom
interview with Yale Climate Connections to discuss his latest book,
published this past October.
*Bud Ward:* Is it accurate to describe “Two Degrees” as science
fiction?
*Alan Gratz: *Great question. That term is often defined in the U.S.
as fiction of the future, addressing things that can’t happen yet
except through magical means. By that definition, no. I prefer to
call it “fiction that is science-based.”
*Ward: *Can you estimate the proportion of the book’s content that
you consider to be fiction versus the part you consider to be
climate science?
*Gratz: *That’s a difficult question, but I assure you it’s a
conversation my Scholastic Press editor and I were having constantly
throughout the writing. In my first draft, I had chapters and
chapters on the peer-reviewed science – too much science. My editor
wanted it to be ‘subversively educational’ – but with a need to
consider what science talk could be deleted that is killing the pace
of the book for a youthful audience.
The number one thing I’m shooting for is to write an entertaining
book. I want kids to keep turning the page. Because if they’re not
interested in the story, if it’s not a page-turner, they’re not
staying with me for the science. Every time I had a lot of science,
the question had to be “Is there so much science that it’s slowing
down the story, and I’m going to lose my readers?” And then it
became a question of ways to work the science in to places that were
already focused on action and adventure, identifying where the
science could work its way in tangentially. I might say “Two
Degrees” is 80% action and adventure, and 20 % science.
The tensions being scientifically ‘didactic’ while being a
page-turner to 8 to 14 year olds.
There was a part of me that really wanted to be didactic, because
climate change is a big problem, and unless we start talking about
it honestly with kids, it’s not going to get fixed. I admit I have
less and less patience now with stories that are just a metaphor for
climate change. I don’t want to read a story that is metaphorical
for climate change. I want to read a story that is literally about
climate change. The time for just talking around climate change is
gone, the need for talking directly about climate change has been
with us for some time.
*Ward: *Given the understandable need to appeal to young readers
with what you call a “page turner,” what steps did you take to
ensure the accuracy of the scientific or evidence-based climate
science as you address it in the book?
*Gratz: *Well, that’s part of the reason it took so long for me to
write this book, about two full years. I did my homework beforehand,
and actually I used a lot of the Yale resources for background,
spoke with numerous climate scientists, attended regular Friday NOAA
National Environmental Information Center weekly Zoom meetings with
Asheville scientists, and listened to what they have to say, and I
interviewed many of them. I of course did lots of readings.
But in the end, I know that I am not a climate scientist. I’m a
fiction writer, but I only naturally write about a lot of things
that I’m not an expert on. For instance, my “Allies” book on D-Day
and my “Ground Zero” book on 9/11. I’m not an expert, but I find
people who are smarter than me, who have spent their whole lives
studying these things. And I talk with them, I do my homework.
*Ward: *Your “Two Degrees” book jacket says one of your goals is to
inspire readers to “take action” on climate change. How specifically
does it do that?
*Gratz: *I chose to set this book in the present, rather than to
outline a seriously climate-changed future. I want the book to be a
horror story, but it is supposed to also be a wake-up call for kids
who live comfortably and don’t experience climate change as much as
other kids in the world do. Even if they’re not feeling the impacts
of climate change, even if they’re not feeling it as much … Even if
they’re riding out the storm in a yacht, I want them to realize
there are other people who are clinging to the wreckage in the storm
and already having a much worse time of it.
That’s one of the beauties of addressing middle grade readers. At
that age, they are really empathetic, and they care a lot about
other people. They haven’t become so wrapped-up in just their own
lives. It’s weird: kids go from being totally wrapped-up in their
own lives at a younger age, to then getting to middle school and
realizing that, “Oh my gosh. I’m a human being, and I live among
other human beings.” They begin to realize that they are citizens of
the world.
