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  2. Another Week of Climate Disruption News, July 14, 2013

Another Week of Climate Disruption News, July 14, 2013

By illconsidered on July 16, 2013.

This weekly posting is brought to you courtesy of H. E. Taylor. Happy reading, I hope you enjoy this week's Global Warming news roundup

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Sipping from the Internet Firehose...

July 14, 2013

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The US and China had a chatfest this week. Maybe someone will leak the results...:

I haven't seen the study behind these stats, but the story is all over the place:

The papers on injection earthquakes caught some wind:

Still some lingering Sumatran smog comments:

What do we have for warnings this week?
Can you say feedback?

Lest we forget:

And on the Bottom Line:

What are the big banks up to?

John Cook and friends continue their point-counterpoint articles:

A note on theFukushima disaster:

    It is evident that the Fukushima disaster is going to persist for some time.
    TEPCO says 6 to 9 months. The previous Japanese Prime Minister, Naoto Kan, said decades.
    Now the Japanese government is talking about 30 years.
    [Whoops, that has now been updated to 40 years.]
    And the IAEA is now saying 40 years too.
    We'll see.
    At any rate this situation is not going to be resolved any time soon
    and deserves its own section.
    Meanwhile...
    It is very difficult to know for sure what is really going on at Fukushima.
    Between the company [TEPCO], the Japanese government, the Japanese regulator [NISA], the international monitor [IAEA], as well as independent analysts and commentators, there is a confusing mish-mash of information.
    One has to evaluate both the content and the source of propagated information.
    How knowledgeable are they [about nuclear power and about Japan]?
    Do they have an agenda?
    Are they pro-nuclear or anti-nuclear?
    Do they want to write a good news story?
    Do they want to write a bad news story?
    Where do they rate on a scale of sensationalism?
    Where do they rate on a scale of play-it-down-ness?
    One fundamental question I would like to see answered:
    If the reactors are in meltdown, how can they be in cold shutdown?

Not much good news coming out of Fukushima:

Post Fukushima, nuclear policies are in flux around the world:

The Arctic melt continues to garner attention:

That Damoclean sword still hangs overhead:

While in Antarctica:

The food crisis is ongoing:

The state of the world's fisheries is a concern:

The conflict between biofuel and food persists:

So, are these land grabs Colonialism V2.0?

Regarding the genetic modification of food:

And how are we going to feed 9 billion, 10 billion, 15 billion?

In the Western Pacific, Typhoon Soulik zapped Taiwan and then the mainland:

In the Eastern Pacific, TS Erick dissipated along the Baja:

  • 2013/07/10: MODIS: Hurricane Erick (05E) off Mexico [on July 6]
  • 2013/07/09: NASA: NASA Infrared Data Shows a Shrunken Tropical Depression Erick
  • 2013/07/08: Eureka: NASA's TRMM satellite sees Tropical Storm Erick along Mexican coast

    In the Atlantic and the Caribbean, Chantal stormed up and then died:

  • 2013/07/12: Eureka: Satellite views Chantal's remnants over Bahamas
  • 2013/07/12: al Jazeera: Tropical Storm Chantal hits Hispaniola
    The third named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season brings floods to the Greater Antilles.
  • 2013/07/11: Wunderground: Chantal Dissipates; its Remains Bringing Heavy Rains to the Bahamas
  • 2013/07/11: Eureka: NASA sees Chantal weaken to a remnant
  • 2013/07/11: MODIS: Tropical Storm Chantal (03L) off Brazil [on July 7]
  • 2013/07/10: BBC: Tropical Storm Chantal kills one in Dominican Republic
  • 2013/07/10: PLNA: News Alert on Storm Chantal Nearing Southeastern Cuba
  • 2013/07/10: BBerg: Tropical Storm Chantal Weakens on Path to Dominican Republic
  • 2013/07/10: CSM: Tropical Storm Chantal threatens Dominican Republic, Haiti
  • 2013/07/10: PLNA: Eastern Caribbean Returns to Normal After Passage of Chantal
  • 2013/07/10: Wunderground: Chantal Barely Alive, Bringing Heavy Rains to Haiti and the Dominican Repulic
  • 2013/07/09: Wunderground: Unusual Chantal Disorganized, but has 65 mph Winds
  • 2013/07/09: Eureka: NASA sees Tropical Storm Chantal's heavy rainfall and towering thunderstorms
  • 2013/07/09: CNN: Tropical Storm Chantal barrels through Caribbean, heads toward Puerto Rico
    Tropical Storm Chantal packs 65 mph winds - Its projected path includes Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Haiti -
    Chantal is expected to dump 3 to 6 inches of rain on several Caribbean islands - Some spots could get as much as 8 inches of rain
  • 2013/07/09: Wunderground: Chantal Strengthening as it Plows Through the Lesser Antilles Islands
  • 2013/07/08: Eureka: NASA sees Tropical Storm Chantal develop quickly in Atlantic
  • 2013/07/08: CSM: Tropical storm Chantal: Caribbean prepares as storm nears
  • 2013/07/08: CBC: Caribbean braces for tropical storm Chantal
  • 2013/07/08: CNN: Tropical Storm Chantal races toward Caribbean
    It is unclear if Tropical Storm Chantal will affect the United States - The storm's top sustained winds are at 40 mph -
    Tropical storm warnings are in place in the western Caribbean - Up to 6 inches of rain is expected in some areas
  • 2013/07/08: Wunderground: Tropical Storm Chantal: a Likely Harbinger of an Active Atlantic Hurricane Season
  • 2013/07/07: Wunderground: 95L Near Tropical Depression Status, Headed Towards Lesser Antilles

