[✔️] May 14, 2023- Global Warming News Digest | Montana ignorance, Dr Katharine Hayhoe, more Displaced, History of Hail, Disinfo battles, Florida wrangles water, Al Gore 1989 op-ed

[Richard Pauli]

/*May*//*14, 2023*//
/

/[ Legislate deliberate ignorance  ]/
*Gianforte signs bill banning state agencies from analyzing climate 
impacts *
House Bill 971 comes as Montana courts are poised to consider how “clean 
and healthful environment” protections intersect with energy regulations.
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte has signed into law a bill that bars the 
state from considering climate impacts in its analysis of large projects 
such as coal mines and power plants.

House Bill 971 was among the most controversial energy- and 
environment-related proposals before the Legislature this session, 
drawing more than 1,000 comments, 95% of which expressed opposition to 
the measure. HB 971 bars state regulators like the Montana Department of 
Environmental Quality from including analyses of greenhouse gas 
emissions and climate impacts, both within and outside Montana’s 
borders, when conducting comprehensive reviews of large projects. It 
builds off of a decade-old law barring the state from including “actual 
or potential impacts that are regional, national, or global in nature” 
in environmental reviews. ..
- -
Gianforte signed HB 971 into law May 10 over opposition from climate and 
environmental groups that had argued that the measure hinders the 
state’s ability to respond to the crisis of our time: the 
atmosphere-warming emissions of greenhouse gases that are shrinking the 
state’s snowpack, reducing summer and fall streamflows, and contributing 
to catastrophic flooding and longer, more intense wildfire seasons. 
Opponents had also argued that the majority of Montanans believe in 
human-caused climate change and want meaningful climate action.

Results from a 2022 “Conservation in the West” poll of 416 registered 
voters in Montana bear this out. Three-fifths of those polled said there 
is enough evidence of climate change to support action and called for a 
transition to renewable energy.

Anne Hedges with the Montana Environmental Information Center said the 
Legislature is “hiding its head in the sand” by passing bills like HB 
971, and she anticipates it will be the subject of a constitutional 
lawsuit...
- -
“Climate change is real, it matters, the climate is part of our 
environment, and we cannot ignore the changes that are occurring,” 
Hedges said. “Ignoring it doesn’t make it better. It will only make 
things worse and make it more difficult and expensive to deal with later.”

“Our families are already suffering from an increase in the number of 
sweltering summer days, longer wildfire and smoke seasons, and historic 
drought,” Winona Bateman, executive director of Families for a Livable 
Climate, wrote in an email to Montana Free Press. “I am not sure how 
Gov. Gianforte imagines we will do our part to address these growing 
impacts, or pay for them, if we’re not working to eliminate the root 
cause. Why would we wait for federal regulations to be part of the 
solution?”

Proponents of the measure, including its sponsor, Rep. Josh Kassmier, 
R-Fort Benton, argued that by pushing back on a recent ruling revoking a 
NorthWestern Energy gas plant permit, HB 971 underscores that it’s 
lawmakers, not judges, who set policy. Other proponents, including the 
Treasure State Resources Association and the Montana Petroleum 
Association, asserted that HB 971 protects state agencies from an 
“unworkable” mandate to measure greenhouse gas emissions and that any 
such regulation properly belongs under federal regulatory frameworks 
such as the Clean Air Act.

Gianforte spokesperson Kaitlin Price echoed this assessment in a 
statement to Montana Free Press.

“House Bill 971 re-established the longstanding, bipartisan policy that 
analysis conducted pursuant to the Montana Environmental Policy Act does 
not include analysis of greenhouse gas emissions,” Price said. “The bill 
would allow evaluation of GHGs if it is required under federal law or if 
Congress amends the Clean Air Act to include carbon dioxide as a 
regulated pollutant.”

During a committee hearing on the bill last month, Sen. Jen Gross, 
D-Billings, asked Kassmier if he believes humans cause climate change...
- -
“I’m not a scientist, so I’m not going to answer that,” he replied.

For his part, Gianforte told Montana Free Press in a 2021 interview that 
he does believe in human-caused climate change. He said “American 
ingenuity” can help mitigate it and argued for the government to remove 
friction in the marketplace..

The bill also comes as a Helena judge is weighing a case brought by 16 
youth plaintiffs asking the judicial branch to require the state to 
measure and regulate greenhouse gas emissions. That lawsuit, Held vs. 
Montana, is set for a 10-day hearing that will start June 12.

