[✔️] January 6, 2022 - Daily Global Warming News Digest

Thu Jan 6 10:29:57 EST 2022

/*January 6, 2022*/

/[  Yale Climate Connections ] /
*Why students pushed Harvard to halt fossil fuel investments*
‘If your house is on fire, why would you stand with the arsonists?’
YCC TEAM - JAN 4, 2022
In September, Harvard University announced that it will no longer invest 
in fossil fuels.

“I think we do have to chalk up this win to a huge win for activism,” 
says John Verghese, a master of public policy student at the Harvard 
Kennedy School. “And I’ve been so inspired by the undergrads that are 
leading this movement.”

Verghese is part of a student-led activist group that for 10 years has 
been pushing the university to divest its endowment from the fossil fuel 
industry.

Student activists have led demonstrations on campus, including sit-ins, 
marches, and speeches. On one parents weekend, they even poured molasses 
on each other to simulate an oil spill.

And in 2021, students filed a complaint with the attorney general of 
Massachusetts. They argued that Harvard’s investment in fossil fuels 
violates the university’s legal responsibilities.

Verghese says institutions must stop investing money in the companies 
driving global warming: “On a moral level, you know, if your house is on 
fire, why would you stand with the arsonists?”

With an endowment valued at more than $50 billion, Harvard is the 
richest university in the world, and its financial decisions carry 
enormous influence.

So even though Verghese is frustrated by how long it took to get to this 
step,“I don’t think that we can understate the importance of this 
victory,” he says.
https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2022/01/why-students-pushed-harvard-to-halt-fossil-fuel-investments/

/[   actually more thunderstorms  ] /
*There Was Way Too Much Lightning in the Arctic Last Year*
More electric skies at the top of the world are yet another indicator of 
just how weird things are getting.
Brian Kahn - Jan 5, 2022
The trend was particularly acute in 2021, which saw 91% more lightning 
in the far northern Arctic than in the previous nine years combined.

The shocking findings come courtesy of Vaisala, a meteorology firm with 
the best lightning detection network on Earth, which released its annual 
lightning report earlier this week. The whole report is honestly 
fascinating because, well, it’s about lightning. But the Arctic findings 
are a sobering reminder of the radical changes happening in the region.

Lightning—or more specifically, the storms that can spawn it—requires 
warm, moist air and atmospheric instability. That’s usually in short 
supply in a region dominated by ice and snow. Or, more accurately, 
formerly dominated by ice and snow. Rising temperatures have helped 
usher in a new Arctic. Sea ice is disappearing, opening up the tap for 
more lightning-causing storms...
- -
But something weird is happening above 80 degrees North.

There, Vaisala’s network has detected a radical uptick in lightning 
activity. The region saw 7,278 lightning detections in 2021. That’s a 
relatively small number, especially compared to much lower 
latitudes—Texas alone, for example, saw nearly 42 million bolts of 
lightning in 2021—but it’s a sharp rise compared to the previous decade 
and easily set a record. Most of that activity happened over a three-day 
period in late July and early August.
https://gizmodo.com/there-was-way-too-much-lightning-in-the-arctic-last-yea-1848306468
- -

/[   and one more state record. ]/
//*Texas hasn’t had a December this warm since 1889*
What caused the record-setting temperatures, and how they could 
influence weather patterns this year.
Last month will go on record as the warmest December since 1889, and 
quite possibly the warmest winter month in Texas ever.
https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/texas-hasnt-had-a-december-this-warm-since-1889/

/[ "Don't Look Up" movie moves climate myths ]/
*‘Don’t Look Up’: Hollywood’s primer on climate denial illustrates 5 
myths that fuel rejection of science*
January 5, 2022
*Myth #1: We can’t act unless the science is 100% certain...*
When politicians take a “let’s wait and see” attitude toward climate 
change (or “sit tight and assess,” as the movie puts it), suggesting 
they need more evidence before taking any action, it’s often a form of 
science denial...
*Myth #2: Disturbing realities as described by scientists are too 
difficult for the public to accept...*
Anxiety is a growing and understandable psychological response to 
climate change. Research shows there are strategies people can use to 
effectively cope with climate anxiety, such as becoming better informed 
and talking about the problem with others. This gives individuals a way 
to manage anxiety while at the same time taking actions to lower the 
risks...
*Myth #3: Technology will save us, so we don’t have to act...*
For example, belief that a single technological solution, such as carbon 
capture, will fix the climate crisis without the need for change in 
policies, lifestyles and practices may be more grounded in hope than 
reality. Technology can help reduce our impact on the climate; however, 
research suggests advances are unlikely to come quickly enough.

Hoping for such solutions diverts attention from significant changes 
needed in the way we work, live and play, and is a form of science 
denial....
*Myth #4: The economy is more important than anything, including 
impending crises predicted by science...*
Taking action to slow climate change will be expensive, but not acting 
has extraordinary costs – in lives lost as well as property...
*Myth #5: Our actions should always align with our social identity group...*
Viruses are oblivious to political affiliation, and so is the changing 
climate. Rising global temperatures, worsening storms and sea level rise 
will affect everyone in harm’s way, regardless of the person’s social 
group...
- -
*How to combat science denial – and climate change*
A comet headed for Earth might leave little for individuals to do, but 
this is not the case with climate change. People can change their own 
practices to reduce carbon emissions and, importantly, pressure leaders 
in government, business and industry to take actions, such as reducing 
fossil fuel use, converting to cleaner energy and changing agricultural 
practices to reduce emissions.

