Arguments
2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #51
Posted on 22 December 2018 by John Hartz
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sunday, Dec 15 through Saturday, Dec. 22.
Editor's Pick
Risks of 'domino effect' of tipping points greater than thought, study says
Scientists warn policymakers not to ignore links, and stress that ‘every action counts’
When arctic ice melts, less sunlight is reflected, which raises global temperatures and increases the risk of forest fires. Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images
Policymakers have severely underestimated the risks of ecological tipping points, according to a study that shows 45% of all potential environmental collapses are interrelated and could amplify one another.
The authors said their paper, published in the journal Science, highlights how overstressed and overlapping natural systems are combining to throw up a growing number of unwelcome surprises.
“The risks are greater than assumed because the interactions are more dynamic,” said Juan Rocha of the Stockholm Resilience Centre. “The important message is to recognise the wickedness of the problem that humanity faces.”
The study collated existing research on ecosystem transitions that can irreversibly tip to another state, such as coral reefs bleaching and being overrun by algae, forests becoming savannahs and ice sheets melting into oceans. It then cross-referenced the 30 types of shift to examine the impacts they might have on one another and human society.
Risks of 'domino effect' of tipping points greater than thought, study says by Jonathan Watts, Environment, Guardian, Dec 20, 2018
Links posted on Facebook
Sun Dec 16, 2018
- Australia - Moving to Renewable Energy by Riduna, Skeptical Science, Dec 10, 2018
- New research, December 3-9, 2018 by Ari Jokimäki, Skeptical Science, Dec 14, 2018
- Former fossil fuels lobbyist to head interior department as Zinke exits by Emily Holden, Guardian, Dec 16, 2018
- The Paris Accord Promised a Climate Solution. Here’s Where We Are Now., by Somini Sengupta, Climate, New York Times, Dec 14, 2018
- Climate Negotiators Reach an Overtime Deal to Keep Paris Pact Alive by Brad Plumer, Climate, New York Times, Dec 15, 2018
- Global climate action plan adopted by almost 200 nations after marathon talks by Audrey Tan, The Straits Times (Singapore), Dec 15, 2018
- UN climate accord 'inadequate' and lacks urgency, experts warn by Fiona Harvey, Environment, Guardian, Dec 16, 2018
- The Oil Industry’s Covert Campaign to Rewrite American Car Emissions Rules by Hiroko Tabuchi, Climate, New York Times, Dec 13, 2018
Mon Dec 17, 2018
- The Security & Sustainability Guide, Guest post by Michael Sales, Michael Marien, & David Harries, Skeptical Science, Dec 13, 2018
- The Arctic Ocean has lost 95 percent of its oldest ice — a startling sign of what’s to come by Chris Mooney, Energy & Environment, Washington Post, Dec 11, 2018
- ‘1,000 little steps’: Global climate talks end in progress but fail to address the galloping pace of climate change by Brady Dennis, Griff Witte & Chris Mooney, Energy & Environment, Washington Post, Dec 15, 2018
- 5 takeaways from the COP24 global climate summit by Kalina Oroschakoff & Paola Tamma, Politico Europe, Dec 16, 2018
- UN climate change deal leaves door open for US to rejoin by John Bacon, USA Today, Dec 16, 2018
- Climate change activists vow to step up protests around world by Damian Carrington, Environment, Guardian, Dec 17, 2018
- For the first time, a major US utility has committed to 100% clean energy by David Roberts, Energy & Environment, Vox, Dec 14, 2018
- 'Planetary emergency:' After 30 years, leaders are still fighting about basic truths of climate science, Analysis by John Sutter, CNN, De 16, 2018
Tue Dec 18, 2018
- Is ‘glacier carbon’ good or bad for the climate?, Guest Post by Arwyn Edwards & Joe Cook, Carbon, Dec 13, 2018
- COP24: Key outcomes agreed at the UN climate talks in Katowice by Simon Evans & Jocelyn Timperley, Carbon Brief, Dec 16, 2018
- COP24 video: Three need-to-knows from the UN climate talks in Katowice by Staff, Carbon Brief, Dec 16, 2018
- Climate gentrification: Is sea rise turning Miami high ground into a hot commodity? by Alex Harris, Miami Herald, Dec 17, 2018
- Is Environmentalism Just for Rich People?, Opinion by Neil Gross, Sunday Review, New York Times, Dec 14, 2018
- How to sort out good-faith questions about climate change by Karin Kirk, Yale Climate Connections, Dec 14, 2018
- A Big Win on Climate Change and Clean Transportation by Ken Kimmel, Blog, Union of Concerned Scientists, Dec 18, 2018
- U.N. Talks Deliver a “Fragile Balance” on Paris Climate Rules by Jean Chemnick, E&E News/Scientific American, Dec 17, 2018
Wed Dec 19, 2018
- Canadian Chamber of Commerce solidly backs carbon pricing by Emily Chung, CBC News, Dec 17, 2018
