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<font size="+1"><i>April 8, 2018</i></font><br>
<br>
[radio segment KCUR]<br>
<b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://kcur.org/post/seg-1-how-climate-change-threatens-national-security-seg-2-inner-workings-supreme-court">(audio)
Segment 1: Why global warming may be our military's biggest
threat.</a></b><br>
While climate change may harm food production and lead to more
intense wildfires, it also poses a hazard to our military. How can
our armed forces respond? Today, we asked former Secretary of State
Colin Powell's chief of staff, who was director of the Marine Corps
War College, to shed light on how our nation's military leadership
is changing its approach to environmental issues.<br>
Retired Army Col. <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://www.wm.edu/as/government/faculty-directory/wilkerson_l.php">Lawrence
Wilkerson</a>, College of William & Mary distinguished
visiting professor of government and public policy<br>
Lawrence Wilkerson discusses the connections between climate change
and national security. <font size="-1"><br>
</font><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://kcur.org/post/seg-1-how-climate-change-threatens-national-security-seg-2-inner-workings-supreme-court">Hear
the 22 minute segment #1</a> <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://kcur.org/post/seg-1-how-climate-change-threatens-national-security-seg-2-inner-workings-supreme-court">http://kcur.org/post/seg-1-how-climate-change-threatens-national-security-seg-2-inner-workings-supreme-court</a><br>
<font size="-1"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://kcur.org/post/seg-1-how-climate-change-threatens-national-security-seg-2-inner-workings-supreme-court">http://kcur.org/post/seg-1-how-climate-change-threatens-national-security-seg-2-inner-workings-supreme-court</a></font><br>
<font size="-1"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://climateandsecurity.org/2018/04/06/climate-security-week-in-review-march-31-april-6/">https://climateandsecurity.org/2018/04/06/climate-security-week-in-review-march-31-april-6/</a></font><br>
<br>
<br>
[book blurb]<br>
<b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/open-space">Open Space: The
Global Effort for Open Access to Environmental Satellite Data
(Information Policy)</a></b><br>
by Mariel Borowitz <br>
An examination of environmental satellite data sharing policies,
offering a model of data-sharing policy development, case and
practical recommendations for increasing global data sharing.<br>
<blockquote>Sharing data acquired by orbiting satellites is a key to
making possible effective short- and long-term global management
of Planet Earth. Mariel Borowitz's comprehensive and penetrating
study of why many nations share Earth-observation data, but some
do not, is an extremely valuable contribution to crafting a much
needed international approach to such data sharing.<br>
John M. LogsdonProfessor Emeritus and Founder, Space Policy
Institute, The George Washington University<br>
</blockquote>
Summary<br>
<blockquote>An examination of environmental satellite data sharing
policies, offering a model of data-sharing policy development,
case and practical recommendations for increasing global data
sharing.<br>
<br>
Key to understanding and addressing climate change is continuous
and precise monitoring of environmental conditions. Satellites
play an important role in collecting climate data, offering
comprehensive global coverage that can't be matched by in situ
observation. And yet, as Mariel Borowitz shows in this book, much
satellite data is not freely available but restricted; this
remains true despite the data-sharing advocacy of international
organizations and a global open data movement. Borowitz examines
policies governing the sharing of environmental satellite data,
offering a model of data-sharing policy development and applying
it in case studies from the United States, Europe, and Japan -
countries responsible for nearly half of the unclassified
government Earth observation satellites.<br>
<br>
Borowitz develops a model that centers on the government agency as
the primary actor while taking into account the roles of such
outside actors as other government officials and non-governmental
actors, as well as the economic, security, and normative
attributes of the data itself. The case studies include the U.S.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the U.S.
