Source: UN Chief Warns World on ‘Verge of the Abyss’ as WMO Releases Climate Report | Common Dreams News
Category: Climate Change
‘They lost our receipts three times’: how getting an insurance payout can be a full-time job
As thousands of homes remain underwater in what appears to be yet another historic flood event in New South Wales, insurance companies are being inundated with calls from worried customers. The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that Insurance Council of Australia has declared an insurance catastrophe following more than 5,000 claims over the weekend.
‘They lost our receipts three times’: how getting an insurance payout can be a full-time job
During Friday’s edition of Fox News’ Outnumbered, the panelists repeated a number of false claims about the ongoing blackouts in Texas, both in an attempt to cover up negligence by the state government and private power utilities and to deny the role of climate change in severe weather events. Fox has been waging a sustained propaganda campaign attempting to blame renewable energy sources for the state’s crisis. By contrast, local media outlets in Texas have done a much better job at explaining how the breakdowns across all energy sources — including from fossil fuels, which still normally provide a majority of the state’s electricity — are the result of the state’s failure to adequately winterize its infrastructure, even after prior blackout events. But these facts were entirely left out of the conversation on Outnumbered.
Fox’s Outnumbered lies about role of climate change in Texas and state’s record on winter blackouts | Media Matters for America
A new study from Australian and Chinese researchers adds weight to scientists’ warnings from recent United Nations reports about how sea levels are expected to rise dangerously in the coming decades because of human activity that’s driving global heating.
Bolstering Alarm Over Scientists’ Warnings, New Study Finds Sea Level Rise Projections ‘Are On the Money’ | Common Dreams News
In Australia and internationally, climate lawmaking has been going on for more than a decade. The evidence is clear: well designed, binding climate laws do effectively tackle the climate crisis. Anything less may well turn out be an empty promise.
Mr Morrison, please don’t make empty promises: enshrine our climate targets in law
Tragedy
Deadly Himalayan glacial burst triggers calls for action on climate change
The flash flood in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand has killed at least 12 people, with fears for 170 more.
A glacial flood that tore through a Himalayan valley, killing at least 12 people with fears for 170 more, has sharpened concerns about an acceleration in climate change disasters, as rescuers scramble through the hostile terrain to find survivors.
Deadly Himalayan glacial burst triggers calls for action on climate change
Australia stands alone in the world on Climate Change America has joined the Paris accord and abandoned Trumpist Morrison
Bushfires caused by climate change had a significant impact on the survival of koalas while the Government continues to ignore warnings, writes Sue Arnold.
Governments continue to ignore climate change as a cause of koala extinction
The scientists warn that world leaders must act to avoid a grim future while planning for impending changes the planet is set to face
Top scientists warn of ‘ghastly future’ for planet as leaders underestimate ecological threats – CNN
We aren’t out of the woods, but 2021 gives us light at the end of the tunnel. It has been so dark so long.
So long, Sucker! Top 6 Reasons we Won’t miss you, 2020, or Trump, either
Australia has experienced its hottest spring on record, based on minimum and mean temperatures, despite predictions the La Nina weather event underway in the Pacific would bring higher rainfall.
Australia breaks spring temperature records
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.
Australia’s Massive Solar Energy Hub in Outback to produce coal-killer Green Ammonia
Rooted in Germany’s metalworks industries, IG Metall is one of the world’s strongest trade unions. But the need for climate action is forcing it to take a more critical approach to the industries where its members work — and fight for a green transition that creates new kinds of high-paid, fulfilling jobs.
In Germany, Trade Unions Are Waking Up To the Climate Crisis
Joe Biden’s thumping victory in the US presidential election is also a thumping victory for the global climate. Biden campaigned unabashedly to rejoin the Paris climate agreement, to pledge net-zero emissions by 2050, and to spend AU$2.4 trillion on new climate initiatives. His election is a game-changer for global climate action.
US election 2020: Australia alone in the new global climate
This past summer, an outbreak occurred as far north as Connecticut, where the state health department issued a rare alert after five residents contracted the deadly V. vulnificus bacteria. Meanwhile, in the Carolinas, rising seas and intensifying storms are washing the virulent strains further inland. Since 2007, when the CDC required states to report Vibrio cases, South Carolina has seen a three-fold increase in its incidence rate and North Carolina’s reported rate soared 1.6 times. By 2019, according to more recent state data, the bacteria had sickened at least 550 people in both states.