- Climate change: The massive CO2 emitter you may not know about by Lucy Rogers, Science & Environment, BBC News, Dec 17, 2018
- Current Megadrought in the West Could Be One of the Worst in History by Sarah Fecht, State of the Planet, Earth Institute, Columbia, University, Dec 13, 2018
- That Global Warming Hiatus? It Never Happened. Two New Studies Explain Why. by Phil McKenna, InsideClimate News, Dec 18, 2018
- The UN Is Now Working Directly With Companies to Fight Climate Change by Kaleigh Rogers, Motherboard, Dec 13, 2018
- What would Jesus do? Talking with evangelicals about climate change, Opinion by Megan Mayhew Bergman, Environment, Guardian, Dec 19, 2018
- Little Ice Age? No. Big Warming Age? Yes. by Dana Nuccitelli, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Dec 17, 2018
- Decade of Climate Evidence Strengthens Case for EPA's Endangerment Finding by Marianne Lavelle, Inside Climate News, Dec 14, 2018
Thu Dec 20, 2018
- Solar households expected to give away power to energy firms by Adam Vaughan, Business, Guardian, Dec 18, 2018
- BoE's Carney says may test banks for climate change impact by Huw Jones, Reuters, Dec 17, 2018
- Climate funding undershoots real needs, but hope grows for future by Megan Rowling, Thomson Reuters Foundation, Dec 17, 2018
- 2018 - the hottest La Niña year ever recorded by Dana Nuccitelli, Yale Climate Connections, Dec 20, 2018
- The winter solstice is Friday: 8 things to know about the shortest day of the year by Brian Resnick & Brad Plumer, Health & Science, Vox, Dec 20, 2018
- Winters are warming faster than summers. These US cities could lose weeks of freezing days by 2050. by Umair Irfan & Kavya Sukumar, Health & Science, Vox, Dec 20, 2018
- CBO Dismisses Costs Of Global Warming, Posing Hurdle For Climate Legislation by Alexander C Kaufman, Politics, HuffPost, Dec 20, 2018
- IEA: China and India to fuel further rise in global coal demand in 2018 by Daisy Dunne, Carbon Brief, Dec 18, 2018
Fri Dec 22, 2018
- Global warming ‘hiatus’ is the climate change myth that refuses to die by Kevin Cowtan & Stephan Lewandowsky, The Conversation US, Dec 19, 2018
- Tilting at windmills: Spain strains to meet record renewables goal by Isla Binnie, Reuters, Dec 19, 2018
- The Carbon Brief Interview: Teresa Ribera by Leo Hickman, Carbon Brief, Dec 19, 2018
- Climate Carbon Bookkeeping by Evan & jg, Skeptical Science, Dec 20, 2018
- Climate Team, and Its Boss, Just Got Harder to Find at Top Health Agency by Lisa Friedman & Sheila Kaplan, Climate, New York Times, Dec 20, 2018
- Interior Dept. Moves Toward Selling Oil Leases in Arctic Refuge by Henry Fountain, Climate, New York Times, Dec 20, 2018
- The Farm Bureau: Big Oil’s Unnoticed Ally Fighting Climate Science and Policy by Neela Banerjee, Georgina Gustin & John H. Cushman Jr., InsideClimate News, Dec 21, 2018
- Risks of 'domino effect' of tipping points greater than thought, study says by Jonathan Watts, Environment, Guardian, Dec 20, 2018
Sat Dec 23, 2018
- Australia to miss 2030 emissions targets by vast margin, Coalition's projections reveal by Lisa Cox, Environment, Dec 20, 2018
- Want citizens to care about climate change? Write them a cheque by Abhishek Kar & Hisham Zerriffi, The Conversation CA, Dec 20, 2018
- The Green New Deal, explained by David Roberts, Energy & Environment, Vox, Dec 21, 2018
- Nearly Two Billion Dollars spent on Anti-Climate Science Legislative Lobbying 2000 to 2016, Climate Discovery, Dec 20, 2018
- Warming winters and dwindling Sierra Nevada snowpack will squeeze water resources in parts of California by Michon Scott, NOAA's Climate.gov, Dec 19, 2018
- Hurricane Michael Cost This Military Base About $5 Billion, Just One of 2018's Weather Disasters by Phil Mckenna, InsideClimate News, Dec 18, 2018
- I worked in the Interior Department. Watching Zinke’s tenure was heartbreaking. First Person by Sarah Greenberger, Science & Health, Vox, Dec 21, 2018
- Wind Energy Capacity To More Than Double In Wyoming After Years Of Stagnancy by Cooper McKim, Wyoming Public Media, Dec 21, 2018
Very likely we have already set a cascade of tipping points in motion but just in case we haven't passed the critical point, we continue not only to emit the same amount of Carbon per year but actually increase it just to ensure that the ball will get over the peak and hurtle down the other side. We still have to keep trying - hope springs eternal and all that. So why can't we see that there is one critical factor that is stoping the efforts of so many enlightened people who would likely turn the situation around with all their great efforts. Who Pays the Piper Calls the Tune. As long as we allow vested interests to finance our politicians, the politicians will do the bidding of the vested interests. It is really that simple. We should abandon all our campaigns and come together on this one. Then we could go back to our favorite hobby horse with a reasonable expectation of success.