Climate Change This Week: Trumped By Climate, Record Solar Surge, and More!

Today, the Earth got a little hotter, and a little more crowded. And the chances of Donald Trump's family and fortune surviving climate change are small, dwindling daily and irreversibly.
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Today, the Earth got a little hotter, and a little more crowded.

And the chances of Donald Trump's family and fortune surviving climate change are small, dwindling daily and irreversibly.

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Saving BUB, Beautiful Unique Biodiversity, as in these Red-necked Tanagers in Brazil, is another reason to preserve carbon storing forests. Source mostbeautifullworld.blogspot.com

Forests: the cheapest way to store carbon

OO Eliminating Deforestation From Palm Oil Supply Chain:
Industry, NGOs Agree To Single Approach
- a first.

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Death By Fire happens to too much forest in Brazil, and fuels global warming. Credit Dado Galdieri at AP

OO Deforestation Forces Up Brazil's Carbon Emissions despite Brazil's attempts last year to drastically cut emissions.

When we harm forests, we harm ourselves.

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FOSSIL FUEL FOLLIES

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Our Children's Future will be more like this, under current conditions and Trump's plans.

OO Air Pollution:
The Next Generation Carries The Burden Of Our Inaction
- adults who grew up in less polluted days can cope with pollution. But when a child's lungs are damaged, they are damaged for life.

OO Air Pollution Emerges As A Top Killer Globally says new research, a powerful if silent killer, causing 6.5 million worldwide deaths as well as being the major cause of climate change.

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FIXING CLIMATE CHANGE

@@ A Simple And Smart Way To Fix Climate Change given by Dan Miller in 2014 at a Ted talk suggests a way to profit as we tackle climate change, by finally charging those who sell and use fossil fuels - and distributing the revenues back to all of us.

The strategy is sure to speed transition to clean renewable energy. What's not to like? Check it out!

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TRUMP TRUMPED BY CLIMATE CHANGE

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Ggg donald trump family children grandchildren, Source heavy.com, ccr 356

Donald Trump's Children Likely Face Climate Apocalypse in their lifetimes; the likely crash of civilization that follows will crash their fortune and survival chances for their kids - and all of ours. Unless, of course, Trump acts to cut emissions, hugely. Source heavy.com

OO Climate Change May Be Escalating So Fast It Could Be 'Game Over' scientists warn; hnew research suggests the Earth's climate could be more sensitive to greenhouse gases than thought, raising the spectre of an 'apocalyptic side of bad' temperature rise of more than 7C within a lifetime.

OO Trump Presidency A 'Disaster For The Planet' Leading scientists warn the climate denier's victory could mean 'game over for the climate' and any hope of warding off dangerous global warming.

Related Headline:

OO Warming Up: New Research Points To A More Sensitive Climate To Rising CO2 - Climate models may be underestimating how sensitive the planet is to rising greenhouse gas levels; new research indicates that global warming is about to speed up.

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@@ Climate Change 101: Why Care?
What You Need to Know
- Bill Nye tells it all in five minutes amid graphic, dynamic, engaging, compelling imagery. Check it Out!

OO Physics Doesn't Really Care Who Was Elected - Neither does gravity or climate change, both governed by the laws of physics, not those of the US. And Trump can't change that.

OO Step 1 Of Donald Trump's Anti-Lobbyist Crusade:
Pack His Transition Team With Lobbyists
including fossil fuel ones.


OO Trump Looking At Fast Ways To Quit Global Climate Deal - said a transition team source, defying widening international backing for the plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

TRUMP COAL CONUNDRUM

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Trump Skies under his current plans to scrap air emissions regulations for coal plants.

OO Ending 'War On Coal' Unlikely To Bring Jobs To Eastern Kentucky


OO Trump May 'Dig' Coal, But Industry's Outlook Is Flat At Best say energy industry leaders and analysts, even if he rolls back regulations.