Deadly Bacteria in Coastal Waters Causes a Flesh-Eating Disease. Climate Change Is Making It Worse. – Mother Jones
The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction issued a report today concluding that natural disasters caused by the human impact on earth’s climate have doubled in the past twenty years. Human beings have put increasing amounts of heat-trapping gases like carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in the past 40 years by driving gasoline cars and burning coal and natural gas for electricity and heating and cooling buildings. Using a comprehensive database, UNDRR found that from 2000 through 2019 there have been 7,348 huge disasters.
Stunning Doubling of Severe Natural disasters in past 20 Years, many driven by Climate Emergency
High ocean temperatures have impacted large and small corals in deep and shallow water, scientists say
Climate Emergency Overdrive: Our Age of Compound Disasters as 10% of Oregon is Evacuated, California Burns and Louisiana Sinks
If you go back and look at the predictions of climate scientists about 2020, you’ll see that they gave a range, of best- and worst-case scenarios. In every instance, it is the worst case scenario that has come to pass. Even the most jaded and alarmed scientists in 2000 were not pessimistic enough. Mother Nature is trying to tell us something but we are not listening.
Climate Emergency Overdrive: Our Age of Compound Disasters as 10% of Oregon is Evacuated, California Burns and Louisiana Sinks
Anti-Warmists say we can adjust no need to be concerned. Said from the aircon studios powered by fossil fuels. (ODT)
via New global temperature record may have been set in California’s Death Valley
COVID and our response to it, as well as the new research, have stripped away the remaining excuses not to make this transition as rapidly as possible to flatten, and eventually squash, the
carbon-emissions curve.
The evidence is in: we need to flatten the carbon-emissions curve
Liberate citizens from the centrally controlled fossil fuel industries. Expand opportunities for work and self determination from the grass roots up transition to not from new opportunities. (ODT
Just as we’re remembering to wash our hands more than we used to, coming out of the pandemic, it will pay to be more attentive about remembering to choose the zero-emissions option at every step.
We stand at a crossroads. If government stimulus packages around the world favour carbon-intensive practices and miss the moment to modernise and decarbonise, we will lock ourselves into a warming future.
If, however, we rise to the challenge, we can use the recovery from one crisis to simultaneously address another.The Conversation
via Why it doesn’t make Economic Sense to Ignore Climate Change in our Recovery from the Epidemic
Climate Science: Shift from Carbon Sponge (ODT)
via ‘Alarming’: Tropical Forests in Shift From Carbon Sponge to Carbon Source | Common Dreams News
The cost of doing nothing(ODT)
We need to focus all our efforts on the outcome required because Inaction on climate change will cost the Earth. That is too high a price to pay.
Seibt is promoted by the Heartland Institute. The Koch bros Institute seems to miss an essential point. Neither Science nor those arguing the reality of man-made Climate Change being real are declaring it’s “all” only man made. However, the accumulated effect human activity has had on the accelerating the rate of change can’t be discounted as the trigger and only humans can alter that over the long term.
Righteous anger is a valid response to call for a stop on CO2 emissions. Given the history of denial, which has only recently seen a psuedo shift by denialists like the Kochs and remains neither scientific or rational but purely political, economic and self-interested the anger stems from concern for the common good of the planet. Seibt on that basis is a red herring just as Dr Bjorn Lomborg and his Coppenhagen Climate Council was when also financed by the Koch Bros to distract from the evidence science has and continues to accumulate for over the past 60 years. Today proving the negative influence CO2 emissions have on the planet’s changing climate. (ODT)
“I don’t want to get people to stop believing in man-made climate change, not at all,” she told the Washington Post on Monday, while acknowledging she found the idea that human activity alone was responsible for the warming planet “ridiculous.” The outlet’s profile of the young activist, whom it not-so-subtly dubs “the anti-Greta,” proceeds to paint her as a puppet of the Heartland Institute, which is “paying [Seibt] to question established climate science” – as if she would never have done so on her own.
