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<font size="+1"><i>May 5, 2018</i></font><br>
<br>
[A brief polar jamboree ended]<br>
<b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/arctic/2018/04/north-pole-campers-pack-after-shortest-ice-drift-ever">North
Pole campers pack up after shortest ice drift ever</a></b><br>
The ice became too thin and the cracks too many. This year's Barneo
North Pole base existed only 12 days.<br>
By Atle Staalesen - April 26, 2018<br>
'That is all, we are finishing this season", said camp organizer
Irina Orlova on 25th April. 'The whole crew has returned to
Longyearbyen, and will proceed to Murmansk", she added in <a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001774757853">a
social media post.</a><br>
It became the shortest ice drift in the 16 years history of the
Barneo camps. The camp officially opened on 13th April and was
abandoned only 12 days later.<br>
Similarly, the ice drift of the campers was shorter than ever. The
Barneo-2018 drifted only about half the distance of the Barneo-2017.<br>
Only few years ago, the duration and ice drift of the Barneo was far
more comprehensive. In 2015, the drift lasted 27 days and the
distance was about three times longer.<br>
'This year's season was short, but we still managed to do everything
as planned," Orlova says on her Facebook page. During the short life
of Barneo 2018, the ice base served as starting point for the North
Pole Marathon, various research activities and two groups with
tourists. Several groups used the camp for their North Pole
expeditions, among them the 19 students from Moscow who took part in
an expedition organized by explorer Matvey Shparo, and <a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/2018/03/4-year-old-boy-soon-his-way-north-pole">the
Young Explorers NORTH Expedition</a>.<br>
On the 18th April, as many as 70 people were on their way from
Barneo to the North Pole point, says Orlova.<br>
<font size="-1"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/arctic/2018/04/north-pole-campers-pack-after-shortest-ice-drift-ever">https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/arctic/2018/04/north-pole-campers-pack-after-shortest-ice-drift-ever</a></font><br>
<br>
<br>
[studying unstable ice]<br>
<b><a
href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2018/04/30/unprecedented-u-s-british-project-launches-to-study-the-worlds-most-dangerous-glacier/">Unprecedented
U.S.-British project launches to study the world's most
dangerous glacier</a></b><br>
West Antarctica's Thwaites glacier - a Florida-size ice body that,
scientists fear, could flood the world's coastlines in our
lifetimes.<br>
<font size="-1"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2018/04/30/unprecedented-u-s-british-project-launches-to-study-the-worlds-most-dangerous-glacier/">https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2018/04/30/unprecedented-u-s-british-project-launches-to-study-the-worlds-most-dangerous-glacier/</a></font><br>
- - - -<br>
[Video - very advanced academic seminar - paleo-cryology] [explains
why underwater continental shelves are so steep]<br>
<b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlHcHO4rhAg">Abrupt
climate and sea level changes A view from the past | Dr Lauren
Gregoire</a></b><br>
Grantham Imperial - Published on Feb 15, 2018<br>
A seminar organised by students of the Science and Solutions for a
Changing Planet DTP, with Dr Lauren Gregoire, Academic Research
Fellow at the University of Leeds.<br>
Dr Gregoire is an Earth System modeller interested in interactions
between climate ice and the carbon cycle in the past, present and
future. Her research focuses on ice sheet and climate processes
involved in ice sheet collapse and rapid sea level rise. One of her
current projects aims at modelling interactions between sea level
changes and marine ice sheet instability.<br>
Abstract<br>
The last deglaciation (21-7 ka), the period of transition out of the
last ice age, was punctuated by several abrupt climate and sea level
changes, in which ice sheets are thought to have played an important
role. Studying these events, with geological data and numerical
modelling, opens a window on how and how fast ice sheets and climate
can change. This seminar will describe mechanism of ice sheet
instability and how these have led to major episodes of sea level
