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<font size="+2"><font face="Calibri"><i><b>May</b></i></font></font><font
size="+2" face="Calibri"><i><b> 31, 2023</b></i></font><font
face="Calibri"><br>
</font> <font face="Calibri"> </font> <br>
<font face="Calibri"><i>[ PBS video - food precedes shelter ] </i><br>
</font> <font face="Calibri"><b>Tipping Point: Agriculture on the
brink -- A PBS NewsHour Special</b><br>
PBS NewsHour<br>
Streamed live on May 24, 2023<br>
The United Nations estimates the world population will reach 10
billion by 2060. As the world's population expands, so do concerns
about how to sustainably grow enough food.<br>
Food production also takes a toll on the environment. A recent
U.N.-backed study found that more than one-third of human-caused
global greenhouse gas emissions come from the way our food is
processed and packaged.<br>
<br>
On Wednesday, May 24 at 7 p.m. ET, PBS NewsHour science
correspondent Miles O’Brien will host a live discussion called
“Tipping Point: Agriculture on the Brink” that looks at some of
these challenges and answers your questions.</font><br>
<font face="Calibri"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soj3kXAGAmY"
moz-do-not-send="true">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soj3kXAGAmY</a><br>
</font>
<p><font face="Calibri"><br>
</font></p>
<font face="Calibri"> <i>[ State Farm abandons the farms in the
State of California -- risk of flames ]</i><br>
<b>Insurer cites "growing catastrophe exposure" as it stops new
sales in California</b><br>
Rebecca Falconer<br>
</font>
<p>State Farm says it's no longer accepting homeowner insurance
applications in California due to "historic increases in
construction costs outpacing inflation" and "rapidly growing
catastrophe exposure" to extreme weather events like wildfires.<br>
<b><br>
</b><b>Why it matters: </b>Multiple studies show climate change
is influencing the frequency and severity of extreme weather
events, increasing the risk of wildfires and also the proportion
of storms that reach major hurricane status of Category 3 or
above.<br>
<br>
With more severe and frequent severe weather events and extreme
weather swings, the resilience of homeowners and communities is on
the line and how lenders, insurance companies and others
incorporate escalating risks is a key issue, per Axios' Andrew
Freedman.</p>
<p><b>Zoom in: </b>State Farm was the top home insurance firm in
the state before it ceased operations Saturday, per the Insurance
Information Institute. The American International Group announced
last year it was pulling policies in the state amid wildfire risk
concerns.<br>
- -<br>
California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara moved to protect
homeowners by introducing insurance pricing regulations, including
a one-year moratorium preventing homeowner insurance cancellations
and non-renewals in some fire-affected counties.</p>
<p><b>Zoom out: </b>It's not just California. Some insurers pulled
out of Louisiana and Florida last year after forecasters warned of
"another active Atlantic hurricane season," per Bloomberg.<br>
<br>
Florida is facing an insurance crisis ahead of the official start
of the hurricane season on June 1, when property insurance
companies in the state to get their reinsurance in place, Axios
Miami's Deirdra Funcheon reports. Some companies have gone
insolvent and rates have skyrocketed.<br>
By the numbers: There were nearly 12,000 disasters attributable to
extreme weather and climate-related events during the 1970-2021
period — costing $4.3 trillion and rising, according to updated
United Nations analysis out last week.<br>
- -<br>
In California, Cal Fire reports 7,490 wildfires razed 362,455
acres, killing nine people and destroying or damaging 876
structures.<br>
What they're saying: "We take seriously our responsibility to
manage risk. We recognize the Governor’s administration,
legislators, and the California Department of Insurance (CDI) for
their wildfire loss mitigation efforts," State Farm said in a
statement Friday that emphasized existing customers wouldn't be
affected by the decision.<br>
<br>
"We pledge to work constructively with the CDI and policymakers to
help build market capacity in California. However, it’s necessary
to take these actions now to improve the company’s financial
strength."<br>
<b>- -<br>
</b><b>Meanwhile,</b> CDI spokesperson Michael Soller, the
Californian deputy insurance commissioner, said in an emailed
statement Sunday night that while insurance companies prioritize
their short-term financial goals, the long-term goal of the
Department of Insurance is protecting consumers.<br>
<br>
"The factors driving State Farm’s decision are beyond our control,
