Scrap fossil fuel subsidies, says International Monetary Fund (IMF)
IMF Urges Reining In Of Fossil Fuel Subsidies http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3662 29 March 13, A new report from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates that energy subsidies total $1.9 trillion worldwide – the equivalent of 2.5 percent of global GDP. Earlier this month, Earth Policy Institute (EPI) pegged the number at USD$620 billion; however the IMF’s figures are based on a post-tax basis that also factors in a range of negative externalities from energy consumption.
The IMF’s paper shows for some countries the burden of energy subsidies is becoming so great that it threatens the stability of those economies. Continue reading
Extreme weather – climate change is proving very costly for America
$188 Billion Price Tag: Extreme Weather From 2011 To 2012 The Energy Collective, By Daniel J. Weiss and Jackie Weidman The United States was subjected to many severe climate-related extreme weather over the past two years. In 2011 there were 14 extreme weather events — floods, drought, storms, and wildfires — that each caused at least $1 billion in damage. There were another 11 such disasters in 2012. Most of these extreme weather events reflect part of the unpaid bill from climate change — a tab that will only grow over time.
CAP recently documented the human and economic toll from these devastating events in our November 2012 report “Heavy Weather: How Climate Destruction Harms Middle- and Lower- Income Americans.” Since the release of that report, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, has updated its list of “billion-dollar”-damage weather events for 2012, bringing the two-year total to 25 incidents.
From 2011 to 2012 these 25 “billion-dollar damage” weather events in the United States are estimated to have caused up to $188 billion in total damage. [1] The two costliest events were the September 2012 drought — the worst drought in half a century, which baked nearly two-thirds of the continental United States — and superstorm Sandy, which battered the northeast coast in late October 2012. The four recently added disastrous weather events were severe tornadoes and thunderstorms. Here is an update of vital extreme weather event data after the addition of these four events: Continue reading
The future with climate change, refugees, food scarcity, wars?
Wars in prospect as climate change stirs unrest, UN told, SMH, 16 Feb 13 Imagine India in 2033. It has overtaken China as the most populous nation. Yet with 1.5 billion citizens to feed, it’s been three years since the last monsoon. Without rain, crops die and people starve.
Imagine India in 2033. It has overtaken China as the most populous nation. Yet with 1.5 billion citizens to feed, it’s been three years since the last monsoon. Without rain, crops die and people starve.
The seeds of conflict take root. Continue reading
Koch brothers secretly undermine climate science
“How the ‘Kochtopus’ Stifled Green Debate” Society for Environmental
Journalists, 27 Jan 13,
It’s not just that the billionaire Koch brothers have spent tens of
millions to undermine science and stifle debate on climate change.
It’s that they do it in secret.
“Even by the standards of the super-rich, Charles and David Koch are
extraordinarily wealthy. …The two brothers share a similar political
outlook. They are right-wing libertarians who believe in minimal
regulation of industry, smaller government, lower corporate taxes and
less generous social services. They are also closet ‘sceptics’ when it
comes to climate science. …
Together, the two brothers have given millions of dollars to
non-profit organisations that criticise environmental legislation and
support lower taxes for industry.
The Kochs have also contributed vast sums to promote scepticism
towards climate change, more even than the oil industry according to
some estimates. Greenpeace, for instance, has calculated that
ExxonMobil spent $8.9m on climate-sceptic groups between 2005 and
2008; over the same period the Koch brothers backed such groups to the
tune of nearly $25m.”…..
http://www.sej.org/headlines/how-kochtopus-stifled-green-debate
Collective responsibility to act on climate change
However, neither governments nor vested interests would have been able to continue on the track leading toward a climate calamity had it not been for the majority who, aware of the risks, pay only lip service to the issue. Ultimately it is the collective foresight or lack of such, by our species which it will decide its future
Humanity’s scorched Earth program – where to now? The Conversation, Andrew Glikson, 24 Jan 13, The intensity and frequency of bush fires and firestorms around the globe, including recently in Australia, is a growing worry. Under conditions where mean land temperatures have increasedby ~1.5 degrees Celsius since 1750, the effects of fires under higher temperatures projected by the IPCC for later this century defy contemplation.
While there is scepticism from those who do not accept the scientific method nor empirical evidence, the laws of physics tell us atmospheric temperatures are largely regulated by greenhouse gases (GHG). The same applies to the connection between rising temperature and the spate of extreme weather events around the world. This includes increased climate variability, heat waves, fires, cold fronts, intensification of the hydrological cycle and consequent rise in floods and hurricanes experienced in Australia over the last few years andat present.
