[✔️] November 4, 2023- Global Warming News Digest | Scientist's update, In the Pipeline, Michigan mandate, Hansen tells Congress, Republicans try, Warfare footprint, Earth stories videos, COP29; Trouble in the labs,, 1988 Wishy-washy

[Richard Pauli]

/*November 4*//*, 2023*/

/[ video summary - very current ]/
*An Intimate Conversation with Leading Climate Scientists To Discuss New 
Research on Global Warming*
SDSN
  Nov 2, 2023
On behalf of renowned climate scientist, Dr. James Hansen, we are 
pleased to share this virtual event entitled “An Intimate Conversation 
with Leading Climate Scientists To Discuss Ground-breaking New Research 
on Global Warming”.

Ahead of the upcoming COP28, renowned climate scientist, Dr. James 
Hansen, and his co-authors present the novel findings of his new paper 
“Global Warming in the Pipeline.”
Read the paper: 
https://academic.oup.com/oocc/article/3/1/kgad008/7335889?login=false

The event was moderated by Professor Jeffrey Sachs and features 
interventions by the following individuals:

- Dr. James Hansen, Lead Author and Director, Climate Science, 
Awareness, and Solutions, Columbia University Earth Institute
- Leon Simons, The Club of Rome Netherlands, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, The 
Netherlands
- Dr. Norman G. Loeb, CERES Principal Investigator, NASA
- Dr. George Tselioudis, Author and Research Physical Scientist, NASA 
Goddard Institute for Space Studies
- Dr. Pushker Kharecha, Author and Associate Research Scientist, 
Director, Climate Science, Awareness, and Solutions, Columbia Climate School
---
About the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN):

The UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) was set up in 
2012 under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General. SDSN mobilizes 
global scientific and technological expertise to promote practical 
solutions for sustainable development, including the implementation of 
the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate 
Agreement. SDSN works closely with United Nations agencies, multilateral 
financing institutions, the private sector, and civil society.

Connect with us:
unsdsn.org
twitter.com/UNSDSN
facebook.com/UNSDSN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXDWpBlPCY8

- -

[ Oxford Open Climate Change ]
*Global warming in the pipeline *
James E Hansen, Makiko Sato, Leon Simons, Larissa S Nazarenko, Isabelle 
Sangha, Pushker Kharecha, James C Zachos, Karina von Schuckmann, Norman 
G Loeb, Matthew B Osman ...
Oxford Open Climate Change, Volume 3, Issue 1, 2023, kgad008, 
https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfclm/kgad008
Published: 02 November 2023

    *Abstract*
    Improved knowledge of glacial-to-interglacial global temperature
    change yields Charney (fast-feedback) equilibrium climate
    sensitivity 1.2 ± 0.3°C (2σ) per W/m2, which is 4.8°C ± 1.2°C for
    doubled CO2. Consistent analysis of temperature over the full
    Cenozoic era—including ‘slow’ feedbacks by ice sheets and trace
    gases—supports this sensitivity and implies that CO2 was 300–350 ppm
    in the Pliocene and about 450 ppm at transition to a nearly ice-free
    planet, exposing unrealistic lethargy of ice sheet models.
    Equilibrium global warming for today’s GHG amount is 10°C, which is
    reduced to 8°C by today’s human-made aerosols. Equilibrium warming
    is not ‘committed’ warming; rapid phaseout of GHG emissions would
    prevent most equilibrium warming from occurring. However, decline of
    aerosol emissions since 2010 should increase the 1970–2010 global
    warming rate of 0.18°C per decade to a post-2010 rate of at least
    0.27°C per decade. Thus, under the present geopolitical approach to
    GHG emissions, global warming will exceed 1.5°C in the 2020s and 2°C
    before 2050. Impacts on people and nature will accelerate as global
    warming increases hydrologic (weather) extremes. The enormity of
    consequences demands a return to Holocene-level global temperature.
    Required actions include: (1) a global increasing price on GHG
    emissions accompanied by development of abundant, affordable,
    dispatchable clean energy, (2) East-West cooperation in a way that
    accommodates developing world needs, and (3) intervention with
    Earth’s radiation imbalance to phase down today’s massive human-made
    ‘geo-transformation’ of Earth’s climate. Current political crises
    present an opportunity for reset, especially if young people can
    grasp their situation.

