[GWSG] Uncertainty and risk; AMOC & climate; kindness of strangers; HFC control; comparing plans; early spring; food & security

[Tilley, Al]

1.  Uncertainty about such matters as the collapse of the polar ice sheets should lead us toward quicker action rather than delay because increasing uncertainty can indicate increased risk, according to a new analysis, "Responding and adapting to climate change: Uncertainty as knowledge."  "The presence of scientific uncertainty doesn't just reveal a lack of knowledge but is, in many cases, a mathematical expression of the knowledge we do have. Uncertainty can therefore be a source of actionable knowledge rather than an indicator of ignorance."  http://phys.org/news/2015-10-uncertainty-action-climate-urgent.html



2.  The overturning circulation currents in the Atlantic have slowed recently.  That will lead to changes in the global climate which we are beginning to understand, using paleoclimate data.  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/10/151014121111.htm



3.  Other people are much more unselfish than we tend to think.  That is good news for climate action.  http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/oct/14/selfish-proof-ego-humans-inherently-good



4.  President Obama has acted to moderate leaks of HFCs, 10,000 times more potent than CO2.  Next year he intends to issue an executive order to replace them where safer alternatives exist.  http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/15/white-house-environmental-initiative-hydroflurocarbons



5.  A series of graphs compare the emissions control plans of several countries.  The US is doing fairly well, comparatively.  Read the story for some info on the influence of fossil fuel corporations on EU policy.  Their general strategy is to increase the use of natural gas by misrepresenting it as clean and green.  http://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2015/oct/16/which-countries-are-doing-the-most-to-stop-dangerous-global-warming



6.  Spring is coming earlier and will come even earlier as the years pass.  That is not good news for interdependent species which depend on the timing of seasonal cycles.  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/10/151014085418.htm



7.  Secretary Kerry observes that food security is directly linked to what we do about climate change, and that food insecurity translates into insecurity generally.  http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/17/us-climatechange-summit-kerry-idUSKCN0SB0PN20151017?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews  ?

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