and climate change, such as Henrich Stadial 1, Meltwater Pulse 1a
and the 8.2 kyr event. We will also discuss how models and data can
be brought together to quantify uncertainties in past and future
environmental changes.<font size="-1"><br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlHcHO4rhAg">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlHcHO4rhAg</a></font><br>
<br>
<br>
[H2O in SW US]<br>
<b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://grist.org/article/the-water-war-that-will-decide-the-fate-of-1-in-8-americans/?">The
water war that will decide the fate of 1 in 8 Americans</a></b><br>
By Eric Holthaus <br>
Lake Mead is the country's biggest reservoir of water. Think of it
as the savings account for the entire Southwest. Right now, that
savings account is nearly overdrawn.<br>
For generations, we've been using too much of the Colorado River,
the 300-foot-wide ribbon of water that carved the Grand Canyon,
supplies Lake Mead, and serves as the main water source for much of
the American West.<br>
The river sustains one in eight Americans - about 40 million people
- and millions of acres of farmland. In the next 40 years, the
region is expected to add<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/programs/crbstudy/TechMemoC/TMCreport.pdf">
at least 10 million more people</a>, as the region's rainfall
becomes more erratic.<br>
An especially dismal snowpack this past winter has forced a
long-simmering dispute over water rights to the fore, one that
splits people living above and below Lake Mead...<br>
- - - - -<br>
For now, the spat over the Colorado River offers a glimpse into
water politics in an era of permanent scarcity. The low snowpack in
the upper basin states means that inflows into Lake Mead will be
just<span> </span><a
href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-environment/2018/04/04/colorado-river-forecasters-look-6th-driest-runoff-year-after-dry-winter/484024002/"
style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent;
color: rgb(5, 74, 97); line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none
!important; border-bottom: 0.0625rem solid rgb(148, 168, 183);
transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out;">43 percent of normal</a><span> </span>this
year, raising the stakes for conservation programs throughout the
West. In the midst of long-running drought,<span> </span><a
href="http://www.inkstain.net/fleck/2018/04/2017-lower-colorado-river-basin-water-use-the-lowest-in-a-quarter-century/"
style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent;
color: rgb(4, 59, 78); line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none
!important; outline-width: 0px; cursor: pointer; border-bottom:
0.0625rem solid rgb(4, 59, 78); transition: border-color 0.15s
ease-out;">2017 was the most successful year for water
conservation in decades</a><span> </span>- which is evidence that
when there's less water around, people can make things work.<br>
"We must all find a way to collectively use less water while
respecting the Law of the River,"Sorensen says. "That's of course a
tricky proposition because the Law of the River is basically the
most complex governance structure ever created by human beings."<br>
<font size="-1"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://grist.org/article/the-water-war-that-will-decide-the-fate-of-1-in-8-americans/">https://grist.org/article/the-water-war-that-will-decide-the-fate-of-1-in-8-americans/</a>?</font><br>
<br>
<br>
Quarterly report from Carbon Brief<br>
<b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://www.carbonbrief.org/state-of-the-climate-warm-start-to-2018-despite-la-nina-conditions">State
of the climate: Warm start to 2018 despite La Nina conditions</a></b><br>
GLOBAL TEMPERATURE 1 May 2018 <br>
The first three months of 2018 have been between the fourth and
sixth warmest first quarter on record since 1880. This is despite a
modest La Nina event leading to a relatively cooler start to the
year, compared to recent record warmth.<br>
Overall, 2018 is on track to be the fourth warmest year on record
after 2016, 2017, and 2015, but depending on how the rest of the
year shapes up it could be as high as the second warmest, or as low
as the 12th warmest.<br>
In the latest quarterly "state of the climate" report, Carbon Brief
reviews the various metrics for 2018 to date and looks ahead at what