https://academic.oup.com/oocc/article/3/1/kgad008/7335889?login=false



[ One state takes a leap forward ]
*Michigan House passes climate change reform, mandating clean energy by 
2040*
November 3, 2023
Kelly House
- The House has approved sweeping energy reforms designed to push 
utilities toward renewable energy
- The centerpiece is a requirement for utilities to get 100 percent of 
their energy from state-approved clean sources by 2040
- The Senate, which approved earlier versions of the package, must 
revisit several bills before they head to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
LANSING — The Michigan House early Friday morning approved a suite of 
reforms to address climate change that would fundamentally change how 
the state gets its energy and require utilities to draw all their power 
from clean sources by 2040.

Working late into the night, the measures were approved along party 
lines, with pleas from Democrats that changes are long overdue and 
opposition from Republicans who argue the timeline will hurt reliability 
and increase rates.

“It's time that Michigan does its part to address climate change,” said 
Rep. Jenn Hill, D-Marquette, who called climate change “an immediate 
threat to the wellbeing and economic prosperity of our state.”

Republicans contend the transition mandated by Senate Bill 271 is too 
abrupt and swapping fossil fuels too quickly for alternatives like wind 
and solar energy will lead to trouble.

“For this legislation to make sense, not only would the technology have 
to improve, but Michigan would also have to become a windy, sunny 
place,” said Rep. Andrew Fink, R-Hillsdale.

The package also includes legislation that would shift permitting 
control over large wind and solar arrays from local governments to the 
state. Those bills passed the House overnight and will head to the 
Senate for consideration.

The reforms are the most significant since a 2016 state energy overhaul, 
and they moved through the House in only a week as Democrats rush to 
pass legislation while they still maintain a two-seat majority. Two 
Democrats, Kevin Coleman and Lori Stone are running for mayor in 
Westland and Warren, respectively, on Tuesday. If either wins, the House 
is likely to recess for the year.

The Senate, which approved earlier versions of the package, must revisit 
several bills amended by the House before they head to Gov. Gretchen 
Whitmer. In 2020, the governor set a goal for Michigan to become carbon 
neutral by midcentury and has repeatedly called for legislation to 
support that goal. She is expected to sign the climate bills if they 
reach her desk.

The bills faced criticism from some environmental groups who accused 
Democratic sponsors of kowtowing to lobbyists by changing the deadline 
from 2035, allowing utilities to seek extensions and defining things 
like landfill gas and incinerated waste as renewable energy.

“We wanted to ensure that there were sufficient points of contact 
between (state regulators) and the utility,” Sen. Sam Singh, D-East 
Lansing and a sponsor of the package, said Wednesday. “That if there 
were concerns about meeting some of these goals ... there were off ramps.”

Under the new language, regulated utilities would have until 2027 to get 
15 percent of their energy from renewable sources — a term that includes 
energy derived from manure and landfill methane, with a narrow carve-out 
for some incinerated waste.

The requirement would gradually increase to 60 percent by 2035.

*Starting in 2035, electricity providers would have to get 80 percent of 
their energy from sources the bill deems to be clean, including 
renewables, nuclear and natural gas with carbon capture. Utilities would 
need to reach 100 percent clean energy by 2040.*

If they struggle to meet those deadlines, the Michigan Public Service 
Commission could grant “good cause” exemptions of up to two years apiece.

Many Democrats and environmental groups lauded the bills.

“Passing this legislation solidifies Michigan as a national clean energy 
leader and is a crucial first step toward cleaner air, cleaner water and 
more affordable electricity bills for Michiganders,” said Derrell 
Slaughter, a state clean energy advocate with the Natural Resources 
Defense Council.

Nick Occhipinti, government affairs director for the Michigan League of 
Conservation Voters, echoed the sentiment.

