Climate Change / Global Warming Discussion

[mspohr]

Big Oil is using the coronavirus pandemic to push through the Keystone XL pipeline

Big Oil is using the coronavirus pandemic to push through the Keystone XL pipeline | Bill McKibben

I’m going to tell you the single worst story I’ve heard in these past few horrid months, a story that combines naked greed, political influence peddling, a willingness to endanger innocent human beings, utter blindness to one of the greatest calamities in human history and a complete disregard for the next crisis aiming for our planet. I’m going to try to stay calm enough to tell it properly, but I confess it’s hard.

 

[Dr. J]

Fiji Coastal Communities Forced To Move Inland | CleanTechnica

This is the nub of the whole matter:

Her [Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand] speech focused on the values of globalization and international cooperation. “The artificial lines between what we call domestic policy and international policy are just that — artificial. When we’re trying to address issues such as climate change, or infectious diseases, or trans-national crime, borders do not matter. These are borderless challenges and they demand a collective response,” Ardern said.

 

[Dr. J]

Coronavirus Or Climate Change? Greta Thunberg And The Woke Generation Teach Us Important Lessons In Leadership


If I may say, the one “good” thing about the coronavirus pandemic is that it shows us how urgently governments can react to global emergencies if they want to.

The record is mixed, but yes, they are quite responsive to saving the economy and financial markets.

 

[eevee-fan]

The Intersection Of Coronavirus, Fake Meat, Food Shortages, & Climate Change | CleanTechnica

The food these markets provide is so affordable the average American could not imagine it. Go to the market with $20 and you would not believe the amount of food you can buy. If I spent much more than $20, I might not be able to take it all home on my scooter.

I tell this story because I want to explain why getting rid of these markets is a challenging task with many factors to consider. Hundreds of millions of people all over the world work in markets like this. People have lived and done commerce this way for centuries. Yes it is different from Walmart or Amazon, but make no mistake, these markets (at least economically speaking) are well-oiled machines. They are incredibly efficient.

Nevertheless, they are lacking in modern food safety procedures and regulations. We can make them safer and we should. However, it is much more likely that these meat markets will be increasingly automated out of existence. Right now, these markets outcompete automation, but that is changing rapidly. Even third world countries will face increasing disruption from automation.

Now, that a picture of these markets has been painted, let’s go into the future. These markets will likely disappear over time. Why? Cheaper meat and dairy substitutes are right around the corner. Imagine fake milk and hamburger meat indistinguishable from real dairy and meat. Imagine it costs 50-80% less than real dairy and meat. These cost declines are possible by as early as 2030.

 

[rays427]

Big Oil is using the coronavirus pandemic to push through the Keystone XL pipeline

Big Oil is using the coronavirus pandemic to push through the Keystone XL pipeline | Bill McKibben

I’m going to tell you the single worst story I’ve heard in these past few horrid months, a story that combines naked greed, political influence peddling, a willingness to endanger innocent human beings, utter blindness to one of the greatest calamities in human history and a complete disregard for the next crisis aiming for our planet. I’m going to try to stay calm enough to tell it properly, but I confess it’s hard.

Which big oil companies?

 

[mspohr]

Pope: Coronavirus pandemic could be nature's response to climate crisis - CNN

Rome (CNN)Pope Francis has said the coronavirus pandemic is one of "nature's responses" to humans ignoring the current ecological crisis.

The Pope also warned against the rise of populist politicians -- who he said are giving speeches reminiscent of Hitler in 1933 -- and others who are focusing solely on the economy. He said he was worried by the "hypocrisy of certain political personalities who speak of facing up to the crisis, of the problem of hunger in the world, but who in the meantime manufacture weapons."

 

[mspohr]

Carbon emissions from fossil fuels could fall by 2.5bn tonnes in 2020

Carbon emissions from fossil fuels could fall by 2.5bn tonnes in 2020

The unprecedented restrictions on travel, work and industry due to the coronavirus is expected to cut billions of barrels of oil, trillions of cubic metres of gas and millions of tonnes of coal from the global energy system in 2020 alone, according to data commissioned by the Guardian.

“This decline is happening because of the economic meltdown in which thousands of people are losing their livelihoods, not as a result of the right government decisions in terms of climate policies,” he said.

However, Birol said if governments didn’t take the right measures to include support for clean energy in new economic stimulus packages “then this decline could be easily wiped out in the rebound of the economy”, once Covid-19 is brought under control.

He said: “These figures are important and impressive. But they don’t make me happy. For me it’s more important about what happens next year, and the year after that.”

 

[mspohr]

Wildlife destruction 'not a slippery slope but a series of cliff edges'

Wildlife destruction 'not a slippery slope but a series of cliff edges'

New study finds ocean ecosystems likely to collapse in 2020s and land species in 2040s unless global warming stemmed

What appears to happen, according to the study’s authors, is that most species can cope with warming temperatures for a while. But when a certain temperature threshold is crossed, suddenly a large proportion of species face conditions they have not experienced before, and the ecosystem can abruptly collapse.