It also comes as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers a 
rule that would expand regulations dealing with power plants’ emissions 
of greenhouse gasses. If passed, the rule would require power plants 
like the coal-fired plant in Colstrip to capture 90% of its carbon 
emissions by 2038.
AMANDA EGGERTENVIRONMENTAL REPORTER aeggert at montanafreepress.org
https://montanafreepress.org/2023/05/12/gianforte-signs-climate-change-analysis-ban-into-law/



/[ Spotify recording -- Climate Change as threat multiplier -- affecting 
everything...top factor is political ideology/
/https://open.spotify.com/episode/62OPrTTip59R6o778gneCd?si=iuoUojCXQGiFM0TePG_IHw&nd=1 
] /
*Dr Katharine Hayhoe - Effecting Change Through Authentic Conversation *
Feb 28th
Dr. Katharine Hayhoe is a world-renowned climate scientist, professor, 
and Chief Scientist for The Nature Conservancy, where she leads and 
coordinates the organization's scientific efforts. She is also the 
author of "Saving Us: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope and Healing in 
a Divided World," an excellent book you've likely heard me reference on 
the podcast. Whether you are interested in learning more about the 
facts, data, or projections regarding climate change, or if you are 
seeking guidance on how best to approach challenging conversations about 
climate, I highly recommend "Saving Us." It's an optimistic, 
solutions-oriented guidebook for finding common ground and having 
productive conversations.
-
Katharine was born and raised in Canada and has been obsessed with 
science, the natural world, and the universe for as long as she can 
remember. Her undergraduate studies focused on physics and astronomy, 
but as she was finishing up her degree, she happened to take a climate 
science course, which captured her imagination and changed the focus of 
her education and career. Today, Katharine is a distinguished professor 
at Texas Tech, a highly respected researcher, and a sought-after speaker 
with a TED Talk that's been viewed more than 4 million times. And to top 
it all off, in 2021, she joined The Nature Conservancy as its Chief 
Scientist.
-
Katharine and I met up in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where she was the 
keynote speaker at a community event focused on climate and climate 
change in the Yampa Valley and beyond. Katharine and I chatted for an 
hour before her event, and we managed to cover a lot of ground. We 
discussed her book "Saving Us," her TED talk, and a concept known as 
"The Six Americas of Global Warming." We discuss how and why her 
Christian faith plays such an important role in her work to solve 
climate change, and she offers some common-sense, optimistic approaches 
to having challenging conversations with smart people who do not think 
that climate change is a threat. She also talks about her role at The 
Nature Conservancy, specific climate opportunities and challenges facing 
the American West, and she offers a ton of excellent book recommendations.
-
Thank you to Dr. Hayhoe for taking the time out of her busy schedule to 
chat with me, and thank you for listening. Hope you enjoy.
---
Dr. Katharine Hayhoe
"Saving Us: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided 
World"
Full episode notes and links: 
https://mountainandprairie.com/katharine-hayhoe/
--- This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado 
chapter of The Nature Conservancy. Guided by science and grounded by 
decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a 
long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world 
where nature and people thrive. On the fourth Tuesday of every month 
throughout 2023, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations 
with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy’s leaders, partners, 
collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation 
challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West. To 
learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in Colorado and 
around the world, visit www.nature.org/colorado --- TOPICS DISCUSSED:

    3:30 - Why Dr. Hayhoe wrote "Saving Us"
    5:45 - Regarding Dr. Hayhoe’s TED Talk
    8:15 - Discussing The Six Americas of Global Warming
    12:00 - The relationship between Dr. Hayhoe’s faith and climate work
    17:45 - When religion and climate change dismissal historically
    became tied together
    21:30 - Discussing the balance between fear and guilt as motivating
    and stagnating forces
    28:00 - What surprised Dr. Hayhoe in writing the book
    33:45 - Role playing how to interact with intelligent people who
    doubt climate science
    37:30 - Applying lessons learned from COVID-19 to climate change
    41:30 - Dr. Hayhoe’s time as 9-year-old abroad in Columbia and how
    it influenced her thinking and career
    46:15 - Why Dr. Hayhoe decided to work with The Nature Conservancy,
    and the impacts she hopes to make
    50:15 - The stats Dr. Hayhoe would want to see to feel she has had
    an impact in five years
    54:45 - The challenges and opportunities facing the arid West amidst
    climate change
    57:00 - Dr. Hayhoe’s reading habits and some books she has loved

https://open.spotify.com/episode/62OPrTTip59R6o778gneCd?si=iuoUojCXQGiFM0TePG_IHw&nd=1



[ 700,000 in weeks ]
*Disasters, war internally displaced 71 million people in 2022 | WION 
Climate Tracker | Latest*
WION
May 12, 2023  #WION #displacedpeople #wartorn
A record 71 million people were internally displaced last year by what 
is being called 'a perfect storm' of war and natural disasters.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okguIVfBSxw




/[ A little history of one type of harsh weather - 15 min.]/
*Hail Storms and History*
The History Guy: History Deserves to Be Remembered
May 8, 2023  #thehistoryguy #history #Hail
The Treaty of Brétigny would not, as hoped, put an end to the conflict 
that would come to be called the hundred years war, but it did represent 
a significant change in the conflict.  What is perhaps most interesting, 
however, is that the treaty did not result from a military victory by 
one side or the other. Rather, three weeks earlier, the course of 
European history had been changed by a hail storm.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4l8oJYmB6BI



/[ Disinformation battleground  - PHYS.ORG ]/
*Meteorologists targeted in climate misinfo surge*/
/MAY 13, 2023
Once trusted faces on the news, meteorologists now brave threats, 
insults and slander online from conspiracy theorists and climate change 
deniers who accuse them of faking or even fixing the weather.
Users on Twitter and other social media falsely accused Spain's weather 
agency of engineering a drought, Australia's of doctoring its 
thermometers and France's of exaggerating global warming through 
misplaced weather stations.