Rather then give Seibt the benefit of the doubt, at least one other outlet pounced on WaPo for not being harsh enough on the German activist. Motherboard accused the outlet of “amplifying climate change denialism” from a “noted propaganda factory” that “can routinely be found peeing in the public discourse pool on behalf of its corporate donors.” Imagine what hell would break loose if anyone used such terms to describe Saint Greta…
Amazon Rain Forest is now a Net-Emitter of CO2 du to 17% de-forestation.(ODT)
via Deforested parts of Amazon ’emitting more CO2 than they absorb’ – BBC News
”Unprecedented” is the word that keeps being tied to the apocalyptic weather Australia has faced over the past few months.
Teenage Swedish activist against climate change, Greta Thunberg has managed in the most vigorous and loud way to pass the debate over this huge problem, by the heads of state and government and public dialogue, in society and in the friendly discussions, mobilising millions of people around the world, especially young people, who began to demonstrate demanding by governments the immediate taking of measures for the confrontation of climate change.
Swedish MPs rightly suggested her for the Nobel Peace Prize. And of course, Greta Thunberg is right when she says that the measures are being taken to reduce greenhouse gases and, above all, carbon dioxide are not sufficient.
So, what are the appropriate measures to be taken without delay to effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and keep the temperature at + 1.5°C?
The basic policies for mitigating the problem consists in promoting and utilising renewable energy sources (wind, solar, biomass, etc.), enhancing energy efficiency, the drastic reduction of the exploitation of oil and gas deposits and the imposition of carbon taxes in order that to limit the use of fossil fuels and thereby to reduce significantly carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and eliminate them by 2050 at the latest, the rapid reduction of emissions of methane, carbon black and other short-lived pollutants that burden the climate, the restoration and protection of ecosystems and, above all, forests.
via Climate change: A major global threat – » The Australian Independent Media Network
So Clive James had various ways to attack the notion of Climate Change. He would deride and belittle those who speak up about IPCC science. He used bon mots or clever twists in language to make jokes about his opponents, who may not be more than political opponents. He approved of those who claim to be experts in scepticism, without bothering to verify them any more than he checked the claims of IPCC science. He asserted claims which were already debunked numerous times. He peppered his writing with historical names as if their name proves something. Far from affirming science, he affirmed denial.
via More Clive James: Climate Change Sceptic (Part 2) – » The Australian Independent Media Network
It’s true Australia is responsible for about 1.2 per cent of global emissions. It’s also true that we contribute a quarter of exports that make up the world’s coal trade and just became the biggest gas exporter.
So what effect does the action we take on climate change within Australia have on cutting emissions? What is our part in solving a problem that is, by its nature, global?
via Australia emits 1.2 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gases. So who must act to cut emissions?
First
I’m, of course, talking about the recent bushfires. Just to recap the main talking points:
The bushfires, while bad, are nothing new because we’ve always had them.
These bushfires are not unprecedented. We’ve had worse.
They should not be politicised by talking about climate change.
They are the result of “greenie” influence and a lack of fuel reduction burns.
They are unprecedented because, in the past, we used to do fuel reduction burning.
They are not the result of climate change because a hotter climate doesn’t cause fires.
Don’t talk about climate change and try to politicise the issue.
Have we mentioned arson?
It’s all the states’ fault for not doing fuel reduction burning because that used to enable the fires to be put out before they’d got out of control.
We’ve always had droughts and fires and floods, so this is nothing new.
Of course, we believe in climate change, but, of course, some people will want more evidence before we do anything like… well, before we do anything.
Who is Matt Kean and why should we listen to someone who’s NSW Environment Minister?So in spite of the clear signals that Scott Morrison is considering that he’s prepared to change Coalition policy on climate change as long as it doesn’t involve anything which will affect jobs… In particular, his job. And so long as somebody can guarantee that this action won’t affect the Surplus, coal exports and ensure that his daughters get to ride on a unicorn, then he’s prepared to take it to the party room.
Then there’s Twiggy
His advice came from Roskam and the IPA. Someone has told him the next election is 2 years away. (ODT)
Australia and the UK beg Iraq to allow the Coalition of the Killing to stay on to fight ISIS after Trump declared their fight has been put on hold despite Trump’s declaration of victory and news he’s now ready to cut and run. These are the world’s self-declared peacekeepers (ODT)
Boris Johnson pleads with Iraq not to kick out UK and US forces | Daily Mail Online
As bushfires rage and the demands for action on climate rise, the gas cartel is developing a suite of enormous fossil fuel projects destined to blow Australia’s commitments to the Paris Agreement to smithereens. Michael West reports on the push to frack new provinces; the propaganda and the reality.
