[GWSG] Corps using eminent domain; estimating relocation; oyster fingers; spring is early; virus gumming energy transition

[Tilley, Al]

1. The federal government is forcing local governments to use eminent domain to remove people in some flood-prone areas from their homes. “The Corps applies a relatively simple formula to decide which houses should be condemned, officials said: It estimates how much damage a house is likely to suffer in the next 50 years, then compares that to what it would cost to buy and tear down the house, plus moving expenses for the owner. If the buyout costs less, the homeowner is asked to sell for the assessed value of the home. That price is not negotiable, and neither is the offer.”  Governments which refuse to go through with removal by eminent domain will lose eligibility for climate relief. Thanks to Deirdre Irwin for the story. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/11/climate/government-land-eviction-floods.html?mc_cid=8dfff35803&mc_eid=7e874d0905



2. Reliable projections of climate refugees are hard to come by, and most of the figures commonly used are inaccurate guesses. Is all of West Africa going to relocate? Most people are choosing to relocate in their immediate area, even if they have to move again soon. We are ill-served by catastrophic predictions of invading hordes and should be planning more realistically. https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/climate-migration-predicted-number-climate-refugees-962251/



3. Bivalves such as oysters, mussels, and clams have lower environmental footprints than many crops. They can be farmed so as to deliver nutrients of choice. Two Cambridge zoologists would like to see them made into something with the same appeal as fish fingers. "In the developed world, over two billion people eat too many calories but not enough nutrients to stay healthy, and a billion people in the developing world don't have access to enough food. We believe bivalves are the answer!"  https://phys.org/news/2020-03-world-fish-fingers.html



4.  The northern hemisphere has experienced its warmest winter, and spring is arriving early. "The speed of climate change is accelerating."  https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/warmest-winter-on-record-gives-way-to-extra-early-signs-of-spring/ar-BB11c50U?ocid=spartandhp



5. The corona virus is disrupting renewable energy supply chains and otherwise interfering with the energy transition. https://grist.org/energy/solar-power-has-been-growing-for-decades-then-coronavirus-rocked-the-market/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=daily

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