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<p><i><font size="+1"><b>November 26, 2020</b></font></i></p>
[see video, maybe talk about it at the table]<br>
<b>Four Climate Scientists ask "Should We Have Kids?"</b><br>
Nov 25, 2020<br>
Facing Future<br>
Four climate scientists who have been living in Australia discuss
their concerns for the future quite candidly. All considering
moving their families to places that may fare better in what they
know is to come, realizing that no place will be safe from the
various impacts of climate change. <br>
<br>
One major theme that arises is, "Should we have kids? Is it fair to
bring children into the world knowing what they will face?" The
other is, "To where should I move or migrate to best protect my
family?"<br>
<br>
Note that temperatures discussed are all in degrees Celsius, where <br>
42C = 108F<br>
45C = 113F, and <br>
50C = 122F.<br>
#ClimateDisruption #FridaysForFuture #ActNow<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FCR-62CX9I">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FCR-62CX9I</a><br>
<p>- -<br>
</p>
[Juan Cole found a new process]<b><br>
</b> <b>Australia's Massive Solar Energy Hub in Outback to produce
coal-killer Green Ammonia</b><br>
JUAN COLE - 11/25/2020<br>
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Asian Renewable Energy Hub is
planning a $16 billion solar and wind project in the part of the
Australian outback known as Pilbara, that is, in the north of the
West Australian desert. The panels work by converting photons or
ordinary light rays to electricity.<br>
<br>
The consortium had earlier considered trying to export the
electricity as far away as Singapore by undersea cables, which would
probably have been feasible. They have now decided instead to use
the renewable electricity generated by the solar panels and the wind
turbines for hydrolysis, producing hydrogen and oxygen out of water
(H2O). Then the hydrogen will be bonded with nitrogen from the air
to make ammonia. The ammonia, which, although it is toxic is not
volatile (unlike the fertilizer, ammonium nitrate, which blew up
Beirut this summer), can be liquefied at -33 degrees, and there is
already an infrastructure for doing so and for transporting it.
Liquefied ammonia can be transported on ships, just as liquefied
natural gas is now carried that way.<br>
<br>
Ammonia does not produce greenhouse gas emissions when burned.
Engineers are working on ensuring that it also does not produce
nitrogen oxides, which are a pollutant that contributes to ozone.
Ammonia can be used in coal-fired electricity plants instead of
coal. It is also suitable as a fuel for, e.g., large ships.<br>
<br>
Robin Hardy at the Financial Times reported this summer that Japan
has decided to make a big investment in ammonia as a fuel for its
power plants, given that the Fukushima nuclear complex was
irreparably damaged by a tsunami in 2011 and so has been the nuclear
energy industry as a whole. Japan has had to make up the lost
electricity production with imports of liquefied natural gas, which
has significantly increased the country's carbon footprint.
Importing liquefied ammonia could help Japan go green so as to meet
its commitments under the Paris accords.<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.juancole.com/2020/11/australias-massive-outback.html">https://www.juancole.com/2020/11/australias-massive-outback.html</a><br>
<p><br>
</p>
<p><br>
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[smart]<br>
<b>An ancient people with a modern climate plan</b><br>
After a brutal storm in 2006, the Swinomish tribe off the coast of
Washington state launched a strategy to deal with the effects of a
warming planet. Now, 50 other native tribes have followed suit...<br>
- -<br>
The Swinomish are rebuilding oyster reefs for the native Olympia
oyster. They're planning the first modern clam garden in the United
States on the reservation's tidelands, reviving an ancient practice.
