Dana's Climate denial linked to conspiratorial thinking in new study proves once again that an article with both "climate denial" and "conspiratorial thinking" in the title will generate a lot of commentary. The subject matter is definitely a hot button issue. If you have not done so already, you will want to check out Dana 's post.
Also check out the new He Said What? section of the Digest.
Is a strong El Niño on the horizon? Forecasters say count on it by Veronica Rocha, Los Angeles Times, July 11, 2015
Hat tip to Union of Concerned Scientists
The recent rapid declines in bumblebee populations in North America and Europe are linked strongly to climate change, researchers found.
The scientists behind the study are calling it the most comprehensive look yet at the relationship between bee populations and climate change. It was published Thursday in the journal Science.
Researchers at Canadian and American universities said that bumblebee populations are shrinking from the south and are not gaining the same area to the north, unlike what other smaller-scale research has concluded.
“Pollinators are vital for food security and our economy, and widespread losses due to climate change will diminish both,” Jeremy Kerr, the lead researcher and a biology professor at the University of Ottawa, said in a statement.
“We need to figure out how we can improve the outlook for pollinators on continental scales,” he said. “But the most important thing we can do is begin to take serious action to reduce the rate of climate change.”
Bees have lost about 300 kilometers, or 186 miles, of their range from the south, Kerr said.
“The scale and pace of these losses are unprecedented,” he continued.
Study links bee declines to climate change by Timothy Cama, The Hill, July 9, 2015
A directive banning the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) from investing in existing wind technology will also apply to small-scale solar projects, a move that will effectively throttle the industry, the Australian Solar Council said.
The federal government on Sunday confirmed that the $10bn CEFC will no longer invest in wind power, instead focussing on “emerging technologies”.
“It is our policy to abolish the Clean Energy Finance Corporation because we think that if the projects stack up economically, there’s no reason why they can’t be supported in the usual way,” Abbott told reporters in Darwin. “But while the CEFC exists, what we believe it should be doing is investing in new and emerging technologies – certainly not existing windfarms.
“This is a government which supports renewables, but obviously we want to support renewables at the same time as reducing the upward pressure on power prices,” the prime minister said. “We want to keep power prices as low as possible, consistent with a strong renewables sector.” [Our bold.]
In the Coral Bleaching section of his World.Mic article, 8 Photos Capture the Damage Climate Change is Already Doing to the World, Tom McKay states:
Skeptical Science reports that approximately 1% of the world's coral is dying off each year, with warmer oceans playing a huge role in the process. Warmer ocean temperatures stress corals, causing them to eject symbiotic algae crucial for their survival. While recent research has suggested corals may be able to adapt to hotter oceans in the long run, reefs are dying at unprecedented rates.
Australia's Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) invests using a commercial approach to overcome market barriers and mobilise investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency and low emissions technologies.
As at 30 June 2014, the CEFC had contracted investments of over $900 million in projects with a total value of over $3 billion.
The CEFC invests for a positive financial return, with its more than 40 direct investments and 25 projects co-financed under aggregation programs expected to achieve a positive net benefit for the taxpayer. These projects help to improve energy productivity for businesses across Australia, develop local industries and generate new employment opportunities.
The CEFC operates under the Clean Energy Finance Corporation Act 2012.
Inez Fung's bio page & Quote source
Posted by John Hartz on Sunday, 12 July, 2015
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