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Credit David Horsey at the Los Angeles Times

OO Trump's Climate Contrarian: Myron Ebell Takes On The E.P.A depicted on Paris lampposts during the 2015 Climate Summit by activists as one of seven "climate criminals" wanted for "destroying our future."

OO EPA, Energy Department: Tears, Angst As Workforce Braces For Trump Takeover

DO NOT GIVE UP HOPE

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Keep Fighting For Their Future Source gscadventist.org

OO Six Reasons Not To Give Up Hope:
One Man Can't Stop Progress On Climate

1.Cities and states are the new front lines in the fight to stop global warming.
2.Clean energy is getting cheaper every day - esp solar power.
3.The Paris Agreement isn't totally screwed - he can't just back out.
4.Americans love clean energy.
5.Coal ain't coming back - 'cause US natural gas killed it.
6.There is still strength in numbers of activists - keep fighting: you're more important than ever!

OO Trump Insider: New Administration Won't Attack Renewable Energy says a Trump insider.

OO States May Drive US Climate Policy Under Trump and are already laboratories for carbon-cutting policies, so they can make inroads if Trump refuses.

OO Despite Trump, Local & State Governments, Private Sector Can Make Climate Progress on achieving goals to slow climate change.

REALITY UNDER TRUMP

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Credit Tim Eagan

OO With Trump's Election, Science -- And The Global Environment -- Will Lose

OO Conservatives Elected Trump;
Now They Own Climate Change
- Anyone who voted for Trump shares the responsibility for the climate damages resulting from his presidency.

OO A Bad Day For Planet Earth - A president who has repeatedly denied the existence of climate change, going as far as to call it being manufactured by the Chinese government, will mean disaster for all of us.

EARTH GREENS BUT KEEPS HEATING

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Earth Greens - For Now as rising CO2 levels give a boost to plant growth globally and to carbon absorption by them; but further rising temperatures will lead to a browning, and release of climate-changing carbon.

OO Global 'Greening' Slows Rise Of Co2 In The Atmosphere -
But Nowhere Near Enough
To Stop Dangerous Climate Change
, a new study finds. Takeaways:

  • As CO2 levels rose, so did plant growth, upping their intake of CO2;
  • And plants' release of CO2 slowed, as temperatures rose;
  • CO2 levels continue to rise at a steady rate since 2000.

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Extreme Weather Is Increasing - breaking weather records of all sorts.

But, this small TEMPORARY effect will not slow dangerous climate change:

  • CO2 levels are rising fast.
  • Earth continues to get hotter every year;
  • Extreme weather is increasing.
  • As it gets too hot for many plants to grow,*
  • The greening will stop, and
  • Plants will die and decay, releasing carbon.

* It is already becoming too hot in some areas to grow certain crops, like corn.

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More Than Ever, We Need To Preserve Forests, Mangroves, and other important carbon-storing ecosystems, the study shows. Credit Mario Tama at Getty Images

World Meteorological Organization secretary-general, Petteri Taalas:

"The effects of climate change have been consistently visible globally since the 1980s:

  • rising global temperature, both over land and in the ocean;
  • sea-level rise; and the widespread melting of ice.
  • It has increased the risks of extreme events, such as
  • heatwaves, drought, record rainfall and damaging floods."

MOROCCO SUMMIT: TUNING A WORLD CLIMATE DEAL

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Gathering For Climate Action in Morocco Source OpenCanada.org

OO Morocco Climate Summit's Urgent Goal: Cut More Emissions, Faster - negotiators gathering in Morocco for the next round agree its pledges do not go far enough.

OO Making Climate Rules At Marrakech -The United Nations conference on climate change drew up the first steps on enhanced finance and technology transfer, vital to advance the Paris Agreement that entered into force on November 4.

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HOT NEWS

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OO Last Five Years Were Hottest On Record,
More Signs Heat Is Man-Made
says the UN's World Meteorological Organization, with mounting evidence that heat waves, floods and rising sea levels are stoked by man-made climate change.