the rest of the year might bring.<br>
A cooler start to 2018<br>
Global surface temperatures have warmed<span> </span><a
href="https://www.climate-lab-book.ac.uk/2017/defining-pre-industrial/"
target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box;
background-color: transparent; color: rgb(47, 143, 206);
text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.3s;">about 1.1C</a><span> </span>since
pre-industrial times and<span> </span><a
href="https://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/" target="_blank"
rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color:
transparent; color: rgb(47, 143, 206); text-decoration: none;
transition: all 0.3s; outline: -webkit-focus-ring-color auto 5px;
outline-offset: -2px;">0.8C since the 1970s</a>. Despite this
long-term warming trend, each year does not necessarily set a new
record for warmth. Short-term variations in the Earth's climate
associated with<span> </span><a
href="https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-how-much-did-el-nino-boost-global-temperature-in-2015"
style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent;
color: rgb(47, 143, 206); text-decoration: none; transition: all
0.3s;">El Nino and La Nina events</a><span> </span>help make some
years warmer and some cooler.<br>
For example, 2016 was exceptionally warm with help from a strong El
Nino event. In contrast, 2017 was largely "neutral", having no
strong El Nino or La Nina conditions. The start of 2018, on the
other hand, has been cooled by a<span> </span><a
href="https://public.wmo.int/en/media/press-release/el-ni%C3%B1o-la-ni%C3%B1a-update-march-2018"
target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box;
background-color: transparent; color: rgb(47, 143, 206);
text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.3s;">modest La Nina event</a>.<br>
While<span> </span><a
href="https://iri.columbia.edu/our-expertise/climate/forecasts/enso/current/"
target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box;
background-color: transparent; color: rgb(47, 143, 206);
text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.3s;">scientists predict</a><span> </span>that
the La Nina will fade and switch back to El Nino conditions in the
coming months, it will only have a modest effect on 2018 as surface
temperatures<span> </span><a
href="http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/6/4/044022/meta"
style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent;
color: rgb(47, 143, 206); text-decoration: none; transition: all
0.3s;">tend to lag</a><span> </span>El Nino and La Nina conditions
by a few months.<br>
Temperatures in the first quarter of 2018 have been between the
fourth and sixth warmest on record since 1880.<span>..<br>
<font size="-1">more at:
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://www.carbonbrief.org/state-of-the-climate-warm-start-to-2018-despite-la-nina-conditions">https://www.carbonbrief.org/state-of-the-climate-warm-start-to-2018-despite-la-nina-conditions</a></font><br>
</span><br>
<br>
[Policy Analysis Article]<br>
<b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14693062.2017.1410090">The
effectiveness of climate clubs under Donald Trump</a></b><br>
ABSTRACT<br>
<blockquote>On 1 June 2017, President Trump announced that the US
intends to leave the Paris Agreement if no alternative terms
acceptable to his administration can be agreed upon. In this
article, an agent-based model of bottom-up climate mitigation
clubs is used to derive the impact that lack of US participation
may have on the membership of such clubs and their emissions
coverage. We systematically analyse the prospects for climate
mitigation clubs, depending on which of three conceivable roles
the US takes on: as a leader (for benchmarking), as a follower
(i.e. willing to join climate mitigation clubs initiated by others
if this is in its best interest) or as an outsider (i.e. staying
outside of any climate mitigation club no matter what). We
investigate these prospects for three types of incentives for
becoming a member: club goods, conditional commitments and
side-payments. Our results show that lack of US leadership
significantly constrains climate clubs' potential. Lack of US
willingness to follow others' lead is an additional, but smaller
constraint. Only in a few cases will US withdrawal entail