 

[mspohr]

Is COVID-19 a Collective Rite of Passage? - Resilience

Frankly, this pandemic is just the tip of the (melting) iceberg. When climate change displaces millions, when far worse pandemics emerge, when famine draws millions of refugees to Europe and the US, all of this will be far more disastrous to human civilization—as sustainability scientists have been warning for decades. But those warnings have been easy to ignore so far, and easy to imagine as far into the future or just affecting someone else: like Hurricane Katrina or the wildfires in Australia. So as uncomfortable as this rite of passage is, it is an opportunity to reflect, and upon emerging, choose to become adults.

First, we need to understand that our growth cycle is over.

Second, we need to put the needs of the collective over the needs of individuals.

Third, we need to recognize the necessity of sacrifice.

Ultimately, considering our long period of childhood has led to the demise of countless species and of the vibrancy of the Earth, it would be wonderful if we could emerge from our liminal period with this understanding—that this transition will lead to a sustainability transition, as many hope. We have the capability to do so, but choosing to be adults isn’t easy—it comes with sacrifices, and it comes with responsibilities. But it also comes with being part of something larger and better than ourselves: a loving community, a continuing cultural tradition, a healthy planetary system. And besides, the alternative is far worse.

 

[mspohr]

Climate Change Has Helped Fuel a Megadrought in the Southwest

A “megadrought” gripping the western United States is the worst one in 500 years, scientists say. And it’s the first to be influenced by human-caused climate change.

A study published this week in the journal Science investigates the occurrence of megadroughts in western North America over the last 1,200 years. While a megadrought has no strict scientific definition, most studies classify them as severe droughts typically lasting a couple of decades at least—longer than any drought event that occurred during the 20th century.

The researchers used a suite of climate models to investigate the influence of anthropogenic warming on the present-day situation. The models suggest that the warmer and drier conditions brought by climate change account for nearly half the severity of the current drought.

 

[mspohr]

 

[mspohr]

How bad is climate change now? How bad is climate change now?

The science is clear: The world is warming dangerously, humans are the cause of it, and a failure to act today will deeply affect the future of the Earth

 

[mspohr]

Air pollution may be ‘key contributor’ to Covid-19 deaths – study

Air pollution may be ‘key contributor’ to Covid-19 deaths – study

High levels of air pollution may be “one of the most important contributors” to deaths from Covid-19, according to research.

The analysis shows that of the coronavirus deaths across 66 administrative regions in Italy, Spain, France and Germany, 78% of them occurred in just five regions, and these were the most polluted.

 

[mspohr]

The ‘Profoundly Radical’ Message of Earth Day’s First Organizer The ‘Profoundly Radical’ Message of Earth Day’s First Organizer

 

[SmartElectric]

High levels of air pollution may be “one of the most important contributors” to deaths from Covid-19, according to research

It makes entirely too much sense, pollution and for sure particulate PM 2.5 reduce the health and capacity of human lungs.

Air pollution linked to raised Covid-19 death risk

study suggests Covid-19 death rates rise by about 15% in areas with even a small increase in fine-particle pollution levels in the years before the pandemic.

"Patterns in Covid-19 death rates generally mimic patterns in both high population density and high [particulate matter] PM2.5 exposure areas," the Harvard University report says.

 

[eevee-fan]

Looks like military members are being warned of elevated risk too due to exposure to burn pits when they deploy.

Hydroxychloroquine as treatment for COVID-19 shows no benefit and more deaths in VA study

 

[mspohr]

Pandemic side-effects offer glimpse of alternative future on Earth Day 2020

Pandemic side-effects offer glimpse of alternative future on Earth Day 2020

The skies are clearing of pollution, wildlife is returning to newly clear waters, a host of flights have been scrapped and crude oil is so worthless that the industry would have to pay you to take it off their hands – a few months ago, environmentalists could only dream of such a scenario as the 50th anniversary of Earth Day hove into view.

These would perhaps be the sort of outcomes seen had stringent environmental policies been put in place in the wake of the first Earth Day in 1970, which saw 20 million Americans rally in support of anti-pollution measures.

How people react to the return of normalcy after the pandemic will help define the crises racking the environment, according to Gerrard. “A key question will be do we have a green recovery, do we seize the opportunity to create jobs in renewable energy and in making coastlines more resilient to climate change?” he said. “The current US president clearly has no inclination to do this.”

 

[mspohr]

This Earth Day, we must stop the fossil fuel money pipeline

This Earth Day, we must stop the fossil fuel money pipeline | Bill McKibben

It’s most of what comes pouring out when you burn coal or gas or oil. There’s no catalytic converter for CO2, which means you have to take down the fossil fuel industry.

That in turn means you have to take on not just the oil companies but also the banks, asset managers and insurance companies that invest in them (and may even own them, in the wake of the current economic crash). You have to take on, that is, the heart of global capital.

 

[ggies07]

7 minute mini doc on the founder of Earth Day.

“Our goal is not just an environment of clean air and water and scenic beauty. The objective is an environment of decency, quality and mutual respect for all other human beings and all other living creatures.”
― Gaylord Nelson

 

[Nikxice]

Michael Moore just released his newest documentary "Planet of the Humans" for Earth Day at 50. It's available free on YouTube.