The New Report On Climate, Part 3

Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II: Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States; The National Climate Assessment (NCA) assesses the science of climate change and variability and its impacts across the United States, now and throughout this century.

November 23, 2018 (U.S. Global Change Research Program)

“…[The Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II, a congressionally-mandated report from 13 federal agencies] detailing the impacts of climate change across the United States, shows] the clear and present danger that human-caused climate change poses to the American people, especially to communities of color, the elderly and rural communities…[It shows there] is no credible alternative to greenhouse gasses to explain the warming…Temperatures have risen 1.8°F since 1901, and all of that warming (plus some) is due to human activity…Globally, 16 of the last 17 years are the warmest years on record…The planet has 1.1°F of warming locked in, even if emissions were to drop to zero in the short term.

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…Economic losses from climate change could reach hundreds of billions of dollars annually, for some sectors. Climate impacts along the coastlines are exacerbating existing social inequities. Communities face difficult questions regarding who will pay for current impacts and future adaptation strategies and if, how, or when to relocate vulnerable communities…The Southeast is expected to lose over a half-billion labor hours by 2100 due to extreme heat…Agricultural crop quality and quantity is projected to decline across the U.S. due to increased flooding, temperatures, drought and other climatic changes...In the Midwest, corn crop yields could decrease by up to 25 percent by mid-century...The economic value of timber is expected to decrease by up to $788 billion by the end of the century due to changes in forest composition…In 2010, heat stress was estimated to have lowered annual U.S. dairy production by $1.2 billion…Global warming and acidifying oceans are already harming the $200 billion fishing sector…” click here for more

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The New Report On Climate, Part 4

Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II: Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States; The National Climate Assessment (NCA) assesses the science of climate change and variability and its impacts across the United States, now and throughout this century.

November 23, 2018 (U.S. Global Change Research Program)

“…[The Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II, a congressionally-mandated report from 13 federal agencies] detailing the impacts of climate change across the United States, shows] the clear and present danger that human-caused climate change poses to the American people, especially to communities of color, the elderly and rural communities…[It shows climate change doubled the area burned by wildfires across the West between 1984 and 2015. By 2100, annual acreage burned could increase by as much as 6 times. Historically, the U.S. has spent an average of $1 billion a year to fight wildfires. In the first eight months of 2017, costs exceeded $2 billion…Rising temperatures are reducing snow-to-rain ratios, leading to significant differences between the timing of water supply and demand…[and] Atlantic hurricane activity has increased…

Climate change is upsetting coastal ecosystems, threatening fisheries, the tourism industry, public safety, and human health. Continuing coastal impacts will worsen existing social inequities as vulnerable communities reckon with adaptation…Sea levels have risen 8-9 inches since 1880, three inches of which have occurred since 1990. As much as 8 feet of sea level rise is possible by 2100 if greenhouse gas pollution is left unchecked…Even with adaptation measures, billions to hundreds of billions of dollars of additional damages are expected by 2100. Lasting damage to personal property and infrastructure will lead to financial losses and higher insurance premiums…” click here for more

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The New Report On Climate, Part 1

Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II: Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States; The National Climate Assessment (NCA) assesses the science of climate change and variability and its impacts across the United States, now and throughout this century.

November 23, 2018 (U.S. Global Change Research Program)

“…[The Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II, a congressionally-mandated report from 13 federal agencies] detailing the impacts of climate change across the United States, shows] the clear and present danger that human-caused climate change poses to the American people, especially to communities of color, the elderly and rural communities…[It also] shows unequivocally that rapid transition away from fossil fuels is necessary to save lives and preserve the country’s natural heritage… The Trump administration denies climate change and is overtly hostile to climate science…[The president] admitted recently to dismissing that report when it was presented to him…

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“…Volume I, released last year, assessed the existing body of climate change science…[Volume II] provides the technical, scientific assessment of impacts, risks, and adaptation… [It finds that human] activity, such as burning fossil fuels, is the primary cause for the warming temperatures…Climate change is already costing Americans, as storms become more damaging, heat waves more deadly, wildfires more common, allergies worse and some diseases more widespread…Fighting climate change will save hundreds of billions of dollars in public health costs alone, and save thousands of lives a year…The Department of Defense, farmers, businesses, and local communities are already planning for and adapting to climate impacts. But their plans often do not always account for the uncertainty that is inherent to a changing climate…” click here for more

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The New Report On Climate, Part 2

Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II: Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States; The National Climate Assessment (NCA) assesses the science of climate change and variability and its impacts across the United States, now and throughout this century.