Also, middle graders love justice. I think it’s one of the reasons
World War II books are so popular — people crave justice. And by the
time they’re in those middle grades, kids have an innate sense of
justice: “Oh my gosh, that person got something, and that person
didn’t: That’s just not fair. Those people are suffering from
climate change, but other people aren’t: That’s just not fair.
What’s going on?”
I hope “Two Degrees” prods them on, just as has happened with
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. And the same thing has
happened and can happen with a lot of American youths.
I also wanted to make sure the book was broadly representative, with
lots of geographic diversity and reflecting diverse climate change
impacts, with kids affected all over the world and “quick hits.” So
the book reflects diversity of place, of experience, of economic
levels and races, and family structures. I was determined that the
book cover as many bases as possible.
*Ward: *Your book was published just over a month ago, but is there
any early indication that teachers are picking up your book as part
of their curricula?
*Gratz:* It’s really still anecdotal at this point, but some
teachers have indicated on social media that they’re making it their
Friday reading book, reading it out-loud with their students. They
have used my other books in that way, and I’m hoping the same will
happen with “Two Degrees.”
Scholastic Press book fairs have been around in schools and in
school libraries for about a hundred years, and they’ve given my
earlier kids books immense amounts of exposure. So I’m hopeful. I
say that I’m now in the business of helping teachers understand that
there are some [climate denialism books] that they should ignore and
make sure they’re using responsible science as a criterion in their
classrooms.
*Ward:* So how do you get the message across to young readers about
the need for them to engage in addressing the risks posed by climate
change, without simply bumming them out about the very real
prospects of a much different and more challenging future?
*Gratz:* One thing I keep in mind is that people in general do not
respond well when you tell them that they’re bad people. When you
scold them, when you call them out, their natural human response is
to get defensive. And they push that criticism away. So it’s
important not to be accusatory. Instead of saying “You’ve made some
mistakes, you’re a bad person,” I say “look at this bad situation.
What do you think a good person would do to fix this bad situation.”
And then I invite the reader to be that good person.
I hope “Two Degrees” leaves kids with the message that human beings
are amazing…. My message to the kids is that we can do this, we’ve
done it before, and we’re incredible problem solvers. My message to
the kids is that climate change is caused by humans and that we have
the ability to change things.
That’s the good news, that if humans are causing climate change,
which we are, that means it’s in our power to fix it. It’s not like
it’s an asteroid that came down and is causing another ice age.
That’s the good news, and it’s an important part of the message I
hope to share with younger readers and, perhaps through them, also
with others.
FICTION
“Two Degrees,” by Alan Gratz; New York: Scholastic Press, 384 pages (2022).
https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2022/12/fictional-two-degrees-aims-to-engage-8-to-14-year-olds-on-climate/
/[ From DM -//NATURE AND ENVIRONMENT GLOBAL ISSUES//]/
*How to protect soil from future drought and heat waves*
Martin Kuebler | Holly Young
Healthy soil is critical for global food security as well as the
thousands of species that call it home. On World Soil Day, DW looks at
what can be done to protect soil in the face of drought and intensifying
heat.
Soil is as easy to overlook as the dirt on our shoes; nothing we seem to
really care about, unless you are a gardener or a farmer. But it is, of
course, vital to our survival. As without soil, growing food becomes a
problem.
A mixture of mineral and organic waste that teems with minute life, soil
is complex matter. An inch of nutrient-rich topsoil, so integral to
productive agricultural land, can take hundreds of years to develop. But
it takes far less time to become dried out and potentially eroded as a
result of drought — such as the one that has held Europe in its grip
this summer.
"What we are seeing is that now droughts are becoming so intense, and
the soil erosion is also becoming more intense," said Lizeth Vasconez
Navas, a researcher at the University of Hamburg's Institute of Soil
Science.
While it might be counterintuitive after months of little rain, a heavy
downpour is not necessarily a blessing for farmers. Certain soils,
especially those containing clay, can become so dry that they are no
longer able to effectively absorb water, so when the rains do fall, the
water ends up flowing over the soil, washing away tons of earth and
valuable nutrients, and potentially leading to flash flooding.