including climate change, reinsurance costs affecting the entire
insurance industry, and global inflation," Soller said.<br>
"We have been here before after major wildfires. What’s different
is the actions that we are taking with the first-ever insurance
discount program for wildfire safety and unprecedented wildfire
mitigation investments from the Legislature and Governor."</p>
<p><b>The bottom line: </b>"Home insurance is a key way that people
manage risk of climate-related hazards," said Noah Diffenbaugh, a
climate scientist and professor at Stanford University to the
Washington Post Sunday.<br>
- -<br>
"And we’re seeing that these events can be very costly both at the
individual level," he added. "And clearly can be very costly for
insurance companies."<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://www.axios.com/2023/05/29/state-farm-home-insurance-california-wildfires"
moz-do-not-send="true">https://www.axios.com/2023/05/29/state-farm-home-insurance-california-wildfires</a><br>
</p>
<p><font face="Calibri"><br>
</font></p>
<p><font face="Calibri"><br>
</font></p>
<font face="Calibri"><i>[ A Man, a Plan, a Canal that's drying up,
Panama Canal losing water ]</i></font><br>
<font face="Calibri"><b>Decrease in Rainfall in Central America
Could Cut Off the Panama Canal</b></font><br>
<font face="Calibri">By Dirk Kaufmann</font><br>
<font face="Calibri">Published 30 May 2023</font><br>
<font face="Calibri">To see the economic consequences of global
warming look no further than the Panama Canal. There, water levels
are down because of less rain in Central America. Experts fear
ordinary consumers may end up paying the price.</font><br>
<br>
<font face="Calibri">The Panama Canal connects the Atlantic Ocean
with the Pacific. Its creation was a huge boon for global
shipping. Before the canal was completed, a ship had to travel
around the southern tip of South America, a much longer and more
dangerous route...</font><br>
<font face="Calibri">- -</font><br>
<font face="Calibri">But now, climate change appears to be
threatening this route. Every time the canal’s locks are opened,
millions of liters of fresh water flow into the sea. As a
consequence, the water level in the canal drops. It is eventually
replaced by more water flowing in. However now residents,
conservationists and meteorologists are all observing a decrease
in rainfall in Central America as a result of climate change.
Which means less water for the canal. And if the fresh water that
flows out of the canal’s locks can no longer be replaced, then
large ships will find it increasingly difficult to pass through.</font><br>
<br>
<font face="Calibri"><b>Where Does All the Water Come From?</b></font><br>
<font face="Calibri">The Panama Canal uses so much fresh water
because ships have to go through a dozen locks that take them up
or down 26 meters (85 feet). According to the consulting firm
Everstream, which monitors and evaluates supply chains on behalf
of international firms, around 200 million liters of water are
needed for every ship passage through the canal.</font><br>
<br>
<font face="Calibri">The Panama Canal Authority, which is
responsible for the operation of the canal, has issued strict
draft restrictions in recent months. The draft of a ship is the
distance between the waterline and the bottom of the ship. This
measurement determines how much water a ship needs to safely
navigate. If a ship is loaded with heavy goods, it sinks deeper
creating a greater draft. </font><br>
<font face="Calibri">- -</font><br>
<font face="Calibri">To make matters worse, the Everstream analysts
do not expect the situation to improve for the rest of spring. In
fact, things could get worse for the shipping business.</font><br>
<br>
<font face="Calibri">Hapag-Lloyd, a Hamburg, Germany-based shipping
company, and other international shippers have responded by
loading fewer containers in order to reduce the draft of their
ships.</font><br>
<br>
<font face="Calibri">To compensate for the loss of income,
Hapag-Lloyd will introduce a surcharge of $500 (€465) per
container going through the Panama Canal starting June. Trade
experts fear a disruption to supply chains and longer transport
times that will affect prices.</font><br>
<font face="Calibri">- -</font><br>
<font face="Calibri">Until long-term solutions are found for the
Panama Canal, the economist sees other ways of dealing with the
water shortage in Central America. “Reducing the load is certainly
the easiest way for shipping companies. And the use of smaller
ships is possible too.”</font><br>
<br>
<font face="Calibri">Stamer also sees other alternatives. “The
transport route from Asia through the Panama Canal to the US’ east
coast can be partially rerouted through the Suez Canal,” he said.