The failure to negotiate agreements for mitigation of GHG, through Kyoto, Copenhagen, Cancun, Durban and Doha now poses an existential risk around the world and in Australia.
Where does responsibility belong? Continue reading
Rapid climate change due to diminishing Arctic sea ice
Loss of Arctic Sea Ice Speeds Domino Effect of Warming Temperatures at High Latitudes http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130123144044.htm
Melting Arctic sea ice is no longer just evidence of a rapidly warming planet — it’s also part of the problem.
Alan Werner, professor of geology at Mount Holyoke College, said that decreasing amounts of Arctic snow and ice in summer will lead to a greater degree of heat absorption at the North Pole.
The reason, Werner said, is because the loss of snow and ice makes Earth’s surface less reflective, meaning solar radiation. or heat — is absorbed in greater amounts by the exposed dark ocean or tundra.
“That’s the thing that’s happening very abruptly, or at least in geologic time scales, very quickly,” Werner said. “That the high latitudes are warming at a much faster rate than the other latitudes.”
Werner’s observation follows the announcement in September by the National Snow and Ice Data Center that the surface area of Arctic sea ice had reached a new low in 2012, breaking a previous record reached in 2007.
What the new data suggests, Werner said, is that the Arctic Ocean will likely be free of sea ice during summer in the next few decades, which may trigger significant changes in climate across the globe.
“One thing about humans living on the planet is that we don’t do well with change,” Werner said. “The changes that we’re talking about are changes that are going to be difficult for humans to adapt to.”
What to do about runaway global warming?
Humanity’s scorched Earth program – where to now? The Conversation, Andrew Glikson, 24 Jan 13,”……….Where to now?Some scientists despair. Professor Guy McPherson writes “It seems no matter how dire the situation becomes, it only gets worse when I check the latest reports”. Others accept Pablo Casals‘ dictum “The situation is hopeless. We must take the next step”.
In themselves, efforts at reducing atmospheric CO2-emission are no longer sufficient to prevent further global warming. Along with sharply reducing carbon emissions, we need to undertake efforts to reduce atmospheric CO2 from the current level of near-400 ppm to well below 350 ppm. A wide range of technologies – many known as “geo-engineering” – have been proposed to do this job.
The concept of “geo-engineering” rings alarm bells for some, but it has been confused. Most people understand this concept in terms of solar injection of sulphur dioxide into the stratosphere. This is a Band-Aid at best; at worst it is a harmful measure causing further ocean acidification and the retardation of precipitation and of the monsoon.
By contrast, CO2 draw-down is a far-better option. It would attempt to reverse the deleterious consequences of the over 560 billion tons of carbon released from combustion and land clearing. Other measures such as NASA-applied outer space shade technology may buy time for such planetary defence effort.
The alternative does not bear contemplation. http://theconversation.edu.au/humanitys-scorched-earth-program-where-to-now-11525?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+conversationedu+%28The+Conversation%29
Economic dangers of climate change – The World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Risks Report 2013
Reports Reiterate Link Between Environment and Economy http://www.enn.com/ecosystems/article/45486 18 Jan 13, Two new reports reiterate the scientific veracity of anthropogenic climate change while reinforcing the interconnectedness of the economy and the environment. The World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Risks Report 2013 clearly points to the interrelationship between the environment and the economy. (Diagram on left illustrates the true basis of the economy – on the right, the false basis.)
A draft of the third National Climate Assessment Report indicates that climate change is both an environmental and economic issue.
The draft report was prepared by a Federal Advisory Committee known as the “National Climate Assessment and Development Advisory Committee” (NCADAC). The report was mandated by Congress in 1990 with the passage of the Global Change Research Act, which requires that a national climate assessment be conducted every four years and the results be issued to the President and Congress. As a consequence of the 1990 legislation, the US Global Change Research Program was formed, which is an inter-governmental body involving 13 federal agencies and departments.A draft of the third National Climate Assessment Report indicates that climate change is both an environmental and economic issue. The draft report was prepared by a federal committee and offers a comprehensive analysis of the latest and best peer-reviewed science on the extent and impacts of global warming on the US. The report restates the fact that climate change will have a wide range of impacts ranging from agriculture to water.
The 2013 NCADAC report, which engaged more than 240 authors, indicated that one of the salient reasons given for the rapidly changing climate is the copious burning of fossil fuels. Following two consecutive years of extreme weather, the report makes the connection between the increased incidence and severity of extreme weather and anthropogenic climate change. Continue reading
National governments are legislating to fight climate change
Nations are taking action on climate change
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn23079-nations-are-taking-action-on-climate-change.html
15 January 2013 by Fred Pearce
It may be climate change’s best-kept secret. While global talks
founder, national governments are passing legislation to curb
greenhouse gas emissions – a Plan B for fighting climate change that
was hatched at 2010 climate talks in Cancun.