widespread departures by other countries. We conclude that climate
mitigation clubs can function without the participation of an
important GHG emitter, given that other major emitters show
leadership, although these clubs will rarely cover more than 50%
of global emissions.<br>
</blockquote>
<b>Key policy insights</b><br>
The US switching from being a leader to being a follower
substantially reduces the emissions coverage of climate mitigation
clubs.<br>
- The US switching from being a follower to being an outsider
sometimes reduces coverage further, but has a smaller impact than
the switch from leader to follower.<br>
- The switch from follower to outsider only occasionally results in
widespread departures by other countries; in a few instances it even
entices others to join.<br>
- Climate mitigation clubs can function even without the
participation of the US, provided that other major emitters show
leadership; however, such clubs will typically be unable to cover
more than 50% of global emissions.<br>
- Climate mitigation clubs may complement the Paris Agreement and
can also serve as an alternative in case Paris fails...<br>
<font size="-1">more at: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14693062.2017.1410090">https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14693062.2017.1410090</a></font><br>
<br>
<br>
[Webinar May 24th]<br>
<b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://www.crowdcast.io/e/the-net-is-tightening-">Increasing
regulatory pressures to address climate-related risks. Demand
for science-based climate metrics is rising. Are you ready?</a></b><br>
Tune in for a webinar directed at legal practitioners, rating
providers and financial actors, looking for legal direction. We'll
walk you through the sources and recent happenings leading to
requests for science-based climate metrics.<br>
Hannah and Marcela will guide you through:<br>
- How to calculate and disclose your specific contribution to
climate change?<br>
- How to prepare for stricter regulation demanding climate
disclosures?<br>
- How to reduce liability exposure when using scenario analysis?<br>
<font size="-1">more at: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://www.crowdcast.io/e/the-net-is-tightening">https://www.crowdcast.io/e/the-net-is-tightening</a>-</font><br>
<br>
<br>
[another conclusion, well, duh]<br>
<b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/04/180425120245.htm">No
future for egoists -- that's what their brain says!</a></b><br>
<b>Researchers analysed the cerebral activity of egotistical people,
discovering that they do not think about the future if it seems
too far off to concern them</b><br>
Date: April 25, 2018 - Source: Universite de Geneve<br>
Some people are worried about the future consequences of climate
change, while others consider them too remote to have an impact on
their well-being. Researchers at the University of Geneva (UNIGE),
Switzerland, examined how these differences are reflected in our
brains. With the help of neuro-imaging, the scientists found that
people deemed "egotistical" do not use the area of the brain that
enables us to look into and imagine the distant future. In
"altruistic" individuals, on the other hand, the same area is alive
with activity. The research results, published in the journal
Cognitive, Affective & Behavioural Neuroscience, may help
psychologists devise exercises that put this specific area of the
brain to work. These could be used to improve people's ability to
project themselves into the future and raise their awareness of, for
example, the effects of climate change.<br>
- - - - -<br>
Set your projection capabilities to work<br>
These outcomes, which can be applied to areas other than climate
change, demonstrate the importance of being able to think about the
distant future in order to adapt one's behaviour to the future
constraints of the world. "We could imagine a psychological training
that would work on this brain area using projection exercises,"
suggests Brosch. "In particular, we could use virtual reality, which
would make the tomorrow's world visible to everyone, bringing human
beings closer to the consequences of their actions."<br>
<font size="-1"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/04/180425120245.htm">https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/04/180425120245.htm</a></font><br>
