No surprise here–VA’s isn’t the only coastline that is facing the challenge of rising sea levels (or recurrent flooding as VA likes to say). China has a lot of coastline.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jul/25/climate-change-threatens-chinas-booming-coastal-cities-says-expert
In last week’s roundup, we saw articles about Dr. James Hansen’s recent study results. Here’s a follow-up from Mashable.
http://mashable.com/2015/07/22/james-hansen-scary-new-climate-study/
A Guardian article on the EPA Clean Power Plan gives some insight into what to expect once these rules are issued.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jul/30/obama-will-use-veto-to-defend-climate-change-plan-if-necessary?CMP=EMCENVEML1631
You may have heard of “fee and dividend”, one way to use the market to drive down fossil fuel use and emissions. Here’s an op ed piece from The New York Times included in the weekend summary of The Daily Climate, suggesting another possibility. I am including it as a pdf file (see below) in case you can’t see it from the link. Also, here’s a Renewable Energy World article on the same subject.
• http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/24/opinion/a-third-way-to-fight-climate-change.html?_r=0
• http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/articles/2015/07/us-clean-power-plan-could-include-carbon-trading.html?cmpid=renewable07312015&eid=291085651&bid=1139109
• https://climateactionallianceofthevalley.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/ny-times-article-july-24-2015-a-third-way-to-fight-climate-change.pdf
This next link isn’t directly about climate per se, but hopefully you’ll appreciate the pictures of our planet and the commentary by Astronaut Scott Kelly.
https://medium.com/@WhiteHouse/a-new-blue-marble-39c2fe1b5b3c
Sir Roland Sanders, a columnist for the Jamaica Observer gives a thought-provoking piece on the plight of the world’s island residents.
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Climate-change–Time-for-talking-is-over_19220441
In another opinion piece, this time from the Chicago Sun Times, the Chicago Archbishop and the EPA Administrator tell us “We have a moral obligation on climate change”. This is a follow-up to Pope Francis’ encyclical on climate change.
http://chicago.suntimes.com/opinion/7/71/820711/archbishop-cupich-epa-mccarthy-climate-change
Three items related to the Paris talks:
• From The Guardian comes a July 22nd piece by reporter Dana Nuccitelli related to the upcoming Paris talks.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2015/jul/22/global-warming-deniers-are-an-endangered-species
• The Diplomat’s Kamal Madishetty ponders India’s role there in a July 24 article.
http://thediplomat.com/2015/07/climate-change-can-india-take-the-lead-in-paris/
• And, Renewable Energy World reprinted a Bloomberg July 27 article on corporate support for carbon re ahead of Paris.
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/news/2015/07/major-us-corporations-pledge-to-increase-renewable-energy-usage-decrease-carbon-footprint.html
Riskybusiness.org just published a lengthy report titled “Come Heat and High Water: Climate Risk in the Southeastern U.S. and Texas”. What got my attention right away were the 3 names of the committee co-chairs–Michael Bloomberg, Henry Paulsen, and Tom Steyer–not to mention other committee members, bi-partisan & many from the corporate world. No doubt you won’t want to digest the whole thing, but take a quick look at the Executive Summary and the material on Virginia.
Click to access Climate-Risk-in-Southeast-and-Texas.pdf
Inside Climate included a Jul 26 Washington Post article on the connection between Alaska’s wildfire season and climate change.
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/news/2015/07/major-us-corporations-pledge-to-increase-renewable-energy-usage-decrease-carbon-footprint.html
Here are 3 items about food–one of them a bit encouraging:
• If you like Australian wines, then you might want to peruse this article from down under. Well, maybe climate change will leave other wine-growing regions alone.
http://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/climate-change-hitting-where-it-hurts-your-wine-20150726-gikmuc.html
• Who doesn’t love olive oil? It’s getting pricier–guess why?
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jul/24/olive-oil-prices-surge-drought-disease-spain-Italy
• Some Northwest Native Americans see problem coming with their traditional food supply. Should the rest of us?
http://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/tribes-preparing-for-climate-change-impact-on-first-foods/
The Union of Concerned Scientists believes that some of the self-described “science” behind climate change wants to deceive us or cast doubt on what is happening. The detailed article, “Documenting Fossil Fuel Companies’ Climate Deception”, printed in their Summer 2015 Catalyst magazine isn’t yet available online, but here’s a link to their summary of it. If you’ve seen the documentary “Merchants of Doubt”, you’ve heard this before, but the information hasn’t gotten less troubling.
http://www.ucsusa.org/publications/catalyst/su15-firstprinciples.html#.VbvTT8LbK01
Hardly all the news that’s fit to print or available, but I think enough for this week….
These news items have been compiled by Joy Loving, member of the CAAV steering committee and leader of Solarize efforts in the valley.
Climate Action Alliance of the Valley 