“After a summer of smoke-reddened skies choking the air, waves of 
outages and news of climate-driven tragedies from all over the country 
and our world, the time to act has never been more clear or more 
urgent,” he said.

The bills were revised during weeks of closed-door negotiations this 
fall, before new versions were publicly released and voted out of both 
chambers within about a week.

Environmental justice groups argued the new 2040 deadline is not fast 
enough, and panned waste incineration and carbon capture as “loopholes” 
that allow utilities to continue burning fossil fuels.

Ahmina Maxey, executive director of the Michigan Environmental Justice 
Coalition, called that “a betrayal of Black, Brown, Indigenous and 
frontline communities throughout Michigan who for generations have 
contended with the worst effects of climate change and pollution.”

Republicans, meanwhile, said they’re skeptical of Democratic vows that 
the legislation will not raise energy rates or make Michigan vulnerable 
to outages during cloudy, still days when solar panels and wind turbines 
don’t generate much power. During a committee hearing Wednesday, they 
attempted to add a host of amendments, including several that would 
suspend the legislation if rates increase too much. None passed.

Rep. Pauline Wendzel, R-Bainbridge Township, called the energy package a 
“brown-out bundle.”

Michigan’s two largest utilities, Consumers Energy and DTE Energy, are 
neutral on the clean-energy mandate. Both had already committed to 
carbon neutrality by mid-century — 2040 in Consumers’ case and 2050 in 
DTE’s case.
https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-environment-watch/michigan-house-passes-climate-change-reform-mandating-clean-energy-2040



/[ headline in NYTimes - blame Congress ]/
*35 Years After Addressing Congress, James Hansen Still Has Climate 
Warnings*
The former NASA scientist James Hansen says in a new paper that global 
temperatures will pass a major milestone this decade, faster than other 
estimates predict.
By Delger Erdenesanaa
Nov. 2, 2023
Global warming may be happening more quickly than previously thought, 
according to a new study by a group of researchers including former NASA 
scientist James Hansen, whose testimony before Congress 35 years ago 
helped raise broad awareness of climate change.

The study warns that the planet could exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius, or 2.7 
degrees Fahrenheit, of warming this decade, compared with the average 
temperature in preindustrial days, and that the world will warm by 2 
degrees Celsius by 2050. When countries signed the landmark Paris 
Agreement in 2015 to collectively fight climate change, they agreed to 
try and limit global warming to “well below” 2 degrees Celsius and aim 
for 1.5 degrees.

“The 1.5 degree limit is deader than a doornail,” said Dr. Hansen, now 
the director of the Climate Science, Awareness and Solutions Program at 
Columbia University, during a news conference on Thursday. The 2 degrees 
goal could still be met, he said, but only with concerted action to stop 
using fossil fuels and at a pace far quicker than current plans.

The world has warmed by about 1.2 degrees Celsius so far and is already 
experiencing worsening heat waves, wildfires, storms, biodiversity loss 
and other consequences of climate change. Past the Paris Agreement 
temperature goals, which reflect the results of international diplomacy 
rather than exact scientific benchmarks, the effects will get 
significantly worse and veer into territory with greater extremes and 
unknowns...
- -
Despite these disagreements, the very real, physical deadlines of 1.5 
and 2 degrees Celsius are looming close enough on the horizon that, to a 
certain extent, exactly how sensitive the Earth’s climate is to future 
greenhouse gas emissions doesn’t matter. Most experts agree that while 
the 1.5 degree goal has already been missed, 2 degrees is still 
salvageable — but not without much more action than countries are 
currently taking.

“We’re also going to pass 2 degrees. That’s clear, unless we take action 
to reduce the energy imbalance,” Dr. Hansen said. “The first thing we 
must do is reduce emissions as fast as possible.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/02/climate/james-hansen-global-warming-report.html



[ a chance for Republicans to act on climate ]
*Senate Republicans introduce a climate bill — aimed at China*
The legislation aims to protect U.S. companies from cheap imports from 
countries that lack robust greenhouse gas regulations.
By JOSH SIEGEL
11/02/2023

A trio of Republicans led by Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy is introducing 
legislation Thursday that would impose a fee on products imported from 
high greenhouse gas-emitting countries, a move aimed at protecting U.S. 
manufacturers from competition from China and other countries with lax 
environmental standards.