National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), and the
United States Geological Survey (USGS); the European Space Agency
(ESA) and the European Organization for the Exploitation of
Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT); and the Japanese Aerospace
Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the Japanese Meteorological Agency
(JMA). Finally, she considers the policy implications of her
findings for the future and provides recommendations on how to
increase global sharing of satellite data.<br>
</blockquote>
<font size="-1"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://www.amazon.com/Open-Space-Environmental-Satellite-Information/dp/0262037181/ref=sr_1_1">https://www.amazon.com/Open-Space-Environmental-Satellite-Information/dp/0262037181/ref=sr_1_1</a><br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/open-space">https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/open-space</a></font><br>
- - - - - -<br>
[Not all share all information]<br>
<b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://theconversation.com/half-of-earths-satellites-restrict-use-of-climate-data-93257">Half
of Earth's satellites restrict use of climate data</a></b><br>
Mariel Borowitz | April 3, 2018 <br>
Scientists and policymakers need satellite data to understand and
address climate change. Yet data from more than half of unclassified
Earth-observing satellites is restricted in some way, rather than
shared openly.<br>
When governments restrict who can access data, or limit how people
can use or redistribute it, that slows the progress of science. Now,
as U.S. climate funding is under threat, it's more important than
ever to ensure that researchers and others make the most of the
collected data.<br>
Why do some nations choose to restrict satellite data, while others
make it openly available? My book, "Open Space," uses a series of
historical case studies, as well as a broad survey of national
practices, to show how economic concerns and agency priorities shape
the way nations treat their data.<br>
<font size="-1"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://theconversation.com/half-of-earths-satellites-restrict-use-of-climate-data-93257">https://theconversation.com/half-of-earths-satellites-restrict-use-of-climate-data-93257</a></font><br>
<br>
<br>
[The Muscle car as Zombie Character]<br>
<b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/267000-rolling-thunder-the-coming-battle-over-mpg-vs-emissions-and-states-rights">Rolling
Thunder: The Coming Battle Over MPG, Emissions, and States'
Rights </a></b><br>
ExtremeTech<br>
By Bill Howard on April 5, 2018<br>
President Trump's move to loosen fuel economy standards will
polarize the country: SUV and pickup fans versus hypermilers,
climate-change doubters and deniers versus those worried about
global warming, and spread-out middle America versus California and
densely populated northeastern states.<br>
It also pits America against most of the rest of the world that is
trying to rein in fuel consumption and emissions.<br>
There's also a simpler explanation: The administration is
acknowledging America's love affair with bigger vehicles that burn
more fuel in a time of relatively cheap gasoline - slightly more
costly than the historical average, but as much as a dollar a gallon
less than much of the past decade.<br>
<b>"Cars That People Want and Can Afford"</b><br>
In the past week, the Trump administration, through EPA
administrator Scott Pruitt, said fuel efficiency standards set by
the Obama administration for 2022-2025 are "not appropriate." A
coalition of Republican congressmen said in a statement,<br>
<blockquote>If automakers cannot produce the cars people want to buy
at prices they can afford, that will quickly have an adverse
impact on the auto industry, its workers, and even the environment
as older, less-efficient cars will remain on our roadways. That is
why we need reasonable and achievable improvements in fuel
economy, and this determination is a step in the right direction …
[the Pruitt proposal] reflects current realities and better
mirrors what the car-buying public wants.<br>
</blockquote>
<b>America's Love Affair with Big Vehicles Continues</b><br>
For all that's written about hybrids and battery electric vehicles
as the cars of the future, alternative fuel vehicles comprise only
about 4 percent of new vehicles sales. And half of those are diesel
engines, mostly in pickup trucks and big SUVs. Some of the BEVs and
plug-in hybrids go to buyers whose love of efficient cars goes hand
in hand with their desire to ride solo in HOV lanes in coastal
cities.<br>
In March, each of the top six auto brands got at least half their
volume from pickup trucks and SUVs: Fiat Chrysler got more than 90
percent, Ford and GM got more than 75 percent, and Toyota, Nissan
and Honda got more than 50 percent. In March, sales of the new
Lincoln Navigator (5,900-6,200 pounds) were up 102 percent, and
transaction prices increased by $26,000 thanks to Black Label and
Reserve models costing as much as $93,000. The Ford Expedition was
also up 46 percent, and the Cadillac Escalade was up 14 percent. In
comparison, the Toyota Prius was down 19 percent. The Chevrolet Bolt
EV, Chevrolet Volt, and Nissan Leaf each had fewer than 2,000 sales
in March.<br>
<b>Rolling Back the MPG Standards</b><br>
The current fuel efficiency targets would have light-duty vehicles -
passenger cars, crossovers, SUVs, and pickup trucks - average 51.4
mpg. That sounds high, and it is, because it includes various
credits that aren't tied to how much fuel is injected into the
engine. In real-world terms, the current standard means vehicles
would have to achieve 36 real-world miles per gallon. The actual
number for 2025 efficiency hasn't been set, but it will likely be
lower than the 54.5 mpg set by the Obama administration. The current
administration describes a "lower trajectory" toward 2025. The
current model-mix trajectory of the past year and a half puts
automakers below 50 governmental mpg and below 35 real-world mpg.<br>
- - - - -<br>
So, whatever happens to economy and emissions standards, history and
demographics say the impact will come and go over the course of a
couple years. In the meantime, enjoy cheap gas and big SUVs.<br>
[Top Comment:]<br>
Lonnie Veal <br>
<blockquote>Looked at from another back-pocket POV ... Once you get
over the New car smell and the thrill of the thrum of power, and
that first drive off the lot when a car makes you feel like the
technicolor ad- then it just becomes ... your vehicle.<br>
Then afterwards, the gas, the insurance, the maintenance, the
statistical chance of a 'ding' (or worse) from an accident...all
of that starts grabbing for your wallet on a regular basis. So
moving towards vehicles with Higher MPGs, model longevity and
other factors is a financial positive in the long run.<br>
Don't get me wrong...I LOVE a sexy looking car like any other guy.
