October 31, 2022

World close to 'irreversible' climate breakdown, warn major studies

From The Guardian:

The climate crisis has reached a “really bleak moment”, one of the world’s leading climate scientists has said, after a slew of major reports laid bare how close the planet is to catastrophe.

Collective action is needed by the world’s nations more now than at any point since the second world war to avoid climate tipping points, Prof Johan Rockström said, but geopolitical tensions are at a high.

He said the world was coming “very, very close to irreversible changes … time is really running out very, very fast”.

Emissions must fall by about half by 2030 to meet the internationally agreed target of 1.5C of heating but are still rising, the reports showed – at a time when oil giants are making astronomical amounts of money.

On Thursday, Shell and TotalEnergies both doubled their quarterly profits to about $10bn. Oil and gas giants have enjoyed soaring profits as post-Covid demand jumps and after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The sector is expected to amass $4tn in 2022, strengthening calls for heavy windfall taxes to address the cost of living crisis and fund the clean energy transition.

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Rockström, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany, said: “It’s a really bleak moment, not only because of the reports showing that emissions are still rising, so we’re not delivering on either the Paris or Glasgow climate agreements, but we also have so much scientific evidence that we are very, very close to irreversible changes – we’re coming closer to tipping points.”

Research by Rockström and colleagues, published in September, found five dangerous climate tipping points may already have been passed due to the global heating caused by humanity to date, including the collapse of Greenland’s ice cap, with another five possible with 1.5C of heating.

“Furthermore, the world is unfortunately in a geopolitically unstable state,” said Rockström. “So when we need collective action at the global level, probably more than ever since the second world war, to keep the planet stable, we have an all-time low in terms of our ability to collectively act together.”

“Time is really running out very, very fast,” he said. “I must say, in my professional life as a climate scientist, this is a low point. The window for 1.5C is shutting as I speak, so it’s really tough.”

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It's so depressing to read stories like this, but hopefully we can use this information as a springboard to action and not a reason for despair. It's up to us Democrats. Vote in the upcoming midterms and keep Republicans out of the Whitehouse in 2024!

February 18, 2022

With Spike in Concern Over Drought, Wildfires and Climate Change, Westerners Are Eager for Action to

COLORADO SPRINGS—Colorado College’s 12th annual State of the Rockies Project Conservation in the West Poll released today showed a spike in concern over issues like drought, inadequate water supplies, wildfires, the loss of wildlife habitats and natural spaces, and climate change among voters in the Mountain West. Those concerns align with continued strong support for pro-conservation policies.

The poll, which surveyed the views of voters in eight Mountain West states (Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming), found 69 percent of voters are concerned about the future of nature, meaning land, water, air, and wildlife. That level of concern was a notable jump from 61 percent in last year’s poll.

Against that backdrop, 86 percent of Western voters now say issues involving clean water, clean air, wildlife and public lands are important in their decision of whether to support an elected official, up from 80 percent in 2020 and 75 percent in 2016.

“We are seeing a perfect storm of threats that are driving higher levels of concern than ever before for the state of our lands and water in the Mountain West,” said Katrina Miller-Stevens, Director of the State of the Rockies Project and an associate professor at Colorado College. “Not surprisingly, most voters are aligning behind policies that would help mitigate threats by conserving and protecting more outdoor spaces.”

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Climate change seen as a threat with voters expressing concern over impacts

Most voters in the Mountain West, 62 percent, believe climate change is happening and requires action. Among them, 44 percent agree climate change is established as a serious problem and immediate action is necessary. Another 18 percent say there is enough evidence of climate change that some action should be taken. 52 percent of voters view climate change as a very serious or extremely serious problem, up from 46 percent in 2020 and 27 percent in 2011.

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This shift in attitude among Western voters is hardly surprising. Just in the past year of my own home state of Colorado, we have continued to suffer from a megadrought that has lasted 22 years and still counting. The Marshall fire that swept through suburban areas between Denver and Boulder on Dec. 30 was the most destructive wildfire in Colorado's history, destroying almost 1,000 homes and forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents. And climate change combined with an overflow of visitors continues to degrade public lands in both our National Parks and National Forests. The story is much the same in the rest of the Mountain West.

Scientists inform us that in the coming decades, here in Colorado and the rest of the Mountain West we will lose many of our most iconic species from the piñon pine to the pika. The loss of wild nature is a profound and disheartening affront to the spirit of people everywhere. There are values to be found in the unspoiled grasslands, woodlands, and forests beyond any price. For those familiar with the native cultures of New Mexico and southern Colorado, there are few things more precious than the scent of roasting pine nuts over a piñon fire on a chill autumn morning.

I think the fuel pumps at the local gas station should be retrofitted to provide a brief public announcement at the end of every sale. Like: "Your purchase today will contribute to the deaths of 10,000 monarch butterflies! The 6th Great Extinction - Mother Nature couldn't do it without your help. Thank you!"