This optimistic message is at the centre of a new London School of
Economics analysis, published by GLOBE International, a group of
environment-minded parliamentarians. Of 33 major economies, 32 have
now passed legislation to either combat climate change or improve
energy efficiency, the analysis suggests, with industrialising
countries like China, Mexico and South Korea at the forefront.
These national measures are not enough, of course – the World Bank
recently concluded that the world is still heading for 4 degrees of
warming by 2100 – but national measures may help enable a global
emissions-cutting deal in time for the 2015 UN target date.
“Only if national regulatory frameworks are in place will it be
possible to reach an agreement in 2015,” says GLOBE secretary Adam
Matthews. There is no Plan C.
Limiting global warming by cutting carbon emissions
Climate change damage can be limited by carbon cuts: study, SMH,
January 14, 2013 – The world could avoid much of the damaging effects of climate change this century if greenhouse gas emissions are curbed more sharply, research shows.The study, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, is the first comprehensive assessment of the benefits of cutting emissions to keep the global temperature rise to within 2 degrees Celsius by 2100, a level which scientists say would avoid the worst effects of climate change.
It found 20 to 65 per cent of the adverse impacts by the end of this century could be avoided.
“Our research clearly identifies the benefits of reducing greenhouse gas emissions – less severe impacts on flooding and crops are two areas of particular benefit,” said Nigel Arnell, director of the University of Reading’s Walker Institute, which led the study…….
The latest research involved scientists from British institutions including the University of Reading, the Met Office Hadley Centre and the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change, as well as Germany’s Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.
It examined a range of emissions-cut scenarios and their impact on factors including flooding, drought, water availability and crop productivity. The strictest scenario kept global temperature rise to 2 degrees C with emissions peaking in 2016 and declining by 5 per cent a year to 2050.
Flooding
Adverse effects such as declining crop productivity and exposure to river flooding could be reduced by 40 to 65 per cent by 2100 if warming is limited to 2 degrees, the study said.
Global average sea level rise could be reduced to 30cm (12 inches) by 2100, compared to 47-55cm (18-22 inches) if no action to cut emissions is taken, it said.
Some adverse climate impacts could also be delayed by many decades. The global productivity of spring wheat could drop by 20 per cent by the 2050s, but the fall in yield could be delayed until 2100 if strict emissions curbs were enforced.
“Reducing greenhouse gas emissions won’t avoid the impacts of climate change altogether of course, but our research shows it will buy time to make things like buildings, transport systems and agriculture more resilient to climate change,” Arnell said.
About 190 nations are aiming to sign a deal by 2015 which will legally bind countries to make ambitious emissions cuts but it will not come into force until 2020.
Paladin, Malawi given 14 days to renegotiate uranium deal, by Charles Kufa, Nyasa Times, 14 Jan 13, Malawi’s opposition Peoples Transformation Party (Petra) has added its voice to the concerns raised by African Forum and Network on Debt and Development (AFRODAD) that the government of Malawi had made a bad choice of project given the absence of transparency and accountability in the deal.
PETRA president Kamuzo Chibambo tol d reporters in Blantyre on Monday that his party has given Paladin and President Joyce Banda’s administration 14 days to explain why the uranium mining deal can’t be renegotiated for the benefit of Malawians……
He demanded that the government should renegotiate for at least a 40% stake and selling rights in the next 14 days…..
He also asked the government to tell measures it has put in place to avoid pollution seeping into Lake Malawi…..
A representative of the CSOs Moses…
View original post 68 more words
NASA’s drones will explore climate change effects below the tropsphere
NASA To Use Drone For Climate Research, Information Week Government, Patience Wait, 11 Jan 13, NASA this month will begin using a drone capable of flying 12 miles above the Earth’s surface in an effort to understand how atmospheric changes affect climate…… NASA’s new project is called the Airborne Tropical Tropopause Experiment, or ATTREX. The tropopause is the atmospheric layer between the troposphere, which is the lowest portion of the atmosphere, and the stratosphere. “There are vortices in the atmosphere that spin off the North Pole over the Pacific,” said Don Sullivan, a NASA employee working on the IT portion of ATTREX. “A lot of stuff that originates in Asia winds up in North America. We don’t know if it’s original material” or chemically compounded in the atmosphere.
