[GWSG] NE FL initiative; groundwater analysis; Trump vs. climate; meet the Mercers; Mercers vs. climate; Paris w/o US?

[Tilley, Al]

1.  Mayor Nancy Shaver of St. Augustine, FL, is Vice Chair of the new group Resiliency Florida, recently formed to foster planning for sea level rise and storm events in Northeast Florida.  South Florida has accomplished more planning than the northern part of the state so far.  St. Augustine has completed a vulnerability study and is planning adaptation measures.  http://staugustine.com/news/local-news/2017-03-26/advocacy-group-part-st-augustine-s-sea-level-rise-efforts



2.  Groundwater is typically higher than sea level in coastal areas.  The U of Hawai'i has developed a computer program to assess flooding as ground water rises, and warns that large areas of Honolulu and Waikiki are at risk.  "The flooding will occur regardless of sea wall construction."  86% of cesspools are probably already inundated by groundwater, which is thus contaminated.  (Planning for sea level rise could have led to avoiding that.)  http://www.hawaii.edu/news/2017/03/26/as-sea-level-rises-much-of-honolulu-and-waikiki-vulnerable-to-groundwater-inundation/



3.  Trump is moving to thwart President Obama's measures to deal with climate change.  Some things will be readily changed-such as allowing coal companies to mine on federal land-and others will not, such as the role of coal as a dirty and expensive source of energy.  The consequences of Trump's actions will not necessarily be what he imagines.  For example, the nuclear industry is likely to be further weakened, to the benefit of natural gas and renewable energy.  Trump will face a series of potent legal challenges.  https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/trump-moves-decisively-to-wipe-out-obamas-climate-change-record/2017/03/27/411043d4-132c-11e7-9e4f-09aa75d3ec57_story.html?pushid=58d9d27a04329f1d0000000c&tid=notifi_push_breaking-news&utm_term=.cb2706619f69



4.  The Mercer family has been Trump's primary sponsor.  It is a strange story, full of revelations about the state of the nation.  http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/03/27/the-reclusive-hedge-fund-tycoon-behind-the-trump-presidency



5.  The Mercers are active in supporting opposition to action on climate.  https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/the-mercers-trump-mega-donors-back-group-that-casts-doubt-on-climate-science/2017/03/26/dc1fde86-109b-11e7-9b0d-d27c98455440_story.html?utm_term=.ecded95349f4



6.  The Paris Agreement works by a consensus of nations.  It is possible that the energy transition would go more smoothly without the US than with an obstructive US still in the agreement.  http://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-agreement-idUSKBN16Y1SP  ?

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