But there was a point when I kind of realized: I live in my House,
Not my Car. That was when my financial POV shifted. Especially
when I see that the Auto Makers are really more focused on getting
everyone to buy a new vehicle every 2-3 years.<br>
There are folks who can afford to do that without even noticing.
Then there's everyone else.<br>
</blockquote>
<font size="-1">more at: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/267000-rolling-thunder-the-coming-battle-over-mpg-vs-emissions-and-states-rights">https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/267000-rolling-thunder-the-coming-battle-over-mpg-vs-emissions-and-states-rights</a></font><br>
- - - - - - <br>
[Auto change by Auto Dealer]<br>
<b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://cleantechnica.com/2018/04/04/maine-auto-dealer-blasts-trump-epa-as-states-gear-up-for-legal-challenges/">Maine
Auto Dealer Blasts Trump & EPA As States Gear Up For Legal
Challenges</a></b><br>
Steve Hanley <br>
Adam Lee is chairman of Lee Auto Malls, a business with headquarters
in Lewiston, Maine, and founded by his grandfather in 1936. He and
his partners manage 19 dealerships in eight cities across the state
of Maine. Last August, he penned an op-ed piece for USA Today that
pleaded with the EPA and the Trump administration not to roll back
the Obama-era fuel economy rules for new cars.<br>
<b>An Auto Dealer Speaks Out</b><br>
Now that the EPA has <b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://cleantechnica.com/2018/04/03/greedy-automakers-want-stable-emissions-rules-but-get-chaos-instead/">decided
to do exactly that</a></b>, Lee has renewed his call to action.
Because of my exalted status as a contributor to CleanTechnica, I
received a copy of his latest manifesto in my email inbox yesterday.
Here it is in its entirety.<br>
<blockquote>As a third generation car dealer, I finally have trucks
and SUVs that get reasonable gas mileage. I can sell a full size
truck and a variety of SUVs that get just less than 30 miles per
gallon, all thanks to our current fuel economy standards. The list
of cars and crossovers that finally get between 30-40 mpg is long,
and these aren't even hybrids. As the number one Prius and Leaf
dealer in the state of Maine, I am pleased to see that there is
finally competition in this category. There was a long spell
through the 1980's and early 2000's when the average fuel economy
of cars and trucks did not change.<br>
<br>
With stronger fuel economy standards, the automakers were jerked
out of their efficiency complacency. Now almost everything on the
road gets much, much better mileage. Just look at the Chevy Bolt,
which goes 200 miles on a charge, and the Ram Eco Diesel, which
gets almost 30 mpg.<br>
<br>
Can you imagine that in this day and age of space shuttles,
drones, iPhones and refrigerators that can order their own food,
we are really thinking of going backwards on advancing efficiency
technologies for vehicles? Do you think Honda, Nissan and Toyota
are planning to make cars that are less efficient? When did
America start to believe that losing our competitive edge was a
good thing?<br>
<br>
Our 82-year-old company survived the Great Recession, but it was a
terrible. Lots of other car dealers did not survive. Chrysler and
General Motors went broke. We cannot afford to sit by while the
manufacturers and the government work to reverse money-saving fuel
economy standards. When gas prices spike again, these standards
will be our savior.<br>
<br>
The President keeps saying that these regulations are crushing the
auto industry. Here is my question for the President and the
Environmental Protection Agency: the last four years have been the
best in the history of the U.S. auto industry. They have also been
the most profitable for car dealers, ever. Why are we going to
change the very regulations that are giving us these great cars,
trucks and SUVs?"<br>
</blockquote>
<font size="-1">more at: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://cleantechnica.com/2018/04/04/maine-auto-dealer-blasts-trump-epa-as-states-gear-up-for-legal-challenges/">https://cleantechnica.com/2018/04/04/maine-auto-dealer-blasts-trump-epa-as-states-gear-up-for-legal-challenges/</a></font><br>
<br>
<br>