The bill, shared exclusively with POLITICO, represents the first GOP-led 
proposal to inject climate change policy into U.S. trade rules through 
so-called carbon adjustment fees. It’s a strategy that’s gained in 
popularity as industrialized nations that are imposing ever-stricter 
climate regulations at home seek to ensure they don’t drive domestic 
manufacturing to countries that have weaker rules over emissions of the 
pollution that’s warming the planet.
/- - [ Uh oh --  this tepid bill has more loopholes ]/
The fee rate on imports under the proposed legislation is set to ensure 
the imports of a given product are initially, on average, no more than 
50 percent more pollution-intense than the U.S. But that intensity 
difference ramps down to 25 percent and then 10 percent over time. 
Products from any country deemed to be within 10 percent of U.S. 
pollution intensity won’t be penalized.

The bill also provides for exemptions from paying a fee, for example, 
for products considered to be within 50 percent of U.S. pollution 
intensity that are produced in countries that have ratified free trade 
agreements with the U.S., along with allowing for national security 
waivers requiring the sourcing of a product from a specific country.

Cassidy contends his effort is consistent with the approach of President 
Joe Biden, who has carried over some of Trump’s trade policies and is 
working with the European Union to finalize a first-of-its-kind 
initiative to promote trading of low-carbon steel and aluminum to reduce 
reliance on China.

His bill aims to encourage developing countries like India and Vietnam 
to establish “international partnerships” with the U.S. in which they 
impose a similar climate and trade policy in exchange for preferential 
market access for their products to the U.S.

“There is a possibility here for a big bargain,” Cassidy said, arguing a 
pollution fee would fit with bipartisan efforts in Congress to ease 
permitting rules for building energy products domestically.
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/11/02/senate-gop-climate-bill-china-00124909



/[ The first rule of ecology:  "Everything is connected" ] /
*How Warfare Is Destroying Our Environment | Footprints Of War | Earth 
Stories*
Earth Stories - Climate Disaster Documentaries
Nov 1, 2023  #radioactive #military #environment
In the past century, over 200 wars have ravaged our planet. Military 
attacks have alarming consequences on our ecosystem. From radioactive 
contaminated landscapes, to millions of tons of ammunition in our 
oceans, and toxic landscapes - the military footprint is huge. From WWI 
until today, how has modern wars impacted our environment?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-l8Tf9Pz48


/[  Excellent group of educational videos ]/
*Earth Stories - Climate Disaster Documentaries*
296 videos
Our planet is an extraordinary place teeming with life, wonder and 
beauty. Earth Stories takes a look at the world through this lens, 
bringing you the best documentaries and factual series showcasing the 
place we all call home; its scale, its majesty, and the precarious 
balance that we risk tipping forever with global warming.

Subscribe for incredible documentaries all about the place we call home, 
Earth.

Earth Stories is part of the Little Dot Studios Network. To get in touch 
please email owned-enquiries at littledotstudios.co
https://www.youtube.com/@climatedisasterdocumentaries


/
/

/[ Decisions in Abu Dhabi  - Reuters ]
/*COP28 chief, groups, urge tripling renewable capacity by 2030*
By By Yousef Saba And Kate Abnett
October 30, 2023
ABU DHABI, Oct 30 (Reuters) - The presidency of next month's COP28 
climate summit and two renewable energy organisations on Monday urged 
governments to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030 as part of 
efforts to stop global warming exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Countries hope to strike a deal on the increase in capacity at the 
latest round of global climate negotiations set to get under way in 
Dubai in late November, which will focus on the gaps in the 
implementation of the 2015 Paris Agreement that established the 1.5°C 
ceiling.
- -
They say a renewable energy deal at COP28 must be paired with a 
commitment to phase out CO2-emitting fossil fuels - a pledge that has 
faced resistance from Saudi Arabia, Russia and other fossil fuel-reliant 
economies.

