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<p><i><font size="+1"><b>November 19, 2020</b></font></i></p>
[still dry tinder]<br>
<b>Several wildfires pushed by very strong winds break out in
Northern California and Western Nevada</b><br>
AuthorBill GabbertPosted onNovember 18,
2020CategoriesWildfireTagsCalifornia, Gulch Fire, Laura 2 Fire,
Mountain View Fire, Nevada, Pinehaven Fire<br>
Near Reno, Nevada and in California, Walker, Doyle, and Vinton<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://wildfiretoday.com/2020/11/18/several-wildfires-pushed-by-very-strong-winds-break-out-in-northern-california-and-western-nevada/">https://wildfiretoday.com/2020/11/18/several-wildfires-pushed-by-very-strong-winds-break-out-in-northern-california-and-western-nevada/</a>
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[sign of the times]<br>
Capital Weather Gang<br>
<b>Slew of rapidly intensifying hurricanes portends trouble in a
warming world</b><br>
Ten storms rapidly intensified this Atlantic season, some to a
record degree...<br>
- -<br>
Two of the storms that intensified at the fastest rates occurred in
the past two weeks, which is unusually late in the hurricane season.
Hurricanes Eta and Iota each intensified by 80 mph in 24 hours, a
rate that had been achieved just eight times before this year, and
never after October, said research meteorologist Sam Lillo of the
University of Colorado at Boulder...<br>
- -<br>
This year also had three storms that intensified by 100 mph in 36
hours, something Lillo says previously happened with only eight
storms.<br>
<br>
There's another definition that captures how quickly a storm is
growing more fierce, this one concerning the minimum air pressure
reading in the storm. In general, the lower the pressure, the
stronger the storm. Rapid deepening is defined as precipitous falls
in atmospheric pressure of 42 millibars in 24 hours, and this has
occurred with only 23 Atlantic storms since 1979, when reliable air
pressure records began.<br>
Yet 2020 had the most storms of any year to meet or beat the
threshold, including Hurricanes Laura, Delta, Eta and Iota, Lillo
said.<br>
<br>
Before 2020, only three other Atlantic storms had an observed air
pressure drop by 59 millibars or more in 24 hours: Gilbert in 1988
and Rita and Wilma in 2005. "Then Eta dropped 59mb and Iota dropped
65mb; two weeks apart, a few miles apart, and both [were] the latest
in the year to do so," Lillo said.<br>
<br>
Epsilon shatters records as it rapidly intensifies into major
hurricane near Bermuda<br>
<br>
Gabe Vecchi, a climate scientist at Princeton University, said that
while these statistics may come across as "kind of abstract," they
convey a troubling message. "These are the types of events … that
are hard to predict on a weather time scale and leave people with
little time to react … which can be extremely dangerous," he wrote
in an email.<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/11/18/hurricane-season-rapid-intensification/">https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/11/18/hurricane-season-rapid-intensification/</a>
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[CBS knew - video and text]<br>
<b>"Take action" or face a grim future, warns climate scientist
after a year locked in Arctic ice</b><br>
- -<br>
"As scientists, I think we need to be more outspoken about the
crisis that we see in front of us," Fong told CBS News. "We know
that what we have done is caused an increase in temperature and
carbon dioxide on Earth, and that causes warming, and that warming
is causing the melting of both the north and the south. And the loss
of this ice, both in the north and the south, is causing major
changes to the way the climate functions." ...<br>
- -<br>
"Some people think that perhaps because of this focus on the global
pandemic, we also can't address the issues of climate and global
warming. But they're not exclusive," said Fong. "We're trying to do
things. But the reality is, trying is not enough anymore. We must
take action."...<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/climate-warming-arctic-ice-scientists-spent-year-locked-in-ice-polarstern-research-mission/">https://www.cbsnews.com/news/climate-warming-arctic-ice-scientists-spent-year-locked-in-ice-polarstern-research-mission/</a><br>
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<p>[parenting]<br>
<b>How Parents Can Tame the Stress of Climate Crises</b><br>
When pandemic parenting is topped off by wildfires, hurricanes and
other extreme events, some stress-relieving measures are
particularly suited to getting through the challenges.<br>
By Ariella Cook-Shonkoff<br>
Nov. 17, 2020<br>
<br>
My 3-year-old awoke recently, chirping happily in her bed while it
was still dark outside, so I was surprised to see that the clock
read 7:45 a.m. Normally, the autumn sun in Northern California