[More risk warning - thanks go to <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://www.desdemonadespair.net/">http://www.desdemonadespair.net/</a>]<b><br>
<a
href="https://www.fau.eu/2018/03/14/news/research/mass-extinction-with-prior-warning/">Mass
extinction with prior warning</a><br>
Scientists from FAU have proved that warning signs for mass
extinction do exist, contrary to previous assumptions.<br>
</b>March 14, 2018<br>
Mass extinctions throughout the history of the Earth have been well
documented. Scientists believe that they occurred during a short
period of time in geological terms. In a new study, FAU
palaeobiologists and their research partners have now shown that
signs that the largest mass extinction event in the Earth's history
was approaching became apparent much earlier than previously
believed, and point out that the same indicators can be observed
today.<br>
<br>
Mass extinctions are rare events that have catastrophic
consequences. These events often completely change the course of
evolution. For example, the rise of mammals - and therefore of
humans - would probably not have been possible had dinosaurs not
become extinct 65 million years ago. A meteorite hit the Earth
plunging it into darkness and causing a huge drop in temperature.
The subsequent hunger crisis wiped out more than 70 percent of all
animal species. Man's ancestors were among the lucky survivors.<br>
<br>
The consequences of the extinction of species that occurred around
250 million years ago at the Permian-Triassic boundary were even
more catastrophic... <br>
- - - -<br>
In a new study published in the March edition of the renowned
magazine 'Geology', a team of researchers from Germany and Iran have
proved that this crisis happened over a longer period of time. Under
the leadership of Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Kießling, Chair for
Palaeoenviromental Research at FAU, who has also recently been
appointed as lead author for the sixth World Climate Report, and Dr.
Dieter Korn from the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin, the scientists
examined fossils in largely unresearched geological profiles in Iran
. Their results show that the first indicators of a mass extinction
were evident as early as 700,000 years prior to the actual event.
Several species of ammonoids were killed off at that time and the
surviving species became increasingly smaller in size and less
complex the closer the main event became.<br>
The warning signs of mass extinction are also visible today.<br>
The factors that led to a mass extinction at the end of the Permian
Period remind us very much of today, says Prof. Wolfgang Kießling.
'There is much evidence of severe global warming, ocean
acidification and a lack of oxygen. What separates us from the
events of the past is the extent of these phenomena. For example,
today's increase in temperature is significantly lower than 250
million years ago'...<br>
<font size="-1">more at: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://www.fau.eu/2018/03/14/news/research/mass-extinction-with-prior-warning/">https://www.fau.eu/2018/03/14/news/research/mass-extinction-with-prior-warning/</a></font><br>
- - - -<br>
[Geology Journal]<br>
<b><a
href="https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geology/article/46/3/283/526710/pre-mass-extinction-decline-of-latest-permian">Pre-mass
extinction decline of latest Permian ammonoids </a></b><br>
<font size="-1">Wolfgang Kiessling et al<br>
Geology (2018) 46 (3): 283-286.<br>
DOI: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://doi.org/10.1130/G39866.1">https://doi.org/10.1130/G39866.1</a><br>
Published: January 24, 2018</font><br>
Abstract<br>
<blockquote>The devastating end-Permian mass extinction is widely
considered to have been caused by large-scale and rapid greenhouse
gas release by Siberian magmatism. Although the proximate
extinction mechanisms are disputed, there is widespread agreement
that a major extinction pulse occurred immediately below the
biostratigraphically defined Permian-Triassic boundary. Our
statistical analyses of stratigraphic confidence intervals do not
comply with a single end-Permian extinction pulse of ammonoids in
Iran. High turnover rates and extinction pulses are observed over
the last 700 k.y. of the Permian period in two widely separated
sections representative of a larger area. Analyses of body sizes
