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<font size="+1"><i>October 24, 2018</i></font><br>
<br>
[getting it]<br>
<b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/23102018/scientist-congress-house-race-candidate-Kopser-Casten-Luria-climate-change-trump-agenda">A
Record Number of Scientists Are Running for Congress, and They
Get Climate Change</a></b><br>
More than a dozen scientists are candidates for U.S. House and
Senate seats this year in a wave fueled by the Trump
Administration's anti-science agenda.<br>
By Marianne Lavelle<br>
OCT 23, 2018<br>
- - - -<br>
At that time, it was unclear whether protest would translate to
sustained political action. But science advocates were further
galvanized by the Trump administration's sidelining of federal
scientists and advisers and rollback of environmental protections.
By the start of this year, hundreds of scientists were seeking
office at the local, state, and federal levels, most of them for the
first time, according to 314 Action, a non-profit that seeks to
recruit and support scientists in politics and has an affiliated
political action committee.<br>
<br>
"I think the general war on truth and fact that the Trump
administration has launched has outraged not just the scientific
community, but a lot of average Americans who know that the sun
rises in the East," said 314 Action's founder and president,
Shaughnessy Naughton.<br>
Many of the more than 60 scientist candidates who were running for
Congress lost in the primaries, but that hasn't discouraged Naughton
or other supporters.<br>
<br>
"I think that's just a reflection that a lot of scientists are not
strong on political skills," said Rush Holt, chief executive officer
of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), a
physicist who himself made the transition from the lab to
legislative chamber. Representing New Jersey's 12th district in the
U.S. House of Representatives for 16 years, at a time a handful of
scientists served in Congress, Holt said he saw first-hand how their
presence could make a difference...<br>
- - -- <br>
"Part of what we see as our mission is holding politicians
accountable," she said. "I can confidently say that politicians are
in the business of self-preservation, and when they find things
don't work electorally, they'll stop doing it."<br>
<br>
Naughton, a chemist, founded <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.314action.org/">314 Action </a>after her own
failed run for Congress in a district in the suburbs of Philadelphia
in 2016. She wanted to establish a group that could provide training
and institutional support for scientist candidates and modeled it
after Emily's List, which seeks to elect more women. (The name 314
comes from the first three digits of the mathematical constant Pi.)
The group has raised more than $2 million, some of which it hopes to
use on ads this fall in support of the 13 candidates it has
endorsed, from an emergency room physician in Arizona to a physicist
in Tennessee.<br>
<font size="-1">more at -
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/23102018/scientist-congress-house-race-candidate-Kopser-Casten-Luria-climate-change-trump-agenda">https://insideclimatenews.org/news/23102018/scientist-congress-house-race-candidate-Kopser-Casten-Luria-climate-change-trump-agenda</a></font><br>
<br>
<br>
[Antarctica]<br>
<b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/11/antarctica-climate-change-western-peninsula-ice-melt-krill-penguin-leopard-seal/?user.testname=none">THE
BIG MELTDOWN</a></b><br>
As the Antarctic Peninsula heats up, the rules of life there are
being ripped apart. Alarmed scientists aren't sure what all the
change means for the future.<br>
BY CRAIG WELCH<br>
- - -<br>
On the rugged peninsula, Antarctica's stillness is punctuated by
squawking and chattering and concentrated motion. It's a place of
bizarre angles: Blue-white glaciers flow to the ocean and calve into
icebergs that assume every form imaginable. Bergs the size of small
towns reach into the clouds. Even dozens of miles away, you hear
them crack and explode like cannons...<br>
- - -<br>
<font size="-1">more at -
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/11/antarctica-climate-change-western-peninsula-ice-melt-krill-penguin-leopard-seal/?user.testname=none">https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/11/antarctica-climate-change-western-peninsula-ice-melt-krill-penguin-leopard-seal/?user.testname=none</a></font><br>
<br>
<br>
[read the digital comic on your screen]<br>
<b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://thenib.com/can-climate-science-be-rendered-conservative-friendly">Interesting
cartoon version of the climate communications problem. </a></b><br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://thenib.com/can-climate-science-be-rendered-conservative-friendly">https://thenib.com/can-climate-science-be-rendered-conservative-friendly</a>
<br>
- - -<br>
[from the 2010 classic essay by Dave Roberts] <br>
<b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://grist.org/article/2010-09-09-the-rights-climate-denialism-is-part-of-something-much-larger/">The
right's climate denialism is part of something much larger</a></b><br>
