[GWSG] Worse cyclones; ocean life risked; 112 pledged cities; renewables > nukes; to keep to 1.5C

[Tilley, Al]

1. A modeling study shows the number of intense tropical cyclones, category 3 or higher, doubling by 2050, and their top wind speeds increasing by 20%. Asia will see the greatest increase in major cyclones. Relatively weak cyclones will become less common in most regions.  https://phys.org/news/2022-04-climate-intense-tropical-cyclones.html

2. Rising heat and loss of oxygen in the world’s oceans is putting us at increasing risk of a mass extinction which would rival the great dying of 250 million years ago. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/apr/28/global-warming-risks-cataclysmic-mass-extinction-marine-life
The WA Post provides more detail and context. https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/04/28/mass-marine-extinction-event-science/
“Reversing greenhouse gas emissions trends would diminish extinction risks by more than 70%, preserving marine biodiversity accumulated over the past ~50 million years of evolutionary history.” https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abe9039

3. The European Commission organized 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities to support selected cities who pledged to achieve zero emissions by 2030. 377 cities applied. The 100 selected from the EU were joined by 12 non-EU cities, among them Glasgow, Sarajevo, and Istanbul. Urban areas count for more than 70% of CO2 emissions. EU cities in the program include Paris, Milan, Copenhagen, and Budapest. An array of organizations and experts have committed to assisting. https://www.politico.eu/article/100-eu-cities-commit-climate-neutral-by-2030/?utm_campaign=Daily%20Briefing&utm_content=20220429&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Revue%20newsletter

4. Last year for the first time the US produced more renewable energy than nuclear. https://www.utilitydive.com/news/for-the-first-time-us-renewable-energy-output-exceeds-nuclear-generation/622899/

5. A study from the U of New South Wales finds that to limit heating to 1.5C we will need to halve our emissions by 2030, as well as achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. We cannot rely on simply replacing current energy supplies with renewables; we must cut consumption approximately in half by 2050. Shifts in power away from corporations and policies to supply basic services could assist the necessary changes.   https://phys.org/news/2022-04-halve-energy-climate-catastrophe.html

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