and morphological complexity support a gradual decline over the
same interval. Similar pre-mass extinction declines and
disturbances of the carbon cycle have sometimes been reported from
other regions, suggesting a widespread, but often overlooked,
environmental deterioration at a global scale, well before the
traditional main extinction pulse.<br>
</blockquote>
<font size="-1">more at: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geology/article/46/3/283/526710/pre-mass-extinction-decline-of-latest-permian">https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geology/article/46/3/283/526710/pre-mass-extinction-decline-of-latest-permian</a>:</font><br>
<br>
<br>
[Lump of coal]<br>
<b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/06/china-is-massively-betting-on-coal-outside-its-shores--even-as-investment-falls-globally.html">China
is massively betting on coal outside its borders - even as
investment falls globally</a></b><br>
CNBC But, beyond its borders, the country has been the world's
biggest investor in coal power. "Chinese banks' and companies'
investments in coal abroad are a cause of major concern because of
their potential to lock in more climate warming emissions in our
carbon-constrained world,"...<br>
Globally, there was an increase in global coal consumption last year
after two straight years of decline, according to data released last
month by the International Energy Agency. The trend was driven by
Asian demand, the IEA added.<br>
<font size="-1">more at: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/06/china-is-massively-betting-on-coal-outside-its-shores--even-as-investment-falls-globally.html">https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/06/china-is-massively-betting-on-coal-outside-its-shores-even-as-investment-falls-globally.html</a></font><br>
<br>
<br>
[And it's still correct]<br>
<b><a
href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/4/6/1754837/-Perhaps-the-clearest-most-concise-explanation-of-global-warming-you-ll-see">Perhaps
the clearest, most concise explanation of global warming you'll
see</a></b><br>
<blockquote>There is evidence that the greatly increasing use of
fossil fuels, whose material contents after combustion are
principally H20 and CO2, is seriously contaminating the earth's
atmosphere with CO2. Analyses indicate that the CO2 content of the
atmosphere since 1900 has increased 10 per cent. Since CO2 absorbs
long-wavelength radiation, it is possible that this is already
producing a secular climatic change in the direction of higher
average temperatures. This could have profound effects both on the
weather and on the ecological balances.<br>
</blockquote>
In view of the dangers of atmospheric contamination by both the
waste gases of fossil fuels and the radioactive contaminates from
nuclear power plants, Professor Hutchinson urges serious
consideration of the maximum utilization of solar energy...<br>
There it is, easy as pie...<br>
Which thoughtful expert wrote such a crisp summary of this
all-important matter?<br>
It was Marion King Hubbert, Chief Geology Consultant...for Shell Oil
Company ... In 1962.<br>
<font size="-1">more at: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/4/6/1754837/-Perhaps-the-clearest-most-concise-explanation-of-global-warming-you-ll-see">https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/4/6/1754837/-Perhaps-the-clearest-most-concise-explanation-of-global-warming-you-ll-see</a></font><br>
<br>
<br>
[New Fame for UMaine]<br>
<b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://umaine.edu/news/blog/2018/04/06/daily-beast-mentions-climate-reanalyzer-article-global-warming/"> Daily
Beast mentions Climate Reanalyzer in article on global warming</a></b><br>
University of Maine<br>
April 6, 2018 <br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/four-reasons-snowy-springs-dont-disprove-global-warming">Daily
Beast</a> featured the University of Maine Climate Change
Institute's Climate Reanalyzer in the article, "Four reasons snowy
springs don't disprove global warming." The article states that a
small swath of land from Maine to Georgia is not representative of
the entire Earth's surface, and the warming effects of global
climate disruption have not been as keenly felt there as elsewhere.