In our book, we discuss steps that individuals, educators, science 
communicators and policymakers can take to confront the science denial 
that prevents moving forward on this looming issue. For example:

    -- Individuals can check their own motivations and beliefs about
    climate change and remain open minded to scientific evidence.

    -- Educators can teach students how to source scientific information
    and evaluate it.

    -- Science communicators can explain not just what scientists know
    but how they know it.

    -- Policymakers can make decisions based on scientific evidence.

https://theconversation.com/dont-look-up-hollywoods-primer-on-climate-denial-illustrates-5-myths-that-fuel-rejection-of-science-174266

- -

[ The book referenced above ]
*Science Denial – Why It Happens and What to Do About It *
Oxford Scholarship Online
Gale Sinatra and Barbara Hofer

    *ABSTRACT*
    How do individuals decide whether to accept human causes of climate
    change, vaccinate their children against childhood diseases, or
    practice social distancing during a pandemic? Democracies depend on
    educated citizens who can make informed decisions for the benefit of
    their health and well-being, as well as their communities, nations,
    and planet. Understanding key psychological explanations for science
    denial and doubt can help provide a means for improving scientific
    literacy and understanding—critically important at a time when
    denial has become deadly. In Science Denial: Why It Happens and What
    to Do About It, the authors identify the problem and why it matters
    and offer tools for addressing it. This book explains both the
    importance of science education and its limitations, shows how
    science communicators may inadvertently contribute to the problem,
    and explains how the internet and social media foster misinformation
    and disinformation. The authors focus on key psychological
    constructs such as reasoning biases, social identity, epistemic
    cognition, and emotions and attitudes that limit or facilitate
    public understanding of science, and describe solutions for
    individuals, educators, science communicators, and policy makers. If
    you have ever wondered why science denial exists, want to know how
    to understand your own biases and those of others, and would like to
    address the problem, this book will provide the insights you are
    seeking.

https://oxford.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.1093/oso/9780190944681.001.0001/oso-9780190944681

/[  a classic video statement of global warming conditions from 2019 ] /
*Before the Flood Full Movie National Geographic*
May 24, 2019
elvladyman
Leonardo Di Caprio documentary about climate change

Check about 2D flood simulation comparisson HEC RAS and Mike21
https://sciengsustainability.blogspot.com/2020/04/2d-flood-simulation-hec-ras-Mike21.html
Before The Flood is the product of an incredible three-year journey that 
took place with my co-creator and director Fisher Stevens. We went to 
every corner of the globe to document the devastating impacts of climate 
change and questioned humanity's ability to reverse what may be the most 
catastrophic problem mankind has ever faced. There was a lot to take in. 
All that we witnessed on this journey shows us that our world's climate 
is incredibly interconnected and that it is at urgent breaking point. 
... We wanted to create a film that gave people a sense of urgency, that 
made them understand what particular things are going to solve this 
problem. We bring up the issue of a carbon tax, for example, which I 
haven't seen in a lot of documentaries. Basically, sway a capitalist 
economy to try to invest in renewables, to bring less money and 
subsidies out of oil companies. These are the things that are really 
going to make a massive difference. ... We need to use our vote ... We 
cannot afford to have political leaders out there that do not believe in 
modern science or the scientific method or empirical truths ... We 
cannot afford to waste time having people in power that choose to 
believe in the 2 percent of the scientific community that is basically 
bought off by lobbyists and oil companies.

 From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Fisher Stevens and Academy 
Award®-winning actor, environmental activist and U.N. Messenger of Peace 
Leonardo DiCaprio, Before the Flood presents a riveting account of the 
dramatic changes now occurring around the world due to climate change, 
as well as the actions we as individuals and as a society can take to 
prevent the disruption of life on our planet. Beyond the steps we can 
take as individuals, the film urges viewers to push their elected 
officials in supporting the use of alternative energy sources such as 
solar and wind power. “We need everyone to demand bold action from their 
political leaders and to elect representatives who have their best 
interests at heart, not the interests of corporations to perpetuate a 
cycle of greed and destruction,” says DiCaprio. “This documentary shows 
how interconnected the fate of all humanity is — but also the power we 
all possess as individuals to build a better future for our
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbEnOYtsXHA

/[The news archive - looking back at a different political world ]/
*On this day in the history of global warming January 6, 2001*

January 6, 2001: In a joint session of Congress presided over by Vice 
President (and, thus, President of the Senate) Al Gore, George W. Bush 
is certified as the winner of the 2000 Presidential election.  The New 
York Times notes: "Federal law requires a member of both the House and 
the Senate to question a state's electoral votes in writing for a formal 
objection to be considered. But the House members [who objected to the 
certification] had no Senate support. So Mr. Gore, who was presiding in 
his role as Senate president, slammed down the gavel to silence them and 
rule their objections and parliamentary maneuvers out of order."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6wl_86qnsI
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/07/us/over-some-objections-congress-certifies-electoral-vote.html 

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