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<i><font size="+1"><b>April 21, 2020</b></font></i><br>
<br>
[CNBC opinion]<br>
<b>The coronavirus crisis means we may have already reached peak
carbon</b><br>
KEY POINTS<br>
- The Covid-19 outbreak has meant countries around the world have
effectively had to shut down, with many governments imposing
draconian restrictions on the daily lives of billions of people.<br>
- A side-effect of these confinement measures has been a dramatic
fall in the level of global carbon emissions.<br>
- "This time could be different as we have potentially already
reached peak energy-related carbon," analysts at Goldman Sachs said
in a research note.<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/20/the-coronavirus-crisis-means-we-may-have-already-reached-peak-carbon.html">https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/20/the-coronavirus-crisis-means-we-may-have-already-reached-peak-carbon.html</a><br>
<br>
<br>
[Climate and Security]<br>
<b>Coronavirus shows we are not at all prepared for the security
threat of climate change</b><br>
- - -<br>
While traditionally a great power like the US might step forward to
direct a collective international response, instead the Trump
administration has repeatedly chosen to blindside its allies with
the introduction of new limitations on trade and movement of
peoples. This mismanagement has led to each nation going on its own,
despite the fact that working together would net greater gains for
all. As the New York Times's Mark Landler put it, the voices of
world leaders are forming "less a choir than a cacophony", leading
to mixed global messages, undetected spread, and ongoing fights over
limited resources...<br>
- - -<br>
A warming world will only result in more disaster-related events for
power-hungry leaders to take advantage of in the years ahead. From
the nationalisation of resources to the deployment of militaries in
response to climate shocks, it can be all-too-easy for public safety
needs to bleed into personal political opportunities. The
second-order effects of climate change, from supply chain
instability to the migration of peoples, will also provide
authoritarian leaders more fodder for their ethno-nationalist
ideologies, which inflame divisions in society and could help
broaden their personal appeal. Without clear and sturdy limits on
executive power, the disruptive impacts of climate change will be
used to further chip away at democratic freedoms across the world...<br>
<b>Overlapping shocks are the new normal</b><br>
Finally, this situation is teaching the globalised world new lessons
on the devastating consequences of compounding shocks. Managing a
deadly global pandemic is bad enough, even before you layer on the
massive unemployment, trade disruptions and economic shutdown that
its mitigation sets in motion.<br>
<br>
The months ahead will bring about additional crises - some related
to the pandemic, like a massive uptick in public debt used to bail
out national economies. But other near-term shocks may themselves be
climate change-induced, from new forecasts for large-scale floods
this spring in the central US, to a prospective repeat of 2019's
severe summer heat waves across Europe.<br>
<br>
These disasters have the potential to strike just at the time when
people are being advised to shelter inside, many in at-risk areas
and without adequate indoor cooling. Overlapping, historic shocks
like this are becoming the new normal in our climate-changed era. As
public disaster response budgets spiral and loss of life mounts each
year, governments will continue to struggle to contain their
compounding damage.<br>
<br>
Scientists and security professionals alike have long warned about
the devastating potential of climate change, alluding to how it
might rattle our global governance systems to breaking point. But
few could have expected that the fissures in our institutions would
be revealed so soon, let alone on such a disturbingly large scale.<br>
<br>
We can treat the current global crisis as a sort of "stress test" on
these institutions, exposing their vulnerabilities but also
providing the urgent impetus to build new resilience. In that light,
we could successfully rebound from this moment with more solid
global security and cooperation than we knew going into it.