They're monitoring deer and elk populations through camera traps to
understand the climate change pressures and to inform hunting
limits. And they have ongoing wetland restoration projects to
explore preserving native plants and to help naturally manage
coastal flooding.<br>
<br>
"They're doing really innovative climate adaptation," said Meade
Krosby, a senior scientist with the Climate Impacts Group at the
University of Washington. "They were way ahead of the curve. And
that really shouldn't be surprising, because the tribes have shown
tremendous leadership in climate adaptation and mitigation."...<br>
- - <br>
And in Alaska, a partnership of 11 tribes has formed to identify
harmful algae blooms so that it's clear when shellfish can be safely
harvested.<br>
<br>
Native Americans acutely feel the effects of the changing climate
because they were forced onto the most vulnerable lands, places that
were of little use to others, said Nikki Cooley, co-manager of the
Tribes and Climate Change Program for the Institute for Tribal
Environmental Professionals.<br>
<br>
"There's that big push to address climate change because we're
feeling the effects more so than other places," said Cooley, 40, who
grew up without electricity or running water, herding sheep in the
sprawling Navajo Nation reservations of the Arizona desert.<br>
<br>
The institute has consulted with more than 300 of the 574 tribes in
the United States, Cooley said. It's natural that Indigenous people
who have lived with the land for generations, attuned to the cycles
of nature, would be leaders in adapting to climate change and
marrying that to culture and health. "We've always been taught and
are still being told we have to preserve for the future
generations," she added...<br>
- -<br>
Jamie Donatuto, the tribe's environmental health officer, and Larry
Campbell, a 71-year-old tribal elder, have created a tool,
Indigenous Health Indicators, that goes beyond typical morbidity and
mortality measures and considers ecosystem health, social and
cultural beliefs, and values integral to a community. "It's a very
different way of thinking about health," she said.<br>
<br>
Seen through that lens, restoring "first foods" is important not
just for diet and nutrition but for nourishment of the soul. Living
somewhere for a long time fosters a sense of place, and a sense of
place fosters stewardship.<br>
<br>
"It's a different worldview," said Donatuto, who has a doctorate in
resource management and environmental sustainability from the
University of British Columbia. "The salmon and the crabs and the
clams are relatives. They're living relatives. They're not just
resources. And so you treat them with a symbiotic respect. They feed
you because you take care of them. It's a very different way of
thinking about why these areas are important."<br>
- - <br>
A clam garden requires tribal members to work together to build and
maintain a low rock wall at the shoreline. Once in place, the garden
will create a spot for elders to share stories, passing on tribal
knowledge. It will supply a first food while serving as an example
of the tribe's resilience, self-determination and cultural
stewardship, all health indicators.<br>
Krosby said the tribe's outreach is a lesson. "When we engage
communities and when we incorporate their knowledge and concerns
into climate planning, you wind up with a more equitable and robust
outcome," she said. "You wind up with the backing of the community.
You end up with the benefit of their knowledge and expertise. And
that's especially important for front-line communities."<br>
<br>
Mitchell and Shelly Vendiola, a tribal elder, are chairs of the
Protect Mother Earth Committee, working on involving the community
in the plan's update and creating a climate change curriculum for
schoolchildren and adults that marries an introduction to tribal
lore with climate science.<br>
<br>
The idea is to interest members in exploring science, going away to
study and perhaps returning to help develop and implement future
climate adaptation.<br>
<br>
"Climate change," Mitchell said, "is going to last for a long time.
So what we set up now builds the foundation."<br>
<br>
Consider it newly traditional knowledge to pass down across the
generations.<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2020/11/24/native-americans-climate-change-swinomish/?arc404=true">https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2020/11/24/native-americans-climate-change-swinomish/?arc404=true</a><br>
- -<br>
[Report from 2010]<br>
<b>Swinomish Climate Change Initiative </b><b>Climate Adaptation
Action Plan </b><br>
Swinomish Indian Tribal Community<br>
Office of Planning and Community Development<br>
La Conner, WA 98257<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://swinomish-nsn.gov/climate_change/Docs/SITC_CC_AdaptationActionPlan_complete.pdf">https://swinomish-nsn.gov/climate_change/Docs/SITC_CC_AdaptationActionPlan_complete.pdf</a><br>
<p><br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
[so asks the Financial Times]<br>
<b>Is Jeff Bezos really serious about beating climate change?</b><br>
Amazon founder is donating $791m to green charities but it will take
more than money to help the planet..<br>
- -<br>
It's a nice gesture, but it feels like exactly that -- the sort of
cheque-writing exercise that middle-class Americans usually save for
the end of the year to maximise tax deductions. For Bezos, chief
executive of Amazon, routinely celebrated as one of the most
disruptive innovators on earth, his climate donations are distinctly
lacking in either disruption or innovation...<br>
- -<br>
Even if Bezos is not trying to buy off his critics or placate his
employees, there is one clear shortcoming in his approach: he has
thrown money at the problem, but hasn't apparently matched that with
strategy. Nor has he spoken or written much about the issue -- at
least not when compared with other climate billionaires...<br>
- -<br>
His vision is that humans will one day inhabit space, living in big
orbiting colonies. "We will have to leave this planet," he has said,
pointing to our growing population. His idea is that heavy industry
will also move into space, leaving some light manufacturing behind
on Earth -- along with any humans who want to stay. But Bezos
himself hopes to be on that rocket ship. Despite the grand ambitions
of the Bezos Earth Fund, would you really trust the planet to
someone who is already thinking of leaving it behind?<br>
<br>
Leslie Hook is the FT's environment and clean energy correspondent.