would be fairly high by that time. But ash and smoke from raging
wildfires dimmed the sun -- in what the news labeled "turbulent
mixing." For four days, the sky remained a stubborn bruise of
apocalyptic orange-gray.<br>
<br>
My husband, our two young children and I remained housebound as
the air swirled with particulates, reaching the worst recorded air
quality levels around the globe. Television images of catastrophic
wildfires burning along the Pacific corridor added a further sense
of confinement and despair to the pandemic gloom.<br>
<br>
As a psychotherapist practicing in a national mental health
crisis, I knew my clients were struggling to cope with new fears
on top of the existing stresses from the grinding pandemic: health
risks, economic instability and the strain of distance learning,
overlaying racial violence and uncertainty about the election.<br>
<br>
Unlike the invisibility of the coronavirus, evidence of extreme
weather and climate events -- like wildfire smoke, trees bending
and snapping in high-speed winds, flooding and flames --
contribute to collective "eco-anxiety" related to the climate
crisis. A recent study by the Helsinki Institute of Sustainability
Science has identified a common denominator: "uncertainty,
unpredictability and uncontrollability, all of which are classic
ingredients in anxiety."<br>
<br>
No matter how functional or resilient parents are, or what kind of
resources they have available, it is normal to struggle under
these conditions.<br>
<br>
While in moderation, stress can motivate us, protect us and elicit
growth, stress becomes problematic when it gains traction and
escalates into panic or chronic stress.<br>
<br>
"Uncertainty poses a tremendous challenge to our well-being," said
Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg, director of the Center for Parent and Teen
Communication at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and author of
"Building Resilience in Children and Teens."<br>
<br>
"We are designed to run from tigers and know what to do. But the
most uncomfortable experience is wondering if a tiger is lurking
behind the bushes -- and to have to be vigilant at all times."<br>
<br>
Dr. Robin Cooper, co-founder of the Climate Psychiatry Alliance,
noted: "A flood or hurricane occurs, which is massively
destructive, but then it's over. Fires are different because they
persist for months on end, shattering the foundation of stability
and security that is essential for parents to instill in their
children so they are able to navigate the world."<br>
<br>
Parents expect a lot from themselves normally. But when the world
is in a state of upheaval, it's no longer parenting-as-usual. How
can overwhelmed parents keep their families afloat?<br>
<br>
<b>Attend to Your Own Needs</b><br>
Kids take emotional cues from parents, so when parents calm
themselves, they can help calm family members. Psychologists call
this co-regulation.<br>
Dr. Ginsburg said that during stressful times, the job of a parent
of young children is "to look like a duck gliding on the water,"
creating an atmosphere of safety and comfort. Adolescents, though,
"need to know what you are doing to stay afloat," he said. "You
show them how you're paddling your feet underwater because you
want to help build their skill set."<br>
<br>
Classic stress relievers -- getting exercise, deep breathing,
spending time in nature, and creative self-expression (art, music,
dance, writing)-- are helpful. So are safety planning and
emergency preparedness. But some additional stress-reducing
behaviors are particularly suited for climate catastrophe and
quarantine.<br>
<br>
<b>Seek Connection</b><br>
Research tells us that social isolation is an acute stressor,
while connection heals. But while physical distancing limits us,
we must find ways to maintain social connections.<br>
<br>
Merritt Juliano, co-president of Climate Psychology Alliance North
America, plans to offer free, virtual "Climate Cafes" for parents
to exchange supportive dialogue around the climate emergency.
Climate cafes -- not just for parents -- are happening all over
the world; in the pre-Covid era, they were held at cafes or other
public spaces. Typically, a facilitator is present to encourage
reflectiveness and sharing thoughts and feelings around the issue
of climate change. Ms. Juliano said: "The single-most important
thing parents can do to build resilience is their own inner work
around climate change. Having processed their emotional reactions,
and accepted the situation, they can then stay present with their
kids."<br>
<br>
<b>Maintain Routines</b><br>
Routine and predictability offset chaos. "There are so many things
that we can't do, so it is important to find things that we can do
right now," said Dr. Bonnie Goldstein, a clinical psychologist in
Los Angeles. "The goal is to feel a little more in control."
