[GWSG] Cooling paint; cooling vapor; heating rain; growing dangers; flowering bankruptcies; forced loans?

[Tilley, Al]

1. Research at Columbia University has produced an undercoat which reflects infrared radiation, lowering the surface temperature no matter what color is applied on top. Buildings and vehicles could use less energy for cooling. https://anthropocenemagazine.org/2020/04/cool-new-paint-could-bring-down-temperatures-in-building-and-cars/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cool-new-paint-could-bring-down-temperatures-in-building-and-cars



2. Because water vapor is light, cold, humid air rises faster than hot, dry air. The colder, more humid air forms clouds and thunderstorms. In clear skies, hot, dry air sinks. The net result is to release significantly more heat to space than would be the case without vapor buoyancy. The effect on the tropics is sufficiently strong to cancel out the effect of a doubling of CO2, and grows exponentially stronger with increasing heat. In a rare bit of good news, projections of heating will probably need to be moderated. https://phys.org/news/2020-05-cold-air-riseswhat-earth-climate.html



3. As the earth heats, tropical areas are likely to receive more rain, which will increase soil respiration, adding significantly more CO2 to the atmosphere. Perhaps this bad news will be moderated by the good news of the previous item. https://phys.org/news/2020-05-wetter-climate-global.html



4. Dangerous and perhaps fatal conditions of heat and humidity are already appearing in several areas of the globe, including the US Southeast, and will become more common. https://phys.org/news/2020-05-potentially-fatal-combinations-humidity-emerging.html



5. Chesapeake and other US shale oil and gas producers are declaring bankruptcy (after looting the till to give themselves bonuses). One factor is that with the drop in oil prices the value of their assets (that is, all the fuel they have not yet pumped from the ground to loose upon the atmosphere) has dropped beyond its ability to cover the debts they incurred to find and develop it.  https://climatecrocks.com/2020/05/11/shale-gas-giant-eyes-bankruptcy/



6. Some legislators would like to force banks to loan to fossil fuel companies. https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/496881-republicans-say-trump-should-act-against-financial-institutions

(I hope that this is a good sign of a desperate situation for the companies, which are obviously calling in some chits they hold on the legislators.)

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