<font size="-1"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://grist.org/article/2010-09-09-the-rights-climate-denialism-is-part-of-something-much-larger/">https://grist.org/article/2010-09-09-the-rights-climate-denialism-is-part-of-something-much-larger/</a></font><br>
<br>
<br>
[Exxon and carbon tax]<br>
<b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://www.vox.com/2018/10/18/17983866/climate-change-exxon-carbon-tax-lawsuit">Exxon
is lobbying for a carbon tax. There is, obviously, a catch.</a></b><br>
The oil giant wants immunity from lawsuits that would make it pay
for the damages of climate change.<br>
By Umair Irfan - Oct 18, 2018<br>
- - -<br>
There's some debate about whether this is a cynical delay tactic, a
show of genuine concern for the environment, or an act of rational
self-interest in a changing energy landscape. (Or as the Onion put
it, "ExxonMobil CEO Depressed After Realizing Earth Could End Before
They Finish Extracting All The Oil.")<br>
<br>
But what's gone largely unnoticed is that Exxon's proposal comes
with a massive catch: In exchange for a tax, the company wants
immunity from all climate lawsuits in the future.<br>
<br>
Cities across the United States are currently suing oil companies to
make them pay for damages wrought by climate change, which could put
companies like Exxon on the hook for billions of dollars in payouts.<br>
<br>
The proposal Exxon wants to enact is one that would shield the
company from lawsuits while also preventing further climate change
regulations. All in all, it would grant oil companies the kind of
immunity from litigation the gun industry currently enjoys...<br>
- - - <br>
<b>Pricing carbon dioxide at $40 per ton is nowhere near enough to
fight climate change</b><br>
Oil companies have been trying to rebrand themselves as "energy"
companies for decades, dating back to the oil embargo in the 1970s.
Many invested in renewables and hydrogen fuels before. BP once
branded itself "Beyond Petroleum" and was at one point one of the
largest solar panel manufacturers in the world.<br>
<br>
At the same time, fossil fuel companies have campaigned for decades
against environmental regulations of any sort, particularly those
around climate. That's why some observers are cynical about Exxon's
sincerity in curbing greenhouse gas emissions.<br>
<font size="-1">more at-
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://www.vox.com/2018/10/18/17983866/climate-change-exxon-carbon-tax-lawsuit">https://www.vox.com/2018/10/18/17983866/climate-change-exxon-carbon-tax-lawsuit</a></font><br>
<br>
<br>
[classic studies]<br>
<b><a moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://climateshiftproject.org/">ENVIRONMENTAL
ISSUES, COMMUNICATION & THE MEDIA</a></b><br>
by MATTHEW NISBET on Sep 21, 2015 <br>
In a Spring 2016 course, students analyze major debates over the
environment, climate change, and related technologies, studying how
they are portrayed by experts, advocates, and the media; and
evaluating the implications for effective public communication,
policymaker engagement, and personal decision-making.<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://climateshiftproject.org">http://climateshiftproject.org</a><br>
<br>
<br>
[Legal]<br>
<b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://www.climateliabilitynews.org/2018/10/22/animal-rights-climate-suit-us-government/">Latest
Climate Suit Vs. U.S. Government Launched by Animal Rights Group</a></b><br>
By Seamus McGraw<br>
Does the U.S. Constitution, with its guarantees of liberty and
privacy, also impose an obligation on the part of the federal
government to protect those wild places where liberty and privacy
can best be enjoyed?<br>
<br>
That is the question the Animal Legal Defense Fund is hoping to test
with a groundbreaking lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court in
Oregon.<br>
<br>
The suit marks a unique twist in an emerging series of so-called
Atmospheric Trust cases, in which defendants allege that actions by
the government have helped fuel climate change, which has degraded
the environment and violated individual rights. In this case, the
suit alleges Americans' constitutionally protected right to "to seek
liberty and privacy in the wilderness . . . the right to be left
alone . . . has been impeded substantially by climate change," said
Carter Dillard, senior policy advisor for the Animal Legal Defense
Fund.<br>
<br>
"The argument is pretty straightforward in that the government's
actions and inactions with regard to climate change are impacting
wilderness areas in dramatic ways and in some cases in
life-threatening ways," Dillard said.<br>
<br>
In effect, Dillard said, the suit contends that those changes, and
the government policies that contribute to them--including subsidies
to the fossil fuel industry and agricultural interests--have already
harmed the plaintiffs, among them scientists, wildlife advocates and
people who enjoy the outdoors. Dillard said those harms are
especially clear in areas designated as protected under the
Wilderness Act.<br>
<br>
"Areas established by the Wilderness Act are protected based on
their solitude," Dillard said. "The very concept of wilderness has
to do with solitude. That...matches up with documentation at the