<br>
<br>
[book release at climate talks]<br>
We're pleased to announce the publication of our new book:<br>
<b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.cambridge.org/gb/academic/subjects/earth-and-environmental-science/environmental-policy-economics-and-law/governing-climate-change-polycentricity-action?format=HB&isbn=9781108418126#4gzaOyzS1vXUwLtD.97"><u>Governing
Climate Change: Polycentricity in Action?</u></a> <i>Edited
by Andrew Jordan, Dave Huitema, Harro van Asselt and Johanna
Forster, </i> Cambridge University Press.</b><br>
<a
href="http://www.cambridge.org/gb/academic/subjects/earth-and-environmental-science/environmental-policy-economics-and-law/governing-climate-change-polycentricity-action?format=HB&isbn=9781108418126#opo6JACaPqr95w95.97"><b>Available
in Hardback and Open Access</b></a><b>. ISBN 9781108418126</b><br>
Climate change governance is in a state of enormous flux. New and
more dynamic forms of governing are appearing around the
international climate regime centred on the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Some appear to be emerging
spontaneously, producing a more dispersed pattern of governing,
which Nobel Prize laureate Elinor Ostrom described as 'polycentric'.<br>
This new 20-chapter book with Cambridge University Press brings
together contributions from 40 of the world's foremost experts to
provide the first systematic test of the ability of polycentric
thinking to explain and enhance societal attempts to govern climate
change.<br>
It provides<br>
- The first systematic application of polycentric theory in the area
of climate change, offering a much more realistic appreciation of
the potential and limits of polycentric governing<br>
- A novel attempt to comprehend climate governance as a single,
evolving system, rather than a series of isolated parts<br>
- Many fresh insights by a diverse team of international experts on
the most significant domains and processes of governing<br>
With expert contributions from:<br>
Harriet Bulkeley, Michele Betsill, Thomas Hale, Matthew Hoffmann,
Peter Newell, Matthew Paterson, Jan-Peter Vor, Elin Lerum Boasson,
Duncan Liefferink, Jale Tosun, Philipp Pattberg, Sander Chan, Oscar
Widerberg, Kenneth W. Abbott, Katja Biedenkopf, Jorgen Wettestad,
Steven Bernstein and Liliana B. Andonova<br>
Pre-publication praise:<br>
"brings [an] important conceptual debate to a higher level…. This
superbly edited volume is an essential collection for both theorists
and practitioners of modern global climate governance." Prof Frank
Biermann<br>
"delivers an excellent critical assessment, markedly advances the
state-of-the-art, and provides a systematic and inspiring basis for
future research." Prof Sebastian Oberthür<br>
"a major contribution to the critical debate … on polycentric
governance…. [B]reaks inspiring new ground in the vitally important
project of governing climate change." Prof Tiffany H. Morrison<br>
<b>Further details: </b><a
href="http://www.cambridge.org/gb/academic/subjects/earth-and-environmental-science/environmental-policy-economics-and-law/governing-climate-change-polycentricity-action?format=HB&isbn=9781108418126#opo6JACaPqr95w95.97"><b>http://www.cambridge.org/gb/academic/subjects/earth-and-environmental-science/environmental-policy-economics-and-law/governing-climate-change-polycentricity-action?format=HB&isbn=9781108418126#opo6JACaPqr95w95.97</b></a><br>
The book is linked to a <b>Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)</b>
developed by the Open University of the Netherlands, launching in
May 2018. For further details about the MOOC or the INOGOV network
on innovations in climate policy governance, <a
href="https://inogov.eu">click here</a>.<br>
<b>To join the INOGOV network</b> and receive information about many
other outputs <a
href="http://inogov.us9.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=e9f15f2620fc0790ae1c65183&id=5e80d9fe79">click
here</a>.<br>
<br>
<br>
[2 minute video message to children ]<br>
<b><a href="https://youtu.be/1m-4xbyZGDE">The Future We See</a></b><br>
Published 2017 Grantham Imperial<br>
The Paris Agreement has galvanised global commitment to taking
strong action on climate change. To limit the average global
temperature rise to two degrees Celcius, the future will involve a
mix of new technologies, business scenarios and personal decisions.