"The coronavirus is no longer a trend. Conspiracy theorists and deniers 
who used to talk about that are now spreading disinformation about 
climate change," Alexandre Lopez-Borrull, lecturer in Information and 
Communication Sciences at the Open University of Catalonia, told AFP.

"These scientific bodies are seen as part of the establishment, so 
anything they say may get disputed on social networks.

"They are providing evidence against what the climate deniers claim, so 
the latter try to discredit them."

Meteorologists threatened
In a harsh drought and with local elections looming, Spain's State 
Meteorological Agency (AEMET) spoke out after its members were 
threatened in Twitter messages, phone calls and emails.

"Murderers", "Criminals", "You'll pay for this", "We're watching you", 
the messages shouted.

They came from people who believe the widely debunked theory that 
airplane condensation trails are really "chemtrails" sprayed by the 
authorities to poison people or create weather disasters.

Some referred to the "2030 agenda", a debunked theory that global elites 
are plotting to subjugate people through COVID and climate policies.

"Do you want us to publish your contact details and those of your 
family?" read one Tweet aimed at an AEMET employee.

"Crooks! You are destroying nature on the orders of the damned 2030 
agenda," said another.

"We have seen an increase in insulting messages as a result of a thread 
we published about condensation trails" on April 10, AEMET spokesperson 
Estrella Gutierrez-Marco told AFP.

"What makes no sense is that they are insulting an institution that is 
constantly watching out for their interests, whose aim is... to 
contribute to people's safety."

Lopez-Borrull noted a "significant increase" in climate change denial –- 
particularly among far-right supporters who see it as a leftist cause 
and oppose reforms aimed at curbing its impacts.

Bushfires intensified by a heatwave ravaged parts of Australia in 
December 2019.
"People distrust politicians, judges and the media, and the cost of 
living is rising," he said.

"In this context people feel alienated and end up listening to people 
they never listened to before, with messages appealing directly to the 
emotions."
https://phys.org/news/2023-05-meteorologists-climate-misinfo-surge.html


/
/

/[ Florida as giant battlefield where water seeks it own level, and 
ignores human intentions ]/
*Climate Change Forces a Rethinking of Mammoth Everglades Restoration Plan*
Even as the $21 billion effort unfolds, officials realize that its water 
infrastructure cannot contend with rising seas, violent storms and 
Florida’s non-stop influx of residents.
By Amy Green
May 9, 2023
- -
The scientists said the government agencies had made little progress 
when it came to incorporating future precipitation and temperature 
scenarios in planning their projects and that new, climate-based 
approaches were urgently needed.

“Inadequate consideration of water availability under future conditions 
and potential variations in the rate of sea-level rise could cause a 
project to move forward that is not viable under future climate change,” 
the scientists wrote.

The scientists noted that Everglades restoration had reached a “pivot 
point,” with recent record funding pushing several projects toward 
completion and a few more about to begin. Already the parched river of 
grass is responding to the work, with healthier water flows and shifts 
in vegetation throughout the central and western watershed...
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/09052023/climate-change-florida-everglades-restoration-plan/



/[The news archive - looking back at a time when we were smarter than we 
are now...]/
/*May 14, 1989 */
May 14, 1989: In a Washington Post op-ed, Sen. Al Gore (D-TN) notes:

    "As a nation and a government, we must see that America's future is
    inextricably tied to the fate of the globe. In effect, the
    environment is becoming a matter of national security -- an issue
    that directly and imminently menaces the interests of the state or
    the welfare of the people.

    "To date, the national-security agenda has been dominated by issues
    of military security, embedded in the context of global struggle
    between the United States and the Soviet Union -- a struggle often
    waged through distant surrogates, but which has always harbored the
    risk of direct confrontation and nuclear war. Given the recent
    changes in Soviet behavior, there is growing optimism that this
    long, dark period may be passing. This may in turn open the
    international agenda for other urgent matters and for the release of
    enormous resources, now committed to war, toward other objectives.
    Many of us hope that the global environment will be the new dominant
    concern...

    "When nations perceive that they are threatened at the strategic
    level, they may be induced to think of drastic responses, involving
    sharp discontinuities from everyday approaches to policy. In
    military terms, this is the point when the United States begins to
    think of invoking nuclear weapons. The global environment crisis may
    demand responses that are comparatively radical.

    "At present, despite some progress made toward limiting some sources
    of the problem, such as CFCs, we have barely scratched the surface.
    Even if all other elements of the problem are solved, a major threat
    is still posed by emissions of carbon dioxide, the exhaling breath
    of the industrial culture upon which our civilization rests. The
    implications of the latest and best studies on this matter are
    staggering. Essentially, they tell us that with our current pattern
    of technology and production, we face a choice between economic
    growth in the near term and massive environmental disorder as the
    subsequent penalty."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/12/AR2007101200827_pf.html


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