November 23, 2018 (U.S. Global Change Research Program)

“…[The Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II, a congressionally-mandated report from 13 federal agencies] detailing the impacts of climate change across the United States, shows] the clear and present danger that human-caused climate change poses to the American people, especially to communities of color, the elderly and rural communities…[It also shows the] health of every person living in the U.S. is at risk from climate change. Communities of color, the elderly, children, and low-income communities are particularly vulnerable…Allergy-induced conditions like hay fever and asthma are becoming more frequent and severe…

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Warming is expanding the range of mosquitoes and ticks that carry vector-borne diseases like Zika, West Nile, Dengue, Chikungunya and Yellow Fever…Drier conditions in Arizona and California have led to greater growth of the fungus that leads to Valley Fever (coccidioidomycosis). Before 1999, cryptococcal infections were limited to the tropics, but Cryptococcus gatti, the species that causes these infections, is now established in Northwest soil…The Midwest is projected to have the largest increase in heat-related premature deaths by the end of the century - an additional 2,000 deaths per year…West Nile cases are projected to double by 2050, with a $1 billion annual price tag in hospital costs and premature deaths…” click here for more

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Climate Change Gets Everybody And Everybody Has Solutions

Climate change will get you, whether you believe in it or not

Kathy Hedberg, November 19, 2018 (Lewiston Tribune)

The problem with this controversy over climate change is that whether or not you’re a believer, whatever happens to the world is going to happen to all of us…If the planet is incinerated, it won’t matter whether you thought it was real…Sometimes it really doesn’t matter what you believe in. Reality happens…Those of us who are convinced climate change is reality — and there seems to be mounting evidence that it is — are trying to do whatever we can to mitigate the effects. I’ve been recycling for years…[But] my meager contribution is a mere drop in the bucket of the climate change problem…

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…[If the world is going to burn up,] the best solution would be to figure out how to keep the inferno from happening in the first place…[T]here are lots and lots of good ideas out there about how to put out the forest fire before it grows out of control. Young people, who are going to inherit this mess if there is a mess left to inherit, have fresh, inquisitive minds and energy and the incentive to turn things around. All they need is space...[Friends] recently bought an electric car and installed solar panels to charge it. It makes them feel better to do something positive about energy usage that might help their grandchildren survive…I’m still recycling tin cans…” click here for more

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Astonishing Things About New Energy, Part 4

5 Hard-to-Believe Renewable Energy Facts; Renewable energy from wind and solar went from impossibly expensive to nearly 10% of American electricity in less than 20 years. What's ahead may be even more astounding.

Maxx Chatsko, November 11, 2018 (The Motley Fool)

“…Offshore wind capacity could grow to 23,375 megawatts by 2030…Hindered by a lack of domestic expertise, high costs, and zoning issues, offshore wind power boasts just 30 megawatts of installed capacity in the country today. That's all about to change…[Europe] hosts the overwhelming majority of offshore wind projects on the planet…[and] European players such as Orsted are crossing the Atlantic to grab a piece of North America's incredible untapped potential.

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The United States could realistically generate more than twice its total electricity needs from offshore wind power in the Lower 48. Tremendous power potential, falling costs, and experience gleaned from Europe have resulted in a project pipeline of 23,375 megawatts today. Most of that could come online by 2030 and greatly improve the carbon footprint of American cities, most of which are located on or near an oceanic coast or one of the Great Lakes…” click here for more

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Astonishing Things About New Energy, Part 3: Carbon Sink

5 Hard-to-Believe Renewable Energy Facts…

Maxx Chatsko, November 11, 2018 (The Motley Fool)

“…American ethanol helps create the biggest carbon sink on the planet..When low-orbit satellites survey planet Earth for regions with the most photosynthetic activity, a measure of plant growth and carbon dioxide consumption, jungles and the occasional algal bloom in the ocean stand out as expected. But no region swipes more carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere than the American Midwest, home to America's Corn Belt…[which is home to over 90% of the country's ethanol production and more than half of total global output…

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That has created problems in recent years for producers such as Archer Daniels Midland and Green Plains(NASDAQ:GPRE), which are drowning in oversupply, but the industry is taking a lesson from the country's oil and gas boom with hopes to create a more sustainable future: exporting the excess…The United States is on track to export 1.8 billion gallons of ethanol in 2018, and it has now exported over 1 billion gallons for three consecutive years. Considering more export terminals are coming online this year and next, and nearly 1 billion gallons of ethanol production capacity remains offline, this is a trend that shows no signs of slowing…” click here for more

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Midterm Political Shift Means More New Energy

States lead the way on pivotal shift toward renewable energy after midterms; The election of pro-clean energy governors raises hopes of wind and solar industry sectors.