Decision-makers should take a hard look at their current responses,
problem-solving methods, and institutional design with future
climate forecasts like our Threat Assessment in mind.<br>
<br>
We know that even steeper and more frequent global shocks are in
store, particularly without serious climate change mitigation
efforts. What we don't yet know is whether we'll repeat current
patterns of mismanagement and abuse, or if we'll chart a more
proactive and resilient course through the risks that lie ahead.<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://climateandsecurity.org/2020/04/20/coronavirus-shows-we-are-not-at-all-prepared-for-the-security-threat-of-climate-change/">https://climateandsecurity.org/2020/04/20/coronavirus-shows-we-are-not-at-all-prepared-for-the-security-threat-of-climate-change/</a><br>
- - -<br>
[released in Feb 2020]<br>
<b>A Security Threat Assessment of Global Climate Change</b><br>
A Security Threat Assessment of Global Climate Change: A Product of
the National Security, Military and Intelligence Panel on Climate
Change<br>
- - -<br>
"Even at scenarios of low warming, each region of the world will
face severe risks to national and global security in the next three
decades. Higher levels of warming will pose catastrophic, and likely
irreversible, global security risks over the course of the 21st
century."<br>
<br>
The report, titled "A Security Threat Assessment of Global Climate
Change: How Likely Warming Scenarios Indicate a Catastrophic
Security Future," is a first of its kind, bringing together a panel
of security professionals to analyze the security implications of
two future warming scenarios (near term: 1-2C and medium-long term:
2-4+C). It identifies major threats, including heightened social and
political instability, and risks to U.S. military missions and
infrastructure, as well as security institutions, at both warming
scenarios and across all regions of the world. Key findings and
recommendations include:<br>
<b>Key findings</b><br>
1. A near-term scenario of climate change, in which the world warms
1-2C/1.8-3.6F over pre-industrial levels by mid-century, would pose
'High' to 'Very High' security threats. A medium-to-long term
scenario in which the world warms as high as 2-4+C/3.6-7.2F would
pose a 'Very High' to 'Catastrophic' threat to global and national
security. The world has already warmed to slightly below 1C compared
to pre-industrial temperatures.<br>
2. At all levels of warming (1-4+C/1.8-7.2+F), climate change will
pose significant and evolving threats to global security
environments, infrastructure, and institutions.<br>
3. While at lower warming thresholds, the most fragile parts of the
world are the most at risk, all regions of the world will face
serious implications. High warming scenarios could bring about
catastrophic security impacts across the globe.<br>
4. These threats could come about rapidly, destabilizing the regions
and relationships on which U.S. and international security depend.<br>
5. Climate change will present significant threats to U.S. military
missions across all of its geographic areas of responsibility
(AORs), as well as to regional security institutions and
infrastructure that are critical for maintaining global security.<br>
<b>Key recommendations</b><br>
1. Mitigating these risks requires quickly reducing and phasing out
global greenhouse gas emissions. We call for the world to achieve
net-zero global emissions as soon as possible in a manner that is
ambitious, safe, equitable, and well-governed, in order to avoid
severe and catastrophic security futures.<br>
2. The world must also "climate-proof" environments, infrastructure,
institutions, and systems on which human security depends, and so we
call for rapidly building resilience to current and expected impacts
of climate change. With future-oriented investments in adaptation,
disaster response, and peacebuilding<br>
3. In the United States, we call for renewed efforts to prioritize,
communicate, and respond to climate security threats, and to
integrate these considerations across all security planning...<br>
- - -<br>
full report at -
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://climateandsecurity.org/a-security-threat-assessment-of-global-climate-change/">https://climateandsecurity.org/a-security-threat-assessment-of-global-climate-change/</a><br>
<br>
<br>
[Wednesday 22nd April is the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day.] <br>
<b>THE THREE DAYS</b><br>
Earth Day Live will feature a three-day livestream where millions of
people can join activists, celebrities, musicians, and more in an
epic moment of community and hope for the future.<br>
<b>Strike, divest, and vote for our future.</b><br>
From April 22, the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, to April 24,
activists, performers, thought leaders, and artists will come
together for an empowering, inspiring, and communal three day
livestream mobilization.<br>
The fights against the coronavirus and the climate crisis go
hand-in-hand, and as we work to flatten the curve of this pandemic,
we must strive toward the longer term goal of building a society
rooted in sustainability and justice.<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://www.earthdaylive2020.org/?source=earthdaylivebanner">https://www.earthdaylive2020.org/?source=earthdaylivebanner</a><br>
<br>
<br>
[Global food report - serious, succinct data ]<br>
<b>5 Most Impacted Regions: 2019 Climate & Crop Overview</b><br>
Geosys is producing an annual report in which we review the past
agricultural seasons weather and growing conditions to better
understand the impacts of climate change on major crops. Using
unbiased satellite data analytics, we complied our inaugural report
to see what took place in 10 major growing regions. <br>
Few industries - if any - feel the direct impacts of climate change
more than agriculture. As weather patterns become more extreme, so
do the risks.<br>
<br>
Geosys has been monitoring crops across the globe using
industry-leading satellite and weather data for more than 30 years.
