2022 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #49
Posted on 10 December 2022 by John Hartz
Story of the Week
Polar bears and climate change: What does the science say?
The image of a polar bear stranded on melting sea ice is often used as a symbol of the world’s rapidly changing climate. Yet every now and again, claims emerge in the media that polar bears’ plight might not be so serious after all.
Carbon Brief has dug through the literature on polar bears and climate change and spoken to experts from around the world to determine what a changing climate means for polar bears.
The consensus is clear – as Arctic sea ice melts, polar bears are finding it harder to hunt, mate and breed. While polar bears have shown some ability to adapt to changes in their surroundings – for example, by foraging for food on land, or swimming more to hunt for prey – scientists project that as sea ice diminishes, polar bears will find it harder to survive and populations will decline.
Click here to access the entire article as originally posted on Carbon Brief.
Polar bears and climate change: What does the science say? by Ayesha Tandon & Roz Pidcock, Carbon Brief, Dec 7, 2022
Links posted on Facebook
Sun, Dec 4, 2022
- Parking lots are becoming as important as cars in climate change efforts by Kaitlin Balasaygun, ESG Impact, CNBC, Dec 3, 2022
- How an Early Oil Industry Study Became Key in Climate Lawsuits by Beth Gardiner, Yale Environment 360, Nov 30, 2022
- The Texas Group Waging a National Crusade Against Climate Action by David Gelles, Climate, New York Times, Dec 4, 2022
Mon, Dec 5, 2022
- Carbon Removal Is Coming to Fossil Fuel Country. Can It Bring Jobs and Climate Action? by Nicholas Kusnetz, Fossil Fuels, Inside Climate News, Dec 4, 2022
- Climate misinformation explodes on Twitter by Justin Calma, Climate, The Verge, Dec 5, 2022
- AGU Fall Meeting 2022 - Cranky Uncle makes an appearance by Bärbel Winkler, Skeptical Science, Dec 5, 2022
Tue, Dec 6, 2022
- The U.S. wants to slash carbon emissions from power plants. Natural gas is in the way by Michael Copely, Climate, NPR News, Dec 5, 2022
- Whistleblower: Enviva claim of ‘being good for the planet… all nonsense’ by Justin Catanoso, Bioenergy Series, Mongabay, Dec 5, 2022
- Climate foes push Great Reset conspiracy theory by Scott Waldman, Climate Wire, E&E News, Dec 6, 2022
Wed, Dec 7, 2022
- U.N. chief urges strong global nature deal to end 'orgy of destruction' by Gloria Dickie & Allison Lampert, Business, Reuters, Dec 6, 2022
- Fictional ‘Two Degrees’ aims to engage 8 to 14 year olds on climate by Bud Ward, Interview, Yale Climate Connections, Dec 5, 2022
- A beginner's guide to hot garbage by Emily Atkin, Heated, Dec 7, 2022
Thu, Dec 8, 2022
- Society Can’t Slow Climate Change Without Reining in Big Tech, New Report Warns by Kristoffer Tigue, Today's Climate, Inside Climate News, Dec 6, 2022
- How A Nonprofit Spread Climate Misinformation to 100 Million People by Michael Thomas, Distilled, Dec 8, 2022
- Finally, Some Good Climate News: The Biggest Wins in Clean Energy in 2022 by Dan Gearino, Clean Energy, Inside Climate News, Dec 8, 2022
Fri, Dec 9, 2022
- COP27: What was agreed at the Sharm el Sheikh climate conference? byEsme Stallard, Science, BBC News, Dec 8, 2022
- Polar bears and climate change: What does the science say? by Ayesha Tandon & Roz Pidcock, Carbon Brief, Dec 7, 2022
- Cranky Uncle now speaks 8 languages with French, Italian and Swedish added! by Bärbel Winkler, Skeptical Science, Dec 9, 2022
Sat, Dec 10, 2022
- America underwater by Samuel Oakford, John Muyskens, Sarah Cahlan & Joyce Sohyun Lee, Climate, Washington Post, Dec 6, 2022
- Behavioral Scientists’ Appeal To Climate Researchers: Study The Bias by Victoria St Martin, Science, Inside Climate News, Dec 9, 2022
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #49 2022 by Doug Bostrom & Marc Kodack, Skeptical Science, Dec 8, 2022
- Big Oil talks ‘transition’ but perpetuates petroleum, House documents say by Steven Mufson & Timothy Puko, Climate, Washington Post, Dec 9, 2022
Hello John, a long time ago, when you resumed the weekly News Roundup, I wanted to say a warm "Welcome back" and to Bärbel who did it until you came back a "Thank you". As time goes by .. and end of year is full of deadlines .. So I will take the nearing end of the year (and the fulfillment of a deadline which allows me to chill here ..) as an opportunity to express again my deep gratitude to you and the whole SkS team for this invaluable work! Unfortunately it is still very much needed, and even more than ever, with all kinds of backlashes, lately.
I know this whole comment is illegal, because it is "ad hominem", but I can't think of another channel and in this case, I just don't care ;-)
Thank you Jonas. You comment allowed a small wiff of fresh air to challenge site management being appalled at what they losely define as ad hominem to thus remove comments that find context essential to meaning. Its okay, and normal to do such, but it necessarily erodes credibility when mistakes are made. Humans make mistakes. I used to reference this site in much of my teaching in three countries and advising on research funding but no longer reference this location. A site manager sent me a note saying I had included a reference to one of my books on the importance of feminine research on climate change in 1856, a book presented to OECD in 1979 on climate change. He said he had thus removed the book title. In fact he only removed the content but left the book title? This was similar to a prior event where my cartoon against humans was criticized as political, thus the comment and cartoon were removed. Later, the site manager reposted the cartoon without my name? I guess we all make mistakes as humility.
Mistakes occur with arrogance in the climate change subject area. We really need to be more careful A few years ago Science posted a review of one of my books and received more than 800 responses. The editor became upset by the responses and wrote me saying they were imposing a cap of 150 responses. He said the 2,100 pages that had resulted were too much to manage? I eased his life by no longer referencing them.
Jonas, once again, your comment was a nice reminder of the importance of openness and transparency in the tradition of Socrates and Joan of Arc, but of course they were treated badly for such. Seems whatever they said was either political, ad hominem, or simply "off-topic." My debate with China's Leadership Council a few years ago on governance of climate change was eventually so classified via new leadership. Humans?
[BL] Moderation complaints snipped. The only moderation you have received here is in conjunction with your repeated peddling of your own book (which you have mentioned again here).
Jonas: As always, thank you for the positive feedback.