Mark Hand, November 18, 2018 (ThinkProgress)

The shift in the political balance at the state level following the midterm elections will produce far more benefits for the renewable energy industry — at least in the next few years — than the Democratic takeover of the U.S. House of Representatives, according to clean energy experts…Voters in several states elected Democratic governors in previously Republican-controlled states, shakeups that could lead to a more rapid advancement of clean energy policies. The Democratic Party also seized control of seven state legislatures, according to data from the National Conference of State Legislatures, a shift that could make it easier to pass laws favorable to renewable energy…

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…[Gregory Wetstone, president and CEO of the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), called the midterm election’s outcome a ‘seismic shift’ in the political landscape…[Renewable energy standards and the establishment of clean energy incentives could gain even more momentum due to what happened in the governors’ races and in state legislatures, he predicted…Although renewables legislation used to be more bipartisan, Democrats have been far more likely to support renewable energy-friendly policies than Republicans since the rise of the Koch Brothers and other pro-fossil fuel political funders a decade ago…In the next Congress, there could be opportunities for the passage of bipartisan legislation, but nothing on the scale needed to adequately address the climate crisis…” click here for more

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This Is What It Looks Like

Take A Good Look, America. This Is What The Reckoning Looks Like

Matt Simon, November 13, 2018 (Wired)

“…[The fable is not true that a frog put into cold water won’t notice the water being brought to a boil before it’s too late, but apparently humans are not that smart…[Northern California’s] Camp Fire is only 25 percent contained, yet it is already by far the deadliest and most destructive in state history…[It has] killed 42 and destroyed nearly 7,200 structures…[Southern California’s] Woolsey Fire has scorched over 90,000 acres and leveled at least 370 structures…[This devastation] is ultimately a product of a warming world. The climate change reckoning is here. This is what inaction looks like…

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…[It is not immediately observable that] Inuit peoples in northern Canada have less of the ice they rely on to hunt, coral reefs are buckling under the weight of warming and acidifying waters, climate change is making hurricanes worse…[but it is clear] California is burning…The contribution of climate change is] obvious in the data…California is already very dry due to lack of rainfall. That means parched vegetation, which means lots of fuel for fires. But as temperatures climb, the atmosphere further dehydrates vegetation…[The Camp Fire] conflagration overwhelmed the 27,000-person town of Paradise…Climate change isn’t the only factor…[but the] climate change reckoning is here, and we are all mere fabled frogs…” click here for more

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Astonishing Things About New Energy, Part 1

5 Hard-to-Believe Renewable Energy Facts; Renewable energy from wind and solar went from impossibly expensive to nearly 10% of American electricity in less than 20 years. What's ahead may be even more astounding.

Maxx Chatsko, November 11, 2018 (The Motley Fool)

“…The United States is on pace to generate 275 terawatt-hours of electricity from onshore wind power in 2018, compared to just 5.6 terawatt-hours in 2000. That amounts to a whopping 4,810% increase since the turn of the century. By comparison, the S&P 500 has gained 168% in that span with dividends (and two brutal recessions) included. Therefore, it shouldn't be surprising that some of the best-performing stocks in that span belong to businesses that went all-in on the future of wind power…

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NextEra Energy stock has delivered a total return (share performance plus dividends) of 1,430%...Even shares of Xcel Energy, which only began investing heavily in renewable energy in the last decade, have put up a total return of 477%...[They have nearly 21,000 megawatts of installed wind capacity combined…[and have been pivotal] in increasing wind power's share of nationwide electricity generation to nearly 7%...” click here for more

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What Big Oil Is Doing About Climate Change

Big Oil claims it's doing its part to combat climate change. A new study finds it's not even close.