Through the unbiased lens of data analytics, our team has evaluated
the impact of climate change on crop production in key growing
regions. The need for sustainable agricultural practices is
undeniable. Through enhanced crop monitoring, we can support better
management decisions in-season and mitigate risk in order to meet
the demands of a growing population.<br>
<br>
Here we provide an overview of the 5 most impacted crop regions
based on the 2019 Climate & Crop Report.<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://bit.ly/19climatecrop">https://bit.ly/19climatecrop</a>
- which includes a link to the complete report. <br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://www.urthecast.com/5-most-impacted-regions-2019-climate-crop-overview/">https://www.urthecast.com/5-most-impacted-regions-2019-climate-crop-overview/</a>
<br>
<br>
<br>
[long known]<br>
<b>Climate Change Multiplies the Threats of Infectious Diseases</b><br>
"Climate change didn't cause the pandemic, and climate change
directly causes very few of them," Hayhoe told Truthout. "But what
climate change does is it interacts with, and in many cases has the
potential to exacerbate the impacts."<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://truthout.org/articles/climate-change-multiplies-the-threats-of-infectious-diseases/">https://truthout.org/articles/climate-change-multiplies-the-threats-of-infectious-diseases/</a><br>
<br>
<br>
[Public Health]<br>
<b>Covid-19 and Climate Change Threats Compound in Minority
Communities</b><br>
Port Arthur, Texas, is a case in point: disproportionately hit by
hurricanes, fossil-fuel pollution and now, the coronavirus<br>
- - -<br>
The Gulf Coast city of 55,000 is home to a disproportionately high
number of industrial polluters in relation to its population, as
well as to the largest oil refinery in the country. When combined
with its neighboring town of Beaumont, the region hosts one of the
highest concentrations across Texas of facilities that emit
chemicals toxic enough that they must be reported to the
Environmental Protection Agency, according to agency data. The city
is also inhabited predominantly by people of color, with a third of
the population African American. <br>
<br>
"Apparently we are being looked upon as a sacrifice zone for the
nation and the rest of the world to have sulfur free gasoline,"
Kelley said, referring to the way refining removes sulfur from crude
oil.<br>
- - -<br>
African Americans are three times more likely to die from asthma
than white Americans, Hollis said, and they also have the highest
rate of deaths from heart disease-all of which compounds the group's
susceptibility to coronavirus.<br>
<br>
"By him [Trump] relaxing these laws and regulations, it's a sure
nail in the coffin for a lot of folks here in the Jefferson County
area," said Port Arthur's Kelley. "It is a death sentence is what it
is. We are already dying."<br>
<br>
It's not the only recent action the administration has taken that is
likely to harm communities most vulnerable to both Covid-19 and
climate change. In 2018, the Trump administration proposed a rule
that would place limits on the science used in decision-making by
the Environmental Protection Agency, including studies that could
hold clues to Covid-19. <br>
<br>
And this week, the administration ignored the advice from government
scientists to strengthen the national air quality standard for fine
soot, despite recent research linking exposure to the particles with
higher coronavirus death rates.<br>
<br>
"In the last four years, the actions engineered by this
administration to put profits over people have been especially
detrimental to environmental justice communities, which include
people of color, poor people and our indigenous brothers and
sisters," Hollis said in a statement.<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/covid-19-and-climate-change-threats-compound-in-minority-communities/">https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/covid-19-and-climate-change-threats-compound-in-minority-communities/</a><br>
<br>
<br>
[Internet webcast]<br>
<b>Seattle Arts & Lectures Journalism Series presents Elizabeth
Kolbert</b><br>
April 22 @ 7:30 pm - 10:00 pm $10<br>
...an online event with Pulitzer Prize-winning environmental
journalist Elizabeth Kolbert on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day,
April 22, at 7:30 PM. Kolbert is the author of The Sixth Extinction,
and has traveled from Alaska to Greenland, visiting top scientists
to get to the heart of the debate over global warming. This lecture
is only available to ticket holders, and we have introduced a
special Digital Pass ticket for $10. A Q&A conversation between
Elizabeth Kolbert and Sam Howe Verhovek will follow and is free and
open to the public.<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://earthdaynw2020.org/event/seattle-arts-lectures-journalism-series-presents-elizabeth-kolbert/">https://earthdaynw2020.org/event/seattle-arts-lectures-journalism-series-presents-elizabeth-kolbert/</a><br>
<br>
<br>
[NYTimes designs the ultimate Web page for book reviews]<br>
<b>The Year You Finally Read a Book About Climate Change</b><br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/climate/climate-change-books.html">https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/climate/climate-change-books.html</a><br>
- - -<br>
[Video call]<br>
<b>The Greenhouse: This Climate Book Is For You</b><br>
APRIL 22, 2020<br>
Want to read more about climate change but don't know where to
start? Let us help. On Earth Day, check out this list of essential
climate change books. Whatever your specific interest, we have
something that can help you pass the time.<br>
- -<br>
In the third session of The Greenhouse, our digital event series
about climate change, join our climate reporter, Kendra
Pierre-Louis, and Gal Beckerman, an editor at The New York Times
Book Review, as they discuss some of our top climate book picks.
They will also be joined by Amitav Ghosh, author of The Great
Derangement.<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://timesevents.nytimes.com/climate-book">https://timesevents.nytimes.com/climate-book</a><br>
<br>
<br>
[Digging back into the internet news archive]<br>
<font size="+1"><b>On this day in the history of global warming -
April 21, 1993 </b></font><br>
President Clinton pledges to combat carbon pollution in an Earth Day
address.<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://c-spanvideo.org/program/DayAd">http://c-spanvideo.org/program/DayAd</a>
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=46460">http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=46460</a>
<br>
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