The Grantham Institute is working with policymakers, business
leaders and researchers to evaluate decarbonisation pathways and
help make the transition to a low-carbon future. Find out more on
our website:
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated"
href="http://www.imperial.ac.uk/grantham/our-work/mitigation/the-path-to-a-low-carbon-future">www.imperial.ac.uk/grantham/our-work/mitigation/the-path-to-a-low-carbon-future</a>
<br>
Expect the Unexpected: the Disruptive Power of Low-carbon
Technology, is a report produced by the Grantham Institute in
partnership with Carbon Tracker Initiative. It explores the
disruptive power of low-carbon technology by looking at how ongoing
cost reductions could see solar photovoltaics (PV) and electric
vehicles (EVs) impact future demand for coal, oil and gas. <br>
<font size="-1"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://youtu.be/1m-4xbyZGDE">https://youtu.be/1m-4xbyZGDE</a></font><br>
- - - -<br>
[very mature messages ]<br>
<b><a
href="http://www.imperial.ac.uk/grantham/publications/expect-the-unexpected-the-disruptive-power-of-low-carbon-technology.php">Expect
the unexpected: The disruptive power of low-carbon technology</a></b><br>
Topics: Mitigation<br>
Type: Collaborative publications<br>
Publication date: February 2017<br>
Download <b><a
href="http://www.imperial.ac.uk/media/imperial-college/grantham-institute/public/publications/collaborative-publications/Expect-the-Unexpected_CTI_Imperial.pdf">Expect
the unexpected: The disruptive power of low-carbon technology
[PDF]</a></b><br>
Summary:<br>
<blockquote>Achieving climate stability will require deep and
widespread changes in the global energy sector. Fossil fuel
industry projections, however, continue to present a future energy
system that is very similar to that of today. This is in spite of
recent examples of disruption in the energy sector at the hands of
the low-carbon transition, namely for EU utilities and the US coal
sector.<br>
<br>
This scenario analysis was produced in partnership between Carbon
Tracker and the Grantham Institute at Imperial College London and
explores the extent to which ongoing cost reductions could see
solar photovoltaics (PV) and electric vehicles (EVs) impact future
demand for coal, oil and gas. The findings of this study should
motivate energy companies and their investors to retire the use of
business-as-usual scenarios (BAU) and further integrate the
consideration of downside demand scenarios.<br>
</blockquote>
Following the launch of this report, the Grantham Institute hosted a
workshop that convened energy modellers, analysts and researchers
from a range of organisations to discuss the changing face of
'business as usual' and reference scenarios in energy modelling. <br>
<font size="-1"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://www.imperial.ac.uk/grantham/publications/expect-the-unexpected-the-disruptive-power-of-low-carbon-technology.php">http://www.imperial.ac.uk/grantham/publications/expect-the-unexpected-the-disruptive-power-of-low-carbon-technology.php</a><br>
</font>- - - -<br>
[arcane study of business as usual]<br>
To find out more, download the workshop notes: <a
href="http://www.imperial.ac.uk/media/imperial-college/grantham-institute/public/website/BAU-workshop-5-July-2017.pdf">BAU
energy modelling workshop - discussion notes [pdf]</a><br>
<br>
<br>
[wanderers, close-to-the land]<br>
<b><a
href="http://www.aguanomics.com/2018/05/the-vulnerability-of-pastoralism-to.html">The
vulnerability of pastoralism to climate change</a></b><br>
Posted: 04 May 2018 - Pieter writes:<br>
Central to our response to climate change, at any scale and in any
form, should be an understanding vulnerability. A group is <a
href="http://dismalmoron.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Vulnerability.pdf">vulnerable
[pdf] </a>when it is "susceptible to, and unable to cope with,
adverse effects". Most definitions of vulnerability stress three
variables:<br>
<blockquote>Exposure: the magnitude, frequency, duration, and
geographical coverage of environmental pressures experienced.<br>
Sensitivity: the extent to which social equilibria are altered or
affected by change.<br>
Adaptive capacity: the ability to evolve to accommodate changes in
the environment and to increase the scope of the variability it
can cope with.<br>
</blockquote>
I argue that pastoralist livelihoods are particularly vulnerable to
climate change, referring to the case of the Maasai in Kenya and
Tanzania for empirical support. It is worth identifying <a
href="http://www.fao.org/wairdocs/ILRI/x5510E/x5510e02.htm">the
two fundamental characteristics of pastoralism</a>: animal
husbandry and nomadism. The Maasai are <a
href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2015.00046/full">well
known</a> for owning cows, goats, and sheep, and today still roam