OO Toasty October Keeps US On Track For 2nd-Hottest Year Ever recorded, going back more than 120 years, with every state in the Lower 48, as well as Alaska, recording well above-average temperatures through October.

OO Earth To Donald Trump:
2016 Will Be The Hottest Year On Record
- The planet is now more than halfway to the line scientists say we can't cross if we're going to avoid catastrophic climate change.

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GOOD CLEAN NEWS

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OO Obama Government Seeks To Speed Wind, Solar Development On Federal Lands in six Western states by establishing a competitive bidding process similar to how oil and gas leases are awarded. Of course, Trump could nix this...

OO World CO2 Emissions Stay Flat For Third Year helped by China falls, shows a new study.

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Clean Energy Blooms in the UK Credit Julie Edwards, Alamy via the Guardian

OO Half Of UK Electricity Comes From Low-Carbon Sources For First Time Ever claims new report.

OO Britain's Last Coal Power Plants To Close By 2025 the government said.

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SOCIAL REPERCUSSIONS

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'I can smell the smoke of wildfires 100 miles away,' says Daily Climate editor Peter Dykstra, as the southeast US drought helps create widespread wildfires there.

OO La Niña Likely To Worsen Southern US Drought - as it brings warm, drier weather there, but thankfully its effects will likely be short-lived this year.


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A Flooded Future Awaits US Cities as sea levels rise fast. Credit Jessica Rinaldi

OO Global Warming To Cause Fastest Rate Of Sea Level Rise In Human History says new research, likely making it difficult for US east coastal megacities to adapt.

OO Why Scientists Are So Worried About Sea-Level Rise - Seas could rise by a foot off the U.S. east coast by 2040 if we continue our high level of emissions.

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Going, Going... Santa Barbara will soon run out of drinking water. Source www.letsdomore.com

OO California: A County's Drinking Water Supply Is Nearly Empty Lake Cachuma, a giant reservoir built to hold Santa Barbara County's drinking water, has all but vanished in California's historic drought.

OO Why The Death Of Coral Reefs Could Be Devastating For Millions Of People - Researchers say the death of coral reefs could leave people worldwide without protection from storms and could harm fishing and tourism industries.

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Refugee Faces of African Drought Credit M. Ayene at picture-alliance

OO Africa's Water Challenges From the Syrian conflict, to protests in Zimbabwe, Tunisia and India, to a deep drought destabilizing South Africa, water is playing a significant role in global civil unrest. Climate change is worsening water scarcity and adding to the unrest.

OO Tanzanian Herders, Hit By Drought, Trade Firewood For Food - Rangelands threatened further as pastoralists struggling to graze animals sell firewood so their families can eat.

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GOOD IDEAS

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Source Pinterest

OO Tax Meat And Dairy To Cut Emissions And Save Lives study urges. This would lead to huge and vital cuts in carbon emissions as well as saving half a million lives a year via healthier diets, according to the first global analysis of the issue.

OO Rethink Hydropower: Dams Emit Sizeable Climate Changing Emissions says new research. And the increasing frequency of drought in an increasingly water-scarce world has already prevented some dams from working.

OO Rethink Energy, Justice Under Trump:
Help Ex Coal Miners With Clean Energy
Jobs via small scale clean energy projects that also reduce pollution and improve health in their communities, say experts.

SPEAKING OUT

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What the Future of US Cities Could Look Like Under Trump if he plans to nix important air and water regulations. Oh, and add flooding to this picture for coastal cities. Source Jason Lee at Reuters

OO If You Really Are A Smart Businessman, Donald, You'll Go Green -as the single most effective domestic business plan for the US economy and the planet.

If not, rolling back clean air and water regulations will turn us into Beijing or Delhi.