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:leslie.hook@ft.com">leslie.hook@ft.com</a>; @lesliehook. Gillian Tett returns next week<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.ft.com/content/16fb47c5-ca59-43f6-87b9-ba9b39e5c273">https://www.ft.com/content/16fb47c5-ca59-43f6-87b9-ba9b39e5c273</a><br>
<p><br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
[Anything but wood]<br>
<b>Rebuilding After A Wildfire? Most States Don't Require
Fire-Resistant Materials</b><br>
November 25, 20207<br>
Heard on Morning Edition & transcript...<br>
- -<br>
GORHAM: There was one home in particular. An ember had ignited the
mulch in the backyard.<br>
<br>
SOMMER: Most houses aren't ignited by the fire itself. It's the
embers, blown up to a mile away. Gorham could see that the mulch
burned all the way to the deck. But the deck wasn't made of wood,
and the home didn't ignite. He says it shows how fire-resistant
materials can be crucial, like for a roof or siding. Even small
things can make a difference, like covering up attic vents with mesh
so embers don't get blown inside your house.<br>
<br>
GORHAM: These building coded for wildfire-resistant construction do
make a difference. We know that. We see that in the lab, and we see
that in the field.<br>
<br>
SOMMER: In California, wildfire codes are mandatory in high-risk
areas. Almost every house that burned this year will have to meet
them if they're rebuilt. But that's not true across the West.
According to an NPR analysis, more than 6,000 homes in other states
won't be required to be wildfire resistant.<br>
<br>
GORHAM: It does feel very much like a missed opportunity when it's
right there. We're right there with the opportunity to build back
stronger.<br>
<br>
SOMMER: Because in those other states, wildfire building codes have
gotten pushed back.<br>
- -<br>
CHRISTIANA RAINBOW PLEWS: I actually didn't know that my own home
had burned for a couple of days.<br>
<br>
SOMMER: Christiana Rainbow Plews is fire chief of the Upper McKenzie
Rural Fire Protection District in central Oregon. In September, she
and her crew responded to a brush fire that turned into an inferno.
Hot weather made vegetation bone dry, conditions that climate change
is making worse.<br>
<br>
PLEWS: It was really just a perfect, perfect setup for a disaster
like that.<br>
<br>
SOMMER: More than 400 homes burned, including her own. Now she's
just starting the slow process of rebuilding. She plans to use
fire-resistant materials, which isn't required, but she thinks
others in her community will struggle with that.<br>
<br>
PLEWS: If they were underinsured or not insured, what they can
afford may not be what they actually want. They may have to settle
for something that's less fire resistant.<br>
<br>
SOMMER: It's a lower priority, she says, when your basic needs
aren't met. Months later, hundreds of people are still in hotels.<br>
<br>
PLEWS: It's awful, and the morale is just, you know, rock bottom.<br>
<br>
SOMMER: It's why without help, the months after a disaster are
actually the hardest time to prepare for the next one.<br>
Lauren Sommer, NPR News.<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.npr.org/2020/11/25/936685629/rebuilding-after-a-wildfire-most-states-dont-require-fire-resistant-materials">https://www.npr.org/2020/11/25/936685629/rebuilding-after-a-wildfire-most-states-dont-require-fire-resistant-materials</a><br>
<p><br>
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<p><br>
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[Grist - the Beacon - "agreement"]<br>
<b>Big Oil takes on its methane problem</b><br>
It's Wednesday, November 25, and oil and gas companies have agreed
to reduce their methane emissions.<br>
<br>
Dozens of oil and gas companies have signed on to an agreement to
track and cut down their emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas that
is 86 times more potent than carbon dioxide over 20 years.<br>
<br>
The initiative, known as the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership, was
launched in 2014 and updated this year. It now boasts 62 member oil
and gas companies, including BP, Shell, and Total. (Notably, no
American companies have signed on.) The agreement requires
signatories to work toward a 45 percent reduction in methane
emissions by 2025 and a 60 to 75 percent reduction by 2030.<br>
<br>
Methane emissions are a low-hanging fruit in the fight against
climate change. The gas has been responsible for about a quarter of
the world's warming since 1750, and it currently accounts for about
16 percent of all global greenhouse gas emissions. The oil and gas
industry contributes to the problem through leaky wells and
pipelines -- and by intentionally venting the gas into the
atmosphere as part of routine operations.<br>
<br>
While the agreement isn't legally binding, oil and gas companies may
be seeing the writing on the wall. President-elect Joe Biden has
promised to institute stricter methane regulations as soon as he
takes office, and the European Union has also signaled that it may
take steps to more strictly regulate the gas in the future.<br>
-- Shannon Osaka<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://grist.org/beacon/big-oil-takes-on-its-methane-problem/">https://grist.org/beacon/big-oil-takes-on-its-methane-problem/</a><br>
<p><br>
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<p><br>
</p>
[Digging back into the internet news archive]<br>
<font size="+1"><b>On this day in the history of global warming -
November 26, 2006 </b></font><br>
<p>In an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press," Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger (R-CA) notes that fellow Republican Sen. James
Inhofe of Oklahoma is someone who has his "thinking in the Stone
Age" on climate.<br>
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://youtu.be/gcZ7DWMeyQA">http://youtu.be/gcZ7DWMeyQA</a><br>
</p>
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