    While elsewhere in the hurricane wars:

  • 2013/07/13: MODIS: Hurricane Dalila (04E) off Mexico [on July 2]
  • 2013/07/13: Grist: A scientific storm is brewing over the hurricane-climate connection
  • 2013/07/11: UCSUSA:B: Ready or Not: Hurricane Season in a Warming World
  • 2013/07/08: CBrief: New study offers different take on the future of tropical cyclones
  • 2013/07/08: CCentral: Hurricanes Likely to Get Stronger & More Frequent: Study
  • 2013/07/09: Grist: Climate change could bring more hurricanes
  • 2013/07/09: HotWhopper: Tropical Cyclones - More and More Often
  • 2013/07/07: CBC: Erick downgraded to tropical storm -- Erick rumbling towards California
  • 2013/07/08: al Jazeera: Stormy waters lie ahead
    The Pacific and Atlantic Oceans will see some major weather systems in the coming days.

    • As for the Monsoon:

    This week in notable weather:

    This week in the New Normal -- extreme weather:

    Rossby Waves? Blocking Patterns? Arctic Oscillation?
    What is the Arctic melt doing to our weather?

    Meanwhile in the carbon cycle:

    As for the temperature record:

    Yes we have feedbacks:

    Aerosols are making their presence felt:

    Clouds are one of the major uncertainties in climate. Much research revolves around them:

    While in the paleoclimate:

    And on the ENSO front:

    What's the State of the Oceans?:

    And on the extinction watch:

    The bees and Colony Collapse Disorder are a constant concern:

    What's new in proxies?

    • 2013/07/10: BBC: Worm poo's window into past climate [proxies]
      Earthworm faeces can be used to measure past temperatures, providing a window into the ancient climate.
      A study shows that the chemistry of small balls of chalky crystals secreted into soil by the worms varies with temperature.
      A UK team said the granules could be compared with other climatic "proxies", such as ice cores and deep sea sediments.

    What's up with volcanoes this week?

    More GW impacts are being seen:

    And then there are the world's forests:

    Emerging diseases accompany ecological change:

    On the tornado front:

    As for heatwaves and wild fires:

    Corals are a bellwether of the ocean's health:

    Glaciers are melting:

    Sea levels are rising:

    These extreme rainfall events are becoming all too frequent:

    As for hydrological cycle disruptions [floods & droughts]:

    First, stop subsidizing fossil fuels
    Second, put a price on carbon
    Third, begin to reduce the human population
    And elsewhere on the mitigation front:

    Synthetic Biology is moving into industrial production of food, fuel and precursor chemicals:

    Consider transportation & GHG production:

    While in the endless quest for zero energy, sustainable buildings and practical codes:

    As for carbon sequestration:

    Large scale geo-engineering keeps popping up:

    What's new in conservation?

    While on the adaptation front:

    Meanwhile in the journals:

    And other significant documents:

    As for miscellaneous science:

    What developments in the ongoing struggle for Open Science?

    Meanwhile at the UN:

    And on the carbon trading front:

    On the international political front, tensions continue as the empire leans on Iran:

    South [& East] China Sea tension persists:

    The Trans-Pacific Partnership looks like a stealth corporate takeover:

    And in miscellaneous international political jousting:

    Climate Change is a threat multiplier exacerbating existing conflicts in food, energy, water, race, resources, religion, ideology ... etc.:

    The issue of the law and activism is playing out around the world:

    What are the activists up to?

    The move to divest from fossil fuel investments is growing slowly:

    Polls! We have polls!

    • 2013/07/08: EurActiv: Europeans 'confused by green claims': Survey
      Some 80% of Europeans are concerned by the environmental impact of their purchases but only one-quarter say they "often" buy green products, reveals the latest EU opinion poll.
      A slim majority (54%) of the 25,000 respondents to the Eurobarometer report, released on Friday (5 July), say they "sometimes" buy environmentally-friendly products.
      About half of Europeans would be willing to change their purchasing habits for environmental reasons but feel they lack information and distrust manufacturers' green claims.
      With environmentally-friendly products being generally more expensive, the issue remains over how to get consumers to go green.
      Environment Commissioner Janez Potoc(nik believes better labelling could help.