The article points to the Climate Reanalyzer's global temperature
data, which shows that on Jan. 1, half of the United States was much
colder than average but nearly everywhere else in the world -
including the West Coast - was much hotter than average.<br>
<font size="-1"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://umaine.edu/news/blog/2018/04/06/daily-beast-mentions-climate-reanalyzer-article-global-warming/">https://umaine.edu/news/blog/2018/04/06/daily-beast-mentions-climate-reanalyzer-article-global-warming/</a></font><br>
- - - -<br>
[Maine in the Daily Beast]<b><br>
</b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/four-reasons-snowy-springs-dont-disprove-global-warming"><b>Four
Reasons Snowy Springs Don't Disprove Global Warming</b></a><br>
For example, <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/sites/default/files/storm3.png">check
out this global temperature data</a> from the <b>University of
Maine's "Climate Reanalyzer."</b> It shows that on Jan. 1, 2018,
half of the United States was much colder than average but nearly
everywhere else in the world-including the West Coast-was much
hotter than average. That's just one day, of course, but you can
page through the <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://cci-reanalyzer.org/">Climate Reanalyzer</a> yourself
and see how often the pattern repeats.<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/four-reasons-snowy-springs-dont-disprove-global-warming">https://www.thedailybeast.com/four-reasons-snowy-springs-dont-disprove-global-warming</a><br>
--<br>
[Try the Climate Reanalyer ]<br>
<b><a moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://cci-reanalyzer.org/">Climate
Reanalyzer is a platform for visualizing climate and weather
datasets. </a></b><br>
The site is coded and maintained by<span> </span><a
href="http://climatechange.umaine.edu/people/profile/sean_birkel"
target="_blank" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 0,
160);">Dr. Sean Birkel</a><span> </span>through support from the<span> </span><a
href="http://climatechange.umaine.edu/" target="_blank"
style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 160);">Climate
Change Institute</a><span> </span>and<a
href="https://umaine.edu/earthclimate/" target="_blank"
style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 160);"> School of
Earth and Climate Sciences</a><span> </span>of the<span> </span><a
href="http://www.umaine.edu/" target="_blank"
style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 160);">University
of Maine</a>, and partial support from the<span> </span><a
href="http://www.nsf.gov/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:
none; color: rgb(0, 0, 160);">National Science Foundation</a>.<br>
Here, you can access climate information using interfaces for<a
href="http://cci-reanalyzer.org/reanalysis/monthly_maps/"
target="_blank" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 0,
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<br>
<br>
[Sunday Sermon Clive Hamilton]<br>
<b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://clivehamilton.com/the-theodicy-of-the-good-anthropocene/">The
Theodicy of the "Good Anthropocene"</a></b><br>
24 JUNE 2015<br>
To the dismay of those who first proposed it, the Anthropocene is
being reframed as an event to be celebrated rather than lamented and
feared. Instead of final proof of the damage done by
techno-industrial hubris, the 'ecomodernists' welcome the new epoch
as a sign of man's ability to transform and control nature.<br>
Although the ecomoderns write as humanists, they construe the new
epoch in a way that is structurally a theodicy, that is, a
theological argument that aims to prove the ultimate benevolence of
God.<br>
The 'good Anthropocene' argument is founded on a belief in the
ultimate benevolence of the whole, a goodness that in the end
transcends and defeats the structural obstacles, sufferings and
moral lapses that seem to threaten it. …<br>
A talk to the Breakthrough Institute Dialogue, Sausalito, 22 June
2015<br>
<font size="-1"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://clivehamilton.com/the-theodicy-of-the-good-anthropocene/">https://clivehamilton.com/the-theodicy-of-the-good-anthropocene/</a></font><br>
- - - - - - <br>
[to the Breakthrough Institute July 14, 2015]<br>
A Good Anthropocene?<br>
<b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://thebreakthrough.org/index.php/dialogue/can-we-have-a-good-anthropocene">Competing
Visions of Our Environmental Future</a></b><br>
Human ingenuity has allowed the species to transcend every supposed
ecological limit in the past, but will it be enough to surmount the
challenges of a new geologic epoch, the Anthropocene? There are many
reasons to believe in the possibility of a "good Anthropocene," says
the opening panel of the 2015 Breakthrough Dialogue, but concerted
political and social action - not techno-utopian thinking - is
needed.<br>
<br>