OO China Warns Trump Against Abandoning Climate Change Deal saying he will be defying the wishes of the entire planet if he acts on his vow to back away from the Paris climate agreement.

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Richard Branson Shutterstock

OO Billionaire Richard Branson On Donald Trump: Focus On Climate Change
"It's going to be up to us business people to make sure we create tens of thousands of jobs in the clean energy space."

OO Investors Call For Moratorium On Arctic High Seas Oil & Gas Activity - the investors represent 5+ trillion euros ($5.53 trillion) in assets under management. They call on oil and gas companies to observe an unlimited moratorium on activity in the Arctic high seas.

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California Drought Insanity: Golfing in the Desert Credit Mustafah Abdulaziz at the New York Times

OO Photographing The Impact Of California's Water Crisis in Mustafah Abdulaziz's latest installment of his "Water" series; it explores various human interactions with the environment.

OO Australian Unions Call For 'Just Transition' From Coal-Generated Electricity calling for a new statutory authority to manage a "just transition", supporting workers and communities that rely on fossil fuel-related jobs.

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If we do not live sustainably,
Our children will die inhumanely.

@@ Myth vs Truth: The Huge Value of Contraception is an incisive, heartfelt recognition of the value of contraception by Sarah Brown, CEO, The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy

Unintended Pregnancy Costs US Taxpayers:

Unintended Pregnancies Cost US Taxypayers Nearly $11 Billion Yearly
-the Guttmacher Institute

Teen Childbearing Alone Cost US Taxpayers $9+ Billion In 2010
And the costs of raising a child usually ensures decades, if not a life, of poverty for its mother.
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Help prevent unintended pregnancies in your community:
publicize where women can access affordable contraception.

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They can go here to find locations:

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And there are many more actions you can do, right here.

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SOLAR KEEPS DRIVING

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Source www.solarkinguk.com

OO IEA: 2015 Solar Power Grew At Record Rate and Level surpassing 227 GW of total capacity, and installing 51 GW, up from 40 GW over the previous two years. Way to GO!

OO Ballot Win In Florida Emboldens The Solar Industry: 'Voters Have Spoken Very Loudly'
Takeaways:
  • Utilities paid 20+ million to restrict solar at the ballot box and failed;
  • Solar panel prices keep falling;
  • FL homeowners and businesses are projected to up solar capacity 1900% in the next 5 years, compared to the previous 5 years.

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Check it out here, right now!

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WHY WE SHOULD ACT NOW: RISING RISKS

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Daily Climate Change: Global Map of Unusual Temperatures, Nov 23, 2016

How unusual has the weather been? No one event is "caused" by climate change, but global warming, which is predicted to increase unusual, extreme weather, is having a daily effect on weather, worldwide.

Looking above at recent temperature anomalies, much of the US and the waters surrounding it are experiencing warmer than normal temperatures: the eastern Pacific warm spot continues and so does the drought in California, despite recent rain in the SF Bay area. In the south, Santa Barbara's drinking supply is nearly gone.

Much of the areas surrounding the North Pole are experiencing much warmer than normal temperatures - not good news for our Arctic thermal shield of ice. Hotter than usual temperatures continue to dominate human habitats.

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There is, of course, much more news on the consequences and solutions to climate change. To get it, check out this annotated resource list I've compiled, "Climate Change News Resources," at Wordpress.com here. For more information on the science of climate change, its consequences and solutions you can view my annotated list of online information resources here.

To help you understand just what science does and does NOT do, check this out!

Every day is Earth Day, folks, as I was reminded by this wild flower I photographed one spring. Making the U.S. a global clean energy leader will ensure a heck of a lot more jobs, and a clean, safe future. If you'd like to join the increasing numbers of people who want to TELL Congress that they will vote for clean energy candidates you can do so here. It's our way of letting Congress know there's a strong clean energy voting bloc out there. For more detailed summaries of the above and other climate change items, audio podcasts and texts are freely available.

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