foundation of the country that refers to the right to be free from
others.<br>
<br>
"If you have the right to be left alone, and the quintessence of
being left alone is being in the wilderness and if that area is
being degraded, if not attacked, by our own federal government so
that people can't be left alone due to the unwanted influence of
climate change, isn't the government violating the right to freedom
and liberty?" Dillard said.<br>
<br>
The lawsuit, spearheaded by Jessica Blome of Greenfire Law of
Berkeley, Calif., names the Department of Interior, the Department
of Agriculture and other agencies as defendants...<br>
<font size="-1">more at -
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://www.climateliabilitynews.org/2018/10/22/animal-rights-climate-suit-us-government/">https://www.climateliabilitynews.org/2018/10/22/animal-rights-climate-suit-us-government/</a></font><br>
<br>
<br>
[Petals to the meditation]<br>
<b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-are-japans-cherry-blossom-trees-blooming-fall-180970590/">Why
Are Japan's Cherry Blossom Trees Blooming in Fall?</a></b><br>
By Brigit Katz<br>
SMITHSONIAN.COM - OCTOBER 19, 2018<br>
Each spring, Japan is crowned with a fluttery wreath of pink cherry
blossoms, which draw crowds of admirers and inspire many
celebrations. But this year, as Laurel Wamsley reports for NPR, the
country's cherry blossoms have made an unexpected second
appearance--in the middle of fall.<br>
<br>
More than 350 people reported seeing the ephemeral flowers this
autumn, though it isn't clear if or to what extent the reports
overlap. According to Japanese broadcaster NHK, the blossoms have
been sighted in an area stretching from Kyushu, in western Japan, to
Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan's main islands.<br>
<br>
Recent extreme weather events, including two typhoons that hit Japan
in September and early October, are the likely force behind the
unusual bloom. Hiroyuki Wada of the Flower Association of Japan
tells NHK that the Yoshino cherry tree, which puts on a particularly
lovely display of blossoms, buds in the summer, but hormones in the
trees' leaves stop the buds from opening until spring. This year,
however, typhoons whipped the leaves from the cherry blossom trees,
or otherwise exposed the trees to salt that caused their leaves to
wither. The lack of hormones to keep the buds in check, coupled with
warm temperatures that followed the storms, prompted the buds to
blossom.<br>
<br>
"This has happened in the past," Wada tells NHK, "but I don't
remember seeing anything on this scale."<br>
<br>
Japan's love for its cherry blossom trees stretches all the way back
to the 8th century, when strolling among the beautiful flowers was a
favorite pastime of the aristocracy. The democratization of
cherry-blossom appreciation occurred later, in the 18th century,
when Japan's esteemed ruler Tokugawa Yoshimune planted cherry
blossom trees in public spaces in Tokyo (known then as Edo).<br>
<br>
Though the recent bloom is particularly anomalous, the cherry
blossoms' flowering date has been creeping earlier and earlier over
the past 150-odd years, Jason Samenow of the Washington Post
reported last year. In Kyoto in 1850, for instance, the average
bloom date was April 17. Today, the average date is around April 6.
Various factors affect the trees' blooming period, but "the warmer
it is in March, the earlier the cherry blossoms bloom," Samenow
writes.<br>
<br>
The buds that are flourishing now in Japan won't open again in the
spring, but fortunately, the proportion of blossoms that have opened
in recent days is relatively small. So, Wada tells NHK, the
unseasonal bloom is not likely to affect the splendor of the cherry
blossoms next spring.<br>
<font size="-1"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-are-japans-cherry-blossom-trees-blooming-fall-180970590/">https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-are-japans-cherry-blossom-trees-blooming-fall-180970590/</a></font><br>
<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://web.archive.org/web/20031124102135/http://www.rep.org/opinions/speeches/33.html"><br>
</a><font size="+1"><b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://web.archive.org/web/20031124102135/http://www.rep.org/opinions/speeches/33.html">This
Day in Climate History - October 24, 2003</a> - from D.R.
Tucker</b></font><br>
October 24, 2003: At the University of Chicago, Jim DiPeso of
Republicans for Environmental Protection discusses the
McCain-Lieberman Climate Stewardship Act and the urgent need to
combat carbon pollution:<br>
<blockquote>"We have two choices. We can ignore what the scientists
are telling us, convince ourselves that nothing can be done, and
abrogate the inter-generational contract we have with unborn
generations. Or, we can accept what the scientists are telling us,
roll up our sleeves, and take on the climate challenge."<br>
</blockquote>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://web.archive.org/web/20031124102135/http://www.rep.org/opinions/speeches/33.html">http://web.archive.org/web/20031124102135/http://www.rep.org/opinions/speeches/33.html</a><br>
<br>
<br>
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