Mark Lynas, author of The God Species and Six Degrees, opened the
discussion by pointing to humankind's remarkable achievements in
recent history. Globally, a demographic transition is underway in
which birth rates are plummeting. More productive forms of
agriculture use less land, allowing forests to regrow in the United
States, Poland, and Vietnam. Western countries have seen peak
consumption of various materials including steel, concrete, paper,
and wood.<br>
<br>
These trends give empirical weight to what Lynas's belief in a good
Anthropocene. Citing the opening passage of Charles Dicken's A Tale
of Two Cities, Lynas emphasized that humans will ultimately decide
what kind of planet they inhabit by actively "using science and
technology as [their] most potent tools for first identifying and
then solving problems."<br>
<br>
Encouraging as these decoupling trends are - whereby economic growth
does not come at the expense of the environment - they might not be
occurring fast enough to make a difference.<br>
<br>
Clive Hamilton, an ethicist at the Centre for Applied Philosophy and
Public Ethics, argued that humans have already entered a frightening
period in planetary history. There is no way to make the
Anthropocene good, he says, only "less bad."<br>
<br>
"By the end of the century it will very likely be hotter than it has
been for 15 million years," he said. "In short, the Earth system is
now operating in a different mode and nothing we can do now, even
ending the burning of fossil fuels in short order, can get it to
'bounce back' to the Holocene."<br>
<br>
At one level, the concept of a good Anthropocene tends to mask the
negative impacts we are currently experiencing, such as the
California mega-drought. But at a deeper level, argues Hamilton, the
concept is a theodicy, "founded on a belief in the ultimate
benevolence of the whole, a goodness that in the end transcends and
defeats the structural obstacles, sufferings, and moral lapses that
seem to threaten it."<br>
<br>
The ecomodernist appeal to a "good Anthropocene" (sometime in the
distant future), in turn, breeds complacency - best summed up by the
phrases "everything happens for the best."<br>
<br>
Steve Fuller, a philosopher at the University of Warwick, challenged
the notion that providence leads to passiveness:<br>
<br>
"It's not just about silent suffering, but perseverance in the face
of resistance," Fuller said. "One can believe that even though
you're faced with challenges in short-term, there will be gain in
the longer term, and that is the spur to action."<br>
<br>
Radical political change is necessary, agreed Hamilton, who
described his principal objection to An Ecomodernist Manifesto as
its lack of discussion of present-day politics that impede action on
global challenges like climate change.<br>
<br>
"Obviously technological change is needed; everyone believes that,"
he said. "[But in the manifesto] there's no analysis of what the
problem is. There's no mention of fossil fuel lobby, dirty money,
politics, denialism, and there's no mention of Exxon and the Koch
brothers."<br>
<br>
Lynas pushed back on this, arguing that climate change denialism is
a political phenomenon that is partly a reaction to the capture of
the climate change issue by the Left and the "insistence that only
anti-capitalist approaches are viable solutions."<br>
<br>
While the fossil fuel lobby has played some role in raising
skepticism, argued Lynas, in his 15-year involvement with climate
negotiations, the biggest point of contention has been what kind of
development pathways developing nations will take.<br>
<br>
Across the globe, poor countries such as Bangladesh are choosing to
build coal-fired power plants to move away from using wood, which
destroys forests and causes indoor air pollution that kills millions
annually. In the ecomodernist view, this is a good thing even if
brings out more carbon dioxide emissions. Development involves
accelerating poor countries further up the energy ladder, from using
wood and dung, to coal, gas, and eventually zero-carbon sources like
solar and nuclear.<br>
<br>
"The hope is - and I don't believe this is somehow predestined or
designed - that we will be able to achieve enough of development to
avert the worst impacts of climate change," argued Lynas.<br>
<br>
"My critique of the technofix is when technology substitutes for
political change, which is necessary for bringing about that
technological revolution," replied Hamilton.<br>
<br>
A good degree of change may need to come within environmental ranks
first, countered Lynas, who pointed to environmentalists' opposition
to technologies such as nuclear power and genetically modified
foods.<br>
<br>
"Yes environmentalists make mistakes, for one, I think the
opposition to GMOs has been a serious error," said Hamilton. "I
think the dangers of nuclear power have been seriously overblown,
but to blame the environmental movement as opposed to the fossil
fuel industry, doesn't make any sense."<br>
<br>