*So how can soil be protected?*
To prevent dried out soils from being lost to erosion, experts say it's
crucial to establish new ground cover as quickly as possible.
Quick-growing plants can help prevent further soil loss while helping to
replenish lost nutrients by fixing nitrogen in the soil.
These "cover crops" such as legumes, wheat, oat and barley can act as
sort of a natural shield, slowing evaporation and retaining moisture
while reducing temperature at ground level.
- -
*Low-tech solutions and inspiration from ancient civilizations*
In rural areas of Tanzania and Kenya, village communities are using a
low-tech method to fight desertification.
Their technique involves digging semicircular depressions, known as
"bunds," into the ground which collect water when it rains, preventing
it from evaporating quickly from the scorched soil. Grass seeds are then
sown into these bunds which, as they germinate, limit soil erosion and
lower the ground temperature.
A growing, global community of conservationists are looking to the past
for solutions by restoring terraces among neglected farmlands. Terraces
date back to the Bronze Age and can be found in sites such as Machu
Picchu in Peru. Their successive sloped planes — resembling steps cut
into the earth — limit soil erosion by preventing runoff. This form of
agriculture, which failed to compete large-scale cultivation during the
20th century, is now making a comeback in places like Italy and Japan.
While a range of options exist for helping to ensure soil productivity,
the variety of ecosystems, soil composition and range of conditions
means there's no panacea for optimal soil health. Particularly in the
face of climate change.
That said, one of the best strategies for ensuring soil can deal with
weather extremes is to aim for minimum disturbance, said UK expert
Deeks. Organisms in the earth help create pathways that glue earth
together while opening pore spaces for water and air, key for ensuring
it can absorb rain. "The less we do to the soil, the better," she said. ..
https://www.dw.com/en/heavy-rain-not-necessarily-a-blessing-for-farmers/a-62926665
/[ My folks lived in that area - decades ago, it was a cultural churn,
everyone had weapons, in their homes or in their cars. Climate chaos
contributes to the civil destabilization of communities -- power
stations are big targets ]/
*Shootings At Power Substation Cause North Carolina Outages*
Two power substations in Moore County were damaged by gunfire in what is
being investigated as a criminal act.
Hannah Schoenbaum
Dec 4, 2022,
Two power substations in a North Carolina county were damaged by gunfire
in what is being investigated as a criminal act, causing damage that
could take days to repair and leaving tens of thousands of people
without electricity, authorities said...
- -
“An attack like this on critical infrastructure is a serious,
intentional crime and I expect state and federal authorities to
thoroughly investigate and bring those responsible to justice,” Gov. Roy
Cooper wrote on Twitter...
- -
“Their home, like many rural homes, relies on a well for water for
fresh, clean water, and it’s powered by electricity,” Wilkins said. “So
when the power went out, the well stopped working, and when the well
stops working, we slowly lose pressure until we lose water altogether.
People are going to really feel the pinch from this as it goes on.”
Wilkins described Southern Pines as a “tight-knit” and “vibrant”
community of military families, farmers and small businesses owners who
have been doing all they can to support one another during the power
outages. His family’s neighbors, he said, are storing refrigerated
medicines for a local pharmacy that lost power.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/moore-county-power-outage-vandalism_n_638d2843e4b07530543b3d34
- -
CARTHAGE, N.C. (AP) — Two power substations in a North Carolina county
were damaged by gunfire in what is being investigated as a criminal act,
causing damage that could take days to repair and leaving tens of
thousands of people without electricity, authorities said Sunday.
In response to ongoing outages, which began just after 7 p.m. Saturday
across Moore County, officials announced a state of emergency that
included a curfew from 9 p.m. Sunday to 5 a.m. Monday. Also, county
schools will be closed Monday...