Callum Burroughs, November 11, 2018 (Business Insider)

“Despite years of claims and commitments about clean investment and alleviating climate change, the world's largest oil companies have contributed just 1% of their spending budgets to green energy in 2018…[A new study by environmental advocates CDP, the] world's top 24 publicly-listed oil companies spent just 1.3 percent of total budgets of $260 billion on low carbon energy in 2018…70% of the energy sector's renewables capacity came from European oil majors…

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Norway's Equinor leads the way with plans to spend up to 20% of its budget on renewables by 2030, while European major Total has spent the most on low-carbon energies, around 4.3% of its budget, since 2010…Shell plans to invest up to $2 billion each year in renewables and electric vehicles alongside a pledge in 2017 to halve the carbon footprint of the energy it sells by 2050...These efforts pale in comparison to the required need for drastic climate control measures...” click here for more

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A Tale Of New Energy In Two States

Why Nevada upped its renewable energy standards (and Arizona didn’t)

Elise Hansen and Katarina Zimmer, November 11, 2018 (Grist)

Voters in Arizona and Nevada faced an identical choice…[of whether to require their utility companies] to get half of their energy from renewable sources by 2030…Proposition 127 failed in Arizona amid what local news outlets are calling “the most expensive ballot fight” in the state’s history. Meanwhile, roughly 60 percent of voters supported Question 6 in Nevada, adopting the new renewables standard…The National Renewable Energy Laboratory ranked Nevada and Arizona first and second, respectively, among U.S. states in solar power potential in 2006. And solar is just one element of a renewable energy portfolio that can also include power from wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal sources…

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…Forcing utility companies to get a minimum percentage of their energy from renewables is one of the simplest and most-effective ways to spur a transition away from fossil fuels…As Nevada now moves closer to reaching its potential, Arizona is stalled…While Nevada’s main electric company stayed neutral on the Silver State’s measure, Arizona’s electricity companies put up a big fight…[and] frequently cited the possibility that Arizonans could see increased energy costs if the measure passed…[Research showed they were false claims but they swayed voters and renewables advocates say the] outcome is “an unfortunate example” of the power wielded by investor-owned utilities…” click here for more

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Bill Maher’s Voter Guide

This is it. Vote or go home. From Real Time with Bill Maher via YouTube

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Samantha Bee’s Voter Guide

You are all going to vote! From Full Frontal with Samantha Bee via YouTube

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Where The Nation Is On New Energy

Where Americans (Mostly) Agree on Climate Change Policies, in Five Maps

Nadja Popovich, November 1, 2018 (NY Times)

Americans are politically divided over climate change, but there’s broader consensus around some of the solutions…A majority of Americans in almost every county support requiring electric utilities to produce at least 20 percent of their power from wind, solar and other renewable sources…[According to new Yale data,] more than two dozen states – including Hawaii, Texas and New York – have some sort of renewable energy requirement on their books, though many fall short of the 20 percent mark…

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Americans also overwhelmingly support funding research into renewable energy (nationally, 85 percent say they are in favor) and providing consumers with energy-saving tax incentives (82 percent say the same)…Support for wind and solar energy cuts across political divides…[because it is about more than climate change, and can be cheaper, cleaner, or better for human health…The geography of support for expanding offshore drilling looks more political. Counties that voted Republican in the 2016 presidential election generally view offshore drilling more favorably…The idea is popular along the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana, a major offshore drilling hub. Counties along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts tend to be less enthusiastic…

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Last year, the Trump administration moved to open up nearly all United States waters to drilling, but governors from many coastal states raised concerns…Ryan Zinke, secretary of the Interior, announced that Florida would be exempt from the administration’s plan after meeting with the state’s Republican governor, Rick Scott. In defending his decision, Mr. Zinke cited widespread political opposition in Florida and a ban on drilling in state waters. Governors from South Carolina, New Jersey, Oregon, California, and more than half a dozen other states requested similar exemptions. New Jersey and California took action to block offshore drilling in state waters, too…

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…[A] majority support for a tax on carbon dioxide pollution…[if] revenue from taxing carbon emissions would be used to reduce other taxes, an idea favored by some conservatives. But this may not be the form a carbon tax proposal takes in the real world…[A real-world policy debate over carbon pricing would bring] millions of dollars of pro- and con- advertising…and politicians will support or savage the proposal…[That could shift] public opinion…On Tuesday, voters in Washington state will decide whether to approve the country's first fee on carbon emissions. The state’s proposal would use revenue to support clean energy and infrastructure projects, among other environmental concerns.” click here for more

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