From the tenor of the debate, the Anthropocene - whether defined as
good or bad - is unlikely to be passive.<br>
<br>
"An embrace of technology does not imply a passive techno-optimism
or an ignorance of the policy changed needed," said energy analyst
Jesse Jenkins. "We have to leave behind in the discussion that
anyone here looks at challenges ahead and says everything will be
fine, leave it to fate."<br>
<a
href="http://www.marklynas.org/2015/06/a-good-anthropocene-speech-to-breakthrough-dialogue-2015/"
style="color: rgb(43, 132, 169); text-decoration: underline;
outline: 0px; outline-offset: -2px; font-family: georgia,
"times new roman", times, serif; font-weight: 400;
margin-bottom: 1em;">Read the transcript of Mark Lynas's presented
remarks here.</a><br>
<a
href="http://clivehamilton.com/the-theodicy-of-the-good-anthropocene/"
style="color: rgb(79, 171, 210); text-decoration: none;
font-family: georgia, "times new roman", times, serif;
font-weight: 400; margin-bottom: 1em;">Read the transcript of
Clive Hamilton's presented remarks here.</a><br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://thebreakthrough.org/index.php/dialogue/past-dialogues/breakthrough-dialogue-2015">https://thebreakthrough.org/index.php/dialogue/past-dialogues/breakthrough-dialogue-2015</a><br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://thebreakthrough.org/index.php/dialogue/can-we-have-a-good-anthropocene">https://thebreakthrough.org/index.php/dialogue/can-we-have-a-good-anthropocene</a><br>
<br>
<br>
[Tip of South America drought]<br>
<b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/most-expensive-weather-disaster-2018-39-billion-drought-argentina-and-uruguay">Most
Expensive Weather Disaster of 2018: a $3.9 Billion Drought in
Argentina and Uruguay</a></b><br>
Dr. Jeff Masters · March 30, 2018, <br>
A severe lack of rainfall during over southern South America during
the summer of 2017 - 2018 has led to the worst drought in decades
over portions of Argentina and Uruguay. According to insurance
broker Aon Benfield, total losses are near $3.9 billion, making the
drought the most expensive weather-related disaster on the planet so
far in 2018-and the most expensive disaster in the history of both
Argentina and Uruguay.<br>
<br>
Hardest-hit was Argentina, where the Buenos Aires Grain Exchange
predicted that the drought would likely cause an economic loss of
$3.4 billion. Argentina's 2018 soybean harvest is expected to be
near the record-low harvest of the drought year of 2009; both severe
droughts occurred during weak La Niña events. According to EM-DAT,
the international disaster database, the $3.4 billion cost of this
year's drought exceeds a $3 billion flood (2018 dollars) from
October 1985 as Argentina's most expensive disaster on record.<br>
<br>
The lack of summer rainfall this year in Uruguay has led to the
worst drought conditions in that nation since 2008/09. Local
industry officials anticipated economic losses exceeding $500
million, which would rank as that nation's most expensive disaster
in history. The previous record was the $380 million cost of a
drought in 1999..<br>
<font size="-1"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/most-expensive-weather-disaster-2018-39-billion-drought-argentina-and-uruguay">https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/most-expensive-weather-disaster-2018-39-billion-drought-argentina-and-uruguay</a></font><br>
<br>
<br>
[Humor?: True news video lunacy sarcasm]<br>
<b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NEnlXhdpmY">Trump Saves
America From Fake News Climate Change Paris Agreement Hoax</a></b><br>
Super Deluxe<br>
Published on Jun 7, 2017<br>
Vic Berger Presents: Thank God President Trump saved America from
the failing and fake news Paris Agreement!<br>
<font size="-1"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NEnlXhdpmY">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NEnlXhdpmY</a></font><br>
<br>
<br>
<font size="+1"><b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/08/opinion/08iht-edoppen_ed3_.html">This
Day in Climate History - April 8, 2003</a> - from D.R.
Tucker</b></font><br>
April 8, 2003: In the New York Times, climate scientist Michael
Oppenheimer declares: <br>
<blockquote>"The threat of global warming, first raised in 1896, has
outlived many foreign policy crises. Our failure to deal with it
is starting to bear a bitter harvest not only in rising seas and
intensified rainstorms, but also in disruption of long-standing
alliances, and interference with other foreign policy objectives.
It is well past time for U.S. leaders to put the climate problem
at the center of America's domestic and international agendas."<br>
</blockquote>
<font size="-1"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/08/opinion/08iht-edoppen_ed3_.html">http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/08/opinion/08iht-edoppen_ed3_.html</a></font><br>
<br>
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