a total of <a href="http://www.maasai-association.org/maasai.html">160,000
km2.</a> It is these features that underlie the vulnerability of
pastoralism.<br>
<b>A Maasai in Nairobi</b><br>
To sustain their livestock, pastoralists tend to live in rural
environments that allow for free movement to locations with
sufficient natural resources. This lifestyle involves greater
exposure to climate patterns, and the Maasai are severely impacted
by draughts for example. Currently East Africa, and Kenya in
particular, faces a <a
href="https://reliefweb.int/disaster/dr-2014-000131-ken">draught</a>
[drought] that has persisted since 2016, with higher temperatures, a
longer duration, and greater geographical range relative to previous
occurrences.<br>
The Maasai livelihood is sensitive to increasingly intense climate
change. The draught has substantively <a
href="https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-anthro-091908-164442">reduced</a>
the area suitable for grazing cattle, forcing sedentism and
diminishing the viability of maintaining livestock. In other words,
the existence of pastoralism as an identity and as a livelihood
strategy is under attack. Maasai are above all <a
href="https://anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1525/ae.1982.9.1.02a00010">people-of-cattle</a>,
and it is thought that all other values originate from this central
commitment. Additionally, the quantity of livestock is an important
determinant of social status and wealth. Lastly, <a
href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00141844.1987.9981349">their
cattle provide</a> nutrition, as well as financial capital for
food, tuition fees, and other basic necessities. Therefore,
pastoralism is undermined by the decrease in natural, social, and
financial capital as a consequence of changes in climate,
demonstrating its sensitivity.<br>
Finally, the adaptive capacity of individual pastoralists themselves
is likely to be sufficient. The Maasai, for example, are
progressively becoming <a
href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09540253.2016.1156061">educated</a>,
preparing children for employment in formal economic sectors.
Alternatively, people <a
href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9781136029127/chapters/10.4324%2F9780203798416-12">migrate
</a>to nearby cities (e.g. Nairobi and Arusha), start agricultural
cultivation, or trade in goods like charcoal and sand. However,
these forms of income diversification come at the cost of a pastoral
livelihood, threatening its preservation as a way of life.<br>
Bottom line: Pastoralist livelihoods are vulnerable to climate
change as its fundamental characteristics are exposed and sensitive
to environmental pressures, while adaptation comes at the cost of
their traditional lifestyle. <br>
<font size="-1"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://www.aguanomics.com/2018/05/the-vulnerability-of-pastoralism-to.html">http://www.aguanomics.com/2018/05/the-vulnerability-of-pastoralism-to.html</a></font><br>
<br>
<br>
<font size="+1"><b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/for-president-obama-a-renewed-focus-on-climate/2014/05/04/6b81412c-d144-11e3-9e25-188ebe1fa93b_story.html?hpid=z1">This
Day in Climate History - May 5, 2014</a> - from D.R. Tucker</b></font><br>
May 5, 2014, The Washington Post reports:<br>
<blockquote>"After years of putting other policy priorities first —
and dismaying many liberal allies in the process — Obama is now
getting into the weeds on climate change and considers it one of
the key components of his legacy, according to aides and advisers.<br>
<br>
"He is regularly briefed on scientific reports on the issue,
including a national climate assessment that he will help showcase
Tuesday. He is using his executive authority to cut greenhouse gas
emissions from power plants and other sources, and is moving ahead
with stricter fuel-efficiency standards for the heaviest trucks.<br>
<br>
"And while he routinely brings up climate change in closed-door
meetings with world leaders, according to his aides, he also
discusses it in his private life, talking about global warming’s
implications with his teenage daughters."<br>
</blockquote>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/for-president-obama-a-renewed-focus-on-climate/2014/05/04/6b81412c-d144-11e3-9e25-188ebe1fa93b_story.html?hpid=z1">http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/for-president-obama-a-renewed-focus-on-climate/2014/05/04/6b81412c-d144-11e3-9e25-188ebe1fa93b_story.html?hpid=z1</a><br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.msnbc.com/now-with-alex-wagner/watch/white-house-to-release-climate-assessment-247391811973">http://www.msnbc.com/now-with-alex-wagner/watch/white-house-to-release-climate-assessment-247391811973</a><br>
<br>
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