“Alternatives are less well established on the route between
Europe and the US’ west coast. But a combination of the above
measures with a greater use of air or land transport across the US
is conceivable,” he concluded.</font><br>
<br>
<font face="Calibri">Dirk Kaufmann is a DW journalist. This article
is published courtesy of Deutsche Welle (DW).</font><br>
<font face="Calibri"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://www.homelandsecuritynewswire.com/dr20230530-decrease-in-rainfall-in-central-america-could-cut-off-the-panama-canal?page=0,1"
moz-do-not-send="true">https://www.homelandsecuritynewswire.com/dr20230530-decrease-in-rainfall-in-central-america-could-cut-off-the-panama-canal?page=0,1</a></font><br>
<p><font face="Calibri"><br>
</font></p>
<p><i><font face="Calibri"><br>
</font></i> </p>
<i> </i><i><font face="Calibri"> [ Kern County California tops in
Zero Carbon Energy ]</font></i><br>
<font face="Calibri"> </font> <font face="Calibri"><b>Kern plays
biggest role as California taps renewable energy to avoid
blackouts</b><br>
BY JOHN COX <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated
moz-txt-link-freetext" href="mailto:jcox@bakersfield.com"
moz-do-not-send="true">jcox@bakersfield.com</a> May 28, 2023 <br>
</font><br>
<font face="Calibri">Except for last week's reminder, so much
happens in Kern's energy transformation lately it's easy to forget
the county's sizable lead in California solar and wind energy
production.<br>
<br>
State officials released predictions Thursday that California
probably won't suffer any power outages this year, for two
reasons: Snowmelt will produce record hydroelectric power, while
additional solar and electric generation and battery storage
continue to come online. Caveats mentioned were wildfires cutting
off transmission, and excessive heat.<br>
<br>
No doubt Kern deserves much of the credit if California avoids a
repeat of August 2020's rolling blackouts. The county provides
almost a quarter of the state's official renewable energy
portfolio, according to the latest data from the California Energy
Commission. Second-place Imperial County accounted for just 57% of
Kern's 16,028 gigawatt hours of renewable power in 2021.<br>
<br>
As rising temperatures this summer and fall increase demand, Kern
can be counted on for hydroelectric power from Isabella Dam, which
falls into a separate category called zero-carbon energy. But the
bulk of the county's contribution will come from the county's
roughly 50-50 lineup of photovoltaic solar arrays and wind
turbines...</font><br>
<font face="Calibri">- -</font><br>
<font face="Calibri">More than 8,000 megawatts of new capacity will
be in place by September, plus 3,000 more megawatts of storage,
Millar said, adding that hydroelectric conditions this year are
pegged at 2½ times the state's average.<br>
<br>
The state warned a year ago of a power shortfall of about 1,700
megawatts by Sept. 1, he added. This year it projects a
2,300-megawatt surplus...</font><br>
<font face="Calibri">- - <br>
</font><br>
<font face="Calibri">"Kern County, and other local governments," she
wrote, "continue to be on the ground actively permitting and
finding solutions for barriers to implementation while the state
agencies put out reports," she wrote.<br>
</font><font face="Calibri"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://www.bakersfield.com/news/kern-plays-biggest-role-as-california-taps-renewable-energy-to-avoid-blackouts/article_8670110a-fc25-11ed-acea-87cb2ba9a4d3.html"
moz-do-not-send="true">https://www.bakersfield.com/news/kern-plays-biggest-role-as-california-taps-renewable-energy-to-avoid-blackouts/article_8670110a-fc25-11ed-acea-87cb2ba9a4d3.html</a><br>
</font>
<p><font face="Calibri"><br>
</font></p>
<p><font face="Calibri"><br>
</font> </p>
<font face="Calibri"> <i>[The news archive - looking back at a
disinformation foray ]</i></font><br>
<font face="Calibri"> </font> <font face="Calibri"><font size="+2"><i><b>May
31, 2006</b></i></font></font><font face="Calibri"><br>
</font><font face="Calibri">Wall Street Journal columnist Holman W.