The sheriff noted that the FBI was working with state investigators to
determine who was responsible. He also said “it was targeted.”
https://apnews.com/article/vandalism-north-carolina-power-outages-47614e4786ca0fb000be779d27f3995a
- -
*State of Emergency declared in Moore County after power substations hit
with gunfire*
WRAL
301,269 views Dec 4, 2022
A State of Emergency is in effect in Moore County after a massive power
outage caused by damage to substations by firearms. .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWGf1yQMiVE
/[ misinformation and disinformation battlegrounds ]/
*Manipulating our emotions | DW Documentary*
DW Documentary
4.45M subscribers
224,817 views Sep 29, 2022
Advertising agencies, politicians and social networks rely on emotions
as a means of manipulation. They use our feelings to try to influence
our decisions.
Can we be manipulated without even noticing it? Can our attention and
thoughts be directed from outside? Increasingly, it appears that there
are mechanisms for playing on emotions to sway our minds - right at the
point of decision-making. In fact, this technique has now become a
subgenre of psychology.
Some of these recent findings are also being applied in what’s known as
"neuromarketing”. Test customers make their purchases while their brain
waves are measured and recorded. The method provides information about
buying behavior and suggests possibilities for boosting purchases
through advertising and presentation.
Indeed, the technical possibilities for manipulation are constantly
growing. Neuroscientific methods present many new possibilities, as well
as new dangers. Indeed, even more extreme work is being done when it
comes to the marketing of films and commercials. Here, market
researchers are working with neurologists to test the effectiveness of a
commercial in real time.
Political actors have also begun to influence public opinion in this
way. China is a pioneer of these sometimes questionable methods. There,
social control has long been part of the state mandate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4SIlJE0Qs0
- -
/[ time to search more for the topic of "//neuromarketing" //]/
/[ enjoyably humors video made two plus year ago ]/
*Climate Change Is An Absolute Nightmare - This Is Why*
UpIsNotJump
2,452,829 views Jul 9, 2020
So. What is Climate Change? Do you know the facts? No?
Well I personally had no idea. One day it just hit me, I knew very
little about climate change. Even with a useless degree in chemistry,
climate change is a confusing mess of strange and difficult to
understand information.
I made this video to gather all the facts I could find about climate
change, in a fun way, and without any bias on my part. I wanted anyone
who watched this video (and myself too!) to understand all the important
facts relating to climate change. Non-scientists welcome.
Science is exciting! It’s just school and most of our education systems
aren’t…
In a few months this video will be uploaded as to remove any language or
scenes not suitable for schools, so it can be used to teach about
climate change in school
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqwvf6R1_QY
/[ repeating an important video interview]/
*Information Pollution | Dahr Jamail*
536 views Nov 30, 2022
Dahr Jamail is an award-winning journalist and author, who was one of
the few independent journalists to report extensively from the ground
during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Dahr later became a climate reporter,
tracking climate disruption around the world and collating his knowledge
in the wonderful book, The End of Ice.
Dahr joined me to discuss what’s going wrong with journalism and how to
create a journalism which can respond to the climate crisis. We discuss
information pollution in the mainstream media, the fallacy of
objectivity, the corruption of profit-maximizing goals, self-selecting
biases, and how the abject failures of the mainstream media have
disempowered, disengaged and confused populaces around the world—making
them ripe for manipulation by populists.
🔴 Discover Dahr's work: https://www.dahrjamail.net/
🌎 Support Planet: Critical: https://www.patreon.com/planetcritical
🌎 Website: https://www.planetcritical.com/
🌎 Twitter: https://twitter.com/DeBeaudoir
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsdaTOBq0lw
/[The news archive - looking back "Grandfather, is it too late?" yes and
no. ]/
/*December 6, 2005*/
December 6, 2005: At the American Geophysical Union meeting in
California, James Hansen delivers a speech entitled: "Is There Still
Time to Avoid ‘Dangerous Anthropogenic Interference’ with Global Climate?"
http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/2005/Keeling_20051206.pdf
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