"You cannot just have the renewables goal and then call the COP a 
success," European Union climate policy chief Wopke Hoekstra told an 
event in Brussels on Friday.

Guiding the COP28 talks will be the UAE's Sultan al-Jaber, a choice that 
has drawn criticism from some U.S. and EU lawmakers as well as 
campaigners as he is the boss of state oil giant ADNOC, and the UAE's 
climate envoy.

The report also called for doubling energy efficiency, urging targets 
with specific time frames, strong regulatory frameworks, financial 
incentives and awareness campaigns.

Reporting by Yousef Saba and Kate Abnett, editing by Deborah Kyvrikosaios
https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/cop/cop28-chief-groups-urge-tripling-renewable-capacity-by-2030-2023-10-30/ 


/
/

/
/

/[ Associated Press  -- wait -- this is some research of global warming 
science - why is there violence? ]/
*Investigators are being sent to US research base on Antarctica to look 
into sexual violence concerns*
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The watchdog office overseeing the 
National Science Foundation is sending investigators to Antarctica's 
McMurdo Station after hearing concerns about the prevalence of sexual 
violence at the U.S. research base.
Posted Nov 3, 2023
By NICK PERRY , Associated Press

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The watchdog office overseeing the 
National Science Foundation is sending investigators to Antarctica's 
McMurdo Station after hearing concerns about the prevalence of sexual 
violence at the U.S. research base.

Meanwhile the NSF, a federal agency, said it's furthering its own 
efforts to address the “pervasive problem." It announced Friday it is 
appointing Renée Ferranti as a special assistant to the NSF director to 
focus on sexual assault and harassment prevention and response.
An Associated Press investigation in August uncovered a pattern of women 
at McMurdo Station who said their claims of harassment or assault were 
minimized by their employers, often leading to them or others being put 
in further danger.

Internal communications obtained by the AP indicated the NSF Office of 
Inspector General would send investigators for a site visit from Monday 
through Nov. 17.

“We are in the process of expanding our investigative mission to include 
the investigation of criminal violations that occur in Antarctica,” Lisa 
Vonder Haar, the chief of staff for the OIG, wrote in an email to the AP 
confirming the visit. “Such violations include aggravated sexual abuse, 
sexual abuse, abusive sexual contact, and stalking.”

Vonder Haar said its special agents have been responding remotely to 
complaints from workers in Antarctica since July and it plans to have a 
presence on the ice during future summers.

The AP investigation detailed the lack of support many women felt from 
those running the Antarctic program. One woman felt compelled to carry a 
hammer with her at all times for protection. Another woman who reported 
a colleague had groped her was made to work alongside him again.

In another case, a woman who told her employer she was sexually 
assaulted was fired two months later. A fourth woman said that bosses at 
the base downgraded her allegations from rape to harassment.

A 2022 NSF report found 59% of women said they’d experienced harassment 
or assault while on the ice. Alcohol was a factor in some cases.
In October, the NSF decided to stop serving alcohol at McMurdo Station's 
bars, although workers can still buy a weekly alcohol ration from the 
station store. The NSF told the AP the alcohol changes were related to 
morale and welfare, and were not aimed at preventing sexual harassment 
or assault.

On Friday, NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan said he was delighted to 
welcome Ferranti, who had more than 25 years of experience in sexual 
assault prevention.

“Addressing this pervasive problem remains a top priority for me and the 
agency, and with Renée’s expertise we will continue to adapt and further 
accelerate our efforts to address the evolving landscape of sexual 
assault prevention and response,” Panchanathan said in a statement.