Jenkins Jr. launches a completely incoherent attack on "An
Inconvenient Truth."</font><br>
<blockquote><font face="Calibri"><b>Warmed Over</b><br>
Al Gore's new movie is the feel-good hit of the summer--but not
much more.<br>
<br>
BY HOLMAN W. JENKINS JR.<br>
Wednesday, May 31, 2006 <br>
<br>
It's only been out a week, but audiences seem not to have poured
forth from Al Gore's movie and, in an unprecedented reversal of
political polarity, demanded higher gasoline prices.<br>
<br>
This is bad news for Republicans, who will bear the burden of
high gas prices to the polls in November. Not that Mr. Gore's
movie advocates higher gasoline prices. It reportedly doesn't
advocate any policy that would actually relieve the fears of
climate worriers. When he last sought the White House in 2000,
recall, it was Mr. Gore who persuaded President Clinton to open
up the strategic reserve to provide consumers with cheaper gas,
harm to the climate be darned.<br>
<br>
Here's a test. What if science showed conclusively that global
warming is produced by natural forces, with all the same
theorized ill effects for humanity, but that human action could
forestall natural change? Or what if man-made warming were real,
but offsetting the arrival of a natural ice age? Would Mr. Gore
tell us meekly to submit to whatever nature metes out because
it's "natural"?</font><br>
<br>
<font face="Calibri">Mr. Gore's next movie should be about the
urge to propitiate the gods with sacrifices, a ritual whose
appeal did not go out with the Aztecs. Yes, Al, let us give
billions to alternative energy bureaucrats and emissions
regulators. This we do as a tribute to your shamanism, although
it will make little appreciable difference to the accumulation
of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.<br>
<br>
That said, a valid service is performed in satisfying the
eternal human appetite for gloom and doom (and no virgins were
sacrificed), distracting people from the reality of life, which
is that we all are doomed, while the universe, the Earth and all
that environmentalists hold dear will go remorselessly on and on
without us.<br>
<br>
In a million years, the time it takes the earth to sneeze, the
planet will likely be shorn of any conspicuous sign we were ever
here, let alone careless with our CO2, dioxins, etc. Talk about
an inconvenient truth.<br>
<br>
How much more securing, in a way, to believe we are ruining the
planet than the planet just does not care about us, and will run
rampant with life long after we are dust. And how pleasant to be
able to transmute our fury over our fate into incoherent
feelings of self-heroism against our present "enemies." Thus
Washington Post columnist, and future dust, Sebastian Mallaby:
"By their contempt for expert opinion on everything from Iraqi
reconstruction to the cost of their tax cuts, Republicans have
turned [Al Gore] into a hero. By their serial dishonesty,
Republicans have created a market for 'An Inconvenient Truth.' "<br>
<br>
That felt good, didn't it? That satisfied a need.<br>
<br>
But we digress. A remarkable and improbable thing is that,
despite presumably devoting decades of study to the subject of
global warming, nothing Al Gore has learned leads him to say
anything that would strike the least informed, most dogmatic
"green" as politically incorrect. He doesn't discover virtues in
nuclear power. He doesn't note the cost-benefit advantages of
strategies that would remove CO2 from the atmosphere, rather
than those that would stop its creation.<br>
Anybody who deeply searches into any subject of popular debate
inevitably comes back with views and judgments to shock the
casual thinker. Mr. Gore utterly fails to vouchsafe this
reliable telltale of seriousness.<br>
<br>
That man-made carbon dioxide has a net planetary warming effect
is an important hypothesis, one that science can make stronger
or weaker, but can't prove. It may be true, but a layperson only
has to look into the antecedents of today's "consensus" to
realize it wouldn't be too surprising if tomorrow's consensus
were that CO2 is cooling, or neutral, or warming here and
cooling there.<br>
<br>
And evidence of warming is not evidence of carbon-driven
warming. These are different things, at least until scientists
can be reasonably certain they've eliminated other factors and
interrelationships that contribute to climate variability. But
scientists are not close to understanding or even knowing all
the factors that play into "climate change," a process that
might as well be called "climate," since climate is always
changing.<br>
<br>
Finally, warming and what might cause warming are subjects
entirely separable from the urge to gather up all the most dire
and extreme speculation about what a warming earth would be like
for humans and present it as scientific "truth."<br>
<br>
Mr. Gore's narrative isn't science, but science fiction. It also
contains a large element of political fiction, relying on the
hack theme of good guys versus bad guys. Hint to filmmakers: An
honest policy argument usually takes the form of one of two
questions: "Whose rights trump?" and "What's welfare
maximizing?"<br>
Mr. Gore did not discover global warming and hasn't been a voice
in the wilderness. Our political system has looked at the
question closely, in a way Mr. Gore's film doesn't, and
repeatedly concluded that the cost of action is greater than the
known or surmised risks. That's all it can do. Thus the Senate
and Presidents Clinton and Bush all made clear that they
wouldn't sign up for a Kyoto gesture that imposes real costs
with no real benefits.<br>
<br>
This argument will come back again and again, as it must. As for
the auteur, where many politicians seem like overhungry
adolescents, Mr. Gore seems like a stifled 9-year-old--by turns
spoiled and bullied, unwilling fully to meet expectations but
unwilling also to take his own path. So what about gas prices?
He needs to decide: Does he want to be a presidential contender
or does he want to be the deliverer of "inconvenient truths"
about climate change?<br>
<br>
Mr. Jenkins is a member of The Wall Street Journal's editorial
board. His column appears in the Journal on Wednesdays.<br>
</font><br>
</blockquote>
<font face="Calibri"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://web.archive.org/web/20060602165558/http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/hjenkins/?id=110008450"
moz-do-not-send="true">http://web.archive.org/web/20060602165558/http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/hjenkins/?id=110008450</a></font><br>
<font face="Calibri"> <br>
<br>
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