    Regarding Water Politics and Business; See also:

    Among the world's religions:

    While in the UK:

    And in Europe:

    Meanwhile in Australia:

    The September election is getting closer...:

    After years of wrangling, the Murray Darling Basin Plan is in place, but the water management fights are far from finished:

    While in China:

    • 2013/07/13: BBC: Protest prompts China to cancel Jiangmen uranium plant
      China has cancelled plans to build a uranium processing plant the day after hundreds of protesters took to the streets to oppose the project.
      The 37bn yuan (£4bn) project, close to the southern city of Jiangmen, would have provided enough fuel for around half of China's atomic energy needs.
      It had been part of a national effort to reduce China's reliance on coal and boost the use of clean energy.

    And in Russia:

    • 2013/07/08: ScienceInsider: Putin Grants Minor Concessions on Bill to Overhaul Russian Academy of Sciences
      The Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) has gained a 3-year reprieve from a government plan to merge it with two smaller academies. But RAS would still lose the ability to manage its extensive property and real estate holdings.
      Incensed by what they view as an attempt by President Vladimir Putin to destroy the 289-year-old research organization, dozens of scientists have said that they will refuse membership in the new version of RAS. They are also trying to build support for a counterproposal to what the Russian government wants to do.

    And South (and Central) America:

    In Canada, neocon PM Harper, aka The Blight, pushes petroleum while ignoring the climate and ecology:

    The Harper gang is pushing some fundamentally destructive science policies:

    After the Lac Magantic tragedy, there has been a lot of pipeline vs railroad chatter:

    And on the fabled West-East line:

    Last week it was Calgary; this week it was Toronto's turn; who will it be next week?

    The ISA/PRV/IHN/Alpha virus in Canadian waters is potentially disastrous:

    Well has Christy Clark won her byelection. Now what will she do?

    Meanwhile in that Mechanical Mordor known as the tar sands:

    Also in Alberta:

    In Ontario, Wynne is struggling to establish herself. Energy still looms large:

    In the Maritimes:

    In the North:

    And on the American political front:

    The BP disaster continues to twist US politics:

    In memoriam:

    The Keystone XL wheel grinds slowly. And it grinds woe:

    The Mayflower oil spill continues to weigh heavily on the Keystone decision:

    The GOP War on Women continues. See also:

    Looking forward to 2014, 2016 elections:

    Now that he doesn't need their vote any more, how will Obama treat liberals and their policy issues?

    The actions of the Obama administration are being watched closely:

    As for what is going on in Congress:

    The movement toward a long term ecologically viable economics is glacial:

    IPAT [Impact = Population * Affluence * Technology]
    raised its head once again:

    Apocalypso anyone?

    Okay hot shot, how are we gonna fix this?

    How do the corporate media measure up?

    Here is something for your library:

    And for your film & video enjoyment:

    Meanwhile among the 'Sue the Bastards!' contingent:

    It looks like this BP trial over the Gulf oil spill is going to take a while:

    Developing a new energy infrastructure is a fundamental challenge of the current generation:

    What do you have in energy comparisons and transitions?

    Hey! Let's contaminate the aquifer for thousands of years! It'll be a fracking gas!

    On the coal front:

    On the gas and oil front:

    In the gas and oil corps:

    And in pipeline news:

    A rush of American triumphalism pervades the energy independence PR campaign. Think it will last?

    Yes we have peak everything:

    Biofuel bickering abounds:

    The answer my friend...:

    Meanwhile among the solar aficionados:

    The nuclear energy controversy continues:

    Feed-In-Tariffs are being variously implemented around the world:

    Like a mirage, the dream of a Hydrogen Economy shimmers on the horizon:

    And then there is the matter of efficiency & conservation:

    Automakers & lawyers, engineers & activists argue over the future of the car:

    As for Energy Storage:

    The reaction of business to climate change will be critical:

    Joe Romm posts a daily list of top energy and climate stories:

    Other (weekly) lists:

  • 2013/07/13: SkS: 2013 SkS Weekly News Roundup #28B by John Hartz
  • 2013/07/12: ERabett:BSD: Climate snapshots
  • 2013/07/11: SkS: 2013 SkS Weekly News Roundup #28A by John Hartz
  • 2013/07/10: BPA: 3 Picks: Heat Tolerant Broccoli, Micro Gardening, Oil Prices
  • 2013/07/09: BPA: 3 Picks: Cover Crops, Farmed Fish, Biotech Sweet Corn
  • 2013/07/09: CleanTechnica: EV News & Bike News...
  • 2013/07/09: CleanTechnica: Solar News & Wind News...
  • 2013/07/09: CleanTechnica: Energy Storage, Energy Efficiency, & Other Energy News

    The carbon lobby are up to the usual:

    As for climate miscellanea:

    And here are a couple of sites you may find interesting and/or useful:

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