[GWSG] Tropical rain; Arctic melt; murky media; exinctions; CA PACE; stack power; sea food; cool regs; food probs; NOAA rept.; Hansen PP

[Tilley, Al]

1.  An MIT study indicates that for every 1° C rise in average temperature tropical precipitation will increase by 10%, with disruptive effects.  http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2012/study-shows-intensified-tropical-rainfall-with-global-warming-0917.html

2.  The unexpected Arctic melt rate increases the threat of runaway warming.  http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/sep/19/arctic-ice-shrinks  The impact of the Arctic melt on weather is generally probable but difficult to work out in detail.  (The same might be said for the accelerating pace of methane release and of sea level rise.)  http://www.climatecentral.org/blogs/closer-look-at-arctic-sea-ice-melt-and-extreme-weather-15013?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+climatecentral%2FdjOO+Climate+Central+-+Full+Feed   Antarctic sea ice is growing by about 1% each decade (but there’s not much good news there).  http://www.climatecentral.org/news/forget-the-melting-arctic-the-sea-ice-in-antarctica-is-growing-skeptics-say-15032?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+climatecentral%2FdjOO+Climate+Central+-+Full+Feed

3.  A Scientific American blog explains why the melting of the Arctic sea ice matters and what it certainly will and could mean for our future.  Your patience with a fairly lengthy article will be rewarded with insight into how hard we are making it for ourselves.  http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2012/09/21/arctic-sea-ice-what-why-and-what-next/

4.  PBS has forbidden Miles O’Brien, their science correspondent, to present material on climate change.  Recently they ran a segment on NewsHour featuring denier propaganda.  O’Brien, along with many others, found it horrible.  http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/09/21/886971/pbs-newshour-science-reporter-miles-obrien-climate-denier-segment-a-horrible-horrible-thing/  Less and less serious attention is being accorded climate change in the US media.  http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/sep/23/america-miasma-misinformation-climate-change  Incredibly, this NY Times story on the perils and potentials of the Greenland melt does not mention sea level rise or global climate impact.  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/24/science/earth/melting-greenland-weighs-perils-against-potential.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0moc.semityn.www  Fox news coverage of climate is 93% inaccurate; the Wall Street Journal’s opinion page, 80%.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/25/news-corp-climate-change-coverage_n_1912896.html?utm_hp_ref=green

5.  We are already committed to cascades of extinctions.  http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/2011/08/2011-0829-climate-change-extinctions/  A study of the qualities which allow species to escape extinction may assist in planning for our future.  http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/lost-worlds/2012/sep/20/dinosaurs-fossils

6.  California has initiated the nation’s largest PACE program.  The program will allow
 commercial property owners to borrow money for efficiency upgrades and add the debt to their property tax so that it passes down automatically with the property if it is sold.  The payment is generally less than the savings on the utility bill.  Jacksonville is considering such a program.  Thanks to Sarah Boren for the lead.  http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/09/20/biggest-pace-green-building-program-launches-in-california/

7.  A new material can capture 15-20% of the heat from power stacks and exhausts as electricity.  http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/health-science/the-heat-from-car-exhaust-to-be-scavenged-for-power-in-new-scientific-breakthrough/story-e6frg8y6-1226477877046

8.  A billion people depend on sea food for the majority of their protein.  By mid-century acidification is expected to reduce their catch by 40%.  http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/sep/24/food-climate-change-fisheries

9.  Air pollution regulations could quickly cut warming by .5° C.  http://www.ipsnews.net/2012/09/easing-air-pollution-would-cool-the-planet/  The cost would be some tens of millions a year; global warming costs now amount to $1.2 trillion a year and are set to double by 2030.    http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/sep/26/climate-change-damaging-global-economy?newsfeed=true

10.  Britain’s National Pig Association warns that a worldwide shortage of pork and bacon is “unavoidable” for the coming year because drought has led farmers to slaughter their herds and has driven feed prices up.  I’m heading for the Barbeque Festival in Paducah, KY this weekend while it’s still there.  http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/sep/25/pork-bacon-shortage-unavoidable-drought  The Space Coast Climate Change Initiative has released a video on this year’s weather’s impact on fruit and vegetable production in the US.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYewE4FTGuo&feature=youtu.be

11.  NOAA has released a report from a 2011 conference on achieving hazard-resilient growth in coastal areas.  http://coastalsmartgrowth.noaa.gov/resilience.html

12.  James Hansen’s thoughts on our situation are recorded in “A New Age of Risk.”  The PowerPoint touches on many of the subjects linked above.  http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/
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