Establishing daily structure and maintaining routines encourages
nervous systems to settle. As Dr. Ginsburg put it: "We cannot
control the outside world, but we can be intentional about
creating sanctuaries within our homes."<br>
<b>Anchor in the Present</b><br>
Using our five senses as anchors is a simple tool for focusing on
the present moment. When we are stressed, our minds grow noisy, we
fall out of sync with the world around us. Natural surroundings
are ideal anchors, chock-full of sensory stimuli, like a scented
breeze or birdsong. But if we can't venture outside, we can anchor
by finding something pleasurable inside: a painting, a soft
pillow, tasty food. What emerges from this grounding is a sense of
spontaneous gratitude. Dr. Goldstein suggests bringing something
from nature -- a plant, bark, a shell, or even fruit -- inside and
creating a visual display, or an altar of sorts, in a designated
corner.<br>
<br>
<b>Stand Up for Others</b><br>
Channeling worries and frustrations into community action is a
potent eco-stress reducer; participatory action is productive,
empowering and transformative. Finding ways, as Dr. Ginsburg put
it, "to uplift the vulnerable" supports others and creates meaning
and purpose at times of existential crisis.<br>
<br>
The good news is that we can all learn to be more resilient. While
some research suggests there may be a possible genetic
predisposition to resilience, our brain's neuroplasticity allows
us to learn and integrate new forms of resilience through practice
and repetition. How we appraise a difficult situation also makes a
difference. Do we feel overwhelmed, or buoyed by our own strengths
and resources?<br>
<br>
And what of the familiar trope that kids are resilient? Yes,
there's truth to it, though we'd be wrong to think that's all they
need.<br>
<br>
Right after my youngest woke me that abnormally dark morning, my
5-year-old flung open a door and announced: "Well, the birds are
OK, so it's fine!" While there is naïveté in this response, there
is also a seed of resilience. As her mother, I plan to water that
seed, alongside my own.<br>
<br>
Ariella Cook-Shonkoff is a licensed psychotherapist and art
therapist based in Berkeley, Calif.<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/17/well/family/parents-stress-climate-crises-wildfires-hurricanes.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/17/well/family/parents-stress-climate-crises-wildfires-hurricanes.html</a>
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[Climate Connections - text and audio]<br>
<b>Arctic wildfires are lasting longer and burning more intensely</b><br>
They're also spreading in areas farther north than they did in the
past.<br>
The Arctic is known for cold and snowy winters. But in summer,
wildfires can rage across the tundra.<br>
<br>
"Fire is not something that we are surprised to see in the Arctic.
What we're surprised to see is how much there is in the past two
years," says Jessica McCarty, assistant professor of geography and
director of the Geospatial Analysis Center at Miami University in
Ohio.<br>
<br>
"We're seeing fires start sooner," she says, "lasting longer,
burning more intense, and appear to be burning in ecosystems that
previously we thought were fire-resistant."<br>
<br>
As these fires get bigger, so does the amount of global warming
pollution they release to the atmosphere.<br>
<br>
That's because there is a lot of carbon trapped in the Arctic. Much
of it is in peat - thick layers of partially decayed plant material
laid down over thousands of years. When the peat burns or heat from
a fire melts the permafrost, the stored carbon is released to the
atmosphere.<br>
<br>
"The 2020 Arctic fire season has released more carbon dioxide than
any of the years previous that we have on record," McCarty says.<br>
<br>
So more extreme Arctic fires are not only a sign that global warming
is here. They are making the problem worse.<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2020/11/arctic-wildfires-are-lasting-longer-and-burning-more-intensely/">https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2020/11/arctic-wildfires-are-lasting-longer-and-burning-more-intensely/</a><br>
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[Wall Street Journal]<b><br>
</b><b>Trump Administration Takes Final Steps to Auction Drilling
Rights in Arctic Wildlife Refuge</b><br>
Interior Department seeks to complete land leases before Biden takes
office in January<br>
<p>Timothy Puko - Nov. 16, 2020<br>
</p>
<p>WASHINGTON--The Trump administration is taking the final steps to
secure oil development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge,
starting a leasing process to strike deals with drillers to
operate in the pristine, 19-million-acre wilderness before
Democratic President-elect Joe Biden can stop it.</p>
Mr. Biden has vowed to block plans for oil drilling in this
northwest corner of Alaska. Congress passed a mandate to lease oil
rights in part of the refuge in its tax overhaul in 2017--when
Republican majorities controlled both the...<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-administration-takes-final-steps-to-auction-drilling-rights-in-arctic-wildlife-refuge-11605551187">https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-administration-takes-final-steps-to-auction-drilling-rights-in-arctic-wildlife-refuge-11605551187</a><br>
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[Digging back into the internet news archive]<br>
<font size="+1"><b>On this day in the history of global warming -
November 19, 2010 </b></font><br>
<p>In a Washington Post article, former Rep. Sherwood Boehlert
(R-NY) asks, "Can the party of Reagan accept the science of
climate change?"<br>
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/18/AR2010111805451.html">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/18/AR2010111805451.html</a><br>
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