Ferranti said in the release she hopes “to make a meaningful impact to 
advance NSF's progress in addressing sexual violence.”
https://apnews.com/article/sexual-violence-mcmurdo-station-antarctica-1764712bfe58d26f8ed926ca233c4633



/[The news archive - when tepid wishy-washy attitudes failed the future  ]/
/*November 4, 1988 */
November 4, 1988: Discussing the conflict of visions at the heart of the 
1988 presidential campaign, the New York Times notes:

"Neither candidate has a record in office as a committed 
environmentalist. [Vice President George] Bush, for example, headed a 
Reagan Administration task force that recommended relaxing many 
environmental regulations. [Massachusetts Governor Michael] Dukakis 
sought waivers of Federal requirements that Boston Harbor be cleaned up. 
Yet both candidates are campaigning as strong conservationists, and 
protection of the environment has become a widely discussed issue for 
the first time in a Presidential campaign.

"Mr. Bush ran a series of television advertisements attacking Mr. 
Dukakis for pollution in Boston Harbor. Mr. Dukakis, saying he was not 
at fault, responded with ads blaming Reagan budget cuts for the harbor's 
pollution and criticizing the Vice President for opposing renewal of the 
Clean Water Act and strong regulation of corporate polluters.

"Mr. Dukakis has won the endorsement of most national environmental 
organizations. The League of Conservation Voters, the political arm of 
the main environmental groups, gives Mr. Dukakis a rating of B, Mr. Bush 
a grade of D+, based on their records and stated positions.

"Neither man has promised to spend much new money on the environment. 
But both have endorsed a program to reduce pollution that causes acid 
rain, both say they would bring an end to ocean dumping and both promise 
to call a meeting of world leaders to address the threat of global 
warming caused by man-made gases."

http://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/04/us/emotional-issues-are-the-1988-battleground.html?pagewanted=print&src=pm




=== Other climate news sources ===========================================
**Inside Climate News*
Newsletters
We deliver climate news to your inbox like nobody else. Every day or 
once a week, our original stories and digest of the web’s top headlines 
deliver the full story, for free.
https://insideclimatenews.org/
---------------------------------------
**Climate Nexus* https://climatenexus.org/hot-news/*
Delivered straight to your inbox every morning, Hot News summarizes the 
most important climate and energy news of the day, delivering an 
unmatched aggregation of timely, relevant reporting. It also provides 
original reporting and commentary on climate denial and pro-polluter 
activity that would otherwise remain largely unexposed.    5 weekday
=================================
*Carbon Brief Daily https://www.carbonbrief.org/newsletter-sign-up*
Every weekday morning, in time for your morning coffee, Carbon Brief 
sends out a free email known as the “Daily Briefing” to thousands of 
subscribers around the world. The email is a digest of the past 24 hours 
of media coverage related to climate change and energy, as well as our 
pick of the key studies published in the peer-reviewed journals.
more at https://www.getrevue.co/publisher/carbon-brief
==================================
*T*he Daily Climate *Subscribe https://ehsciences.activehosted.com/f/61*
Get The Daily Climate in your inbox - FREE! Top news on climate impacts, 
solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered week days. Better than coffee.
Other newsletters  at https://www.dailyclimate.org/originals/

/-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ 

/Archive of Daily Global Warming News 
https://pairlist10.pair.net/pipermail/theclimate.vote/


/To receive daily mailings - click to Subscribe 
<mailto:subscribe at theClimate.Vote?subject=Click%20SEND%20to%20process%20your%20request> 
to news digest./

Privacy and Security:*This mailing is text-only -- and carries no images 
or attachments which may originate from remote servers. Text-only 
messages provide greater privacy to the receiver and sender. This is a 
personal hobby production curated by Richard Pauli
By regulation, the .VOTE top-level domain cannot be used for commercial 
purposes. Messages have no tracking software.
To subscribe, email: contact at theclimate.vote 
<mailto:contact at theclimate.vote> with subject subscribe, To Unsubscribe, 
subject: unsubscribe
Also you may subscribe/unsubscribe at 
https://pairlist10.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/theclimate.vote
Links and headlines assembled and curated by Richard Pauli for 
http://TheClimate.Vote <http://TheClimate.Vote/> delivering succinct 
information for citizens and responsible governments of all levels. List 
membership is confidential and records are scrupulously restricted to 
this mailing list.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://pairlist10.pair.net/pipermail/theclimate.vote/attachments/20231104/92b5ac82/attachment.htm>