The Global Hawk is capable of flying at 65,000 feet and staying aloft for 30 hours, allowing for air sampling over an extended period. It has been outfitted with about a dozen scientific instruments and sensors to measure trace gases, temperature, water vapor, radiation and other cloud properties…..
Six ATTREX flights are scheduled to take place between mid-January and mid-March. Those will be followed by flights over Guam and Australia next year.
Drones are a cheaper way for NASA to pursue some aspects of its mission, compared to rocket launches. ATTREX is an example of the agency’s Venture-class projects, which are designed to be implemented rapidly and at lower costs…. http://www.informationweek.com/government/information-management/nasa-to-use-drone-for-climate-research/240146117
NASA explores stratosphere to learn effects of the warming planet Earth
NASA Chases Climate Change Clues Into The Stratosphere NASA, 9 Jan
13, WASHINGTON — Starting this month, NASA will send a remotely
piloted research aircraft as high as 65,000 feet over the tropical
Pacific Ocean to probe unexplored regions of the upper atmosphere for
answers to how a warming climate is changing Earth. Continue reading
Japan’s government gambling with climate/nuclear disaster risks
Japan’s Pro-Nuclear Cabinet Fight Future Disaster With Reformed
Policies, The International, By Abbie Saunders JANUARY 07,
2013“……..The American Nuclear Society suggests that “one of the
most effective ways to reduce global carbon-dioxide emissions in the
future is by making increasing use of nuclear energy to replace fossil
fuels”. But Kurt Kleiner for Nature Reports maintains a different
stance.
Kleiner suggests that while the operation of a nuclear power plant
itself has “near-zero carbon emissions”, it is the initial
construction of these plants that damages their eco-friendly
reputation. He points to the sources of nuclear energy as the problem:
“uranium has to be mined, processed and transported, waste has to be
stored, and eventually the plant has to be decommissioned. All these
actions produce carbon emissions.”
Whilst nuclear energy itself may be considered more eco-friendly than
exhaustible energy sources, renowned Japan correspondent Lucy
Birmingham points to the country’s history of natural disasters as a
potential danger. In November 2012, following the destruction of
Hurricane Sandy, she poignantly remarked that “nuclear power and
superstorms don’t mix”. She suggests that both floods and droughts can
severely damage nuclear reactors, causing them to release potentially
fatal radioactive materials.
It is this reality that prompts the Japanese population to protest.
Since Fukushima, the citizens of Japan have become increasingly
concerned about the dangers of nuclear energy. If the government’s
primary responsibility is the security of its citizens, is Shinzo
Abe’s attempt to bolster the economy and Japan’s carbon footprint one
risk too far for the environment and the welfare of the people
residing in potential risk areas?….”
Toshiba’s plan to put nuclear reactor under permafrost in Alaska
Radio: New nuclear reactor to be buried 100 feet under permafrost in middle of Alaska? (AUDIO) http://enenews.com/radio-nuclear-reactor-be-buried-100-feet-permafrost-middle-alaska-audio
January 1st, 2013
Title: The New Normal Is No Normal
Source: Radio Ecoshock Show
Date: Jan 2, 2013
Toshiba is very interested in, it has been in talks with the mayor of Galena [Alaska] to build a, what they call a 4S Toshiba, it’s a liquid sodium reactor that they propose to bury under the permafrost — 100 feet under the permafrost, on the Yukon River floodplain.
So the last of the pristine rivers in the world, there’s been negotiations and machinations to put a liquid sodium reactor under the permafrost on the floodplain there in the middle of Alaska.
Full broadcast here
The world will pay dearly for delaying action on climate change
Delay climate action – and pay: report, SMH, January 3, 2013 An
agreement by almost 200 nations to curb rising greenhouse gas
emissions from 2020 will be far more costly than taking action now to
tackle climate change, according to research published on Wednesday.
Quick measures to cut emissions would give a far better chance of
keeping global warming within an agreed U.N. limit of 2 degrees
Celsius (3.6F) above pre-industrial times to avert more floods,
heatwaves, droughts and rising sea levels.
“If you delay action by 10, 20 years you significantly reduce the
chances of meeting the 2 degree target,” said Keywan Riahi, one of the
authors of the report at the International Institute for Applied
Systems Analysis in Austria. Continue reading
1 This Month
22 June – Virtual Event –Climate Change: New Data, New Debate
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25 June- THE PUKE ON NUKES
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Cuba Is Not a Failed State – It Is a Besieged State
PETITION: “Global Appeal to Endorse Palestinian Right of Return of Refugees”
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